The Bargain Brideby Barbara Metzgerreviewed by Cybil SolynNovember 2009, 352 pages, Publisher: Signet, ISBN: 0451228456 Back Cover Blurb: It was a match not made in heaven, but in pound notes-an arranged engagement between a girl of thirteen and a lord's younger son. Since then, thirteen years have passed, and as her betrothed has been sowing his wild oats, Penny has grown up, grown impatient, and grown resentful. In fact, she's vowed never to marry the man who blighted her life and destroyed her dreams. Viscount Westfield is happy enough to return the bridal dowry. But one look at Penny and Westfield knows he can never, ever let her go...
This book was boring. Period. BORING. Metzger was in fine form with her usual wit and managerie of unusual characters, but the hero and heroine just didn't hold my attention.
Viscount Westfield, aka "West" to his friends, has done everything in his power for the past 13 years to get out of the mess his father left him. He has started a profitable business, repaid much of the debt owed, and now has to deal with the last little hitch - his betrothed. A marriage of convenience was made to give heiress Penny Goldwaite a leg up in the world by marrying her off to a broke lord. But after 13 years Penny is SICK TO DEATH of waiting. And very angry about the entire situation to boot. Which would be fine with West except Penny's father won't let either of them out of the marriage contract. West likes Penny and wants to make it work, but Penny has been hanging onto her anger for too long to let it go easily.
Poor Penny. Really I understand why she'd be mad, but her anger and West's understanding and pandering to that anger grated on me. This book would have been fine if Penny could have stopped being so childishly angry, or if West had grown a pair and told her a thing or two about how this sucked for both of them. It would have been a much more interesting story to see the two try to make the best out of this marriage of convenience. Instead I had to page through Penny whining and West constantly bending over backwards trying to placate her. By the time they were in love I was just happy to be done the thing.
Bottom Line: Maybe people who can stand the hero and heroine can like this book, but for me it was a real disappointment.
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Cybil Solyn, csolyn@rakehell.com
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