Ashton's Bride

by Judith O'Brien

Reporting to her new teaching position in Tennessee, northern-born Margaret is stunned by a portrait that resembles the man of her fantasies and is transported back in time to the arms of Confederate General Ashton Johnson. Original.

Genres: Time Travel, Romance, Historical Romance, Time Travel Romance, Civil War, Paranormal Romance, Historical

352 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 1995

About the author

Writing romance novels has got to be the way to make a living in the world. What other career allows you to send the kids off to school, walk the dog, and vanish into the most fascinating of historical times and places, with the most glorious of men, to escape danger and find everlasting love for the rest of the day?

Like most writers, I knew early on that I wanted to be a writer. Well, almost. Actually, writing was the third choice on my short list of career possibilities, right after Fairy Princess and Prima Ballerina. The first two didn't work out. So after college I moved to New York, where I worked for Seventeen Magazine. Not only had I never really been to New York before, but I believe I was the only editorial assistant in the magazine industry who still wore knee socks. Soon I was promoted to Editor of the "Letters to the Editor" department. Yes, there really IS an editor for the letters to the editor column. But it allowed me to write articles, answer the personal problems of teens (boys and zits were the big topics of concern), and rummage through the back files of the magazine. I found Sylvia Plath's original carbon of a short story she submitted while still in high school. There were articles on up-and-coming talents with names like Judy Holiday, Marlon Brando and Elvis. And very occasionally I was employed as a last-minute makeover subject. That was me looking miserable after getting the "Brideshead Revisited" bob.

Then I lucked into a fabulous job - as a jacket copy writer at a publishing house called Pocket Books. There I first read Jude Deveraux, Judith McNaught and Julie Garwood in manuscript form, and from those I would compose the blurbs for the book covers. It was heaven. I would read straight through my lunch hour, thus accounting for the chicken salad and iced tea on the returned manuscripts. But as much as I loved reading those marvelous stories, what I really wanted to do was to write one. Just one. Just to see what would happen.

Life interfered. I went back into magazines, this time at Self as an editor and writer. I got married, then had my son. I was still on maternity leave, writing general health articles while bouncing a newborn on my knee, that I began to dream once again of writing a romance novel. So that is exactly what I did. And I modestly claim to have written the most horrendous first three chapters of ANY book, in ANY genre, at ANY time in history. Unfortunately, still addled by the turmoil of being a new mom (hey, it's an excuse), I actually sent the wretched chapters to agents and publishers.

The rejections were polite form letters. Dozens of them. I shoved them into a bottom drawer and stuck to articles, becoming a free-lance writer and full-time mom. A few years later I gave romance writing another try. This time I sent it to only one person, Linda Marrow, with whom I had worked at Pocket Books years earlier. I certainly did not expect her to accept the manuscript. But I did hope she would let me know which editor at whatever house just might be interested in my time-travel romance.

Instead, I received a call from Linda three days later, offering me a two book contract.

Now I am a single mom. My son is twelve. I live in Brooklyn. And I'm lucky enough to write romance novels for a living. So please excuse me while I slip into something more comfortable. Such as Civil War Atlanta, or Tudor England, or Georgian Ireland, or....Did I mention how much I love this job?

Reviews

[Beatriz · Rating 2 out of 5]

No me gustó mucho la verdad, aunque reconozco que está bien escrito y la autora tiene una prosa muy agradable de leer.

El problema está en que nunca se decide respecto de qué quiere contar y cómo lo quiere contar. Es una novela romántica, sí, pero a pesar de su portada horrorosa pero sugerente, carece de todos los componentes de quienes gustamos del género: las escenas entre los dos personajes principales son pocas y bastante sosas (qué decir de las íntimas, nada de nada).

Por otra parte, el componente de viaje en el tiempo no es tal, sino que lo que se traslada 100 años atrás es la conciencia de Margaret (o su espíritu, como quieran) que toma el cuerpo de la prometida de Ashton en su lecho de muerte; por lo mismo, no hay desarrollo de sentimientos entre ambos personajes, ya que para él es su Mag de siempre, aunque por supuesto nota los cambios de carácter y asume que se deben a haber estado cercana a la muerte.

Se generan algunas situaciones que yo calificaría más en un género de aventuras, con la Guerra de Secesión como telón de fondo, que a mi gusto son las que salvan un poco el libro.

En fin, una lectura con muchos altos y bajos, que no recomiendo ni por la parte romántica ni por la fantástica de viajes en el tiempo (mal abordada a mi parecer). Los que gusten de las novelas históricas de aventuras podrán sacarle un poco más de jugo.

