The Bride by Julie Garwood | Fall into Historical Romance
Romance at a Glance is a podcast where hosts Bridget and Shani review romance novels and interview some of romance’s biggest authors diving into candid conversations about life, relationships, and sexual desires. Expect 100% honest reviews, spontaneous singing, life lessons, indecent anecdotes, and bawdy humor. Leave us a rating and review on iTunes.
Full transcript available below.
Book Review at a Glance
Worth the Read?
Shani: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Bridget: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Heroine Rating: Jaime
Shani: 🍑🍑🍑🍑🍑
Bridget: 🍑🍑🍑🍑🍑
Hero Rating: Alec
Shani: 🍆🍆🍆🍆 🍆
Bridget: 🍆🍆🍆🍆🍆
McDreamy to Mc Steamy:
Shani: McDreamy
Bridget: McHighlanderTakeMeNowPlease
Classy to Nasty:
Vanilla but passionate and fun (he chases her!)
Romance at a Glance Reviews The Bride by Julie Garwood
AKA Bridget’s tied for 1st fav book of the historical (with The Wallflower Wager)!
What a perfect way to end season 4! This book was so funny and romantic and sexy and we were here for it!
Jamie is a great MC (by the way this stands for the main character for those of you who didn't know either!) and is brave and foolish in equal measure. The amount of feuds she accidentally starts in this book is HILARIOUS.
Alec is a strong, silent type who literally thinks having a wife will be no inconvenience at all. He'll just pick her up quick and head home. Well, Jamie isn't that wife, she tests him and challenges him and soothes him and generally loves him and gets right under that skin!
The side characters were an additive and the murder plot (eek) was just enough to add stakes but not enough to detract from the love story.
Some major points we discussed:
Oooo ok, the ominous subplot of murder that will eventually threaten Jamie introduced early.
Violet eyes… are they a thing? Does Bridget actually know what the color violet is?
Jamie’s dad is too obsessed with her.
We love Beak! He’s her real dad. And taught her so much cool stuff. And knows Alec will take her as soon as he sees her.
Alec & Daniel’s ideas about how long it would take to get a bride. Dying!
“They fully expected to spend little more than an hour or two at Jamison’s holding. That would surely be time enough, they’d reasoned, to eat a full supper, choose their brides, marry them if there was a priest in residence, and then be on their way.”
Jamie wearing black to her wedding. Alec’s more amused than anything!
Telling beak she loves him and that he has been a good father. Knowing they’ll never see each other again :(
Them making love on the plaid. Yes, please! Her “enticing” him the next morning in her innocence/embarrassment.
Alex demanding Daniel come and claim his wife and take her away rather than start war after Jamie accidentally gave her sister Mary sanctuary on her lands. Daniel not liking that Mary’s a coward who hides behind her younger sister.
Jamie’s healing skills! All the soldiers kneeling to her and her not knowing.
We loved that she was immediately like this is my land, gtfo to the other laird after she healed his baby.
Her leaving and saving the boy from the stag. Alec catching her and then chasing her!
“You cannot mean to—to—” she stammered. She took a step back. “Oh, I mean to, all right.” He took a step forward. She let out a scream of laughter when he lunged for her, then turned and ran into the cover of the trees.
Jamie taunting Edith to make her tell the truth about why she hated her.
Jamie’s relationship with the priest and the coins for indulgences!
The whole plotline of her speaking Gaelic but him not knowing till later and then finding out but she doesn’t know he knows! So fun.
Jamie’s meeting with the king!
The final meet with Andrew and standing by Alec and the Highlands
Quick Guide Review of the Book and Notes
Book Title: The Bride
Author: Julie Garwood
Audio Narrator: Rosalyn Landor - Highly recommended!
Part of a Series: Yes book #1 of the Lairds’ Fiancees. Book 2 is The Wedding. Adjacent to the Highlands’ Lairds Series!
Genre: Historical Romance, Highlander Romance
Cover Art: This is my favorite cover of the season! I love the plaid colors and the segmented halfway and the circle looking through the book to her running away in a white dress in the highlanders. Beautiful.
