The Bride (Lairds' Fianc茅es, #1) in Happily Ever After Cafe

Oct 30, 2008 Danielle The Book Huntress rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arranged-marriage, historical-romance, favorite-or-autobuy-author, need-to-reread, heroine-drop-dead-gorgeous, warrior, aar-top-100-romance, hero-i-loved, owned-copy, warrior-woman

I'm not feeling very literate today, so I am going to compose this review around a list of reasons why I loved this book.

Reasons Why I Loved The Bride by Julie Garwood

1. Jamie is a great heroine. Okay, she might have some Mary Sue-ness going on, although I hate using that term. She is really gorgeous, very nice, oh-so sweet, great at pretty much everything, giving, and self-sacrificing. However, she's totally loveable. For me, that's the opposite of a Mary Sue, because Mary Sues are characters I'm not feeling very literate today, so I am going to compose this review around a list of reasons why I loved this book.

Reasons Why I Loved The Bride by Julie Garwood

1. Jamie is a great heroine. Okay, she might have some Mary Sue-ness going on, although I hate using that term. She is really gorgeous, very nice, oh-so sweet, great at pretty much everything, giving, and self-sacrificing. However, she's totally loveable. For me, that's the opposite of a Mary Sue, because Mary Sues are characters that the writer tells you that you should love, but you don't. Julie Garwood has a way of writing heroines that it is impossible to dislike. Jamie is self-deprecating, and she has enough quirks that I wanted to give her a hug. I love her quick temper, because it usually ends up causing me to laugh instead of annoying me. I thought it was hilarious how she was always giving Father Murdock shillings to pay for indulgences when Alec got on her nerves (because he was sinning in her mind). She was very good at making lemonade out of lemons, and had a way of dealing with people that was fair but also had the people wondering what hit them. When Alec hurt her feelings, I wanted to hurt him. I was like, "Why are you being mean to this sweetheart?" Her heart is so big, that you just want to be friends with her, which is always a plus when it comes to characters in the books I read and enjoy.

2. This was a fun medieval didn't seem terribly inaccurate. Julie Garwood and I both know that she was playing some things for laughs. She's not trying to get me to buy this book, hook, line and sinker as 100% historically accurate, and that's fine. I found the setting to be believeable, and I was able to plausibly accept that Jamie could have lived back in the medieval times and married Laird Alec Kincaid. Good enough for me. Normally, I prefer books that are more historically accurate, but Julie Garwood is an author who gets the "Get out of jail free card" because her books satisfy in so many ways even if they aren't necessarily spot on in that way.

3. Alec might be the big, arrogant, "I know everything, and I will have things exactly the way I want them", but he was a really good guy. He learned pretty quickly that he loved his wife, and wanted to see her happy. He wasn't bossy and obnoxious. I found his arrogance endearing, in fact. He was tough and dangerous, as a Highland laird should be, but also warm and loving. Great combination!

4. Jamie and Alec were a great couple. The passion was sexy and hot, but also sweet. I liked that they both grew as people and grew together. As usual for a Julie Garwood hero, Alec thinks he is in charge, and that has his marriage all figured out, and Jamie will adjust to doing things his way. Ha-ha! Nope. Alec came to realize that his life was better for the chaos that Jamie brought into it. He was willing to give on things to keep his wife happy, although he was no pushover. That is not to say that Jamie wasn't willing to meet him halfway and adjust her life to his. She did plenty of that.

4. I love the fact that this book made me laugh, had its poignant moments, and had a little suspense. The suspense wasn't a huge part of the story, which is just how I like it. I'm not real fond of historical romances that are mainly suspense anyway.

5. Scottish Highlander books are just awesome to me. Yes, I realize that the Scottish Highlands aren't really like this. But, I enjoy my happy time with hot men in kilts with Scottish burrs, and claymores, and I'm a happy girl.

6. Like most of the Julie Garwood books, The Bride took me to that happy, warm and fuzzy place. There were plenty of 'sighworthy/happy joy-joy' moments, which made for an uplifting read. It was so lovely to read this book, and enjoy the zany results when Jamie and Alec met. It was like two storm fronts colliding head on, but the results were fruitful and delightful.

I've run out of steam here. But, I'm cool with that. Somehow, I thought I had read this book, because my memory is kinda bad at times, and I read every historical romance my library carried growing up. So, I assumed I read this one. But, I'm pretty sure I didn't now. So, I'm glad this was the January read for the Lisa Kleypas group. This was such a fun, loveable read, and it's yet another Julie Garwood book that's going on my keeper shelf. ...more

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Aug 14, 2009 Wendy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: first-book, 2011, re-read, keeper, historical-romance, 2013, 2017

Fabulous! Another keeper from Julie Garwood. I love the mix of history, humour, romance and heat that Julie Garwood seems to accomplish so well in these older historicals.

17/4/17 - 5th time reading this and it remains a 5 star read.

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Apr 10, 2008 Pamela(AllHoney) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: hr-medieval-dark-ages, virgin-heroine, rakes-rogues-womanizers, married-couple, favorites, my-5-star-romances, dreamy-heroes, scots-highlanders, dangerous-or-bad-boy, loc-scotland

The first books in the Lairds' Fiancees series by Julie Garwood. I read for entertainment and this one definitely entertained me. I could see why Jamie's family didn't want to let her go. I loved the interaction between Jamie and Alec. Lots of funny banter. On the keeper shelf for now but it will be back in front of me again and again, I'm sure. ...more

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Oct 08, 2009 Kelly rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites

I wish they gave 1/2 stars. Beacaues I would have given this 4.5
I was so pleasantly surprised by this book. The cover just shouted books your mother reads! So I really didn't expect to like it as much as I did. I found myself laughing a lot I loved the banter between Alec and Jamie. Although this is called Historical Fiction I found nothing historical in it other than the fact that it is set in Scotland in the 1700's. But it was a great romance a very light read.
My only problem with the book w ...more

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