Description

‘A delicious romp’ The Times
‘Beautifully written and propulsive’ Adele Parks
‘I adored The Bride Stone – Sally Gardner’s best novel yet’ Amanda Craig

1796. Newly released from a French prison, Duval Harlington returns home, clinging to memories of the peaceful estate that kept him alive. But Muchmore is in upheaval, and his late father’s will presents a cruel twist: Duval must marry at once, or lose everything.

With only a few hours left, Duval stumbles upon a wife sale and is horrified – until he sees Edmee, a woman whose quiet composure masks something far more complex. On impulse, he makes an extravagant bid and marries her. But little does Duval know, this is only the beginning of his troubles.

For Edmee is not who she says she is, and her secrets will soon threaten to dismantle everything Duval holds dear…

Publisher Review

A delicious romp of a novel. — Antonia Senior * The Times * Historical fiction can be hit or miss, but this is a cracker … What a treat this is: intelligent escapist fiction. * The London Standard * Infused with wit, imagination and maturity…just be warned. I stayed up very late to finish this book. * The Spectator * Beautifully written and propulsive. — Adele Parks * Platinum * Sally writes so brilliantly: there’s an assured ease to every sentence and The Bride Stone has Sally’s trademark elegant prose and confident unfurling of plot and character. I loved the love story at the heart of this novel, which starts so gently but becomes powerful enough to drive the breathless search and pursuit of the final parts of the book. I thought the mystery worked brilliantly too: by the final thrilling chapters, the reader is urgently willing Duval to find his wife, while eagerly trying to unravel the layers of secrets. Compelling, thrilling and beguiling! — Caroline Lea I adored The Bride Stone – Sally Gardner’s best novel yet, as if Angela Carter had written Georgette Heyer with a dash of A Tale of Two Cities. The playfulness with genre tropes and plotting is especially fun, and I loved the delicate eroticism, the French Revolution, and the way the novel captures how two people can heal each other of damage. — Amanda Craig This enticing work dives straight into a tale of mystery and marriage – a beautifully written but sobering depiction of a woman’s tenuous place in the 18th century. A real page-turner. — Mandy Robotham Part storyteller, part magician – no one brings history to life like Sally Gardner. The Bride Stone is pure pleasure from start to finish. — Meg Rosoff Praise for Sally Gardner:

‘The prize-winning Gardner is [a] dab hand at literary world-creation’ Observer
‘Rich, bold and original’ Financial Times
‘Full of life and colour… a delight’ — Sunday Times CRITICS LOVE SALLY GARDNER:
‘Seductive’ Observer
‘Wildly inventive’ The TImes
‘Superb… joyful’ New Statesman
‘A delight’ The Sunday Times
‘Beguiling’ Mail on Sunday
‘Magical storytelling’ Heat
‘A triumph!’ Caroline Lea
‘Bold and original’ Financial Times
‘I was completely captivated’ Amanda Craig

READERS LOVE THE BRIDE STONE:
‘Intriguing, enlightening and romantic’
‘Such a page-turner… highly recommended’
‘Vivid and tense… will stay with readers long after they finish’
‘[I] hope the BBC immediately turns this into a period drama!’
‘Secrets aplenty [with] a delightful twist!’
‘ I was drawn in from the start and remained captivated throughout’
‘I was utterly captivated… I raced through this novel’