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Braxton #2
The Other Guy's Bride
Determined to prove her worth as a budding archeologist, Ginesse Braxton vows to solve one of the world's greatest mysteries--to find the location of the lost city of Zerzura. Unfortunately, no man dares take the risk of escorting the resolute young scholar across the open desert. But on her way to Egypt, Ginesse engages in a daring deception--she will switch places with Mildred Whimpelhall, who is traveling to meet her fiancé.Cynical adventurer Jim Owen will do anything to escape the dark secrets of his troubled past. Betrayed by the woman he loved, scorned by proper society, he agrees to carry out a danger-fraught escort Mildred Whimpelhall across a lawless desert to her intended. But Jim is about to learn that "Mildred" isn't exactly what she seems . . . and the dangers they face together are eclipsed only by an even greater falling in love, against all reason, with another guy's bride . . .
387 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
191 people are currently reading
1554 people want to read
About the author
Connie Brockway
61 books727 followersNew York Times and USAToday best selling author Connie Brockway has twice won the Romance Writers of America's Rita award for best historical romance as well as being an eight time finalist. After receiving a double major in art history and English from Macalester College, Connie entered grad school with an eye to acquiring her MFA in creative writing. Soon enough she jettisoned the idea of writing serious literature for what she considered (and still considers) the best gig in the world, writing romance.
Connie has received numerous starred reviews for her romances in Publisher's Weekly and Library Journal. Library Journal also named her Her 2004 romance, My Seduction, one of the year's top ten romances.
In November of 2011, THE OTHER GUY'S BRIDE (a sequel to the perennially popular AS YOU DESIRE) was Amazon's Montlake Publishing's launch title. Here next book, NO PLACE FOR A DAME will be published September, 2013. A regency set romance, it is also the sequel to ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT.Today Connie lives in Minnesota with her husband David, a family physician, and two spoiled mutts.
Connie has received numerous starred reviews for her romances in Publisher's Weekly and Library Journal. Library Journal also named her Her 2004 romance, My Seduction, one of the year's top ten romances.
In November of 2011, THE OTHER GUY'S BRIDE (a sequel to the perennially popular AS YOU DESIRE) was Amazon's Montlake Publishing's launch title. Here next book, NO PLACE FOR A DAME will be published September, 2013. A regency set romance, it is also the sequel to ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT.Today Connie lives in Minnesota with her husband David, a family physician, and two spoiled mutts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 262 reviews
January 5, 2020
(Tropes: Unrequited Love-ish, Love Triangle-ish, Work Relationship-ish, Mistaken Identity,
Spinster/Wallflower, Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity)
*****
“I didn’t expect you.”
“I didn’t expect you, either.”
*****
YAY for new setting – outside (mostly) England!
Kickass heroine, mad-dash adventure, great love/hate banter. This book would work quite well on film actually.
But minus for too many chapters dedicated outside of the main leads, which draws away from the romance.
Nonetheless, the writing was good, the sexual tension and resolve well written – and it made me laugh out loud many times.
- “Is it impossible for you to offer any bit of conversation without me having to pry it from you?” she burst out, surprising him. He couldn’t imagine why she’d be so interested.
“I appreciate your whole enigmatic, solitary wanderer identity, but you have achieved new heights of reticence. The Sphinx is more forthcoming than you!”
- “Today,” he shouted, “you nearly caused us to ram another ship; yesterday, you ran our boat aground; and the day before that, I had to dive into a filthy river after you!”
It proved too much. “Well, at least you finally got a bath!” she shouted back. “Likely the first one you’ve had this year!”
- “I want you to just sit right there on that crate. Right where you are. Don’t move, don’t talk to anyone, and don’t touch anything.”
She frowned at his inference.
“Do you think you can do that?”
“What a ridiculous question.”
“Yes,” he said evenly. “It’s a ridiculous question. But, do you think you can do that? For five minutes?”
- …. this slip of a girl had rolled into his life like a feckless archaeologist, tunneling beneath his defenses, carelessly exposing his heart, piecing some things together—shattering others. He’d thought himself as empty and indifferent as a mummy, yet with the first sidelong look from her eyes he’d felt the excruciating kick of his heart coming back to life.
- She saw a strong, stern-faced man; a man of rare laughter but great humor; a man thoughtful and deliberate, but capable of swift and bold action; a man well-read and well-seasoned; a gentleman and a scoundrel; capable, devious, and, damn him, honorable.
- She fell in the water; he dove in after her. She laughed; he smiled. She mentioned the beauty of the sunset; he saw colors in it he hadn’t ever noticed. She peeked at him from under her gold-tipped lashes; he grew hard as Damascus steel.
- “You came for me.”
He nodded, at first in agreement, but somewhere along the way it turned into a shake of negation. “Yes. I came for you. I will always come for you. Because I can’t seem to help myself. It doesn’t matter where you are or if you’re officially someone else’s problem. I don’t even care if you’re married to someone else.”
*****
- “You’re like a magnet for everything disruptive and dangerous in the world. No matter where you go, no matter who you’re with, chaos will find you and I will know.” He stared at her angrily. “In my heart, in my soul, in my bones, and in my blood, I will know and I’ll come because I can’t help myself.”
3.5-3.75 stars
Spinster/Wallflower, Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity)
*****
“I didn’t expect you.”
“I didn’t expect you, either.”
*****
YAY for new setting – outside (mostly) England!
Kickass heroine, mad-dash adventure, great love/hate banter. This book would work quite well on film actually.
But minus for too many chapters dedicated outside of the main leads, which draws away from the romance.
Nonetheless, the writing was good, the sexual tension and resolve well written – and it made me laugh out loud many times.
- “Is it impossible for you to offer any bit of conversation without me having to pry it from you?” she burst out, surprising him. He couldn’t imagine why she’d be so interested.
“I appreciate your whole enigmatic, solitary wanderer identity, but you have achieved new heights of reticence. The Sphinx is more forthcoming than you!”
- “Today,” he shouted, “you nearly caused us to ram another ship; yesterday, you ran our boat aground; and the day before that, I had to dive into a filthy river after you!”
It proved too much. “Well, at least you finally got a bath!” she shouted back. “Likely the first one you’ve had this year!”
- “I want you to just sit right there on that crate. Right where you are. Don’t move, don’t talk to anyone, and don’t touch anything.”
She frowned at his inference.
“Do you think you can do that?”
“What a ridiculous question.”
“Yes,” he said evenly. “It’s a ridiculous question. But, do you think you can do that? For five minutes?”
- …. this slip of a girl had rolled into his life like a feckless archaeologist, tunneling beneath his defenses, carelessly exposing his heart, piecing some things together—shattering others. He’d thought himself as empty and indifferent as a mummy, yet with the first sidelong look from her eyes he’d felt the excruciating kick of his heart coming back to life.
- She saw a strong, stern-faced man; a man of rare laughter but great humor; a man thoughtful and deliberate, but capable of swift and bold action; a man well-read and well-seasoned; a gentleman and a scoundrel; capable, devious, and, damn him, honorable.
- She fell in the water; he dove in after her. She laughed; he smiled. She mentioned the beauty of the sunset; he saw colors in it he hadn’t ever noticed. She peeked at him from under her gold-tipped lashes; he grew hard as Damascus steel.
- “You came for me.”
He nodded, at first in agreement, but somewhere along the way it turned into a shake of negation. “Yes. I came for you. I will always come for you. Because I can’t seem to help myself. It doesn’t matter where you are or if you’re officially someone else’s problem. I don’t even care if you’re married to someone else.”
*****
- “You’re like a magnet for everything disruptive and dangerous in the world. No matter where you go, no matter who you’re with, chaos will find you and I will know.” He stared at her angrily. “In my heart, in my soul, in my bones, and in my blood, I will know and I’ll come because I can’t help myself.”
3.5-3.75 stars
October 6, 2025
2.5 stars, rounded down because the ending really irritated me
This is my first book by this author and she handles prose with flair and finesse. Based on that alone, I would give her books another chance, but later, after the disappointment of this one fades into memory.
The disappointment began after the halfway point. Up until then, this was a beautifully built adventure story, peppered with humor and interesting main and side characters given fascinating back stories. Ginesse, our heroine, was the screw-up in a famous family of Egyptologists and explorers, looking to prove herself to her distinguished family and find her rightful place in the world. James banished himself from his frightful grandmother’s influence, joined the French Foreign Legion, and after miraculously escaping certain death in the Sudan, became a thief, a scoundrel, and a purveyor of stolen Egyptian artifacts. To cancel a debt, James agreed to guide an English colonel’s fiancé to his assigned station, a fort at the edge of the Sahara. Ginny, in order to get to the location where she suspects a lost, ancient Egyptian city existed, finagles a way to impersonate the fiancé, and so the saga begins.
I couldn’t help wondering how Ginny expected to unearth this ancient city by herself, but never mind.
If that had been the only sticking point, this might still have been a 5-star book for me.
***spoilers***
Shortly after the halfway point, James and Ginny have sex in a moment of passion after a tense rescue and James, already realizing he loves Ginny, does the honorable thing and proposes marriage in the least enticing way while avoiding honesty completely.
“Why?” he repeated numbly.
“Yes. Tell me why you want to marry me.”
Because I am a selfish bastard. Because the thought of you in another man’s arms hurts deeper than a shank in my side. Because even if I never see you again and die sixty years hence, your image will be the last thing to fade from my mind’s eye. Because I want you. I want you.
“I compromised you. I couldn’t…I am not without honor, regardless of how my actions seem to disprove that claim. Please, you must believe that.”
To which Ginny reacts like a spoiled 13-year-old who, not getting the flowery, romantic declaration of love she wants, scorches him with her refusal, spurning him for her (fake) fiancé, Colonel Lord Pomfrey.
“What did you think?” she asked, her emotions raw in her voice. “Pomfrey is a colonel with a brilliant career ahead of him. He has power and prestige, the respect of his superiors and the admiration of his men.”
Each word cut him like a razor blade. He flinched as if he felt the lash on his back.
“He is noble and honorable, though perhaps not so honorable as you, for as you have pointed out, he would refuse to marry me if he knew of this. Of us. But he has a venerable name, wealth, and status. You have…a horse.” Her voice broke on a sob. “I’m not going to give up my future because of a lapse in judgment.”
A lapse in judgment. She could not have found better words to destroy him. Her words threw up a mirror, showing him in excruciating detail how far he fell short of any hope he could ever aspire to her hand.
He may have blundered with his proposal, but she was deliberately nasty, eviscerating him cruelly.
From that point on I saw the heroine as nothing but a willful child. The entire remaining book depended on lack of communication to drive the plot—a particular pet peeve of mine, as I consider it lazy and unimaginative. Ginny clung stubbornly to her preconceived notions of romance until I wanted to lock her in a room until she achieved some level of adult maturity. And when she finally got her flowery declaration of love, it felt cheesy and made-for-tv, as did the ending where they rode off into the sunset on a horse.
