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Bargain With The Wind
The bridal bargain! Marriage was the only way Darcy could escape her stepfather. He had total control of her business and family until Darcy either married or turned twenty-five... Darcy couldn't wait: she needed a husband, fast! Her friend Evan had proposed repeatedly. Darcy didn't love him the way a wife should love a husband, but should she accept? Evan's older brother, Miles, was determined to stop her - even if it meant marrying her himself! And Miles was a hard man to resist...
192 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1991
1 person is currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
Kathleen O'Brien
146 books91 followersSince the day Harlequin bought her first novel, Kathleen has published more than 30 titles with them- everything from hot, sexy contemporaries to dark, brooding suspense. Read in more than 30 countries and 29 languages, she's a five-time finalist for the prestigious RWA RITA Award, a winner of the Maggie Award, and a three-time finalist for Romantic Times' Reviewer's Choice.
Kathleen comes from a family of writers, poets, and journalists- though she may be the one shameless romantic in the bunch. A true Cancer, she values home and family above everything and wouldn't dream of ditching a single friend, memory, gift, or love letter. Consequently, her office is a mess, full of books, colored cut glass, photo albums, Madame Alexander dolls, and a cockatiel who whistles the theme from "The X Files." She is addicted to Mozart and Elvis, Dancing With the Stars, Dorothy Dunnett novels, and sugar-free Popsicles.
Kathleen comes from a family of writers, poets, and journalists- though she may be the one shameless romantic in the bunch. A true Cancer, she values home and family above everything and wouldn't dream of ditching a single friend, memory, gift, or love letter. Consequently, her office is a mess, full of books, colored cut glass, photo albums, Madame Alexander dolls, and a cockatiel who whistles the theme from "The X Files." She is addicted to Mozart and Elvis, Dancing With the Stars, Dorothy Dunnett novels, and sugar-free Popsicles.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 12, 2021
This is my kind of vintage Hp. The heroine’s life is difficult. The hero is cruel and cynical even though he is wildly attracted to the heroine. The pace is brisk. The angst/drama continues to the abrupt end.
Heroine, her younger sister and the family business are controlled by her sexual predator stepfather. Her worry turns to panic when she notices him eying her 15 year-old sister. She decides to marry her college friend so that she can inherit the business and then fight for custody of her sister.
Unfortunately, college friend in Florida is not home when the heroine and sister drop in on him after a long journey. Older brother (hero) is though, and he has heard all about the heroine. He is convinced the h kept his younger brother tied up in knots and he thinks the heroine’s plan to marry him without love is selfish. (It is selfish, but hero doesn’t know the whole story, of course).
Anyhow, the hero ends up marrying the heroine because he hates the stepfather as well. (At least that is what the heroine thinks.)
Heroine is, of course, in love with hero but doesn’t put out. Hero is frustrated and extra cruel. There’s an OW with a five year-old son who looks familiar to the heroine, a hurricane and the step father pops up for some extra drama.
It’s all sorted out except for any justice for the stepfather. They’re going to give him an allowance. *roll eyes * Dude should be in jail.
Boogenhagen has all the details in her spoiler review.
Heroine, her younger sister and the family business are controlled by her sexual predator stepfather. Her worry turns to panic when she notices him eying her 15 year-old sister. She decides to marry her college friend so that she can inherit the business and then fight for custody of her sister.
Unfortunately, college friend in Florida is not home when the heroine and sister drop in on him after a long journey. Older brother (hero) is though, and he has heard all about the heroine. He is convinced the h kept his younger brother tied up in knots and he thinks the heroine’s plan to marry him without love is selfish. (It is selfish, but hero doesn’t know the whole story, of course).
Anyhow, the hero ends up marrying the heroine because he hates the stepfather as well. (At least that is what the heroine thinks.)
Heroine is, of course, in love with hero but doesn’t put out. Hero is frustrated and extra cruel. There’s an OW with a five year-old son who looks familiar to the heroine, a hurricane and the step father pops up for some extra drama.
It’s all sorted out except for any justice for the stepfather. They’re going to give him an allowance. *roll eyes * Dude should be in jail.
Boogenhagen has all the details in her spoiler review.
June 23, 2017
Re Bargain With the Wind - Kathleen O'Brien's fourth foray into HPlandia sets itself in opposition to this month's predominate theme of h's trying to evade marriage.
This 22 yr old orphaned h NEEDS to get married. Pretty much in the most desperate way, as her dead mother's fourth sleazy husband is not only sleazy, he is a coprophagic amoeba on a nematode parasite slime swiller. Unfortunately not only does he cast nefarious eyes on the h's 15 yr old sister - after trying it on with the h and getting painfully rebuffed with a beer bottle to the face- he controls the h's and her sister's trust and through that trust, controls the h's dead father's retail store empire.
