Then Comes Marriage

Hot Water, California #2

by Christie Ridgway

Rescued from a recent kidnapping, Honor Witherspoon suddenly finds herself married off by her billionaire father to brilliant recluse and high-tech security expert Bram Bennett, a man tormented by the pain of the past, and sets out to shake up the life of her sexy but aloof new husband. Original.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Chick Lit, Romantic Suspense

382 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Melodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was nice but I think I like the first book of the series better.

[Alyssa Edmonds · Rating 4 out of 5]

This took me only 12 days to read but longer than I hoped it would. Had a slow start, slow middle and quick ending that stopped abruptly - was definitely tough to get through. I wish there was more to Josh and Honor’s story, it felt like the plot twist came up twice in the story but very briefly and with no true description. I wish there was another book to cover Mia and Josh or Beau and his story but alas, that is all of Hot Water.

[Tressa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not care for the premise in Then Comes Marriage and did not finish reading the book.

[Hannah Herrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was an easy read and made me feel.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light but amusing read.
Further adventures in Hot Water, CA, a small american town. Honor Witherspoon and Bram Bennett are forced into a marriage of convenience by Honor's dad.

[Robyn Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kindle

[Krispy · Rating 1 out of 5]

abandoned at 82% read

[Krissys Bookshelf Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

After Honor Witherspoon is rescued from her kidnappers, all she wants is to live in Hot Water, a small town that symbolises safety.

Her billionaire father, Warren, wants to ensure his daughter is definitely secure. Going to outrageous lengths to keep her guarded, Warren demands something extreme of his daughter: she must marry Bram Bennett, a recluse living behind the locked gates in a home nicknamed 'The Fortress.'

Bram lost his wife eight years ago to a random carjacking-gone-bad, and he can't seem to get over his loss. Still deeply attached to her memory, he rarely exits his house. When Warren threatens to destroy the high-tech security company Bram recently sold him - the company that's the economic foundation of Hot Water - if Bram doesn't marry Warren's daughter, Bram reluctantly accepts a new person into his home. But with Honor now residing in his 'fortress', Bram finds it extremely difficult to uphold his tight security, ward off unwanted intruders, and fight off his sexual attraction to his beautiful wife.









My Review:

I don't think that this book really knew what it wanted to be. You get a mix of issues that didn't mesh well together including its cast, you aren't really sure how the weirdness factor really fit in to it all, and the whole time I'm left wondering if I missed something. However it doesn't take away from the fact that Ridgway has written something unique here.





My Rating:





Reviewed By:
Krissys Bookshelf Reviews





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Note: I received a digital copy in exchange for an honest review from The Author
via California Girls

[ies · Rating 4 out of 5]

yang suka SAM wajib baca ^^

Honor Witherspoon, si Heroine pindah ke Hot Water setelah die diculik trs terkurung bareng Dylan (hero buku 1)dan si Dylan nyeritain tempat die lahir sama Honor. Honor menganggap bahwa Hot Water adalah tempat teraman di dunia. Honor, ini sejak kecil sudah ditinggal mati ibunya, trs Ayahnya ngirim die ke boarding school di berbagai negara, jadi Honor ga pernah ngerasain perasaan punya tempat tinggal permanen, ada yg nungguin die pulang dst dst. Setelah die dibebaskan dari penculik (die diculik karena bpknya ini kaya raya) die bertekad akan membuat Hot Water menjadi "rumah" nya. Tapi, bapaknya yg kaya raya punya pendapat lain..

Bram Bennet, si Hero ini terluka dan menutup diri selama 8th kematian istrinya (yg di culik pas buku 1 itu). Dia tidak mau merasakan, tidak mau bersosialisasi, die mengurung diri dan menciptakan perusahaan security. Sampai akhirnya dia bosan dan ingin menjual tu perusahaan, dan tidak lain tidak bukan yg beli si bapaknya Honor dengan satu syarat Bram musti merit sama Honor! (karena Honor ga mau pake bodyguard dan ga mau tinggal sama bapaknya). Kalau Bram tidak menyetujui syarat yg di ajukan Warren maka perusahaan Bram akan dihancurkan, padahal perusahaan itu menampung banyak sekali tenaga kerja warga lokal. Akhirnya, Bram pun merit sama Honor..