Bah. I can see how someone would like this book and enjoy reading it, but it rubbed me the wrong way too many times.
This is my first book by this author and she handles prose with flair and finesse. Based on that alone, I would give her books another chance, but later, after the disappointment of this one fades into memory.
The disappointment began after the halfway point. Up until then, this was a beautifully built adventure story, peppered with humor and interesting main and side characters given fascinating back stories. Ginesse, our heroine, was the screw-up in a famous family of Egyptologists and explorers, looking to prove herself to her distinguished family and find her rightful place in the world. James banished himself from his frightful grandmother’s influence, joined the French Foreign Legion, and after miraculously escaping certain death in the Sudan, became a thief, a scoundrel, and a purveyor of stolen Egyptian artifacts. To cancel a debt, James agreed to guide an English colonel’s fiancé to his assigned station, a fort at the edge of the Sahara. Ginny, in order to get to the location where she suspects a lost, ancient Egyptian city existed, finagles a way to impersonate the fiancé, and so the saga begins.
I couldn’t help wondering how Ginny expected to unearth this ancient city by herself, but never mind.
If that had been the only sticking point, this might still have been a 5-star book for me.
***spoilers***
Shortly after the halfway point, James and Ginny have sex in a moment of passion after a tense rescue and James, already realizing he loves Ginny, does the honorable thing and proposes marriage in the least enticing way while avoiding honesty completely.
“Why?” he repeated numbly.
“Yes. Tell me why you want to marry me.”
Because I am a selfish bastard. Because the thought of you in another man’s arms hurts deeper than a shank in my side. Because even if I never see you again and die sixty years hence, your image will be the last thing to fade from my mind’s eye. Because I want you. I want you.
“I compromised you. I couldn’t…I am not without honor, regardless of how my actions seem to disprove that claim. Please, you must believe that.”
To which Ginny reacts like a spoiled 13-year-old who, not getting the flowery, romantic declaration of love she wants, scorches him with her refusal, spurning him for her (fake) fiancé, Colonel Lord Pomfrey.
“What did you think?” she asked, her emotions raw in her voice. “Pomfrey is a colonel with a brilliant career ahead of him. He has power and prestige, the respect of his superiors and the admiration of his men.”
Each word cut him like a razor blade. He flinched as if he felt the lash on his back.
“He is noble and honorable, though perhaps not so honorable as you, for as you have pointed out, he would refuse to marry me if he knew of this. Of us. But he has a venerable name, wealth, and status. You have…a horse.” Her voice broke on a sob. “I’m not going to give up my future because of a lapse in judgment.”
A lapse in judgment. She could not have found better words to destroy him. Her words threw up a mirror, showing him in excruciating detail how far he fell short of any hope he could ever aspire to her hand.
He may have blundered with his proposal, but she was deliberately nasty, eviscerating him cruelly.
From that point on I saw the heroine as nothing but a willful child. The entire remaining book depended on lack of communication to drive the plot—a particular pet peeve of mine, as I consider it lazy and unimaginative. Ginny clung stubbornly to her preconceived notions of romance until I wanted to lock her in a room until she achieved some level of adult maturity. And when she finally got her flowery declaration of love, it felt cheesy and made-for-tv, as did the ending where they rode off into the sunset on a horse.
Bah. I can see how someone would like this book and enjoy reading it, but it rubbed me the wrong way too many times.
April 14, 2012
★★★★½ The audiobook was very well narrated by Justine Eyre; I’ll be looking for more with her reading.
I totally loved this second in the Braxton series featuring headstrong heroine, Genisse Braxton, oldest child to Harry & Diz, and dangerous expatriate, Jim Owen. I love a good “road trip” as well as a good “masquerade” – so this was a “two-fer” – with tons of fun and action to boot. I adored that Jim found Genisse magnetically attractive when others didn’t; sometimes there’s no accounting for the chemistry between two people.
There were plenty of plot twists and character development to keep me entertained – and guessing. Nothing earth-shatteringly new, mind you, but it was so well written. I was totally in the mood to escape to Egypt for a while; Ms. Brockway pulled me right into this exotic locale of RomanceLandia. Sometimes your mood is half the battle. So many great quotes in this one, but how about this:
“Because every time you said my name,Worked for me.
it would touch your lips. . . Like a kiss.”
August 3, 2020
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars
It's Connie Brockway, there's a tall, blond & handsome hero, an interesting heroine, a decent love story, some excellent dialogue and a slew of first rate secondary characters. You're going to like it and here's why (and after that, why you might not love it).
Firstly, both Jim and Ginesse are both funny and "real" - they've got faults and bits of bruised soul that emerge slowly and show us why they make the decisions they do. The basic plot line (set in Cairo in 1905) is simple and well-paced - Jim needs to escort Ginesse to a remote Saharan fort: he thinks he's taking a young Englishwoman called Mildred to meet her fiancé, but Ginesse wants to get there in order to explore that bit of the desert & her disguise keeps them apart. Unlike As You Desire, the plot actually helps the romance along - each meets the other without the preconceptions that have dogged both so far. Ginesse, in particular, has suffered from being regarded as an enfant terrible. The journey also gives the couple time to talk, to know & respect each other, making their eventual coming together very satisfying. They feel like equals - and for me that's important in my enjoyment of a story.
The other big plus here is the vivid cast of friends, enemies and relations. There isn't a minor character who isn't realistic & interesting. Brockway is probably the best author around at the minute in this regard - even a short functional fill-in-the background scene comes to vibrant life courtesy of a walk-on part from a bitchy ex-pat.
So - it's decided - you will enjoy this.
But. In my job, we used to talk about people's "weaknesses", and then we moved on to call them "development areas" and now we refer to "over-played strengths". And I think Brockway has some. That thing about secondary characters? - yes, they're great, and they swagger on stage and are all "look at me", but they do rather take the spotlight off the H&h.
There are lots of examples of this - Mildred Whimpelhall (I shall write a blog sometime about why authors shouldn't use caricature names - Gail Carriger, Eloisa James you have been warned), the demure fiancée whose identity Ginesse steals, turns out to have some remarkable ideas about love and marriage - so remarkable, that one wants more of her story to be shown. A childhood tormentor of Ginesse turns out to have had hidden motives, and again, because Brockway writes these people really well, his POV drags me yet again out of the main story & relationship.
I know, I would moan if they were cardboard characters, and, yes, this is a fault on the right side, but it is still, I think, a weakness.
The other problem I have with the book is something of the same - both Ginesse and Jim have, as I said, very strong back-stories, which show how they have been moulded, but in both cases there isn't a resolution that satisfies. This matters for the very reason that the backstories are so strong - characters in their own right, almost - which demand to be finished off.
Ginesse Jim's history - which is equally character forming, but is always kept off-stage and never really fronted up to. Their future life certainly doesn't fit with what we have learned of either of them.
I don't think I would analyse the story's faults as much if I hadn't enjoyed it - it really is a case of overplayed strengths.
It's Connie Brockway, there's a tall, blond & handsome hero, an interesting heroine, a decent love story, some excellent dialogue and a slew of first rate secondary characters. You're going to like it and here's why (and after that, why you might not love it).
Firstly, both Jim and Ginesse are both funny and "real" - they've got faults and bits of bruised soul that emerge slowly and show us why they make the decisions they do. The basic plot line (set in Cairo in 1905) is simple and well-paced - Jim needs to escort Ginesse to a remote Saharan fort: he thinks he's taking a young Englishwoman called Mildred to meet her fiancé, but Ginesse wants to get there in order to explore that bit of the desert & her disguise keeps them apart. Unlike As You Desire, the plot actually helps the romance along - each meets the other without the preconceptions that have dogged both so far. Ginesse, in particular, has suffered from being regarded as an enfant terrible. The journey also gives the couple time to talk, to know & respect each other, making their eventual coming together very satisfying. They feel like equals - and for me that's important in my enjoyment of a story.
The other big plus here is the vivid cast of friends, enemies and relations. There isn't a minor character who isn't realistic & interesting. Brockway is probably the best author around at the minute in this regard - even a short functional fill-in-the background scene comes to vibrant life courtesy of a walk-on part from a bitchy ex-pat.
So - it's decided - you will enjoy this.
But. In my job, we used to talk about people's "weaknesses", and then we moved on to call them "development areas" and now we refer to "over-played strengths". And I think Brockway has some. That thing about secondary characters? - yes, they're great, and they swagger on stage and are all "look at me", but they do rather take the spotlight off the H&h.
There are lots of examples of this - Mildred Whimpelhall (I shall write a blog sometime about why authors shouldn't use caricature names - Gail Carriger, Eloisa James you have been warned), the demure fiancée whose identity Ginesse steals, turns out to have some remarkable ideas about love and marriage - so remarkable, that one wants more of her story to be shown. A childhood tormentor of Ginesse turns out to have had hidden motives, and again, because Brockway writes these people really well, his POV drags me yet again out of the main story & relationship.
I know, I would moan if they were cardboard characters, and, yes, this is a fault on the right side, but it is still, I think, a weakness.
The other problem I have with the book is something of the same - both Ginesse and Jim have, as I said, very strong back-stories, which show how they have been moulded, but in both cases there isn't a resolution that satisfies. This matters for the very reason that the backstories are so strong - characters in their own right, almost - which demand to be finished off.
Ginesse Jim's history - which is equally character forming, but is always kept off-stage and never really fronted up to. Their future life certainly doesn't fit with what we have learned of either of them.
I don't think I would analyse the story's faults as much if I hadn't enjoyed it - it really is a case of overplayed strengths.
December 16, 2011
Along with As You Desire and My Dearest Enemy this book is going into my top ten all time favorite books.
Connie Brockway sure does know how to write my favorite type of hero and heroine. Jim is a loner with a heartbreaking past, who once he meets Ginny, will do anything for her. Mostly he saves her life. A lot. The problem is, he thinks she is Mildred who is engaged to the man that sent him out to bring her to him.
Ginny is trying to make a place for herself in her famous family. She is like a whirlwind, wherever she goes trouble follows. While headed home to Egypt after being banished to a finishing school in England a few years ago due to her mischievous ways, she takes the place of a woman headed to her fiance'. Her plan is to find Zerzura, a lost city that she believes she has discovered with her research.
Not knowing the true identities of each other, they fall madly in love although neither admits this. This is in part a wonderful thing because they each see the other as who they truly are but there are so many lies and omissions between them.
Connie Brockway sure does know how to write my favorite type of hero and heroine. Jim is a loner with a heartbreaking past, who once he meets Ginny, will do anything for her. Mostly he saves her life. A lot. The problem is, he thinks she is Mildred who is engaged to the man that sent him out to bring her to him.
Ginny is trying to make a place for herself in her famous family. She is like a whirlwind, wherever she goes trouble follows. While headed home to Egypt after being banished to a finishing school in England a few years ago due to her mischievous ways, she takes the place of a woman headed to her fiance'. Her plan is to find Zerzura, a lost city that she believes she has discovered with her research.
