Devil In My Bed: The Runaway Brides

by Celeste Bradley

The three-year-old girl sitting on the steps of Brown's Club for Distinguished Gentlemen insists that one of its members is her papa. Aidan de Quincy feels obligated to help the wee thing, even though... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312943083
• Release Date: August 2009
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.38 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.8" x 0.9" x 4.3"

Customer Reviews

Loved it from the very first page...

I loved this book. The story captured my heart from the very first page, and I couldn't put it down. I loved all the quirky characters, especially little three year old Melody, who was simply adorable. There were a few moments where the main characters seemed to get stuck in stupid behaviors, but they seemed to recognize their errors, and mend their ways before I felt too tortured. Overall, it was a wonderful, captivating read, and I can't wait for the next book.

A Classic Bradley Regency

Over the past few weeks, I've read three new releases where the author did little more than provide an $8 prologue to books #2 and #3 in her new series. A total waste of the two main characters AND my money! Fast forward to this past weekend, where I had the complete opposite experience with Celeste Bradley's new novel, "Devil in my Bed." This book is truly a stand-alone. The two main characters, Madeline and Aidan, are well-formulated, believable and endearing, and while the secondary characters are strong, they did not overshadow the h/h. The same elements that I found enjoyable in two of Bradley's earlier series (Liar's Club and Royal Four) are evident in this novel: humor, passion, honor and intellect. Bradley excels at bringing in a touch of realism and a hint of the less savory side of life in the early 18th Century; although some of the characters are of the upper class, this isn't one of those boring stories that revolve around balls at Almack's and rides in Hyde Park. Better still, the characters are believable and flawed, rather than freakishly gorgeous and spectacularly rich. I will admit that I almost didn't read this book -- I dislike the "cute kid" plot device and generally steer clear of books and movies that rely on a precocious child to drive the story. But I decided to forge ahead with the book, and I'm glad I did. That little terror provided some of the best chuckles of the story, and if I'm reading the excerpt from the next book correctly, the search to find her father will serve as the thread that binds the series together. Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable read, one that reflects the quality of writing, character development and plotting of Bradley's earlier works.

terrific Regency madcap romance

In 1812 Aidan de Quincy and Widow Madeleine Chandler shared a passionate affair that abruptly ended in an ugly manner leaving him angry and birrer. In 1815 when he arrives at the Brown's Club for Distinguished Gentlemen he is accosted by a small child who says she is three years old and named Melody. She explains to Aidan, his friend Jack and Sir Colin Lambert that she seeks her unknown father who is one of them; her mother is apparently Madeleine though the child implies she is a foundling. Aidan goes off to confront Madeleine, who still loves him. She dumped him because she feared the scandal her past would cost her noble beloved. He is soon rescuing her and demanding the truth as he sees it in her eyes the wanting, but she still lies about her being Melody's mother. This is a terrific Regency madcap romance with a great opening that sets in motion a comedy of errors filled with whimsy, money, and love. The lead couple is a delightful pairing while little Melody steals the hearts of the three men, Madeleine and readers form the onset. Fans will look forward to the next rogue Sir Colin's saga after appreciating this enjoyable screwball historical romantic comedy. Harriet Klausner