Synopsis: These Kings be matchmaking! Mighty Scottish Laird Alec Kincaid is ordered to take one of the daughters of Baron Jamison as his bride. The Baron thinks to hide away his youngest daughter Jamie, who he uses to run his household and take care of everything, but the stablemaster Beak who loves her like a daughter realizes the laird will take care of her and makes sure he sees her.
She and her sister Mary, who marries Alec’s friend and ally Daniel, are taken to Scotland not hours after meeting and marrying. Can this English woman fit in with the rugged Scots? Will Alec be able to bend to make his wife happy?
Heroine Rating: Jaime
Shani: 🍑🍑🍑🍑🍑 Almost gave her 4 stars because she was too good and kind and excellent at healing etc, but she did start a lot of wars, have a terrible temper and no sense of direction so it was ok in the end.
Bridget: 🍑🍑🍑🍑🍑 I loved her so much. She is so funny and brave and hot-tempered. I loved that she kept getting him into wars/conflicts through her ignorance but that she was always trying to make the best of it and fit in… and needle Alec a bit! Also, the fact she has no sense of direction was hilarious.
Hero Rating: Alec
Shani: 🍆🍆🍆🍆 🍆 Big, brawny, and fulfilled my needs.
Bridget: 🍆🍆🍆🍆🍆 I almost gave him 4 but since we don’t believe in half ratings I’m going up! Alec was working for me! I mean, the big man, strong, gonna give you pleasure and toss you around. The fact he was always making fun of her to get her anger up to help her not be sad, or anxious was very sweet, and he was remarkable understanding about all the feuds she started.
McDreamy to Mc Steamy:
Shani: McDreamy
Bridget: McHighlanderTakeMeNowPlease
Classy to Nasty:
Vanilla but passionate and fun (he chases her!)
Favorite Lines in the Book:
Shani:
Alec: We cut off a man's feet when he trespasses on our land. ….
Andrew: You wouldn’t let him do it would you Jaime?”
Jaime’s expression was very serene. “Andrew, she called out in a voice as cold and clear as a frigid winter morning. “My husband does whatever he wishes to do. I am sometimes allowed to help him. If he decides to cut off your feet, I will of course offer him my assistance.
Bridget:
“Unless, of course, you were sleeping, Alec. Then my puny little hands would be strong enough, don’t you suppose? Good night, husband. I pray you have pleasant dreams.” Alec’s laughter followed her behind the screen. “Did I misunderstand?” Gavin asked. “Or did your wife just threaten to murder you?” “You didn’t misunderstand.”
Favorite Review:
Shani’s from Goodreads:
4,5 sparkling Stars - for a fun and really entertaining sweet historical romance
It's not a single minute without anything happening and battles with neighboring clans are close to flare up again, Jamie has a way of stepping in all pits. The banter and the dialogue are exuberant fun and I'm with this hot higlander Alec and his lovely bride Jamie from page one until the nice romantic ending.
Sure it's predictable and of course kind of unrealistic - BUT always with great warmth, sweetness and it's all so funny wonderfully written. I love novels in this style and genre ~ must just take me the time and read more of these extraordinary good old historical romances.
Bridget’s from Goodreads:
Gi's Spot Reviews rated it 4.5 stars
This was my first Julia Garwood, and one of the few historical sovereign read so far and it got me hooked on her style and characters!
This couple was absolutely perfect! They captured me from the very start. Interesting and dynamic, steamy hot and banter filled, The Bride really had everything I look for in Romance ...
Worth the Read?
Shani: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Despite giving 5 stars to the characters, the book overall was a 4 star for me! My favorites of Season 4 were Bringing Down the Duke and Lord of Scoundrels!
Bridget: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Absolutely! I really liked the beginning of the Wedding that I started reading as well!
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Full Podcast Transcript
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Welcome to Romance at a Glance, a podcast that uses romance novels to dive into candid conversations about life, relationship dynamics, and sexual desires.
As hosts Bridget and Shani review books and interview some of romance’s biggest authors, they explore the breadth of the genre, openly embracing the sex, diverse couplings, and taboo in order to create a safe space for listeners to be exposed to different lifestyles, fantasies, and to pique their naughty curiosity.
Expect 100% honest reviews, spontaneous singing, life lessons, indecent anecdotes, and bawdy humor.
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