Not knowing the true identities of each other, they fall madly in love although neither admits this. This is in part a wonderful thing because they each see the other as who they truly are but there are so many lies and omissions between them.
January 22, 2012
I borrowed this from the Kindle Lending Library and I'm glad I did. Very cute story. It takes place in Egypt around the turn of the 19th to the 20th century.
I might give a more in depth review, but I'll just say for now that I was definitely fully engaged in it by about one third through. Action, adventure, romance, humor. Really nice effort by Brockway.
Note: This is #2 in a series. I have not read the first installment, but I will.
I might give a more in depth review, but I'll just say for now that I was definitely fully engaged in it by about one third through. Action, adventure, romance, humor. Really nice effort by Brockway.
Note: This is #2 in a series. I have not read the first installment, but I will.
July 23, 2016
3.5/3.75 starsish. I was so excited to read this one...I really enjoyed As You Desire, and I was hoping that this would be as good if not better. This was honestly not a bad book- it really wasn't- and if I hadn't already read AYD, I probably would have thought this was better. But I had read AYD, and unfortunately, this wasn't as good for me. It has lots of elements that should come together for a big win for me- road trip, Egyptology, a sassy female MC, a rugged and loveable male MC- but somehow this was just okay.
So...What went wrong? For starters, I had trouble getting into the story at first for some reason. There is something about CB's writing style that makes me have to flip back and forth between pages to get my bearings. I can't honestly lay my finger on it, but I had to do a lot of that in order to remember who was speaking or what the setting was or why someone was doing what they were doing, etc. I dealt with it a lot better in AYD, but here it was a bit tedious in the beginning.
Having read AYD, I honestly had a bit of a hard time reconciling the Harry and Dizzy of that book with the Harry and Dizzy now. (Who we hardly see here, btw.) I didn't understand why they'd send their only daughter whom they supposedly love so much away from them to England for years for being accident-prone and impulsive. It obviously made no effect on her anyway, so why would they do that? I didn't buy in.
CB writes an amazing H, or at least she did in this book and in its predecessor. I remember thinking Harry was just about the best male MC I'd read in a HR, and Jim isn't a slouch, either. It's her female characters that leave something to be desired for me. For some reason, I just didn't click with Ginesse. She was at times everything from reckless to stubborn to petulant, and she wasn't sure want she wanted. Many times she talked passionately at length about Egyptology, and then we would hear about how she was lukewarm about it. She wanted so desperately to prove her worth in her family by making this amazing discovery that she'd risk life and limb for it, but then she was "meh" about it. That didn't work for me. Even at the end of the book, I still don't think she knew what she wanted to do other than be with Jim. Maybe that was the point? I got annoyed with her without communicating to him what she needed and wanted from him. Which...
I didn't like that a lot of the book centered around (what I would deem at least) a big misunderstanding. The H and h fell in love and wanted to be together, but out of stubbornness and serious lack of communication skills, it was made to be much more difficult than it should have been. That bugged me.
There are a slew of mistaken identities here. A least one two many for me. There is an entire cast of characters, some fleshed out better than others. I did enjoy finding out what the real Mildred was really like and that she kind of served as a voice of reason for Ginny later in the book.
On the plus side, chapter 36 is fantastic. It's a thing of beauty. I had seen as much from one of my GR friends' reviews, and it did not disappoint. There are some funny moments here, some cute ones, and there are some lovely descriptions and emotional portraits. I did believe in the connection between the MC's, and I enjoyed many of the scenes of them traveling together. So again, this isn't a bad book. It's pretty good, actually. But I've read very similar that I liked better, so this fell a bit short for me. (Mr. Impossible still wins the Egyptian HR romance title for me btw- not even a contest at this point.)
*I forgot to add- there were a crap ton of mistakes in the Kindle edition. Omissions, repetitions....I would like to offer my services as copy editor for any HR author who needs someone to go through and fix mistakes like these! I see them a lot. Will work for free books! :)
So...What went wrong? For starters, I had trouble getting into the story at first for some reason. There is something about CB's writing style that makes me have to flip back and forth between pages to get my bearings. I can't honestly lay my finger on it, but I had to do a lot of that in order to remember who was speaking or what the setting was or why someone was doing what they were doing, etc. I dealt with it a lot better in AYD, but here it was a bit tedious in the beginning.
Having read AYD, I honestly had a bit of a hard time reconciling the Harry and Dizzy of that book with the Harry and Dizzy now. (Who we hardly see here, btw.) I didn't understand why they'd send their only daughter whom they supposedly love so much away from them to England for years for being accident-prone and impulsive. It obviously made no effect on her anyway, so why would they do that? I didn't buy in.
CB writes an amazing H, or at least she did in this book and in its predecessor. I remember thinking Harry was just about the best male MC I'd read in a HR, and Jim isn't a slouch, either. It's her female characters that leave something to be desired for me. For some reason, I just didn't click with Ginesse. She was at times everything from reckless to stubborn to petulant, and she wasn't sure want she wanted. Many times she talked passionately at length about Egyptology, and then we would hear about how she was lukewarm about it. She wanted so desperately to prove her worth in her family by making this amazing discovery that she'd risk life and limb for it, but then she was "meh" about it. That didn't work for me. Even at the end of the book, I still don't think she knew what she wanted to do other than be with Jim. Maybe that was the point? I got annoyed with her without communicating to him what she needed and wanted from him. Which...
I didn't like that a lot of the book centered around (what I would deem at least) a big misunderstanding. The H and h fell in love and wanted to be together, but out of stubbornness and serious lack of communication skills, it was made to be much more difficult than it should have been. That bugged me.
There are a slew of mistaken identities here. A least one two many for me. There is an entire cast of characters, some fleshed out better than others. I did enjoy finding out what the real Mildred was really like and that she kind of served as a voice of reason for Ginny later in the book.
On the plus side, chapter 36 is fantastic. It's a thing of beauty. I had seen as much from one of my GR friends' reviews, and it did not disappoint. There are some funny moments here, some cute ones, and there are some lovely descriptions and emotional portraits. I did believe in the connection between the MC's, and I enjoyed many of the scenes of them traveling together. So again, this isn't a bad book. It's pretty good, actually. But I've read very similar that I liked better, so this fell a bit short for me. (Mr. Impossible still wins the Egyptian HR romance title for me btw- not even a contest at this point.)
*I forgot to add- there were a crap ton of mistakes in the Kindle edition. Omissions, repetitions....I would like to offer my services as copy editor for any HR author who needs someone to go through and fix mistakes like these! I see them a lot. Will work for free books! :)
November 16, 2023
I could tell you to read this book for the fun adventure (think Indiana Jonesish or I guess nowadays people would think Nate Drake), Connie Brockway writing (effortlessly emotionally true, engaging, and always moving), or the characters (you’ll smile while weeping at how utterly crystal clear the hero sees the heroine’s authentic nature and is not afraid of it ;). However, the main reason you should read this book is for Chapter thirty-six. My god….chapter thirty-six. I didn’t realize how all the adventure, emotions, and feelings were working together to create such a scene, but my now overflowing heart is grateful. (sidenote: the um, action in Ch.36, I refuse to say more in order not to ruin it, is a tad similar and reminiscent of another book’s ending scene. Different setting but in the same idea, pulled me a little tiny bit out of the story as I thought back to that other book (I rated that book five stars, the only hint I’m giving) )
Read this book because there are sooooo many mediocre, regency ball saturated (I love this timeperiod! But I love took time, well written regency ball romances more) romance books out there that, trust me, you need to read this adventure romance where Brockway writes her characters so well they lose the title of character and become people (I hope you know what I mean) to cleanse your palate.
By the bye I didn’t rate this 5stars because there were tiny little slow moments and too many added in plot points (Brockway you had great characters you didn’t need the other hubbub of what turned out to be forgettable and pointless nemesis of Jim and the late love triangle), some instances where the actions/emotions were too similar to the prequel (I read the series back to back so it was fresh in my mind), and as much as I loved Jim and Ginny they didn’t quite have the superior spark that makes me want to read five star couples over and over.
Oh and you should read “As You Desire” prequel to this one so you fully understand why Ginesse is the way she is. Her parents Harry and Dizzy are the stars of that show.
Read this book because there are sooooo many mediocre, regency ball saturated (I love this timeperiod! But I love took time, well written regency ball romances more) romance books out there that, trust me, you need to read this adventure romance where Brockway writes her characters so well they lose the title of character and become people (I hope you know what I mean) to cleanse your palate.
By the bye I didn’t rate this 5stars because there were tiny little slow moments and too many added in plot points (Brockway you had great characters you didn’t need the other hubbub of what turned out to be forgettable and pointless nemesis of Jim and the late love triangle), some instances where the actions/emotions were too similar to the prequel (I read the series back to back so it was fresh in my mind), and as much as I loved Jim and Ginny they didn’t quite have the superior spark that makes me want to read five star couples over and over.
Oh and you should read “As You Desire” prequel to this one so you fully understand why Ginesse is the way she is. Her parents Harry and Dizzy are the stars of that show.
April 30, 2012
Ginesse Braxton is an original. Intelligent with an impish penchant for getting into trouble, she had been banished long ago to an English boarding school education- for her own safety- by parents whose reputations in Egyptian Archaeology are larger than life. Still she’s determined to make her own way- and prove to everyone she’s more than her name AND her trouble making standing!
Sure that she’s discovered the location of a lost city, when the opportunity to search for it suddenly appears in a switch of identity- she takes it. Now traveling across the desert under the guise of meeting her finance, with grit and a little luck she’d find Zerzura and secure her place in history as an honored Egyptologist.
But Luck had never been her strong suit and before her mind realizes it, her heart has fallen for the cynical, however gorgeous, cowboy guiding her. It will take a ride across the Sahara, almost being kidnapped by raiders, falling in love with a stranger, letting him go and finding her dream to make her realize that her dream wasn’t really her dream at all!
I don’t read much Hist-Rom anymore but I couldn’t resist a Connie Brockway- especially since it featured the daughter of one my favorite Couples (As You Desire) . Ginesse is a terrific character- one that I would’ve love to have as a role model as a young lass growing up, in fact! I also fell in love with Jim because, well because he loved Ginesse- just the way she was. The atypical setting was simply icing on the cake.
Srsly enjoyed this one. It's romantic- almost over the top- but even my cynical old heart sighed a bit at Jim's declarations of love by the end of the book.
Oh and the confrontation between Harry Braxton and his daughter was... just too fun. :D
4.5 out of 5 from me!
Sure that she’s discovered the location of a lost city, when the opportunity to search for it suddenly appears in a switch of identity- she takes it. Now traveling across the desert under the guise of meeting her finance, with grit and a little luck she’d find Zerzura and secure her place in history as an honored Egyptologist.
