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Victorian Prizefighters #1
A Bride for the Prizefighter
Listening Length: 11 hours and 56 minutes
Mina's well-ordered life is thrown into disarray when her father drops a bombshell on his deathbed: She has a brother she never knew of. Not only that, he is on his way to rescue her from the collapse of their school under a mountain of debts.
A wild journey across country later, Mina finds herself thrown at the feet of the brutish William Nye, prize-fighter and owner of a disreputable inn, The Merry Harlot. Respectable Mina is appalled to find herself obliged to wed this surly stranger!
Forced to draw on reserves of inner strength she never knew she possessed, Mina uncovers perilous secrets and bravely carves herself a new life at the side of this man, as she proves herself a more than worthy partner for the prize-fighter.
Mina's well-ordered life is thrown into disarray when her father drops a bombshell on his deathbed: She has a brother she never knew of. Not only that, he is on his way to rescue her from the collapse of their school under a mountain of debts.
A wild journey across country later, Mina finds herself thrown at the feet of the brutish William Nye, prize-fighter and owner of a disreputable inn, The Merry Harlot. Respectable Mina is appalled to find herself obliged to wed this surly stranger!
Forced to draw on reserves of inner strength she never knew she possessed, Mina uncovers perilous secrets and bravely carves herself a new life at the side of this man, as she proves herself a more than worthy partner for the prize-fighter.
12 pages, Audible Audio
First published June 25, 2020
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4318 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 957 reviews
November 14, 2025
I don’t think I’ve read many historical romances that are focused on the lower and middle classes, so this was such a breath of fresh air! Who knew a romance between a publican and a former schoolmistress could be this riveting!
Both the hero and the heroine were unique and memorable characters I grew to love. While they seemed like an unlikely pair at first, I found the gradual development of their relationship believable and very wholesome. I also enjoyed seeing them both pull their weight to make their marriage work. At the end of the day, marriage requires making certain sacrifices, does it not?
I also found myself really enjoying the moments of domesticity and the mundaneness of their life. I love that they took time out of their busy day for walks along the beach. And who knew I’d enjoy reading about the heroine peeling potatoes and changing bedsheets… Who am I??
You know, I’ve never been quite sure where I stood with grumpy heroes – BUT I’M FULLY CONVERTED NOW! Especially ones with a sweet side (yum). I loved when the hero got all jealous and possessive; it was very cute and endearing, maybe a little overbearing for other readers, but I liked it! The only reason I deducted half a star was because I felt like we needed more of the hero's backstory and POV, especially since he's a man of few words.
A Bride for the Prize fighter was very enjoyable and I will definitely be reading more from this author! If you're a bit tired of the extravagant lifestyles of dukes, rakes and the likes... give this one a go!
Rating: 5/5
┏━━━━━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┓
Victorian Prizefighters Series
#1 A Bride for the Prizefighter: 5/5
#2 A Substitute Wife for the Prizefighter: 4.25/5
#3 A Contracted Spouse for the Prizefighter: 3.75/5
┗━━━━━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┛
Both the hero and the heroine were unique and memorable characters I grew to love. While they seemed like an unlikely pair at first, I found the gradual development of their relationship believable and very wholesome. I also enjoyed seeing them both pull their weight to make their marriage work. At the end of the day, marriage requires making certain sacrifices, does it not?
I also found myself really enjoying the moments of domesticity and the mundaneness of their life. I love that they took time out of their busy day for walks along the beach. And who knew I’d enjoy reading about the heroine peeling potatoes and changing bedsheets… Who am I??
You know, I’ve never been quite sure where I stood with grumpy heroes – BUT I’M FULLY CONVERTED NOW! Especially ones with a sweet side (yum). I loved when the hero got all jealous and possessive; it was very cute and endearing, maybe a little overbearing for other readers, but I liked it! The only reason I deducted half a star was because I felt like we needed more of the hero's backstory and POV, especially since he's a man of few words.
A Bride for the Prize fighter was very enjoyable and I will definitely be reading more from this author! If you're a bit tired of the extravagant lifestyles of dukes, rakes and the likes... give this one a go!
