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The Virgin Bride
He wanted…an innocent bride
When handsome bachelor Dr. Jason Steel took up residence in the small Australian town of Tindley, he soon knew who he wanted as his wife. Though Emma Churchill hesitated when Jason proposed, he was prepared to wait a month before she gave him her answer. The thought of making love to his virgin wife on their wedding night appealed to a part of him he'd never known existed…
When handsome bachelor Dr. Jason Steel took up residence in the small Australian town of Tindley, he soon knew who he wanted as his wife. Though Emma Churchill hesitated when Jason proposed, he was prepared to wait a month before she gave him her answer. The thought of making love to his virgin wife on their wedding night appealed to a part of him he'd never known existed…
162 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 1999
9 people are currently reading
124 people want to read
About the author
Miranda Lee
815 books235 followersMaureen Mary was born on 1945 at Port Macquarie, a popular seaside town on the Mid-North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, and is the youngest of four children. Her sister was the novelist Wendy Brennan (Emma Darcy). Her father was a country school teacher and brilliant sportsman. Her mother was a talented dressmaker. When Miranda was ten, her father was transferred to Gosford, another coastal town in the countryside, much closer to Sydney. After leaving her convent school, she briefly studied the cello before moving to Sydney, where she embraced the emerging world of computers. Her career as a programmer ended after she married, had three daughters and bought a small acreage in a semi-rural community. Following this, she attempted greyhound training, as well as horse and goat breeding, but was left dissatisfied.
Miranda yearned to find a creative career from which she could earn money. When her sister suggested writing romances, it seemed like a good idea. She could do it at home, and it might even be fun! It took a decade of trial and error before her first romance, After the Affair, was accepted and published. At that time, Miranda, her husband Tony, and her three daughters had moved back to the Central Coast, where they could enjoy the sun and the surf lifestyle once again. Not long into her writing career, Miranda committed herself to writing a six-book series entitled, The Hearts of Fire, with a deadline of just nine short months. Bravely, her husband left his executive position to stay home and support Miranda’s writing career. He learned to cook and to clean, two invaluable household skills. Numerous successful stories followed, each embodying Miranda’s trademark style: pacy and sexy rhythms; passionate, real-life characters; and enduring, memorable story lines. She has one credo when writing romances: Don’t bore the reader! Millions of fans world-wide agree she never does.
Miranda was the sister of the late author, Emma Darcy.
Miranda yearned to find a creative career from which she could earn money. When her sister suggested writing romances, it seemed like a good idea. She could do it at home, and it might even be fun! It took a decade of trial and error before her first romance, After the Affair, was accepted and published. At that time, Miranda, her husband Tony, and her three daughters had moved back to the Central Coast, where they could enjoy the sun and the surf lifestyle once again. Not long into her writing career, Miranda committed herself to writing a six-book series entitled, The Hearts of Fire, with a deadline of just nine short months. Bravely, her husband left his executive position to stay home and support Miranda’s writing career. He learned to cook and to clean, two invaluable household skills. Numerous successful stories followed, each embodying Miranda’s trademark style: pacy and sexy rhythms; passionate, real-life characters; and enduring, memorable story lines. She has one credo when writing romances: Don’t bore the reader! Millions of fans world-wide agree she never does.
Miranda was the sister of the late author, Emma Darcy.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
February 28, 2018
How cute! The entire story is told from hero's POV. I only had that happen to me once before this, with Charlotte Lamb's An Excellent Wife?. Why don't Harlequin authors do that more often? It's really sweet :)
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July 10, 2019
Published in 2002, written in ... 1952 (I hope).
Jason, the handsome doctor hero has a virgin/whore thing going on. He’s had the whore, now he wants the virgin.
The virgin. She has all the coping capabilities of
The H has left the big bad city, the cut-throat atmosphere of the clinic and the big bad ex that misdiagnosed a child’s illness resulting in a death. The term “piece of work” was made for creatures like the ex. So are piece of shite, Cruella, etc.
The H bought a small town practice and realizes he hasn’t had sex in a while, and, heh, Bambi’s, I mean the h’s, aunt just died so Bambi is a good prospect. You think I am kidding. I kid you not.
