Mix together a handsome, sexy rogue and a willful, sensual, beauty and you are bound to have scandal. And while scandal is the main theme of this book, scandal has never been so enjoyable. The reason being is that Leslie LaFoy has the talent for developing a well-researched and written story blended with passion that has you riveted to the pages. Tristan Townsend has been in America for years creating a very successful, lucrative, shipping empire. Just as his latest lover is to walk down the aisle to marry another man, he sits down at this desk to find three letters. The first is from his step-mother stating his father and eldest brother have passed in an accident. The second is from his second brother stating he doesn't want to be the next Marquis and is depressed about it. The third is notification that his brother has died, his body found floating in the Thames, and Tristan is now the next Marquis of Lockwood. He arrives in England to find a mess of the family fortune and a mother-in-law he is highly suspicious of, as it seems she took out insurance policies on the heirs that have passed on. Amongst this upheaval and mystery he attends a ball and sets his sights on a vision of loveliness, Lady Simone Turnbridge. The beautiful Simone, under the care and ward of her sister's husband, the Duke of Ryland, has lived under the veil of scandal herself, as her mother was a former protitute and Simone lived her early years as a street urchin. She is trying her best for the love of her family to complete a season without trying to break too many ton rules. She meets and befriends Tristan's sister, Emily, at the ball and just as Tristan finishes watching this lovely vision with his sister and wants to make his way across the room to meet her, a fire breaks out in the mansion and all must flee, but not until he grabs Simone, cuts her skirts off to use as a rope to lower them out of the burning mansion, and smacks her with a kiss Simone feels is enough to have been the cause of the fire in the mansion. The sparks fly between these two after that meeting and Tristan and Simone's sensual natures are such that they can't seem to stop thinking and wanting to be with each other. Simone's friendship with Emily is the perfect excuse to keep seeing each other. Eventually they have a passionate evening and are caught the following morning. Tristan realizes the evening spent with Simone was nothing like he has ever experienced and he wants Simone and is eager to meet with Drayton, the Duke of Ryland to discuss Simone's future. But as the meeting progresses, Triston realizes he is not only next in line for the title, but also for murder and does not want Simone involved. Drayton agrees and demands Tristan stay away from Simone. Simone and Tristan are both confused and heartbroken, but passion cannot be denied between these two and as much as they try, they simply cannot keep from lusting for each other. Lust and passion lead to love and a surprise ending as to who the real villian is, which make this a book hard to put down. The Rogue's Bride is an enjoyable, witty, and passionate read with a good story beneath all the fun and romp.

Publisher: St. Martin's (November 2006)