The American Bride

the long version

Abigail Dawson is young, beautiful and betrothed to an English rake who lacks money but has a title. Her American father is a "bedazzled American tradesman" who holds "the aristocracy of the mother country in absolute awe." Wanting the best for his daughter he arranges the marriage thinking that what he is doing is for the best. For the voyage to England, Emily’s father put her in the charge of Charles Lydiard, a former employee and someone he trusts explicitly. Before leaving Mr. Dawson asks Charles to share any concerns he has about his daughter and the Earl of Longford, but Charles does not feel it is his right to discredit the man and remains silent. During the voyage from one continent to another Charles and Emily develop feelings for each other but fail to declare themselves. “Unfortunately, since only four years had passed since the end of the War of 1812, I had a hard time believing that anyone would accept or trust an American wedding a lord. Perhaps because I have read so many Regency romances I was expecting too much. I liked both Abby and Charles but they each had some TSTL moments and my patience wore thin. I won't even go into what I thought of the Earl of Longford except to say that I struggled to finish the book.” Amazon reviewer, L. B. Taylor