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Bartered Bride
Her hand in marriage traded in a game of cards, innocent Lottie is completely out of her depth engaged to consummate bachelor Lord Rothsay. Not only is he a prolific womanizer, he's also got a ruthless streak, leaving Lottie fearful about revealing that she isn't the woman he'd agreed to marry!
Rothsay should have no qualms about ending this folly of a betrothal, especially when he learns he has been deceived. But sweet-natured Lottie has got under his skin and suddenly he wants to turn his inconvenient fiancée into a wife for real!
Rothsay should have no qualms about ending this folly of a betrothal, especially when he learns he has been deceived. But sweet-natured Lottie has got under his skin and suddenly he wants to turn his inconvenient fiancée into a wife for real!
282 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 1, 2011
11 people are currently reading
140 people want to read
About the author
Anne Herries
283 books65 followersLINDA SOLE also writes under the names of Anne Herries, Emma Quincey, Lynn Granville and one as Juliana Linden.
Linda was born in Swindon. Her family moved to Ely in Cambridgeshire when she was nine, and Linda attended the local school but left at fifteen to work as a hairdresser in her father's business. She was married at eighteen and ran her own hairdressing business for some years before moving to Cambridge, although Linda has now moved to somewhere a bit quieter in Cambridgeshire. She started writing in 1976, combining this with helping her husband to run his antique shop.
Writing as Anne Herries, Linda won the 2004 RNA Romance Award and the Betty Neels Trophy. She lives in Cambridgeshire. After many happy years of taking their holidays in Spain she and her husband, now have a second home in Norfolk. Being only a short drive, they can visit for a few days at a time, which suits their busy lifestyle these days. They are only just across the road from the sea, and can see it from their windows. At home and at the sea they enjoy watching the wildlife and have many visitors to their gardens, particularly squirrels. Anne loves watching their antics and spoils both them and her birds shamelessly. She also loves to see the flocks of geese and other birds flying in over the sea during the autumn, to winter in the milder climes of this country. Anne loves to write about the beauty of nature and sometimes puts a little into her books, though they are mostly about love and romance. She writes for her own enjoyment and to give pleasure to her readers.
Linda was born in Swindon. Her family moved to Ely in Cambridgeshire when she was nine, and Linda attended the local school but left at fifteen to work as a hairdresser in her father's business. She was married at eighteen and ran her own hairdressing business for some years before moving to Cambridge, although Linda has now moved to somewhere a bit quieter in Cambridgeshire. She started writing in 1976, combining this with helping her husband to run his antique shop.
Writing as Anne Herries, Linda won the 2004 RNA Romance Award and the Betty Neels Trophy. She lives in Cambridgeshire. After many happy years of taking their holidays in Spain she and her husband, now have a second home in Norfolk. Being only a short drive, they can visit for a few days at a time, which suits their busy lifestyle these days. They are only just across the road from the sea, and can see it from their windows. At home and at the sea they enjoy watching the wildlife and have many visitors to their gardens, particularly squirrels. Anne loves watching their antics and spoils both them and her birds shamelessly. She also loves to see the flocks of geese and other birds flying in over the sea during the autumn, to winter in the milder climes of this country. Anne loves to write about the beauty of nature and sometimes puts a little into her books, though they are mostly about love and romance. She writes for her own enjoyment and to give pleasure to her readers.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 27, 2011
I can't really think of anything positive to say about this book. The dialogue is wooden and character voices are indistinguishable from the narrative voice, which tends to repeat similarly worded descriptions frequently - e.g., (not quoting, but trying to recreate the kind of thing that proliferates through this book) He never could trust a woman since his heart had been broken all those years ago when the woman he loved laughed at him......He once believed himself in love, but he learned a lesson when the lady laughed at his offer...His memory of being laughed at made him determined never to love again. Blah blah blah. The psychology is so simplistic and the constant and repetitive telling instead of showing made the book nearly a wallbanger. (A downside of using an e-reader is not getting the relief of flinging an exasperatingly bad book).
