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The Bartered Bride (The Bride Trilogy #3)

3.65 of 5 stars 3.65 · rating details · 525 ratings · 44 reviews

After building a fortune in the exotic East, American adventurer and merchant prince Gavin Elliott sets his sails for London to begin a new life. Then fate intervenes on an infamous island in the East Indies where a European woman faces degradation and peril. Though saving her may cost Gavin his life, he cannot refuse to help the fierce beauty who touches his heart and sou...more

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Published May 30th 2006 by Ballantine Books (first published April 2002)

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May 03, 2013 Buggy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: hist-rom, high-seas-rom, pirates-and-privateers, shelf-12

Opening Line: “The stones of the tower radiated anguish and despair.”

I’m a little surprised at the bad to mediocre reviews for The Bartered Bride because I absolutely loved it, getting completely drawn into the sweeping adventure. Although in saying that I’m brand new to author Mary Jo Putney and don’t generally read a lot of historical romances so I can’t make any real comparisons either. What I can say is that I couldn’t put this book down; I loved MJP’s style of writing, the depth of her char...more Opening Line: “The stones of the tower radiated anguish and despair.”

I’m a little surprised at the bad to mediocre reviews for The Bartered Bride because I absolutely loved it, getting completely drawn into the sweeping adventure. Although in saying that I’m brand new to author Mary Jo Putney and don’t generally read a lot of historical romances so I can’t make any real comparisons either. What I can say is that I couldn’t put this book down; I loved MJP’s style of writing, the depth of her characters, the original story ideas, the suspense, the exotic locations and the absence of any TSTL moments.

This was a couple that actually talked to each other, so that the conflict here wasn’t based on silly secrets or misunderstandings. Gavin and Alex are both adults carrying scars and they dealt with things sensibly. (i.e. they don’t jump each others bones and fall in love within a matter of days) They get to know each other, they disagree, and they have issues that need time and patience to work through.

And speaking of patience what a superb hero we get in in Gavin, he’s just, well… such a nice guy. I fell a little bit in love with him even though I prefer my heroes more on the alpha side. And without going into detail I also have to give credit to the research into the time, it felt very authentic. I even learned me a thing or two.

Alexandra Warren and her young daughter are returning from Australia after the death of her husband when their ship is attacked by pirates. Captured, separated and sold into slavery its going to be 6 months before Alex gets her first glimpse at rescue in that of Captain Elliot.

American shipping merchant Gavin Elliot has built a fortune in the Far East but his adventures are coming to en end. En route to England he has one last anchor drop before he starts a new life. Whilst being shown around the (make believe) Indonesian island of Maduri by the ruling Sultan, Gavin is appalled to see a European woman being auctioned off in a slave market. Before he can buy her freedom the sultan acquires the woman for himself, (to use against Gavin as a means of blackmail and to acquire his shipping fleet.) The Sultan then offers a wager; if Gavin can beat him in “the lion’s game” -a series of tests decided on by the role of the dice, the woman is his; if Gavin loses he gives up his fleet and ten years of his life in servitude.

The first half of this book is just awesome, I never knew what contest the role of the dice would bring next, I definitely didn’t expect “worshipping the goddess” however. And while this enters into bodice ripper territory its handled here with… can I get away with sensitivity? Yeah it’s still rape no matter how you look at it but remember Gavin is a nice guy and kinda forced into it.

Okay anyways, the second half of the book takes place in England and while very different its no less enthralling. We have a marriage of convenience, two strangers getting to know and trust each other, a forced lordship, a kidnapping, some surprising sex scenes and charges of murder.

While others have complained about the predictability of the plot here it didn’t bother me. Yeah the villains were a bit cartoonish but I found it clever how the story opens with Gavin awaiting trial in the tower of London and then makes its way back to how he got there (big surprise who he “murdered”) Towards the end of the story I had forgotten all about his fate and was then on absolute pins as he walks to the hangman’s noose, assured of certain death. His inner thoughts here were real and heart wrenching. I’m just so happy to have found a new author with such a huge backlist for me to discover. Adventure and romance await. Cheers.

