The Bride Takes a Groom

Book excerpt: Star-crossed childhood friends meet again in “an elegant, poignant, and joyful romance and a must-read for Regency fans” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). Katherine Brooke may be a fabulously wealthy heiress, but she’s trapped, a pawn in her parents’ ruthless game to marry her into the nobility. Then Captain Hugo Penhallow—so charming, as handsome as a Greek god—comes into her life once more, and suddenly she sees a chance to be free. As a Penhallow, his is one of the highest names in the land, but still his family is facing ruin. So Katherine boldly proposes an exchange: his name for her money. But only if Hugo understands it’s merely a practical arrangement, and that she’s not surrendering herself entirely. Back from eight years in America and determined to give his younger siblings a better life, Hugo agrees. He’s never fallen in love, so why not? Yet neither of them guesses that this marriage will become far, far more than they ever dreamed of . . . “One of the most exciting new historical writers in a long time.” —Julia Quinn, New York Times–bestselling author of the Bridgerton novels “Berne takes all the classic elements of a Regency romance and turns them upside down. The most charming surprise is the hero . . . who stands out from the legion of Regency leading men before him by being kind.” —BookPage “Regency fans will love this forthright, intellectual heroine and affable, resourceful hero.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)