Bartered Bride

by Anne Avery

Book Overview

HE BOUGHT HER HAND IN MARRIAGE, BUT HE HAD TO WIN HER LOVE.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553579339
• ISBN13: 9780553579338
• Release Date: March 1999
• Publisher: Bantam Books
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 4.2" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Great as historical fiction, problematic as romance..

First, I read this book through in a few hours, having waited several weeks to obtain a copy. That satisfies my minimum criteria for a three-star read.Second, I had mixed feelings about this book, as much as I did for Isolde Martyn's THE MAIDEN AND THE UNICORN (not yet reviewed by me). As (romantic) historical fiction, it worked beautifully. This genre is not very popular in the States, but far more popular in the UK. The depth of historical research and the gritty realism really comes through, and the characters behave very much in the way that real men and women might behave in the medieval period. The heroine does not defy her father's wishes to marry her to a commoner (a debasement in status for her), nor questions the fact that he is selling her off to fund his political intrigues. The hero, likewise, is marrying the heroine not for her beauty but for her political assets. He is caught in a dangerous civil war between the barons and the future Edward I -what a wonderful period to pick!. Having said all this in praise of the book, I have to admit to some questions.Firstly, this book could have benefitted from a foreword or afterword, briefly explaining what was going on in England, and why a merchant might find it wise to hedge his bets. For persons with limited historical knowledge, this book can be very frustrating. Even for readers with greater knowledge of 13th century England, it can be a bit hard to follow the events. I felt as if I should have consulted a history of England before reading this book, even though I knew the background of the baronial revolt against Henry III.Secondly, as a romance, this book is definitely not ideal. It earns at least 3 stars as a romance (possibly more), because there *is* a romance, although it is slow to develop. The characters marry for very practical reasons, but they do not communicate very well for much of the novel. The heroine refuses to sleep with her husband (the hero), and she is not told about his disastrous first marriage which might have explained much to her. Nor does the hero talk that much to the heroine (even if this is keeping with medieval practice) - about his trade, his history, let alone his political intrigues. And of course, they spend part of the book apart although for good reasons.Actually, as a romance, this was not as frustrating to me as I would have expected. After reading a spate of historical romances by very good writers, where the hero and/or heroine behave irrationally at times and the villain has no clear motivation to act as he/she does, this book was a very pleasant change. Neither hero nor heroine act irrationally; they simply fail to communicate at times (like real people). For the record, the secondary characters really came alive for the most part. The heroine's problems in taking over her husband's household is well-done, as is her limited control over her father's household. There are several household servants with their own problems an

Authentic setting -- but characters don't connect

It was a relief to see read a Medieval romance that didn't read as if it could have been set in the Excalibur hotel in Las Vegas. I also liked reading about a hero who was an intelligent merchant instead of yet another bloodthirsty knight.However, the hero and heroine spent too much time embroiled in communication problems. This kept me at a distance from the story. Robert never even told Alyce about this failed first marriage!I gave this book a B- at All About Romance.

VERY ROMANTIC!

This book was very good. I've never read a book by Anne Avery. This was my first and I enjoyed it thoroughly!

It started out wonderfully

Ms Avery is a genius in describing history. Her potrayal of medieval London is so vivid I could see the bustle and hustle, the dirt, I could hear the sounds of life in the bygone era. This book is a wonderful read. It has darker emotions nicely balanced by scenes of comedy. However, the hero's cold attitude and his obsession with controlling his "unmanly emotions" made me really irritated by the last half of the book. And when things need to be clarified, he just clams up ad gives dear wifey a dark look. Annoying. And the hero and heroine spends chapters doing things apart from each other. A good read, however, regardless of the problems it has.

A six-sigma Medieval romance

In 1263 England, survival makes for strange bedfellows. As she peers from her tower at Colmaine Castle, Lady Alyce Fitzmartin looks down at the approaching male she is to marry that night. She wants nothing to do with the arrogant London tradesman she has never met, but he is the only answer to paying off her father's massive debts. Internally, she vows to be his bride, but to never give him her heart. As he approaches Colmaine Castle to marry a stranger tonight, RobertWardell wonders how anyone could sell his daughter. He wants nothing to do with marriage, especially to an arrogant Lady, but has no choice if he is to survive the rising tensions between the Crown and his rebellious enemies. He looks to his new bride as his ticket to safety. He swears to himself that he will make her his wife, but she will never gain his heart. Awesome Anne Avery is renowned for her passionate historical romance, but this time she even outdoes her own level of excellence. BARTERED BRIDE is a fast-paced, action-packed tale that will stimulate the reading public. The characters are warm, charming, and simply wonderful as they struggle with their internal vows, their growing passion and love for one another, and a country on the brink of civil war. Ms. Avery has raised the bar of excellence above the six-sigma levels of quality.Harriet Klausner