The Bride (Lairds' Fiancées, #1) in Happily Ever After Cafe

Apr 21, 2012 Giulia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favourites, highlander-romances, historical-romance

I love love LOVE this book! What a romance. Garwood had me captivated from the first pages right up to the end. I think what hooked me was the premise: two sisters being forced to marry Scottish lairds because their father is a fool who forgot to pay their taxes. I'm a sucker for these ridiculous storylines were the couple know practically nothing about each and have to marry and then fall in love.

But what truly made me love this book was the characters. I have to love Jamie. Now, most heroines I love love LOVE this book! What a romance. Garwood had me captivated from the first pages right up to the end. I think what hooked me was the premise: two sisters being forced to marry Scottish lairds because their father is a fool who forgot to pay their taxes. I'm a sucker for these ridiculous storylines were the couple know practically nothing about each and have to marry and then fall in love.

But what truly made me love this book was the characters. I have to love Jamie. Now, most heroines in these historical romances are usually feisty and stubborn and innocent and want to somehow gain some semblance of power or control over their husbands, and Jamie is no different. But I love how she does it! She doesn't scream or shout or play the serene little maiden. She just questions everything Alec tells her. And it's downright hilarious how it's her feelings everyone from the kindly old priest to her soon adoring husband are trying to protect. She also has the entire household's loyalty almost immediately because she saves Angus's life and becomes the local nurse to which even enemies are sending their sick children to for healing. Of course, that minor fact nearly starts a war, but it was only one of three she started with her cultural blunders, all of which left me literally laughing out loud because Alec would end up with that twitching muscle on his cheek that Jamie so worried about although she never realized she was the cause of it! It really is sweet how quickly everyone learns to love her and wants to protect her even though she's English and they all hate the English. And it's her kind, caring nature that wins all of them over. That and her spectacular displays of temper when she does lose patience.

As much as I loved Jamie's character, it was definitely Alec I loved the best. He first appears as the terrifying, silent and gigantic man that rumor has it, may or may not have killed his late wife. Jamie doesn't realize it's her he's decided in out of her four sisters, and wears black to the wedding after he asks her to dress in white, just to irk him. When he found this amusing, he won me over completely. Now, as is typical in these romances, he doesn't want to love her. He's marrying her because he was ordered to. It's a marriage of convenience and he likes the idea of bedding her. Her constant questions, which he perceives as her attempts to command him when he ought be commanding her, annoy and amuse him and he keeps intending to show her the way of things in a marriage. But it's all bluster as Jamie would say. It really does bother him that Jamie is sometimes afraid of him, and I love his efforts to control his temper so she won't be afraid. And with all the trouble Jamie gets into, he does have to control his temper quite a lot, which leads to that twitch. Their many arguments produced scenes of hilarity and sweetness, and the secondary characters who are witnesses to these scenes also had me laughing with their observations on Alec's change in behavior because of Jamie.

This story had a bit of a mystery too. From the beginning, it was clear Alec's late wife was a victim of murder and not at his hands, and as soon Jamie arrives at his home, it's clear someone wants her dead too. I kept flopping back and forth between a couple of characters, who I thought might be the killer, but really I wasn't sure and that also kept me engaged throughout the book. A really great read--a great couple that fit nicely together once they each get over their bluster stage with each other, lots of tender scenes, a good smattering of steamy scenes, great character development, a mystery, wonderful supporting characters and a HEA. Not sure what else we could want from a romance!

FIVE glittering stars. And this goes on my favourites shelf.

More reviews at www.devastatingreads.blogspot.com ...more

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Oct 13, 2011 Searock rated it liked it · review of another edition

2.75 stars.

I feel a lil' odd giving this beloved book less than 3 stars, but its honest. I adored JG's Ransom and I really liked her The Secret, but I didn't like this as much. I am noticing trends in the characters and storylines and turns out, once was enough for me. There were elements in the other two that delighted me, and I didn't find that here. In fact, there were elements that just plain irritated me.

The hero, Alec was basically mean to the heroine, Jamie- and not in an "isn't it cute ...more

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Jul 04, 2012 ShoSho rated it it was amazing

Shelves: x-atomic-tangerine, x-2013, historical, favorites, mr-elf-rec

what a great book , I just want to read or listen to any of Julie Garwood's book I can get my hands on !

I loved Jamie and Alec and their story . The best thing about this book was the humor , I can't wait to listen to it again ...more

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Feb 14, 2015 Amyiw rated it really liked it

Shelves: new-author, historical, romance, x-2015, aar-100

This was a fun read reminding a little of some of the Lynsay Sands older novellas like The Perfect Bride, or Devil of the Highlands, except not as corny in the humor and a little less idiotic in the drama.

Alec is the typical "just do it woman" alpha male and Jamie is the get it done and knows how to do it woman, who doesn't like to be told not to do things. They knock heads and it is very fun to see them get it together in the end. Still the romance seemed a little disjointed in the end with the ...more

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Sep 19, 2011 Zumbagirl rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: humorous, arranged-marriage-tricked-into-marr, scottish-highlands, world-s-best-husband, sisters, favorite, widower

WOW! I started this and had to finish it in one day, it was so good!! Ms. Garwood wove a wonderful tale of sisters who have to face an arranged marriage made by the king of England and the king of Scotland. The heroine and her sister are English. They meet the Scottish Highlanders not knowing their fate is already sealed. They have been picked out by fierce, giant warriors ** sigh and faint ** The adventures begin!! Jaime, the heroine, is drop-dead beautiful with violet eyes, yes, like Elizabeth ...more

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Jun 26, 2016 Charisse rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, re-read

Reread. As expected, I'm still enchanted as I was six years ago. I wish to read more stories like this. I'm so jealous of those who haven't yet experienced this book. ...more

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Oct 16, 2011 Celina rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-copy, historical-romance, part-of-series, scots, fave-author-autobuy, favorite-heroine, julie-garwood, g-h-i-j-authors

I had read The Wedding before this and Alec had appeared there, too and he was pretty....unpretty. Hahaha. But when I read this book, I fell in love with him because of Jamie's feelings for him. Jamie is really strong-willed and I loved the witty bantering! This was another Julie Garwood success! ...more

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Dec 19, 2013 Kat Morrisey rated it it was amazing

Shelves: highlander, kindle, 5-star-epicness

Everyone knows I love highlanders and this one did not disappoint. I don't know why I have such an obsession over these books, but I do and honestly, it's an obsession I don't mind. I had gotten this from the library and had to wait almost two months for it to come in, but it was so worth the wait. ...more

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Sep 29, 2011 Jennifer rated it liked it

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Oct 01, 2011 CiCi rated it it was amazing

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Oct 04, 2011 Janice rated it really liked it

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Oct 08, 2011 khi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: rom-adolescent

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Oct 21, 2011 Mandy rated it it was amazing

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Oct 27, 2011 Ash Ash rated it liked it

Shelves: historical, scots-highland

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Jul 08, 2012 Julie rated it really liked it

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Aug 27, 2012 Nareh rated it it was amazing

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Sep 11, 2012 Rhonda Dickens rated it it was amazing

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Oct 31, 2012 Tyler Leigh rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020-challenge

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Nov 30, 2012 Kme_17 rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2015, audio

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Jan 21, 2013 Catherine marked it as to-read

Shelves: historical-romance, historical, romance, cultural, series, chick-lit

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Jan 26, 2013 BrynnieBee rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, historical-romance, highlands, own-it, marriage-of-convenience, widow-widower, heroine-virgin, enemies-to-lovers, medieval-romance, 4-star

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