But Luck had never been her strong suit and before her mind realizes it, her heart has fallen for the cynical, however gorgeous, cowboy guiding her. It will take a ride across the Sahara, almost being kidnapped by raiders, falling in love with a stranger, letting him go and finding her dream to make her realize that her dream wasn’t really her dream at all!
I don’t read much Hist-Rom anymore but I couldn’t resist a Connie Brockway- especially since it featured the daughter of one my favorite Couples (As You Desire) . Ginesse is a terrific character- one that I would’ve love to have as a role model as a young lass growing up, in fact! I also fell in love with Jim because, well because he loved Ginesse- just the way she was. The atypical setting was simply icing on the cake.
Srsly enjoyed this one. It's romantic- almost over the top- but even my cynical old heart sighed a bit at Jim's declarations of love by the end of the book.
Oh and the confrontation between Harry Braxton and his daughter was... just too fun. :D
4.5 out of 5 from me!
March 31, 2020
This is the story of the daughter from the heroine of As You Desire! Updated March 2020 Ginesse and Jim's love story. This story is a neat adventure through Egypt. Love it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2016
I enjoyed the adventure and fun that was throughout most of this book ! It was a quick read ! There were parts towards the end ( all the misunderstanding and lack of communication ) that I could of lived without , but all in all a good book ! The whole Indiana Jones type guy (adventure) is always fun to read! I love archeologist themed books (digging for lost civilizations)!
November 29, 2011
I really enjoyed this!
The Other Guy's Bride is a rocking road romance. Jim and Ginesse spark off of each other from the get go and the romantic adventure begins. Add in Brockway's sense of fun and her deft touch with clever dialogue and it's a winner.
Welcome back, Connie Brockway.
The Other Guy's Bride is a rocking road romance. Jim and Ginesse spark off of each other from the get go and the romantic adventure begins. Add in Brockway's sense of fun and her deft touch with clever dialogue and it's a winner.
Welcome back, Connie Brockway.
October 25, 2020
3 Stars
Overall Opinion: I liked the uniqueness of this. I appreciated the Egypt setting and the culture that was brought into it. I liked the relationship between the h and H. But there were some things that either felt like they didn’t add up or wasn’t fully fleshed out . I felt a little confused by the end about a lot and that was a bummer because I was otherwise enjoying the book.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Ginesse and Jim’s story. Ginesse is about to make her big discovery with a lost city and to finally make her own name along with her famous archeologist family. She goes so far as to impersonate a lady that she met on her voyage to Egypt to get safely escorted to a fort that is close to her potential discovery. Jim owes a man his life, and in exchange is given the duty to escort his fiancé from Cairo to the fort where the man is stationed. There are suspenseful moments, lots of trouble inadvertently caused by the h, and some sweet and sexy times...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between focusing on mainly Ginesse and Jim in 3rd person narrative (some focus on side characters).
Overall Pace of Story: Good until the abrupt ending. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well otherwise.
Instalove: No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings.
H (Hero) rating: 4 stars. Jim. I liked him. I definitely wanted to shake him at times but I loved how he loved the h.
h (heroine) rating: 4 stars. Ginesse. I liked her. I appreciated her smarts, her drive and how she cared for others.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Good. They have some tension, chemistry, and a few scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: No
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This ended rather abruptly but it had pretty good closure and what I would call a HEA ending. I would’ve liked to know what their future looked like more though, especially with the h’s pursuits and all my other unanswered questions.
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
Overall Opinion: I liked the uniqueness of this. I appreciated the Egypt setting and the culture that was brought into it. I liked the relationship between the h and H. But there were some things that either felt like they didn’t add up or wasn’t fully fleshed out . I felt a little confused by the end about a lot and that was a bummer because I was otherwise enjoying the book.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Ginesse and Jim’s story. Ginesse is about to make her big discovery with a lost city and to finally make her own name along with her famous archeologist family. She goes so far as to impersonate a lady that she met on her voyage to Egypt to get safely escorted to a fort that is close to her potential discovery. Jim owes a man his life, and in exchange is given the duty to escort his fiancé from Cairo to the fort where the man is stationed. There are suspenseful moments, lots of trouble inadvertently caused by the h, and some sweet and sexy times...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between focusing on mainly Ginesse and Jim in 3rd person narrative (some focus on side characters).
Overall Pace of Story: Good until the abrupt ending. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well otherwise.
Instalove: No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings.
H (Hero) rating: 4 stars. Jim. I liked him. I definitely wanted to shake him at times but I loved how he loved the h.
h (heroine) rating: 4 stars. Ginesse. I liked her. I appreciated her smarts, her drive and how she cared for others.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Good. They have some tension, chemistry, and a few scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: No
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This ended rather abruptly but it had pretty good closure and what I would call a HEA ending. I would’ve liked to know what their future looked like more though, especially with the h’s pursuits and all my other unanswered questions.
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
December 16, 2011
Actually 3.5 stars.
I wish I could be unbiased and judge this novel solely on its own merits, but unfortunately I read As You Desire too recently for that to be possible. I can't help comparing The Other Guy's Bride to its predecessor, and find it wanting.
On the plus side, I prefer the sharply intelligent and independent Ginesse to her plucky but somewhat ditzy mother, Desdemona. Unfortunately, Jim Owens is a poor man's Harry Braxton. I wanted to fall madly in love with Jim the way I did with Harry, but I couldn't. Jim's angst doesn't feel as legitimate, nor are the reasons for it as well-developed as the reasons behind Harry's insecurity. I also don't find Jim's abrupt passion for Ginesse as believable as Harry's secret, long-term desire for Desdemona.
In terms of the plot, I found the "big misunderstanding" theme more annoying in this book than in As You Desire. It was easier to believe that an innocent, absent-minded, and slightly clueless girl like Desdemona didn't realize that Harry was falling-all-over-himself-in-love with her than it was to believe that a more modern and supposedly keen-eyed young woman like Ginesse could ignore the numerous, obvious signs that Jim was devoted to her. If a man showed half as much ardor for me, I'd be walking the aisle faster than you can say "special license."
There were a few other things about the plot that I found too convenient, or poorly developed. I also didn't like the cutesy ending. I am usually anti-epilogue, and this is definitely one example of a romance novel that would have been better without the epilogue.
Finally, I noticed a few continuity and typographical errors. That is pretty common for ebooks, but as the first novel published under the Montlake imprint, I think this book warranted better editing.
In spite of the detractions listed above, The Other Guy's Bride is still superior to most historical romance novels I've read. I still enjoy Connie Brockway's writing and look forward to reading more by her in the future.
I wish I could be unbiased and judge this novel solely on its own merits, but unfortunately I read As You Desire too recently for that to be possible. I can't help comparing The Other Guy's Bride to its predecessor, and find it wanting.
On the plus side, I prefer the sharply intelligent and independent Ginesse to her plucky but somewhat ditzy mother, Desdemona. Unfortunately, Jim Owens is a poor man's Harry Braxton. I wanted to fall madly in love with Jim the way I did with Harry, but I couldn't. Jim's angst doesn't feel as legitimate, nor are the reasons for it as well-developed as the reasons behind Harry's insecurity. I also don't find Jim's abrupt passion for Ginesse as believable as Harry's secret, long-term desire for Desdemona.
In terms of the plot, I found the "big misunderstanding" theme more annoying in this book than in As You Desire. It was easier to believe that an innocent, absent-minded, and slightly clueless girl like Desdemona didn't realize that Harry was falling-all-over-himself-in-love with her than it was to believe that a more modern and supposedly keen-eyed young woman like Ginesse could ignore the numerous, obvious signs that Jim was devoted to her. If a man showed half as much ardor for me, I'd be walking the aisle faster than you can say "special license."
There were a few other things about the plot that I found too convenient, or poorly developed. I also didn't like the cutesy ending. I am usually anti-epilogue, and this is definitely one example of a romance novel that would have been better without the epilogue.
Finally, I noticed a few continuity and typographical errors. That is pretty common for ebooks, but as the first novel published under the Montlake imprint, I think this book warranted better editing.
In spite of the detractions listed above, The Other Guy's Bride is still superior to most historical romance novels I've read. I still enjoy Connie Brockway's writing and look forward to reading more by her in the future.
March 20, 2012
I really enjoyed this one, particularly after a bit of a drought of romance in my reading of late (not intentional, just happened that way). I read As You Desire some time ago, and loved the premise and the setting (there's something about Egypt in the late Victorian era and pre-WW2 which I just find captivating), but found there were too many secondary characters, which detracted somewhat from the plot and the romance. This one is much more concentrated on the hero and heroine, and, in my opinion, much better for it.
I personally love a heroine who is a bit klutzy, but also smart, even if a little eccentric, and the heroine in this one certainly is. I also love a hero who is stern, lost and a bit of a hard man, but also rather vulnerable, and the hero is. The plot itself is rather fun - a wonderful escapade in the desert, and the secondary characters help the story move along, and are essential to the plot rather than just add-ons. I also have to say I really loved that this book is based on the next generation of the previous book. I find that continuity rather refreshing, although I would also love to see more books, maybe based on the brothers of the heroine of this one (she has seven, so lots of material there)?
Anyway, think "Death on the Nile" mixed together with a healthy dose of "The Mummy" (without the paranormal stuff) and then add a few points (because it's a book, and I just prefer to get my romances that way since the naughty bits aren't expunged) and there you have it!
4 stars and free from the Kindle Prime Lending Library.
I personally love a heroine who is a bit klutzy, but also smart, even if a little eccentric, and the heroine in this one certainly is. I also love a hero who is stern, lost and a bit of a hard man, but also rather vulnerable, and the hero is. The plot itself is rather fun - a wonderful escapade in the desert, and the secondary characters help the story move along, and are essential to the plot rather than just add-ons. I also have to say I really loved that this book is based on the next generation of the previous book. I find that continuity rather refreshing, although I would also love to see more books, maybe based on the brothers of the heroine of this one (she has seven, so lots of material there)?
Anyway, think "Death on the Nile" mixed together with a healthy dose of "The Mummy" (without the paranormal stuff) and then add a few points (because it's a book, and I just prefer to get my romances that way since the naughty bits aren't expunged) and there you have it!
4 stars and free from the Kindle Prime Lending Library.
January 5, 2012
It's not much of a secret that As You Desire is one of my very favorite romances. So there wasn't much hope that I would like this 'sequel', or whatever you want to call it, nearly as much. The comparison is inevitable. But, there were a few great scenes, and lots of that trademark CB wit. And I loved her endnote and photos!
It just seemed a bit like it was going over the same terrain, and wasn't quite as fun. Jim's angst didn't really seem warranted - almost created to provide the epilogue. Their HEA was dragged out a few two many times. But most of all, there were some MAJORLY annoying editing errors. Good grief, you would think they would have checked it over a few times, what with it being the first title published under the new Amazon e-book imprint!
It just seemed a bit like it was going over the same terrain, and wasn't quite as fun. Jim's angst didn't really seem warranted - almost created to provide the epilogue. Their HEA was dragged out a few two many times. But most of all, there were some MAJORLY annoying editing errors. Good grief, you would think they would have checked it over a few times, what with it being the first title published under the new Amazon e-book imprint!
October 27, 2020
2.5 stars
March 28, 2022
Ginesse Braxton quiere destacar dentro de una familia llena de brillantes arqueólogos. Su oportunidad llega cuando descubre el lugar donde debe estar una antigua ciudad egipcia. Para llegar allí, se hace pasar por otra, la prometida de un oficial inglés que está destacado en un fuerte cercano. Para acompañar a su novia, este oficial ha enviado a James Owens, un norteamericano aventurero. Ginesse tiene cierta tendencia a ponerse en peligro, y ahí entra Jim, al rescate, una y otra vez. Histórica ligerita, con momentos de bastante gracia en los diálogos y las situaciones. Al final la cosa me pareció que decaía un poco, pero la parte central, desde que Ginesse y James se conocen, hasta que se revela que ella no es quien parece ser, me resultó soberbia, recordándome un poco a Amarte es mi destino, de la misma autora o Imposible, de Loretta Chase, que comparten la misma ambientación exótica en Egipto.
Crítica más extensa, en mi blog.
Crítica más extensa, en mi blog.
June 2, 2017
*Actual rating: 3.5 stars*
Set in the early 1900s, this novel is about Ginny Braxton, an outspoken, unconventional and extremely accident prone young woman who wants to prove herself worthy of her illustrious family of Egyptologists by finding a lost city buried in the sands of the Egyptian desert. The only way she can think of to get there is by pretending to be another woman, Mildred Whimpelhall, who is supposed to be escorted to her fiance at a remote garrison. The man who has been assigned to do escort duty, Jim Owens, appears to be a rough American scoundrel, but he too is not who he seems to be. Ginny and Jim soon find themselves falling in love with each other, but first they have to sort out various dangers and the perils of mistaken identities.
This book caught my attention the minute I read the line about lost cities and historical adventure. (Kindle unlimited clinched the deal.) I'm a sucker for anything to do with archaeological adventure tales; in fact, two of my favorite movies of all time are The Mummy--the 1999 film with Brendan Frazier and Rachel Weisz--and Raiders of the Lost Ark. I don't even demand any degree of realism from this sort of story, as long as it's fun.
And The Other Guy's Bride does start off as a lot of fun. The setting is very well done, with lots of fun period details, and both Ginny and Jim are strong and engaging characters. There is a lot of enjoyable banter and a good build-up to their eventual romance. For the first 60% of the book (or thereabouts), I can honestly say that it's been a long time since I've had that much fun with a work of genre fiction.
The last 40% wasn't awful, but it didn't live up to the wonderful beginning, either. My biggest problems with it was that Ginny stopped being strong and unconventional and became spoiled and bratty instead, and that the subsequent relationship drama hinged upon one of my least favorite tropes--the characters' refusal to just talk to each other instead of jumping to all sorts of unflattering conclusions. At one point, Ginny declines what she believes to be an insufficiently romantic proposal by punching (not just slapping) Jim in the face, and she later tries to hit him again. I think this was supposed to be funny or show how spunky she is (?), but suffice to say, I didn't find it to be cute.
Despite this less than stellar third act, I still enjoyed the book quite a bit, and would definitely be open to reading other titles from this author.
Read for Unapologetic Romance Readers 2017 reading challenge: Historical (Any) category.
Set in the early 1900s, this novel is about Ginny Braxton, an outspoken, unconventional and extremely accident prone young woman who wants to prove herself worthy of her illustrious family of Egyptologists by finding a lost city buried in the sands of the Egyptian desert. The only way she can think of to get there is by pretending to be another woman, Mildred Whimpelhall, who is supposed to be escorted to her fiance at a remote garrison. The man who has been assigned to do escort duty, Jim Owens, appears to be a rough American scoundrel, but he too is not who he seems to be. Ginny and Jim soon find themselves falling in love with each other, but first they have to sort out various dangers and the perils of mistaken identities.
This book caught my attention the minute I read the line about lost cities and historical adventure. (Kindle unlimited clinched the deal.) I'm a sucker for anything to do with archaeological adventure tales; in fact, two of my favorite movies of all time are The Mummy--the 1999 film with Brendan Frazier and Rachel Weisz--and Raiders of the Lost Ark. I don't even demand any degree of realism from this sort of story, as long as it's fun.
And The Other Guy's Bride does start off as a lot of fun. The setting is very well done, with lots of fun period details, and both Ginny and Jim are strong and engaging characters. There is a lot of enjoyable banter and a good build-up to their eventual romance. For the first 60% of the book (or thereabouts), I can honestly say that it's been a long time since I've had that much fun with a work of genre fiction.
The last 40% wasn't awful, but it didn't live up to the wonderful beginning, either. My biggest problems with it was that Ginny stopped being strong and unconventional and became spoiled and bratty instead, and that the subsequent relationship drama hinged upon one of my least favorite tropes--the characters' refusal to just talk to each other instead of jumping to all sorts of unflattering conclusions. At one point, Ginny declines what she believes to be an insufficiently romantic proposal by punching (not just slapping) Jim in the face, and she later tries to hit him again. I think this was supposed to be funny or show how spunky she is (?), but suffice to say, I didn't find it to be cute.
Despite this less than stellar third act, I still enjoyed the book quite a bit, and would definitely be open to reading other titles from this author.
Read for Unapologetic Romance Readers 2017 reading challenge: Historical (Any) category.
December 25, 2011
originally posted at http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...
She’ll do anything to get to the lost city of Zerzura. She’ll even pretend she’s the fiancé of an officer stationed across the desert near the city. So what if she has to travel with a rogue to get there?
This is a smashing adventure that I greatly enjoyed reading. The author’s main male character, Jim Owens, has lost in love and fortune and wants nothing more than to be declared “dead” so he can get on with a new life. He only agrees to transport this potential bride because he owes the officer his life, and he’s paying back that debt. The female main character is a girl who was sent away to boarding school to learn some manners and be more like a lady. In other words, she was too adventuresome to please her parents; boarding school didn’t help. Ginesse seems born to bad luck. She really needs a protector, but you’ll never convince her of that.
The author takes these two headstrong people and throws them into the middle of the desert alone together on a journey that includes bandits, weather challenges, and scorpions. Ginesse almost drowns. The action is non-stop, which makes the story fun. My favorite part is the fact that the two characters are drawn to each other, but neither desires a relationship. The author uses this conflict to spice up the story with disagreements, misunderstandings, and just general stubbornness on the part of her characters. It works well.
The story is set in the late 1890s and the cross-culture mix of Victorian attitudes and the crude desert life make this tale interesting. Travel is by camel, so the author uses the slowness of travel to enhance the tension between her two characters very effectively.
I had not read anything by this author before, but I’ll be looking for her work now. This book impressed me enough it is going in my personal library. It’s a rollicking good tale with outrageous characters and I recommend it to all.
She’ll do anything to get to the lost city of Zerzura. She’ll even pretend she’s the fiancé of an officer stationed across the desert near the city. So what if she has to travel with a rogue to get there?
This is a smashing adventure that I greatly enjoyed reading. The author’s main male character, Jim Owens, has lost in love and fortune and wants nothing more than to be declared “dead” so he can get on with a new life. He only agrees to transport this potential bride because he owes the officer his life, and he’s paying back that debt. The female main character is a girl who was sent away to boarding school to learn some manners and be more like a lady. In other words, she was too adventuresome to please her parents; boarding school didn’t help. Ginesse seems born to bad luck. She really needs a protector, but you’ll never convince her of that.
The author takes these two headstrong people and throws them into the middle of the desert alone together on a journey that includes bandits, weather challenges, and scorpions. Ginesse almost drowns. The action is non-stop, which makes the story fun. My favorite part is the fact that the two characters are drawn to each other, but neither desires a relationship. The author uses this conflict to spice up the story with disagreements, misunderstandings, and just general stubbornness on the part of her characters. It works well.
The story is set in the late 1890s and the cross-culture mix of Victorian attitudes and the crude desert life make this tale interesting. Travel is by camel, so the author uses the slowness of travel to enhance the tension between her two characters very effectively.
I had not read anything by this author before, but I’ll be looking for her work now. This book impressed me enough it is going in my personal library. It’s a rollicking good tale with outrageous characters and I recommend it to all.
August 29, 2014
Ginesse Braxton, daughter of noted Egyptologists and archaeologists Harry and Dizzy Braxton, is on her way back to Egypt when she stumbles on a way to Make Her Name. Jim Owens, whose hair is full of secrets, has been tasked with bringing a fiancee across the desert. UST, ABANDONMENT, FIASCOS, ETC, and MANY MANY failed proposals later: HEA!!
Maybe it's because I recently watched The Mummy, the quasi-fantastical story about a prim librarian riding into the desert for Glory and Honor. Maybe it's because there's just something about the Edwardian Era that revs my engine. Maybe it's because Brockway is a sassy monster and I begin to think I love her.
But I really, really enjoyed this. There's a lot about it that's pretty fantastical and ridiculous, but Brockway does such a good job of creating dimensional characters that it's easy for me to forgive those things and revel instead in the things that work so well. The humor! The adventure! The sense of discovering yourself and discovering what it is you truly want of life.
ALSO, DYING: JIM GETS PUNCHED SO MUCH AND IT IS SO GREAT!!
Maybe it's because I recently watched The Mummy, the quasi-fantastical story about a prim librarian riding into the desert for Glory and Honor. Maybe it's because there's just something about the Edwardian Era that revs my engine. Maybe it's because Brockway is a sassy monster and I begin to think I love her.
But I really, really enjoyed this. There's a lot about it that's pretty fantastical and ridiculous, but Brockway does such a good job of creating dimensional characters that it's easy for me to forgive those things and revel instead in the things that work so well. The humor! The adventure! The sense of discovering yourself and discovering what it is you truly want of life.
ALSO, DYING: JIM GETS PUNCHED SO MUCH AND IT IS SO GREAT!!
"[...] and I am not going to marry Jim because of the state of my hymen."
[...]
"Let me see if I understand," Harry said slowly, his gaze moving back to Jim. "You're not going to marry this man?"
"Why, Dad," Ginesse said, the shadow of an impudent smile curving her lips. "The gentleman hasn't even asked me. Recently anyway."
"Fine," said Harry, nodding with satisfaction. "Then there's no reason I shouldn't do this."
And with a right hook, he laid Jim Owens out cold.
January 10, 2012
4+ stars. Another Guy’s Bride is a light, humorous, historical road-trip romance romp through Egypt. I loved the high adventure, mayhem, and colorful characters. Overall, a fun read!
January 3, 2012
You can also read this review at Reflections on Reading Romance
I’m a bit embarrassed to admit this, but I’d never read any of Ms. Brockway’s books before I won this copy of The Other Guy’s Bride through the Goodreads First Reads program. I’m guessing that means my romance reader membership card will be revoked or at the very least suspended, because she is quite the powerhouse! So I was really excited to read this book, first, because I’d heard so many good things about Ms. Brockway’s writing, and, second, because this is the first book released by Amazon’s new romance imprint, Montlake Romance. The ebook version of this book was released on November 22, but the print version is now available through Amazon as well. I’m curious to see how well the book will sell, since the print version won’t be available in warehouse stores, and I have no idea if it’ll be on the shelves at Barnes & Noble, either. If sales are not stellar, it certainly won’t reflect the quality of the book, because The Other Guy’s Bride is an engaging romp. In fact, my only criticism of the book has more to do with decisions made by the publisher than the actual book itself.
Our heroine, Ginesse Braxton, is determined to make a name for herself among her Egyptologist relatives and is making her way to Egypt to look for the lost city of Zerzura. She assumes the identity of mild-mannered Mildred Whimpelhall, whose fiancé is stationed out in the middle of nowhere, conveniently located close to where Ginesse believes Zerzura to be located. The hero, Jim Owens, is escorting Miss Whimpelhall to her fiancé, never realizing that the fiery, accident-prone Miss Whimpelhall is in fact the infamous Ginesse Braxton. Of course, Jim Owens is not exactly the rough and tough American cowboy he’s pretending to be either. As the two make their way to “Mildred’s” fiancé and the inevitable discovery, sparks fly between them.
This is a delightful romance, and I love the Egyptian setting! Ginesse reminds me of Elizabeth Peters’s Amelia Peabody in her love of all things Egyptian and stalwart refusal to accept being treated as less than capable merely because she’s a woman. And like Amelia Peabody, Ginesse attracts all sorts of disaster, seemingly without trying. Despite her penchant for catastrophe, Ginesse never approaches Too Stupid To Live territory; all of her escapades are undertaken after careful thought. Unfortunately, something always manages to go wrong, and you will wonder how she ever made it to the ripe old age of 21, since we learn that she’s found herself in similar circumstances on a regular basis since the age of 6.
Jim Owens is also a really appealing hero, trying with no success to fight his attraction to this irrepressible heroine. His past makes for intriguing possibilities for the future of the couple, and it’s easy to see that he’s the ideal hero for Ginesse, as he manages to save her life and avoid strangling her with his bare hands. All of this adds up to a charming romance that’s a pleasure to read.
My one complaint about the text has to do with the conclusion. Ginesse is supposedly so motivated to make her mark on Egyptology that she’s willing to pose as another woman, yet at the end she seems willing, if not eager, to accept a different role. I would have liked more explanation for this seemingly abrupt change.
However, this is a minor criticism, as I very much enjoyed the book and will certainly reread it. My biggest complaints have to do with the cover art and size of the printed book, both of which are decisions made by the publisher. I’m really not enamored of the cover, to put it mildly. The colors aren’t particularly striking and the female on the cover looks a little young. I do think the image appears better in the print version than the ebook, but either way I’m not a fan of the cover. Also, the print book is about the size of a trade paperback. I really think that the mass market paperback size would have been easier for the reader to handle and perhaps easier to distribute. The print version felt a little bit too “print on demand” for my taste, leaving me to wonder how many printed copies of the book will sell.
That said, I like that the book is available in print and electronic versions. I’m certainly going to be checking out Ms. Brockway’s backlist, as this book was enchanting.
I’m a bit embarrassed to admit this, but I’d never read any of Ms. Brockway’s books before I won this copy of The Other Guy’s Bride through the Goodreads First Reads program. I’m guessing that means my romance reader membership card will be revoked or at the very least suspended, because she is quite the powerhouse! So I was really excited to read this book, first, because I’d heard so many good things about Ms. Brockway’s writing, and, second, because this is the first book released by Amazon’s new romance imprint, Montlake Romance. The ebook version of this book was released on November 22, but the print version is now available through Amazon as well. I’m curious to see how well the book will sell, since the print version won’t be available in warehouse stores, and I have no idea if it’ll be on the shelves at Barnes & Noble, either. If sales are not stellar, it certainly won’t reflect the quality of the book, because The Other Guy’s Bride is an engaging romp. In fact, my only criticism of the book has more to do with decisions made by the publisher than the actual book itself.
Our heroine, Ginesse Braxton, is determined to make a name for herself among her Egyptologist relatives and is making her way to Egypt to look for the lost city of Zerzura. She assumes the identity of mild-mannered Mildred Whimpelhall, whose fiancé is stationed out in the middle of nowhere, conveniently located close to where Ginesse believes Zerzura to be located. The hero, Jim Owens, is escorting Miss Whimpelhall to her fiancé, never realizing that the fiery, accident-prone Miss Whimpelhall is in fact the infamous Ginesse Braxton. Of course, Jim Owens is not exactly the rough and tough American cowboy he’s pretending to be either. As the two make their way to “Mildred’s” fiancé and the inevitable discovery, sparks fly between them.
This is a delightful romance, and I love the Egyptian setting! Ginesse reminds me of Elizabeth Peters’s Amelia Peabody in her love of all things Egyptian and stalwart refusal to accept being treated as less than capable merely because she’s a woman. And like Amelia Peabody, Ginesse attracts all sorts of disaster, seemingly without trying. Despite her penchant for catastrophe, Ginesse never approaches Too Stupid To Live territory; all of her escapades are undertaken after careful thought. Unfortunately, something always manages to go wrong, and you will wonder how she ever made it to the ripe old age of 21, since we learn that she’s found herself in similar circumstances on a regular basis since the age of 6.
Jim Owens is also a really appealing hero, trying with no success to fight his attraction to this irrepressible heroine. His past makes for intriguing possibilities for the future of the couple, and it’s easy to see that he’s the ideal hero for Ginesse, as he manages to save her life and avoid strangling her with his bare hands. All of this adds up to a charming romance that’s a pleasure to read.
My one complaint about the text has to do with the conclusion. Ginesse is supposedly so motivated to make her mark on Egyptology that she’s willing to pose as another woman, yet at the end she seems willing, if not eager, to accept a different role. I would have liked more explanation for this seemingly abrupt change.
However, this is a minor criticism, as I very much enjoyed the book and will certainly reread it. My biggest complaints have to do with the cover art and size of the printed book, both of which are decisions made by the publisher. I’m really not enamored of the cover, to put it mildly. The colors aren’t particularly striking and the female on the cover looks a little young. I do think the image appears better in the print version than the ebook, but either way I’m not a fan of the cover. Also, the print book is about the size of a trade paperback. I really think that the mass market paperback size would have been easier for the reader to handle and perhaps easier to distribute. The print version felt a little bit too “print on demand” for my taste, leaving me to wonder how many printed copies of the book will sell.
That said, I like that the book is available in print and electronic versions. I’m certainly going to be checking out Ms. Brockway’s backlist, as this book was enchanting.
November 23, 2011
For many years---fourteen to be exact---Connie Brockway fans have been begging for a sequel to As You Desire, the story of Harry and Dizzy. Well, fans, the time has come, and it was worth the wait!
Ginesse "Ginny" Braxton is traveling from England to Egypt, a country she knows like the back of her hand thanks to being the daughter of famous Egyptologist, Harry Braxton. But Ginesse longs to make a name for herself, not just ride on the coattails of her famous family. She also wants to prove she's not the jinx and magnet for trouble that everyone says she is, and she's found the perfect way; she thinks she has found the location of the lost city of Zerzura. Of course, she needs to find someone to lead her across the desert, and Ginesse knows full well that no one will want to accompany the Braxton chit. Fate presents a situation that she cannot resist; a young woman, Mildred Whimpelhall, who is a passenger on the ship with Ginesse is on her way to meet her fiance, Colonel Lord Pomfrey. Mildred is so seasick that she decides to get off the ship in Italy and continue her journey to Egypt by rail. Ginesse kindly makes Mildred's arrangements for her, but unbeknownst to the trusting Mildred, Ginesse decides to assume her identity and travel to Fort Gordon, which is within thirty miles of Zerzura. It was all too perfect. Ginesse should have known better.
James "Jim" Owen is a tough adventurer who owes a debt to Colonel Lord Pomfrey, so he agrees to accompany Pomfrey's fiancee across the desert to Fort Gordon. Not what Jim considers high on his list of ways to have a good time, but a debt is a debt. After all, Jim has been in many a dangerous situation, so providing escort to a meek and mild English miss should be a walk in the park. Once he meets Mildred Whimpelhall----aka known as Ginesse Braxton---, that notion goes straight out the window. She is anything, but meek. In fact, she talks nonstop and is a veritable magnet for trouble. But the biggest problem for Jim is his attraction to her. She frustrates and fascinates him, and no matter how many times he tells himself that she belongs to another man, thereby making her off limits, he just can't resist her.
"Colonel Lord Pomfrey. You never use his given name." he was looking down into her upturned face, moonlight carving his into hard angles and cold planes.
"Of course I know it," she said, trying to sound convincing because in truth she did not remember Pomfrey's Christian name.
"Because if you were mine, I would want you to say it, even when I was not there." He was so close she felt his warm breath sluice over her lips, so close she could see the way his lashes tangled at the corners, so close she could see flecks of sand at the base of his throat. His gaze had turned smoky and brilliant all at once, with an intensity she'd never seen before. It made the breath catch in her throat and her heart race.
Fool that she was, even though she intuited that danger roved very near and that she ought to keep very still and very silent, she could not keep from whispering, "Why?"
"Because every time you said my name, it would touch your lips." His voice lost its hard edge, grew as dark and smoky as his gaze. "Like a kiss."
The Other Guy's Bride is a rollicking romance, a turn-of-the-century adventure with a high spirited, mismatched hero and heroine with secrets aplenty. Their banter is reminiscent of some of my favorite movie pairs: John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn, and Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner. Throw in a little Indiana Jones, and it all adds up to a can't miss good time. Connie Brockway has a deft hand with humor, and I laughed out loud more times than I could count. There is an equal amount of soul stirring tenderness and heart pounding sensuality. All of the elements for a winning romance. I cannot recommend The Other Guy's Bride highly enough! For those who do not have a Kindle, don't despair. It will be released in trade paperback on December 22nd. Just in time for the holidays. *g*
***Originally posted at The Romance Dish on 11/23/11
Ginesse "Ginny" Braxton is traveling from England to Egypt, a country she knows like the back of her hand thanks to being the daughter of famous Egyptologist, Harry Braxton. But Ginesse longs to make a name for herself, not just ride on the coattails of her famous family. She also wants to prove she's not the jinx and magnet for trouble that everyone says she is, and she's found the perfect way; she thinks she has found the location of the lost city of Zerzura. Of course, she needs to find someone to lead her across the desert, and Ginesse knows full well that no one will want to accompany the Braxton chit. Fate presents a situation that she cannot resist; a young woman, Mildred Whimpelhall, who is a passenger on the ship with Ginesse is on her way to meet her fiance, Colonel Lord Pomfrey. Mildred is so seasick that she decides to get off the ship in Italy and continue her journey to Egypt by rail. Ginesse kindly makes Mildred's arrangements for her, but unbeknownst to the trusting Mildred, Ginesse decides to assume her identity and travel to Fort Gordon, which is within thirty miles of Zerzura. It was all too perfect. Ginesse should have known better.