Rating: 5/5
┏━━━━━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┓
Victorian Prizefighters Series
#1 A Bride for the Prizefighter: 5/5
#2 A Substitute Wife for the Prizefighter: 4.25/5
#3 A Contracted Spouse for the Prizefighter: 3.75/5
┗━━━━━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┛
July 11, 2024
I highly recommend this series to anyone who likes HR and wants something a bit different than the usual Dukes and Earls!
This book started out rough but redeemed itself in the end. The narration of the audiobook took a bit of getting used to as I found the cadence of the narrator’s voice sounded unnatural, but she did the two characters’ voices well and lent a nice uppityness to Mena. I did have to listen at 1.5x speed to offset the cadence issues.
I will echo the other reviews on here, this story would have benefitted from seeing Will’s POV and having less focus on the day to day chores and tasks that Mena completed. I did feel that the day to day life was interesting at times and lent an authenticity to the period. If you’ve ever read books written in that time, they do drone on and on about daily life. Once the book got to the sex scenes it became hot and hilarious. Will is a big brute and Mena so sheltered and prudish that their combination made me smirk and laugh throughout. These characters were very real and flawed and they do not sugar coat how they feel about each other. She loves him but calls him a swine in her head when he acts jealously and he gets off being dirty and shocking her sensibilities.
Once I got into this book I quite enjoyed it and look forward to reading more from this author, READING though as I don’t think I can listen to this narrator again.
This book started out rough but redeemed itself in the end. The narration of the audiobook took a bit of getting used to as I found the cadence of the narrator’s voice sounded unnatural, but she did the two characters’ voices well and lent a nice uppityness to Mena. I did have to listen at 1.5x speed to offset the cadence issues.
I will echo the other reviews on here, this story would have benefitted from seeing Will’s POV and having less focus on the day to day chores and tasks that Mena completed. I did feel that the day to day life was interesting at times and lent an authenticity to the period. If you’ve ever read books written in that time, they do drone on and on about daily life. Once the book got to the sex scenes it became hot and hilarious. Will is a big brute and Mena so sheltered and prudish that their combination made me smirk and laugh throughout. These characters were very real and flawed and they do not sugar coat how they feel about each other. She loves him but calls him a swine in her head when he acts jealously and he gets off being dirty and shocking her sensibilities.
Once I got into this book I quite enjoyed it and look forward to reading more from this author, READING though as I don’t think I can listen to this narrator again.
November 2, 2020
3.5 stars
I liked it, but I wasn't wow-ed by it. As per usual, I liked the characters, especially the heroine, but for some reason, the hero fell a bit flat for me. I needed more dialogue from him, more background, perhaps a bit of his point of view.
Overall, this was a strong read. Well constructed plot, witty dialogue and well developed side characters.
I liked it, but I wasn't wow-ed by it. As per usual, I liked the characters, especially the heroine, but for some reason, the hero fell a bit flat for me. I needed more dialogue from him, more background, perhaps a bit of his point of view.
Overall, this was a strong read. Well constructed plot, witty dialogue and well developed side characters.
July 2, 2020
Oh, this is a good one!
A really fabulous read ❤️.
You better read it without knowing much and I can tell you this, if you love Alice’s books before, you will love this one too.
She said, it’s a stand alone, but I would love to get the other fighters’s story too 😘.
Go on, read this book!
Ladies, I asked Alice on twitter if she will write a series from this book. She said, she might but it depends how well this book will sell.
Go on ladies, buy and read this book, isn’t expensive and we will get more fabulous stories. ❤️
And I want Jeremy’s book too! 😳😘😂
❤️❤️❤️
A really fabulous read ❤️.
You better read it without knowing much and I can tell you this, if you love Alice’s books before, you will love this one too.
She said, it’s a stand alone, but I would love to get the other fighters’s story too 😘.
Go on, read this book!
Ladies, I asked Alice on twitter if she will write a series from this book. She said, she might but it depends how well this book will sell.