The proposal is hysterical. He tells Bambi that she would make a good wife and mother, NO, darn it he did not mention that she had good hips for breeding, but he did manage to stick in that she didn’t want to wake up one day and find herself a dried up old spinster with nothing to look forward to but loneliness and rheumatism. Get on with you, you pretty talker, you. She cries.
Amusingly enough the evil OM’s, who got a bad girl pregnant while engaged to the h, last name is Ratchet or Rat-Shit as I like to hear it. Rat-Shit looms large over the relationship.
They get engaged, and the evil OW does an end run around the poor H by spreading lies to Bambi who believes EVERYTHING the OW slings at her. The H is horrified, and the heroine only squeaks by with her total lack of confidence in the hero because he did lie why he went to the big city. (His little brother was sick and he didn’t want to alarm the h over the OW. He tells the OW off brutally which is why she conns the h.)
The H and h get married, and she is a virgin. A virgin that takes to sex like a duck to water. In fact she has to badger the hero to allow her to give him fellatio. A few days into the honeymoon the H catches the h looking sad. Turns out Rat-Shit showed up the morning of the wedding and said sooner or later he was going to get the heroine. The h admits to the soon-to-be-long-suffering H that she may or may not still hung up on Rat-Shit. He doesn’t take it well especially when they get back to the small town and the bad guy just hangs around the h’s sweet cafe.
The evil OM makes a big play for the heroine putting the H in a bad situation. It’s ugly and really not very entertaining.
At this point, any sympathy for Bambi went out the window. There is disingenuous then there is stupid/insensitive as a plank.
I did a turnaround on the hero as he went from clueless to clueless and misjudged.
What could have been a charming story was disrailed by a heroine with few if any brain cells.
Jason, the handsome doctor hero has a virgin/whore thing going on. He’s had the whore, now he wants the virgin.
The virgin. She has all the coping capabilities of
The H has left the big bad city, the cut-throat atmosphere of the clinic and the big bad ex that misdiagnosed a child’s illness resulting in a death. The term “piece of work” was made for creatures like the ex. So are piece of shite, Cruella, etc.
The H bought a small town practice and realizes he hasn’t had sex in a while, and, heh, Bambi’s, I mean the h’s, aunt just died so Bambi is a good prospect. You think I am kidding. I kid you not.
The proposal is hysterical. He tells Bambi that she would make a good wife and mother, NO, darn it he did not mention that she had good hips for breeding, but he did manage to stick in that she didn’t want to wake up one day and find herself a dried up old spinster with nothing to look forward to but loneliness and rheumatism. Get on with you, you pretty talker, you. She cries.
Amusingly enough the evil OM’s, who got a bad girl pregnant while engaged to the h, last name is Ratchet or Rat-Shit as I like to hear it. Rat-Shit looms large over the relationship.
They get engaged, and the evil OW does an end run around the poor H by spreading lies to Bambi who believes EVERYTHING the OW slings at her. The H is horrified, and the heroine only squeaks by with her total lack of confidence in the hero because he did lie why he went to the big city. (His little brother was sick and he didn’t want to alarm the h over the OW. He tells the OW off brutally which is why she conns the h.)
The H and h get married, and she is a virgin. A virgin that takes to sex like a duck to water. In fact she has to badger the hero to allow her to give him fellatio. A few days into the honeymoon the H catches the h looking sad. Turns out Rat-Shit showed up the morning of the wedding and said sooner or later he was going to get the heroine. The h admits to the soon-to-be-long-suffering H that she may or may not still hung up on Rat-Shit. He doesn’t take it well especially when they get back to the small town and the bad guy just hangs around the h’s sweet cafe.
The evil OM makes a big play for the heroine putting the H in a bad situation. It’s ugly and really not very entertaining.
At this point, any sympathy for Bambi went out the window. There is disingenuous then there is stupid/insensitive as a plank.
I did a turnaround on the hero as he went from clueless to clueless and misjudged.
What could have been a charming story was disrailed by a heroine with few if any brain cells.
February 28, 2018
It was cute, then it wasn’t.
Hero was respectful, then he wasn’t.