The h's mother, who pretty much self destructed with men and booze after the h's father died, left the set up in her will that the amoeba was to have the running of things until the h turns 25 or get's married. The catch is the h has to marry someone that passes the lawyer's background checks. Amoeba pustule's rejection by the h has led him to giving out the family home house key to whatever drunken idiot the amoeba loses to at poker.
The opening scene of the book is the h holding off an inebriated potential rapist with a gun and driving him from the house. (Now why the h did not call the police during any of this, I have no clue. Why she did not tape the vile statements of the amoeba with a pocket recorder and take that to the family lawyers and the police, I don't know. The h certainly used her lawyers for everything else, so this was the first big plot hole. But we need a forced MOCmarriage scenario, so this is better than nothing I guess and K O'b almost has the skill to pull it off.)
After the h and the drunken amoeba and his tart of the day have a mini-showdown and it is clear that the amoeba is not only running the family empire into the ground, but also getting too familiar with the h's 15 yr old sister, the h decides desperate times call for desperate measures. She and her sister take off for Florida.
The h is going to look up her close college male friend and take him up on his offer of marriage. She isn't in love with the guy, but she does love him as a friend and her 15 yr old sister is getting to the wild teen phase and the amoeba is getting too close to the girl, so the h has to take steps to prevent a tragedy. Except when she gets to her friend's house, his older brother - who is pretty insulting- tells her that her friend is in the middle of the ocean.
He does insist that the h and her sister stay with him, then he proceeds to insult, belittle and berate the h every chance he gets. It seems he thinks she is a teasing tart. He went to college with the h's slightly older than the H stepfather and supposedly won a poker game and took the house key the amoeba offered to go molest the h. He did not actually use it, but the impression is that he thinks the h puts out for whomever and does whatever.
He also accuses the h of playing his little brother. Which is not true, the h was friends with him but never encouraged any type of romantic relationship. She is hoping to marry the guy, but she plans to explain the sick situation and she wants to do her best to be a good wife. (In the real world, this probably would have worked fine for a while, but we are in HPlandia so nothing is that easy.)
The H further rubs things in by trying a semi-forced seduction in the pool. The h is attracted physically, but the H's repeated derogatory words keep poping up in the h's mind, so it is a no go non-blast off situation. The H redoubles the tarty tease, ruthless evil-hearted bimbo accusations and the h is thinking she and her sister should go.
The H's little brother takes this moment to arrive and he is actually engaged to a girl he really loves. The h is sad and panicky, but genuinely happy for him. She is packing to go when the H insists that she marry him instead. It seems amoeba pustule is buying up shares of the H's family boat building empire - but since he has no personal cash, amoeba pus is using the h's family firm to hold them. If the h marries the H, who hates the amoeba for several reasons, the share buying only being one of them, the h can authorize the share sell back to the H when the h gets control of the family firm.
The h agrees, cause at this point she doesn't have a lot of choice. Her little sister is feeling her oats and is a bit petulant and spoilt but just being a temperamental teen and the h is really, really worried about amoeba's reaction to the two ladies taking off like they did. The h has seen the H with multiple ladies by this point, but one in particular with a small son who looks familiar to the h, seems to really hate her.
So the H and h marry and the H tries the big seduction routine, the h gets a little flushy glow, but again the H's words and actions pop up in her mind and she cuts him off before unicorns can be offended.
(It was the best put down of the book really. The H pretty much insults her throughout the wedding service, thinks he is going to get him some and she cuts him off with painful constrictions right before he is thinking he scored. Since there is a house full of younger family members and they think the wedding is real instead of a three year negotiated MOC with a divorce written into the contract, the H takes his conge' in semi silent fury. He just triples the tarty tease heartless wench comments.)
The h is feeling the lurve mojo passion too and she thinks she is in love with the H, but she isn't a tidbit on the lady buffet and she can't forget his insults and if they start boppin the lower noggin's, things could get REALLY messy in the end. So the h firmly rejects the H and he spends the next few chapters being a nematode who hates coprophagic amoeba parasites.
The h finally explains to the H just why she had to marry him. She tells the h that her own mother fell so low with drunken behavior and slimey men that she did not believe the h about the amoeba's perversions - the h had to fight the amoeba off with a beer bottle and cut his face to make him leave her alone. Now she explains about how the amoeba is putting the moves on the h's little sister and the H is horrified. The h also says she did not go to the police because she doesn't want her little sister to be exposed to the publicity or to have her innocence tarnished. The H feels bad for misjudging the h and the h decides to do a seduction of her own. They have a very passionate moment that the h instigates and finally lurve it up.