Go on ladies, buy and read this book, isn’t expensive and we will get more fabulous stories. ❤️
And I want Jeremy’s book too! 😳😘😂
❤️❤️❤️
June 23, 2022
A Bride for the Prizefighter is a marriage-of-convenience Victorian romance between a prizefighter/publican and a teacher. I had never read a HR about middle classes before, but I’m happy to say it was a pleasant experience, way more realistic and interesting than reading about balls and dukes.
Even though it’s really slow paced and most of the time it's about the heroine doing her daily chores, I found myself not wanting to stop reading. I don’t know how the author managed to do that, but I was totally caught in the story, probably because the writing and the heroine’s POV were relaxing and pleasant.
Mina (h) is a sensible, quiet and patient woman who doesn’t get angry easily, yet doesn't let anybody mess with her.
“No one know as well as I where my husband spent the night,” Mina said calmly, but with a hint of steel in her voice. “I beg you will not embarrass yourself any further in front of my guests.”
Nye is a quiet alpha hero, who doesn’t hesitate to protect his woman and emanates possessiveness. However, he was talkative, even a bit sweet-ish, when it was the time to be.
“Come and sit on my lap, Mina. I want my treasure in my hands”, he said warmly.
They suited each other perfectly, but Nye was too quiet for my taste. They had their first real conversation around 35% of the book, I had started to think they would have sex before talking… I know the heroine loved him that way, but I wanted to scream for the lack of dialogue.
My other tiny problem was the fact that the story was centered in the heroine, and I think the hero’s POV would have added a lot more to the story. Tbh, I didn’t mind as much because I was enjoying just reading about the heroine doing her chores -don’t judge me-, but the romance part would have been better that way.
This is my first book by the author, but it won't be my last -I'm currently reading the next on in the series. I prefer a story that makes you want to keep reading more than having a lot of things happening, so her style works for me.
A Bride for the Prize Fighter is perfect if you love grumpy, alpha heroes; sensitive heroines and don’t mind a simple plot and internal dialogue. It reminds me a bit of Mariana Zapata’s style, but a bit less slow burn and more full of scenes about the heroine’s life that I don’t think added anything to the romance. (Also, Nye reminds me of Aiden, from The Wall of Winnipeg and Me, but in a Victorian version🙌)
↬Series:
1. A Bride for the Prizefighter: 3.5 stars
2.A Substitute Wife for the Prizefighter: 5 stars
Even though it’s really slow paced and most of the time it's about the heroine doing her daily chores, I found myself not wanting to stop reading. I don’t know how the author managed to do that, but I was totally caught in the story, probably because the writing and the heroine’s POV were relaxing and pleasant.
Mina (h) is a sensible, quiet and patient woman who doesn’t get angry easily, yet doesn't let anybody mess with her.
“No one know as well as I where my husband spent the night,” Mina said calmly, but with a hint of steel in her voice. “I beg you will not embarrass yourself any further in front of my guests.”
Nye is a quiet alpha hero, who doesn’t hesitate to protect his woman and emanates possessiveness. However, he was talkative, even a bit sweet-ish, when it was the time to be.
“Come and sit on my lap, Mina. I want my treasure in my hands”, he said warmly.
They suited each other perfectly, but Nye was too quiet for my taste. They had their first real conversation around 35% of the book, I had started to think they would have sex before talking… I know the heroine loved him that way, but I wanted to scream for the lack of dialogue.
My other tiny problem was the fact that the story was centered in the heroine, and I think the hero’s POV would have added a lot more to the story. Tbh, I didn’t mind as much because I was enjoying just reading about the heroine doing her chores -don’t judge me-, but the romance part would have been better that way.
This is my first book by the author, but it won't be my last -I'm currently reading the next on in the series. I prefer a story that makes you want to keep reading more than having a lot of things happening, so her style works for me.
A Bride for the Prize Fighter is perfect if you love grumpy, alpha heroes; sensitive heroines and don’t mind a simple plot and internal dialogue. It reminds me a bit of Mariana Zapata’s style, but a bit less slow burn and more full of scenes about the heroine’s life that I don’t think added anything to the romance. (Also, Nye reminds me of Aiden, from The Wall of Winnipeg and Me, but in a Victorian version🙌)
↬Series:
1. A Bride for the Prizefighter: 3.5 stars
2.A Substitute Wife for the Prizefighter: 5 stars
February 5, 2023
A historical setting paired with a captivating story and a wonderful heroine, I could not put it down!
