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Davenport #0.5
The Bargain
Mismatched lovers and unexpected attraction catch fire in this timeless novel by the New York Times bestselling author and legend in historical romance Mary Jo Putney. . .
Forced to wed to keep her inheritance, independent Lady Jocelyn Kendal finds an outrageous solution: she proposes marriage to Major David Lancaster, an officer dying from his Waterloo wounds. In return for making her his wife, she will provide for his governess sister. But after the bargain is struck and the marriage is made, the major makes a shocking, miraculous recovery. Though they agree to an annulment, such matters take time. . .time enough for David to realize he is irrevocably in love with his wife.
Haunted by her past, Jocelyn refuses to trust the desire David ignites in her. She never counted on a real husband, least of all one who would entice her to be a real wife. But some bargains are made to be broken--and his skilled courtship is impossible to resist. . .
Forced to wed to keep her inheritance, independent Lady Jocelyn Kendal finds an outrageous solution: she proposes marriage to Major David Lancaster, an officer dying from his Waterloo wounds. In return for making her his wife, she will provide for his governess sister. But after the bargain is struck and the marriage is made, the major makes a shocking, miraculous recovery. Though they agree to an annulment, such matters take time. . .time enough for David to realize he is irrevocably in love with his wife.
Haunted by her past, Jocelyn refuses to trust the desire David ignites in her. She never counted on a real husband, least of all one who would entice her to be a real wife. But some bargains are made to be broken--and his skilled courtship is impossible to resist. . .
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 1999
About the author
Mary Jo Putney
129 books2,235 followersShe writes young adult fiction as M.J. Putney.
Mary Jo Putney was born on 1946 in Upstate New York with a reading addiction, a condition for which there is no known cure. After earning degrees in English Literature and Industrial Design at Syracuse University, she did various forms of design work in California and England before inertia took over in Baltimore, Maryland, where she has lived very comfortably ever since.
While becoming a novelist was her ultimate fantasy, it never occurred to her that writing was an achievable goal until she acquired a computer for other purposes. When the realization hit that a computer was the ultimate writing tool, she charged merrily into her first book with an ignorance that illustrates the adage that fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
Fortune sometimes favors the foolish and her first book sold quickly, thereby changing her life forever, in most ways for the better. (“But why didn't anyone tell me that writing would change the way one reads?”) Like a lemming over a cliff, she gave up her freelance graphic design business to become a full-time writer as soon as possible.
Since 1987, Ms. Putney has published twenty-nine books and counting. Her stories are noted for psychological depth and unusual subject matter such as alcoholism, death and dying, and domestic abuse. She has made all of the national bestseller lists including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USAToday, and Publishers Weekly. Five of her books have been named among the year’s top five romances by The Library Journal. The Spiral Path and Stolen Magic were chosen as one of Top Ten romances of their years by Booklist, published by the American Library Association.
A nine-time finalist for the Romance Writers of America RITA, she has won RITAs for Dancing on the Wind and The Rake and the Reformer and is on the RWA Honor Roll for bestselling authors. She has been awarded two Romantic Times Career Achievement Awards, four NJRW Golden Leaf awards, plus the NJRW career achievement award for historical romance. Though most of her books have been historical, she has also published three contemporary romances. The Marriage Spell will be out in June 2006 in hardcover, and Stolen Magic (written as M. J. Putney) will be released in July 2006.
Ms. Putney says that not least among the blessings of a full-time writing career is that one almost never has to wear pantyhose.
Mary Jo Putney was born on 1946 in Upstate New York with a reading addiction, a condition for which there is no known cure. After earning degrees in English Literature and Industrial Design at Syracuse University, she did various forms of design work in California and England before inertia took over in Baltimore, Maryland, where she has lived very comfortably ever since.
While becoming a novelist was her ultimate fantasy, it never occurred to her that writing was an achievable goal until she acquired a computer for other purposes. When the realization hit that a computer was the ultimate writing tool, she charged merrily into her first book with an ignorance that illustrates the adage that fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
Fortune sometimes favors the foolish and her first book sold quickly, thereby changing her life forever, in most ways for the better. (“But why didn't anyone tell me that writing would change the way one reads?”) Like a lemming over a cliff, she gave up her freelance graphic design business to become a full-time writer as soon as possible.
Since 1987, Ms. Putney has published twenty-nine books and counting. Her stories are noted for psychological depth and unusual subject matter such as alcoholism, death and dying, and domestic abuse. She has made all of the national bestseller lists including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USAToday, and Publishers Weekly. Five of her books have been named among the year’s top five romances by The Library Journal. The Spiral Path and Stolen Magic were chosen as one of Top Ten romances of their years by Booklist, published by the American Library Association.
A nine-time finalist for the Romance Writers of America RITA, she has won RITAs for Dancing on the Wind and The Rake and the Reformer and is on the RWA Honor Roll for bestselling authors. She has been awarded two Romantic Times Career Achievement Awards, four NJRW Golden Leaf awards, plus the NJRW career achievement award for historical romance. Though most of her books have been historical, she has also published three contemporary romances. The Marriage Spell will be out in June 2006 in hardcover, and Stolen Magic (written as M. J. Putney) will be released in July 2006.
Ms. Putney says that not least among the blessings of a full-time writing career is that one almost never has to wear pantyhose.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 407 reviews
March 17, 2010
I couldn't stand the heroine in this book. She was a real brat. She was contemplating an affair with Rafe, Duke of Candover (the jerk hero from Petals in the Storm) while married to the hero. The poor guy survived his war wounds to come home to a wife like her. (big sneer). Not one of MJP's best. But decent, considering how much I disliked the heroine.
July 7, 2014
I enjoyed this enough to promptly go get another, despite my general preference for witty romantic comedy, of any era, over romantic melodrama. (Somebody needs to clone Jennifer Crusie.) This one definitely weighs in on the melodrama side, being a nice variant on the "convenient marriage" trope, where an heiress, in order to get control of her fortune, strikes a bargain with a dying British officer post-Waterloo. Unexpected consequences naturally ensue.
The reader coming over from other genres needs to be aware that Romance frequently uses a limited omniscient, not the strictly-one-viewpoint-per-scene third person they may be used to. Heyer is of course a master of omniscient, as are many other British writers. It is not head-hopping done by mistake, but rather, with deliberation, in pursuit of its goal of showing exactly how the relationship develops. In the Romance genre, the style may be used more or less smoothly depending on the skill of the writer. This was smooth enough for me.
Despite the book being a Regency, the author has an independent-enough voice not to seem like a Heyer pastiche that misses. (Heyer's style of wit tends to become twee or ponderous in other, later hands.) The style is straightforward without being anachronistic and, of course, the sex is explicit, not something found in earlier Regencies for, among other things, legal reasons of their times (which extended up through the 1960s - 70s, for those who came in late.) I rather approve the more modern mode, if not always its execution -- these stories are very much about women figuring out the mating dance, and sex is something that the female of the species, in my experience, does have to learn.
(I read the e-version of this.)
The reader coming over from other genres needs to be aware that Romance frequently uses a limited omniscient, not the strictly-one-viewpoint-per-scene third person they may be used to. Heyer is of course a master of omniscient, as are many other British writers. It is not head-hopping done by mistake, but rather, with deliberation, in pursuit of its goal of showing exactly how the relationship develops. In the Romance genre, the style may be used more or less smoothly depending on the skill of the writer. This was smooth enough for me.
Despite the book being a Regency, the author has an independent-enough voice not to seem like a Heyer pastiche that misses. (Heyer's style of wit tends to become twee or ponderous in other, later hands.) The style is straightforward without being anachronistic and, of course, the sex is explicit, not something found in earlier Regencies for, among other things, legal reasons of their times (which extended up through the 1960s - 70s, for those who came in late.) I rather approve the more modern mode, if not always its execution -- these stories are very much about women figuring out the mating dance, and sex is something that the female of the species, in my experience, does have to learn.
