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The Bride of Larkspear (Fitzhugh Trilogy Book 5) Kindle Edition

4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 92 ratings

Don’t miss this very steamy novella from acclaimed and best-selling historical romance author Sherry Thomas!

To save her family from the repercussions of scandal, a young woman reluctantly marries a man she despises. Now she faces her wedding night…

What she doesn’t know is that her gorgeous bridegroom has long been desperately in love with her. But he is too proud to expose his yearning to her scorn. Now that he has her in his bed and in his power, he is going to mount a determined and dangerous assault…

It will be a battle fought with whispers, kisses, and the most intimate of touches, a war between a woman defending the fortress of her heart and a man determined to break down all barriers.

Win or lose, each clash will sear with pleasure…

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01N10U6WN
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ (January 11, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 11, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 306 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 81 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 92 ratings

About the author

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Sherry Thomas
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Sherry Thomas writes both historical romance and young adult fantasy.

On the romance side, she is one of the most acclaimed authors working in the genre today, her books regularly receiving starred reviews and best-of-the-year honors from trade publications. She is also a two-time winner of Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA® Award.

On the young adult fantasy side, there isn’t much to report yet, her debut book, THE BURNING SKY, book 1 of the Elemental Trilogy, has received a starred review from Publishers Weekly and been named to the Autumn ’13 Kids’ Indie Next List.

Sherry writes in her second language. She learned English by reading romance and science fiction—every word Isaac Asimov ever wrote, in fact. She is proud to say that her son is her biggest fanboy—for the YA fantasy, not the romances. At least, not yet…

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
92 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book erotic at times, but not degrading or humiliating. They appreciate the depth of character and vulnerability of the hero. The story is enjoyable and a good addition to the trilogy.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

5 customers mention "Erotic content"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book contains erotic content. They describe it as an alternative to the author's most recent novel, and say the sex is not degrading or humiliating.

"...The Bride of Larkspear is - read alone - an erotic tale with a start I usually don`t care much for: The hero tries to make the heroine submit to him..." Read more

"...Also, please be aware that the sex is not degrading or humiliating, from my point of view...." Read more

"...⁠ David wasn't kidding when said this was an EROTIC NOVELLA. Do we recommend reading it on its own?..." Read more

"This is a sexy erotic at times novella. It I think should be read in connection with her book Tempting the Bride...." Read more

4 customers mention "Character depth"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character depth and vulnerability. They find the hero adorable and likable.

"...He was an adorable hero. He truly loved and respected his heroine for who she was- flaws and all...." Read more

"...I loved Larkspur even though he was a jerk, his depth of character, and vulnerability made me love him." Read more

"...It's excerpted at length and even acted out, so when we got to the end of the book and saw that the novel had been written and was for sale in an..." Read more

"...Terrific writing, and two great characters!" Read more

4 customers mention "Value for money"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining but not compelling.

"...All in all, it was absolutely worth the read. If you are adamantly opposed to erotica, then approach this with caution or don't read it...." Read more

"This book, although entertaining, did not seem to measure up to some of her other books...." Read more

"...'s just say that although we knew Sherry Thomas wrote it, the book is absolutely great when considered as a further exploration of David's character.⁠" Read more

"...There wasn’t much of a storyline, just sex and melodrama. Overall, entertaining but not very compelling." Read more

3 customers mention "Storyline"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the storyline. They say it's a good addition to the trilogy and a wonderful conclusion to the Fitzhugh series.

"...the Bride, The Bride of Larkspear was both a very hot and a very sweet story. Five stars!" Read more

"This was a wonderful conclusion to the Fitzhugh series. It was so funky and so different from her other books...." Read more

"...I was on her website when I saw this novella was avaiable. Great story and a good addition to the trilogy. She never disappoints." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2012
    This story will make very little sense if you haven`t read Tempting the Bride because this is really a book within a book. In Tempting the Bride Hastings is very much in love with Helena, and has been since he was 14 years old, but he expresses his feeling by saying almost cruel things to her - much like a school boy who pulls the pig`s tails of the girl he`s in love with. Helena dislikes Hastings, with good reason, and is in love with a married man.

    Hastings writes The Bride of Larkspear to Helena - an erotic story about a woman who is in love with a married man and who has to marry another man to save her honor when her affair with the married man is discovered. This is the tale of what Hastings hopes/thinks will happen to him and Helena - that her affair with the other man will be discovered and that he will step in and marry her.

    All these things happen in Tempting the Bride and The Bride of Larkspear is sort of a meta-story - a story within the story but also a description of how Hastings plan to deal with Helena`s animosity when they are married at one time in the future. He gives this story to Helena in in Tempting the Bride, she reads it and finds some truths about Hastings.

    The Bride of Larkspear is - read alone - an erotic tale with a start I usually don`t care much for: The hero tries to make the heroine submit to him by giving her pleasure in bed. I don`t think you can make anyone fall in love with you by giving them sexual pleasure, especially not if they strongly dislike you. But since this is not a book to be read alone but Hasting`s fantasy, it`s a great tale. It`s heartbreaking to think that Hastings, who is really his own worst enemy when it comes to making Helena love him, has this fantasy because Helena is much more negative towards him in his fantasy than she turned out to be when what he described in The Bride of Larkspear came to happen in Tempting the Bride.

