The Bride Finder

Author: Susan Carroll

(Re-posted from my old blogger)

Anatole St. Legere is a clairvoyant and telekinetic, which he sees as a curse. As a child his mother was freaked out by his abilities and wanted nothing to do with him. Then one day he tried to cheer her by picking her a bouquet of flowers. Since she didn't want him near, he floated the flowers to her. She lost it and threw a glass vase at the poor boy and traumatized him for life. Lately he has been seeing visions of a flame haired woman who will bring about his death. So when he sends out the Bride Finder, who is the only one who can choose a bride for a St. Legere man without his being cursed to a life of misery and early death, he asks him for a simple, sturdy, placid woman with anything but red hair. The Bride finder, Reverend Septimus Fitzleger, finds the bride that is fated for Anatole. Unfortunately for Anatole she is a dainty noble woman with flaming red hair.

Madeline Breton arrives at Anatole's castle expecting a warm welcome from the Prince Charming that Reverend Fitzleger led her to believe she was going to marry. When her party shows up at his gloomy castle she finds that, not only is he not at home, but his people won't let her in. She's worn his miniature around her neck, the portrait of a 15 year old Anatole that made him look like some soulful poetic prince, and dreamed of meeting him, but the man she meets large, rugged and rough. He rides in and mistakenly grabs up her maid, whom is everything Anatole asked for, and is then heartily disappointed when he realizes Madeline is his bride. Though she is a bit frightened of him, and feels terribly rejected by him, she chooses to make the best of things and sets herself to be a good wife to him.

Anatole finds himself in a though situation. He marries his wife and pledges himself to her for eternity, a vow that is magically enforced for the men of his family, and while he's feeling the pull that St. Legere men are supposed to feel toward their mates, his new bride seems not to be feeling the great passion that St. Legere brides are supposed to feel. He spends most of the story wooing his bride, or learning to, and trying to keep her in the dark about his "gifts" and the family ghost, Prospero.

There is also some drama in the way of a possibly evil cousin and the family's ancient rivals, the Mortmains, whom everyone thought wiped out.


I really loved this story, partly, I think, because I could relate so well to Anatole. I really felt for Anatole who felt like he was an unlovable freak thanks to his mother, with some help from his father, and who thought that his new redheaded bride would be the death of him, literally. He felt his gifts were curses and was at odds with Prospero, his ghostly ancestor who really only wanted his descendants to find love and happiness. I love watching him learn how to win over his new wife, which would have cost him less effort had he not been so obviously disappointed at the sight of her upon their first meeting, and come to terms with himself. I liked that Madeline did not give up easily on Anatole and that she helped him accept his gifts and make peace with Prospero. She helped him realize that his mother was messed up and that just because she couldn't deal with him it didn't mean that he was unlovable or wrongly made.