However, storms are still a'brewin and it isn't just the hurricane that is making it's way up the coast to them. The H's lady on the side with the child is also hanging around a lot and making eary faces at the h and the h is getting more and more jealous, she is pretty sure the boy is the H's son and she doesn't even want to speculate what kind of mess that will make when this all blows up.
The H's younger brother throws the H and h a surprise party and the amoeba pustule shows up, he too claims that the H and the lady with the little boy are currently lovers and he drops the tidbit that the H pays the woman's rent. The amoeba claims that he is going to get the marriage unapproved by the family lawyers and the h feels totally defeated. She goes back to the party and gets drunk after she finds out that the H and the woman with the son used to be engaged. The H doesn't approve and the h has a bit of a drunk weepy moment.
The next day the H tries to make the h and her sister evacuate, the storm is getting closer and things are looking grim. The h is ready to leave, but turns back when she finds out the H's maybe son is missing. She decides to stay and help look for him and while the H is out checking his boat, the little boy shows up looking for the H. The h is relieved the little boy is safe and when the boy's mother shows up, the h feels that she is interrupting a family reunion.
The OW apologizes to the h for causing so much drama in the newlywed's marriage and then she is off with her son. The h asks the H who the boy's father is when they are alone again and the H refuses to say, the OW had asked that he not tell her that. The h says she doesn't understand why he won't acknowledge his own son with his former fiancee, and the H freaks out. He asks her what kind of man she thinks he is, and the h doesn't respond right away, but the answer was pretty obvious to both the H and the reader that the H is a slime swiller. (It hurt his little ego pretty hard, so that was another mean funny moment to pay the H back for all his rottenness.)
The h tells the H that the OW was continually angry with the h and she did not know what to believe, she did not want to interfere with a family and she and the H only had a business deal. The H admits that he had been paying the OW's rent because the little boy's father is actually the amoeba pustule, whom the OW cheated on the H during their engagement with.
Amoeba had been with the OW for two years before he dropped her to marry the h's mother and then he refused to acknowledge the boy when the OW refused to terminate. The OW doesn't have any family and the H was a childhood friend, so he helps her out even tho she betrayed him with the amoeba.
The little boy ran away when the amoeba wanted the OW to testify that she was still the H's lover and the OW refused, so the amoeba was trying to intimidate the OW and the little boy was scared so he ran to hide. The h is relieved that the H swears he isn't the OW's lover anymore and hasn't been for years, then she admits that she is very interested in the H and making their marriage work.
Then the H and h confess they love each other and the H apologizes for being mean, he fell in love at first sight, but was used to women who were liars and users like his mother and his ex fiancee, so he put the h in the same category. He hated feeling vulnerable to the h, so he said mean things cause he did not want to acknowledge his feelings.
After they married he was mean because he was in love with her and she kept rejecting him after he would insult her. There are both joining the same mutual admiration society now tho, so the hurricane has passed and they can lurve up rainbows together for the big HEA.
This one had great bones for the story, but the details got a little blurred in the telling. The stepfather issue being the biggest drawback of the whole thing. He gets no comeuppance except the h and H are going to send him to some remote location and take away the family money. Which sorta makes no sense because he technically has custody of the h's little sister and tho the h says they will use some sort of leverage to run him off, the H doesn't actively do anything to make the man go away.
After everything the man did, there should have been some sort of confrontation and the H should have handled the situation in a suitably vengeful H manner. The h does manage to rescue herself, but considering how downright mean the H was, it does't leave me confident that we have an active Alpha HP H and I don't have faith that he will defend the h and her sister in the future. That is a big problem in HEA believablity.
We also don't actually see the h get control of the family firm, so that big subplot feels unresolved and I don't like stories that don't give a full resolution. Plus the H himself was a big non starter, he does a good three line apology, but it really is a bit too little way too late.
Overall tho, K O'b is a good writer and I really wanted to believe the HEA. If I had consulted the Captain on this one, I probably would have bought it. K O'b is still perfecting her skillz at this point, so while this isn't the best HP outing ever, it is a good time filler for another day at the HP office.
This 22 yr old orphaned h NEEDS to get married. Pretty much in the most desperate way, as her dead mother's fourth sleazy husband is not only sleazy, he is a coprophagic amoeba on a nematode parasite slime swiller. Unfortunately not only does he cast nefarious eyes on the h's 15 yr old sister - after trying it on with the h and getting painfully rebuffed with a beer bottle to the face- he controls the h's and her sister's trust and through that trust, controls the h's dead father's retail store empire.