293jb5(less)

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Oct 03, 2010 Tammy Walton Grant rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: hr-historical, 2010-october, couldn-t-finish, romance-historical, snarky-troll-lives-here

Oh, what's wrong with me? I should be really liking this book and I just don't.

Here's the premise: book opens with hero in the Tower of London, on his way to his trial for the murder of his wife. Hmmm. Good start, I think.

Flashback one year -- heroine is on a Dutch trading ship on her way back to England from Australia when their ship is taken by Indonesian pirates. She and her daughter are separated and they are sold as slaves. Oooh, I think. This is different!

Hero is in the East Indies, on his...more Oh, what's wrong with me? I should be really liking this book and I just don't.

Here's the premise: book opens with hero in the Tower of London, on his way to his trial for the murder of his wife. Hmmm. Good start, I think.

Flashback one year -- heroine is on a Dutch trading ship on her way back to England from Australia when their ship is taken by Indonesian pirates. She and her daughter are separated and they are sold as slaves. Oooh, I think. This is different!

Hero is in the East Indies, on his last trading run before returning to England. On a royal visit he spies a European woman being sold at a slave auction and his Quaker sensabilities are outraged (Bing! first inkling I ain't gonna like it - I like my heroes with little to no morals) so he finagles a deal in which he can barter for her freedom. He is challenged by the sultan to an ancient game - roll the ivory dice 5 times and win all five challenges, one per day. The challenges are varied and most are life-or-death. A unique bond is forged between Gavin and Alexandra during the course of the 5 days and nights - she is brought to his room in a gilded cage and all of their interaction is through the bars.

The final challenge is the deal-breaker, and I won't go into it here. Intriguing (and titillating, and potentially sexy) as it is, this is where the book started to lose me. The hero hasn't been with a woman since his wife died in childbirth almost ten years before. He just doesn't believe in that stuff outside the confines of marriage and the only woman he had even been with was his wife. (Bing! Bing! Strike 2 - my heroes need to be experienced). All very admirable, of course, but where does that leave me, the reader!?!? It leaves me with no love scenes, that's where it leaves me!

In the hands of an author like Anne Stuart (my latest obession), Eloisa James, or any of many current writers, this would be no problem. There would be tension, there would be angst, there would be steam. There ain't none here. Maybe that's my problem - the writing. There's nothing grabbing me, pulling me in to the story and making me care about the two main characters. Gavin and Alexandra both seem to be very nice people who had a romantic adventure, but very nice only works for me in real life. Milquetoast, pleasant people don't make for compelling reading, imo. I'm not even really sure what they look like! The author hasn't really given me a whole lot to work with.

I've left the book at page 139. They are on their way back to England - Alex is worried about how she and her daughter will be received by society after being abducted, and Gavin has thrown out a proposal of marriage to Alex -- they have to, he says, because of what they did and his moral beliefs (again with these PRINCIPLES!).

I'm thinking there's lots of intrigue to come (the book opens with him on trial for Alex's murder) but I just can't stay interested. Dammit. I think I'll put it aside for a day when I'm not so picky.
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Jul 13, 2009 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance

I'm not sure if it's because I read this when I wasn't feeling 100%, or because I devoured it like a starving person, or because it's the third in the series, but while I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, I couldn't begin to decipher the whys and wherefores.