(I read the e-version of this.)
October 16, 2017
A solid 2.5 stars.
I think I might not read any more books by this author. It's not that she can't write. There is lots of great detail about life for the upper classes in England at that time, and her descriptions of both the countryside and the people are meticulous and vivid. But I just didn't feel anything.
Here is a nice description of the hero and what he is thinking.
Lovely man: decent, brave and loving.
And here is description of our heroine, with pages of what she is thinking, especially about the apparent emotional damage caused by her parents' acrimonious divorce.
Yet she arranged a marriage to a soldier who was supposed to die (she'd been told he had no hope) so that she could fulfil the requirement set out in her father's will, thereby keeping her fortune, only without the hassle of being encumbered with a husband. Oh, she told him why, and agreed to provide generously for his sister. There were contracts signed. But it was so cold-blooded, and she seemed such a cold person in herself that I constantly wished for someone nicer and better for our hero.
I missed the passion that I like in my romance.
Some might call it a slow-burn romance. I don't need buckets of angst, but in the end, this was a bit too dull and bloodless for a me.
I think I might not read any more books by this author. It's not that she can't write. There is lots of great detail about life for the upper classes in England at that time, and her descriptions of both the countryside and the people are meticulous and vivid. But I just didn't feel anything.
Here is a nice description of the hero and what he is thinking.
Lovely man: decent, brave and loving.
And here is description of our heroine, with pages of what she is thinking, especially about the apparent emotional damage caused by her parents' acrimonious divorce.
Yet she arranged a marriage to a soldier who was supposed to die (she'd been told he had no hope) so that she could fulfil the requirement set out in her father's will, thereby keeping her fortune, only without the hassle of being encumbered with a husband. Oh, she told him why, and agreed to provide generously for his sister. There were contracts signed. But it was so cold-blooded, and she seemed such a cold person in herself that I constantly wished for someone nicer and better for our hero.
I missed the passion that I like in my romance.
Some might call it a slow-burn romance. I don't need buckets of angst, but in the end, this was a bit too dull and bloodless for a me.
August 8, 2019
This book had good bones but bad flesh... Not sure if that's is a thing. I just didn't like the execution , didn't get enough from it though I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and who I filled the characters in to be...2.5
June 30, 2018
2.5 Stars
It was an okay read. I love the idea of the heroine proposing a marriage to someone she believe will die soon only to realize that he eventually got well. What will the heroine do?
Unfortunately, I don't like the idea of the author including the love interest of another pair, because I don't care. Could we please focus on the main characters? And not drift to another - who happens to be mentioned on another book of hers, which I haven't read... So like I said, I don't care.
It was an okay read. I love the idea of the heroine proposing a marriage to someone she believe will die soon only to realize that he eventually got well. What will the heroine do?
Unfortunately, I don't like the idea of the author including the love interest of another pair, because I don't care. Could we please focus on the main characters? And not drift to another - who happens to be mentioned on another book of hers, which I haven't read... So like I said, I don't care.
August 18, 2014
“The marriage of convenience is a time-honored tradition, though I’ve never heard of one quite like this...But everyone benefits.”
Lady Jocelyn Kendal is running out of time. Her father's will gives her until she turns twenty-five to marry, or she's going to lose her inheritance. She's had her eye on a duke, but he doesn't seem to be the marrying kind - he prefers experienced widows to virginal misses. While at a visit to a military hospital, she meets Major David Lancaster, who is expected to die any day now. David's worried about his sister's welfare (currently working as a governess) once he's gone and Jocelyn can offer her an annuity to see she's never left wanting for money. So, it seems a win-win for both and the deed is done, Jocelyn will soon be a widow and she's safe to take on lovers like that elusive duke. Boy, is the protective sister ever ticked (I did not care for her reverse snobbery one whit). Edit: I did forget to mention that I was not fond of the sister's secondary storyline and romance, ended up skimming through that.
"Is it a new fashion for wealthy society ladies to marry dying soldiers, as one would choose a new hat? Will you be telling your friends what an amusing game you have found?"
Since this is a romance, I don't think anyone will be surprised when events happen and David doesn't die and our pair seem to find themselves quite attracted to each other. Or will David let Jocelyn have an annulment so she can have her grand affair with the duke?
I enjoyed this a lot, the build up on the tension between the two was nice and slow (but steamy). I can see why some readers might be put off by Jocelyn's hanging onto her infatuation for the duke a bit too long and not seeing the forest through the trees in her dishy husband, but I didn't feel that way. She was always open and up front about him with David. Ymmv.
My copy borrowed from Kindle Unlimited.
Lady Jocelyn Kendal is running out of time. Her father's will gives her until she turns twenty-five to marry, or she's going to lose her inheritance. She's had her eye on a duke, but he doesn't seem to be the marrying kind - he prefers experienced widows to virginal misses. While at a visit to a military hospital, she meets Major David Lancaster, who is expected to die any day now. David's worried about his sister's welfare (currently working as a governess) once he's gone and Jocelyn can offer her an annuity to see she's never left wanting for money. So, it seems a win-win for both and the deed is done, Jocelyn will soon be a widow and she's safe to take on lovers like that elusive duke. Boy, is the protective sister ever ticked (I did not care for her reverse snobbery one whit). Edit: I did forget to mention that I was not fond of the sister's secondary storyline and romance, ended up skimming through that.
"Is it a new fashion for wealthy society ladies to marry dying soldiers, as one would choose a new hat? Will you be telling your friends what an amusing game you have found?"
Since this is a romance, I don't think anyone will be surprised when events happen and David doesn't die and our pair seem to find themselves quite attracted to each other. Or will David let Jocelyn have an annulment so she can have her grand affair with the duke?
I enjoyed this a lot, the build up on the tension between the two was nice and slow (but steamy). I can see why some readers might be put off by Jocelyn's hanging onto her infatuation for the duke a bit too long and not seeing the forest through the trees in her dishy husband, but I didn't feel that way. She was always open and up front about him with David. Ymmv.
My copy borrowed from Kindle Unlimited.
January 6, 2015
I didn't originally give this audiobook a star rating as it was so bad I couldn't listen to it. But I've been going back over my stats for last year and this is the only thing I haven't rated, which seemed a bit odd, so I've popped back and given it one star.
I'm not giving this a rating, as the sole reason for the DNF is the narration, and I don't feel it fair to tar the book with the same brush.
I really enjoyed The Bargain when I read it a few years back, so when it cropped up on Audible last month, I was delighted.
However, the narration was very disappointing. Emma Newman isn’t someone I’ve encountered before (and probably won't seek out in future) and even though I listened through the sample before purchasing, it wasn’t enough to give me an accurate picture of what I’d be getting. Or perhaps I should say that I thought that maybe what was in the sample had been poorly chosen and that the rest of the book would be better.
I can’t remember what I thought, now, to be honest.
In any case, Ms Newman’s voice is distinctly monotonous – which I mean in the literal sense, in that it lacks depth and has no real shades of light and dark – and her narration is flat and emotionless. There is absolutely NO differentiation between characters – the women all sound the same, the men all sound the same, and the men and women all sound the same! (Well, apart from a couple of characters to whom she gives regional accents with varying degrees of success.)
It's always a crying shame when a loved book is ruined in this way, and has thus inspired a mini rant over at my blog. Needless to say, I returned the audio to the good people at Audible.
I really enjoyed The Bargain when I read it a few years back, so when it cropped up on Audible last month, I was delighted.
However, the narration was very disappointing. Emma Newman isn’t someone I’ve encountered before (and probably won't seek out in future) and even though I listened through the sample before purchasing, it wasn’t enough to give me an accurate picture of what I’d be getting. Or perhaps I should say that I thought that maybe what was in the sample had been poorly chosen and that the rest of the book would be better.
I can’t remember what I thought, now, to be honest.
