REVIEW: I Thee Wed by Celeste Bradley

In I Thee Wed (Worthington #4) by Celeste Bradley, Orion Worthington has grown tired of being compared to his rambunctious and rather eccentric family, known in Society as ‘those Worthingtons’. So he jumps at the chance to put his scientific mind to good use by becoming Sir Geoffrey Blayne’s new assistant. Part of the bargain is for Orion to also accept Sir Geoffrey’s daughter Judith’s hand in marriage. But his attraction to Miss Francesca Penrose, Judith’s cousin, is an unwelcome turn of events. Never having lost focus in his work before, Orion is uncertain what to do. Especially when his new mentor puts pressure on him in the lab and begins to act oddly.

‘Astounding. Judith Blayne was a lovely and perfect English rose, yet she had no effect on him.
Francesca, the Italian wildflower, affected every part of him–mind, body, and heart.’

Francesca left her home in Italy thinking she would fit in better with her family in England. But a change in location didn’t make the difference she’d hoped. From the bland food to the little time she’s allowed to use the laboratory for her research, Chessa is growing tired of the monotony of the Blayne House. But the arrival of handsome Orion changes everything. She is suddenly overwhelmed with her longing for the brilliant scientist and offers him a proposition of sorts: spend one night together and get their physical desires out of the way so they can move on and concentrate on their research. But one night might prove to not be quite enough.

“You are all of the above, Miss Penrose. Intelligent, talented, scattered, and occasionally frivolous.” And much more. Beautiful. Fascinating. Extraordinary.
She thought about that for a long moment. Then she grinned at him. “I believe I find that appraisal acceptable.”

I Thee Wed was a smartly written Historical Romance that turned out to be pretty entertaining. It followed a household of brilliant scientists, each with their own goals and dreams, two of which had an attraction that could not be ignored.

There was actually quite a lot going on in the storyline Celeste Bradley created but it all worked well together. Of course there was the romance that blossomed immediately between Orion and Francesca which was sweet and passionate. There was the love triangle aspect of it due to Judith being promised to Orion if he took the job as Sir Geoffrey’s assistant in the lab. Sir Geoffrey himself was a bit of a mystery until toward the last half of the book when we learned more about his current state of mind. And then we had Orion’s youngest sister, spunky Atalanta, who created mischief wherever she went. Whew! Like I said, a lot going on, but it kept the pace moving at a good clip.

The interactions between characters and the glimpses into their inner monologues were written in an analytical way considering we were dealing with highly intelligent people. I thought it seemed right and it fit the characters nicely, but I think some readers might find it a little bland or not as exciting as other Regency books. I did find it interesting that Chessa was a female scientist, not something we see a lot of in this genre, and that she also had that wonderful Italian passion for life and food. It was a nice mix and one that certainly caught Orion’s eye right away. The way Chessa felt a bit like an outcast was another thing they shared and which brought them closer together.

Orion was a solid hero for the story. I could see why he would want to get out of the Worthington’s energetic house to a quieter, calmer place to do his experiments. And I thought his reaction to Chessa was honest. He didn’t want to fall for her but couldn’t help himself. He had a bit of an ego in a way, nothing like Sir Geoffrey thankfully, but he found himself humbled a bit by the end. I thought that worked well in his case. I do have to say that I loved Orion’s sister Atalanta, aka Attie. She was fearless, too smart for her own good, and absolutely adored her older brother. I thought it was sweet how she tried to look out for him, although she got herself in trouble at every turn, giving us some memorable moments. Especially when it came to Chessa’s rabbits and the Blayne House’s chef. That scene was a lot of fun!

Between the crazy antics of ‘those Worthingtons’, the steamy chemistry between Orion and Francesca, and the real reason behind Sir Geoffrey’s job offer, I Thee Wed was a satisfying romance that had me chuckling and commiserating with our characters.

Book Info:

Publication: Published May 3rd 2016 | Signet | Worthington #4

From the New York Times bestselling author of With This Ring comes a Wicked Worthington novel of love that defies reason…

Intelligent and driven, Orion Worthington aspired to be like his mentor, the acclaimed scientist Sir Geoffrey Blayne. Logically, Sir Geoffrey’s daughter would be Orion’s perfect match. So why can’t he keep his mind off the unruly girl who works in Sir Geoffrey’s lab?

Orphaned fire-cracker Francesca Penrose hopes that London is modern enough to accept her brilliant mind despite her womanhood. But she can’t help noticing Orion’s mind…or his body.

So they decide to run an experiment: if they give in to their passions, their attraction will simply fizzle out, with no impact on their hearts…right?