Imagine you lose your father and your home in one day. Some obnoxious fellow who claims to be your half-brother promises to take care of you, but instead of taking you home he brings you to a shady inn where he blackmails its rude owner to marry you.
What would you do? I would probably cry. Like a lot. And then some more.
But not Mina, my girl! Mina found herself a room, then got up in the morning and found things to do; cleaning, befriending staff, basically making herself at home. All that despite her new husband practically ignoring her.
Do you know that saying that if life brings you lemons you should make lemonade? That’s Mina!
Will Nye was definitely not a Prince Charming, but I somehow enjoyed the romance a lot! It was a very unusual type of chemistry involving unexpected awkward kisses and speaking in half-syllables. She was good at talking, he was better at other things and it created a clumsy dynamic that was surprisingly entertaining to read.
There were things towards the end that felt a little anticlimactic but otherwise I enjoyed this book immensely!
And no third act breakup! 🎉🎊🥳🥳🥳
Imagine you lose your father and your home in one day. Some obnoxious fellow who claims to be your half-brother promises to take care of you, but instead of taking you home he brings you to a shady inn where he blackmails its rude owner to marry you.
What would you do? I would probably cry. Like a lot. And then some more.
But not Mina, my girl! Mina found herself a room, then got up in the morning and found things to do; cleaning, befriending staff, basically making herself at home. All that despite her new husband practically ignoring her.
Do you know that saying that if life brings you lemons you should make lemonade? That’s Mina!
Will Nye was definitely not a Prince Charming, but I somehow enjoyed the romance a lot! It was a very unusual type of chemistry involving unexpected awkward kisses and speaking in half-syllables. She was good at talking, he was better at other things and it created a clumsy dynamic that was surprisingly entertaining to read.
There were things towards the end that felt a little anticlimactic but otherwise I enjoyed this book immensely!
And no third act breakup! 🎉🎊🥳🥳🥳
October 25, 2024
DNF at 60%. Don’t hate me 😖😖😖
Ugh, I actually paid money for this! That's what irritates me the most! I had just finished another similarly titled book by Emily Windsor, that I loved called A Governess Should Never... Tempt a Prizefighter. So when I saw this prizefighting story by Alice Coldbreath, I splurged and purchased it excitedly. That's where my excitement stopped.
This story claimed to be everything that I should have loved: a romance story, a very grumpy rough-and-tough hero, a marriage of convenience...
One of my main problems with this story, was that even at the 60% mark, I still had no idea how the characters even looked like. I knew the starchy, humourless schoolmarm heroine was in mourning for her father and wore 4 starchy petticoats covered by drab black-dyed gowns. Her facial appearance was mentioned in a way to assume that she was a plain Jane. The foul-mouthed thuggish hero was described in his first scene as huge, shirtless and sweaty. That's it. So it was really hard for me to engage with these characters as I had no idea how to imagine them as I was reading the story.
I finally started to lose my patience with the "romance" and stopped to check to see how far into the book I was, I was at 40% already. Up until this point, I had read about the heroine's family’s back history, her confusing marriage ceremony, and her extensive morning-to-night constant cleaning frenzy of the filthy pub house that was now her new home. As another reviewer put it, about 80% was about cleaning and cooking... 🪣🧽🫧
So at this 40% mark, the hero and heroine had almost zero screen time together. Zero conversations beside the hero grunting or shouting one-word commands as he passed thru a room, or the heroine screeching his last name "Nye!", which got old very quickly. So without them having actual conversations or even being in the same room together, how am I supposed to believe any romance is building between them? There was absolutely no chemistry between them at all when they shared their first kiss... and it was cringeworthy for me to read. (They were returning to the barn, sitting together on a wagon/carriage of some sort that he was driving, and he out of the blue grabs her, hauls her in front of him and bruisingly kisses her. And then shortly there after, the hero informs the heroine that they will have sex (for the first time) that night.)
