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Title: The Bride
Author: Julie Garwood
Sub-genre: Historical
Original Publication Date: 1989
Trope(s): Arranged marriage; enemies to lovers
I’ll start this off by saying this wasn’t as problematic as I thought it was going to be, so that’s a win I guess!
Jamie is the headstrong youngest daughter of a worthless widow. Despite being the youngest of four, Jamie is the caretaker of her home (think Cinderella, but loved). When the king orders Jamie’s father to marry off one of his daughters to a Scottish laird, he tries to hide Jamie away, but Alec Kinkaid is no dummy. He sees Jamie and instantly chooses her to be his wife. Alec doesn’t particularly want to be married to an Englishwoman, but he is under an order from his king, and therefore obeys. Alec and Jamie have immediate chemistry, but also have very different ideas about the course of their marriage. But it becomes clear early on that they are a perfect match. So when “accidents” start happening around the castle that put Jamie’s life in danger, you can imagine how Alec handles that, being a Scottish warrior. In the end, the culprit is caught, and of course, everyone lives happily ever after.
Usually my main reservation heading into books from this era is that they tend to be super problematic in the alpha male department. And Alec is definitely an alpha male. And there are definitely some moments that, were I to read them in a book published now, would strike me as problematic. But overall, this is one of the few I’ve read from the past that didn’t make me cringe on a regular basis. There are still some borderline non consent moments, so please be aware of that going in, but it didn’t make me throw it across the room, so that’s a win.
Overall, I enjoyed the relationship between Jamie and Alec. It was clear even in their enemies moments that they were well-matched. Jamie is strong and capable, and once he gets to know her, Alec trusts her to take the lead. They had some good banter, and some hot sex, so I was here for it. I’m a fan of the one partner’s life is in danger and now I realize I can’t live without them deal, which this one definitely has. Honestly, I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected to.
Overall Rating: 4.5 stars