( 6 reviews )
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Posted: Mar 5 2008
England 1800's THE WEDDING BARGAIN is a light enjoyable tale! This is the first book of the Effington family and if all the other books are as enjoyable, it's well worth reading!
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( 2 of 2 found this review helpful ) Posted: Jan 25 2007
Brought up by loving, wealthy, and unconventional parents, Lady Pandora Effington Pandora dubbed the "Hellion" of Grovsner Square has freedoms few debutantes are allowed including the choice to marry...or not! After seven seasons (depending on who's counting) only one man has ever piqued her interest, Maximillian Wells, the Earl of Trent. Consequently because he never seemed to notice her Pandora was taking steps to change that. Maximillian wasn't around for Pandora's first few seasons, but he did notice and was intrigued by her these last few years. He was happy to note his feigned disinterest was working remarkably well in gaining her attention. A well-known rake, he'd sown his oats and was ready to settle down. But, Maximilian wanted more in a mate than the placid simpering debutantes up for grabs - no, what he needed was a wife with spirit and the "hellion" was precisely what he needed. On a lark he asked that she give him a test to show he could be her hero -- never suspecting she'd give him the twelve tasks of Hercules to achieve. For a mere man these tasks would be impossible, but with ingenuity, resolve, and creative interpretation Max would succeed! Some authors were born to write Regency Romance and one must truly put Victoria Alexander in this category! In this reissued book of what appears to be the beginning of the Effington family series her dialogs were witty and the main characters were quickly embraced for their affability. I absolutely loved Pandora Effington whom I found to be a delightful intelligent and independent heroine. I'm also looking forward to discovering the rest of this larger brood of other unique Effington family members after getting a glimpse of a couple of them in this volume. I loved Max, the reformed rake and the `take-charge' hero as he came up with creative ways of working around the impossible Herculean tasks on his list to win the lady of his heart. If he ended up with a little bit of some ingenious help from Pandora's relatives who were all most anxious to have him succeed at his tasks, then so be it! The secondary romance that blossomed between the protagonists' best friends added another layer of interest to this regency romp that kept the entertainment at a high pitch and the sensual heat at a more than adequate simmering temperature! This should be high on the top of all regency genre lovers buy lists. Marilyn Rondeau, RIO - Reviewers International Organization, for [...]
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( 6 of 9 found this review helpful ) Posted: Dec 17 2005
Six words for this book - loved it, loved it, loved it! This is the second book I read by this author, Victoria Alexander. I also read "Until We Meet Again" and that was a great read too. "The Wedding Bargain" was a fun read as it was a complex book with lots of happenings. If you want just a sexy and steamy novel - go elsewhere. If you want a romantic and soft love story - go elsewhere. If you want a novel that pits two strong characters head on and involves witty banter back and forth, lots of fun adventures and a story where the guy truly pursues the girl that he feels is the only one right for him - this will be the book for you. The best thing that can be said for this story is that the characters - Max & Pandora - meet from the first lines of the book and the story does not deviate from there as to who this book will be about. Yes, there are other characters that are fun in this book - Max's best friend Laurie, Pandora's friend Cynthia, their other family and friends but...the leads never are far from the main story at any one time as it should be. Max and Pandora are the perfect lead characters and they work very well together - they are attractive, intelligent, fun loving, passionate and well liked. Bottom line....Pandora sets Max up on an impossible mission - complete a long list of Hercules 12 incredible accomplishments and she would marry him - should he fail - she will pick the worst wife possible and he must marry her. The story goes on a wild ride after that and you will enjoy immensely all the creative ways Max finds to complete the nearly impossible list. Some readers felt this dragged the book down and that it went on too long but, to the contrary...I liked the challenge issued and how they both handled the process of completing the list. I haven't read anything like that before so, it was charming to me. You'll have to buy the book and read it to see if he does complete the list and win the girl OR if the girl should rule the day. You will laugh at the banter, avidly follow the plot line and root each of them on to win! The sexual intimacy is limited but, you don't miss it a lot in this book - everything else is so interesting it's ok. I would have liked to see a little different ending, more drawn out but, that's ok. Bravo to Max (who Pandra calls a rogue, rake, scoundrel and beast).... As he finds his mate and goes after her with gusto - just as a good man should. Bravo to Pandora (who Max calls his gorgeous little Hellion) who is nervous and panicked at being pursued so avidly but, she knows the chase is half the fun and that once love bites you, you can only run so far. When Max presents Pandora with the golden apples necklace - well, you'll believe in love again yourself. Buy this book, read it, add it to your library and believe in great love relationships again!
