Review and Giveaway: The Accidental Abduction

The Accidental Abduction by Darcie Wilde

Publication Date: 09/02/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Sensation
Genre: Historical Romance
Pages: 336
ISBN-10: 0425265560
ISBN-13: 978-0425265567

(Received for an honest review from Berkley Sensation)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Darcie Wilde on the WEB: website, blog, twitter, facebook, goodreads

Excerpt from, The Accidental Abduction, courtesy of the author's website.

Synopsis:

~One of Publishers Weekly's "Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2014"  

A headlong flight across London to stop an elopement leads to a hasty wedding between strangers....A sizzling new romance for fans of Sarah MacLean and Elizabeth Hoyt.

Harold Rayburn is about to be taken for the ride of his life…

After having his proposal rejected by a beautiful but flighty woman, Harry vows he is done with unpredictable and impetuous women for good. Until beautiful and fierce Leannah Wakefield barrels into his life, inadvertently kidnapping him while on a wild carriage ride and leaving him all too eager to get back in the saddle…

Leannah would sacrifice everything to protect her family. So upon hearing of her sister’s intended elopement, she races across London to stop the ill-advised ceremony before it can happen. However, when her mad journey picks her up an unlikely stowaway, one who ignites her desire beyond all reason, she’s the one who ends up hastily wedding a handsome and secretive stranger.

But as Leannah and Harry immediately encounter opposition, jealousy, and suspicion of their hurried nuptials, they begin to doubt that their unquenchable passion can truly lead to a happy marriage—especially when both the bride and groom have devastating secrets to hide…

Thoughts:

Darcie Wilde's sophomore romance, The Accidental Abduction takes readers on a wild ride. There were some ups and downs in the pacing, and a few errors in the customs and proprieties of the day, but this was still an enjoyable read. It is about two characters that marry quickly and then find out that perhaps they don't know that much about each other. What results is a story about family, love and duty. Readers will find the love story a little disjointed but very enjoyable!

Darcie Wilde's latest book, The Accidental Abduction is of course a historical romance. Being a history major, once upon a time, I tend to be a stickler when it comes to the book reflecting the research into the times and the customs of the day. Wilde did good in some areas, but suffered in others. When a couple wanted to get married in a hurry, whether it was because of pregnancy or they just didn't want to wait for their banns to be posted, they would often escape across the border into Scotland to be married. Wilde did a good job of describing the situation with Leannah's sister, Ginny and her need for going to Gretna Green. I liked the references to the practices of the day and thought Wilde was on track with that. However, she did use some language in this book that was not common in the day and there were other minor references to things I felt were out of place. Like I said, I'm a stickler and this sort of thing may not bother many readers.

Leannah and Harry meet very unexpectedly when Leannah picks up a drunk Harry while she is trying to save her sister from marrying the wrong man. It was obvious that these two characters were attracted from the first moment, however their romance becomes quite a whirlwind. The beginning of the book starts out a bit slow and is hard to warm up to, but after the main characters meet, they beat a frantic pace to the altar. I found that bit disconcerting, though I realize that hasty marriages happen even today. It made the pacing seem a bit disjointed. It just didn't read smoothly.

One of the things I did like about the story was the fact that everyone seemed so determined to under mind this marriage, yet they were unsuccessful. This is a story about two characters who have to learn about each other after the fact. It was a good concept and had a lot of potential. I liked that Wilde uses everything from family discord to villains to try to drive them apart and yet they survive. The couple was actually quite likable. I thought Leannah was self-sacrificing and Harry was devoted and willing to stand by her. Though the story does have it's problems it was still a good read and I think readers may be willing to overlook some of the issues because the characters are compelling.

Beyond the Book: 

Marriage practices back in the day were very interesting and it's remarkable how many marriages took place in Gretna Green, Scotland. Take some time to do your own research into the topic and you'll be surprised at some of the other unique marriage rituals you might find. 

Bottom Line:

I liked this book, despite the fact that it was a bit out of kilter. The pacing was off and there were a few discrepancies, but I loved the main couple and their story isn't unlike one that might happen today. Finding out your new husband can snore the roof off the house is the least of this couples worries. Wilde hasn't hit her stride yet, but she's headed in the right direction!

The Accidental Abduction is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 3 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

A longtime resident of the Great Lakes State, Darcie Wilde writes her sizzling-hot romances in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She is the author of Lord of the Rakes and The Accidental Abduction. When not actually writing, she lives out her own happily-ever-afters with her husband of fifteen years, one rapidly growing son, one cat, and one writer’s group of infinite patience.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of The Accidental Abduction by Darcie Wilde.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
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~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, September 24th.

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