Publisher: Berkley
Reviewed by: Kate Garrabrant
3 stars

Rafe Ramsey’s brother is the Earl of Axebridge, but because his older brother hasn’t produced any children after ten years of marriage, Rafe is feeling pressure to marry and secure his succession. Although all his friends have fallen in love and are happily married, he believes love is for fools and has no interest in marriage. With a betrothal on the horizon, Rafe has one last chance to enjoy his freedom as a bachelor.

Meanwhile, Lady Cleeve believes her missing granddaughter is alive after twelve years. After her son died, she thought she was all alone in the world, until an artist who visited his family in India six years ago showed her a sketch of a father and his daughter. This man and his child were living in Egypt and now Lady Cleeve wants someone to venture to Egypt to see if this girl in the picture is still living and is her granddaughter. Rafe happily volunteers to go on this wild-goose chase.

There is a girl who looks very much like Lady Cleeve’s granddaughter and lives on the street of Cairo dressed as a boy. She is Ayisha and when word gets out that an English man is looking for the thirteen year old girl in the picture, she knows she is in trouble. Six years ago when her father was still alive, one of his friends from England stayed with them and drew her. She never thought the drawing would amount to anything. Ayisha may be poor and pretend to be something she is not, but she is content with her life. She thinks she can stay in the shadows and wait for Rafe to give up on his search, But Rafe is too persistent and cunning. He finds Ayisha and wants her to return to England with him.

Ayisha refuses to do what Rafe wants. She has a very big secret and if she goes back with Rafe, it will come out and her life and identity will be in shatters. Rafe finds Ayisha to be a mystery he wants to solve. He can’t understand why she would want to stay in a place where she is always looking over her shoulder, when she could be protected and have everything at her fingertips. Rafe will do whatever he can to make Ayisha see reason, even if he has to seduce her to get what he wants.

To Catch a Bride has moments of intrigue and mystery that readers will enjoy. It was a nice change of pace to read about a different setting than the normal everyday scenario of London, England. Rafe and Ayisha are very intelligent, sneaky and stubborn characters. They refuse to back down from what they want and it was enjoyable to see them dance around one another.

The main question regarding Ayisha and who she really is will have you guessing throughout the story. Anne Gracie does a pretty good job at that. Ayisha seems to have it too easy and pat with the way her life has gone. She is one of those amazing heroines who is able to make the best of things even though she is surrounded by danger and men who wouldn’t mind using her body in horrible ways. She is a pretty well rounded and a tough young woman with a great deal of luck on her side.

I wish I could say I enjoyed the banter and chemistry that Ayisha and Rafe have, but after awhile I found these two had nothing really in common. Rafe does admire Ayisha and she cannot deny her attraction towards him, but other than that, I really can’t see them so in love with one another. There is nothing really between them that pulls them towards one another. I just can’t see their relationship as a lasting one. Rafe reminded me too much of a knight rescuing a damsel in distress, but at no point was Ayisha ever really in danger. I actually preferred the secondary story more with Ayisha’s adopted mother and the English gentleman she goes to work for over Rafe and Ayisha’s romance.

To Catch a Bride has its moments, but towards the end, I found my mind wandering and wanted to move onto something else. But, if you are in the mood for a plucky heroine and the strong dashing man who wants to save her, as well as an exotic locale, give this one a read.