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Convict Wives #1
The Convict's Bounty Bride
Life as a convict in an Australian penal colony was brutal, but James Hunter had the advantages of raw physical strength and courage on his side. He survived, and now he is back; a self‐made man of means, determined to take the bride he was promised.
Lady Thea Willers knows nothing of the bargain her father made to save her brother, nor does she have any interest in marriage. It might be a radical idea, but what Thea wants is a career.
The revelation that her brother’s liberty depends on her marrying James Hunter is devastating. But nothing, it seems, has the power to shake Thea’s world upside down like James himself, or the way he makes her feel.
Lady Thea Willers knows nothing of the bargain her father made to save her brother, nor does she have any interest in marriage. It might be a radical idea, but what Thea wants is a career.
The revelation that her brother’s liberty depends on her marrying James Hunter is devastating. But nothing, it seems, has the power to shake Thea’s world upside down like James himself, or the way he makes her feel.
59 pages, ebook
First published March 1, 2013
27 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
Lena Dowling
7 books7 followersIn her previous lives, Lena Dowling has been a lawyer, policy analyst, and an administration manager. While Lena was born and raised in New Zealand, it was during a stint working ‘across the ditch’ in Australia that she took up writing in earnest. Having found her inspiration in The Lucky Country, Lena writes Australasian themed romances about gutsy, intelligent heroines, and the men who dare to love them. Lena currently lives in beautiful subtropical Northland, New Zealand, with her own computer-code-writing hero.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 14, 2013
Rating: 2 out of 5.
The convict’s bounty bride by Lena Dowling
This book had good prospects. A convict and his lady wife. A beautiful possibility. My only thought before I started the book was that I wished it were longer than a novella. But within the first three pages, I couldn’t reach the ending fast enough.
The heroine Thea, is supposed to be a strong headed woman with modern notions of feminism. The first page in, you realise that it’s all thought and no action. She initially starts of, scared as a kitten, asking her father whether she can work in a bank, in front of her mother, whom she knows is going to say no. I can’t credit her for cleverness when it came to that setting. What was she thinking? Anyway, she obviously gets shot down by her mother, who only has to say no twice, before the strong-headed heroine settles down and accepts it. Thea, by my standards, had no backbone. Then she puts down side-riding, and feel smug for having disagreed with her mother twice in such a short amount of time. Then she sits and dreams of ways to disgrace herself in the ton, so that she is to never marry. Something that she doesn’t follow through in the book.
Then comes the hero, James, who is a hypocritical [insert few choice words], asks after Thea’s virginity as though he is valuing a prize horse. While he himself, relishes in the thought of going back to his skilful courtesans. Although that there was a notion, during the historical period, that men would be allowed pleasures that women won’t, it still didn’t mean that I had to accept and like James’ repugnant principles. He is obsessed with her virginity. Not only does he hire someone to be his spy, whom he asks, but he also asks her whether she is. Like she would be something vile if she wasn’t. So this James Hunter also likes to wear breaches so tight, that there is no point in wearing them.
Although there were several annoying moments throughout this novella, the worst was when, a few hours (if even that) after Thea’s brother dies, Thea looks to James to teach her the pleasures of flesh, just so she can forget. This whole scene was utterly repugnant to me. In this situation and context, I can’t accept that no matter how devastated a person would be that it would be acceptable to seek out sex. I mean, your brother just died, can you not grab on to his privates please!
The romance was utterly unbelievable. The characters had shallow personalities.
ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Harlequin Enterprises Australia
The convict’s bounty bride by Lena Dowling
This book had good prospects. A convict and his lady wife. A beautiful possibility. My only thought before I started the book was that I wished it were longer than a novella. But within the first three pages, I couldn’t reach the ending fast enough.
The heroine Thea, is supposed to be a strong headed woman with modern notions of feminism. The first page in, you realise that it’s all thought and no action. She initially starts of, scared as a kitten, asking her father whether she can work in a bank, in front of her mother, whom she knows is going to say no. I can’t credit her for cleverness when it came to that setting. What was she thinking? Anyway, she obviously gets shot down by her mother, who only has to say no twice, before the strong-headed heroine settles down and accepts it. Thea, by my standards, had no backbone. Then she puts down side-riding, and feel smug for having disagreed with her mother twice in such a short amount of time. Then she sits and dreams of ways to disgrace herself in the ton, so that she is to never marry. Something that she doesn’t follow through in the book.