Reto #28 Pop Sugar 2017: Un libro que suceda durante la guerra

[gremlinkitten · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. It was well-written, Margaret and Ashton were sympathetic, but I hated the way she time-traveled. It started off well enough until that point and I had a hard time getting past it. (I'll talk more about that in a hidden spoiler) Other than the time-travel, which is a big part of the book obviously, I enjoyed it. The relationship between Margaret and Ashton was pretty realistic and loving. So as far as time-travel romances, it's not one of my favorites, but it is still a good love story. In some ways, I think it might have been better strictly as historical romance.

Be warned! Massive ranting ahead!

1. Like I said before, I hated her time-travel method. I don't quite get even how she time-traveled and the part I hate the absolute most is that she's in someone else's body. I just recently read a short story that had the same time-travel method, except that it was explained. I just find it disturbing and creepy, not to mention the amount of times it is said in the book how beautiful and perfect her looks are. Pretty nauseating. I just don't know how you could get used to looking in the mirror and not seeing yourself. That'd just be weird to me, even if I did happen to enter into a drop-dead gorgeous body. And Margaret acted like she was some freak of nature when she was in 1993. Boo hoo. Be happy with yourself for goodness sake! It seemed somewhat like the author was saying that you're not good enough if you're not beautiful. At least, that's the impression it gave to me.

2. It seemed to me that Ashton was infatuated with Mag. He couldn't have possibly actually loved her the way she was before Margaret entered her body, but he said he had. He really had to have fallen in love with Margaret, not Mag, and the blurriness there bothered me.

3. They're cousins. Okay so Margaret actually isn't, but the body she's in is. So what about children? Not a major point since cousins marrying isn't all that odd back then, but because of my other problems, it creeped me out more here.

4. Margaret's whole "revelation." She says now her parents and siblings never went to Cape Cod and are alive after all since they only went because of her and now she's back in time, and her parents only had two kids and not three. Umm no. If her parents never had her, then it would be impossible (yes, so is time-travel, but that's beside the point) for her to have gone back in time at all! She would have disappeared; she couldn't just be there now! Am I the only one who can see that?! Remember the photo featuring disappearing McFly's in Back to the Future? What comes around goes around. There's a few instances of that, but this is the one that bothers me most.

5. How did the papers show up? Seemed really unnecessary just to have Ashton believe her.

Had the back cover described how exactly Margaret time-traveled (like a mention of waking up in a strange body, perhaps?), maybe I wouldn't have had such a hard time with the concept and the other stuff wouldn't have bothered me as much. Who's to know? I promise, I'm really not crazy, even if my rants point to the contrary. I really think it could have been a great story, and I'm sure others will enjoy it, I just was left very disappointed.

[CLM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding story which helped change my attitude about the Civil War. Heroine Margaret Garnett is a professor who arrives at a Tennessee college (based on Sewanee) and becomes fascinated by a civil war general. O'Brien handles the time travel from present day to 1860s convincingly and creates unique characters. The ending trails off a bit but on the whole a great twist on a standard theme.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book I am going to re-read...I remember really liking this one. Hope it stands up to the time test.

[Ana M. Román · Rating 5 out of 5]

Increíblemente divertido y fresco. Me muero de ganas de volver a leer algo de la autora.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time travel historical fiction romance. A little bit too heavy on the romance side for me personally but this was really a delightfully sweet and fun book to read. Would be a great beach book as it didn’t take a lot of brain energy. Not much out there written by this author (which is a shame...the writing has such a nice easy style) or I’d definitely look for other things she’s written. It’s one of those books that just makes you happy to read.

[Leo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've got split feelings on this. It's well written and I liked some parts of the story but I found other parts lacking and a bit confusing, like the whole "travel back in time and transferd into another body" and the relationship it self I got some questions about. But overall a good story

[Janiere James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting read!

[AE · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful time-travel love story. Absolutely adored Margaret and Ashton. Very likely will read again.

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good

[Tina Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this authors style of writing. After reading her book 'rhapsody in time' I had over inflated hopes for this book. Although it did deliver as being another great book it was a little hard to follow. The main character taking on a new body was slightly confusing as well.
However as with her other books this author does describe everything so that you feel that you've been there.
I do recommend the book for time travel romance lovers though I definitely wouldn't start out on this one.

[sheh · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites which I keep reading again and again.
Ashton being the gentleman that he is and is full of romatic streak in him but not the 'head over heels fools' that are how most H are depicted nowadays. And Margaret, my favorite type of h, intelligent and not those kinds that are simply too tedious to always needs rescuing.
2 thumbs up

[Mystique · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting...but went by a bit too fast and there wasn't much of a character development...otherwise, it did manage to keep my interest and had me flipping page after page to get to the end...

there was also a bit of humour that had me laughing;)
Overall, 4 stars..

[Mum · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book, that spun time travel. It was a little far-fetched, even for time travel adventures. I appreciated the humor.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Found it to be very romantic.