Everything is spelled out so that even the thickest of readers doesn't have to do any thinking at all. Artificial scenarios abound, like a person talking in complete sentences while in a drunken sleep - enough to create a Big Misunderstanding (one of many). Main characters have the emotional maturity of 12-year-olds, constantly stomping off or retreating into weepy martyred silences, instead of asking pertinent questions and giving honest answers. I realize not everyone is rational all the time, but I would have liked a few glimmers of it, just so that I knew the author could construct a plot and a conflict that wasn't based on sheer stupidity.
Creativity seems limited though - not only are all the characters pretty much stock characters - tempestuous aristocrat, saintly twin, evil twin, gambling neglectful father, grateful servant, kindly aunt (and more - the cliches abound in this book) - but a major fight over a purloined necklace seems directly out of a Georgette Heyer novel (April Lady , I think).
On top of all that, there's the risible moralizing - to a thief and blackmailer, our sainted heroine pronounces: "I hope we shall not meet again - until you have learned to respect others, at least," like a parody of a grade school teacher to a naughty 8-year-old. Play nice, children, and respect others' property.
I was going to give it 2 stars, just because I did finish it, but honestly, it was kind of awful.
Everything is spelled out so that even the thickest of readers doesn't have to do any thinking at all. Artificial scenarios abound, like a person talking in complete sentences while in a drunken sleep - enough to create a Big Misunderstanding (one of many). Main characters have the emotional maturity of 12-year-olds, constantly stomping off or retreating into weepy martyred silences, instead of asking pertinent questions and giving honest answers. I realize not everyone is rational all the time, but I would have liked a few glimmers of it, just so that I knew the author could construct a plot and a conflict that wasn't based on sheer stupidity.
Creativity seems limited though - not only are all the characters pretty much stock characters - tempestuous aristocrat, saintly twin, evil twin, gambling neglectful father, grateful servant, kindly aunt (and more - the cliches abound in this book) - but a major fight over a purloined necklace seems directly out of a Georgette Heyer novel (April Lady , I think).
On top of all that, there's the risible moralizing - to a thief and blackmailer, our sainted heroine pronounces: "I hope we shall not meet again - until you have learned to respect others, at least," like a parody of a grade school teacher to a naughty 8-year-old. Play nice, children, and respect others' property.
I was going to give it 2 stars, just because I did finish it, but honestly, it was kind of awful.
August 10, 2012
Another enjoyable romance, another set of misunderstandings. Lottie and Lord Rothsay experience the ups and downs of falling in love, suffering misconception after misconception. I loved the circumstances of them being brought together, and Lottie's sister Clarice. I loved the angst of the romantic situations. Another Harlequin done, who knows how many more to go?
March 12, 2022
I found the dialogue cheesy and the hero hard to respect in many cases, especially regarding his morals.
January 19, 2018
One of the first true romances I read, and I therefore have a special fondness for it that it on its own merit probably doesn't deserve. That being said, a perfectly good marriage of convenience story
November 24, 2017
The first two thirds was good then went downhill fast. I almost didn't finish the book.
Read
August 17, 2025DNF. Too boring
June 14, 2014
Bartered Bride By Anne Herries is an engaging read with a mix of Pride and Prejudice. It is victorian but modern in its outlook. The situations are relatable and engaging the reader in the novel.
Charlotte and Clarice and identical twins but contrasting in character. Charlotte or Lottie is self-sacrificing , loving and caring. Clarice is a total contrast and is too selfish to care for anyone but herself. Many times people mistook Clarice' naughtiness for Lottie. This has led to uncomfortable situations but Clarice overlook it out of love to her sister. She loves her father and Aunt Beth. Her father who gambles often is in deep debt and has offered his daughter Clarice in a gamble to Lord Nicholas Rothsay . Clarice refuses to honour the contract and leaves house . Lottie offers to substitute for Clarice as people can never tell them apart. But Rothsay who bartered for deal had an idea of Clarice' misadventures. Rothsay just wanted a heir for his family as per his dying father and his godmother's wishes. He hopes Clarice would herself break the contract. He never treats Lottie(Whom he mistakes for Clarice) and her father properly. Though he later learns truth from Lottie and starts liking her internally, Rothsay's temper comes between them. Lottie thinks Rothsay still loves his ex Elizabeth and wants her for children only. Rothsay hurts Lottie's pride in some situations. How do they end up? Will they love each other or do they end up suffering is the story.
