Sold Into Marriage

by Ann Major

THE WRONG BROTHER?Christmas Eve. Paris. Two strangers' eyes meet. So romantic. Yet Josie didn't know her encounter with Adam Ryder was far from accidental. She could not regret the passionate evening she and Adam had shared-- until she learned he was her boyfriend's brother, sent to ruin their relationship. What was she to do now that she was pregnant? Adam was arrogantly insisting on marriage. But there would be no convenience in wedding a man she loathed...and yet desperately desired....

Genres: Romance, Harlequin, Harlequin Desire, Fiction

192 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 1, 2007

About the author

Want to be first to know about new books, free stories and excerpts, giveaways, and more? Sign up for Ann’s newsletter at http://annmajor.com

USA best-selling Ann Major writes short, sexy contemporary romance.

Nora Roberts has described her work thusly: "Engaging characters, stories that thrill and delight, shivering suspense, and captivating romance." and Sandra Brown says, "Her name on the cover instantly identifies the book as a good read."

Reviews

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. It had the right mix of sexiness, angst, intense attraction, and equally intense love. Adam and Josie are two people who shouldn't have ended up together, but perhaps that was their fate, as they connect on a lonely Christmas Eve in Paris. For a moment in time, she isn't his brother's unsuitable would-be fiance' and he isn't the brother of the man who is wooing her.



Josie had a traumatic past, having been unwittingly abandoned to live with illiterate trappers in the Louisiana swamps by her rich family. She made a mistake and got involved with an opportunistic artist, who made a risque naked video of her without her permission, and exhibited it for everyone to see. Her family sends her to Paris while the scandal dies down, where she paints gargoyles and studies art, working in her friend's art gallery, and determined to stay free of men for a while. Lucas Ryder is a Texan who is following in the footsteps of Hemingway, and is determined to be more than a friend to her. When Lucas' mother finds out about this unsuitable woman, she sends Adam to investigate her and possibly pay her off.



Adam sees a seductive and beautiful woman who gives him a show in her window. There is an instant, powerful connection that he can't ignore. He has to be with her, even knowing that she's his brother's girlfriend (at least in Lucas' mind). They share a meal, and end up sleeping together. The next morning, Josie finds out who he is and feels terribly betrayed, and sends him on his way. He's just another man who looks down on her, and is out to use her.



Josie finds out she's pregnant a couple of months later, and her friend tells Adam. Adam goes back to Paris and gets Josie to agree to marry him for a long as she's pregnant, so he can take care of her and make sure that his baby has his family's name. They are both determined to see this as a marriage of convenience, although they are both in love with each other. Josie's insecurity complicates things, because she's afraid to admit to her feelings and constantly pushes Adam away. Adam made some mistakes in his past after his older brother died to save him. He had lived a circumspect life in the present, avoiding 'wild women' like Josie. He doesn't want to be in love, although Josie draws him like no other woman.



I felt for Josie, for how she'd suffered, and how she believed she was unworthy of love. Having been abandoned by her real family for many years, and when she's finally brought home, she was treated as though she was inadequate because of having run wild in the swamps for those years. She stumbled into inappropriate relationships in which she got hurt. When she meets Adam, she felt drawn to him, not knowing who he was. But, when she finds out that he's from a prominent Texas family, she doesn't feel like she can be the wife that he would want. I liked Josie. She was a sweet, kind woman, looking for love, but afraid that she was not worthy of being loved. I liked Adam too. He was deluded about himself, thinking he couldn't fall in love because he didn't deserve it after his brother died for him. He is bewildered by the fact that he fell in love with Josie, who seems so different from his longtime girlfriend, who fits into his structured life.



I liked the emotions in this book, and the strong bond between Adam and Josie. The powerful attraction between them that they had to sort out into feelings that could give them a lasting, loving marriage. I read this book quickly, eager to see this couple get their happy ending. This one was definitely a winner for me.

[ceecee · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a fast and short read. It read more like a short story with a nice addition to giving some of the back story on each character. I read this book in just two hours and I liked it.

