A Bride Worth Taking

Arrangements #6

by Rebecca Connolly

His lawfully dreaded wife…

When disaster strikes, Marianne Bray finds herself in quite a mess, and the most important things in the world are at stake; her family name and her reputation. Desperation leads to a solution she cannot bear, but she has no choice. She must bind herself to a man who can protect her, save her, and, more importantly, tolerate her. Unfortunately for her, that man is Kit Gerrard.

Her awfully wedded husband…

Kit knew he ought to have left Marianne to her fate, which was no more than she deserved, but he’d always had a weakness where she was concerned, so there was no alternative but to save her and sacrifice himself in the process. With his heart at risk, he takes her, swearing to harden himself against the one woman he’s always wanted, and prays it will be enough. But before long, he realizes he may be the one in need of saving.

.

Genres: Romance, Regency, Historical, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Clean Romance, Fiction

294 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2017

About the author

I was born once upon a time, and I started making up stories right away. Eventually, I started writing them down, and never stopped! I have a day job, which gets in the way of my writing, but it pays the bills so I CAN write, so I guess that's okay! I am a bookworm, which I think is key to being a writer, and I am always looking for inspiration! I live in Indiana, am obsessed with hot chocolate, and I am on track to be the best aunt in the world.

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved every book in this series but for whatever reason this has been my favorite. I normally do not like the brat leading lady who wakes up and sees what a monster she has become story lines but with this series you have know her for a couple books and get a sense that she is something more then what she presents to the world. I loved how this story and these characters unfolded for me. There pride and insecurity was palpable and so well written. I love the way Connolly writes a love story and this one is a little steamier then her others, that saying this was still very clean. These always leave me so excited for the next in the series!

[Kathy * Bookworm Nation · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Was just what I was looking for in a marriage of convenience story.

I remembered spoiled Marianne from previous books, she is not at all a likable heroine at first. I was hopeful she would somehow become likable, and eventually she does, it just takes a few humbling experiences and serious self-reflection. It was actually nice to see her transformation. Kit is a broody but honorable gentleman. He's been in love with Marianne since they were children, but he does not like her or what she has become.

I admit, I was a tad worried that they would get married and suddenly they would be all lovey-dovey. Luckily, that doesn't happen. Years of animosity just doesn't go away overnight and I was glad to see how the author handled their relationship. Kit definitely doesn't put up with her shenanigans and that's just what she needs. They have fun banter, sometimes a tad rude to each other, but neither of them are willing to go to far because deep deep down there is a level of respect between them.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one, was hooked from the start and couldn't put it down. I had read the other books in the series awhile ago, but was happy to find that this stood really well on its own.

Content
Romance: Clean, mild innuendo and fade to black intimacy
Language: Mild
Violence: Mild
Religious: None
Series: Arrangements, Book Six - stands on its own

Source: Amazon

[Tenille Berezay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't love book 5 as much as the others in this series, but book 6...Ah, book 6 restored my faith in this series. I thought the character's showed huge growth, but it was absolutely believable. And it was swoony...so very swoony. And I've been waiting for this couples story, so that definitely made this a more exciting read and one I would recommend....after reading the other 5. :)

[Bethany Meadows · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first audiobook I’ve ever finished ✅

3.5-4ish..I’ve recently discovered this author. I enjoy how interconnected her series are—kinda saga-ish. I’m looking forward to reading more of her books. Great reads for when I want some angsty regency drama. Especially enjoyed it as an audiobook because I was able to get lots of housework done while I listened to it—but wasn’t super concerned if there were parts that I didn’t quite “get” due to my attention issues. If that makes sense lol. I typically struggle with audiobooks so it was nice to find some that I can enjoy without stressing 😆



Clean fiction- some brief mild language and heavy kisses.

[Rebecca Lange · Rating 5 out of 5]

A love match… 🥰

What a beautiful story. Rebecca Connolly sure knows how to keep the reader hooked and fall in love with the characters. And those incredible sizzling moments. Wow. She pushes the romance to a low spice, without making it inappropriate and smutty. And trust me, some of the moments between Kit and Marianne were closed-door steamy. 😉

[Miriam Reeves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

I havr been waiting for Kit and Marrianes story for a while now and it didn't disappoint. Lits of swoony moments!!! A perfect clean regency romance!! Perhaps my favorite of all the couples!

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the first book in this series, An Arrangement of Sorts and have eagerly read each following book hoping for something as clean, fun and adventurous. While I'm still interested in the group of friends and their stories, each book gets a little bit more descriptive and lusty in the amour department.