In any case, Ms Newman’s voice is distinctly monotonous – which I mean in the literal sense, in that it lacks depth and has no real shades of light and dark – and her narration is flat and emotionless. There is absolutely NO differentiation between characters – the women all sound the same, the men all sound the same, and the men and women all sound the same! (Well, apart from a couple of characters to whom she gives regional accents with varying degrees of success.)
It's always a crying shame when a loved book is ruined in this way, and has thus inspired a mini rant over at my blog. Needless to say, I returned the audio to the good people at Audible.
November 11, 2014
A solid Regency romance with more melodrama than I'm used to. I liked both Jocelyn and David immensely, but that became part of my problem in the last third of the book or so. Well, not David so much. He was beyond dreamy from the start and never faltered, even when confused or despairing.
Jocelyn's core brokenness persisted way, way too long, however. Not that it was unrealistic, really. Her trauma was real and it was consistent and embedded deeply in her character. But it seemed like Putney had to resort to some mild authorial manipulation to delay her maturing understanding long enough for them to have some final drama in the last parts of the book. Fortunately, that delay also made it possible for her to make up enough ground that you could believe their reconciliation and that they have a real shot at happiness. And that's a good thing.
I'm not sure what to do with the drama, when all's said. It's not something I usually look for in my romances, but I could see developing a tolerance. My willingness to develop that tolerance speaks mainly to Putney's skill in breathing life into characters who are engaging on a primal, intimate level. And I mean all of the characters, really. I was as interested in Sally and Ian and Marie and Hugh and even Aunt Laura and the estimable Kirkpatrick. And no, the book wasn't packed full of fifteen romances. Just full of characters I cared about and enjoyed spending time with.
A note about Steamy: A low-mid steam level. There are a pair of explicit sex scenes and some fooling around. They weren't terribly long, though. Indeed, I thought the first was more perfunctory than it could have and maybe should have been.
Jocelyn's core brokenness persisted way, way too long, however. Not that it was unrealistic, really. Her trauma was real and it was consistent and embedded deeply in her character. But it seemed like Putney had to resort to some mild authorial manipulation to delay her maturing understanding long enough for them to have some final drama in the last parts of the book. Fortunately, that delay also made it possible for her to make up enough ground that you could believe their reconciliation and that they have a real shot at happiness. And that's a good thing.
I'm not sure what to do with the drama, when all's said. It's not something I usually look for in my romances, but I could see developing a tolerance. My willingness to develop that tolerance speaks mainly to Putney's skill in breathing life into characters who are engaging on a primal, intimate level. And I mean all of the characters, really. I was as interested in Sally and Ian and Marie and Hugh and even Aunt Laura and the estimable Kirkpatrick. And no, the book wasn't packed full of fifteen romances. Just full of characters I cared about and enjoyed spending time with.
A note about Steamy: A low-mid steam level. There are a pair of explicit sex scenes and some fooling around. They weren't terribly long, though. Indeed, I thought the first was more perfunctory than it could have and maybe should have been.
June 19, 2011
Note: This review, and all my reviews, comes from my blog - Romantic Rose's Bookshelf (http://romantic-rosesblog.blogspot.com)
The Bargain by Mary Jo Putney (revised from The Would-be Widow)
I guess, you guess, she guesses… this book was a guessing game (and not the fun kind) for our hero, heroine and the reader. The heroine spends half the book guessing – its actually noticeable the number of things she discerns just by guessing. Where is the meaningful conversation? The reader, meanwhile, spends most of the book guessing at the heroine’s vast mood swings and temper tantrums (which she claims she doesn’t have often – clearly someone’s been lying to the poor chit).
Lady Jocelyn Kendal marries Major David Lancaster, a man on his deathbed and wasting away, having been seriously injured in the war. Their marriage is clearly one of convenience, each with a very good reason. Jocelyn’s father put a stipend in his will that Jocelyn must marry before her twenty-fifth birthday to continue to receive her vast inheritance. David is worried about who will take care of his governess sister Sally once he kicks the can. Jocelyn promises 500 pounds a year to his sister in exchange for his marriage to her to satisfy the will. She is planning to become the Duke of Candover’s mistress after David dies – since she believes herself in love with him (or not? It was hard to tell) and he won’t offer marriage. David, however, makes a miraculous recovery after the marriage. Oh she-bang, what to do? I’m sure you can imagine.
This book had a lot of potential to be fun – man-and-wife love stories are really fun. However this book was so bungled up with Jocelyn’s strange, erratic, nonsensical behavior that the love couldn’t really blossom. I felt a lot of love on David’s part, and at one point I almost got lost in the story until Jocelyn pulled me back out of it again with yet another one of her antics. David was a really sweet guy even if he, for some reason, fell in love with Jocelyn (poor taste, man). He was loveable, sensitive, and soulful and a very unique hero in that Putney didn’t make a huge deal over his masculinity (especially since he starts the book as an invalid). However Jocelyn’s spoiled, bratty, impulsive attitude really ruined the book for me and with no substantial plot to make up for it, this book sunk lower and lower in my esteem. There were a few redeeming male characters like Richard or Ian, but all the females were irrational and flat which was very irritating.
Finally, Putney does one of the things I most hate in romance novels *****SPOILER ALERT*****- reinforces the idea that money and title are necessary for a happy ending. Partway through the book, David inherits and becomes Lord Presteyne after his three older, evil half-brothers all die. Why is it that the man must be titled for the story to end satisfactorily? Why was David as a war hero, as a Major, not enough? Oh, woe is me. This is one of my biggest buttons and historical writers push it frequently, and with glee. *****END OF SPOILER ALERT*****
“Sexy”ness rating: Mildly hot, lacking the spice of passion, but the wang does make an appearance.
Overall Rating: D+
Bottom Line: Boring, flat characters, an uninteresting storyline and a hysterical heroine make this book really not worth your while.
The Bargain by Mary Jo Putney (revised from The Would-be Widow)
I guess, you guess, she guesses… this book was a guessing game (and not the fun kind) for our hero, heroine and the reader. The heroine spends half the book guessing – its actually noticeable the number of things she discerns just by guessing. Where is the meaningful conversation? The reader, meanwhile, spends most of the book guessing at the heroine’s vast mood swings and temper tantrums (which she claims she doesn’t have often – clearly someone’s been lying to the poor chit).
Lady Jocelyn Kendal marries Major David Lancaster, a man on his deathbed and wasting away, having been seriously injured in the war. Their marriage is clearly one of convenience, each with a very good reason. Jocelyn’s father put a stipend in his will that Jocelyn must marry before her twenty-fifth birthday to continue to receive her vast inheritance. David is worried about who will take care of his governess sister Sally once he kicks the can. Jocelyn promises 500 pounds a year to his sister in exchange for his marriage to her to satisfy the will. She is planning to become the Duke of Candover’s mistress after David dies – since she believes herself in love with him (or not? It was hard to tell) and he won’t offer marriage. David, however, makes a miraculous recovery after the marriage. Oh she-bang, what to do? I’m sure you can imagine.
This book had a lot of potential to be fun – man-and-wife love stories are really fun. However this book was so bungled up with Jocelyn’s strange, erratic, nonsensical behavior that the love couldn’t really blossom. I felt a lot of love on David’s part, and at one point I almost got lost in the story until Jocelyn pulled me back out of it again with yet another one of her antics. David was a really sweet guy even if he, for some reason, fell in love with Jocelyn (poor taste, man). He was loveable, sensitive, and soulful and a very unique hero in that Putney didn’t make a huge deal over his masculinity (especially since he starts the book as an invalid). However Jocelyn’s spoiled, bratty, impulsive attitude really ruined the book for me and with no substantial plot to make up for it, this book sunk lower and lower in my esteem. There were a few redeeming male characters like Richard or Ian, but all the females were irrational and flat which was very irritating.