James "Jim" Owen is a tough adventurer who owes a debt to Colonel Lord Pomfrey, so he agrees to accompany Pomfrey's fiancee across the desert to Fort Gordon. Not what Jim considers high on his list of ways to have a good time, but a debt is a debt. After all, Jim has been in many a dangerous situation, so providing escort to a meek and mild English miss should be a walk in the park. Once he meets Mildred Whimpelhall----aka known as Ginesse Braxton---, that notion goes straight out the window. She is anything, but meek. In fact, she talks nonstop and is a veritable magnet for trouble. But the biggest problem for Jim is his attraction to her. She frustrates and fascinates him, and no matter how many times he tells himself that she belongs to another man, thereby making her off limits, he just can't resist her.
"Colonel Lord Pomfrey. You never use his given name." he was looking down into her upturned face, moonlight carving his into hard angles and cold planes.
"Of course I know it," she said, trying to sound convincing because in truth she did not remember Pomfrey's Christian name.
"Because if you were mine, I would want you to say it, even when I was not there." He was so close she felt his warm breath sluice over her lips, so close she could see the way his lashes tangled at the corners, so close she could see flecks of sand at the base of his throat. His gaze had turned smoky and brilliant all at once, with an intensity she'd never seen before. It made the breath catch in her throat and her heart race.
Fool that she was, even though she intuited that danger roved very near and that she ought to keep very still and very silent, she could not keep from whispering, "Why?"
"Because every time you said my name, it would touch your lips." His voice lost its hard edge, grew as dark and smoky as his gaze. "Like a kiss."
The Other Guy's Bride is a rollicking romance, a turn-of-the-century adventure with a high spirited, mismatched hero and heroine with secrets aplenty. Their banter is reminiscent of some of my favorite movie pairs: John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn, and Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner. Throw in a little Indiana Jones, and it all adds up to a can't miss good time. Connie Brockway has a deft hand with humor, and I laughed out loud more times than I could count. There is an equal amount of soul stirring tenderness and heart pounding sensuality. All of the elements for a winning romance. I cannot recommend The Other Guy's Bride highly enough! For those who do not have a Kindle, don't despair. It will be released in trade paperback on December 22nd. Just in time for the holidays. *g*
***Originally posted at The Romance Dish on 11/23/11
March 15, 2017
I'll admit that my expectations were set pretty high after reading As You Desire, since Harry immediately became one of my favourite heroes ever.
Seeing as The Other Guy's Bride was written more than a decade later, I hoped Jim would be like a new and improved Harry 2.0 since the author had all those years to listen to her readers list the reasons why Harry is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Both heroes pine for their heroines, but Harry had so much more passion in his story. It sounds horribly cheesy and over the top but I was genuinely on the verge of tears (with my heart doing funny things) every time I read about his torment of loving Dizzy but not being able to tell her, and then having to watch her being courted by his "superior" cousin. I've read this trope a thousand times but I've never seen it done better than AYD.
It was one of the greatest love stories I've ever read, so I expected Jim to at least be likable but somehow, he actually turned out to be an extremely watered down, pathetic, whiny, annoying version of Harry.
Then there was the heroine.
Oh.
My.
Fuck.
I despised her.
In AYD, Dizzy was just... okay. She was nothing special but I could deal with her since the story had Harry, and Dizzy's only crime was being a little too naive for my liking. But Ginesse turned out to be a colossal clusterfuck of all the things I absolutely hate in heroines. She was entitled, bitchy, rude, violent, impulsive, and she jumped to conclusions. Oh and she was also a fucking hypocrite. I understand that she was supposed to be a fiery free spirit with attitude but it horribly backfired.
I initially gave AYD 4.5 stars but kept it rounded down to 4 because I just didn't find Dizzy "spirited" enough. Well, I quickly went back to round it up to 5 instead since Dizzy could have been so much WORSE. I'm not sure I would have finished the book (even with Harry!) if Genisse was the heroine in it.
Right, so the characters sucked but I hoped that the story would somehow make it more bearable. I'm usually a fan of the "let's survive in the wilderness!" trope but even that couldn't save it. I honestly had no idea what was going on half the time, it was as if the story changed focus every 5 minutes. There didn't seem to be an overall goal to anything.
It was also confusing to have so many names. We switched POVs pretty often but every character referred to the other using a different name. Jim called his half-brother Jock, but Ginesse called him Geoffrey and her grandpa called him Mr. Tynesborough. I mean, really, how was I meant to keep track???
On top of that, there was the weird love triangle that seemed to awfully similar to the one in Book 1:
In AYD the hero's rival was his cousin, Blake who seemed like a "nicer" man, which is why the hero backed-off from pursuing the heroine. There was tension between them because Harry inherited a manor Blake felt entitled to.
In TOGB the hero's rival was his half-brother, Jock, who seemed like a "nicer" man, which is why the hero backed-off from pursuing the heroine. There was tension between them because Jim inherited a dukedom he felt Jock was more entitled to.
Then there was the situation with Ginesse. Harry and Dizzy are "odd". They don't fit into society like other people - they just have too many quirks and way too many unusual interests. So why on earth did they send Ginesse away just because she managed to attract trouble? They're the type of parents who would laugh it off and encourage her to be herself even if other people had a problem with it. They would never EVER shun her for it.
Then there was Jim's piss poor attempt at The Speech (yes, I'm talking about Harry's monologue about Dizzy being his Egypt). Jim told Genisse that she was his Solomon's Mine - it was like, 3 sentences long and a blatant (yet crappy) rip-off of that scene in AYD.
Overall, the main characters were horrible on their own but even worse together, the story dragged and made no sense, and we had one shitty Harry/Dizzy appearance. Very disappointed.
Seeing as The Other Guy's Bride was written more than a decade later, I hoped Jim would be like a new and improved Harry 2.0 since the author had all those years to listen to her readers list the reasons why Harry is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Both heroes pine for their heroines, but Harry had so much more passion in his story. It sounds horribly cheesy and over the top but I was genuinely on the verge of tears (with my heart doing funny things) every time I read about his torment of loving Dizzy but not being able to tell her, and then having to watch her being courted by his "superior" cousin. I've read this trope a thousand times but I've never seen it done better than AYD.
It was one of the greatest love stories I've ever read, so I expected Jim to at least be likable but somehow, he actually turned out to be an extremely watered down, pathetic, whiny, annoying version of Harry.
Then there was the heroine.
Oh.
My.
Fuck.
I despised her.
In AYD, Dizzy was just... okay. She was nothing special but I could deal with her since the story had Harry, and Dizzy's only crime was being a little too naive for my liking. But Ginesse turned out to be a colossal clusterfuck of all the things I absolutely hate in heroines. She was entitled, bitchy, rude, violent, impulsive, and she jumped to conclusions. Oh and she was also a fucking hypocrite. I understand that she was supposed to be a fiery free spirit with attitude but it horribly backfired.
I initially gave AYD 4.5 stars but kept it rounded down to 4 because I just didn't find Dizzy "spirited" enough. Well, I quickly went back to round it up to 5 instead since Dizzy could have been so much WORSE. I'm not sure I would have finished the book (even with Harry!) if Genisse was the heroine in it.
Right, so the characters sucked but I hoped that the story would somehow make it more bearable. I'm usually a fan of the "let's survive in the wilderness!" trope but even that couldn't save it. I honestly had no idea what was going on half the time, it was as if the story changed focus every 5 minutes. There didn't seem to be an overall goal to anything.
It was also confusing to have so many names. We switched POVs pretty often but every character referred to the other using a different name. Jim called his half-brother Jock, but Ginesse called him Geoffrey and her grandpa called him Mr. Tynesborough. I mean, really, how was I meant to keep track???
On top of that, there was the weird love triangle that seemed to awfully similar to the one in Book 1:
In AYD the hero's rival was his cousin, Blake who seemed like a "nicer" man, which is why the hero backed-off from pursuing the heroine. There was tension between them because Harry inherited a manor Blake felt entitled to.
In TOGB the hero's rival was his half-brother, Jock, who seemed like a "nicer" man, which is why the hero backed-off from pursuing the heroine. There was tension between them because Jim inherited a dukedom he felt Jock was more entitled to.
Then there was the situation with Ginesse. Harry and Dizzy are "odd". They don't fit into society like other people - they just have too many quirks and way too many unusual interests. So why on earth did they send Ginesse away just because she managed to attract trouble? They're the type of parents who would laugh it off and encourage her to be herself even if other people had a problem with it. They would never EVER shun her for it.
Then there was Jim's piss poor attempt at The Speech (yes, I'm talking about Harry's monologue about Dizzy being his Egypt). Jim told Genisse that she was his Solomon's Mine - it was like, 3 sentences long and a blatant (yet crappy) rip-off of that scene in AYD.
Overall, the main characters were horrible on their own but even worse together, the story dragged and made no sense, and we had one shitty Harry/Dizzy appearance. Very disappointed.
February 22, 2012
The review that follows is a partial review. To read the full text, please visit:
http://tbqspersonalbookpalace.blogspo...
~*~*~
When mistaken identities, secret lives, and an exotic locale like Egypt are thrown together, the outcome can only be one thing—a rocky roller-coaster ride that provides plenty of entertainment!
Ginesse (Ginny) Braxton has been judged by her name for years. As the only daughter of the infamous Harry and Dizzy Braxton, the world expects her to be much like them—a successful Egyptologist who discovers countless finds. But while Ginny has worked hard all her life to fill those shoes, she's never quite done it. And now she's finally realizing that perhaps this career choice was the wrong one for her. There is no passion for her to find in this job, and Ginny has always dreamed of having love and passion—especially in her personal life...
But Ginny wants to give it one more try, and off she goes to find the ancient city of Zerzura, which has been lost for centuries. She knows that no one would dare to be her guide through the desert—first, because of who her father is, and second because she is a young woman. But she won't give up that easily, and when she sees an opportunity arise that would take her close to her final destination, she takes it. She thought she would be finding Zerzura in the desert; she never expected to find love instead...
Jim Owens, believed to be a rough, no-good scoundrel by many who “know” him, is finally repaying his debt to Colonel Lord Pomfrey by delivering his fiance, Miss Whimpelhall, to the fort he commands in the middle of the desert. His first look at Mildred reveals everything Pomfrey told him about the woman—brassy red hair. But her actions are not that of the quiet lady Pomfrey described her as. She says she is Mildred Whimpelhall, so she must be....right? Jim doesn't give it much thought; his job is simply to take the girl to Pomfrey. Besides, he is not who he pretends to be either, so he can't judge her too harshly.
