Bargaining with the Bride

Honeybrook Love, Inc. #1

by Allison Gatta

Love was never an exact science…

Rachael Ford’s world is collapsing around her. Not only has her fiancé run off with his in-home care nurse, but her wedding to said low-life is only one month away. Since she’d rather swallow a box full of nails than live up to her family nickname of “Wreck-it Rachael,” she’ll have to find someone to convince her parents she’s no longer the same flakey girl she used to be or run back home with her tail between her legs.

…but there’s no denying their chemistry.

Garret Adams can’t seem to figure out what’s wrong with his dating algorithm. He’s tried everything to make sure his company, Organic Chemistry, is the leader in match making, but there’s no denying something is missing. So, when his right-hand employee threatens to leave after her botched engagement, he offers to help her out. He’ll go through with her sham marriage if and only if she agrees to be his science project. The only problem?

Their attraction is one variable he hadn’t accounted for.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Adult, Chick Lit, Amazon, M F Romance

161 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 2, 2015

About the author

Allison Gatta is an avid writer of steamy contemporary romance, an obsessive viewer of bad television, and an occasional player of overly-complex board games. In her free time, she thinks up fun, new characters and argues with her family over sci-fi trivia. She is a firm believer that Voldemort would vanquish Darth Vader in a duel.

Allison lives in the bustling city of New Haven, CT with her husband and their scrappy pup, Sophie. She is fueled by coffee and feedback, so feel free to get to know Allison though twitter (@Allison_Gatta), Facebook (Allison Gatta), or her website www.AllisonGatta.com.

Reviews

[Mills · Rating 2 out of 5]

UGH.

Strictly speaking, the writing skill of Allison Gatta probably merits a 3-3.5 star rating. The plot, however, is so incredibly stupid that I really can't justify more than two stars. Level with me here (****SPOILERS AHEAD**** etc etc):

You are our charming heroine. Let's call you Rachael Ford. You are in a relationship with a man (Lance, is it? It's slipped my mind) who has proved himself to be a complete tosser/waste of air. Just when you finally decide to ditch him, he's all 'I'm ill. You can't break up with me. Everyone will call you a BITCH.' Now, personally I'd rather people considered me a bitch than stick with some waster who was sponging off me. But no, your name is Rachael Ford and you are a pathological people pleaser, so what do you do? Not only do you stay with him, but you hire him a hot nurse, pay all his medical bills and decide the two of you should get married. Not because you like him, or he likes you, but because it will please your control freak parents. His last name is Hatchback (totally believable) and you will make yourself Rachael Ford Hatchback and fulfil everyone's expectations.

So everything's ticking along terribly. You come home early one day and you find said useless boyfriend in drag, fucking his nurse. What a shock this is! You break up with him on the spot. Oh my god, I think. Rachael has actually got a spine! And then you disappoint me yet again by being stupid enough to leave him alone in the apartment so he can steal all your stuff before he leaves.

And then what do you do? Well, you threaten to quit your job (because that will obviously improve your situation). One thing that must be said about you is that you are good at your job, so out of desperation to keep his best employee, your boss makes the world's most ridiculous suggestion. He'll fake marry you!

I feel somewhat sorry for you at this point, for having the kind of parents that would rather you married some random man than cancel the wedding and lose face but ho hum. Of course, there's a catch to your boss' offer: he gets to turn you into a human guinea pig (to collect data for his company or something).

You being the heroine of a romance novel, of course the two of you fall for each other and have sex and whatnot. Unfortunately, though, Rachael, you are such a terrible judge of male character that you've picked a man who thinks it's totally appropriate not only to have sex with his employee, but to collect data on her, including sexual preferences. This is so far off the inappropriate-and-a-sexual-harrassment-lawsuit-waiting-to-happen Richter that I can't even begin to process it.

Thank fuck Rachael, you decide this is kinda unreasonable and ditch him. Halle-freaking-lujah! Wait, what's that? You forgive him? But, but... And the two of you are now going to get married for real?

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you more than earn yourself a place on my TSTL shelf.

P.S. I would read a book with more Eliza though. As soon as she arrived on the scene I was over everyone else.

[DawnMarie Carpintero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure

3.6 stars

No matter how hard I tried for this book to capture me the truth is that it didn't. The first chapter had me zoning out it just plainly didn't capture me. Finishing the read the characters did their best but the POP wasn't in it for me. Sexy yes but capturing no not for this reader.

