Bride of Fortune - Softcover

For four long years, Mercedes Alvarado has been running the huge hacienda on her own, dreading the return of her soldier husband, Don Lucero. Lucero ran off to fight against the peasants in the Mexican revolution after only three weeks of marriage, but Mercedes was married long enough to come to hate her cruel, callous, and womanizing mate. When the dreaded day finally arrives, Mercedes realizes she can no longer put off what she hoped would never happen. Don Lucero has returned, and Mercedes must now breed an heir for the hacienda. Once again, she must submit to his cruel jibes and his harsh, uncaring actions in bed. But four years of war seems to have changed her husband. She sees little trace of the spoiled, arrogant young man who went willingly to war. Maybe too little. From the lowliest peons working the Alvarado lands to the trusted family retainers, no one's exactly certain that this new Don Lucero is who he says he is. And Mercedes is right in the thick of the mystery. Whether this man is her husband, or a clever impostor, Mercedes is in love with him. American Nicholas Fortune must tread carefully. If he can manage it, the Alvarado hacienda will be his, a gift form his selfish and hate-filled half-brother, Don Lucero. Lucero even throws his wife into the bargain. He himself has no interest in the quiet young girl, so he prods Nicholas into agreeing to take over all the responsibilities of the hacienda, even to producing the family heir. Slowly, Nicholas wins the trust of the family and their servants. As far as he can tell, no one suspects his deception. But the closer he grows to Mercedes, the harder it is to lie. And the more he grows to love her, the stronger grow the forces on both sides of the war that threaten to pull them apart.Shirl Henke weaves a spell as rich with detail as the splendid era she portrays! A tale of heroism and redemption, Bride of Fortune will fill your heart with the spirit of love! Mysterious, sensual, heart wrenching, with an ending that will leave you breathless, Bride of Fortune has it all!Annette Carney -- Copyright © 1994-97 Literary Times, Inc. All rights reserved -- From Literary Times

In a twist on The Prince and the Pauper and The Return of Martin Guerre, the American-born bastard of a wealthy Mexican landowner swaps places with his highborn, dissolute brother after they meet while fighting for the Emperor Maximilian during the Mexican Revolution of the 1860s. Professional soldier Nicholas Fortune prefers an estate and a beautiful wife, while Lucero Alvarado revels in killing, raping and looting. At first antagonistic when the man she believes to be her cruel husband returns, Mercedes Alvarado slowly comes to love Nicholas, then to suspect the truth. Award-winning author Henke (Broken Vows) fails to resolve how Nicholas can speak perfect Spanish and how his fellow landowners remain ignorant of the existence of an identical man still fighting for the emperor. The credibility gaps are offset, however, by passionate love scenes, engaging characters and a well-researched, fast-paced plot as Nicholas's loyalty shifts to the rebels.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.