Scottish lord Alexander Lammergeier, having tricked two of his sisters into marriage in Delacroix's earlier medieval Bride romances (The Beauty Bride
; The Rose Red Bride
), finally gets duped into his own nuptials in this heavy-handed third installment. Lady Eleanor, Alexander's mysterious new bride, can't bring herself to trust him with her secrets, so when someone makes an attempt on Alexander's life, Eleanor naturally comes under scrutiny. Rather than trusting Alexander, who's portrayed as an all-around good guy, Eleanor continues to lie to him, which only breeds more distrust. Her secret—that she's had two abusive husbands who died inexplicably and who were only after her father's legacy—is torn from her with painstaking and melodramatic fanfare. Though her story inspires sympathy from Alexander, many will find it hard to feel the same given Eleanor's inconsistent and often irritating behavior. Indeed, the story's primary impetus is the protagonists' lack of communication and their frequent interludes in bed. While this may be enough to inspire some readers to pick up book four, others will feel less inclined. (Nov.)