Happy Sexy Reading

[Aurora · Rating 4 out of 5]

After she turfs her cheating fiance only a month away from her big wedding, Rachel Ford is in desperate need of a groom. Garrett Adams needs more data to feed the dating algorithm that will cement his company's merger with a big New York megacorp if he can just get the bugs out of it. They're colleagues and friends, what could be more fitting than that they help each other out. She'll answer all his surveys and give him all the feedback he needs for the program and in return he'll be her stand in groom so that she can have the wedding she's already dreamed of and her parents have already grudgingly paid for. What could go wrong?
In Bargaining with the Bride, Allison Gatta takes a light hearted look at modern marriage and relationships. This book full of slightly "damaged" characters painted with a loving brush and a wry sense of humor. In Wreck-it Rachel, workaholic Garrett, Natalie the ever faithful and all-knowing secretary, Eliza the wild child and the social climbing and ever proper senior Adamses, we are provided with a cast of characters who make us smile, even while we sometimes cringe at how much of ourselves and our friends we see in them.
The story is the stuff of classic romantic comedy, improbable enough that we can laugh at the mess the characters manage to make of their situation, while still plausible enough not to descend into the realm of the absurd.
Bargaining with the Bride is a well crafted and thoroughly enjoyable read - perfect for a beach vacation or snuggling up on a cold winter weekend.

[Sandee · Rating 1 out of 5]

I became very tired of having to go back and reread the last sentence, paragraph or page in this book. The Author uses the wrong word(s) so many times throughout the book. Bate instead of bait. Too instead of to. Bear instead of bare. And the list goes on. But even this is inconsistent. In the same paragraph she uses both spellings of bate while discussing the same topic. Then there are the basic spelling mistakes like 'be' when the intended word was 'me' and all the missing letters and words that require the reader to go back and try to figure out what she meant to write. Add to that confusing sentence structure and I was just tired of it. I dislike authors who have such little regard for their readers. This is a case where I wish it was possible to flag a book with a warning to anyone who prefers to read a well edited story.

[Alyssa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book because the idea is quite entertaining. And the book definitely had it's funny moments but there were so many inconsistencies that I couldn't really enjoy it. It felt like there was an entire section missing from the book explaining the first two weeks after Garrett had moved in with Rachael. There also wasn't enough information about the work they do or their relationship prior to setting up the agreement. There were just too many holes in the story with not enough details. The flow was too jumpy and the characters were not consistent and developed enough. Like I previously said, I love the plot idea. The book just needed a few more chapters to even the story line out.

[Tawny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about the book once I started reading it. I had a hard time seeing the female character as strong after reading what she put up with from the finance. The Garret was a bit over the top and hard to fit into a category and the story overall seemed a little far-fetched. However, overall I enjoyed the book and it game me some laughs. There were also times I also found myself rolling my eyes at some of the things the characters said or did. More character development would give this series more potential.

It's a fun light-hearted read if you are looking for a few laughs along the way. I'm somewhat curious about the next book, but not dropping everything to read it.

[Aline Riquelme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy <3

This whole thing about how Natalie cares about other people feelings, putting her own feelings behind and how Garret is totally focused on his work, make this novella funny, hot and extremely lovely at the same time! I become a big addict to then, can't wait for Brooks and Natalie !

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars
The writing was good but the story was lacking. It would start to pull you in then fall flat. I kept putting it down because either Rachael was annoying me or I'd get bored with it. It did have a few funny parts but mostly it just dragged out.

[Shauna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok

This book was OK. I felt there was something's missing that I felt would've made the story better. The ending was a bit rushed but it was OK.

[Stacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Characters were ok. Not the best plot, and office romances are always strange to me. But lots of girls jumping into bed with their bosses in romance novels. Is this some fantasy women have? Is it just a convenient plot point? It is kind of gross to me, but hey... some people find it hot. There was humor, and that helps. But the man characters are always so off from reality. All the guys think like girls, but in in stereotypical manly way. Women have no idea way guys do the things they do or why. And most of the time these men who think womanly thoughts in manly ways is the biggest lie in romance novels. I find it kind of entertaining to hear women describe guys thoughts and feelings sometimes... But I worry for all those people who think these fantasy's are goals they should look for in a relationship. At least this boss isn't a player like the other ones. He is just an awkward (sexy) nerd who thinks relationships are science projects. Again, not very realistic, but it can be fun for humorous situations. I forgot to say it was pretty clean.