This story is about a younger brother, Lucas, falling in love after just a few days of meeting a woman in Paris, Josie. After returning to his family and letting them know his older brother, Adam, goes to Paris to find the woman and pay her off. Their mother considered her to low born and not fit to merry into the family.

Adam goes to Paris and instead of paying Josie off to leave Lucas alone he falls in love with her. They have one night of passion that leads to her getting pregnant. Adam convinces Josie to merry him for nine months while she's pregnant and has the baby and then tells her they can divorce and the baby will be taken care of.

This seems like the perfect arrangement for two people who hardly know one another except for the small fact that they love one another. Josie feels safe in Adam's arms and Adam feels passion with only the sight of her. If only their heated words that are spoken in the midst of many fights didn't get in the way.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adam Ryder is sent to Paris to ward off potential girlfriend of his brother. Josie has been burned badly before has has put herself on a six month man free hiatus, when she sees Adam it is with a mixture of humor, given the situation, and like a magnet she is drawn to him. One passionate night leads to a disastrous morning where Josie ends up feeling betrayed, lost, and unworthy.

Adam had not meant to fall into bed with Josie, she was so alluring. One time is not enough with her, but her stubborn behavior is not allowing him to explain. When Adam finds out there is a baby on the way, he will do anything to protect his child and Josie, even if he has to go about it in an underhanded way.

I would like to think Adam struck the marriage bargain with the intent that he would get Josie to fall for him, like he has fallen for her. There are a few loose ends in the story, but overall it was an entertaining read.

[Rebecca Parker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Admittedly, this was my first foray into romance novels, and I thought it was fairly innocuous, if not slightly annoying. There was too much saying something other than what they felt whereas if they were just honest with each other, everything would have been better sooner. And the title seems to suggest a different storyline - it should have been called "bought into marriage," but I guess that doesn't have the same ring to it.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

H in the beginning cheats on his girlfriend with h. My morals bothers this so much that I cannot finish it.

[Mattie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated this one, the hero cheated on his fiancee with the heroine and the heorine was almost dating hero's brother. I don't care for the fiancee but it just shows hero's morals that he would cheat and he never broke up with her until he found out heroine was pregnant (and I don't think he even really broke up with her, he just flew to Paris and married heroine). I didn't like heorine all that much either, hero told her he was involved with someone else and she still slept with him. Then throughout the book she was extremely hot and cold, I don't even quite understand her animosity towards hero for being the brother of guy she almost dated. I can maybe understand being mad for a little bit, but she was mad for months. P.

[Diane Haag · Rating 2 out of 5]

First, the title doesn't even match the story, they might have been married, but she certainly wasn't sold into it. Hard to finish, they were both so full of pride, saying nasty things to each other to protect their own feelings. I don't recommend this book.

[Namiria]

It was bad. Really bad.

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sent off to Paris to get away from the scandal that erupted around her, Josie is all alone on Christmas Eve. That is until she meets Adam Ryder. Not knowing that Adam is the brother of her boyfriend Lucas Ryder, Josie feels an instant connection with him. What she doesn't know is that Adam was in Paris to ruin her relationship with his brother. But as Adam gets to know Josie he realizes that she isn't the type of person he and his mother thought she was and he really starts to care for her. But when Josie learns the truth he is kicked to the curb. However, he doesn't stay there long because Josie learns she is pregnant. Taking matters into her own hands, Josie's friend Brianna, steps in to get these two back together. It's when her and the life of their child's in danger that Adam's true feelings ring out and he fights to make her his.

[Tia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't much care for Adam. There was something so arrogant and rude about him that it made me shy away from his character. I did love Josie's character, despite being hurt, she still lived and was strong. I thought the novel was well written and put together but some part of it did leave me wanting more. The emotional aspect of the novel seemed pale in comparison to others.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good but it was a little slow getting to the point of them telling each other how they felt. It had a good story line.

[Margarida Adam]

Ainda não li