Suffice it to say, I love Putney's characters, and her use of politics in her writing, and the fact that she doesn't shy away from tough issues like rape and slavery. Unlike some books I've read involving rape victims, Alex takes a long time to...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Julie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Bartered Bride is the last of the "Bride" trilogy written by Mary Jo Putney. This book was published in 2002.
In this last installment we catch up with Kyle's business partner, Gavin. Gavin and Kyle are in the tea/ cargo business. Gavin travels to exotic and often dangerous areas in his business. This time he has landed in Marduri, located in the East Indies. Gavin is called upon by a ruler of the island to conduct a possible business deal. At this time Gavin notices a woman on the slave blo...more The Bartered Bride is the last of the "Bride" trilogy written by Mary Jo Putney. This book was published in 2002.
In this last installment we catch up with Kyle's business partner, Gavin. Gavin and Kyle are in the tea/ cargo business. Gavin travels to exotic and often dangerous areas in his business. This time he has landed in Marduri, located in the East Indies. Gavin is called upon by a ruler of the island to conduct a possible business deal. At this time Gavin notices a woman on the slave block that is obviously not a local. When he inquires about her, he inadvertently causes the woman to become a pawn in the business proposition the ruler would like to make with Gavin.

Alex was from England, had married, moved to Australia, had a child, then was widowed. After her husband died, Alex couldn't wait to return home. In her haste she took the first ship available. The ship was hijacked by pirates. All the men on board were either killed or abandoned ship, leaving Alex with her daughter to be captured. Alex and her daughter were separated. Alex was sold into slavery. Not knowing her daughter's fate was nearly as bad and the brutal punishments she endured as a slave.

When Gavin arrives on the island, Alex finds out that he has tried to buy her back but is refused. In order to win Alex's freedom, Gavin must participate in a series of games or challenges. The last challenge however is almost more than he can bear. But, with the fate of an eight year old girl hanging in the balance, and the freedom of Alex and Gavin at stake, they swallow their distaste and manage to get through it.
But once they are free, the challenge of recovery for Alex is an ongoing struggle. Now that she has been a slave herself, Alex becomes interested in trying to stop the illegal slave trade running through Europe. But, this may put her back into danger. Just when she and Gavin have begun to live a relatively normal life, forces beyond their control take over their lives and neither of them may make it back out alive.

Mary Jo Putney is an author that I had heard of, but had never read until this past year. She is a prolific author. She writes with great imagination and detail about far off exotic locales, and obviously does a great deal of research. This last installment in the "Bride" trilogy though was the weakest. The story was just not all that interesting. Most readers will be put off at least a little by the lengths that Alex and Gavin had to go to to obtain their freedom.
Calling attention to the underground slave trade in Europe was interesting to a point. The brutality was not overly graphic, but one got the idea just the same.
Once the couple made it back to England the story got rather dull. There were some risque parts where Alex tried to overcome her fear of intimacy by trying some unconventional methods. But, for the modern romance novel this was fairly tame stuff. The story picked up though toward the end of the book as Alex begins to explore the underground slave trade.
Not a terrible book, but not my favorite either. I do intend to explore more of Mary Jo Putney's work in the future. Overall a C-(less)

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Jan 02, 2009 Sabrina Poole rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ultimate-list

This was my first attempt at a romance novel. It was a well told story and author made the language jump off the page. Though, at times, this book was tedious with the amount of obstacles the main characters endured. The book tells the story of Gavin, a sea captain, and Alexandra, a widowed lady of society trying to return to England. Alex runs into pirates on the open sea and is taken into slavery. Gavin sees this fellow Englander and feels obliged to help. As the back cover states he faces sev...more

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Oct 01, 2011 Belinda Kroll rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, historical, romance, united-kingdom, east-asia

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 28, 2012 Melody rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: abuse, adventure, angst-forlorn-couples, baby-kids, celibate-virgin-virgin-like-heroes, crazy-ass-psycho-villain, historical-romance, kidnap-captured, marriage-of-convenience, mary-jo-putney, self-made-hero, single-parent, tormented-heroine, trilogy, widow, widower, wtf-was-that, reviewed-by-me, purple-themed-cover, beta-hero, dark-heavy-edge, jaded-heroine, sexual-assault

This I struggled to get into which surprised me. I think the second book in this trilogy was the strongest among the 3 books. I was hoping to get a lot of drama, adventure and tortured characters in this but the plot and set up left me wanting more. I found it lacking in areas. I thought the plot and timeline of this story was a little too similar to how The China Bride was set up. That made it a little disappointing and underwhelming. I felt it would have made for a more original story and less...more This I struggled to get into which surprised me. I think the second book in this trilogy was the strongest among the 3 books. I was hoping to get a lot of drama, adventure and tortured characters in this but the plot and set up left me wanting more. I found it lacking in areas. I thought the plot and timeline of this story was a little too similar to how The China Bride was set up. That made it a little disappointing and underwhelming. I felt it would have made for a more original story and less predictable if Putney changed things up a bit.