[Colleen Whale · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rachael Ford ends her engagement with her fiance Lance after she finds out that not only did he lie to her about his illness, he was cheating on her with his nurse. Not wanting to disapoint her her always disaproving parents, she decides to go on with the wedding. But she needs a new groom.

Rachael has been working for Garret's company and has become friends with him due to both of their habits to work late into the night. Together they come up with a deal. Garret will step in as Rachael's fake fiance if she helps him with the research for his match making company, using each other as the subjects. What could go wrong, they both get what they want out of the deal. What they didn't expect was to actually fall for each other.

This was a cute story, though the plot was a little weird and some of the characters were a little unbelievable. But it was a quick read, the chemistry between Rachael and Garret was undeniable. It was okay, but I didn't love it.

[Reader_for_LifeTLG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story but....

....the editing was really bad. Yes, I dock stars for that. Rachael is in a relationship purely to please her parents. Leastwise, to prove she can hold onto a man. Too bad he's a scoundrel of the worst sort. Discovering his true nature puts her in a bind so she makes a deal with her boss / friend Garret for him to take marry her for a year. Their chemistry is a slow burn, built up over months of innocent touches while working. Little did they know they were the perfect fit for each other. A really good story; I just wish it had been written better.

[Amanda Hicks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't hate it.

I guess that's not really a glowing review, but it was not a long book, and there were a few typos.

The Bride was a bit of a dolt (who just happens to be a successful marketer?) and the fake groom was kind of an overthinking ass (who really cared for her?).

I'm not really jumping to read the next book, but I cannot say many bad things about this book. It is what it is. In this case, it was to get me out of a reading slump after I had to Lemmings a few books.

[Margaret Kantz · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had to give up on this one. I don't need a romance novel to be great literature, but this one read as though the author wrote it all the night before it was due, and it never got proofread, much less edited. When I got to, "How could he keep moving so gracefully across the room without forcing her to remember the way his pecs and biceps had pinned her down? She couldn't." I was all done.

[Melissa Swafford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quick easy read. I found it to be enjoyable and liked the love story developed between the 2 main characters even if it wasn't fleshed out enough. It was humorous at parts and I liked that the female lead was able to make her own decisions by the end of the book. I would be interested in the next book. I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Audrey Ettinger · Rating 2 out of 5]

Free-for-Kindle romance. Amusing to have a sort-of-scientist main character. Otherwise, amusing but nothing special.

[Spin2Knit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book

I couldn't put this book down. Bargaining with the Bride is a fun book with fun story line and great characters. I recommend it highly!

[Tonya · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is nothing if not forgettable. I read it about a month ago, and I barely remembered it from the synopsis. I had hoped for better.

[Becky Darsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast read of what I categorize as "garbage books" - not for you if you are looking for anything beyond mindless entertainment

[Becky Hedge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bargaining with the Bride

Excellent book. Highly recommend this book to everyone. Excellent story line kept your interest and attention making it hard to put down.

[JWinter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not awful, but ultimately not one that I enjoyed.

[Markel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little romance. Written as you expect a romance to be written follows the genre well. Few spelling errors but in all a decent read

[Mandi Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story. Love the ending.

[Dawn Pressel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story is lacking

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[Simone · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first Allison Gatta book I've read and I thought it was great. It definitely makes me want to read more of her books! It was a light-hearted story with a HEA ending. Rachael's parents were infuriating and her sister was quite the card. Watching Garret and Rachael's relationship progress was interesting. At the beginning, the way he was looking at it so scientifically could be a little frustrating, but that's the only way he knew how to handle the situation. Also frustrating was that Rachael didn't seem to be doing anything to try to get to know him. It's clear that he knows her far better than she knows him, yet he's the one asking all of the questions. While they obviously want to show her family that he knows her, you'd think it'd go both ways. It'd probably look a bit odd to a family (if they took the time to notice that is, which I question if Rachael's mother would stop nagging long enough to do) that the groom knows so much about the bride but that the bride seems not to know a whole lot about the groom. Regardless, theirs was a cute romance. Despite his scientific approach, Garret always treats Rachael right and vice versa. It was great to see that, despite Garret's efforts to be completely pragmatic, Rachael could rile him up. It was entertaining to watch him desperately cling to the role of "objective scientist" as their romance progressed. I was a little surprised that Eliza never found out about the arrangement, though (considering how Rachael mentioned her sister would find it great earlier in the book). Maybe she will in the second book in the series? While I really enjoyed the book, there were a few loose ends I wish Gatta had tied up, though none of them were very important (and probably wouldn't stand out to most people). Overall, I think the book was a success and I'm looking forward to reading not only the second book in this series but other novels by Gatta as well!

[Julianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

I actually really liked reading this book, it was a light and quick read that made me smile. It's low on angst and drama, but it was just so cute it made my heart melt at some points.

At the beginning, Rachael is engaged to a huge douche, Lance. I understood why she stayed with him, but he was just the worst guy ever. I felt so bad for her because all Lance did was use her and when she kicked him out because she found out he WASN'T sick and that he was messing around with the nurse, he STOLE all of her things... as if she didn't do enough for him! She paid his medical bills and was pretty much his mother since his family disowned him. So, finally, after kicking Lance out of her life she confides in her boss and her boss decides that he would help her be the "fake fiancé" as long as she helps him with an experiment. At first there was no chemistry, but once they shared their first kiss I definitely felt what was going between them. I liked Rachael's character, she was sweet and smart. I felt bad for her because her parents are the ultimate jerks. But she grew up well in spite of them and she's successful!

Lance was great, he's Rachael's boss and woo, was he hot. He was pretty swoon-worthy and so dorky it was cute. He was really into science and his work, but at times he let his work cloud his judgment and that did not bode well with his relationships. He had a pug named Tesla, and I usually don't comment on the dogs, but pugs are my favorite dogs so I just had to! I mean, a man with a puppy? SWOOOOON. So, anyways, I definitely enjoyed his character and the chemistry was there between him and Rachael.

If you're looking for a quick and low on angst read that will make you super giddy, this is the book for you.

[Becky Claxon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rachael Ford is dreading marrying her fiancé, Lance. She has been taking care of him for a couple of years now and pays for everything, even his medical care. She couldn't just leave him when he was diagnosed with a medical problem. She comes home from work early one day and hears a pounding in his bedroom. She thinks he has fallen again, so she goes to investigate. Low and behold she find him banging his nurse against the wall. He has been taking Rachael for a ride the last couple of months as he is healed, but did not let her know. She tells him to leave before she gets back. She runs back to her office where she loves her work. Rachael is in her office thinking how her parents are going to be so upset with her when she has to cancel the wedding. They are not supportive of her and only think about their standing in the community. She ends of sleeping in her office and Garret Adams, co-owner of their company, finds her asleep at her desk. Of course this is no surprise to him as he has found her this way several times. They sit and talk. Garrett is finally able to pull out of Rachael what is wrong. Once Rachael explains everything about Lance and her parents, Garrett comes up with an idea. He tells Rachael he will be her fake fiancé and they can have a fake wedding to please her parents. At first Rachael doesn't think it is such a good idea, but eventually goes along with it. You need to read the book to see what happens, you will be glad you did.

Rachael was so strong in so many ways, but so weak when it came to her parents. Garrett was a good guy, but was so wrapped up in his company and scientific research. They both had a good impact on each other. They helped smooth each other out. I enjoyed the book and can't wait to read the next one in the series.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

One month before her wedding, Rachel Ford finds herself without a groom. Knowing the drama she’ll face if her parents find out that she’s once again embarrassed them, she decides a fake marriage, followed by a quiet divorce is a better option. Rachel’s boss and friend Garret Adams is willing to step up and play the part of devoted fiancé. In return for his help, Rachel agrees to let Garret “study” their relationship for his matchmaking company.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. I did find numerous misspelled words and grammatical errors though, which is always a big deal for me. In fact, there were enough of them that I thought it deserved one less star because of the editing, or lack of. Though several previous reviewers blasted the book for its unbelievable story plot, I liked the story. I liked that Rachel and Garret had very little notice of each other as anything other than friends and co-workers before they made their deal. To me this base of friendship makes their budding romance so much more solid and believable. After all, that is much more realistic that the instant chemistry storyline that so many other books follow. This was a 3 star read for me; 4 stars for the story line, less the 1 star deduction for poor editing.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.