Merit beneran? kaga lah.. Honor cuma mau bapaknya diem, dan dia akan membuktikan bahwa dia aman di Hot Water tanpa bodyguard maupun suami, mereka membuat perjanjian merit selama 6 minggu.

Dua karakter hero-heroine nya ini bener2 kebalikan, si Bram yg muram karena sayapnya patah, sementara Honor bertekad untuk bahagia dan selalu cerah ceria, hidup terlalu singkat buat dilalui dengan kemurungan dst dst. Awalnya Bram mengira kalau Honor ini tipikal "princess" gitu deh, banyak maunya, belagu dst dst sementara Honor sering banget ngeledekin hidupnya Bram yg muram dan membeosankan. Tapi ternyata, Honor tidak seceria apa yg terlihat dan Bram jg tidak semuram yg ditunjukkan.. dua orang yg bersayap patah, saling mengobati satu sama lain...

sampai ketika 6 minggu berlalu dan tiba-tiba FBI mengumumkan penculik Honor melarikan diri.. *jreng-jreng* baca sendiri lah XD

[Christie P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

All Honor Witherspoon wanted was a place to belong. A place to call home. A place to make a family. She never thought her father was going to buy the town and force the ex-military, computer genius, Bram Bennett to marry her or else he would destroy the tiny town of Hot Water. Marriage was the most extreme form of protection Honor had ever heard of but it was either marry Bram, ruin the town she so desperately wanted to call home, or move back home.

Bram had already been married once with a tragic ending and he never wanted to marry again. But once Daddy Witherspoon made his demands there was no way Bram could let his town be ruined, or let anything happen again to the spoiled princess...no matter how much he disliked her sight unseen.

Honor decided that whatever the situation, she was going to make the best of it and be happy. Once she decided Bram was going to be happy as well things became more and more complicated. She wasn't surprised by her growing feelings for him but was taken aback by the feelings for her he was trying to hide. But it was hard to make sort of head way when there were alien spotting tourists descending, robot dog disasters, scheming friends, and an escaped kidnapper all to deal with in shut a short time span.

I really liked Honor. I didn't think she was spoiled and loved that she wanted to incredibly quirky town of Hot Water to be her home. She was in love with the town the moment she stepped foot there. It was also incredibly amusing how awful she was with technology when Bram was such an expert. Every computerized thing she touched broke in some way and it was always funny!

Bram was a hard nut to crack. Sometimes he was just ok and sometimes he was a down right ass. It took me a while to warm up to him, and I mean a while.

I feel like we got so little time with Bram and Honor happy together, as a couple, that I definitely wanted more. I wanted to see them in this crazy domesticated bliss, with Honor still breaking everything!

[Linda Levine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honor and Bram are pushed into a marriage neither wants by her father. He wants to protect her and thinks a husband can do that. Bram is still in mourning for his first wife and has not desire for any relationships. He is deeply of this rich girl he thinks is just playing around and will be on her way out of town soon too when she gets bored. Honor survived a kidnapping and feels like this town offers her safety and a sense of belonging she has always wanted. She has no desire to hurt Bram and isn't really sure she is over the trauma and able to be in a sexual relationship.

It is fun to watch Honor try to loosen Bram up and encourage him to interact with others again. She is a woman who enjoys bring around others and helping people. As much as he resists, he is captivated by her.

I enjoyed the romance and watching the two characters heal together with the support and love of other people in the town. They have a great chemistry from the very beginning. I would have liked to meet her father and get more of a feeling for why he operates the way he does. You also get another romance in the story that is just as enjoyable to watch.

I received a copy in return for a honest review.

