Review: Stowaway Bride – Adrianne Wood

A steamy Western set in the Colorado badlands, featuring an heiress seeking adventure and a businessman looking for a saboteur.

Emily Highfill Grant is living the life most young women would envy: fashionable picnics on Boston Common, parties with eligible bachelors, and the wealth of her grandfather Charles Bertram Highfill assuring her a fine marriage. But what Emily wants more than anything is to go West—and break free of the cage her name and fortune have built for her. When her mother decides to travel to San Francisco, Emily sneaks aboard their private railcar, planning to surprise her once they’ve left the station. But Emily is the one who’s surprised: the railcar has been leased to Lucien Delatour, and she’s now traveling cross-country in a cozy private car with a handsome stranger.

Lucien Delatour hasn’t had it easy. Raised in an orphanage, Lucien built his hard-won fortune with sweat and determination. Now a saboteur’s deadly actions threaten to destroy the rail line that he and his business partner have spent a fortune to create. Racing west, Lucien is determined to prove that the saboteur is his old nemesis—Charles Bertram Highfill.

When Emily’s family sends agents to retrieve her, Lucien marries her to keep her safe. But when he finds out who her grandfather is, Lucien can’t help but feel betrayed…and soon he is torn between saving his railroad and saving his marriage.

Series: Bride #2
Release Date: November 26th 2013
Publisher: Pocket Books
Source: Provided by Publisher
Reviewer: Michelle
Rating:

Buy the book at:

Reviewer’s Thoughts

Stowaway Bride is smart, funny, sweet, and it’s a historical romance novel.  I didn’t think I could find a historical that was true to its period and funny, but this novel is a rare treat that shouldn’t be missed.

Annabelle and Emily are sisters that polar opposites.  Annabelle is the beauty and Emily is the smart one.  Each is comfortable in their established roles.  Annabelle is the younger more adventurous one, but Emily surprises her by slipping aboard a train car meant to take her mother west.  Never one to miss an adventure Emily also steals aboard the train and both are surprised to learn that the passenger isn’t their mother.  Lucien Delatour intends to write letters to investors and work out a strategy to make his railroad a success.  However, he finds two obviously well-bred young ladies aboard his Pullman car and can’t wait to be rid of them.  However, a fortuitous injury means they must continue to journey together.  Lucien hastily decides to marry Emily, but he still doesn’t know that she is the daughter of a man he believes is sabotaging his railroad. They face a load of adventure, a hoard of naysayers, and none of it matters because love triumphs over everything.

This was my favorite historical romance.  Emily was a strong, witty, resourceful, and intelligent character. Lucien was smart, sexy, and clumsy…but it all worked out for him.  I loved all of the characters and felt they were very well developed.  I loved that there wasn’t a lot of pretense, and the romance between Emily and Lucien was very straightforward.  I was totally vested in their story after the first few pages.  I really admired Emily for how she was able to think through situations and turn them in her favor.  I liked Lucien, but I think I fell in love with him when he burst in with guns blazing to save the day.  The plot was familiar, but it was the depth of the characters that made the storyline take on a life of its own.  Don’t miss this historical romance treat.