I finally stopped reading at 60%, and the two sex scenes that I did read up until quitting time, were cringeworthy, unfeeling and unromantic. Both sex scenes were filled with the heroine irritably screeching "Nye! What are you doing!" and the hero repeatedly grounding out the words 'pussy' and 'cock'. It takes more than a thug's dirty talk to make a bedroom scene steamy though... I found this all to be flat out ridiculous.
Another draw back was that the story was told in only the heroine's POV. We never got to know the hero's POV. For the first 60% of the story, I rarely even knew where the hero was. Even the sex scenes, we are only privy to know what the heroine is thinking or feeling. No description whatsoever regarding the hero's feelings, sexual or non-sexual, just nothing. At this point, I also read nothing about any prizefighting, only assumptions of maybe some smuggling going on, never any scenes involving the pub that was somewhere in this house (again, no description was given so I had a hard time imagining the layout of this pub/place of residence).
I am just absolutely befuddled at all of the 5-star reviews! This was the most unromantic romance story that I have read in a very very long time. Ok, rant is now finished. :)
Ugh, I actually paid money for this! That's what irritates me the most! I had just finished another similarly titled book by Emily Windsor, that I loved called A Governess Should Never... Tempt a Prizefighter. So when I saw this prizefighting story by Alice Coldbreath, I splurged and purchased it excitedly. That's where my excitement stopped.
This story claimed to be everything that I should have loved: a romance story, a very grumpy rough-and-tough hero, a marriage of convenience...
One of my main problems with this story, was that even at the 60% mark, I still had no idea how the characters even looked like. I knew the starchy, humourless schoolmarm heroine was in mourning for her father and wore 4 starchy petticoats covered by drab black-dyed gowns. Her facial appearance was mentioned in a way to assume that she was a plain Jane. The foul-mouthed thuggish hero was described in his first scene as huge, shirtless and sweaty. That's it. So it was really hard for me to engage with these characters as I had no idea how to imagine them as I was reading the story.
I finally started to lose my patience with the "romance" and stopped to check to see how far into the book I was, I was at 40% already. Up until this point, I had read about the heroine's family’s back history, her confusing marriage ceremony, and her extensive morning-to-night constant cleaning frenzy of the filthy pub house that was now her new home. As another reviewer put it, about 80% was about cleaning and cooking... 🪣🧽🫧
So at this 40% mark, the hero and heroine had almost zero screen time together. Zero conversations beside the hero grunting or shouting one-word commands as he passed thru a room, or the heroine screeching his last name "Nye!", which got old very quickly. So without them having actual conversations or even being in the same room together, how am I supposed to believe any romance is building between them? There was absolutely no chemistry between them at all when they shared their first kiss... and it was cringeworthy for me to read. (They were returning to the barn, sitting together on a wagon/carriage of some sort that he was driving, and he out of the blue grabs her, hauls her in front of him and bruisingly kisses her. And then shortly there after, the hero informs the heroine that they will have sex (for the first time) that night.)
I finally stopped reading at 60%, and the two sex scenes that I did read up until quitting time, were cringeworthy, unfeeling and unromantic. Both sex scenes were filled with the heroine irritably screeching "Nye! What are you doing!" and the hero repeatedly grounding out the words 'pussy' and 'cock'. It takes more than a thug's dirty talk to make a bedroom scene steamy though... I found this all to be flat out ridiculous.
Another draw back was that the story was told in only the heroine's POV. We never got to know the hero's POV. For the first 60% of the story, I rarely even knew where the hero was. Even the sex scenes, we are only privy to know what the heroine is thinking or feeling. No description whatsoever regarding the hero's feelings, sexual or non-sexual, just nothing. At this point, I also read nothing about any prizefighting, only assumptions of maybe some smuggling going on, never any scenes involving the pub that was somewhere in this house (again, no description was given so I had a hard time imagining the layout of this pub/place of residence).