[Robin Barton · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is always nice when you find that kindred spirit that is perfect for you. In the process of falling in love you end up healing each other which allows you to move on with your lives.
In the second story in the Hot Water series we find Honor and Bram helping each other and falling in love.
Honor is kidnapped and rescued by Dylan (always nice to read about old friends and what they are up to) who takes Honor to his friend Bram to help keep Honor safe. Right off the bat these two don’t mix but couples rarely do when they first meet. Honor thinks of Bram as a techno geek. He even has a computerized dog. And Bram in turn thinks Honor is nothing but a nuisance. To make things even more complicated Honor’s dad decides that these two need to get married for convenience to keep Honor safe. Can you spell trouble from the beginning?
Ms. Ridgeway once again gave us two characters that were easy to relate to and like. They each had those endearing flaws that help add to the realism of the story. Bram in need of his solitude because of the past and although he was or seemed to be the strong silent type Honor was able to slip in and flip his neat world upside down.
I liked this heartwarming funny yet sweet book. Honor and Bram will tug at your heartstrings.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I delightful sequel to FIRST COMES LOVE. We were introduced to Honor and Bram on the first book and were puzzled that this book began with them getting married. We learned in FIRST COMES LOVE, that Dylan rescued Honor from her kidnappers and that Bram was his childhood best friend. However, when Dylan failed to rescue Bram's wife from a carjacker, resulting in him having saved 3 children but not Alicia, Dylan felt so guilty that he left town and Bram was so heartbroken that he cut himself off from everyone so he would never be hurt again. While rescuing Honor, Dylan told her about the town he grew up. She had a very lonely childhood and the description that he gave her convinced Honor that living there would make her happy and safe. Her father, worried about her safety, blackmailed them into marriage. Bram is convinced that she is a spoiled princess and will quickly grow tired of the small town. Honor promised him that she will convinced her father to let them divorce. Predictably, best laid plans go awry. There is also these weird UFO sightings, if you like ScFi.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honor Witherspoon is drawn to Hot Water because of her heroic rescuer, Dylan Matthews. While both are locked in the wine cellar, Dylan tells Honor about growing up in Hot Water, his family and friends. Once rescued she tells her billionaire father, I am moving to Hot Water. Her father agrees as long as she weds Bram Bennett. Warren Witherspoon will do anything even threaten Bram with the company he just sold him if he does wed and keep his daughter safe from her kidnapper. Neither Honor nor Bram want to be married, but Bram can't let his town down nor be destroyed. This book was funny yet compelling. The dynamics of Bram's guilt and his silence pull at the readers heart! My favorite part was the the mechanical guard dog and how Honor always managed to disable him. I highly recommend!

[Kai · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story though I did prefer the previous book in the hot water series. After Honor was kidnapped she decides to move the Hot water. Her dad who is worried about her decides to force Bram to marry her. To me this seemed very controlling and ridiculous, made me think a bit less of Honor as she just seemed to go along with it. However I found myself moving past that and really liking Honor as she tried to find a place to call home. It did become a bit predictable as Bram and Honor started to develop feelings for each other however this did not ruin my enjoyment of the book. There is some funny bits in the story too with the robot dog disasters and the alien spotting tourists. It took me a while to warm to Bram but it was still a good book that did make me smile. Definitely a book I would recommend. x

[Julia David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honor just wants to belong. After being kidnapped and rescued, she goes to Hot Water. Dylan, the FBI agent who helped rescue her, told her all about Hot Water to keep her calm before she was rescued. She fell in love with Hot Water through Dylan's stories. Her father decided that she needed a husband to take care of her, so he bought Bram's company and made the stipulation that he had to marry her. Bram doesn't want a wife. He doesn't want any human contact because that would mean he would have to feel something. Since his first wife's death, he has shut himself off from everyone. Honor swoops in and breaks down his barriers with her sunny smile and optimism. Can he let her in his life without letting her in his heart? How can she stay with him and not have his heart?

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet, cute, well-written book. Honor Witherspoon has settled in the small town of Hot Water, CA after being rescued from a kidnapping by an FBI agent who helped her get through it by telling her stories of life in his home town, Hot Water. Honor's father convinces Bram Bennett, local high-tech security genius, and Honor to marry (in name only) to keep Honor even more safe. Bram has a tragic loss in his past and wants to be alone with his memories, but Honor reminds him of the happiness he once had. I really enjoyed this story. It can be read as a stand alone book, though follows another book with related characters. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Karen Alonzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I got this book for free. The "man must overcome his 'too guilty to love' complex before losing the girl" plot doesn't have a lot of twist turns, but it's got a lot of fun banter. (When the hero finally gives in to his overwhelming lust, the girl is wearing flannel. She's a little grossed out to think that's what turns him on. Made me laugh out loud!)

