Historical Romance Book Club discussion

Discussion thread for the Third BOTM of January 2022. Please remember to use the spoiler tags when necessary! (Please see 'some html is ok' for instructions.)

Happy Reading!


The Bride by Julie Garwood

Synopsis:

From New York Times bestselling author Julie Garwood, whose novels have enchanted millions of readers worldwide, comes a breathtakingly romantic novel about a mismatched young wife and husband who, despite their differences in background and temperament, fall inexorably in love. The Bride sweeps readers back to the savage beauty of medieval Scotland....

By the king's edict, Alec Kincaid, mightiest of the Scottish lairds, must take an English bride. And Jaime the youngest daughter of Baron Jamison, is his choice. From his first glimpse of the proud and beautiful English lady, Alec felt a burning hunger stir within him. This was a woman worthy of his fearless warrior's spirit. And he aches to touch her, tame her, possess her...forever.

But with the wedding vows, Jamie pledges her own secret oath: She will never surrender her love to this Highland barbarian. He was everything her heart warned her against -- an arrogant, brooding scoundrel whose rough good looks and seductive embrace fire her blood. But when strange accidents begin to threaten Jamie's life and an old rumor that Alec killed his first wife spreads anew, something far more dangerous than desire threatens to conquer her senses.

With all the storytelling power and insight into the human heart that have made her one of the bestselling authors of our time, Julie Garwood takes readers on an unforgettable romantic journey rich in humor, suspense, and historical detail.

This one has been on my list for a while! Excited to read it

I love this book! It's been a awhile since I've read it, but i can always reread Julie Garwood.

One of my favorite parts is when the members of the hero's clan are puzzled by the heroine's (view spoiler)[ name. They often follow it by stating, "But Jaime is a boy's name." 😂 (hide spoiler)]

I enjoyed this book by Julie Garwood. It was a book I nominated for January Humour BOTM. This tale take place in England and Scotland in the Middle Ages. Here is my goodreads review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I don't remember how many times I have read this one last year(2020). But, I will still love to reread it.

I just grabbed this from the library and will likely start tonight!

Darbella wrote: "Started rereading this today.
In my book the author has a foreword section where she explains why this book is one of her favorites. The author came up with the idea for this story because she was ..."

Thanks for sharing this info, Darbella. Read this one a few years back. It's interesting to hear the history behind the writing of the book. I think for sure if I had known this at the time I was reading it would have made my reading experience much richer.

I will be trying this on audio. Seems to have a good narrator and I tend enjoy humorous books more in audio format. I liked the second book in the series quite a bit so am looking forward to this one.

Joanna Loves Reading wrote: "I will be trying this on audio. Seems to have a good narrator and I tend enjoy humorous books more in audio format. I liked the second book in the series quite a bit so am looking forward to this one."
I should've looked!

I am really enjoying so far. A nice balance-I'm done with ch 3. I might add some thoughts later but I'm on my phone and no one wants to read those typos

I have read this book about 10 times. LOVE IT.

I've listened to this audiobook several times and have enjoyed it. I just finished chapter 4, which is when (view spoiler)[the two couples just married and are getting ready to set off for Scotland. (hide spoiler)]

I've always disliked Jamie's (view spoiler)[step (hide spoiler)]father and (view spoiler)[how he wanted to keep her so she can continue to be mistress of his home and see to his comforts. 😡🤬 (hide spoiler)] Thank goodness Baek stepped in and did something!

Being an elder sibling with responsibilities and who often looked after my younger siblings, I've always had a hard time grasping the fact that Jamie, the youngest sibling, is the responsible one, who looks after everyone. It's different from most HRs in that portrayal.

I started reading this yesterday. And it's so funny and cute! TBH, the blurb did nothing for me. I've heard a lot of people love this author. Even though this was a BOTM, I still I wasn't sold and wasn't going to participate until MG posted that she has read this book about 10 times and loves it. So I thought I'd give it a try. So glad I did! I always thought this was gonna be the old kind of HR

Mamacita aka MawMaw wrote: "I started reading this yesterday. And it's so funny and cute! TBH, the blurb did nothing for me. I've heard a lot of people love this author. Even though this was a BOTM, I still I wasn't sold and ..."

Yes the tone is so fun

I'm up to Ch 11. Wondering if (view spoiler)[Marcus is the one who killed Helena (hide spoiler)]. If so, it Almost seems to easy & predictable.

Lauren wrote: "I love this book! It's been a awhile since I've read it, but i can always reread Julie Garwood."

me too. one of my faves. love jamie & alec.

Missy wrote: "One of my favorite parts is when the members of the hero's clan are puzzled by the heroine's [spoilers removed]"

yeah, that cracked me up too. and it was mentioned several times as well.