The h's mother, who pretty much self destructed with men and booze after the h's father died, left the set up in her will that the amoeba was to have the running of things until the h turns 25 or get's married. The catch is the h has to marry someone that passes the lawyer's background checks. Amoeba pustule's rejection by the h has led him to giving out the family home house key to whatever drunken idiot the amoeba loses to at poker.
The opening scene of the book is the h holding off an inebriated potential rapist with a gun and driving him from the house. (Now why the h did not call the police during any of this, I have no clue. Why she did not tape the vile statements of the amoeba with a pocket recorder and take that to the family lawyers and the police, I don't know. The h certainly used her lawyers for everything else, so this was the first big plot hole. But we need a forced MOCmarriage scenario, so this is better than nothing I guess and K O'b almost has the skill to pull it off.)
After the h and the drunken amoeba and his tart of the day have a mini-showdown and it is clear that the amoeba is not only running the family empire into the ground, but also getting too familiar with the h's 15 yr old sister, the h decides desperate times call for desperate measures. She and her sister take off for Florida.
The h is going to look up her close college male friend and take him up on his offer of marriage. She isn't in love with the guy, but she does love him as a friend and her 15 yr old sister is getting to the wild teen phase and the amoeba is getting too close to the girl, so the h has to take steps to prevent a tragedy. Except when she gets to her friend's house, his older brother - who is pretty insulting- tells her that her friend is in the middle of the ocean.
He does insist that the h and her sister stay with him, then he proceeds to insult, belittle and berate the h every chance he gets. It seems he thinks she is a teasing tart. He went to college with the h's slightly older than the H stepfather and supposedly won a poker game and took the house key the amoeba offered to go molest the h. He did not actually use it, but the impression is that he thinks the h puts out for whomever and does whatever.
He also accuses the h of playing his little brother. Which is not true, the h was friends with him but never encouraged any type of romantic relationship. She is hoping to marry the guy, but she plans to explain the sick situation and she wants to do her best to be a good wife. (In the real world, this probably would have worked fine for a while, but we are in HPlandia so nothing is that easy.)
The H further rubs things in by trying a semi-forced seduction in the pool. The h is attracted physically, but the H's repeated derogatory words keep poping up in the h's mind, so it is a no go non-blast off situation. The H redoubles the tarty tease, ruthless evil-hearted bimbo accusations and the h is thinking she and her sister should go.
The H's little brother takes this moment to arrive and he is actually engaged to a girl he really loves. The h is sad and panicky, but genuinely happy for him. She is packing to go when the H insists that she marry him instead. It seems amoeba pustule is buying up shares of the H's family boat building empire - but since he has no personal cash, amoeba pus is using the h's family firm to hold them. If the h marries the H, who hates the amoeba for several reasons, the share buying only being one of them, the h can authorize the share sell back to the H when the h gets control of the family firm.
The h agrees, cause at this point she doesn't have a lot of choice. Her little sister is feeling her oats and is a bit petulant and spoilt but just being a temperamental teen and the h is really, really worried about amoeba's reaction to the two ladies taking off like they did. The h has seen the H with multiple ladies by this point, but one in particular with a small son who looks familiar to the h, seems to really hate her.
So the H and h marry and the H tries the big seduction routine, the h gets a little flushy glow, but again the H's words and actions pop up in her mind and she cuts him off before unicorns can be offended.
(It was the best put down of the book really. The H pretty much insults her throughout the wedding service, thinks he is going to get him some and she cuts him off with painful constrictions right before he is thinking he scored. Since there is a house full of younger family members and they think the wedding is real instead of a three year negotiated MOC with a divorce written into the contract, the H takes his conge' in semi silent fury. He just triples the tarty tease heartless wench comments.)
The h is feeling the lurve mojo passion too and she thinks she is in love with the H, but she isn't a tidbit on the lady buffet and she can't forget his insults and if they start boppin the lower noggin's, things could get REALLY messy in the end. So the h firmly rejects the H and he spends the next few chapters being a nematode who hates coprophagic amoeba parasites.
The h finally explains to the H just why she had to marry him. She tells the h that her own mother fell so low with drunken behavior and slimey men that she did not believe the h about the amoeba's perversions - the h had to fight the amoeba off with a beer bottle and cut his face to make him leave her alone. Now she explains about how the amoeba is putting the moves on the h's little sister and the H is horrified. The h also says she did not go to the police because she doesn't want her little sister to be exposed to the publicity or to have her innocence tarnished. The H feels bad for misjudging the h and the h decides to do a seduction of her own. They have a very passionate moment that the h instigates and finally lurve it up.