Finally, Putney does one of the things I most hate in romance novels *****SPOILER ALERT*****- reinforces the idea that money and title are necessary for a happy ending. Partway through the book, David inherits and becomes Lord Presteyne after his three older, evil half-brothers all die. Why is it that the man must be titled for the story to end satisfactorily? Why was David as a war hero, as a Major, not enough? Oh, woe is me. This is one of my biggest buttons and historical writers push it frequently, and with glee. *****END OF SPOILER ALERT*****
“Sexy”ness rating: Mildly hot, lacking the spice of passion, but the wang does make an appearance.
Overall Rating: D+
Bottom Line: Boring, flat characters, an uninteresting storyline and a hysterical heroine make this book really not worth your while.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2020
You can always count on me to pick up a marriage-of-convenience romance, and so obviously I was going to pick up Mary Jo Putney’s The Bargain sooner or later, especially when I found a copy for 50 cents at a library sale. This Regency romance is one of the author’s first books, with an original publication date of 1988. It’s also my first time with this author. And all I’m really going to say about that is that I seriously hope the author’s writing has improved in the last 30 years.
What I really like about The Bargain is that the titular bargain is pretty unusual, even in a genre that abounds with marriages of convenience. The protagonists, Jocelyn and David, get married for their mutual benefit and not out of love. Standard stuff, especially in 1814, but what struck me about this novel was that the “benefit” Jocelyn gets out of the marriage is that David is, literally, on his deathbed and probably won’t live out 48 hours. I’ve never read a romance where one protagonist is banking on the other dying!
Of course, David doesn’t die, and that’s when things get sticky. Jocelyn is the most unavailable of emotionally unavailable heroines, the reasons for which are the Big Secret that throws conflict into the plot. Eventually, everything is resolves and our pair end up quite happy with each other in spite of the fact the marriage wasn’t meant to last a week.
As I said, The Bargain was originally published in 1988, which was the tail-end of the infamous Bodice Ripper era. Interestingly, this book didn’t seem dated at all. It’s a thoroughly modern romance, and I wouldn’t have found it odd to read the exact same book today in 2018. I think that was nice, to see an older romance hold up so well. (Granted, I love Old School romance a lot and wouldn’t have complained in that case either.) Based on this, I’m willing to bet that Putney was ahead of her time in certain respects, and that interests me in the rest of her novels.
Now, why did I only give this 2/5 stars? Simple: The Bargain is very poorly written. The ideals are there, and the book is full of potential. But nothing comes together as it should.
The entire second half of the novel is full of tension and drama and a couple of Big Reveals. But they’re sloppy and awkward, and read like the work of an amateur. The plot doesn’t unfold like a well-wrought story; it’s slapped against the reader’s face like a clumsy fish. As we all know, a good idea only gets you so far, and in this case, that wasn’t too far at all.
Sadly, The Bargain held a lot of promise that it never delivered on.
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What I really like about The Bargain is that the titular bargain is pretty unusual, even in a genre that abounds with marriages of convenience. The protagonists, Jocelyn and David, get married for their mutual benefit and not out of love. Standard stuff, especially in 1814, but what struck me about this novel was that the “benefit” Jocelyn gets out of the marriage is that David is, literally, on his deathbed and probably won’t live out 48 hours. I’ve never read a romance where one protagonist is banking on the other dying!
Of course, David doesn’t die, and that’s when things get sticky. Jocelyn is the most unavailable of emotionally unavailable heroines, the reasons for which are the Big Secret that throws conflict into the plot. Eventually, everything is resolves and our pair end up quite happy with each other in spite of the fact the marriage wasn’t meant to last a week.
As I said, The Bargain was originally published in 1988, which was the tail-end of the infamous Bodice Ripper era. Interestingly, this book didn’t seem dated at all. It’s a thoroughly modern romance, and I wouldn’t have found it odd to read the exact same book today in 2018. I think that was nice, to see an older romance hold up so well. (Granted, I love Old School romance a lot and wouldn’t have complained in that case either.) Based on this, I’m willing to bet that Putney was ahead of her time in certain respects, and that interests me in the rest of her novels.
Now, why did I only give this 2/5 stars? Simple: The Bargain is very poorly written. The ideals are there, and the book is full of potential. But nothing comes together as it should.
The entire second half of the novel is full of tension and drama and a couple of Big Reveals. But they’re sloppy and awkward, and read like the work of an amateur. The plot doesn’t unfold like a well-wrought story; it’s slapped against the reader’s face like a clumsy fish. As we all know, a good idea only gets you so far, and in this case, that wasn’t too far at all.
Sadly, The Bargain held a lot of promise that it never delivered on.
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July 11, 2015
I wanted to rate this book better because I so enjoyed reading Mary Jo Putney. Re-reading this book reminded me of fond memories of reading these relatively "older" authors, who I have loved since a young girl. One of my favorite books is her masterpiece and I remember almost every little detail in that book, which I read at least 15 years ago.
But that is not this book.
I have read The Bargain before and my feeling toward the book has remained the same. It is not a poorly written book. Not at all. Putney's writing and storytelling skill are superb. I absolutely enjoyed reading the story. I would have rated the book 4 stars because it is better than 3 stars but decided on 3 in the end. The story does not really appeal to me. While both lead characters are likable and I actually like the secondary characters, I find the relationship a bit too dull. I think the secondary characters have better relationships than David and Jocelyn. Usually it is the man who needs to learn about love. In this story, it is Jocelyn who needs to learn what love is. David is almost all too gentlemanly, which is not a bad thing at all. He is every bit of a good guy.
My biggest complaint is that the romantic side of the story is lacking. David and Jocelyn spent time together as friends, and that went on for 80% of the book. I didn't really feel there was any attraction. It is not necessary to have the characters sleep with each other to have attraction. But I felt little chemistry between the lead characters. As nice as it was to read the story, I had no emotional connections to the story or the characters, which categorically put this book in the 3 stars for me.
But that is not this book.
I have read The Bargain before and my feeling toward the book has remained the same. It is not a poorly written book. Not at all. Putney's writing and storytelling skill are superb. I absolutely enjoyed reading the story. I would have rated the book 4 stars because it is better than 3 stars but decided on 3 in the end. The story does not really appeal to me. While both lead characters are likable and I actually like the secondary characters, I find the relationship a bit too dull. I think the secondary characters have better relationships than David and Jocelyn. Usually it is the man who needs to learn about love. In this story, it is Jocelyn who needs to learn what love is. David is almost all too gentlemanly, which is not a bad thing at all. He is every bit of a good guy.
My biggest complaint is that the romantic side of the story is lacking. David and Jocelyn spent time together as friends, and that went on for 80% of the book. I didn't really feel there was any attraction. It is not necessary to have the characters sleep with each other to have attraction. But I felt little chemistry between the lead characters. As nice as it was to read the story, I had no emotional connections to the story or the characters, which categorically put this book in the 3 stars for me.
January 9, 2017
I actually loved this so much. I adored David. Contrary to popular opinion, I didn't hate the heroine. I didn't particularly love her either. I only wish she had realized her true feelings earlier. Overall, great start to the new year!
January 11, 2024
THE BARGAIN is a story of what happens when the heroine marries a soldier who is on death's door. Lady Jocelyn Kendal needs a husband, in name only, to fulfill the wishes of her father's will. Expected to die at any moment, Major David Lancaster wants to know that his younger sister will be taken care so he agrees to the arrangement. Unknown to either of them at the time, their future will change drastically.
THE BARGAIN starts out slowly. Taking place during the Regency times of Britain, Jocelyn hungers for a relationship with the Duke of Candover, a bachelor and rake. Naive with her feelings, she thinks that the Duke, Rafe, may eventually learn to love and possibly marry her. I became painfully aware of how these times molded women with both their manners and thoughts.