Then comes the hero, James, who is a hypocritical [insert few choice words], asks after Thea’s virginity as though he is valuing a prize horse. While he himself, relishes in the thought of going back to his skilful courtesans. Although that there was a notion, during the historical period, that men would be allowed pleasures that women won’t, it still didn’t mean that I had to accept and like James’ repugnant principles. He is obsessed with her virginity. Not only does he hire someone to be his spy, whom he asks, but he also asks her whether she is. Like she would be something vile if she wasn’t. So this James Hunter also likes to wear breaches so tight, that there is no point in wearing them.
Although there were several annoying moments throughout this novella, the worst was when, a few hours (if even that) after Thea’s brother dies, Thea looks to James to teach her the pleasures of flesh, just so she can forget. This whole scene was utterly repugnant to me. In this situation and context, I can’t accept that no matter how devastated a person would be that it would be acceptable to seek out sex. I mean, your brother just died, can you not grab on to his privates please!
The romance was utterly unbelievable. The characters had shallow personalities.
ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Harlequin Enterprises Australia
March 2, 2013
Blah. Blah, blah, blah.
February 23, 2013
Warning - This is only a short story. The biggest downfall of an eReader is unless you specifically check first, you I don't how many pages are in a book.
Why am I so cranky? I was truly enjoying this story. I really liked these main characters and I couldn't wait to see what adventure awaited them in Australia. She was spirited and intelligent and although he just wanted to claim the bride promised to him for her social standing, he liked the woman he met and believed she would be a great asset to him as a wife in his farm in Australia. I could see the affections growing between them. I was trying to imagine what scenario's awaited when they returned to Australia. So imagine my disappointment when I go refill my coffee before we start to get into some good storytelling, then I sit back down and try and turn the page, and there's no more!!
What I have to say to Lena Dowling is please go back and finish. Please. I want more!
This was a enjoyable story but beware as soon as you start getting into it, it will be over.
See more at http://ebookobsessed.com
Why am I so cranky? I was truly enjoying this story. I really liked these main characters and I couldn't wait to see what adventure awaited them in Australia. She was spirited and intelligent and although he just wanted to claim the bride promised to him for her social standing, he liked the woman he met and believed she would be a great asset to him as a wife in his farm in Australia. I could see the affections growing between them. I was trying to imagine what scenario's awaited when they returned to Australia. So imagine my disappointment when I go refill my coffee before we start to get into some good storytelling, then I sit back down and try and turn the page, and there's no more!!
What I have to say to Lena Dowling is please go back and finish. Please. I want more!
This was a enjoyable story but beware as soon as you start getting into it, it will be over.
See more at http://ebookobsessed.com
February 22, 2013
Four stars for this short novel, I liked it a lot. Why only a rating of four? Because the characters are so beautiful and funny that I would have preferred a real novel with a richer and more complex plot, the thing was so short left me a little disappointed.
With her skill the writer was in being able to get shortly right to the heart of the story, and this is a very important thing in a short novel.
Thea Willers is the young daughter of an Earl, she tries in every way to escape to her mother's main hobby: organize a beautiful wedding with some suitable men for her social position. The girl who she grew up with a certain freedom and, thanks to the her father's will, she has been able to study, something unusual for women at that time, she has a sharp mind and she has very brilliant and important projects in mind for her life: she wants a career, writing and she especially doesn't want to be wed with a husband that restricts her freedom that she's always been accustomed to having. This, however, goes against her parents' wishes and she receives no support from her brother, who is too busy getting lost in artificial paradises that the laudanum gives him.
James Hunter is just returned from Australia, new colony of England where he spent a the last seven years as a convict, as a result of a scam which actually he didn't commit. The man himself to save his family from ruin, he prefers to ruin his reputation in exchange for money that could solve his family's economic problems, but he also has another plan, in order to regain entry into polite society, where money is not enough, he makes an agreement with the parent of the real culprit: when he will return from the colony he will have the right to marry the Earl's daughter, our dear Thea.
The trap for our heroine seems to have taken, but in fact James Hunter proves to be a very different from all the men the girl knew and although at first she objected to the Union, then she begins to think there are some enjoyful points in the marriage this man so charming and unconventional.
Thea is a funny character, with a very clever mind, she's smart , and she studies all sorts of thing to free herself from mother's projects, I admired a lot even her stubbornness and courage.