However, storms are still a'brewin and it isn't just the hurricane that is making it's way up the coast to them. The H's lady on the side with the child is also hanging around a lot and making eary faces at the h and the h is getting more and more jealous, she is pretty sure the boy is the H's son and she doesn't even want to speculate what kind of mess that will make when this all blows up.
The H's younger brother throws the H and h a surprise party and the amoeba pustule shows up, he too claims that the H and the lady with the little boy are currently lovers and he drops the tidbit that the H pays the woman's rent. The amoeba claims that he is going to get the marriage unapproved by the family lawyers and the h feels totally defeated. She goes back to the party and gets drunk after she finds out that the H and the woman with the son used to be engaged. The H doesn't approve and the h has a bit of a drunk weepy moment.
The next day the H tries to make the h and her sister evacuate, the storm is getting closer and things are looking grim. The h is ready to leave, but turns back when she finds out the H's maybe son is missing. She decides to stay and help look for him and while the H is out checking his boat, the little boy shows up looking for the H. The h is relieved the little boy is safe and when the boy's mother shows up, the h feels that she is interrupting a family reunion.
The OW apologizes to the h for causing so much drama in the newlywed's marriage and then she is off with her son. The h asks the H who the boy's father is when they are alone again and the H refuses to say, the OW had asked that he not tell her that. The h says she doesn't understand why he won't acknowledge his own son with his former fiancee, and the H freaks out. He asks her what kind of man she thinks he is, and the h doesn't respond right away, but the answer was pretty obvious to both the H and the reader that the H is a slime swiller. (It hurt his little ego pretty hard, so that was another mean funny moment to pay the H back for all his rottenness.)
The h tells the H that the OW was continually angry with the h and she did not know what to believe, she did not want to interfere with a family and she and the H only had a business deal. The H admits that he had been paying the OW's rent because the little boy's father is actually the amoeba pustule, whom the OW cheated on the H during their engagement with.
Amoeba had been with the OW for two years before he dropped her to marry the h's mother and then he refused to acknowledge the boy when the OW refused to terminate. The OW doesn't have any family and the H was a childhood friend, so he helps her out even tho she betrayed him with the amoeba.
The little boy ran away when the amoeba wanted the OW to testify that she was still the H's lover and the OW refused, so the amoeba was trying to intimidate the OW and the little boy was scared so he ran to hide. The h is relieved that the H swears he isn't the OW's lover anymore and hasn't been for years, then she admits that she is very interested in the H and making their marriage work.
Then the H and h confess they love each other and the H apologizes for being mean, he fell in love at first sight, but was used to women who were liars and users like his mother and his ex fiancee, so he put the h in the same category. He hated feeling vulnerable to the h, so he said mean things cause he did not want to acknowledge his feelings.
After they married he was mean because he was in love with her and she kept rejecting him after he would insult her. There are both joining the same mutual admiration society now tho, so the hurricane has passed and they can lurve up rainbows together for the big HEA.
This one had great bones for the story, but the details got a little blurred in the telling. The stepfather issue being the biggest drawback of the whole thing. He gets no comeuppance except the h and H are going to send him to some remote location and take away the family money. Which sorta makes no sense because he technically has custody of the h's little sister and tho the h says they will use some sort of leverage to run him off, the H doesn't actively do anything to make the man go away.
After everything the man did, there should have been some sort of confrontation and the H should have handled the situation in a suitably vengeful H manner. The h does manage to rescue herself, but considering how downright mean the H was, it does't leave me confident that we have an active Alpha HP H and I don't have faith that he will defend the h and her sister in the future. That is a big problem in HEA believablity.
We also don't actually see the h get control of the family firm, so that big subplot feels unresolved and I don't like stories that don't give a full resolution. Plus the H himself was a big non starter, he does a good three line apology, but it really is a bit too little way too late.
Overall tho, K O'b is a good writer and I really wanted to believe the HEA. If I had consulted the Captain on this one, I probably would have bought it. K O'b is still perfecting her skillz at this point, so while this isn't the best HP outing ever, it is a good time filler for another day at the HP office.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2014
I pulled this out of my HP pile because I needed an O for a challenge. It was a good read. The hero is a jerk to the heroine for a significant part of the book. However, I could tell he had feelings for her. It's one of those scenarios where the 'boy' pulls the 'girl's' hair and teases her because he likes her and he doesn't want to deal with this feelings. Miles is determined to think the worst of Darcy because she wasn't in love with his brother, who was her college friend and who continually asked her to get married. He think she's just scheming for Evan to marry her out of greed. Little does he know that for Darcy getting married is almost literally a matter of life and death.