He was also VERY dishonest to himself.
He expected heroine to trust him on his words saying a marriage is nothing without faith when the evidences were very much against him, but he failed to show her the same courtesy.
He didn’t deserve to be forgiven for his callous treatment to his wife. Despite my not liking her lack of decision making skills.
Because she WAS honest. He KNEW about the OM and his hold on the heroine because heroine never pretended anything.
He on the other hand ferociously claimed he was over the OW, but lied to the heroine about her and heroine had every right to react the way she did and not trust him.
He had NO right.
His thinking he can deal with an imaginary OM, but unable to deal with the real one was NOT heroine’s shortcoming but his own. HE SHOULD have thought about it because Emma sure as hell mentioned it endless time.
He overstepped a boundary when he decided to punish Emma for HIS OWN shortcomings. All respect were forever lost. And once I lose my respect I can never forgive that character no matter what. He never managed to earn my respect back either. Because he did nothing mature.
I understand jealousy doesn’t follow rationale but Emma called him out on his double standards without any empathy and kids gloves rightly so, yet he decided not to practice what he preached.
He almost raped her. The century old tradition of men punishing women when they know they have been rightfully defeated and it was their own damn fault and they have nothing going on their favour.
Now why haven’t I shelved this as a sexual abuse? Because desperate to mend her marriage, Emma didn’t let him fulfil his violent thoughts towards her. She gave consent, physically. But if she didn’t, what would have happened is anyone’s guess. Neither the author nor the hero has any way of proving he wouldn’t have raped her. Because we were given his inner thoughts. His intent was rape or sexual punishment.
After this incident he kept using her as sexual outlet, not as a wife.
He broke his wedding vows if you ask me, because he wasn’t with her in bad times. And he sure as hell broke his promises of ALWAYS making her happy and respecting her.
Why the three stars. Heroine actually addressed each and every one of my concerns above sans the near rape (no author ever admitted their heroes being rapist, except for a couple rare situations) and told him in no uncertain terms that this was unacceptable and he’s a cruel abusive ass. (We also saw his cruel streak with his ex, he once again crossed the boundaries. She may have been a mercenary cow, but so was he until his priorities changed. He ENJOYED what she had to offer and just because his attention now shifted toward a submissive woman rather than a dominant one, didn’t give him any right to be cruel. If he was cruel to her because he was making a pass at someone who was taken, I’d understand it, but it was VERY clear he was cruel because he found her not so appealing anymore. Once again that’s his problem, not hers. He probably would have taken up on her offer of quickie if it was two months ago, which he had done in the past. So nothing changed except for him and he can’t be cruel to people because they don’t fit HIS mould). So she walks out on him with strong indications that it’ll have to be him who’d have to compromise his ego long enough to discuss things maturely and prove that he can in fact respect her and make her happy like he promised.
That’s what somewhat saved the book.
I didn’t believe his love. A man in love doesn’t treat his wife with disrespect as he had claimed of the OM. She was his possession. His virgin wife. It was a primitive possessiveness that I felt which most experienced men feels towards their inexperienced women. Nothing more.
However the HEA was believable if we’re talking happy marriage rather than love. There have been plenty happy marriages in history without romantic love involved. This was one of them. I really didn’t feel any love from either MCs.
And I never found myself to respect the hero. He didn’t practice what he preached. He thought he’d be trusted without question but he could treat his wife like a whore. Not. Cool. If you want respect and trust, you need earn it, by your actions and by giving it to the other party. He failed the heroine.
Hero was respectful, then he wasn’t.
He was also VERY dishonest to himself.
He expected heroine to trust him on his words saying a marriage is nothing without faith when the evidences were very much against him, but he failed to show her the same courtesy.
He didn’t deserve to be forgiven for his callous treatment to his wife. Despite my not liking her lack of decision making skills.
Because she WAS honest. He KNEW about the OM and his hold on the heroine because heroine never pretended anything.
He on the other hand ferociously claimed he was over the OW, but lied to the heroine about her and heroine had every right to react the way she did and not trust him.
He had NO right.
His thinking he can deal with an imaginary OM, but unable to deal with the real one was NOT heroine’s shortcoming but his own. HE SHOULD have thought about it because Emma sure as hell mentioned it endless time.