The story starts off with Captain Elliot, Gavin held in a prison after being convicted of murdering his wife Alex. The story flashes back to a year before where the protagonists meet and the story goes from there. Naturally the beginning for me was a little underwhelming, I would have preferred a new set up seeing as how The China Bride started out the same way. And while I love reading stories filled with adventures and travels to foreign lands I struggled to truly get into this story until half way in. I liked both characters I just wasn't as enthralled or convinced of their chemistry considering what Alex was put through and the awful position both of them are put in during the Lion Games trials. There is one scene in particular that is hard to get through and I felt was a little contrived and pushing it. It definitely caused great tension and anxiety between the two after wards.

The heroine Alex, was a very tormented character. She was captured and sold into slavery and lives through abuse and rape for 6 months in a East Indies country. She is put through a lot in this book and I appreciate the fact that Putney writes heroines who are brave, compassionate, courageous and have so much will and perseverance. They are unique in their own right. As Alex is described here, they are female warriors. I can't say I've read heroines like the ones featured in this trilogy, each having witnessed and lived through unimaginable tragedy and personal struggle. They really stood out to me. There was nothing I didn't like about Alex, she was incredibly brave selfless and has a big compassionate understanding heart. She's endlessly described as indomitable and should have been born a male because of her resilience and I can see why. But I found myself a little frustrated on Gavin's behalf (who is a complete patient understanding gentleman in this and never complained) with the distance Alex kept putting between her and Gavin. And it's not intentional, and completely understandable but still.... I found it unfair. And I hate using that word considering what Alex is put through and again, she has such a selfless heart and is a very tormented character but I felt myself getting restless while reading this with the slow movement we got between her and Gavin. I found the romance side of this story tepid because of it. I wasn't swept away by it. Alex tries her best to be a true wife to him and they grow close and confide in each other but I struggled to believe them falling in love. What I liked was their complete honesty and vulnerability with each other, this is the most selfless marriage I have read about. They both give as much as they took and tried to be fair and understanding of the other completely. I found that very honest and raw and refreshing which I liked. Unfortunately as far as the love story, I didn't feel it as much as I wanted to. Alex struggles throughout the book with putting her brutal experiences as a slave behind her. It effects her and Gavin's marriage and intimate relationship greatly. Gavin was a complete saint and wonderful friend, husband and lover. There really isn't much if any 'love scenes' in this given the circumstances of the couple's marriage. While I understood it and sympathized with Alex's struggle to move on, it tended to drag the story out.

Alex's daughter Katie was sweet but I was wishing to see actual bonding moments between her and Gavin. We are told that he adores her and is enchanted by her and happy to have a family of is own but minus a few moments on his ship together I really didn't see much interaction/dialogue between the Captain and his new step daughter. I was disappointed in that. Gavin has such a big loving patient heart, I really wanted to see more moments with him and Katie.

As for the 'twist' and villain(s) in this, I can't say I didn't see it coming. The female villain in this is truly terrifying and maddening how deranged she is but it did come off cliche. The plot to get 'revenge' was contrived and a little cartoonish for me but the wife did make me want to strangle her so I guess I was sold on the evil part. It was frustrating and difficult to read those scenes of the villain going on and on about ruining Alex and Gavin, gleeful to talk about deranged things like watching him die and wanting to describe it to Alex. Bleh.

All in all, it was interesting story and full of angst and tension. I really did enjoy and love the main characters Alex and Gavin. For me, this wasn't Putney's best but I will keep reading her other books after this trilogy for sure.

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Nov 06, 2010 Paula rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Alexandra and her 8 year old daughter Katie are captured by pirates and taken to the Indies. Alex is sold as a slave and Katie has been placed into a harem as a child to be taken care of.

Gavin is in Madura on business. The sultan wants Gavin to work for him but Gavin does not want to do this. While the sultan is trying to convince him, he takes him on a tour of his city where Alex is being sold once again as a slave. She sees that Gavin is a European and calls out to him to help her. He tries t...more

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Jul 01, 2012 Jody rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, romance

This is Book #3 in The Bride Trilogy. Alexandra Warren,a recent widow, and her daughter are on ship coming back from Austrailia when they are attacked by pirates. She is sold as a slave on the fictitious island of Maduri in the East Indies. Gavin Elliott is an entrepreneur who sees her as she is being auctioned off as a slave. Her daughter Katie is no longer with her and she has no idea what has happened to her eight year old. Gavin tries to buy her to give her her freedom, but is unable to do s...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Cristina Contilli added it · review of another edition

La Putney per me è una garanzia...

Ho letto diversi romanzi di questa autrice sia in italiano sia in inglese e chi più chi meno nel complessso l'ho trovati tutti scorrevoli e abbastanza credibili dal punto di vista storico...

di questo romanzo in particolare mi è piaciuta questa riflessione della madre della protagonista:

"Un buon matrimonio è il frutto di un'attenzione costante, ancor più che di un'intimità armoniosa. Abbandonati con fiducia a tuo marito, cara, anche se nel farlo provi la sensaz...more

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Feb 16, 2012 Jeanne Murray rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm a fan of Mary Jo Putney, so that may have figured into my liking this book so much. I love well developed characters dealing with issues that are not black and white. In this novel, slavery and the emotional aftereffects of rape are the issues Putney has worked with here. While some of the plot is a little thin, and there's the miraculous ending, both Gavin and Alex have depths that make the book well worth reading. I like books that explore the ways in which one confronts death and evil, an...more

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Apr 18, 2013 Barbara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, series

Gavin Elliott has to be the most honorable hero in all of Romancedom. The story starts at almost the end. He is awaiting imminent execution for the murder of his wife, the heroine. It is practically a law that these books have a happy ending, nevertheless, I quickly flipped to the back of the book to make sure Mary Jo Putney hadn't broken the law. I am very much into happy endings and no surprises since I am recovering from cancer surgery and since the lab results didn't come back the way I want...more

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Jul 29, 2009 Mandy Hays rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: already-read

This may have become my all time favorite book. I loved this book! There were moments that I could hardly breathe I was so on the edge of my seat. This wasn't your average romance where everything is always so happy, and rosie. But I enjoyed the main characters they were both very believable, and memorable. She was the ideal heroine she was a very strong woman emotionally, and he was a kind, dreamlike patient man. I liked that he stayed firm with his ideals and convictions. I would definetly rec...more

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Aug 19, 2010 Ana T. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2010

After I started reading The Bartered Bride I discovered that this is part of a trilogy and that I had already read book 1. We have some information about the couple in book 2 in this story so you might prefer to read them in order. This is the story of Alexandra Warren and Gavin Elliott. When they meet Gavin is a guest of the Sultan of Maduri who is interested in doing business with him and Alexandra is a slave about to be sold at a public auction. She was traveling with her daughter from Austra...more After I started reading The Bartered Bride I discovered that this is part of a trilogy and that I had already read book 1. We have some information about the couple in book 2 in this story so you might prefer to read them in order. This is the story of Alexandra Warren and Gavin Elliott. When they meet Gavin is a guest of the Sultan of Maduri who is interested in doing business with him and Alexandra is a slave about to be sold at a public auction. She was traveling with her daughter from Australia when their ship is attacked by pirates and they are separated.

Gavin feels surprised and shocked to see a European woman like that and does his best to save her. Unfortunately when the Sultan discovers that Alexandra may be the key to Gavin's compliance to his wishes he is forced to perform a series of tasks to win her freedom. He succeeds, but to some cost for him and Alexandra. Afterwards, when she and her daughter are both free, he feels honour bound to offer for her, especially because she might be pregnant, but maybe also because he has started developing some feelings for her. They return to London and while Gavin is surprised to find that Alexandra's family is very well connected socially he is also surprised to find that he has inherited a title. But they also find some enemies in London who plot to ruin them.

The story has two very different settings, the East Indies and London. I must confess that I much preferred the first one, the story was more focused on Alexandra and Gavin, the setting was more exotic and the Sultan was an ambivalent bad guy who kept things interesting. When they arrive in London there are more distractions, the villains are less interesting and their subplot detracts a bit from the main story that was Alexandra and Gavin getting to know each other. There's one theme that runs through both parts of the story which is slavery. Having been a slave Alexandra is naturally revolted that anyone else may suffer the same and becomes a dedicated anti-slavery fighter. She also rebuilds her lost confidence and it felt odd when an intelligent woman like her fell into a trap that we could see was coming.

Overall I did enjoy it this story but I found the first half a lot more interesting than the second one and so I was left a bit disappointed. And although the characters of the second book seemed like interesting people, from what I got to know about them here, I'm not sure I'll be picking up their story soon.

Grade: 4/5(less)

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Dec 13, 2012 Tia Jones rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: so-so-books

The first part of this book was very good despite the horrible name and cover illustration. It was full of adventure, there were pirates and women and children sold into slavery, a rich sultan, and an exciting game of dice that held the future in the balance and required daring deeds to win!

Then that part was over and it all went to hell. The entire middle part of this book was almost an exact replica of the last book I read by Putney. Such a let down after such an encouraging start.

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Jan 18, 2010 Patricia Solla rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library-books

This is the final book of a triology written by the author. It's just as good as the first two books. The storyline and characters were wonderful. It's amazing to try and imagine these things happening in the 1830's. Women were treated differently. The difference between being an American or someone from Britain is also astounding. The tales of sailing on the high seas and the cultures of other countries is fasinating.

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Nov 19, 2008 Samantha Lazar rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Gavin, a merchant prince, is sailing to London. He wants to become part of high society there. On his journey, he stops in the East INdies on an Island where he finds himself saving a European woman at a slave auction. However, Gavin can only have her if she participates in and wins an ancient slave tribal challenge. This is one of my favorite books by far. I was so drawn into the love story and passion between the two characters, and I am not usually the type of person who enjoys love stories....more

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Jul 08, 2009 MJ rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: idiots-ultimate-reading, ok-books, romance

When Gavin Elliott rescues Alexandra Warren from pirates he is unaware that his life will never be the same. But like all good romance tragedy and secrets tear the couple a apart. Before everything is lost they will have to figure out who wants to destroy what Gavein and Alexandra have built.

I didnt really enjoy this book. It was well written and the characters were good but I just didnt like it. I am in a negative mind frame recently and this book just did not appeal to my destructive nature....more

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Apr 12, 2011 Tatrd rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Gavin Elliott & Alexandra Warren
Gavin is a sailor and stops at an island in Indonesia where he spots a woman being sold at slave auction. He wins her in an old tournament of strength and smarts. They rescue her daughter who was also a slave. Turns out Alex is pregnant. He's American but discovers he's an Earl and has to join the house of Lords.

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Sep 21, 2010 Jeri rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love Mary Jo Putney's writing. This one has some really wild adventures for the characters, but what I love best is that even in the midst of the crazy and fantastic, her characters remain real, true to themselves, and reasonable, honorable people.

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Aug 25, 2010 Rebecca Huston rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 19th-century, england, historical-romance

I really wanted to like this one, but there were some problems with it. Still, better than most.

To see the longer review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/The_Ba...