In this situation, the wicked step-parent is a father. George is really quite evil. He has malicious feelings towards Darcy and his intentions towards Darcy's nubile sister are far from fatherly. Darcy has past experience with her father's lechery and is determined to protect her sister, even if it means marrying a friend who she doesn't love in that passionate way you should love your spouse. One huge obstacle in the way is Miles, Evan's older brother. He's cynical and sardonic, and continually hurts Darcy's feelings. So why is she attracted to him in a way that she never was to Evan?
While Miles wasn't very nice to Darcy, the chemistry between them is very palpable. I do feel that the author conveyed his feelings for Darcy as the story progressed, and so I wasn't too unbelieving when he declares he fell for her at first sight but didn't recognize it. Although this book is not graphic sexually, I think it has some very sensuous love scenes that work very well for the story.
I also liked how the author uses the ocean and the hurricane that happens near the end as a metaphor for the growing and powerful feelings between Darcy and Miles. Those feelings and the conflict that occurs with George (who Miles has his own reasons to hate) come to a head like the hurricane, and the calm aftermath shows the resolution of the acknowledged love that Darcy and Miles share.
Bargain with the Wind was a good read. Quick and enjoyable. I got involved with the story and the characters. I felt Darcy's pain and Miles' confusion over his uncontrollable feelings for her. I liked the manner in which O'Brien uses the familial bonds that Miles and Darcy share with their siblings as an active backdrop to this story. I recommend this to fans of short contemporary romance if you can get a copy of Bargain with the Wind.
In this situation, the wicked step-parent is a father. George is really quite evil. He has malicious feelings towards Darcy and his intentions towards Darcy's nubile sister are far from fatherly. Darcy has past experience with her father's lechery and is determined to protect her sister, even if it means marrying a friend who she doesn't love in that passionate way you should love your spouse. One huge obstacle in the way is Miles, Evan's older brother. He's cynical and sardonic, and continually hurts Darcy's feelings. So why is she attracted to him in a way that she never was to Evan?
While Miles wasn't very nice to Darcy, the chemistry between them is very palpable. I do feel that the author conveyed his feelings for Darcy as the story progressed, and so I wasn't too unbelieving when he declares he fell for her at first sight but didn't recognize it. Although this book is not graphic sexually, I think it has some very sensuous love scenes that work very well for the story.
I also liked how the author uses the ocean and the hurricane that happens near the end as a metaphor for the growing and powerful feelings between Darcy and Miles. Those feelings and the conflict that occurs with George (who Miles has his own reasons to hate) come to a head like the hurricane, and the calm aftermath shows the resolution of the acknowledged love that Darcy and Miles share.
Bargain with the Wind was a good read. Quick and enjoyable. I got involved with the story and the characters. I felt Darcy's pain and Miles' confusion over his uncontrollable feelings for her. I liked the manner in which O'Brien uses the familial bonds that Miles and Darcy share with their siblings as an active backdrop to this story. I recommend this to fans of short contemporary romance if you can get a copy of Bargain with the Wind.
April 28, 2022
Nice cover by George Wilson. If you look closely his faces are often quite weird and scrunched—true for many of these covers and artists BTW cause they were working fast. No do-overs! But I'm a fan of his slightly darker more atmospheric approach.
This book has a rainbow sex scene. Really. Purple prose doesn't begin to describe it. The hero is a knob but apparently he's a real artiste in the sack. When they finally get together everything turns mist-green like a wet primal forest...a seeping, pulsing blood pink throb...blinding vermillion... shimmering silver. The descriptions are OTT and really splendid. Otherwise it's your typical tale of an asinine will forcing desperate heroine into trying THAT ONE WEIRD TRICK to protect herself and her sister—a MOC with a jerk who hates her but marries her to prevent his younger brother from falling into her devious clutches.
Here the MCs are each trying to wrest control of their family businesses from heroine's gross step-father. Neither is exactly convincing CEO material but they do seem to suit each other; they look good in tennis whites—there's another funny scene where they go all out trying to best each other on the court—in sailing outfits, and chillaxing by the pool. It's generally fast paced and entertaining and O'Brien is good with non-sexual descriptions and atmosphere as well.