I am just absolutely befuddled at all of the 5-star reviews! This was the most unromantic romance story that I have read in a very very long time. Ok, rant is now finished. :)
July 3, 2020
I've been a horrid person lately, writing one- and two-star reviews of books I've just read. It's so great to be able to say, "Hey, I really liked this one!"
Alice Coldbreath has been a popular romance novelist for a while now. I've tried some of her faux-medieval HRs and found them to have a certain charm, but they and I never quite clicked, especially when I read things such as characters leaving the castle or stronghold to take a carriage ride to town to go clothing shopping.
But this one, set in what seems to be early Victorian times, is right up my alley. It has fun and feels and, although divorce seems to be as easy as filling out some paperwork in Las Vegas, is not especially anachronistic. For the first half of the book we are witness to the loneliness and sadness of our heroine Mina after the death of her father. He left her nothing but debts and no place to live or wherewithal for her survival.
But he did leave her a big surprise: She has a half-brother of the peerage and her father had requested him to come and take care of her after his death. So, yeah, Lord Faris does come to take her away, but he's three sheets to the wind, apparently his normal state, resents her, and, instead of settling her in his own home, takes her to The Merry Harlot, a disreputable inn, and arranges her marriage to the innkeeper there.
The innkeeper, Will Nye, is our prizefighter of the title of the book and he's also a half-sibling of Lord Faris. Okay, that all sounds a bit squicky but it's not. Faris and Nye share a father, Faris and Mina a mother. There's a careless regard for the state of holy matrimony here, what with divorces, remarriages, and hanky-panky in their parents' lives.
Nye is a rough, gruff, grouchy, earthy, taciturn brute of a man. Mina is a former schoolteacher, rather prim and proper, kind and friendly, and oh-so-civilized. He's not nice to her but she soldiers on, making lemonade out of lemons, by making friends with people at the inn and spending her hours cleaning up its pigsty condition and helping out the cook. I became exhausted just reading about all the work she was doing to make her life more bearable.
So he's an under-educated prizefighter/innkeeper/smuggler. She's straitlaced and genteel. Oil and water, you might say. So, just sit back and watch their successful emulsion. I loved their relationship. It developed beautifully. And the characters were well-drawn, more complex than usual in an inexpensive HR. The book had feels galore for me.
All the characters, secondary and main, were fun and most had very redeeming qualities. Even Lord Faris, whom I truly hated at the beginning, showed himself to be a complicated, complex guy. There is good writing here. Interesting plot development. Even some intrigue. This marriage of convenience story felt a bit like Daphne du Maurier's JAMAICA INN meets Beauty and the Beast.
For those readers who don't like lots of sex in their stories, the author warns them that there is a good bit of sexy time. She's right. I usually don't go for lengthy and detailed sex scenes, but they worked here as we watch earthy, lusty Will turn prim and proper Mina into his perfect mate. At the same time, outside the bedroom, prim and proper Mina has her own civilizing influence on him.
So now I have to criticize something since I don't want anyone to think I have become a nice, uncritical reader. Good grief about the proofreading. Or I guess I mean the lack of proofreading. Punctuation, especially commas, for example. Was there a surcharge on their use that the author didn't want to pay? There were other proofreading problems here. This appears to be common in Coldbreath books. So, dear Author, please take more care with your editing and proofreading and you could end up writing a 5-star book. (If you're careful.)
Alice Coldbreath has been a popular romance novelist for a while now. I've tried some of her faux-medieval HRs and found them to have a certain charm, but they and I never quite clicked, especially when I read things such as characters leaving the castle or stronghold to take a carriage ride to town to go clothing shopping.
But this one, set in what seems to be early Victorian times, is right up my alley. It has fun and feels and, although divorce seems to be as easy as filling out some paperwork in Las Vegas, is not especially anachronistic. For the first half of the book we are witness to the loneliness and sadness of our heroine Mina after the death of her father. He left her nothing but debts and no place to live or wherewithal for her survival.
But he did leave her a big surprise: She has a half-brother of the peerage and her father had requested him to come and take care of her after his death. So, yeah, Lord Faris does come to take her away, but he's three sheets to the wind, apparently his normal state, resents her, and, instead of settling her in his own home, takes her to The Merry Harlot, a disreputable inn, and arranges her marriage to the innkeeper there.
