Reviews for A Bride in the Bargain

The average rating for A Bride in the Bargain based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2011-12-02 00:00:00 Stuart Kester "Seattle, Washington Territory April 1, 1865 ATTENTION BACHELORS! Due to the efforts of Asa Mercer, you can now secure a bride of good moral character and reputation from the Atlantic States for the sum of $300. All eligible and sincerely desirous bachelors assemble in Delim & Shorey's building on Wednesday evening." Anna Ivey is alone in the world and pretty darn poor to boot, and with the promise of a future in Washington Territory she signs on as one of Asa Mercer's Brides. Although it turns out being a bride is not what our Modern Minded Miss wants - she'd rather be Independent and work as a teacher or a nanny. Righto, a city with a serious shortage of women is going to be clamoring for nannies and teachers for their kiddos… "To A S Mercer STOP Ivey refuses to marry STOP You owe me a bride or 400 dollars STOP Payable immediately or else STOP J Denton STOP ." Joe Denton is one heck of a pickle as part of the land he claimed when he came over was on behalf of a wife who died before she got there, and he can't provide the proof to hold onto his claim. He needs another wife pronto and Anna fits the bill, but there's a little misunderstanding as Anna expects to work for Joe and cook for his logging crew, and Joe's expecting a wife to help him keep his land with the added plus of being able to cook for his logging crew! Bah! I've read one other novel by Gist and really enjoyed it, but this was just too boring, trite and oh so predictable. Why would a girl with no family and no money not jump at a chance for home and hearth with a hunky nice guy like Joe? The twist with older Mrs. Wrenne was just silly (actually dumber than a bucket of rocks, especially the never-ending lisp from her missing teeth), and the final big twist before the big ta-dah and HEA is pretty easy to spot a mile away. This novel is overseasoned with wall paper, window dressing and 21C mindset, all topped off with a bit of name dropping to give it a supposed historical flavor. Make it rain 24/7, throw in plenty of mud and the occasional view of Mount Rainier and you've got an *authentic* locale (not). Add repeated references to flora that aren't indigenous to the area, and sprinkle a healthy dose of sugar on top with cutesy names for all the animals and you've got a very unappetizing novel. As for the Christian aspect of this? Virtually non-existent until the latter third of the book, and even then only a few references to faith in God and a brief prayer or two. This is very much chick-lit and on the lite side at that. Large font and generous spacing (at least on my Kindle edition) make it a breeze to blow through in a few hours, but not recommended for readers looking for heartier fare. Gripe #1 - what is up with a forest full of Redwood trees in Seattle? Yes, I read the author's notes that claim there are (or were) some in the area, yet since she provides no source to back up that statement and Google hasn't been forthcoming with any answers, I'm not buying into it until I see some solid documentation. Gripe #2 - "Anna had entertained her first Squamish Indian." Ummm, there is a local tribe here known as the Suquamish. Perhaps it was a typo, but I spotted it at least twice. I did find a Squamish tribe, but they're up in British Columbia. I know, I know - it's just fiction after all, but come on already - stuff like that takes seconds to look up these days so there's no excuse for this kind of sloppiness. Do give Gist a try, just pass on this one.

Review # 2 was written on 2010-08-01 00:00:00 Shad Granius Jo Denton runs one of the most successful redwood logging operations in Washington State, but his wife is dead. And he can't seem to convince the judge of that. So half the land he owns goes up for sale if he can't find himself a new wife. Enter Anna. Who seems perfect. A Mercer bride who's traveled all the way from the east coast to cook for Jo and his entire crew. She's pretty. Kind. Smells like twinflowers. And makes the most spectacular doughnuts. But no one told her she was coming out west to marry Jo. And she seems to have other ideas. Deeanne Gist has a flare for characters that jump off the page, historical settings that flow as easily as modern day, and heroines with minds of their own.