To Catch a Bride

With a setting beyond the traditional and consistent characterizations, Anne Gracie’s To Catch A Bride is a bright spot in what seems to be a dull selection of historical romances recently.

When it becomes obvious that Rafe Ramsey will be his brother’s heir, the pressure is on to marry and produce his own progeny. Rafe, however, doesn’t want to marry, nor does he want the bride his brother has selected for him. In an attempt to avoid the situation, he helps an elderly lady who hopes her long, lost granddaughter is alive and well in Egypt.

Ayisha, a child of the Egyptian streets, learned long ago how to survive when all hope and security are lost, making her way by disguising herself as a boy and trusting only those who need her as much as she needs them. When an Englishmen threatens her tenuous security by coming to Cairo and flashing a picture of the girl Ayisha used to be, she knows he can bring her unwanted attention and spoil the life she’s built for herself. After she finds herself trapped by his lures, however, she realizes her choices are limited and traveling to England with him may be her only option.

Once Rafe gets Ayisha to relax her guard even the smallest bit, he realizes he’s found a treasure unspoiled by the trappings of wealth. She, on the other hand, has far more secrets than he has yet to realize and she doesn’t know how to maneuver her way around them to find the security she needs.

There is so much I liked about this one, it’s hard to find a place to start. Given that, I have to rave about the Egyptian setting, which I’m pretty much always a sucker for. The river, trade, street crime, and poverty are all characters in their own right. The author also makes clear the limited rights and the precarious situation women often faced, both in Egypt and England. Because it was always in the back of my mind as I read, it made the story seem more realistic. Furthermore, this is one of those stories where the hero is in pursuit – one of my favorite storylines. He wants her, he pursues, and he stands by her with no anger or big misunderstanding. Ayisha has her pride as well and is motivated somewhat by fear and lack of choice, both of which are understandable.

On the other hand, there were a few things I had problems wrapping my mind around. First, Ayisha holds out on making the decision to travel to England just a little to long for me to be completely comfortable. Also, given her secrets, I found the resolution to her problems too easy, making me doubt their HEA.

Anne Gracie’s To Catch A Bride kept me flipping pages in a rush to get to the ending, only to want just a little more. For me, it was a solid read, with interesting characters and a unique romance.

-- Heather Brooks

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