    The Bride of Larkspear is a great insight to a very thought-through hero and gave depth to Tempting the Bride. If you`ve read Tempting the Bride, I will truly recommend that you read The Bride of Larkspear too. Hastings is a very good author of erotic tales :-D

    Read in the context of Tempting the Bride, The Bride of Larkspear was both a very hot and a very sweet story. Five stars!
    11 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2012
    I'll be upfront- I don't read a lot of erotica. In fact, I'm a bit prudish when sex scenes get a little too sexy or leave my boundaries for escapist fun. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the short story with a bit of skimming when it went too far out there for my personal tastes (again, I am prudish). So, if you are like me and you are wary of anything titled erotica, I'll warn you- it has a few graphic moments but I do not think they were anything outside the realm of more sexual modern romance novels. Also, please be aware that the sex is not degrading or humiliating, from my point of view. This character holds the object of his affections in a truly cherished place and that is clear throughout. More importantly, the sex is not the sole reason to read this tale. It is more emotional than titillating. When read in connection with the book, it is a little heart-breaking. The unimpeded view into the hero's thoughts and feelings is well worth the read. It is the kind of thing you wish you had when you just finish a great book.

    I loved the character David in "Tempting the Bride". He was this charming mix of utter idiocy, genuine unrequited yearning for the love of his life, and cheerful lecherousness. He was an adorable hero. He truly loved and respected his heroine for who she was- flaws and all. He genuinely treated her as his equal, if not his superior. And, he was surprisingly aware of his numerous flaws- his idiocy toward the love of his life, especially.

    That said, this tale-within-a-tale is David's attempt to talk to the love of his life. His attempt to smash the wall down on his pride and show her his actions, in real life, are the total opposite of his thoughts and feelings. I mentioned that a facet of his character is cheerful lecherousness and that comes out clearly in this tale. But, that is not the whole story. Helena, the love of his life, is equally ribald. She is independent minded and not averse to discussing sex. And, she is a great reader. So, David's tale is a meeting of the minds. The way I see it is is he is pinning her into place, figuratively in a story, to make her listen to him bare his soul in the hopes she'll see past her misconceptions and his own idiotic behavior. It is actually sweet- in a totally lecherous, but totally non-harmful, way. And, as a reader, I take a little delight in how David approaches the subject. Partly smutty little boy whispering his naughty fantasies in her ear and partly wide-open adoration that leaves him shockingly vulnerable. There is a definite thread of humor underlying the tale-within-a-tale.

    If you read the whole trilogy, you'll remember that David actually gave the whole story to Helena during Millie & Fitz's book. That just adds to the emotional impact of the story. David has been trying for a while- in a seriously strange way- to communicate to Helena his love. It is very sweet, in its way.

    All in all, it was absolutely worth the read. If you are adamantly opposed to erotica, then approach this with caution or don't read it. The sex is slightly beyond what you normally encounter in a romance novel but I have encountered everything in it before. But, if you read the romance genre widely, then it probably won't cause you any grief at all. I only think the warnings are appropriate because the e-book is titled as erotic and, from my seriously limited point of view, I think that is a bit misleading when you take in the context of the emotions and characterizations. If the novella had been placed inside of "Tempting the Bride", I doubt I would offer any warnings at all.
    17 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2015
    Firstly, if you read this as standalone, you might the whole whole is just a platform for some heavy sex play. However, if you read this as part of the Trilogy, you would be able to place this book in the right frame it deserves. I read all the books in the Trilogy before this, so i found this storyline utterly heart wrenching for Hastings. His supposed very depraved behaviour was, ironically, his only way of showing her his love. It is beautiful to see how she took that situation and turn it around to her advantage, and slowly, slowly succumb to the inevitable.
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2012
    This book, although entertaining, did not seem to measure up to some of her other books. I have read the entire collection Sherry Thomas has written and will continue to do so as she writes new books.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2024
    The Bride of Larkspear is the e r o t i c novella penned by David, Viscount Hastings, in Ravishing the Heiress and Tempting the Bride. It’s his er0t!c imagination of what he'd like to have happen if he needs to *rescue* Helena from ruin from her affair with Andrew Martin. So David is the groom, Helena the bride, and we begin with Helena tied to a bed for their wedding night.

    It's a 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 novella with an HEA, best read immediately after Tempting the Bride. Sherry Thomas made even me blush a little with this. Helena calls this smut in Tempting the Bride and its absolutely A+ smut.
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2014
    This was a wonderful conclusion to the Fitzhugh series. It was so funky and so different from her other books. I loved Larkspur even though he was a jerk, his depth of character, and vulnerability made me love him.
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2018
    this book is dumb and could be read in 10 minutes
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2012
    I'm a big fan of Sherry Thomas. I was on her website when I saw this novella was avaiable. Great story and a good addition to the trilogy. She never disappoints.
    One person found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Rosewood
    4.0 out of 5 stars Worth the money???
    Reviewed in Canada on August 17, 2014
    This was a small supliment to the series that could have easily been added to the last book but it was ok
  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars A fun & smexy extra to Tempting the Bride
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 17, 2014
    This is a meta novel(la), being the book that the hero of Tempting the Bride writes to the heroine. Like the rest of the Fitzhugh series, it could stand on its own, but is better read in order. (I read them all totally out of order and still enjoyed them a lot. It's not like it's murder mystery, eh? You know who is going to end up with who, the only question is how.)

    Having said that, this is short (a novella length), and thus a tad expensive at its full price. I bought it reduced to less than a quid and considered that it was well worth it.

    It is also rather more explicit than the average ST book, and has considerably less plot. It's written in first person from the hero's pov. It isn't as ponderous as the opening page would have you believe (I guess it's supposed to have that pretentiousness that many books of that era have) and thankfully gives up on that for a more readable style (to my modern tastes, anyhow).

    There is some backdoor action, which is predictably purple and painless and etc. Not my thing really, but I understand that such things are practically required these days.

    Oddly enough, I feel like it's the plot that Tempting the Bride almost was, but the author changed her mind. I actually like it better than the amnesia plot that TtB uses, but that's just me.

    Anyhow, I liked it. No silliness, lots of smexy times and actually quite a bit of emotion for something that is essentially erotica.

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