Brighter Than the Sun by Julia Quinn (1997, Paperback, Reissue)

Charles Wycombe, the dashing--if incorrigible-- Earl of Billington, needs a bride before his upcoming thirtieth birthday if he hopes to earn his inheritance. The vicar's vivacious, determined daughter, Miss Eleanor Lyndon, needs a new home, since her father's insufferable fiancee is making her old one intolerable. Destiny has brought Charles and Ellie together--though their match at the outset appears to have been made somewhere rather hotter than heaven.

BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN

Their first meeting is less than auspicious--with a somewhat soused Charles falling from a tree and landing at Eleanor's feet. While they agree to marry for their mutual convenience, Charles is not prepared to let a woman command his household. And certainly strong-willed Ellie refuses to let a rogue run her life. Yet the rakish earl can be quite charming--and even tender--when he puts his mind to it. And there's no denying the sensuous allure of his enchanting, innocent, yet utterly stubborn wife. Even though mad mishaps and very real dangers threaten their fragile union, they must follow where passion leads--to the rapturous warmth and brilliance of love.

Charles Wycombe, the dashing--if incorrigible-- Earl of Billington, needs a bride before his upcoming thirtieth birthday if he hopes to earn his inheritance. The vicar's vivacious, determined daughter, Miss Eleanor Lyndon, needs a new home, since her father's insufferable fiancee is making her old one intolerable. Destiny has brought Charles and Ellie together--though their match at the outset appears to have been made somewhere rather hotter than heaven.

BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN

Their first meeting is less than auspicious--with a somewhat soused Charles falling from a tree and landing at Eleanor's feet. While they agree to marry for their mutual convenience, Charles is not prepared to let a woman command his household. And certainly strong-willed Ellie refuses to let a rogue run her life. Yet the rakish earl can be quite charming--and even tender--when he puts his mind to it. And there's no denying the sensuous allure of his enchanting, innocent, yet utterly stubborn wife. Even though mad mishaps and very real dangers threaten their fragile union, they must follow where passion leads--to the rapturous warmth and brilliance of love.

SWEETER THAN A DREAM. Charles Wycombe, the dashing--if incorrigible-- Earl of Billington, needs a bride before his upcoming thirtieth birthday if he hopes to earn his inheritance. The vicar's vivacious, determined daughter, Miss Eleanor Lyndon, needs a new home, since her father's insufferable fiancee is making her old one intolerable. Destiny has brought Charles and Ellie together--though their match at the outset appears to have been made somewhere rather hotter than heaven. BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN. Their first meeting is less than auspicious--with a somewhat soused Charles falling from a tree and landing at Eleanor's feet. While they agree to marry for their mutual convenience, Charles is not prepared to let a woman command his household. And certainly strong-willed Ellie refuses to let a rogue run her life. Yet the rakish earl can be quite charming--and even tender--when he puts his mind to it. And there's no denying the sensuous allure of his enchanting, innocent, yet utterly stubborn wife. Even though mad mishaps and very real dangers threaten their fragile union, they must follow where passion leads--to the rapturous warmth and brilliance of love.

Industry Reviews
In this sequel, the inebriated Charles Wycombe, Earl of Billington, falls from an oak tree and lands at the feet of Eleanor Lyndon, sister of Everything and the Moon's Victoria Lyndon. He needs a bride to save his inheritance, while Eleanor is only too happy for any excuse to avoid the unbearable woman soon to become her stepmother. This trite marriage-of-convenience plot is kept fresh by the bright, articulate duo and the lively humor woven into their newlywed, but unconsummated, relationship. Their coupling is hampered by curious mishaps and diverse injuries that leave Charles convinced he'll be maimed or dead before he can sire an heir, while Eleanor, ever resilient, sets out to prove she is no inept female. Quinn's staging of the pair's playful courtship after the nuptials also portrays a fine balance of compromise and reason as two spirited individuals become a committed couple. (Nov.)
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