The innkeeper, Will Nye, is our prizefighter of the title of the book and he's also a half-sibling of Lord Faris. Okay, that all sounds a bit squicky but it's not. Faris and Nye share a father, Faris and Mina a mother. There's a careless regard for the state of holy matrimony here, what with divorces, remarriages, and hanky-panky in their parents' lives.
Nye is a rough, gruff, grouchy, earthy, taciturn brute of a man. Mina is a former schoolteacher, rather prim and proper, kind and friendly, and oh-so-civilized. He's not nice to her but she soldiers on, making lemonade out of lemons, by making friends with people at the inn and spending her hours cleaning up its pigsty condition and helping out the cook. I became exhausted just reading about all the work she was doing to make her life more bearable.
So he's an under-educated prizefighter/innkeeper/smuggler. She's straitlaced and genteel. Oil and water, you might say. So, just sit back and watch their successful emulsion. I loved their relationship. It developed beautifully. And the characters were well-drawn, more complex than usual in an inexpensive HR. The book had feels galore for me.
All the characters, secondary and main, were fun and most had very redeeming qualities. Even Lord Faris, whom I truly hated at the beginning, showed himself to be a complicated, complex guy. There is good writing here. Interesting plot development. Even some intrigue. This marriage of convenience story felt a bit like Daphne du Maurier's JAMAICA INN meets Beauty and the Beast.
For those readers who don't like lots of sex in their stories, the author warns them that there is a good bit of sexy time. She's right. I usually don't go for lengthy and detailed sex scenes, but they worked here as we watch earthy, lusty Will turn prim and proper Mina into his perfect mate. At the same time, outside the bedroom, prim and proper Mina has her own civilizing influence on him.
So now I have to criticize something since I don't want anyone to think I have become a nice, uncritical reader. Good grief about the proofreading. Or I guess I mean the lack of proofreading. Punctuation, especially commas, for example. Was there a surcharge on their use that the author didn't want to pay? There were other proofreading problems here. This appears to be common in Coldbreath books. So, dear Author, please take more care with your editing and proofreading and you could end up writing a 5-star book. (If you're careful.)
September 14, 2024
Re-read on 13th Sept 2022:
What a great comfort read! I'm upping it to 5 stars. This book just gets better upon re-read. AC is so freakin' awesome.
___________________________
After finishing the Wyckerley trilogy by Patricia Gaffney (an excellent series by the way; very emotional) I wanted to read something that doesn't tax me emotionally. So, I've decided to re-read this one for a somewhat relaxing reading experience. This was Alice Coldbreath's first book I read, and since then, I've read most of her historical works and generally enjoyed them. I think she has a very unique voice. It's a character-driven story (most of her books are). She's one of those authors who can write about mundane daily lives and make them sound interesting (who would have thought that I would be fascinated by all the cleaning during the Victorian era?)
Minerva, aka Mina, is my kind of heroine, a down-on-her-luck lady who prevailed in the face of adversity, plain-looking, not TSTL (you know the kind). Will Nye is simply chef's kiss. He is gruff with a great body (he is a prizefighter after all) and totally/possessive of the heroine which is simply ten thousand kinds of awesomeness (I do love a possessive hero).
Most of her books have a marriage of convenience trope, and they only get together after marriage. It's romantic, and I imagined this was what happened to our ancestors back in those days when most marriages were arranged by the parents, so the couple didn't really get to know each other until after they've married. Those marriages lasted until death do us part. Mina and Will's relationship trajectory feels very organic. There's a bit of smuggling as a sub-plot which doesn't detract from the romance. The dialogues are too modern sometimes, but it didn't bother me.
The bedroom scenes are steamy. Will's a dirty talker, and Mina is bashful, so it makes for some very intriguing scenes.
You basically feel you're on auto-cruise, and sometimes, that's just what you need. It doesn't have to be an emotional experience every time you read. I enjoyed this book very much, and I would recommend this book if you're in the mood for something low angst.