I thought it was a sweet and gentle romance because of David. He made the story shine. A soldier, he had nothing to offer Jocelyn except his love. Lady Kendal grew up with parents who despised each other. Explanations aren't given until the end of the book but her feelings about true love are jaded. David is aware that something is amiss so he take things slowly. His rapid turn-around from his brush with death to becoming healed will stretch the reader's imagination but it was necessary for the romance to progress. Also, the situation with David and his father's estate feels like an unavoidable piece of the puzzle added to make the story continue to flow.
There are pleasant secondary stories between David's sister Sally and a surgeon, and Lady Kendal's maid and Major Lancaster's valet. THE BARGAIN was a satisfying read. About fifty pages too long, the romance rehashed Jocelyn's feelings toward the duke, something I was aware of but didn't need the author to constantly remind me.
THE BARGAIN starts out slowly. Taking place during the Regency times of Britain, Jocelyn hungers for a relationship with the Duke of Candover, a bachelor and rake. Naive with her feelings, she thinks that the Duke, Rafe, may eventually learn to love and possibly marry her. I became painfully aware of how these times molded women with both their manners and thoughts.
I thought it was a sweet and gentle romance because of David. He made the story shine. A soldier, he had nothing to offer Jocelyn except his love. Lady Kendal grew up with parents who despised each other. Explanations aren't given until the end of the book but her feelings about true love are jaded. David is aware that something is amiss so he take things slowly. His rapid turn-around from his brush with death to becoming healed will stretch the reader's imagination but it was necessary for the romance to progress. Also, the situation with David and his father's estate feels like an unavoidable piece of the puzzle added to make the story continue to flow.
There are pleasant secondary stories between David's sister Sally and a surgeon, and Lady Kendal's maid and Major Lancaster's valet. THE BARGAIN was a satisfying read. About fifty pages too long, the romance rehashed Jocelyn's feelings toward the duke, something I was aware of but didn't need the author to constantly remind me.
January 30, 2016
The premise was cute, but it wasn’t that great of a book. The writing style was strange. There were an abundance of POV changes, to the point where it would change randomly within paragraphs. Also, it kind of felt like I was reading a summary sometimes. There was a lot of ‘so-and-so explained what had occurred’, so you never get to hear these conversations. This bothered me the most when it came to the epilogue. It felt like the author was making a checklist.
I ended up getting so annoyed with Jocelyn as the book went on. She was a nice enough girl, but when it came to her feelings towards David, I wanted to smack some sense into her. He was such a sweet guy and she kept pushing him away. I didn’t really understand the reasons behind her actions, even though there was a long-winded revelation towards the last chapter or so of the book. I liked how patient David was in trying to win her over, but after a while, I found myself wishing he would assert himself more.
You would think I'd be interested in the injured soldier and the rich heiress in a bind, but strangely, I was more interested in the romance between David’s spinster sister and the crazy Scottish surgeon guy. It’s sad when I’m thinking this white haired, bushy eye-browed dude has more appeal than the main couple. It made me sad when Sally and Ian got together without too much drama because I would have preferred to have more focus on them.
I ended up getting so annoyed with Jocelyn as the book went on. She was a nice enough girl, but when it came to her feelings towards David, I wanted to smack some sense into her. He was such a sweet guy and she kept pushing him away. I didn’t really understand the reasons behind her actions, even though there was a long-winded revelation towards the last chapter or so of the book. I liked how patient David was in trying to win her over, but after a while, I found myself wishing he would assert himself more.
You would think I'd be interested in the injured soldier and the rich heiress in a bind, but strangely, I was more interested in the romance between David’s spinster sister and the crazy Scottish surgeon guy. It’s sad when I’m thinking this white haired, bushy eye-browed dude has more appeal than the main couple. It made me sad when Sally and Ian got together without too much drama because I would have preferred to have more focus on them.
May 4, 2011
I can always count on Mary Jo Putney for an entertaining read. In this book, Jocelyn has a deadline to marry by the time she turns 25, or she won't get her inheritance. Her father made the stipulation upon his death because he knew Jocelyn would never turn to marriage willingly. Something in her past just made the whole idea an inconvenience at best, repulsive at worst.
Well, now that the wars with Napoleon are over, Jocelyn comes up with a brilliant, if ethically amoral, idea. Marry a dying major so she will be a widow by the time the deadline is up. Everything goes to plan, until the dying major's irate and protective younger sister show up. Oh, and then there's the fact that the captain doesn't die.
I think it's Putney's heroes that make me love her writing. Here we have David, who is very good at what he does, killing people efficiently to save his own skin. But the hardships of war didn't dull his sensitivities toward a Jocelyn, beautiful woman who shies away from marriage the way a horse shies from a snake. He might have been a major, but David is a wonderful beta hero who kept me smiling and wishing he were real so I could take him home to meet my mother.
Well, now that the wars with Napoleon are over, Jocelyn comes up with a brilliant, if ethically amoral, idea. Marry a dying major so she will be a widow by the time the deadline is up. Everything goes to plan, until the dying major's irate and protective younger sister show up. Oh, and then there's the fact that the captain doesn't die.
I think it's Putney's heroes that make me love her writing. Here we have David, who is very good at what he does, killing people efficiently to save his own skin. But the hardships of war didn't dull his sensitivities toward a Jocelyn, beautiful woman who shies away from marriage the way a horse shies from a snake. He might have been a major, but David is a wonderful beta hero who kept me smiling and wishing he were real so I could take him home to meet my mother.
September 4, 2020
It was alright. A little bit too much drama for my taste and nothing really happens, but it was a okay story nonetheless. 3.5 ⭐
August 26, 2021
Joycelyn and David I really did not like all the emotional cheating by Joycelyn. I especially did not like that she only realizes that she loves David when she is kissing the other man she had planned on having an affair with.
This is the shorter version of The Bargain that has been retitled.
This is the shorter version of The Bargain that has been retitled. This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2020
3 stars - What a disappointment, I can't help but expect something good from MJP, and this didn't deliver. 3 stars may be a bit generous, but the writing quality is always excellent and the story overall wasn't bad, just extremely frustrating.
This is one of those books that has a main couple and a side couple. And I didn't really like either of them!! The MC's, Jocelyn and David, enter a marriage of convenience because Jocelyn must marry by 25 or forfeit her father's fortune. David is dying due to an injury he sustained at Waterloo, it is clear to everyone that he has mere days to live, which makes him the perfect candidate for marriage to Jocelyn. She wants to secure her fortune and have more time to reel in her desired man - the Duke of Candover. Unfortunately for her, David's sister (Sally) finds a different surgeon to evaluate him and they realize that his condition is completely curable. He has a surgery and is walking about by the next day...A MIRACLE!!!! 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌 And yes, MJP does make this part seem a bit unbelievable, but I guess she backed it up with some historical account that makes it seem (maybe) a smidge more possible.
AAAAANYYWAYS.... moving on now. Jocelyn and David then begin to get to know each other, but she keeps him at arm's length. She calls him her brother. She is still pining over the Duke of Candover (hero in next book) and only married David with the expectation that he would die so she could have an affair with the Duke. Now, one redeeming thing about Jocelyn is that she's at least unwilling to have an affair while she's married. She's got strong moral fibers like that, and therefore would not stand for adultery. LOL. David falls nearly instantly in love with Jocelyn and decides that he needs to convince her to stay married to him. Meanwhile, he also learns that his three older half-brothers have all died and he has become a Baron. He's then questioning if she only wants him for his title and estate. What a friggin shit show.
They obviously eventually get their HEA, or something close to that, because the epilogue was a total waste. However, I didn't buy their love story. David was an OK character but all too weak at times. I wanted him to show some backbone and he rarely did. Jocelyn was a nice person to those around her, but also pretty awful to David. She literally treated everyone else with more kindness than what she showed him. I get that she was all mixed up about her emotions, but it just went too far with very little redemption. She also kisses the Duke at the end to "test her feelings"... and I think this was the author being lazy and just following the obvious path for Jocelyn to finally have an AHA moment.