What nearly derails the story is how poorly the sexual menacing of the heroine and her younger sister by the sleazy stepfather is handled. Again we have an HP heroine—one who isn't poor or isolated—insisting on dealing with a dangerous situation entirely by herself. Yes it places her where the genre wants her; with nowhere to move but towards the hero. But it's jarring when we discover the zero Miles knew she was being sexually intimidated and possibly assaulted by men her stepfather played poker with—with her stepfather's encouragement—and he failed to help. He merely declined the opportunity to sample her wares for himself while mentally slut shaming her as a willing participant. Obviously a heroine's #1 responsibility in an HP is to teach hero how to love but what about instilling the decency and logic this douche is clearly lacking? Darcy ain't up to the task. Anyway Miles's response when he finally hears her side of things isn't awful but it's too late. By book's end the stepfather is successfully pushed out of their lives but only onto an island somewhere. Presumably left to abuse other women—just out of our MC's sight. Nice people! and an indefensible solution that taints all the characters and an otherwise amusing HP. Parts were 4 star, parts were 2 star.
This book has a rainbow sex scene. Really. Purple prose doesn't begin to describe it. The hero is a knob but apparently he's a real artiste in the sack. When they finally get together everything turns mist-green like a wet primal forest...a seeping, pulsing blood pink throb...blinding vermillion... shimmering silver. The descriptions are OTT and really splendid. Otherwise it's your typical tale of an asinine will forcing desperate heroine into trying THAT ONE WEIRD TRICK to protect herself and her sister—a MOC with a jerk who hates her but marries her to prevent his younger brother from falling into her devious clutches.
Here the MCs are each trying to wrest control of their family businesses from heroine's gross step-father. Neither is exactly convincing CEO material but they do seem to suit each other; they look good in tennis whites—there's another funny scene where they go all out trying to best each other on the court—in sailing outfits, and chillaxing by the pool. It's generally fast paced and entertaining and O'Brien is good with non-sexual descriptions and atmosphere as well.
What nearly derails the story is how poorly the sexual menacing of the heroine and her younger sister by the sleazy stepfather is handled. Again we have an HP heroine—one who isn't poor or isolated—insisting on dealing with a dangerous situation entirely by herself. Yes it places her where the genre wants her; with nowhere to move but towards the hero. But it's jarring when we discover the zero Miles knew she was being sexually intimidated and possibly assaulted by men her stepfather played poker with—with her stepfather's encouragement—and he failed to help. He merely declined the opportunity to sample her wares for himself while mentally slut shaming her as a willing participant. Obviously a heroine's #1 responsibility in an HP is to teach hero how to love but what about instilling the decency and logic this douche is clearly lacking? Darcy ain't up to the task. Anyway Miles's response when he finally hears her side of things isn't awful but it's too late. By book's end the stepfather is successfully pushed out of their lives but only onto an island somewhere. Presumably left to abuse other women—just out of our MC's sight. Nice people! and an indefensible solution that taints all the characters and an otherwise amusing HP. Parts were 4 star, parts were 2 star.
January 31, 2022
3.75
Nice angsty read. No time to do a detailed review, however, my GR friend St. Margaret’s has an excellent review. It had me looking for the book and was glad I read. It’s just the kind of angst I like to read --stormy MOC in keeping with the brewing with the impending hurricane threatening to hit the island
My only peeve is that there was no comeuppance for Darcy’s sleazebag stepfather. For all that he put her through also his and H’s enmity, he was treated lightly. Him calling the h ‘Baby’ made me sick. He even managed to poison the H-h’s newly found happiness with each other. For that, I take away .25 stars
Otherwise, I liked the MCs and all secondary characters in the book. Would recommend it to anyone who likes high angst in their romance book.
Nice angsty read. No time to do a detailed review, however, my GR friend St. Margaret’s has an excellent review. It had me looking for the book and was glad I read. It’s just the kind of angst I like to read --stormy MOC in keeping with the brewing with the impending hurricane threatening to hit the island
My only peeve is that there was no comeuppance for Darcy’s sleazebag stepfather. For all that he put her through also his and H’s enmity, he was treated lightly. Him calling the h ‘Baby’ made me sick. He even managed to poison the H-h’s newly found happiness with each other. For that, I take away .25 stars
Otherwise, I liked the MCs and all secondary characters in the book. Would recommend it to anyone who likes high angst in their romance book.
April 25, 2024
I think OL has filed a copy under the name Patricia O Brien, if anyone struggles to find it. Anyway, big sister Darcy has to get her thinking cap on to spirit 15 yr old nymph little sis Tessa away from their sexual predator (and controller of the family business til Darcy turns 25 or marries) stepfather George. He definitely had a Galloway vibe 🤢. She decides to call in a marriage offer favour from college friend Evan over in Florida. When they arrive, only nasty big brother Miles is on hand and determined to prevent her heartless gold digging. Turns out he also has a grudge against George and quite possibly a lil ready made ow/family of his own. Anyway, this wasn't bad. Some good sexual tension, although personally I found the shattering rainbows consummation prose a bit psychedelic. I'd try others of hers.