James is the ideal man for a romance, beautiful and damned, but at the same time extremely intelligent, with his unusual behavior compared to what you might expect from a gentleman, but at the same time he's proud and loyal.
A really nice couple, a real novel with them it could be so beautiful, however I enjoyed and had fun with this reading, it's worth it.
I reccomend the forthcoming book (March 1) to people in love with this kind of book.
Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Enterprises Australia for the preview.
Rating: 4 stars
TITLE: The Convict's Bounty Bride
AUTHOR: Lena Dowling
EDITORE: Harlequin Enterprises Australia
PUBLICATION DATE: released by March 2013
Quattro stelle a questo racconto breve, che mi è piaciuto tantissimo. Perché solo un rating di quattro? Perché con dei personaggi così belli e divertenti avrei preferito un romanzo vero e proprio, con una trama più ricca e articolata, la sua brevità mi ha lasciato un po' dispiaciuta.
La bravura della scrittrice è stata nel riuscire a entrare subito nel vivo della storia, e avendo poche pagine a disposizione è stata una cosa fondamentale per l'evolversi del racconto.
Thea Willers è la giovane figlia di un conte, che tenta in tutti i modi di sfuggire all'hobby principale della madre, organizzarle un bel matrimonio con qualche pretendente papabile per la sua posizione sociale. La ragazza che è cresciuta con una certa libertà e, grazie al volere del padre, ha potuto studiare in modo approfondito, cosa inconsueta per le donne dell'epoca, ha una mente sveglia e brillante e ha in mente dei progetti importanti per la sua vita: poter fare una carriera, scrivere e soprattutto non avere un marito che limiti la libertà, che è sempre stata abituata ad avere. Questo però va contro il volere dei genitori e non riceve nessun sostegno dal fratello, troppo impegnato a perdersi nei paradisi artificiali che gli regala il laudano.
James Hunter è appena rientrato dall'Australia, nuova colonia dell'Inghilterra dove ha scontato una pena di sette anni di lavori forzati, a causa di una truffa che in realtà non ha commesso. L'uomo si è incolpato del fatto per salvare la sua famiglia dalla rovina, preferisce infangare la sua reputazione in cambio di soldi che potrebbero risolvere i problemi economici della famiglia, ma ha anche un altro piano, per riguadagnare l'ingresso nella buona società, dove i soldi non bastano, conclude un accordo col padre del vero colpevole: quando tornerà dalla colonia avrà il diritto di sposare la figlia del conte Willers, la nostra cara Thea.
La trappola per la nostra eroina sembra scattata, ma in realtà James Hunter si dimostra molto diverso da tutti gli uomini che ha conosciuto e la ragazza, nonostante in un primo momento si opponga all'unione, in seguito comincia a pensare che qualche lato positivo ci possa essere nello sposare quell'uomo così affascinante e non convenzionale.
Thea è un personaggio divertente, con una mente molto intelligente e furba, ne studia di tutti i colori per potersi liberare dai progetti della madre, ho ammirato molto anche la sua testardaggine e coraggio.
James è l'uomo ideale per un romance di questo tipo, bello e dannato, ma al tempo stesso estremamente intelligente, con un comportamento insolito rispetto a quello che ci si potrebbe aspettare da un gentiluomo, ma al tempo stesso orgoglioso e leale.
Una bella coppia veramente, che avrebbe potuto dare origine a uno splendido romanzo, peccato, comunque mi sono gustata e divertita con questa lettura così veloce, ne è valsa la pena.
Quindi libro di prossima uscita (1 marzo) consigliatissimo per gli amanti del genere.
Si ringraziano Netgalley e la Harlequin Enterprises Australia per la preview.
VOTO: 4 stelle
TITOLO: The Convict's Bounty Bride
AUTRICE: Lena Dowling
EDITORE: Harlequin Enterprises Australia
DATA PUBLICAZIONE : uscita prevista 1 marzo 2013
March 7, 2016
Altered from review posted on Romancing the Social Sciences.
You could be forgiven for thinking a book entitled The Convict's Bounty Bride would be set in the colony, but you'd be wrong. If you read between the lines of the synopsis, you can see it's set in London, but somehow I still expected that it would end up back in Australia at some point. It never did, but my annoyance at that was quickly overwhelmed by my annoyance at just about everything else.
