Product Description

Eleanor Lyndon was minding her own business when a lord of the realm fell - quite literally - into her life. When Charles Wycombe, the dashing and incorrigible Earl of Billington, toppled out of a tree and landed at Ellie's feet, neither suspected that such an inauspicious meeting would lead to marriage. But Charles must find a bride before his thirtieth birthday or he'll lose his fortune. And Ellie needs a husband or her father's odious fiance will choose one for her. And so they agree to wed. Ellie never dreamed she'd marry a stranger, especially one with such a devastating combination of rakish charm and debonair wit. She tries to keep him at arm's length, at least until she discovers the man beneath the handsome surface. But Charles can be quite persuasive - even tender - when he puts his mind to it, and Ellie finds herself slipping under his seductive spell. And as one kiss leads to another, this unlikely pair discovers that their marriage is not so inconvenient after all -and just might lead to love.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14223 in Books
• Published on: 2008-12-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Review
'Quinn has a smart, funny touch ... that's reminiscent of Helen Fielding' --Time Magazine

'reminiscent of Bridget Jones' --Time Magazine

'Delightful' --Nora Roberts

About the Author
Julia Quinn started writing her first book one month after finishing college and has been tapping away at her keyboard ever since. She is the author of the NEW YORK TIMES bestselling BRIDGERTON series. She is a graduate of Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges.

Customer Reviews

Characters and wit that shine brighter than the sun
When a young, drunk, highly eligible earl falls out of a tree and onto one's foot, what's a young woman to do? Well, being ever practical, Eleanor Lyndon helps him up, dusts him down and takes him back to the village where he's left his carriage. The last thing she expects to recieve is a marriage proposal when a simple thank you would have sufficed.

But Charles Wycombe, Earl of Billington, is desperate. He has two weeks left until he turns thirty, and if he's not married by then, he'll lose his fortune. There's no one in London he can bear to marry, but Ellie seems intelligent and witty enough - she'll do. After all, who'd refuse an earl?

Ellie would. Ellie would absolutely love to, except her father's about to marry the gossip from hell, her sister is abroad and her hard earned investments are out of reach. The future looks bleak, so she has no alternative but to accept.

All thing's considered, Charles is quite delighted with his spur-of-the-moment wife - apart from when she sets the kitchen on fire, kills the roses and causes some unidentified stench that covers the south wing. In fact accidents seem to follow Ellie around where she goes, and for a woman who is the epitome of capability she can't understand how. All she wants is to carve out a place for herself in her new life. Surely no one can argue with that, can they?

This tale is an utter delight. Charles and Ellie are a wonderful pair. sparking wit, tension, frustration and excellent one-liners with every encounter. Some of the situations they encounter are nothing short of farcical, and always carried out with JQ's irrepressible sense of humour.

A wonderful novel that definitely ranks as high as the 'Bridgertons' for me. Read it, enjoy it, then smile.

The latest divine work by tomorrow's superstar
In 1817 England, the Earl of Billington, Charles Wycombe, needs to be married within fifteen days or watch his cousin Philip inherit all the money that goes with the estate. However, every female he has met in the marriage mart has been an air head and he would rather spend his life in abject poverty than with an insipid companion. Feisty Eleanor Lynden struggles with the intolerable rules being established by her father, the vicar, ever since he became engaged to the morally correct Mrs. Foxglove. Eleanor realizes that she must find an escape very quickly before they crush her elan.

When Charles falls from a tree and meets Eleanor, he realizes that the intelligent young lady is the answer to his problems and quickly proposes to her. She reluctantly agrees that the notorious rake might prove to be the only viable solution to her current situation. They get married and surprisingly fall in love with each other. However, some unknown assailant is unhappy with the nuptials and plans to put an end to them as soon as possible by any means necessary.

BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN is a typical Regency romance that fans of the sub-genre will enjoy. However, what makes this novel live up to its title is the growing relationship between the charming two lead protagonists. Their witty interplay is extremely jocular as both adapt to love, turning Julia Quinn's book into a wonderful historical romance worth reading.

Harriet Klausner

Fast Moving, Funny and Very Engrossing
I really enjoyed reading this book. The pace is fast and keeps your interest all the way through. I like my female lead characters to have spunk and hold their own against the male characters in the book. No missish misses for me thank you. Julia Quinn writes a well written story with plenty of laughs and very interesting plots. Julia Quinn has a wicked sense of humour which I really appreciate and I'd recommend her books to anyone who enjoyes a good laugh.