Jamie Boleigh, the seventh Baron of Trehearth and Clare
Greenough get married very early on in THE BRIDE INSISTS. I
love a good "marriage of convenience" storyline. Clare
needs a husband to get her odious cousin Simon out of her
hair and stopping her from getting full access to her
inheritance. Jamie needs cash to fix his moldering family
estate and help his tenants.
Right before reading THE BRIDE INSISTS, I happened to read
an article on contemporary egalitarian marriages. I think
it helped put me in the right frame of mind for this book
because, for me, the central plot of this story revolves
around marriage and what Clare believes to be an equal
partnership. Prior to their marriage, Clare has legal
documents drawn up setting the terms of the marriage with
respect to her money. She is marrying to keep access to her
money. She doesn't want to marry and have to worry about
losing her financial independence from a different quarter.
In her mind, as long as she and Jamie discuss expenditures,
they are equal partners in the household. What she doesn't
know is that Jamie enters into their agreement thinking
that she'll change her mind. I loved how the author does a
good job of telling the story from both perspectives so
that the reader can see where they're both coming from.
Without that window into his mind, Jamie might seem too
unfeeling. The conflict between Jamie and Clare is a huge
source of drama but things never turn vicious, and both
characters are very well-written and appear sympathetic at
times.
THE BRIDE INSISTS is all about the great characters, for
me. Clare is my favorite -- very strong, and intelligent,
but the secondary characters were fabulous as well. I liked
how Jane Ashford explores the nuances of Jamie's
relationship with his two younger twin sisters. Tamsyn and
Tegan are a handful but I like the depth that Ashford gave
their characters. I also really liked Jamie's friends,
Harry and Andrew. I especially hope the author will do a
story about Andrew in the future. I liked his romantic
streak and his perceptiveness -- a sexy combination. I loved
the secondary romance in the story involving Clare's paid
companion. Selina is a great character in this story and I
enjoyed reading about the maternal relationship between her
and Clare. I look forward to reading more books by this
author!
Sparks fly in this sexy, fast-paced Regency romance
by acclaimed, bestselling author Jane Ashford
When governess Clare Greenough learns she's inherited a
fortune, the good news comes with a catch: it will be held
by her cousin until Clare can find a husband. To stave off
ruin, Jamie Boleigh, the seventh Baron of Trehearth, agrees
to marry Clare under the condition that she controls the
money, a provision he hopes to overturn. Their passionate
relationship becomes a battle of wills. When the cousin
tricks Jamie into betraying his wife, he'll have to prove
the truth or lose her forever.