I liked the book very much though it is like revisiting an old movie. I would recommend to read it certainly.
The book is available for free on Google books also.
http://books.google.co.in/books?id=ch...
Charlotte and Clarice and identical twins but contrasting in character. Charlotte or Lottie is self-sacrificing , loving and caring. Clarice is a total contrast and is too selfish to care for anyone but herself. Many times people mistook Clarice' naughtiness for Lottie. This has led to uncomfortable situations but Clarice overlook it out of love to her sister. She loves her father and Aunt Beth. Her father who gambles often is in deep debt and has offered his daughter Clarice in a gamble to Lord Nicholas Rothsay . Clarice refuses to honour the contract and leaves house . Lottie offers to substitute for Clarice as people can never tell them apart. But Rothsay who bartered for deal had an idea of Clarice' misadventures. Rothsay just wanted a heir for his family as per his dying father and his godmother's wishes. He hopes Clarice would herself break the contract. He never treats Lottie(Whom he mistakes for Clarice) and her father properly. Though he later learns truth from Lottie and starts liking her internally, Rothsay's temper comes between them. Lottie thinks Rothsay still loves his ex Elizabeth and wants her for children only. Rothsay hurts Lottie's pride in some situations. How do they end up? Will they love each other or do they end up suffering is the story.
I liked the book very much though it is like revisiting an old movie. I would recommend to read it certainly.
The book is available for free on Google books also.
http://books.google.co.in/books?id=ch...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2012
I have given it 2 Starts because it had a potential to be a good novel the characters played out quite nicely but then it didn't, well before the half way mark! when that feeling comes to any reader then you know what happens, this utter hair-pulling, book-tossing(my beloved tablet) frustration!
When the characters were talking to one another, all I could hear was shouts, virtually no steam or tension and the theme of this book is ''misunderstanding'' in a not very convincing manner, one book that really pulled misunderstandings off for me was Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas.
I just put this one away and never came around to complete it, and alas! It shall remain that way, as I care not to know what is the outcome of the characters, the Summary pretty much tells you what to expect, I am not fully aware of what exactly happened cause I am writing a review after good six months.
When the characters were talking to one another, all I could hear was shouts, virtually no steam or tension and the theme of this book is ''misunderstanding'' in a not very convincing manner, one book that really pulled misunderstandings off for me was Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas.
I just put this one away and never came around to complete it, and alas! It shall remain that way, as I care not to know what is the outcome of the characters, the Summary pretty much tells you what to expect, I am not fully aware of what exactly happened cause I am writing a review after good six months.
August 23, 2012
Hmm. I have to admit, I struggled with this review because while this isn't the worst book I've read, there was very little about it I found redeeming. As others have already mentioned, the writing is incredibly wooden and repetitive and consists mostly of dialogue. Seriously. Narrative outside of the characters' conversations is a good thing, it's what allows the reader to immerse themselves in the world the author has created. The dialogue here was so stilted that I couldn't really envision anybody as being anything more than polite strangers.
It really felt like the author pulled out random archetypical characters ("brooding lord who loved once", "wastrel father", "prim and proper heroine")and plot points and added just enough words to join them together.
I've read a few other of Anne Herries' books and this one will be the last. It's pretty typical of her work and not a one off, which is unfortunate because the book descriptions always seem interesting.
It really felt like the author pulled out random archetypical characters ("brooding lord who loved once", "wastrel father", "prim and proper heroine")and plot points and added just enough words to join them together.
I've read a few other of Anne Herries' books and this one will be the last. It's pretty typical of her work and not a one off, which is unfortunate because the book descriptions always seem interesting.
December 7, 2016
Really not one of her best works. The story could have gone in a different direction, exploring mote the twins topic, but the author decided to introduce the poaching theme, together with the main characters complete, totally, different types.
The main characters are extremely annoying with their insecurities, and their way of facing problems. The male character, Nicolas, has the bad habit to reach the wrong conclusions, and attach verbally the main female character, Lottie, who accepts the role of a wanna be submissive wife, but being anything than it. Although Lottie being an intelligent woman she reaches all the wrong conclusions regarding her husband, and vice versa.