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Aug 21, 2009 Cary rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Book 3 and I find out that I have read this one before long ago! I liked it the best of the series and even though having the background form the previous books was nice, it was not necessary. A different plot line for a romance story!!

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Nov 06, 2012 Kathleen J rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historic-romance

Great writing; great historic detail. Over the top heroine who can do anything and everything and a gobsmacked hero who worships at her feet. I like a stronger hero and a heroine with who isn't so perfect.

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Dec 15, 2010 kb rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-mf, historical-fiction, borrowed

Because the prologue begins saying the woman died and the man's on trial for her murder, I spent most of the book waiting for her to die. Totally ruined it for me even though I knew it would probably turn out that she didn't actually die.

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Dec 23, 2009 Kindaangelic rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Alex and Gavin made a great couple even tho the beginning of their relationship was very hard to read..I did enjoy the book and was glad to have found this author.

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Mar 29, 2013 Amber rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: regency-george-vic, romance, library

I have to say that I like the beginning and the middle, but was a bit disappointed in the end; it was a little to predictable. I liked the characters, although some of the events were a bit far fetched.

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Mar 02, 2011 Pixelinchen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, romance-historical, recommendation-sb, hero-too-good-to-be-true, adventure, series

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 25, 2011 Mrsinserra added it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks

I have to say i love this Author. She is totally amazing. This story was a bit predictable but it was still reallt good. I love Gavin and i love that Alex is a strong woman in this book. just wonderful!

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Aug 12, 2010 Ruth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-historical

Very good. Ending a little weak but the rest of the book makes up for it. IMHO.

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Apr 02, 2010 Brainorgan added it · review of another edition

The Bartered Bride by Mary Jo Putney (2002)

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About Mary Jo Putney

She writes young adult fiction as M.J. Putney.

Mary Jo Putney was born in Upstate New York with a reading addiction, a condition for which there is no known cure. After earning degrees in English Literature and Industrial Design at Syracuse University, she did various forms of design work in California and England before inertia took over in Baltimore, Maryland, where she has lived very comfortably...more She writes young adult fiction as M.J. Putney.

Mary Jo Putney was born in Upstate New York with a reading addiction, a condition for which there is no known cure. After earning degrees in English Literature and Industrial Design at Syracuse University, she did various forms of design work in California and England before inertia took over in Baltimore, Maryland, where she has lived very comfortably ever since.

While becoming a novelist was her ultimate fantasy, it never occurred to her that writing was an achievable goal until she acquired a computer for other purposes. When the realization hit that a computer was the ultimate writing tool, she charged merrily into her first book with an ignorance that illustrates the adage that fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

Fortune sometimes favors the foolish and her first book sold quickly, thereby changing her life forever, in most ways for the better. (“But why didn't anyone tell me that writing would change the way one reads?”) Like a lemming over a cliff, she gave up her freelance graphic design business to become a full-time writer as soon as possible.

Since 1987, Ms. Putney has published twenty-nine books and counting. Her stories are noted for psychological depth and unusual subject matter such as alcoholism, death and dying, and domestic abuse. She has made all of the national bestseller lists including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USAToday, and Publishers Weekly. Five of her books have been named among the year’s top five romances by The Library Journal. The Spiral Path and Stolen Magic were chosen as one of Top Ten romances of their years by Booklist, published by the American Library Association.

A nine-time finalist for the Romance Writers of America RITA, she has won RITAs for Dancing on the Wind and The Rake and the Reformer and is on the RWA Honor Roll for bestselling authors. She has been awarded two Romantic Times Career Achievement Awards, four NJRW Golden Leaf awards, plus the NJRW career achievement award for historical romance. Though most of her books have been historical, she has also published three contemporary romances. The Marriage Spell will be out in June 2006 in hardcover, and Stolen Magic (written as M. J. Putney) will be released in July 2006.

Ms. Putney says that not least among the blessings of a full-time writing career is that one almost never has to wear pantyhose.(less)

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