The combination of the writing style and novella-length made the story feel very abrupt. There was little attempt made to orientate the reader or set up the plot and characters, and the results are jarring. The whole thing gallops along, and - to continue the terrible equine metaphor - the reader can barely keep her seat for being whacked by passing plot twists. Literally every development in this book came out of nowhere and made its appearance too soon.
Because the characters are quite one-dimensional, the reader is unable to anticipate their actions, which was probably a blessing in disguise. I probably would have given up altogether if I'd known the heroine would be so horrible. She was, by turns, immature, cruel and criminally stupid. There's a scene where, determined ruin herself so as not to be forced into marriage, she basically assaults the stable boy in full view of the stable master. And then she's so surprised her father is going to whip the poor boy - who might also lose his position - that she faints.
The other reason I was completely baffled by the characters' actions is that they just don't act in the way real people do. When there is a Big Tragedy, the affected characters all have very weird and unrealistic reactions. James is the only one who actually shows any sense, but even this doesn't last long, as he proceeds to take Thea's virginity at a totally inappropriate time.
As much as I disliked the Thea, I also didn't appreciate the way James viewed her as payment for services rendered. He never really gives up seeing her as an object; when he realises he cares for her, the reasons that are given are basically her body and her suitability as a colonial wife.
Then there is the book's lack of regard for the realities of the Regency Era. I mean, I'm no Georgian scholar, but I'm pretty sure random ex-convicts can't get vouchers to Almack's. And then there's Thea. The book opens with her asking her father if she can have a position on the board of their bank, because she wants to have a career. Dowling justifies this by referencing the fact that the famous Regency character Lady Jersey was the primary shareholder in her grandfather's bank, but I'd argue that it's one thing for a married Countess and social arbiter to be involved in banking, and another for the young, unmarried daughter of an Earl.
The idea of Thea having a 'career' is odd. It is surely anachronistic for a young woman to aspire to such a thing (especially in something like banking, instead of, say, writing). Supposedly, Thea's desire to be a career girl comes from Mary Wollstonecraft, whom her father included in her education. That, in of itself, is a stretch, but I was willing to let it slide. But Thea's refusal to marry was based on a erroneous belief that Wollstonecraft never married, and I couldn't believe that she would not have known this. Even though Wollstonecraft had been dead for roughly 20 years, she still lived on in the Ton's imagination because of the exploits of her daughter Mary Godwin (later Mary Shelley), whose affair with the married Percy Bysshe Shelley was grist for the gossip mill for years.
I'm happy for the people who liked this book, but, personally, I have never been so glad that something was a novella.
You could be forgiven for thinking a book entitled The Convict's Bounty Bride would be set in the colony, but you'd be wrong. If you read between the lines of the synopsis, you can see it's set in London, but somehow I still expected that it would end up back in Australia at some point. It never did, but my annoyance at that was quickly overwhelmed by my annoyance at just about everything else.
The combination of the writing style and novella-length made the story feel very abrupt. There was little attempt made to orientate the reader or set up the plot and characters, and the results are jarring. The whole thing gallops along, and - to continue the terrible equine metaphor - the reader can barely keep her seat for being whacked by passing plot twists. Literally every development in this book came out of nowhere and made its appearance too soon.
Because the characters are quite one-dimensional, the reader is unable to anticipate their actions, which was probably a blessing in disguise. I probably would have given up altogether if I'd known the heroine would be so horrible. She was, by turns, immature, cruel and criminally stupid. There's a scene where, determined ruin herself so as not to be forced into marriage, she basically assaults the stable boy in full view of the stable master. And then she's so surprised her father is going to whip the poor boy - who might also lose his position - that she faints.
The other reason I was completely baffled by the characters' actions is that they just don't act in the way real people do. When there is a Big Tragedy, the affected characters all have very weird and unrealistic reactions. James is the only one who actually shows any sense, but even this doesn't last long, as he proceeds to take Thea's virginity at a totally inappropriate time.
As much as I disliked the Thea, I also didn't appreciate the way James viewed her as payment for services rendered. He never really gives up seeing her as an object; when he realises he cares for her, the reasons that are given are basically her body and her suitability as a colonial wife.
Then there is the book's lack of regard for the realities of the Regency Era. I mean, I'm no Georgian scholar, but I'm pretty sure random ex-convicts can't get vouchers to Almack's. And then there's Thea. The book opens with her asking her father if she can have a position on the board of their bank, because she wants to have a career. Dowling justifies this by referencing the fact that the famous Regency character Lady Jersey was the primary shareholder in her grandfather's bank, but I'd argue that it's one thing for a married Countess and social arbiter to be involved in banking, and another for the young, unmarried daughter of an Earl.
The idea of Thea having a 'career' is odd. It is surely anachronistic for a young woman to aspire to such a thing (especially in something like banking, instead of, say, writing). Supposedly, Thea's desire to be a career girl comes from Mary Wollstonecraft, whom her father included in her education. That, in of itself, is a stretch, but I was willing to let it slide. But Thea's refusal to marry was based on a erroneous belief that Wollstonecraft never married, and I couldn't believe that she would not have known this. Even though Wollstonecraft had been dead for roughly 20 years, she still lived on in the Ton's imagination because of the exploits of her daughter Mary Godwin (later Mary Shelley), whose affair with the married Percy Bysshe Shelley was grist for the gossip mill for years.
I'm happy for the people who liked this book, but, personally, I have never been so glad that something was a novella.
April 4, 2013
I haven't read many stories about those who were transported for crime to a penal colony so I was especially interested in giving this story a try.
The story opens with Lady Thea plotting to extricate herself from the obligation of marrying to please her family. She has read Mary Wollenscraft so desires to make something of herself as an independent woman. Unfortunately, she is given no choice, but to conform to the norm for girls her age. But that doesn't mean she can't think of a way to make herself unmarriageable material.
James Hunter has not only survived, but thrived during his time in Australia where he served his time as a convict for a crime he didn't commit. Now he is back in England, a rich man, and ready to claim what is owed to him. He made the deal with the Earl to take the fall for his son in exchange for some money, but also for his daughter as his bride. James wants to be a part of the upper level of society in Australia, but he needs a noble wife to give him that bit of extra for standing. It will be a marriage of convenience, but he can afford to be kind to a girl who had nothing to do with the past circumstances.
Thea is appalled by the deal her father made and even while she readies to accept her fate she is also scheming to find a way out of it. But after spending time with James, she is now not so certain of what she really wants.
The plot of this was kept moving right along and had a lighter tone considering the subject matter. This was not surprising since this is a shorter piece and had to get to the point fast. I like the basic premise of this story, but I just couldn't get into it as much as I wanted to do. I wanted to see the part dealing with the brother and father's weakness addressed, but it was pushed aside and not addressed directly. Later when something happens to the brother, I didn't feel anything other than speculation about what that would mean for James because her brother's issues are merely a plot device- or so it seemed. The big reason though is that I wasn't really fond of Thea. There were a couple of scenes where she was just so blindingly selfish or willfully naive (which is hard to believe because she was educated and read the forward thinkers of her day. She tried to use a stable boy to make herself tarnished goods. The poor guy was just going about his business and she hauled off and kissed him. She lied to the headgroom that the boy came on to her. She knew the consequences for what she did. He would possibly lose his place and he would certainly be punished, but that was okay if it got her out of marriage. That wasn't quite how things panned out because at the last minute when the guy is set to get a whipping she finally comes clean, but she didn't think about him when she set up that scheme. I found the attraction between Thea and James a good thing though I had trouble with how fast she went from determined spinster to a wanton who wanted to experience the physical stuff. Because of his origins, James would be the one man she could marry and still retain some of that independence to pursue her goals. That being said, there wasn't much of an emotional connection for me with Thea until the end when she grew up and smartened up. Now the end was really good I thought and particularly that scene on the pier. It made me want to know more of their story.
In the end, I was glad to have read the story and would recommend it to those who enjoy steamy historical romance, but require a shorter length story.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing my review copy of the book.
The story opens with Lady Thea plotting to extricate herself from the obligation of marrying to please her family. She has read Mary Wollenscraft so desires to make something of herself as an independent woman. Unfortunately, she is given no choice, but to conform to the norm for girls her age. But that doesn't mean she can't think of a way to make herself unmarriageable material.
James Hunter has not only survived, but thrived during his time in Australia where he served his time as a convict for a crime he didn't commit. Now he is back in England, a rich man, and ready to claim what is owed to him. He made the deal with the Earl to take the fall for his son in exchange for some money, but also for his daughter as his bride. James wants to be a part of the upper level of society in Australia, but he needs a noble wife to give him that bit of extra for standing. It will be a marriage of convenience, but he can afford to be kind to a girl who had nothing to do with the past circumstances.
Thea is appalled by the deal her father made and even while she readies to accept her fate she is also scheming to find a way out of it. But after spending time with James, she is now not so certain of what she really wants.
The plot of this was kept moving right along and had a lighter tone considering the subject matter. This was not surprising since this is a shorter piece and had to get to the point fast. I like the basic premise of this story, but I just couldn't get into it as much as I wanted to do. I wanted to see the part dealing with the brother and father's weakness addressed, but it was pushed aside and not addressed directly. Later when something happens to the brother, I didn't feel anything other than speculation about what that would mean for James because her brother's issues are merely a plot device- or so it seemed. The big reason though is that I wasn't really fond of Thea. There were a couple of scenes where she was just so blindingly selfish or willfully naive (which is hard to believe because she was educated and read the forward thinkers of her day. She tried to use a stable boy to make herself tarnished goods. The poor guy was just going about his business and she hauled off and kissed him. She lied to the headgroom that the boy came on to her. She knew the consequences for what she did. He would possibly lose his place and he would certainly be punished, but that was okay if it got her out of marriage. That wasn't quite how things panned out because at the last minute when the guy is set to get a whipping she finally comes clean, but she didn't think about him when she set up that scheme. I found the attraction between Thea and James a good thing though I had trouble with how fast she went from determined spinster to a wanton who wanted to experience the physical stuff. Because of his origins, James would be the one man she could marry and still retain some of that independence to pursue her goals. That being said, there wasn't much of an emotional connection for me with Thea until the end when she grew up and smartened up. Now the end was really good I thought and particularly that scene on the pier. It made me want to know more of their story.
In the end, I was glad to have read the story and would recommend it to those who enjoy steamy historical romance, but require a shorter length story.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing my review copy of the book.
June 28, 2023
The highlight of this book was definitely the characters. They had their own type of personality, although they also appeared flat at times. Being a novella I think a whole book would have made the characters pop. Everything about this story was rushed. I didn't feel like I had time to get into the story at all, and everything just flew by. There was no build-up to the romance it kind of just happened. I was left feeling like I had a lot of questions with no answers
Note: I received this book via Netgalley.
A Write to Review: https://lrjohnson13.blogspot.com/2013...
Note: I received this book via Netgalley.
A Write to Review: https://lrjohnson13.blogspot.com/2013...
May 25, 2020
Marrying the enemy's daughter
Interesting story. I had read the convict wife which lead me to the other books in the series. A bit short for me. I would have liked a epilogue with there arrival and final home setting.
Also she only takes one trunk but in book two has many gowns so maybe more than one trunk would be better. Or could you please release a second book where she describes life in Australia, her arrival and problems as a lady farmer, having children sending for her clothing? Including swimming riding, encounters with wild animals.
Otherwise I did enjoy your story just think there should be a part two.
Interesting story. I had read the convict wife which lead me to the other books in the series. A bit short for me. I would have liked a epilogue with there arrival and final home setting.
Also she only takes one trunk but in book two has many gowns so maybe more than one trunk would be better. Or could you please release a second book where she describes life in Australia, her arrival and problems as a lady farmer, having children sending for her clothing? Including swimming riding, encounters with wild animals.
Otherwise I did enjoy your story just think there should be a part two.
November 1, 2017
Great Read
I enjoyed the characters , the flow of the story. I had to take the time to read all of the story at once and it was Halloween.
I enjoyed the characters , the flow of the story. I had to take the time to read all of the story at once and it was Halloween.
December 7, 2020
Nice, short read!
March 14, 2013
I really, really wish this book had been longer. I honestly think it would have been better if it was. However, this was a rather short story, easy to get through, but it fell a little short in the end.
This is the story of James Hunter and Lady Thea Willers. James was in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, but now he is out and seeking his “payment” for being in prison in the first place: the hand of Lady Thea Willers. She, however, knows nothing of this bargain that her father made. The story pretty much goes on quite expectedly from there.
One of the biggest problems I had with this book was pacing. Everything seemed a bit to rushed and I was left scratching my head, wondering how the two of them fell in love. This book would have been so much better if it’d had more to it! There was just too much left unsaid and undone that it really tempered my enjoyment of this book. It was all desert and no meal, and just a bit to rushed.
I did, however, really get invested in the characters. This was both good and bad. Again, I wanted more from them but, with this only being a short novella, I was left wanting. But still! I enjoyed the characters (mostly…and when they weren’t being annoying) and wished a little more building had gone into them. Flat and uninteresting at times, I was hoping they would change a bit. However, when I was enjoying them, I was really really enjoying them!
Overall, the concept of this book was good, the idea was good, but the story as a whole fell a bit flat for me. I was left wanting to much more information then I should have been that it didn’t make up for the good pieces throughout. However, still a short, enjoyable read if you’ve got a few hours to kill on something romantic.
2.5 out of 5 stars.
I was provided a copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This and other reviews can be seen on my blog The Forbidden Library.
This is the story of James Hunter and Lady Thea Willers. James was in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, but now he is out and seeking his “payment” for being in prison in the first place: the hand of Lady Thea Willers. She, however, knows nothing of this bargain that her father made. The story pretty much goes on quite expectedly from there.
One of the biggest problems I had with this book was pacing. Everything seemed a bit to rushed and I was left scratching my head, wondering how the two of them fell in love. This book would have been so much better if it’d had more to it! There was just too much left unsaid and undone that it really tempered my enjoyment of this book. It was all desert and no meal, and just a bit to rushed.
I did, however, really get invested in the characters. This was both good and bad. Again, I wanted more from them but, with this only being a short novella, I was left wanting. But still! I enjoyed the characters (mostly…and when they weren’t being annoying) and wished a little more building had gone into them. Flat and uninteresting at times, I was hoping they would change a bit. However, when I was enjoying them, I was really really enjoying them!
Overall, the concept of this book was good, the idea was good, but the story as a whole fell a bit flat for me. I was left wanting to much more information then I should have been that it didn’t make up for the good pieces throughout. However, still a short, enjoyable read if you’ve got a few hours to kill on something romantic.
2.5 out of 5 stars.
I was provided a copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This and other reviews can be seen on my blog The Forbidden Library.
April 25, 2013
The Convict’s Bounty Bride is the debut novella by New Zealand author, Lena Dowling. At 59 pages it’s more like a short story that is set in England’s regency period. At first glance of the blurb the hero is said to be an ex-convict and I made the assumption that the story would be set in early Australia. Instead, as I mentioned it’s set in England and it’s about the lead up to his return to Australia and whether he will have a bride in tow with him.
Lady Thea Willers has no plans of marriage. In fact, she intends to be a spinster so she can pursue her career and lead an independent life. But when ex-convict James Hunter takes a liking to this fiesty, dogmatic young woman, he has his own ideas about her future.
To settle her brother’s gambling debts, Thea’s father enters into a contract of marriage for Hunter to his daughter. Obviously Thea isn’t happy about this decision and I was glad when she didn’t succumb to this decision lightly and proceeded to collate a list of questions to present to Hunter in order to decide whether marrying Hunter would be worth freeing her brother of if she should send him to the galleys. Of course her path to gain some control over the situation is meddled by her attraction and curiosity of Hunter as a prospective sexual partner and husband. When her brother’s debts are cleared via a family tragedy, Thea and Hunter are faced with the decision to proceed with a marriage based on love or to simply part ways.
The Convict’s Bounty Bride is a short, easy read. I liked that Thea wasn’t a martyr and that her strong attitudes were challenged by Hunter. He on the other hand saw no emotional or sexual value in marriage, he just wanted a partner and he fully intended to find sexual pleasure elsewhere- this too was challenged when he met Thea. The story was a pleasurable read, albeit not quite long enough for Thea and Hunter’s love to be completely believable but enjoyable nonetheless.
Lady Thea Willers has no plans of marriage. In fact, she intends to be a spinster so she can pursue her career and lead an independent life. But when ex-convict James Hunter takes a liking to this fiesty, dogmatic young woman, he has his own ideas about her future.
To settle her brother’s gambling debts, Thea’s father enters into a contract of marriage for Hunter to his daughter. Obviously Thea isn’t happy about this decision and I was glad when she didn’t succumb to this decision lightly and proceeded to collate a list of questions to present to Hunter in order to decide whether marrying Hunter would be worth freeing her brother of if she should send him to the galleys. Of course her path to gain some control over the situation is meddled by her attraction and curiosity of Hunter as a prospective sexual partner and husband. When her brother’s debts are cleared via a family tragedy, Thea and Hunter are faced with the decision to proceed with a marriage based on love or to simply part ways.
The Convict’s Bounty Bride is a short, easy read. I liked that Thea wasn’t a martyr and that her strong attitudes were challenged by Hunter. He on the other hand saw no emotional or sexual value in marriage, he just wanted a partner and he fully intended to find sexual pleasure elsewhere- this too was challenged when he met Thea. The story was a pleasurable read, albeit not quite long enough for Thea and Hunter’s love to be completely believable but enjoyable nonetheless.
April 18, 2013
With historicals a bit thinner on the ground these days, I find myself trying just about any that come my way in hopes of discovering buried treasure. One could plausibly argue that The Convict's Bounty Bride deserves burial, but not because it's treasure.
Since Escape is Harlequin Australia's digital line, one might suspect this novella has an Australian tie - and it does. The hero, James Hunter, has recently returned from Australia. He served a sentence for a crime he did not commit and in the process, managed to make his fortune. Now he is back in England to secure the hand of his promised bride, despite the taint of conviction that would otherwise make him a less than promising prospect.
Lady Thea Willers isn't about to take news of her impending marriage lying down. Oh no. Thea can stomp and pout with the very best of feisty heroines and on top of all that, she has spent a lot of time studying the work of Mary Wollstonecraft. It becomes obvious throughout the story that Thea is not terribly familiar with the life of her intellectual idol, but Thea is a Determined Feisty Heroine, and small things like ignorance and naivete will never stop her.
This is a partial review. You can find the complete text at All About Romance: http://likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/bookRev...
Since Escape is Harlequin Australia's digital line, one might suspect this novella has an Australian tie - and it does. The hero, James Hunter, has recently returned from Australia. He served a sentence for a crime he did not commit and in the process, managed to make his fortune. Now he is back in England to secure the hand of his promised bride, despite the taint of conviction that would otherwise make him a less than promising prospect.
Lady Thea Willers isn't about to take news of her impending marriage lying down. Oh no. Thea can stomp and pout with the very best of feisty heroines and on top of all that, she has spent a lot of time studying the work of Mary Wollstonecraft. It becomes obvious throughout the story that Thea is not terribly familiar with the life of her intellectual idol, but Thea is a Determined Feisty Heroine, and small things like ignorance and naivete will never stop her.
This is a partial review. You can find the complete text at All About Romance: http://likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/bookRev...
July 11, 2013
I got this on preview from NetGalley because I enjoy even fairly silly historical romances, and I was excited by the Australia focus this one seemed to promise. Sadly, this was not one of my better forays into an uneven genre. The worst part is that we never even see anyplace outside of England. The characterization was weak, but no so weak as the level of historical detail. I didn't feel like I was really experiencing a specific and real moment in history at all. The writing isn't strong, but the copy editing wasn't bad. I also think the novella length kept the author too limited in the scope of the book. Give her 300 pages and a historical consultant and I think this story could really turn into something much better.
March 12, 2013
Well now, this was a very satisfying novella! I have to say this was great. Very good characterisation and lots of angsty action and drama in a well-paced story. I did feel a little gipped at the end - I think this could have been written into a full-blown novel with the arrival back in Australia of our hero and heroine and the trials and travails of settling into colonial Australia being used as a setting against which their love/relationship could be further tested (and also excellent opportunities for humour!).
Very well done Lena Dowling and Escape Publishing - really producing some good quality local romance.
Very well done Lena Dowling and Escape Publishing - really producing some good quality local romance.
April 1, 2013
**ARC Review**
This was a nice and fast read. I love books that feature strong woman characters. The main character is a woman who wants to have a career and feels that woman should be able to choose who they marry or even if they marry. While her mother tries to show her to society, her father has different plans. In the mist of her not wanting to marry and choose a career, she learns that her father already promised her to a man. Which leads into her finding out some family secrets. I wish this book was longer than it was. Non the less, this a good book if you are looking for a quick read.
This was a nice and fast read. I love books that feature strong woman characters. The main character is a woman who wants to have a career and feels that woman should be able to choose who they marry or even if they marry. While her mother tries to show her to society, her father has different plans. In the mist of her not wanting to marry and choose a career, she learns that her father already promised her to a man. Which leads into her finding out some family secrets. I wish this book was longer than it was. Non the less, this a good book if you are looking for a quick read.
own-under-diff-title-or-anthology
April 10, 2016Convict Wives/The Convict's Bounty Bride/His Convict Wife Kindle Edition
March 29, 2013
Review coming soon
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