I enjoyed getting to know the back stories of Marianne and Kit but I honestly wanted to punch Kit or have one of his friends punch him. I'm still not sure why he couldn't let anyone see he loved Marianne when she so obviously loved him. He hurt her by being an absolute dunce and the reasons he felt justified in doing so did not make any sense to me even after they were explained more than once.

The epilogues set years after the final chapter continue to be a favorite part of the series but I got a bit lost in trying to keep all the names straight. It's still enjoyable to see what the author imagines her characters doing several years down the road.

[Pooja · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn’t stand Kit. Marianne may be a “monster” but in many ways she is who they all made her. All this coddling, protecting, silently brawling to stop people saying mean things about her but never really explaining to her or letting her know what other people really thought? And then they blame her for it? Kit needs a slap or 5 more from Tibby for being such a wishy washy moron. He thinks she’s childish? He proposed to her out of nowhere in the middle of a playful conversation and then went off on a strop for 2 years to try to forget this person who he apparently loved soooo deeply that even being in the same country with her after her “rejection” was too painful? And then came back and was nothing but an ass to her? Pass

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay

I didn't like this book as much as the others in the series, but it was still good. It was just hard to like Marianne in the beginning, and then Kit got really annoying with his assumptions and hot/cold behavior.

[Iris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kit annoying and bitter and not very likeable. And I hate it that the whole book revolves around Marianne tempering down who she is. He wants her sweat and Biddable and that’s why he can’t love her ? I don’t understand why he’s punishing her for most of the book for being herself

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love/Hate Relationship =Love

This surely was a love/hate relationship for a while.
I really enjoyed the back and forth between Kit and Marianne. They both hated and loved each other and sometimes even hated that love. I really liked how the story ended, though it took quite while to get there. He steadied her...she gave him wings. ❤

[Nellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romantic

This regency romance is clean, sweet, and fun. I love all the sassy banter, and I love these characters. Looking forward to more!! Great series.

[Melania Ramona · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars for excellently written characters, who weren't at all even close to perfect, but were clearly perfect for each other. Still, the story was too "clean" for my tastes.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I already reviewed this and it did not stay ? It was fun, and exciting, and I loved it. I gave it a five. To make this shorter, than the first time, basically it concerns a spoiled young woman who likes to stretch the rules of society, and being spoiled, gets away with it, until she doesn't. She is saved by her brother, and a close family friend before the cad can complete her ruin, but it will not go away this time. Kit who has loved her for years, agrees to marry her quickly, to save her family, and her. He does not let her just walk all over him, but must earn her way into his life, and his heart. She has to eat humble pie, and change her nature. It was funny in places, and in others strained, but in all it turned out to be a very loving story.

[Kayla Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one best of all!! Getting know Marianne and see her true character blossom were highlights for me. Loved the character development in this book- it was tender and beautiful.

[Cara Lord · Rating 4 out of 5]

Regency relaxation

[Maria Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this more than I did. It was compelling but I found the conflict over done. Probably could have cut out a whole bunch of the back and forth in the relationship and still told the story just fine. Just when things were going better in their relationship, Kit seemed to freak out for no apparent reason. I mean it was because of his own fear and hang ups but it happened too many times. And because of it, he was kind of a jerk. She kept giving him credit for behavior that I didn't think he was exhibiting. He was rude and mean but he left the carriage for her so he was a gentleman. I don't think rude and mean is gentlemanly behavior, carriage or no carriage.

Why is it that Marianne was so oblivious to what people really thought of her? You'd think that with all the gossiping in the ton she would have gotten the gist of her mother's scandal at some point and heard negative things about herself as well. And if her brother was really that worried about her behavior why was she so protected to never hear of any of the gossip or the facts? Seemed more like conflict avoidance rather than truly protecting her.

But as one might expect, they both overcome their issues to have their happily ever after.

Sex: none. Vulgar innuendo from the Marksby and forced kisses. Some kisses between Marianne and Kit.
Language: some mild swearing
Violence: Marksby is verbally and physically abusive toward Marianne in the beginning of the book. Kit beats him up but we don't see it. We just know it happened.

[Alaska Hults · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tough Love

This 6th book in the series was as well written as the others, but it was difficult to read. The characters are complex, the plot believable, and the resolution not contrived. However...

Minor Spoilers Ahead

You have two fundamentally good people, although Marianne had gone far astray of her own potential, and Kit had become a hard man. They married for the wrong reason, and immediately set about to make it worse. He was a complete jerk, downright cruel, for too much of the book. She was selfish, and they were both so petty with each other.