He overstepped a boundary when he decided to punish Emma for HIS OWN shortcomings. All respect were forever lost. And once I lose my respect I can never forgive that character no matter what. He never managed to earn my respect back either. Because he did nothing mature.
I understand jealousy doesn’t follow rationale but Emma called him out on his double standards without any empathy and kids gloves rightly so, yet he decided not to practice what he preached.
He almost raped her. The century old tradition of men punishing women when they know they have been rightfully defeated and it was their own damn fault and they have nothing going on their favour.
Now why haven’t I shelved this as a sexual abuse? Because desperate to mend her marriage, Emma didn’t let him fulfil his violent thoughts towards her. She gave consent, physically. But if she didn’t, what would have happened is anyone’s guess. Neither the author nor the hero has any way of proving he wouldn’t have raped her. Because we were given his inner thoughts. His intent was rape or sexual punishment.
After this incident he kept using her as sexual outlet, not as a wife.
He broke his wedding vows if you ask me, because he wasn’t with her in bad times. And he sure as hell broke his promises of ALWAYS making her happy and respecting her.
Why the three stars. Heroine actually addressed each and every one of my concerns above sans the near rape (no author ever admitted their heroes being rapist, except for a couple rare situations) and told him in no uncertain terms that this was unacceptable and he’s a cruel abusive ass. (We also saw his cruel streak with his ex, he once again crossed the boundaries. She may have been a mercenary cow, but so was he until his priorities changed. He ENJOYED what she had to offer and just because his attention now shifted toward a submissive woman rather than a dominant one, didn’t give him any right to be cruel. If he was cruel to her because he was making a pass at someone who was taken, I’d understand it, but it was VERY clear he was cruel because he found her not so appealing anymore. Once again that’s his problem, not hers. He probably would have taken up on her offer of quickie if it was two months ago, which he had done in the past. So nothing changed except for him and he can’t be cruel to people because they don’t fit HIS mould). So she walks out on him with strong indications that it’ll have to be him who’d have to compromise his ego long enough to discuss things maturely and prove that he can in fact respect her and make her happy like he promised.
That’s what somewhat saved the book.
I didn’t believe his love. A man in love doesn’t treat his wife with disrespect as he had claimed of the OM. She was his possession. His virgin wife. It was a primitive possessiveness that I felt which most experienced men feels towards their inexperienced women. Nothing more.
However the HEA was believable if we’re talking happy marriage rather than love. There have been plenty happy marriages in history without romantic love involved. This was one of them. I really didn’t feel any love from either MCs.
And I never found myself to respect the hero. He didn’t practice what he preached. He thought he’d be trusted without question but he could treat his wife like a whore. Not. Cool. If you want respect and trust, you need earn it, by your actions and by giving it to the other party. He failed the heroine.
March 25, 2018
I didn't like this one as much the second time around. I think because I knew what was coming and I wasn't as caught up in the story and I could focus more on the characters.
While the hero was trying to be all business about his proposal to the heroine, it was obvious he was attracted to her and truly longed to have a relationship with her. That he thought he could fast forward to the good stuff (intimacy, family life, stability) shows his general impatience - but it doesn't make him cold-hearted.
The heroine was trying to protect herself as well. She used her bad-boy crush like a cudgel to keep the hero in line. And who could blame her with the OW visiting and spreading her lies. The bad boy cudgel was fine before they were married, but her decampment to her house and the fact that she kept listening to the OM was bit much to take. I'm glad the hero laid him out *and* got to the bottom of why the OM was so persistent. (Heroine had a trust fund.)
I think this H/h will be fine now that the OW and OM have faded into the mists. There's no substitute for time and experience to grow a relationship and I think they both found this out.
The hero's brother taking over the sweet shop was a nice touch.
While the hero was trying to be all business about his proposal to the heroine, it was obvious he was attracted to her and truly longed to have a relationship with her. That he thought he could fast forward to the good stuff (intimacy, family life, stability) shows his general impatience - but it doesn't make him cold-hearted.
The heroine was trying to protect herself as well. She used her bad-boy crush like a cudgel to keep the hero in line. And who could blame her with the OW visiting and spreading her lies. The bad boy cudgel was fine before they were married, but her decampment to her house and the fact that she kept listening to the OM was bit much to take. I'm glad the hero laid him out *and* got to the bottom of why the OM was so persistent. (Heroine had a trust fund.)
I think this H/h will be fine now that the OW and OM have faded into the mists. There's no substitute for time and experience to grow a relationship and I think they both found this out.
The hero's brother taking over the sweet shop was a nice touch.
July 10, 2019
I thought this was going to be a completely different storyline. It popped up when I was doing an Overdrive search for a Clare Connelly book (silly reeder, Kindle Unlimited books aren't available via Overdrive) and when I read the description, I just knew this was going to be a book about a sophisticated alpha male who decided he was entitled to a "pure" wife and thought he was getting one in the small town girl he targeted as his bride, but then discovered on their wedding night that she was *gasp* not a virgin. And then there would be the requisite slut-shaming before he came to terms with his own hypocrisy and discovered that he loved this woman, not her hymen.
But no. That wasn't it at all. I feel like I can't fairly rate the actual story because I prefer the one I made up.
But no. That wasn't it at all. I feel like I can't fairly rate the actual story because I prefer the one I made up.
July 21, 2018
I was as elated as Naksed for having a H's POV HP.
The thing is I didn't read it with the seriousness Kiki, KC and StMargarets did. I laughed and laughed and laughed as if I was watching a soap opera with Itatí Cantoral. Otherwise, I wouldn't have coped with so much OW/OM drama, especially all the memories of the OW.
At first, I agreed with Vintage in thinking the h needed some brain cells but without her POV we can't really know how conniving she really was. She knew that if she really wanted to have Dean (OM) for her she couldn't give him el tesorito or she would be just like the others.
The thing is I didn't read it with the seriousness Kiki, KC and StMargarets did. I laughed and laughed and laughed as if I was watching a soap opera with Itatí Cantoral. Otherwise, I wouldn't have coped with so much OW/OM drama, especially all the memories of the OW.
At first, I agreed with Vintage in thinking the h needed some brain cells but without her POV we can't really know how conniving she really was. She knew that if she really wanted to have Dean (OM) for her she couldn't give him el tesorito or she would be just like the others.
March 10, 2017
Doctor Jason Steel abandons the big city and the doctor he’d been about to marry for a small provincial town. When his patient dies he decides to marry her niece, Emma. He knows Emma is still in love with her ex boyfriend even after he betrayed her but he thinks a marriage without love is not necessarily a bad thing. But the unthinkable happens. He falls in love with his wife and he now wants her heart as well. I loved his jealousy and insecurity but I was bothered by Emma kissing her ex even after her wedding to Jason. That's cheating as far as I am concerned. I still loved the angst though and I read this book in one sitting so I admit I found it very compelling!
October 24, 2023
Από τις ελάχιστες ιστορίες αγάπης που βλέπουμε μόνο την πλευρά του άνδρα!
3,5/5
3,5/5
July 22, 2018
Sweet and pleasant
Enhancing the homespun vibe was the sweet and old-fashioned heroine, Emma, whose killer-homemaker skills would probably make Martha Stewart proud. And, wow, neighbors who apparently had nothing better to do than gossip, because boredom?! SMH.
Anyway, I liked how besotted and protective Jason turned out to be. Emma, in turn, definitely kept Jason on his toes for the whole book. I wasn't a fan on how long it took her to make a critical decision though, but there'd be no story without conflict.
Jason's best-laid plans for a marriage based on convenience seemed like a sensible idea, but it's hampered by conniving exes, poor communication, misunderstandings, oh, and that pesky thing called love.
Enhancing the homespun vibe was the sweet and old-fashioned heroine, Emma, whose killer-homemaker skills would probably make Martha Stewart proud. And, wow, neighbors who apparently had nothing better to do than gossip, because boredom?! SMH.
Anyway, I liked how besotted and protective Jason turned out to be. Emma, in turn, definitely kept Jason on his toes for the whole book. I wasn't a fan on how long it took her to make a critical decision though, but there'd be no story without conflict.
