Bride Trilogy (Putney)

I met a lady in the meads /Full beautiful, a faery's child. /Her hair was long, her foot was light, /And her eyes were wild. -John Keats, "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" Keats' famous poem might be describing Lady Meriel Grahame, the enchanting heroine of this passionate tale set amidst magical gardens. An equally appealing leading man, a thrilling love story, and a rich historical milieu make this novel positively irresistible. More pagan than lady, Meriel spends her days running barefoot through her English estate, cultivating her flowers and her mystical connection to nature. She is mute and, according to most people, mad. But handsome Dominic Renbourne, who has been sent by his twin to court her, senses in Meriel a kindred spirit. He manages to inspire her trust, and against his better judgement, her passion. Award-winning, New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling author Mary Jo Putney lives up to her reputation for creating strong, intelligent characters. Barbara Rosenblat's stimulating performance will awaken all your senses, if not the wild child in you.

Mary Jo Putney has also won numerous awards, including the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for Historical Romance. In The China Bride, Putney once again enchants her many romance fans. Troth Montgomery spends most of her time disguised as a man, going by the name of Jin Kang. While working as a translator and a spy, she encounters viscount and adventurer Kyle Renbourne, and realizes that her life is about to take a significant turn. Relieved to discover the true identity of the lovely Troth, Kyle feels passion ignite and is driven to possess her. Together, they start on a dangerous quest, but fate steps in and separates the two lovers. Though haunted by despair, passion and danger, Troth becomes the woman she was destined to be. Exquisitely, narrator Davina Porter brings to life Putney's passionate characters-whose love endures the greatest challenge-finding that the joys far exceed the sorrows.

Cherished for her compelling stories and lush historical detail, bestselling author Mary Jo Putney brings the past to life in stories of love that arouse the mind and senses. Now, from the exotic temptations of the Orient to the ruthless grandeur of 19th century London, Putney embarks on a sweeping romantic adventure that begins with a daring act of courage. After building a fortune amid the splendor and dangers of the China seas, American adventurer and merchant prince Gavin Elliott is sailing for London, where he intends to establish himself in the society that forced his family to leave in disgrace when Gavin was only a child. But fate intervenes on an infamous island in the East Indies when he tries to save a European woman being sold at a slave auction. By the sultan’s decree, the woman can only be freed if Gavin wins her by enduring an ancient tribal challenge that may cost him his life. Yet Gavin cannot refuse to help a countrywoman, especially one who touches his heart and soul with her indomitable spirit. Alexandra Warren ventured to Australia as a young bride eager for adventure. A dozen years later she is returning home as widow and mother when a pirate attack separates her from her beloved daughter and condemns Alex to a life of servitude. Then a miracle arrives in the form of a steely-eyed Yankee captain willing to risk everything to set her free. A shocking turn of events brings an unexpected alliance with her rescuer, and Gavin and Alex arrive in London as intimate strangers joined by too many painful secrets. Yet attraction and affection soon overcome the trauma of their first meeting. Until the past reaches out to change Gavin’s life–and threaten the passionate love he has found with his irresistible bartered bride. Graced by Mary Jo Putney’s priceless eloquence, The Bartered Bride captivates the heart with memorable characters and powerful emotions that will stay with you forever.