The second couple was David's sister, Sally, and the Doctor who performed the life saving surgery. He is in several other books as well, and he deserves a HEA. HOWEVER, SALLY WAS THE WORST FUCKING CHARACTER EVER. Wow, I found her awful and mean-spirited and unworthy of love. I wanted her to be alone and mis. I wanted her to get a set down for being so unkind to Jocelyn. Instead, she got everything she didn't deserve. Money, love, a marriage, everything. Once again, I didn't buy the love story, it felt forced.
Safe with exception; heroine spends most of the book thinking about being with another man and kisses him while married to the hero.
This is one of those books that has a main couple and a side couple. And I didn't really like either of them!! The MC's, Jocelyn and David, enter a marriage of convenience because Jocelyn must marry by 25 or forfeit her father's fortune. David is dying due to an injury he sustained at Waterloo, it is clear to everyone that he has mere days to live, which makes him the perfect candidate for marriage to Jocelyn. She wants to secure her fortune and have more time to reel in her desired man - the Duke of Candover. Unfortunately for her, David's sister (Sally) finds a different surgeon to evaluate him and they realize that his condition is completely curable. He has a surgery and is walking about by the next day...A MIRACLE!!!! 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌 And yes, MJP does make this part seem a bit unbelievable, but I guess she backed it up with some historical account that makes it seem (maybe) a smidge more possible.
AAAAANYYWAYS.... moving on now. Jocelyn and David then begin to get to know each other, but she keeps him at arm's length. She calls him her brother. She is still pining over the Duke of Candover (hero in next book) and only married David with the expectation that he would die so she could have an affair with the Duke. Now, one redeeming thing about Jocelyn is that she's at least unwilling to have an affair while she's married. She's got strong moral fibers like that, and therefore would not stand for adultery. LOL. David falls nearly instantly in love with Jocelyn and decides that he needs to convince her to stay married to him. Meanwhile, he also learns that his three older half-brothers have all died and he has become a Baron. He's then questioning if she only wants him for his title and estate. What a friggin shit show.
They obviously eventually get their HEA, or something close to that, because the epilogue was a total waste. However, I didn't buy their love story. David was an OK character but all too weak at times. I wanted him to show some backbone and he rarely did. Jocelyn was a nice person to those around her, but also pretty awful to David. She literally treated everyone else with more kindness than what she showed him. I get that she was all mixed up about her emotions, but it just went too far with very little redemption. She also kisses the Duke at the end to "test her feelings"... and I think this was the author being lazy and just following the obvious path for Jocelyn to finally have an AHA moment.
The second couple was David's sister, Sally, and the Doctor who performed the life saving surgery. He is in several other books as well, and he deserves a HEA. HOWEVER, SALLY WAS THE WORST FUCKING CHARACTER EVER. Wow, I found her awful and mean-spirited and unworthy of love. I wanted her to be alone and mis. I wanted her to get a set down for being so unkind to Jocelyn. Instead, she got everything she didn't deserve. Money, love, a marriage, everything. Once again, I didn't buy the love story, it felt forced.
Safe with exception; heroine spends most of the book thinking about being with another man and kisses him while married to the hero.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2012
First off: HOLY POV SWITCHING BATMAN. I almost put down this book several times as the author switches viewpoint characters mid scene (mid paragraph??) several times in the course of a chapter. And not just between the heroine and hero, but roughly six different viewpoint characters.
I picked this up as a library borrow book based on the reviews on Goodreads from the potential selection of ebooks. As per the above, the author's handling of the view point storytelling was irksome. Additionally, the author felt the need to tell 4 separate love stories (one of a loving marriage already well advance, two servants courting, the sister of the hero and her interest, and the actual hero & heroine). I don't mind a beta love story, but I minded three.
All that aside, the romance between David & Jocelyn, after the marriage of convenience where David accidentially didn't die, was quite lovely. David is a likeable character, and Jocelyn also finds this to be true after getting to know him. Jocelyn was a likeable lady, but her 'deep dark secret' was not well telegraphed and I felt too little to justify all the drama she had as a result. The resolution was also far too quick and tied up in a bow, which was unfortunate as the blossoming love between David & Jocelyn in both London and the country was well done.
I picked this up as a library borrow book based on the reviews on Goodreads from the potential selection of ebooks. As per the above, the author's handling of the view point storytelling was irksome. Additionally, the author felt the need to tell 4 separate love stories (one of a loving marriage already well advance, two servants courting, the sister of the hero and her interest, and the actual hero & heroine). I don't mind a beta love story, but I minded three.
All that aside, the romance between David & Jocelyn, after the marriage of convenience where David accidentially didn't die, was quite lovely. David is a likeable character, and Jocelyn also finds this to be true after getting to know him. Jocelyn was a likeable lady, but her 'deep dark secret' was not well telegraphed and I felt too little to justify all the drama she had as a result. The resolution was also far too quick and tied up in a bow, which was unfortunate as the blossoming love between David & Jocelyn in both London and the country was well done.
May 10, 2012
Loved it! I thought that perhaps it could have done without the secondary romance, between Sarah and the doctor, but that's a minor point. This is the first book I've read by this author, and definitely intend to read more. The characters were well-drawn, and the hero, David, is one of those somewhat unnusual regency heroes, in that he's not a wastrel or a rake, but an all-round decent chap. He's never boring and he's got a good sense of humour - he's rather lovely, really! I liked Jocelyn too; rather than being some icy beauty, she's got a heart and a conscience, despite the fact that at the start, all she wants to do is get married to preserve her independence and have an affair with a handsome, rakish duke. The Marriage of Convenience which turns into True Love is one of my favourite tropes and the way that David and Jocelyn fall for each other is beautifully written.
A definite keeper.
A definite keeper.
July 16, 2015
A classic romance. The focus of this novel is on the relationship. No suspense, no mystery, just a solid story of a man and a woman finding each other. Those who dislike romances wouldn’t like it, but for those who do, it would be a pleasant journey into Regency fluff.
I won’t go into the particulars of the plot here; you know what to expect, but I’ll say that the book is written well and reads fast. Both protagonists are sympathetic if not truly alive, and the mandatory happily-ever-after arrives on schedule just before the epilogue.
Not bad. Despite its banality, I enjoyed it. I’ve read a couple of this writer’s books before and liked them enough to pick this one from a shelf in our Salvation Army Thrift shop. I wasn’t disappointed and I’m going to read Mary Jo Putney again.
I won’t go into the particulars of the plot here; you know what to expect, but I’ll say that the book is written well and reads fast. Both protagonists are sympathetic if not truly alive, and the mandatory happily-ever-after arrives on schedule just before the epilogue.
Not bad. Despite its banality, I enjoyed it. I’ve read a couple of this writer’s books before and liked them enough to pick this one from a shelf in our Salvation Army Thrift shop. I wasn’t disappointed and I’m going to read Mary Jo Putney again.
Want to read
April 20, 2019"The Bargin" and "The Rake" by Mary Jo Putney are on sale today for only 0.99 on Amazon.com!
The Rake
The Rake
August 11, 2013
Lady Jocelyn Kendal needs a husband. Her father left her a fortune in his will, but only if she marries before her 25th birthday. She's been flirting with the Duke of Candover, who seems a sensible kind of man, someone who would be a good husband without crossing the line and (god forbid) actually loving her. That's last thing she wants. Problem is, Candover isn't coming to the point, and time is running out.
Fate hands her an answer when she encounters Major David Lancaster in hospital. He was badly injured at Waterloo; his docs say he is a goner, and his big regret is he's leaving a sister with no means to support herself. Jocelyn sees a way they can help each other. She can provide a nice annuity for his sister, if he'll marry her before he dies. She will have met the terms of her father's will without losing her freedom or her heart. And she'll have all the time in the world to pursue the "man of her dreams."
Yeah, it's a bit cold-blooded, but her venial Aunt Elvira is lurking in the sidelines, eager to sink her nasty claws into Jocelyn's fortune and kick her out of her home if she fails to meet the deadline. Jocelyn is out of time.