Jason's best-laid plans for a marriage based on convenience seemed like a sensible idea, but it's hampered by conniving exes, poor communication, misunderstandings, oh, and that pesky thing called love.
May 8, 2009
He is a doctor who escapes from the rat race and settles into a sleepy small town. She is a small town girl who never got over her ex-fiancee.
I wasnt too crazy about how everything was black and white in the book. The H/H are good; the exes are bad people who try to break them up. Lots of misunderstandings ensue.
Lee doesn't usually write such a sanctimonious hero. I guess she was trying for something different.
I wasnt too crazy about how everything was black and white in the book. The H/H are good; the exes are bad people who try to break them up. Lots of misunderstandings ensue.
Lee doesn't usually write such a sanctimonious hero. I guess she was trying for something different.
hq-to-read
June 14, 2021He wanted...an innocent bride
When handsome bachelor Dr. Jason Steel took up residence in the small Australian town of Tindley, he soon knew who he wanted as his wife. Though Emma Churchill hesitated when Jason proposed, he was prepared to wait a month before she gave him her answer. The thought of making love to his virgin wife on their wedding night appealed to a part of him he'd never known existed...
When handsome bachelor Dr. Jason Steel took up residence in the small Australian town of Tindley, he soon knew who he wanted as his wife. Though Emma Churchill hesitated when Jason proposed, he was prepared to wait a month before she gave him her answer. The thought of making love to his virgin wife on their wedding night appealed to a part of him he'd never known existed...
March 24, 2022
This was different because it has only the hero's point of view, so we have a nice trip inside an hp hero from the beginning to the end.
It was fun, because this hero is not an alpha man, he's definitely a beta, and he's not a mean one, thank god.
Both characters are on the rebound.
The hero is a doctor who, after working in Sidney for some years, decides to go to live and work in a small country town.
He has been in a relationship with a collegue for 3 years, a woman with no scruples and no morals, only interested in money and sex.
He was madly in love with her until she made a mistake and let a child die dismissing it wihout feeling guilty.
The heroine is a young and innocent girl who was in love with the town's bad boy, and left him because he was cheating on her.
The hero thinks that even if both of them are in love with another person they could have a good marriage because they both want the same thing: a family and children.
The heroine is not very sure about it but then accepts his proposal.
So the hero dates the heroine for one month, and he makes the first mistake.
His ex calls him to tell him his brother is in hospital with severe food poison.
The hero is still attracted to her, or so he thinks, because only listening to her voice on the phone he's excited and horny. Not good.
He shouldn't be hot for another woman when he's in a relationship with the heroine.
He doesn't tell the heroine his ex called him and goes to Sidney telling her a lie.
Luckily when he sees her he doesn't feel attracted and understands he's completely over her.
He's also very mean to her when she tries to seduce him, which I found absolutely excessive and rude.
After all it was him who dumped her because he despised her, so he should have been a lil more gentle with her.
The woman of course goes straight to the heroine with a sob story and when the hero ccomes back they almost break up.
They get married, and the second part of the book is all about the lil virgin becoming a sex machine and the hero understanding he's madly in love with her.
But still there's om around, and the heroine confesses that she saw him before the marriage and she doesn't know how she feels about him.
That was tacky too, because really, om was a loser and a renegade, and the heroine doesn't seem the type of girl to fall for a fake like him.
The hero is angry and hurt, he loves her and can't accept she could be in love with om, even if before their marriage they both were quite sincere about their feelings and he told her he was in love with another woman, and love didn't enter in their marriage.
So when they come back home he's always grumpy and mean, and when someone tells him om is always snooping around the heroine's shop, he's furious.
They break up and the heroine decides to live for some time in her shop, but the hero understands he's going to lose her with his behaviour and confronts om.
The man tells him the heroine's an heiress and he's going to marry her.
The hero goes back to her and tells her he loves her, but om is already there and the heroine seems to be fascinated by the man and she doesn't actually seem to believe the hero's words.
Eventually she goes back to him, telling she loves him and not om, but she thought he was still in love with om.
So all is well and they have a daughter and are happy.