I didn't love this book because it was too much focused on love/not love/may be love characteristic, what was extremely annoying, but I wouldn't give less than 3.5 stars.
The main characters are extremely annoying with their insecurities, and their way of facing problems. The male character, Nicolas, has the bad habit to reach the wrong conclusions, and attach verbally the main female character, Lottie, who accepts the role of a wanna be submissive wife, but being anything than it. Although Lottie being an intelligent woman she reaches all the wrong conclusions regarding her husband, and vice versa.
I didn't love this book because it was too much focused on love/not love/may be love characteristic, what was extremely annoying, but I wouldn't give less than 3.5 stars.
May 9, 2012
This book started off with great promise and a great premise but it quickly became very mediocre. The author had the unfortunate habit of "telling" rather than "showing" the supposed growing relationship between the main characters. All the characters were generally unidimensional - Lottie was all good, Clarice was all bad, Nicolas came across as a cold fish, and others were either "good" guys or "bad" guys. The plot was mostly about the numerous misunderstandings between Lottie and Nicolas, Nicolas blaming his temper, and Lottie deciding that she would not reveal her true feelings to Nicolas. I get it! The ending felt very abrupt - wrap up all the loose ends, declare love to one another, make love, fade to black. The end. A real disappointment.
May 21, 2020
Enjoyable read, I liked the story and the characters.
SYNOPSIS:
Her hand in marriage traded in a game of cards, innocent Lottie is completely out of her depth engaged to consummate bachelor Lord Rothsay. Not only is he a prolific womanizer, he's also got a ruthless streak, leaving Lottie fearful about revealing that she isn't the woman he'd agreed to marry!
Rothsay should have no qualms about ending this folly of a betrothal, especially when he learns he has been deceived. But sweet-natured Lottie has got under his skin and suddenly he wants to turn his inconvenient fiancée into a wife for real!
SYNOPSIS:
Her hand in marriage traded in a game of cards, innocent Lottie is completely out of her depth engaged to consummate bachelor Lord Rothsay. Not only is he a prolific womanizer, he's also got a ruthless streak, leaving Lottie fearful about revealing that she isn't the woman he'd agreed to marry!
Rothsay should have no qualms about ending this folly of a betrothal, especially when he learns he has been deceived. But sweet-natured Lottie has got under his skin and suddenly he wants to turn his inconvenient fiancée into a wife for real!
August 19, 2012
2.8 Stars!!!
This was eh-ok....I agree with the other reviewers in that the dialog was very wooden and unnatural. "Fiddlesticks?" Maybe someone said that during this time period but if I were reading a novel where I wasn't constantly reminded of the dialog and this popped out....it would have really worked. I also agree with the reviewers who said we never got inside their heads...we were told what they were thinking and feeling instead of experiencing them. It was a great story and there is alot of it that was positive...but it was hard to get into it or lose yourself in this novel.
This was eh-ok....I agree with the other reviewers in that the dialog was very wooden and unnatural. "Fiddlesticks?" Maybe someone said that during this time period but if I were reading a novel where I wasn't constantly reminded of the dialog and this popped out....it would have really worked. I also agree with the reviewers who said we never got inside their heads...we were told what they were thinking and feeling instead of experiencing them. It was a great story and there is alot of it that was positive...but it was hard to get into it or lose yourself in this novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2013
What an annoying book. It has a very promising premise but the characters are annoying. Too much of the book is in the characters' heads. The male is all temper tantrums and moody and the female is all martyrdom. Ugh!
April 4, 2011
cute.
June 16, 2012
I had a hard time finishing this book. Too repetitious and very wooden dialogue. The characters had no personality whatsoever.
December 4, 2013
I didn't like it. While it was written okay, I just didn't connect with the characters and kept looking at the page number to see how much I had left.
December 25, 2013
awfully boring ! the book just drag on n on. i did not feel any connection wid the characters as well
September 15, 2014
If you liked her other books you'll like this one too.
February 1, 2017
Reading this was like reading a poorly written screenplay. Wooden, stilted, repetitive, and trite.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews