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Bartered Bride
Forced to marry Robert Wardell in order to relieve her father's debts, Lady Alyce Fitzmartin vows never to love her unwanted husband, but she soon discovers an unexpected passion in the arms of a man forced to walk a perilous line between a tyrannical king and a plot to overthrown the Crown. Original.
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 2, 1999
About the author
Anne Avery
56 books18 followersAnne Holmberg was born on 1938 in Colorado, USA, where her family resides during four generations. She obtained a degree in Engineering from the University of Colorado.
Anne wrote historical romance novels as Anne Avery, contemporary romance novels as Kate Holmes, and fantasy romance novels as Anne Woodard. She has been a four-time nominee for a Career Achievement Award from Romantic Times Book reviews.
Anne wrote historical romance novels as Anne Avery, contemporary romance novels as Kate Holmes, and fantasy romance novels as Anne Woodard. She has been a four-time nominee for a Career Achievement Award from Romantic Times Book reviews.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 17, 2026
Read: 5/8/26
Setting: 1263 England
Trope: MOC, second chances, class differences.
This is my first book by this author and I don't think she's for me.
Plot: Robert Wardell is a wealthy, ambitious merchant from London. He's is loaning money to Prince Edward for his wars against Simon De Montfort. Being a wise man, he decides to hedge his bets by marrying an improverished nobewoman who's family supports Lord Simon. It's time he remarried and produce heirs. He plans to put his bride in a box and go on with his days. Robert's shocked to discover that the warm woman in his bed, refuses to be ignored!
Alyce has been ignored and neglected by her family since she was born. Now, she's being bartered away so they can be equipped for war. Alyce knows she's no price. She's too skinny and plain, but she's determined to be a good, useful wife. Unfortunately, Robert doesn't really need her to run his home, so Alyce invades his business.
Most of the time Robert goes out of his way to avoid his wife, but at night, he can't seem to get enough of her. Soon Robert is grateful for Alyce's quick intelligence when war breaks out. Most of the merchants in London support Lord Simon. They are not happy with Robert's support of the prince and tensions begin to rise. One long-time enemy takes advantage of the hate to destroy Robert. Can Robert learn to trust his wife or will he lose everything on the whims of fortune?
Liked:
Robert is as arrogant as any nobleman, but thank God, smarter! I loved when he finally notices what a treasure he has in Aylce. You couldn't pick a better h! She was strong and resilient, though a little too prideful. I loved the slow burn between this couple. Their relationship was very natural and more precious because of it.
Dislike:
Then the second half of the book ruined everything for me! Alyce picks a stupid hill to die on. She kicks Robert out of her bed because he won't try to help her neglectful father and brother after they are captured. What does she expect him to do about it? He loaned Edward money, not an army! 🤪. Her refusing to share his bed, destroyed any of the romance the first half of the story built up. Now, they were rarely in the same room together. It was disappointing and with just the history and the story starting to get boring.
Conclusion: This story felt more like a hf than a hr. It's a shame because this could've been a 4 star book if the author hadn't pivoted from the romance in the second half of the story.
Setting: 1263 England
Trope: MOC, second chances, class differences.
This is my first book by this author and I don't think she's for me.
Plot: Robert Wardell is a wealthy, ambitious merchant from London. He's is loaning money to Prince Edward for his wars against Simon De Montfort. Being a wise man, he decides to hedge his bets by marrying an improverished nobewoman who's family supports Lord Simon. It's time he remarried and produce heirs. He plans to put his bride in a box and go on with his days. Robert's shocked to discover that the warm woman in his bed, refuses to be ignored!
Alyce has been ignored and neglected by her family since she was born. Now, she's being bartered away so they can be equipped for war. Alyce knows she's no price. She's too skinny and plain, but she's determined to be a good, useful wife. Unfortunately, Robert doesn't really need her to run his home, so Alyce invades his business.
Most of the time Robert goes out of his way to avoid his wife, but at night, he can't seem to get enough of her. Soon Robert is grateful for Alyce's quick intelligence when war breaks out. Most of the merchants in London support Lord Simon. They are not happy with Robert's support of the prince and tensions begin to rise. One long-time enemy takes advantage of the hate to destroy Robert. Can Robert learn to trust his wife or will he lose everything on the whims of fortune?
Liked:
Robert is as arrogant as any nobleman, but thank God, smarter! I loved when he finally notices what a treasure he has in Aylce. You couldn't pick a better h! She was strong and resilient, though a little too prideful. I loved the slow burn between this couple. Their relationship was very natural and more precious because of it.
Dislike:
Then the second half of the book ruined everything for me! Alyce picks a stupid hill to die on. She kicks Robert out of her bed because he won't try to help her neglectful father and brother after they are captured. What does she expect him to do about it? He loaned Edward money, not an army! 🤪. Her refusing to share his bed, destroyed any of the romance the first half of the story built up. Now, they were rarely in the same room together. It was disappointing and with just the history and the story starting to get boring.
Conclusion: This story felt more like a hf than a hr. It's a shame because this could've been a 4 star book if the author hadn't pivoted from the romance in the second half of the story.
November 29, 2010
Good Read!
January 8, 2024
Me gusto mucho las tramas que tengan que ver con los tiempos de reinados ingles antiguos.
Se entiende el comportamiento de los protagonista por las épocas. Pero es bien testarudo el Robert, si otras esposas de mercaderes conocen el negocio y él no quiere enseñarle.
Aun así me agrado como se desarrollo la trama.
Una lectura ligera para mi
Se entiende el comportamiento de los protagonista por las épocas. Pero es bien testarudo el Robert, si otras esposas de mercaderes conocen el negocio y él no quiere enseñarle.
Aun así me agrado como se desarrollo la trama.
Una lectura ligera para mi
July 8, 2022
Pues es de mis favoritos de época medieval. Lo tiene todo: buenos e interesantes personajes principales y secundarios, trama amorosa básicamente más de lo mismo pero con un girito en cuanto a personalidad terca de los dos, la ambientación justa para situarte pero sin aburrir...
Bonito!!
Bonito!!
January 10, 2015
Mmm, no sé como empezar mi opinión pues tengo sentimientos encontrados. Creo que empezaré dividiendo la historia en tres partes (que no coincide con la introducción, nudo y desenlace). Desde el principio hasta un poco más de la mitad, la novela me tenía totalmente cautivada. La historia es interesante tanto en argumento como en la forma de relatar las vivencias de Inglaterra por aquellos años. Después, hay un punto en que la historia aburre hasta decir basta. No ocurre nada nuevo e incluso había veces que me perdía. Casi al finalizar, faltando más o menos 20 páginas, vuelve el elixir de la historia. Lo peor es que parte del desenlace lo da por supuesto contado por uno de los personajes.
Lo que más me gustó fue la primera parte de la historia.
Lo que menos me gustó fue parte del desenlace oculto, además de que muchas veces se me hizo cuesta arriba entender mucho vocabulario tan especifico, teniendo que recurrir al diccionario en el cual no aparecían esos términos.
Lo que más me gustó fue la primera parte de la historia.
Lo que menos me gustó fue parte del desenlace oculto, además de que muchas veces se me hizo cuesta arriba entender mucho vocabulario tan especifico, teniendo que recurrir al diccionario en el cual no aparecían esos términos.
January 14, 2023
An entertaining historical romance. Great for an occasional reread! Interesting time of history with an intelligent story line.
An out-of-print book, very hard to find. I am lucky to have it in my library.
An out-of-print book, very hard to find. I am lucky to have it in my library.
October 27, 2008
Historical romance. Good.
September 10, 2012
Excelente descripción de Londres del siglo XIII° y de la historia general de Inglaterra en esos años.
November 20, 2014
3.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews