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41st out of 125 books
—
84 voters
The Obedient Bride
by
Mary Balogh
Miss Arabella Wilson knows perfectly well that the handsome Lord Geoffrey Astor is marrying her only out of a sense of duty. She resigns herself to this bargain and expects no more--until she commits the most scandalous of sins: she falls in love with her own husband.
Paperback, Signet Regency Romance, AE 5962, 224 pages
Published
June 6th 1989
by Signet
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I've always had a thing for arranged marriages that work out,bizarre,I know.
I was half expecting to end up disapointed with the book because of the title "The Obedient Bride" kind of has a drunk/wife-beater husband ring to it,but fortunately that wasn't it,it's called that way because of the way the bride behaves.
Arabella is 18,she's the middle daughter of a wealthy family and when her dad passes away she has to marry a distant cousin of theirs to preserve the family title,whatever that mean...more
I was half expecting to end up disapointed with the book because of the title "The Obedient Bride" kind of has a drunk/wife-beater husband ring to it,but fortunately that wasn't it,it's called that way because of the way the bride behaves.
Arabella is 18,she's the middle daughter of a wealthy family and when her dad passes away she has to marry a distant cousin of theirs to preserve the family title,whatever that mean...more
The heroine, Arabella, marries Lord Astor out of duty to her family once he inherits her father's title.
Arabella has grown up with little self esteem and over shadowed by her beautiful but excessively stupid sister.
She is initially intimidated by Astor but as time goes on, she finds herself settling into life in the Ton and making good friends who like her for herself.
Astor also finds that marriage has greater consequences than anticipated and discovers that he wants to spend time with his wi...more
This book made me wonder why I enjoy the Victorian/Regency era so much. It epitomized all the things which sucked about this era. The male dominant society (well, we still have that but not as much), the weak weepy women, the repression of emotions, sexual frustration and ignorance of women (lay back and think of England!) and the prevailing sense of duty, which shall/can forsake ones happiness.
Arabella, who considers herself fat and ugly agrees to marry Lord Geoffrey Astor sight unseen so that...more
Arabella, who considers herself fat and ugly agrees to marry Lord Geoffrey Astor sight unseen so that...more
So, as many of you know, I don't typically read Mary Balogh books. After the clusterf*ck that was Dancing with Clara, I'd completely sworn off her novels. See, adultery is a dealbreaker for me. There's enough crap like that in real life, and frankly, I read for entertainment, not to be dragged down by depressing things like a man who just flat out can't keep it in his pants.
That said, I actually didn't hate this.
I liked that while our hero wasn't immediately throwing himself on the mercy of his...more
That said, I actually didn't hate this.
I liked that while our hero wasn't immediately throwing himself on the mercy of his...more
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My grade: B. A very interesting and unusual book. The current trend in romance is that once the hero meets the heroine, he doesn't have sex with another woman. Even if he can't stand the heroine. Even if he has a mistress. This hero (book is an early one of the author's) had a mistress, had sex multiple times with his mistress, and didn't find anything wrong with that--after he was married!
This was really about a man growing a conscience, learning to care less about himself and more about other...more
This was really about a man growing a conscience, learning to care less about himself and more about other...more
After a few less than wonderful Baloghs here's one that I truly enjoyed. The Obedient Bride is a "MOC" story; both the hero and the heroine marry out of a sense of duty. Him because he is helping the last Viscount's family and she because she will be able to help her family if she does.
The way they approach the marriage however is very different. The hero sees it has something he has to do but that it won't disrupt his private life, he will continue to keep his usual mistress and doing his usua...more
The way they approach the marriage however is very different. The hero sees it has something he has to do but that it won't disrupt his private life, he will continue to keep his usual mistress and doing his usua...more
3stars Though being a Very slow paced book it surprisingly didn't bore me. All the points being referred in the book about a marriage of convenience borne of a deep sense of duty seemed completely valid to me in respect of the time this story was set in. I found it refreshing that the hero didn't fall for the heroine at once, even after the marriage has been consummated. But after he realized that he was beginning to have feelings for her i think the writer could have made it ALOT more interesti...more
Overall I liked this story. I enjoy the regency era even as it drives me crazy with its foibles and hyprocracy. The heroines chatter was a bit trying at times but the older sister....she cames off as extrememly annoying, insipid, vapid....I just didn't like her and will never understand why Theo wanted her in the first place. Gag me. I did relate to Arabella's struggle to come to terms with a beautiful sister who was favored though. It was refreshing to find a heroine who wasn't blond, thin, arc...more
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The plot deals with issues that most married women have to at least think about, which was an interesting approach seldom seen in romantic novels and probably a better mirror of the times. However, the book got off to a slow start and wasn't as fast-paced as I have grown to expect from Ms. Balogh.
This is a story about a marriage of convenience between Arabella and Viscount Astor. Astor things he can just go about his normal life and keep his wife in the country - not from maliciousness but from cluelessness. He was a beta hero who wasn't very self-aware and it was interesting to see his eyes open. There was a secondary thread (so small it could hardly be called a story) about Mr. Hubbard and his estranged wife (who had run off with another man, taking Hubbard's son with her). Hubbard dec...more
It is a good book. Could have been much better, but something disintegrated in the last few scenes and the resolution of conflict was too fast and too artificial.
For a short format Regency, no complaints. Everything to type, but better written than the usual.
Excellent regency from Balogh. One of the best romances dealing with infidelity.
A beautifully-written character-driven story about a mismatched couple who make a marriage of convenience, starting out with completely wrong assumptions about themselves and each other, and how they come to accept each other, know themselves, and fall in love. Both of the main characters are actually rather annoying in the first part of the book - the heroine for her insecurity and immaturity and the hero for his conceitedness, but they both change for very much the better as the book progresse...more
Jan 08, 2010
Lynn Calvin
added it
Romance
I really like the H and h, and their relationship. Frances was a nitwit in my opinion, but Theodore is definitely a great man and will do her good.
May 22, 2013
Ramjan Kassim
marked it as to-read
May 21, 2013
Claire
marked it as to-read
May 14, 2013
Fury13
marked it as not-for-me
May 13, 2013
Nancy
marked it as to-read
May 13, 2013
Linda
marked it as to-read
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Mary Balogh has won seven Waldenbooks Awards and two B. Dalton Awards for her bestselling novels, as well as a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award.
More about Mary Balogh...
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