In the end, of course, they change, and for all the right reasons. Part of what was frustrating was that Marianne came to the marriage as a mostly unlikable character (from previous books) and Kit came as a mostly likeable one. Marianne sets about to change first, and changes the most. Kit doesn't have as far to go, yet he holds onto that grudge and his pride. I honestly lost respect for him as the book went on! The epilogue was much needed as resolution came so late in the book. It tied up loose ends and gave us complete closure for the series. I hope Ms. Connolly takes us in a new direction. Perhaps we will get the story of The Gent or Lord Blackmoore. My critique above is not meant to downplay the quality of the writing. Obviously, I was emotionally engaged.

[Aapree · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I liked the book to begin with. I thought the story set up was great and both the hero and heroine had depth. I was looking forward to the progression of their story. In a lot of ways I did enjoy it. But a few things turned me off to it. First and foremost is quite honestly the back and forth intense fickleness of the HERO seriously drove me insane. I get why, but his obsession and lack of compassion was getting to a point where it was very creepy and uncomfortable for me. The writing for the most part was well done but there were too many “snorts” and shrugs for my taste. It was overdone and it frustrated me the author couldn’t think of any other way to describe a reaction or emotion. So all in all, not bad, but not my favorite.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure if it was the timing of this book, but it annoyed me and I usually really like Rebecca Connolly's books. I also tried reading it in 2018 and gave up and then just gave it another shot, and still didn't love it...so maybe it just isn't for me. The Kindle version also had atleast 5-10 grammatical errors and that makes it hard for me...

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

This annoyed me. The characters were too petty.

[Karen Darling · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very dull I'm almost halfway through the book they're married there's no kissing hugging touching loving nothing. No romance at all. This is not a romance novel.

[Rs · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Hero 3 (frustrating with his indecisiveness)
Heroine 3.5
Plot 2.5
Humor 2
Writing 3

[Auntmolly · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good story plot that started out well. Then it dragged and so many hold backs from the two character, i just didn't care for either of them b y the ending. This had good potential to be better.

[Kit · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book. Utterly ridiculous.

I downloaded it yesterday and it's the kind of book you can read in a day and a half to take your mind off things. But ridiculous nonetheless.

And let me preface this review by saying that for the most part I enjoyed reading it and some elements I liked. But enjoying a read doesn't mean that I wasn't annoyed by it, and found it problematic.

Actually, I'd say, had it been wrapping up around the 60% mark, I'd have enjoyed it wholeheartedly. And when you feel like a book could end but you KNOW it's got 40% to go, you naturally start to get a little worried. And of course, that's when things began to get problematic for me, and I began skimming.

You see, at the 60% mark, we'd had the drama of the rushed marriage, the I hate her but I love her saga and then the redemption of Marianne in the country and they were dealing well together and the relationship could have deepened a little more with a few good conversations and, end scene, curtain!

INSTEAD, the drama had only just begun and the back and forth of trust, distrust, love, dislike, was annoying and unnecessary.

So this is a 3.5. It was enjoyable enough but too much drama for not enough reason. And for some reason the personalities of Rebecca Connolly often seem to have an undernote of bitterness, their personality flaws, put in to make them seem more real, make them a little unpalatable. There is a right way and a wrong way to do character flaws.

I haven't enjoyed the stories of Duncan, Colin or Kit, but I loved Derek and Kate and Nathan and Moira and I'm hopeful about the next one two, having enjoyed the glimpses of the the next two characters in this book.

(Also what is with making ALL the women pregnant every time we get an epilogue, that is also ridiculous, as if pregnant women are the best future you an imagine for them. Not saying that it isn't nice but not making it the be all and end all!)

[Laura B · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the sixth book in the Arrangements series by Rebecca Connolly, and after the fifth, The Burdens of a Bachelor, this was somewhat of a letdown. I wanted to read it because it was a continuation of the Gerrard twin brothers’ story, as well as bringing a sibling in of Duncan Bray’s, the hero in The Dangers of Doing Good (book #4 of the series).

Kit Gerrard and Marianne Bray had been childhood friends, but they had a falling out six years ago, but due to a scandal, and to save Marianne’s reputation, Kit marries her even though she broke his heart when they were younger, but his complicated feelings won’t allow her to be ruined.

Marianne is not a likeable character, but really neither was Kit, which meant they deserved each other. I understand about past hurts and resentments, but the way they treated each other at times was uncalled for. However, they also had moments of utter tenderness which made me wonder if the author wasn’t sure how to develop their stories and character arcs. It all seemed rushed at the end. I understand a romance is boy meets girl, boy gets girl, they love, they have a falling out, and then a reconciliation at the end. But Kit’s and Marianne’s relationship was so on again and off again, that it was difficult to keep up with when they either loved each other or hated each other. And why, really, did Kit even marry her in the first place?