Darbella wrote: "Started rereading this today.
In my book the author has a foreword section where she explains how this books stands out to her. The author came up with the idea for this story because she was daydr..."

that's really cool. i have an older copy so mine doesn't have that forward. i'll have to look for a newer one.
and the humor is one of the reasons i love this writers historical romances. it creates such charming characters.

Darbella wrote: "Sam, I hope you enjoy it. Looking forward to your thoughts.
Cath, I love her historical romance books. I think humor must be harder to write than angst because so many people sort of look down at h..."
i totally agree & think the same w/all your points.

Joanna Loves Reading wrote: "I will be trying this on audio. Seems to have a good narrator and I tend enjoy humorous books more in audio format. I liked the second book in the series quite a bit so am looking forward to this one."

let us know how it was on audio. i've never done one of her books that way. it might be interesting to try.

Missy wrote: "I've listened to this audiobook several times and have enjoyed it. I just finished chapter 4, which is when [spoilers removed]

I've always disliked Jamie's [spoilers removed]father and [spoilers r..."
good point. but i think perhaps it may have been b/c she was really his step-kid so while he accepted her, a part of him realized she was never really his by blood & that may have effected his attitude. (ie. the part @ reading stories w/kids in his lap..)

what i love about Garwood's books is her female characters are so engaging. i also think as opposed to other historicals, one thing Garwood does is have her Hero's realize he's in love w/the Heroine first. Most of the time the woman will realize it about 1/2 way thru & we wait for the guy to come to his senses & admit. In Garwood's books, it's the woman we're waiting on.

I also enjoy how the writer gives each of her characters a relatable detail. In this one, Jamie has a terrible sense of direction. I loved that! My mom also gets lost easily & we're always turning her around in the correct direction. I smiled everytime it was brought up b/c I could relate.

*sorry, i don't know how to do the hide spoilers so i'll make this general instead of using an exs.*

What did you think of the opposite ways Daniel & Alec approached their relationships w/the sisters? did you think it was better for Alec to 'speed things along' or for Daniel 'to ease into it/take his time'?

Jenna wrote: "*sorry, i don't know how to do the hide spoilers so i'll make this general instead of using an exs.*

What did you think of the opposite ways Daniel & Alec approached their relationships w/the sist..."

Do you use the app or a browser? If using the browser there is a pop up link called “(some html is ok)” right above the comment box to the right that shows the syntax for it.

@MawMaw, I'm glad you're enjoying the book.

@Jenny, I agree with your point about the relationship in Message 25. I also like that most of Julie Garwood's heroes (view spoiler)[realize they're in love before the heroines (hide spoiler)].

Missy wrote: "One of my favorite parts is when the members of the hero's clan are puzzled by the heroine's [spoilers removed]"
😁😁😁 I loved how she played with this trick later in the book too.

MG wrote: "I have read this book about 10 times. LOVE IT.

"Atleast you know your exact number of rereads, 😁😁I stopped keeping count after 4-5 reads. Some people love , The Secret more than this one. But, for me, this is the best ever book by JG. Maybe because it was my first by her.

Joanna Loves Reading wrote: "Jenna wrote: "*sorry, i don't know how to do the hide spoilers so i'll make this general instead of using an exs.*

What did you think of the opposite ways Daniel & Alec approached their relationsh..."
thanks. i'll look for that. i use a browser.

Starting today!

Darbella wrote: "Jenna, do you see in the comment box when you are commenting-above a blank box the word comment then further over add book/author then further over (some html is ok)? If you do see that--click on t..."
thx. it does. i'll try that next time.

Darbella wrote: "The prologue is sort of grim. Things to note: [spoilers removed]
Chapter one: I found it a neat way to get to know Jamie's sisters and father by the author having the sisters wail and such after pa..."

Loved Scotland's King & the scene w/Jamie.

I LOVED that quote too.

"They said he killed his first wife. Papa said maybe she needed killing."

Other quotes that were my favorites...

"She had already learned two very unpleasant things about her husband. One: he didn’t like being questioned or contradicted. That was going to be a problem."

"He knew she needed time to sort the problem out in her mind. Because he was such a patient man, he decided to give her an hour or two to agree. He thought he was being very courteous, and cautioned himself against letting such consideration become a habit.”

" I think they’d take exception to hearing it called a woman’s gown.” “Then it’s little wonder to me why they have to fight all the time,” Jamie interjected. She hadn’t really believed Cholie’s tale, but Beak looked so sincere she was beginning to think he was telling the truth. “Aye,” Mary agreed. “They have to defend their gowns."

I finished & rated it 4.5*. I'll be honest I think we needed an epilogue a couple of years down the line. I also think we needed to be told (view spoiler)[what Alec did with Annie. (hide spoiler)]

@MawMaw, do you plan to read the next book in this series/duology, The Wedding? Jamie and Alec make brief appearances.