June 28, 2021
3.5 stars
June 9, 2021
3.5 stars. Kept me enthralled! I wish we could have seen the baddy step father get his punishment!!!
March 29, 2024
Darcy adored her sixteen-year-old stepsister, Tessa, and wanted so much to protect her from the ugliness of the world and especially from George, her third stepfather who was in control of her inheritance and the gurdian of Tessa unless Darcy got married or reached the age of 25. Darcy tolerated everything that George throw at her face, but when he sent a lustful stare toward Tessa, Darcy immediately decided that drastic measures should be taken. She took Tessa and travelled to Florida to ask Evan Hawthorne, a man who loved her for years and asked to marry her several times but she declined, to marry her this time! Unfotunetely, Evan was away and she met his big brother, Miles, who was not only insulting, but also determined to stop her from marrying his brother no mather what means he used.
I loved the book and enjoyed it immensely. It's one of the rare books that you could find among Harlequin romance books. The events are plausible and the characters are all likeable.
I loved the book and enjoyed it immensely. It's one of the rare books that you could find among Harlequin romance books. The events are plausible and the characters are all likeable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2021
Chemistry & tension was sizzling off the chart. But the ending was kind of whack. The approaching hurricane & the search for Trevor was kind of stupid. Sure, all loose ends were tied up perfectly but I feel like I got cheated or something. The ending was poorly executed. He didn’t seem to care about her much then. He wanted her to evacuate without much of an explanation or concern for her. He ditched her at the marina in the middle of a hurricane. Well, he did turn back to remind her to go home & evacuate, while he held his ex-lover away to go search for her son. Since he’s a nice guy & that’s what nice guys do. He better not keep that up if they ever get another hurricane. SMH
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2022
Nice angst. The H fell for the h soon enough but did the classic HP verbal lashings. I would have liked more groveling from his side, but the misunderstanding was finally cleared by the instigation of the desperate h. The teen sister of the h behaved like a bratty 7 year old with her pouts and inappropriate exuberance and complaints, but the author made her 15 years old to justify her having random crushes on every walking male. The H was fine, but . This was a HEA.
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January 31, 2025the order of their relationship development felt out of order in this one, we go from hate to misunderstandings cleared to love and back to angsty misunderstandings. and not new ones either! just when i thought the characters were finally communicating? the heroine decides to confront her evil slimy stepfather alone when the H has CLEARLY expressed that he wants to be by her side for that conversation. why give the stepfather the chance to secretly financially bully the h when she now has a tycoon husband? there was an OW(by misunderstanding) plot that the h KNEW about but only gets tortured over after her stepfather brings it up which i felt was stupid
September 25, 2023
That was one of my all times favorite book, back when i was a child, i had the french version of it,
I know by heart every line, every word, every quote,
Twenty years later I'm reading the original version, and I must say, I the french one is way, way, way better.
the hero (in O.V) is a quiet, calm guy, and he isn't openly hostile to the girl, or that the way I see him.
While in the french version, he blows hot and cold, is mocking, sarcastic, makes snarky comments and doesnt hide his disdain towards her.
However when he first met her, he was smiling, appreciative atleast until she introduces herself.
But the story is the same, and, like 20 years ago, I am obsessed with it, dreamt of it, and cried over it.
It still one of my favorite.
I know by heart every line, every word, every quote,
Twenty years later I'm reading the original version, and I must say, I the french one is way, way, way better.
the hero (in O.V) is a quiet, calm guy, and he isn't openly hostile to the girl, or that the way I see him.
While in the french version, he blows hot and cold, is mocking, sarcastic, makes snarky comments and doesnt hide his disdain towards her.
However when he first met her, he was smiling, appreciative atleast until she introduces herself.
But the story is the same, and, like 20 years ago, I am obsessed with it, dreamt of it, and cried over it.
It still one of my favorite.
December 9, 2013
Short but pretty good. If it would of been a bit longer and more drawn out, it would of been more beneficial to the story.
July 18, 2016
Great story I love these older ones, and the new ones.
abrierto-to-read-hr-other
March 3, 2019The bridal bargain! Marriage was the only way Darcy could escape her stepfather. He had total control of her business and family until Darcy either married or turned twenty-five... Darcy couldn't wait: she needed a husband, fast! Her friend Evan had proposed repeatedly. Darcy didn't love him the way a wife should love a husband, but should she accept? Evan's older brother, Miles, was determined to stop her - even if it meant marrying her himself! And Miles was a hard man to resist..
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