Jocelyn presents her offer to David, and the two marry by special license the next day, much to his bristly sister's fury.
Sally sees Jocelyn as a vulture, and to spite her, Sally has David removed from the hospital and taken to his bride's home—which is at least part his now, right? Sally also contracts another doctor, Ian Kinlock, to see if there's anything that might be done. Surprise! Turns out there is.
Despite Sally's expectations, Jocelyn is, in fact, delighted to learn that the very likeable David is not dying after all. True, she's not as keen about the fact that she now has an actual, living husband. But she nurses him back to health—saves his life, even—and comes to like him very much. Reasonable to the end, David agrees to seek an annulment—until he's fully healed, he can attest to an inability to consummate the marriage, and that ought to be sufficient. Meanwhile, their solicitor advises that they have to cohabit for at least five months to show they gave it a shot.
Problem is, while David would like to be married in fact, Jocelyn bolts every time they start to get close. Turns out her aversion to love has some profound childhood roots—it kind of broke my heart when the issues were finally revealed. My one grumble was that she took the blame for them herself, when it seemed to me her manipulative-from-the-grave father deserved a posthumous kick in the nuts for his part in it.
A solid 3.5 stars.
Fate hands her an answer when she encounters Major David Lancaster in hospital. He was badly injured at Waterloo; his docs say he is a goner, and his big regret is he's leaving a sister with no means to support herself. Jocelyn sees a way they can help each other. She can provide a nice annuity for his sister, if he'll marry her before he dies. She will have met the terms of her father's will without losing her freedom or her heart. And she'll have all the time in the world to pursue the "man of her dreams."
Yeah, it's a bit cold-blooded, but her venial Aunt Elvira is lurking in the sidelines, eager to sink her nasty claws into Jocelyn's fortune and kick her out of her home if she fails to meet the deadline. Jocelyn is out of time.
Jocelyn presents her offer to David, and the two marry by special license the next day, much to his bristly sister's fury.
Sally sees Jocelyn as a vulture, and to spite her, Sally has David removed from the hospital and taken to his bride's home—which is at least part his now, right? Sally also contracts another doctor, Ian Kinlock, to see if there's anything that might be done. Surprise! Turns out there is.
Despite Sally's expectations, Jocelyn is, in fact, delighted to learn that the very likeable David is not dying after all. True, she's not as keen about the fact that she now has an actual, living husband. But she nurses him back to health—saves his life, even—and comes to like him very much. Reasonable to the end, David agrees to seek an annulment—until he's fully healed, he can attest to an inability to consummate the marriage, and that ought to be sufficient. Meanwhile, their solicitor advises that they have to cohabit for at least five months to show they gave it a shot.
Problem is, while David would like to be married in fact, Jocelyn bolts every time they start to get close. Turns out her aversion to love has some profound childhood roots—it kind of broke my heart when the issues were finally revealed. My one grumble was that she took the blame for them herself, when it seemed to me her manipulative-from-the-grave father deserved a posthumous kick in the nuts for his part in it.
A solid 3.5 stars.
May 29, 2018
I can't say I've ever seen a plot device where the woman marries a dying man to fulfill some stipulation laid down by parents yet in hope that she would quickly gain her freedom. This book has an excellent start and I thought it kept it interesting up to maybe 2/3rds. Maybe coincidentally, or maybe it really was the cause, that was about the time Sally disappeared from the story except for letters.
Sally, David's sister, was the female character that I really liked. She had so many good qualities especially loyalty. She was interesting.
Meanwhile, I really struggled believing Jocelyn's sincerity pretty much right down to the last chapter. Yes, I guess I did believe her, but I can easily see why others did not. And I think the reason is because I don't think she was sure herself. I should have some sympathy because she had backstory issues.
David is a total saint. His only flaw is wanting Jocelyn maybe just a little selfishly, but then how much of a flaw is that really.
As I implied, the story stayed interesting by a combination of throwing in a surprise here and there along with holding back a secret of two. But then all of a sudden, it dragged. For one thing, there was just too much teasing by the author.
The ending gets complicated. Here is where I really had trouble with Jocelyn. Some of her feelings and explanations just didn't ring true to me, but again, that was probably because they didn't ring true for her either. I also think that the author didn't handle these scenes and explanations that smoothly.
One huge writing criticism, which is repeated by many reviewers. POV changes are terrible. There are changes within the same paragraph. It can be distracting. I'm going out on a limb and say since original publication date is 1999, this is something MJP learned to do better over the years. I recently read Captive Lords and POV changes are nice and clean there.
I wouldn't say there were any serious mature themes despite very brief mentions of rape, both individual and the result of war, and also severe physical abuse of a young child. And of course there is mildly explicit sexual activity within marriage.
Sally, David's sister, was the female character that I really liked. She had so many good qualities especially loyalty. She was interesting.
Meanwhile, I really struggled believing Jocelyn's sincerity pretty much right down to the last chapter. Yes, I guess I did believe her, but I can easily see why others did not. And I think the reason is because I don't think she was sure herself. I should have some sympathy because she had backstory issues.
David is a total saint. His only flaw is wanting Jocelyn maybe just a little selfishly, but then how much of a flaw is that really.
As I implied, the story stayed interesting by a combination of throwing in a surprise here and there along with holding back a secret of two. But then all of a sudden, it dragged. For one thing, there was just too much teasing by the author.
The ending gets complicated. Here is where I really had trouble with Jocelyn. Some of her feelings and explanations just didn't ring true to me, but again, that was probably because they didn't ring true for her either. I also think that the author didn't handle these scenes and explanations that smoothly.
One huge writing criticism, which is repeated by many reviewers. POV changes are terrible. There are changes within the same paragraph. It can be distracting. I'm going out on a limb and say since original publication date is 1999, this is something MJP learned to do better over the years. I recently read Captive Lords and POV changes are nice and clean there.
I wouldn't say there were any serious mature themes despite very brief mentions of rape, both individual and the result of war, and also severe physical abuse of a young child. And of course there is mildly explicit sexual activity within marriage.
March 14, 2009
Lady Jocelyn Kendal is in need of a temporary husband to fulfil her father's will. Major David Lancaster is in need of financial protection for his sister, as his death seems imminent. Within minutes of meeting, they come to a suitable agreeement, but neither of them bargain on David's sister Sally and surgeon Ian Kinlock interceding. But David's health means that Jocelyn can't marry the man she intended to you, but couldn't bring up to scratch in time.
At first, I was completely prepared to dislike Jocelyn. She seems to be a bit cold blooded in the beginning, and I hate books where one of the protagonists spend the entire book lamenting about how fate has taken away the one they want. Luckily, Jocelyn's musings about her unexplainable draw to the Duke of Candover are few and far between. Unluckily, however, we're not privy to many of the same thoughts re: her feelings about David. Throughout, he goes from being a temporary solution to a dependent to a friend, but we don't see much of how Jocelyn arrives at the fact that she has feelings beyond the filial for David until the very end, when she is confronted by both the Duke and her husband. Also, it seemed that for not realizing what held her back from admitting to loving David was very quickly and unbelievably resolved, within a couple of days, and that made the ending of the book a little anticlimactic.
The secondary love story of Sally Lancaster and Ian Kinlock outshines the main love story, and I would have loved to see a full book about them.
All in all, a fast read that doesn't go too deep into the emotions or motivations of the characters. C+
At first, I was completely prepared to dislike Jocelyn. She seems to be a bit cold blooded in the beginning, and I hate books where one of the protagonists spend the entire book lamenting about how fate has taken away the one they want. Luckily, Jocelyn's musings about her unexplainable draw to the Duke of Candover are few and far between. Unluckily, however, we're not privy to many of the same thoughts re: her feelings about David. Throughout, he goes from being a temporary solution to a dependent to a friend, but we don't see much of how Jocelyn arrives at the fact that she has feelings beyond the filial for David until the very end, when she is confronted by both the Duke and her husband. Also, it seemed that for not realizing what held her back from admitting to loving David was very quickly and unbelievably resolved, within a couple of days, and that made the ending of the book a little anticlimactic.