It was a decent read, I didn't like that both were in love with other people and that the hero thought constantly to his ex and compared her with the heroine all the time, thinking how much more sexy and beautiful she was than the heroine. The part where she called him and he was instantly aroused by her voice was tackiest of the tacky. And the fact that he admitted to love ow madly was bad, because the woman was shallow and mean, and he couldn't understand it until it was too late.
Thank god in the second part he changed his tune, because he was in love with the heroine and he liked her enough.
The heroine was not a prize too, because she wasn't able to understand that om was a sham and a con, I can't understand how a nice and innocent girl could fall in love with a man like that, who cheated on her with every woman, available or not, it was not believable.
And she should have told him not to come to her shop every day since she was married. Her behaviour was not honest.
I had the feeling that both were second best and they "settled" with a partner who was reliable and safe, but they both preferred om/ow because they were more exciting and interesting. The hero especially thought that sex with ow was much more exciting, and it was not good for meeeeeeeee.
Two average persons who chose the safest way.
Not my favourite plot.
It was fun, because this hero is not an alpha man, he's definitely a beta, and he's not a mean one, thank god.
Both characters are on the rebound.
The hero is a doctor who, after working in Sidney for some years, decides to go to live and work in a small country town.
He has been in a relationship with a collegue for 3 years, a woman with no scruples and no morals, only interested in money and sex.
He was madly in love with her until she made a mistake and let a child die dismissing it wihout feeling guilty.
The heroine is a young and innocent girl who was in love with the town's bad boy, and left him because he was cheating on her.
The hero thinks that even if both of them are in love with another person they could have a good marriage because they both want the same thing: a family and children.
The heroine is not very sure about it but then accepts his proposal.
So the hero dates the heroine for one month, and he makes the first mistake.
His ex calls him to tell him his brother is in hospital with severe food poison.
The hero is still attracted to her, or so he thinks, because only listening to her voice on the phone he's excited and horny. Not good.
He shouldn't be hot for another woman when he's in a relationship with the heroine.
He doesn't tell the heroine his ex called him and goes to Sidney telling her a lie.
Luckily when he sees her he doesn't feel attracted and understands he's completely over her.
He's also very mean to her when she tries to seduce him, which I found absolutely excessive and rude.
After all it was him who dumped her because he despised her, so he should have been a lil more gentle with her.
The woman of course goes straight to the heroine with a sob story and when the hero ccomes back they almost break up.
They get married, and the second part of the book is all about the lil virgin becoming a sex machine and the hero understanding he's madly in love with her.
But still there's om around, and the heroine confesses that she saw him before the marriage and she doesn't know how she feels about him.
That was tacky too, because really, om was a loser and a renegade, and the heroine doesn't seem the type of girl to fall for a fake like him.
The hero is angry and hurt, he loves her and can't accept she could be in love with om, even if before their marriage they both were quite sincere about their feelings and he told her he was in love with another woman, and love didn't enter in their marriage.
So when they come back home he's always grumpy and mean, and when someone tells him om is always snooping around the heroine's shop, he's furious.
They break up and the heroine decides to live for some time in her shop, but the hero understands he's going to lose her with his behaviour and confronts om.
The man tells him the heroine's an heiress and he's going to marry her.
The hero goes back to her and tells her he loves her, but om is already there and the heroine seems to be fascinated by the man and she doesn't actually seem to believe the hero's words.
Eventually she goes back to him, telling she loves him and not om, but she thought he was still in love with om.
So all is well and they have a daughter and are happy.
It was a decent read, I didn't like that both were in love with other people and that the hero thought constantly to his ex and compared her with the heroine all the time, thinking how much more sexy and beautiful she was than the heroine. The part where she called him and he was instantly aroused by her voice was tackiest of the tacky. And the fact that he admitted to love ow madly was bad, because the woman was shallow and mean, and he couldn't understand it until it was too late.
Thank god in the second part he changed his tune, because he was in love with the heroine and he liked her enough.
The heroine was not a prize too, because she wasn't able to understand that om was a sham and a con, I can't understand how a nice and innocent girl could fall in love with a man like that, who cheated on her with every woman, available or not, it was not believable.