I loved the light-hearted moments like this, but the side characters weren't as entertaining as in other Ridgway books. Still, it IS a Ridgway book and Christie Ridgway is a very solid writer. "Then Comes Marriage" is a fun read and better than many books that I paid for!

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honor Witherspoon wants to move to the small town of Hot Water, California, but because she was kidnapped in the past, her father has become extremely overprotective. He demands that if she moves, she marries someone who can protect her.
Bram Bennett is intelligent, good looking and rich. When he sells his company to Mr. Witherspoon, Bram doesn't know that a wife is part of the bargain. Now, Bram is married to Honor, a woman he believes is a spoiled princess who is only around to disrupt his solitary life.
Honor and Bram help each other overcome the past with the help of two dogs (one real, one robotic), a town full of strangers, who want to be friends, and, of course, aliens!

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great story. For most of the book I was pretty much in love. The characters were perfect together and individually. I loved it all, characters, dialog, pace, writing, chemistry… the only thing I didn't love was the alien thing. That is, the fact that Bram doesn't love Honor until the magic alien beam knocks down his walls. But that issue doesn't come up until the last 15 or so pages. For the first 300+ pages I absolutely LOVED this book. And I still would recommend it.

[Suzie Quint · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the characters in this. Both the hero and heroine are tormented, intelligent, and funny. Well written, the story doesn't sag any where. I didn't even mind the UFO subplot until the end where the author used it as a way to give a couple of characters epiphanies. That really disappointed me because things were going so well and it struck me as a cop-out. A real deus ex machina even though it was foreshadowed and a sour note in an otherwise fantastic story.

[CL · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ultimately this book was a disappointment, mainly because of how much I loved the first book in the series, not because it was particularly rubbish.

Things I didn't like:

- the aliens aspect (even if it was quite minor)
- the secondary romance, which was a real shame since I've loved the secondary romances in previous Christie Ridgway's books
- the robotic dog - this has no place in a contemporary romance.

Overall though it was still an enjoyable read.

[Jenny T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

In another trip to Hot Water, CA, this book focuses on the marriage of convenience of Honor Witherspoon (billionaire heiress and recent kidnap victim) and Bram Bennett (local town tech genius). I enjoyed the characters' interactions with each other and thought the "dogs" were a nice touch. I also like how the author also includes a "B story" with another romance in each of her books.
Thanks to CR's California Girls for the copy of this book.

[Sheila Schwartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

When tragedy leaves your heart decimated love is something to be feared instead of embraced, compounding that is finding love with someone who has experienced horrors beyond most our comprehension and yet Ms. Ridgway uses this to make an unforgettable story of a couple who with richness in friends and the desire to belong fight to live and love. Book 2 is start to finish because you can't set it down until our hero discovers what his heart has been looking for......such a satisfying read!!

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently found this author and I am really am enjoying her books. This was the second in the two Hot Water book series but I hope there is a third and even have an idea for it... Honor has good days and bad and you can feel her hurt as well as Bram's. There are times when your heart breaks for the couple but you know it will work out ok. I can't wait for the next CR book I can get my hands on.

[Sarah Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The set-up was awkward- heiress forced to marry hunky but wounded techno-geek? But as always, Christine Ridgway does a really nice job of fleshing out characters and giving them depth. Really enjoy her writing style.

[Precious · Rating 4 out of 5]

bram is sooo sweet... i love this book, it made me realize that i can read romance books again after reading the twilight saga coz i couldn't read anything a few months of reading twi...this book is a must read!!!

[Kat ~ Forever Book Lover ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just started this, it brings in characters from first book. So far, an easy read
this was a good read, I liked it better than First Comes Loeve. There is a great love hate realtionship betweentwo secondary characters that is a hoot..

[willaful]

I loved this premise: traumatized widower forced to marry traumatized heiress. But considering all that trauma, there was a lot of fluff and physical humor. (Bram builds all sorts of bizarre technological gadgets, Honor shorts things out by her very presence.) I just couldn't get into it.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a hilarious book especially that she breaks all electronic stuff. It did not have any inconsistencies or obvious "yeah right" moments. I loved reading this!