The secondary love story of Sally Lancaster and Ian Kinlock outshines the main love story, and I would have loved to see a full book about them.
All in all, a fast read that doesn't go too deep into the emotions or motivations of the characters. C+
June 20, 2016
I enjoyed this novel when I first read it. A second reading is pure magic. A little too much psychological understanding at the end but it doesn't detract from the pleasure. Not only do you meet Jocelyn and David but through David's sister Sally, you meet Ian Kinlock, a surgeon, worth knowing and following through other Putney novels.
January 15, 2021
I really really disliked this unsympathetic heroine almost from the start and until gave up.
On her wedding night - as her new husband of convenience lies dying - she goes to a ball and propositions a man she is attracted to and since she is soon to be a widow, hey all’s clear!
I just couldn’t get engaged, dnf at 75%.
On her wedding night - as her new husband of convenience lies dying - she goes to a ball and propositions a man she is attracted to and since she is soon to be a widow, hey all’s clear!
I just couldn’t get engaged, dnf at 75%.
July 30, 2016
I enjoyed the book. It's not a deep, meaningful, life-changing book. But a book which I was very happy to read when I was tired from my heavy reads. The book is well written with a story that moves forward well.
February 13, 2019
I got bored so I just looked up historical romance and this wasn’t on loan, and so I borrowed it. It wasn’t amazing but it wasn’t terrible either, tbh I just wanted to read a historical romance and this fit the bill.
As a whole, I did like the premise, it’s pretty unusual and original. In a genre where the books tend to be similar enough for me to confuse different book plots, that is definitely a plus. I also came to like Jocelyn and Sarah (although I don’t know if this was just because the latter character kept reminding me of Jenny from ‘Outlander’ who is a great character). My favourite character was probably the sort of dying main guy just because he seemed nice but considering I can’t remember his name he’s not as memorable as I thought.
This might turn into a 2 star read gah. The shifting perspectives got confusing, you’d have a few paragraphs following Jocelyn and main dude, and then it would suddenly change over to Sarah and Ian in the most inorganic way. I don’t mind a secondary romance but this felt forced in, I would have much preferred if it’s foundations had been built into this book and furthered in a sequel or something. The primary romance was also overshadowed by the uneven pacing. I have read books where the romance has only lasted a couple of months but, by the end, it feels like a lifetime and you believe that it will work out long term. This one had a longer time frame of about 6 months but it felt like they’d only been together for a month or so. At the time of reading, I did believe in the two of them, but reflecting on it in this review, they’re totally screwed. I don’t think they don’t know each other well enough because I don’t know them, even after the 300 or so pages I’ve spent with them.
Oh well, it was a pretty fun book. But while I was initially surprised by the relatively low reviews this has gotten, now that I’ve dug a little deeper into my experience of it, I get it. I might pick up this author again because from what I can see, people seem to think this is one of her weaker novels, but I won’t be reading from this series again.
As a whole, I did like the premise, it’s pretty unusual and original. In a genre where the books tend to be similar enough for me to confuse different book plots, that is definitely a plus. I also came to like Jocelyn and Sarah (although I don’t know if this was just because the latter character kept reminding me of Jenny from ‘Outlander’ who is a great character). My favourite character was probably the sort of dying main guy just because he seemed nice but considering I can’t remember his name he’s not as memorable as I thought.
This might turn into a 2 star read gah. The shifting perspectives got confusing, you’d have a few paragraphs following Jocelyn and main dude, and then it would suddenly change over to Sarah and Ian in the most inorganic way. I don’t mind a secondary romance but this felt forced in, I would have much preferred if it’s foundations had been built into this book and furthered in a sequel or something. The primary romance was also overshadowed by the uneven pacing. I have read books where the romance has only lasted a couple of months but, by the end, it feels like a lifetime and you believe that it will work out long term. This one had a longer time frame of about 6 months but it felt like they’d only been together for a month or so. At the time of reading, I did believe in the two of them, but reflecting on it in this review, they’re totally screwed. I don’t think they don’t know each other well enough because I don’t know them, even after the 300 or so pages I’ve spent with them.
Oh well, it was a pretty fun book. But while I was initially surprised by the relatively low reviews this has gotten, now that I’ve dug a little deeper into my experience of it, I get it. I might pick up this author again because from what I can see, people seem to think this is one of her weaker novels, but I won’t be reading from this series again.
August 20, 2024
История, която ми подейства на емоционално ниво. Съчувствах на героите и преживях всичко заедно с тях. От тази книга получих две романтични истории и необичаен сюжет.
Джослин има бърза нужда от съпруг преди да навърши 25 години, за да наследи богатството, оставено след смъртта на баща ѝ. Влюбена в херцог, който я желае за любовница, тя решава проблема, омъжвайки се за войник на смъртно легло. Дейвид е с ужасни болки и парализиран. Сестра му Сара прави последен опит да му помогне, като довежда доктор с необичайни методи на лечение. С Дейвид се случва чудо, а Джослин разбира, че няма да остане вдовица. Положението става заплетено, между тух прехвърчат искри, видни за всички. Междувременно Сара намира своята любов в лицето на доктора.
Всичко става все по-объркано, понеже Дейвид се влюбва в съпругата си, но разбира, че труд��о ще спечели сърцето ѝ. Джослин е с травма от детството си и е решила, че никой няма да я обича. Не разбира, че в лицето на съпруга си е открила истинската любов и наранява сърцето му. Ситуацията е болезнена и за двамата, докато Джослин постепенно разбира, че обича Дейвид с цялото си сърце и е открила в негово лице другар за цял живот.
Стилът на авторката е приятен и тече плавно. Любовната история е по-необичайна от книгите с подобен сюжет и това ми хареса. На някой Джослин може да му се стори студенокръвна, но за мен тя беше затворила ума си за любов и щастие. Дейвид е много приятен герой, който отначало се влюби в нея и направи всичко възможно, за да я спечели. Ще прочета и други книги от тази авторка. Тя повече набляга на чувствата и взаимоотношенията, на емоционалната болка и психологическите последици от детството в рамките на романтиката.
Джослин има бърза нужда от съпруг преди да навърши 25 години, за да наследи богатството, оставено след смъртта на баща ѝ. Влюбена в херцог, който я желае за любовница, тя решава проблема, омъжвайки се за войник на смъртно легло. Дейвид е с ужасни болки и парализиран. Сестра му Сара прави последен опит да му помогне, като довежда доктор с необичайни методи на лечение. С Дейвид се случва чудо, а Джослин разбира, че няма да остане вдовица. Положението става заплетено, между тух прехвърчат искри, видни за всички. Междувременно Сара намира своята любов в лицето на доктора.
Всичко става все по-объркано, понеже Дейвид се влюбва в съпругата си, но разбира, че труд��о ще спечели сърцето ѝ. Джослин е с травма от детството си и е решила, че никой няма да я обича. Не разбира, че в лицето на съпруга си е открила истинската любов и наранява сърцето му. Ситуацията е болезнена и за двамата, докато Джослин постепенно разбира, че обича Дейвид с цялото си сърце и е открила в негово лице другар за цял живот.
Стилът на авторката е приятен и тече плавно. Любовната история е по-необичайна от книгите с подобен сюжет и това ми хареса. На някой Джослин може да му се стори студенокръвна, но за мен тя беше затворила ума си за любов и щастие. Дейвид е много приятен герой, който отначало се влюби в нея и направи всичко възможно, за да я спечели. Ще прочета и други книги от тази авторка. Тя повече набляга на чувствата и взаимоотношенията, на емоционалната болка и психологическите последици от детството в рамките на романтиката.
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