And she should have told him not to come to her shop every day since she was married. Her behaviour was not honest.
I had the feeling that both were second best and they "settled" with a partner who was reliable and safe, but they both preferred om/ow because they were more exciting and interesting. The hero especially thought that sex with ow was much more exciting, and it was not good for meeeeeeeee.
Two average persons who chose the safest way.
Not my favourite plot.
February 13, 2022
Emma and Jason
Wow. This book really didn't live up to my expectations. What a disappointment. I should have known better. The story is old fashioned, with an insured heroine and an arrogant H, that wanted a virgin for a wife. Their 2 exes took up to much space in the story and I really could find their romance believable.
Wow. This book really didn't live up to my expectations. What a disappointment. I should have known better. The story is old fashioned, with an insured heroine and an arrogant H, that wanted a virgin for a wife. Their 2 exes took up to much space in the story and I really could find their romance believable.
October 19, 2022
Que treta de história, tanto o médico como ela eram estranhos e entram num casamento de fachada para esquecerem os amores do passado mas acabam a infernizar-se um ao outro, no fim tudo corre bem mas não gostei!
March 17, 2021
Boring, didn't finish, skimmed part of it. Why would a nice girl fall for a creep like her former fiance???
August 18, 2020
2/3 stars
July 6, 2011
The Virgin Bride is Miranda Lee’s 51st romance novel. Owing to a crisis of conscience, Dr Jason Steel abandons the prestigious job in a gung-ho bulk-billing Sydney medical practice and Adele, the beautiful, brilliant, sexy doctor he’d been about to marry, for a share in a GP practice in the sedate southern NSW country town of Tindley. And when his patient, elderly sweet shop owner, Ivy Churchill, passes on after succumbing to cancer, he decides that marrying Ivy’s niece, Emma, would be a sensible thing to do. He understands that Emma is still in love with the town’s bad boy, Dean Ratchitt, even after he betrayed her with another woman, but he decides love is not necessary for a marriage to succeed. But both Emma and Jason have something to learn about trust before they can be happy. Another sweet romance from Miranda Lee.
June 11, 2017
Terrible book. If this were the first Miranda Lee book I've read I'd never read a second book ever again! This 1999 book felt do old fashioned and dated. I can excuse it since it is set in small town Australia. ..
What I cannot like are 1) Both Jason and Emma are not very likeable to me...I find Emma childish at times and yet nature and sensible...she's 22 not that young. Jason comes across as an ass sometimes yet he could be nice...the way he suddenly and viciously attacked Adele verbally in the hospital was shocking...so too were hos jealous fits and calling Emma nasty names. It's tough to read and like a book if I don't feel drawn into the main couple.
2) The 2 exes...if our main couple was not thinking about them, they were talking about them...seeing them...dreading them. Gosh this is a romance! It felt like a foursome and it's gross Adele and Dean even hooked up! They do sound like they deserved each other though, these two horrible exes. The way they manipulated facts and put on acts as victims really turned my stomach. These two could really win some Villains of the Year awards!
The small town nosiness is overwhelming in the book...supposed to be endearing but it just freaks out the introvert in me.
I'm so glad Miranda Lee's riting improved so much...post 2000 her books are what I like best.
What I cannot like are 1) Both Jason and Emma are not very likeable to me...I find Emma childish at times and yet nature and sensible...she's 22 not that young. Jason comes across as an ass sometimes yet he could be nice...the way he suddenly and viciously attacked Adele verbally in the hospital was shocking...so too were hos jealous fits and calling Emma nasty names. It's tough to read and like a book if I don't feel drawn into the main couple.
2) The 2 exes...if our main couple was not thinking about them, they were talking about them...seeing them...dreading them. Gosh this is a romance! It felt like a foursome and it's gross Adele and Dean even hooked up! They do sound like they deserved each other though, these two horrible exes. The way they manipulated facts and put on acts as victims really turned my stomach. These two could really win some Villains of the Year awards!
The small town nosiness is overwhelming in the book...supposed to be endearing but it just freaks out the introvert in me.
I'm so glad Miranda Lee's riting improved so much...post 2000 her books are what I like best.
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