BOOK REVIEW- RULE'S BRIDE

 
Unrepentant rake Rule Dewar is living the good life when a most surprising event occurs--he falls in love with his wife.

After their strategic "marriage of commerce" three years ago, Rule quite forgot about Violet Griffin, the teenage heiress to a Boston manufacturing fortune. He simply spoke his vows, took over her father's business and returned to England to resume his usual pursuits: high-priced wine, high-stakes gambling and highborn women.

Yet when Violet, now a sophisticated woman, unexpectedly appears at Rule's London town house, husbandly duties no longer seem so odious--he can't wait to take his stunning bride to their marriage bed. Violet, however, is not so easily led: she has her own ideas and is seeking an annulment to marry another. But as Rule attempts to win her over, someone else is determined to frame him for murder and keep him out of the way for good....AMAZON  4.5  STARS

I was pleasantly surprised.  I have to admit expectations of this book weren't all that high. In fact, I wasn't really sure what to expect.   Yes, I know.  I've heard of this author and heard that she was a good one.  But I have been disappointed before by other similar plot-lines.  Well, I'm happy to say, I enjoyed this book and it got even better as the story went on.  Rule left a tomboyish innocent bride but when Violet came boldly back into his life it was a whole different ball game.  She is a strong woman now and she is now cynical about her "husband".  She's heard about his legendary lover status during her absence and she's not impressed.  Beautiful like her father said she would be but also a woman with a mission or two on her mind.  Her girlish wonder at his handsome beauty has been tarnished with reality and she wants out.  Now!  
Oh sure he's still handsome and can make her senses tingle, but she wants someone much better.  Someone who will love her and be faithful; something she's pretty sure he can't be.  Faithful!

Rule, has had his pick of women for years but he's been restless for a while.  Thinking that he needed a change, a challenge.  And then suddenly, Violet shows up and once he sees her, he wants her.  And then he sets out to seduce his wife.  The fun really starts then and as time goes on twists and turns begin to show up when it comes to the villain/villains of the piece.  How many of them are there?  There are plenty of suspects, with differing motives.  It makes it really interesting.   
There are secondary people in the story that add to it. Rule's family also plays a part in this book too, they come in handy helping him more than once and in more than one way.  
 Caroline who came with Violet from America, is another one of  the secondary characters.  She's Violet's cousin and she has a side story in this book as well.  I liked the challenges and the outcome of that story as well.
In fact, I liked the challenges and outcome of the whole story.
No cliffhangers and more than one HEA.