If the characters were better people, then the story would have been more enjoyable. 2**½*

[Jennifer Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This started off fine, even if the opening scene in which a bunch of men plotted her future after she’d been clearly beaten (at the least) felt off putting. It wasn’t so much the damage control they were try ing to do, but it set the stage for how poorly this young woman had been looked after. Supposedly they are cared about her well being, but literally none of them had was interested enough in her to provide for her supervision that she had an entire romance and elopement without their knowledge?

During this conversation, a huge deal is made about what a pill she is, how no one in London society likes her— and they need to keep her from finding out. Literally no one in her life cared enough to tell her she was acting like an asshole? Especially when it was clear that her personality change was fairly sudden and matched up with a lonely first season? That would have been way easier than the disaster they (tbf, her brother mostly) allowed to happen and had to clean up.

Kit (MMC) needed to be slapped harder and much more often. The FMC’s action during the event that caused the breach in their relationship were completely understandable— the FMC may have been an asshole generally at this time, but she really wasn’t in this instance. His immediate hurt and embarrassment was also understandable, but hardly worth six years of sturm und drang if he had taken two minutes away from wallowing in his butt hurt and thought about what actually took place.

All of his hot and cold up until the very end drove me crazy. It was completely unnecessary and took away from showing what could have been genuinely needed character growth on the FMC’s part. She did owe people apologies— like those she gossiped about and helped ostracize. But that growth was cut off right after she had an opportunity for empathy and the whole focus of the book became managing Kit’s dumb ass. Girl. You should have stayed in London.

[Gaia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found these characters incredibly difficult to like and root for. To be fair, Marianne wasn't as bad here as she was in "The Dangers of Doing Good" - in that book, she was horrible and completely irredeemable, and honestly I had a hard time connecting that version of her with this one.

The biggest problem, however, was Kit. The sheer arrogance of that man, actually believing Marianne owed him an apology? He's older than her by six or so years, and yet the absolute immaturity he displays throughout the novel is mindboggling. The entire conflict between them stems from him proposing to her and her not accepting. Not refusing him, just not accepting him. Why? Because she had no idea he meant it! Instead of talking to her, and explaining his feelings, he runs away, literally leaves the country, and spends years away hating her and growing into more of a jerk. He completely botched his proposal and yet he blames Marianne for him getting his pride hurt. That's completely absurd. What's worse is when she finally finds out that he meant it and loved her, she apologizes to him, repeatedly. And then he keeps treating her horribly, and while she at first stands her ground, as she falls for him she starts accepting his horrible treatment and even tries to think of ways to get him to love her. I mean he is emotionally and mentally abusing her, basically throughout the entire story.

I gave this a 3 because what Connolly does well is prolong the story, letting the characters develop and fall in love in a more realistic way, than some love-at-first-sight nonsense.

[Patti · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always enjoy a new adventure with the Gerrard family by author Rebecca Connolly. This one was the story of brother Kit and his unusual marriage to Miss Marianne Brey. 3 1/2 stars

Marianne got herself into a major Regency pickle by running off with someone she thought would be the man of her dreams. But of course, he was less than honorable and wasted no time proving he was out for his own power and her fortune. Fortunately, Marianne was rescued just in time, (meaning before she was completely ruined) by Supermen Gerrard brothers, Colin and Kit.

In order to try to save her now tainted reputation, her brother Duncan and the Gerrard brothers come up with the only solution, immediate marriage to someone. The London rumors are flying hot already. The volunteer groom is Kit, who has never been able to shake his secret love for Marianne that has plagued him for years. With not much choice in the matter, Marianne reluctantly agrees - but is definitely NOT thrilled with the forced union.

This is a common theme in Regency England stories. It's always interesting to see how different authors handle the one-eighty degree turn around as the plot ensues. It's an entertaining read for us Regency fans. The Gerrard brothers and the various characters are fun. It was good, not outstanding.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good but a little disappointing

I have absolutely loved all the other books in this series. I have been looking forward to this book for a while, maybe the anticipation had built it up a little too much, but I was somewhat disappointed by it. This one I liked a lot but the conflicting feelings going up and down, back and forth, was a little too much, a little too irritating. Especially the one right at the end of the book that should have resolved the conflict but instead continued it for another scene, it had me saying 'No! Not again!'

Other than that, Maryanne was definitely a hard nut to crack. She finally found out that the glory she had sought for so many years was as hollow and vain as she was. I was happy that she finally had her rude awakening although if her family hadn't sheltered her so much she would never have ended up so out of control. Kit was sweet but hid from the issues and feelings a little too much for my tastes. A clean sweet romance. Good but not great like the others in this series.