The Palace of Rogues, Book 8
From the publisher:
In USA Today bestselling author Julie Anne Long’s latest installment in the Palace of Rogues series, an estranged couple decide to fake their way through the London season to repair their good name… but neither are prepared for the genuine sparks that begin flying between them.
A blue-blooded beauty bartered to a Beast…
He would pay any price to possess her. But even though Alexandra Bellamy sacrifices herself to save her family’s fortunes, a shocking betrayal sunders her marriage to a taciturn brute of a war hero, Colonel Magnus Brightwall, before it even begins. Five years of icy separation later, a scandal—with Alexandra at the middle—reunites them, and Magnus issues an edict: they will confront the ton, rescue their reputations, then Magnus will banish her to another continent—forever.
But alone in a suite at the Grand Palace on the Thames, a new battle begins—between pride and the unexpected volcanic passion stirring between them. The danger is real: Magnus rediscovers why Alexandra is the only woman who could ever break him. And even as she lays bare the beautiful heart beating beneath the battered hide of the near-stranger she married, Alexandra knows she may have already lost him—even as she finally falls fatally, irrevocably in love.
“The eighth entry in Long’s wonderful “Palace of Rogues” series (following My Season of Scandal) is another lovely read . . . This latest from Long showcases her sharp skill for character detail, dialogue, pacing, and tone. A book to treasure.”—Library Journal
“A marriage of estrangement becomes real just as it’s ending . . . This “Beauty and the Beast” rewrite is evocative of some of Lisa Kleypas’ and Sherry Thomas’ historical romances, where marriages must be rebuilt by two complicated people healing the wrongs they did to each other and baring their true selves . . . A keeper, fusing the beauties of historical romance with present-day ideas of individual happiness.” —Kirkus Reviews
This is the latest addition to one of my favorite series, and it’s a good one. Heart wrenching, in fact. The “beast” is Colonel Magnus Brightwall, a soldier who has been away for five years, leaving the morning after he got married. His wife is Alexandra Bellamy, whose father basically sold her into marriage. It would have worked out, except that Alexandra had a bit of a crush on another man, and he kisses her goodbye as he is leaving town. Unfortunately, her only kiss was also her last, because it happened shortly after the wedding and was witnessed by her husband.
Magnus never thought he would marry, but something about Alexandra strongly appealed to him. But he is devastated by what he saw, and he returns to war, leaving his bride behind. She makes a life for herself, but when he returns, things have to change. He readies the house for sale, and they move into the Grand Palace on the Thames. Determined to resist the irresistible proves much more difficult than Magnus expected, and as they spend time together, feelings start to emerge. But he is stubborn, and she feels helpless to change anything.
This was such an emotional read for me. These characters and their story were incredibly engaging, and I couldn’t wait for their happy ending, but it didn’t seem like they would get one until the very end. While theoretically these books don’t need to be read in order, I think they make more sense if you have the backstory created in the previous books. Another excellent read from Julie Anne Long.
THE BEAST TAKES A BRIDE by Julie Anne Long. Avon (October 22, 2024). ISBN: 978-0063281172. 368p.
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