The Bad Man's Bride: Marrying Miss Bright (Avon Romantic Treasure) [Mass Market Paperback]

The Bad Man's Bride was a satisfying read. It was a pleasing narrative and the leads are unique, likable and captivating characters. The story's pace faltered about halfway through the book and that is really the main reason for the four star rating rather than a five star. Although I enjoyed this story, I was not compelled to keep reading because it was a book that fascinated me. It didn't fall into that "couldn't put down" category. It was just a good, tame read.

The hero, Gabriel, although supposedly this bad man (thus the title), brings a bastard child, a nine year old girl into his house to raise as his own, when her mother, a prostitute, dies. This child is not Gabriel's. He was raised as a bastard himself and wants to protect this little girl who has no one to take care of her. He lets everyone assume it is his child who he has neglected for years until the mother died. This child is very dear and fragile. She adds so much to this story. Children in a romance novel usually don't add much to the story but this one does.

The sweet, proper heroine is not a virgin! She isn't the victim of some awful rape either. And it makes no difference to the hero. Their relationship does not fall into the same old romantic plot lines. Gabriel and Anthea get along very well and do not pick on each other or have disagreements. They both have some unspoken doubts concerning their relationship but these doubts were actually normal. They made sense under the circumstances. I guess I am saying that the book was actually believable all the way through!

This book is about the romance between Gabriel and Anthea. It has a couple of side plots that take up few pages. I love it when a romance novel is about a romance. Gabriel and Anthea are the primary focus of this tale and they spend a lot of time together. If you have read many of my reviews, you know that this is a really important facet to me about a romance novel. I want to see the romance relationship mature. I want to read pages of Gabriel and Anthea interacting. I was certainly not disappointed on that point.

The sensual scenes rate about a four out of five (see More About Me for rating guidelines). These scenes appear after the first half and really enhance the story line. You see genuine feelings developing between these two and there is depth to their relationship almost from the beginning. I do have to agree with one reviewer about the name of the book. The Bad Man's Bride is not really a representative title. The heroine could not be described as a bride for a good portion of the story. And, in my opinion, this man does not have the history to be considered a "bad man" by the town and doesn't behave like a "bad man" currently.

This is my first book to read by Susan Kay Law. I certainly look forward to working my way through her backlist.

THE BAD MAN'S BRIDE is the first book I've read and I just love it. I could not put it down. Anthea is a gentle-bred eastern girl with 2 sisters back East. She has come to Kansas to make a living and send the money back to her sisters. Anthea loves children, so naturally she takes a teaching job in Haven, Kansas (not to be confused with the real town of Haven).

While she is in the schoolhouse writing a letter to her sisters about how wonderful Kansas is (in reality to her it isn't, but why tell her sisters how horrible it is), Gabriel Jackson storms in the schoolhouse demanding she do the job the town has paid her for... TEACH the kids reading, writing and arithmetic, something that will be useful to his "daughter" when she grows up, NOT balancing a book on her head and walking across the room.

Anthea takes offense to this because she went to the best Young Ladies schools and learned it and everything else (reading, writing and arithmetic) and lets him know it to.

Because the other kids pick on Gabriel's "daughter", Anthea takes the child under her wing, bring her that much closer to Gabriel. And then there's the stories flying around town about how Gabriel acquired Lily (the daughter), and the town council who want Gabriel out of town, but end up liking him. Including the mayor pro-tem, who's wife Gabriel had an affair with before the woman married the city councilman. Ever since, that woman has had an infatuation with Gabriel, but Gabriel, once he got Anthea to be his bride cause he wanted to, gives the councilman's wife a piece of his mind about her infatuation with him.

THIS is just toooo good to put down and leave alone. If you have a chance GET THIS BOOK as well as others in the series.

Gabriel's gruff kindness astounds Anthea as she comes to know him better and begins to care for Lily. Unforseen circumstances force the pair to marry to save Anthea's reputation. Will their marriage last, or will they go their separate ways, never to see one another again?

Readers looking for a witty and delightful read will be sure to enjoy this book. While the emotions between the hero and heroine are intense enough to satisfy many a reader, the elements of humor cleverly interspersed in this novel lend a feeling of reality to the protagonists. A truly entertaining read!