As the days in “Mildred's” company go by, Jim finds himself wishing that he was someone else. It's not right, wanting another man's bride, but even when she returns his affections, he can't offer for her when he has nothing to call his own...Unless he takes back his old life—and his rightful title. But will Mildred—or she he say Ginny—take him up on his offer?
This was a wonderful historical romance, full of adventure and set in exotic Egypt (one of my favorites!). I found The Other Guy's Bride had just enough twists in it to keep the story alive, but not so much that it left it feeling cluttered. I was surprised a few times, which only added to the over-all adventure.
The romance was very nicely done—both tender at times and very steamy during others. It was everything a fan of this genre could ask for—and more! I loved watching Ginny and Jim come to terms with their feelings for each other. They fought the inevitable for so long, but rather than this being an annoyance, it was actually rather fun to read.
...
~*~*~*~
This review is property of NightOwlReviews.com
http://tbqspersonalbookpalace.blogspo...
~*~*~
When mistaken identities, secret lives, and an exotic locale like Egypt are thrown together, the outcome can only be one thing—a rocky roller-coaster ride that provides plenty of entertainment!
Ginesse (Ginny) Braxton has been judged by her name for years. As the only daughter of the infamous Harry and Dizzy Braxton, the world expects her to be much like them—a successful Egyptologist who discovers countless finds. But while Ginny has worked hard all her life to fill those shoes, she's never quite done it. And now she's finally realizing that perhaps this career choice was the wrong one for her. There is no passion for her to find in this job, and Ginny has always dreamed of having love and passion—especially in her personal life...
But Ginny wants to give it one more try, and off she goes to find the ancient city of Zerzura, which has been lost for centuries. She knows that no one would dare to be her guide through the desert—first, because of who her father is, and second because she is a young woman. But she won't give up that easily, and when she sees an opportunity arise that would take her close to her final destination, she takes it. She thought she would be finding Zerzura in the desert; she never expected to find love instead...
Jim Owens, believed to be a rough, no-good scoundrel by many who “know” him, is finally repaying his debt to Colonel Lord Pomfrey by delivering his fiance, Miss Whimpelhall, to the fort he commands in the middle of the desert. His first look at Mildred reveals everything Pomfrey told him about the woman—brassy red hair. But her actions are not that of the quiet lady Pomfrey described her as. She says she is Mildred Whimpelhall, so she must be....right? Jim doesn't give it much thought; his job is simply to take the girl to Pomfrey. Besides, he is not who he pretends to be either, so he can't judge her too harshly.
As the days in “Mildred's” company go by, Jim finds himself wishing that he was someone else. It's not right, wanting another man's bride, but even when she returns his affections, he can't offer for her when he has nothing to call his own...Unless he takes back his old life—and his rightful title. But will Mildred—or she he say Ginny—take him up on his offer?
This was a wonderful historical romance, full of adventure and set in exotic Egypt (one of my favorites!). I found The Other Guy's Bride had just enough twists in it to keep the story alive, but not so much that it left it feeling cluttered. I was surprised a few times, which only added to the over-all adventure.
The romance was very nicely done—both tender at times and very steamy during others. It was everything a fan of this genre could ask for—and more! I loved watching Ginny and Jim come to terms with their feelings for each other. They fought the inevitable for so long, but rather than this being an annoyance, it was actually rather fun to read.
...
~*~*~*~
This review is property of NightOwlReviews.com
December 13, 2011
What a wonderful historical romance! I loved the character of Ginesse. She is a trouble magnet, outspoken, and a closet penny novelist. She is also the daughter of two famous archaeologists and has six younger brothers. She is just returning to Egypt after spending some years in an English finishing school and attending university. She believes that she has discovered the location of a long-lost, ancient city and hopes finding it will make her feel worthy of her distinguished family. She knows that her family won't let her go off exploring on her own. So she switches places with a woman who is on her way to marry her fiance who just happens to be in command of a British fort right where Ginesse wants to be.
The Colonel has provided an escort for his fiance in the person of Jim Owens who happens to owe him a favor. The Colonel saved Jim's life and left him indebted to him. While Jim is a shady character, he is determined to pay off his debt and escort the Colonel's fiance to him. However, Jim takes one look at Ginesse and is immediately attracted. The attraction only grows as he rescues her from a variety of perilous situations. Ginesse is also attracted to him or, at least, her perceived version of him. She sees him as a cowboy who is rough around the edges but has a core of honor.
Jim is in Egypt to get lost. He is on the run from a home life that never made him happy or satisfied. He wants to be declared dead so that his beloved, younger, half-brother will inherit. But it turns out that his younger brother has other plans. He doesn't want Jim's inheritance and has been looking for him for two years. Also, he is an archaeologist that Ginesse worked for when she made her discovery. She thinks of him as a stuffy male who is trying to steal her discovery. He thinks he is in love with her.
The story is filled with humor, misunderstandings, the failure of the hero and heroine to communicate, and some really hot romance. I got swept away in the story and finished it with a big smile on my face. I recommend this one to anyone who enjoys historical romances.
The Colonel has provided an escort for his fiance in the person of Jim Owens who happens to owe him a favor. The Colonel saved Jim's life and left him indebted to him. While Jim is a shady character, he is determined to pay off his debt and escort the Colonel's fiance to him. However, Jim takes one look at Ginesse and is immediately attracted. The attraction only grows as he rescues her from a variety of perilous situations. Ginesse is also attracted to him or, at least, her perceived version of him. She sees him as a cowboy who is rough around the edges but has a core of honor.
Jim is in Egypt to get lost. He is on the run from a home life that never made him happy or satisfied. He wants to be declared dead so that his beloved, younger, half-brother will inherit. But it turns out that his younger brother has other plans. He doesn't want Jim's inheritance and has been looking for him for two years. Also, he is an archaeologist that Ginesse worked for when she made her discovery. She thinks of him as a stuffy male who is trying to steal her discovery. He thinks he is in love with her.
The story is filled with humor, misunderstandings, the failure of the hero and heroine to communicate, and some really hot romance. I got swept away in the story and finished it with a big smile on my face. I recommend this one to anyone who enjoys historical romances.
December 24, 2016
I enjoyed this as much as I can enjoy a book where the entire plot is predicated on a lie. On top of the lying/secrets, I didn't care much for the h. Generally, characters who have huge chips on their shoulders and who have a need to prove something to themselves and others bore me. An author has to strike a fine balance between determination and wilfulness in order to sell that kind of story, and unfortunately this fell short of the mark.
I did enjoy the alternating povs and the characterization of the MCs were deftly done. I just didn't connect with either MC much. Did I sympathize with their individual plights as they were? Yes. Did I understand why they acted the way they did? Absolutely. Did I care all that much what happened to them? Not really. And I wanted to. The portion of the story where the H struggles with how much he desires the h was well written. And the backstories of both MCs were understandable and compelling. Unfortunately, marked the turning point in the story. It just became all angst after that. Throw in a pseudo love triangle, repeated proposal refusals, and I was done caring. And I really couldn't stand the h. Refusing someone's proposal is one thing. Doing so by punching them in the face is just immature and not ok. Why her love interest still wanted her after that was beyond me. Honestly, she was an idiot. And a child in a woman's body.
Surprisingly, I find that I would like to read another Connie Brockway book. As long as the MCs aren't keeping huge secrets or constantly lying. And as long as the MCs are mature and don't act like rude babies. One star for the engaging and easy to read writing, and one start for poignant backstories and a strong first half.
I did enjoy the alternating povs and the characterization of the MCs were deftly done. I just didn't connect with either MC much. Did I sympathize with their individual plights as they were? Yes. Did I understand why they acted the way they did? Absolutely. Did I care all that much what happened to them? Not really. And I wanted to. The portion of the story where the H struggles with how much he desires the h was well written. And the backstories of both MCs were understandable and compelling. Unfortunately, marked the turning point in the story. It just became all angst after that. Throw in a pseudo love triangle, repeated proposal refusals, and I was done caring. And I really couldn't stand the h. Refusing someone's proposal is one thing. Doing so by punching them in the face is just immature and not ok. Why her love interest still wanted her after that was beyond me. Honestly, she was an idiot. And a child in a woman's body.
Surprisingly, I find that I would like to read another Connie Brockway book. As long as the MCs aren't keeping huge secrets or constantly lying. And as long as the MCs are mature and don't act like rude babies. One star for the engaging and easy to read writing, and one start for poignant backstories and a strong first half.
February 11, 2012
I love romance books. You always know what you are going to get; the delicious internal struggles of an awkward woman and rugged man who fight and doubt their burning passions for one another until they both snap and rip each other's clothes off. Throw in a dash of plot, a pinch of insecurity, a cup of sexual tension and stir in meddling families, physical danger and, of course, boners and you've got yourself a romance.
The Other Guy's Bride had all of the above romance-book qualities with a historical and exotic flare. The plot is rich and well developed… that's right, a romance with a plot! Ginesse Braxton, the awkward, stubborn, accident prone but very intelligent protagonist comes from a long line of famous Egyptologists. The story unfolds on her way to Egypt to find the lost city of Zerzura. She steals a woman's identity to gain an escort across the desert to discover the legend and hopefully make a name for herself based on her achievements and not her family background. Her escort, of course, is dangerous and handsome and almost hopelessly damaged. Their relationship is built on lies from the start, I mean the title tells us the dilemma: The Other Guy's Bride. Jim Owens, our yummy half American escort, believes that Ginesse is actually Mildred Whimpelhall who he was entrusted to bring back to her fiancé, and major ass, Lord Pomfrey....
Read the rest of the review here: http://www.bibliobabes.ca/3/post/2012...
The Other Guy's Bride had all of the above romance-book qualities with a historical and exotic flare. The plot is rich and well developed… that's right, a romance with a plot! Ginesse Braxton, the awkward, stubborn, accident prone but very intelligent protagonist comes from a long line of famous Egyptologists. The story unfolds on her way to Egypt to find the lost city of Zerzura. She steals a woman's identity to gain an escort across the desert to discover the legend and hopefully make a name for herself based on her achievements and not her family background. Her escort, of course, is dangerous and handsome and almost hopelessly damaged. Their relationship is built on lies from the start, I mean the title tells us the dilemma: The Other Guy's Bride. Jim Owens, our yummy half American escort, believes that Ginesse is actually Mildred Whimpelhall who he was entrusted to bring back to her fiancé, and major ass, Lord Pomfrey....
Read the rest of the review here: http://www.bibliobabes.ca/3/post/2012...
June 3, 2023
This is officially my favorite historical romance I’ve ever read. There I said it.
The adventure, the romance, the mystery, the action, the family dynamics, JIM FREAKING OWEN.
It was like The Mummy in all the best ways. It was hilarious. It was sexy. I literally could not get enough of this book. I need more historicals like this one!
The adventure, the romance, the mystery, the action, the family dynamics, JIM FREAKING OWEN.
It was like The Mummy in all the best ways. It was hilarious. It was sexy. I literally could not get enough of this book. I need more historicals like this one!
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