Mamacita aka MawMaw wrote: "Darbella wrote: "The prologue is sort of grim. Things to note: [spoilers removed]
Chapter one: I found it a neat way to get to know Jamie's sisters and father by the author having the sisters wail ..."

i agree w/all you just said.
if you read the wedding, that's the sequel so there's a bit of epiloguey info there. you find out more about alec & jamie.

Will definitely give another try. I absolutely couldn’t get into this book. I must be just me because everyone else simply loves it. Will try again.

I've finished! Always a joy to re-listen to this on Audible. I don't keep track of how many times I've listened to this audiobook but my guess would be 4 or 5 times.

@MawMaw, I also enjoyed the scene with Jamie and the king of Scotland, too.

I completely forgot about (view spoiler)[Helena's daughter, Mary Katherine, and that Andrew and his men traveled to Scotland in an attempt to take Jamie back to England. I thought it was so funny how Mary Katherine blurted out everything to Alec. 🤣 (hide spoiler)] It was such a touching moment when (view spoiler)[all the clans came together to show their thanks and support for Jamie. (hide spoiler)] 😭

Darbella wrote: "Sam, I hope you enjoy it. Looking forward to your thoughts.
Cath, I love her historical romance books. I think humor must be harder to write than angst because so many people sort of look down at h..."

i agree!

Mamacita aka MawMaw wrote: "I started reading this yesterday. And it's so funny and cute! TBH, the blurb did nothing for me. I've heard a lot of people love this author. Even though this was a BOTM, I still I wasn't sold and ..."

yeah! :)

Darbella wrote: "Jenna, as to your question...[spoilers removed]
Also, you are so on point that she gives her heroines a quirk that I find fun and adorable to read about.
Pretti, I love The Secret too. I so wish th..."
yes, i love all her historicals. interestingly enough, I tried her contemporary & just didn't like them. and yeah, I'd love for her to write more of them too.
I like the Secret too. But I really love the sequel Ransom. I think it's b/c while there's a main H/h, there are some great additional characters & subplots added in.
Have you done her 'Clayborne's Brides' series? The first book in that series 'for the roses' hooked me in the first chapter.

Mamacita aka MawMaw wrote: "Darbella wrote: "The prologue is sort of grim. Things to note: [spoilers removed]
Chapter one: I found it a neat way to get to know Jamie's sisters and father by the author having the sisters wail ..."

I agree. Great quotes to exemplify the way the writer easily gives you insight into the characters.

Overall it was a nice read, I liked the story and the marriage of convenience trope. However I found it disturbing that he considered her his property and didn't take no for an answer, especially in bed. I know it's a historical, and all, but I like when a Prince Charming is a bit more charming, even if he is a warrior.

Dab wrote: "Overall it was a nice read, I liked the story and the marriage of convenience trope. However I found it disturbing that he considered her his property and didn't take no for an answer, especially i..."

interesting point but I think if she had said no, he would have stopped. at least in her other books, the H will usually say something about that. i don't recall if he did in this one.

@Darbella you are right, I know it's medieval times and the situation of women was different then. The thing is, I read these books because they have a fairy tale touch to them and I don't care that much about historical accuracy ( sorry!). Also it was clear from the beginning, that they were attracted to each other, so I don't think it was necessary to have a "she says no but she means yes" moment. Great to exchange opinions though :)

Dab wrote: "@Darbella you are right, I know it's medieval times and the situation of women was different then. The thing is, I read these books because they have a fairy tale touch to them and I don't care tha..."

🙂
that's why i like these discussions. I read alot, so i have my own opinions on those books. but it's great to discuss/read others opinions b/c whether or not you agree/disagree, it helps add a new perspective to that book.

I'm not knocking this story down, just saying what I didn't like about it. And I expected you to challenge me about Married by Morning. What can I say - I had chemistry with Leo that I did not have with Alec😁 I may even agree with you that it's weird 🤪

Perfect! You keep Alec and everyone is happy 😂

Darbella wrote: "Dab, Fair enough! Leo is all yours. LOL
To me they are both such great authors. More Historical Romances from each of them please!"

amen to that!!

Dab wrote: "Perfect! You keep Alec and everyone is happy 😂"

hey, can i get in on this b/c I'll totally take Alec too. And as I say everytime when my friends tease me @ reading scottish historicals. I've been to Scotland & I didn't meet anyone like in the books. (hee hee)

I finished up yesterday and enjoyed it but the audio was not quite the right feel. Good narrator (Rosalyn Landor) but she’s better with more serious styles. Wish it had been Mary Jane Wells, because she’s good with comedic styles I think.

I really enjoyed Jamie as a character. She was a lot of fun. Alec was a good hero too. May add more later.

Dab wrote: "I'm not knocking this story down, just saying what I didn't like about it. And I expected you to challenge me about Married by Morning. What can I say - I had chemistry with Leo that I did not have..."

Makes sense to me! Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. Sorry this didn’t work for you. I think it was original published in the 80’s so that speaks to some of the consent issues.