What a great comfort read! I'm upping it to 5 stars. This book just gets better upon re-read. AC is so freakin' awesome.
___________________________
After finishing the Wyckerley trilogy by Patricia Gaffney (an excellent series by the way; very emotional) I wanted to read something that doesn't tax me emotionally. So, I've decided to re-read this one for a somewhat relaxing reading experience. This was Alice Coldbreath's first book I read, and since then, I've read most of her historical works and generally enjoyed them. I think she has a very unique voice. It's a character-driven story (most of her books are). She's one of those authors who can write about mundane daily lives and make them sound interesting (who would have thought that I would be fascinated by all the cleaning during the Victorian era?)
Minerva, aka Mina, is my kind of heroine, a down-on-her-luck lady who prevailed in the face of adversity, plain-looking, not TSTL (you know the kind). Will Nye is simply chef's kiss. He is gruff with a great body (he is a prizefighter after all) and totally/possessive of the heroine which is simply ten thousand kinds of awesomeness (I do love a possessive hero).
Most of her books have a marriage of convenience trope, and they only get together after marriage. It's romantic, and I imagined this was what happened to our ancestors back in those days when most marriages were arranged by the parents, so the couple didn't really get to know each other until after they've married. Those marriages lasted until death do us part. Mina and Will's relationship trajectory feels very organic. There's a bit of smuggling as a sub-plot which doesn't detract from the romance. The dialogues are too modern sometimes, but it didn't bother me.
The bedroom scenes are steamy. Will's a dirty talker, and Mina is bashful, so it makes for some very intriguing scenes.
You basically feel you're on auto-cruise, and sometimes, that's just what you need. It doesn't have to be an emotional experience every time you read. I enjoyed this book very much, and I would recommend this book if you're in the mood for something low angst.
July 9, 2020
I enjoyed this. Mina and Will, an unlikely couple - she, a well-bred Miss, he, a brutish prize-fighter and owner of a disreputable inn. Not a match made in heaven to be sure but they worked.
Will had a dirty mouth! Loved him! He even blasphemes in a church, may God forgive him!!
Lots of secondary characters who were enjoyable to read about. I wonder will she write a book about some of the others?
This was my first time reading this author and I did enjoy it. I felt maybe it dragged a little bit towards the end ... but, you know me, I have to complain about something!!
"I don't give a fuck if he's the Lord Mayor of London ..."
Will had a dirty mouth! Loved him! He even blasphemes in a church, may God forgive him!!
As for the glimpses she caught of the coastline, they were tantalizingly lovely ...
Lots of secondary characters who were enjoyable to read about. I wonder will she write a book about some of the others?
“Get up to bed,” he said. “I’ll join you later.”
When next she woke, it was to the sound of raindrops on the windowpane.
This was my first time reading this author and I did enjoy it. I felt maybe it dragged a little bit towards the end ... but, you know me, I have to complain about something!!
September 12, 2025
“For your information, I am only interested in one married woman and that’s my own.”
A prizefighter, running a dubious inn, and a prudish schoolteacher in an arranged marriage in the Victorian era – that’s an interesting setting for a historical romance. Unfortunately, the execution is not so interesting.
After reading 320 pages, I still feel like I know nothing about William Nye’s feelings and motives at all. He just jumps in and out of a few scenes without much impact - except when he’s having sex with Mina. You can certainly draw conclusions from some of his actions, but overall you can’t really assess him. That’s no surprise, since he doesn’t have his own POV (that might be part of the problem) and he and Mina don’t meet very often.
It’s also hardly possible for them to meet more often because Mina is busy with housekeeping most of the time (I guess at least 70% of the book). So while I learned nothing about the MMC or the apparently developing relationship between the MCs, I learned everything about cleaning, washing, cooking, and sewing in that era. Mina is also very sociable, she likes chats with the staff and all sorts of people she meets. Extended chats! Although I didn’t quite grasp her either, we know a lot more about Mina than we do about Nye. She’s grounded, nice, diligent, reasonable and loyal. She’s also obviously in love with Nye pretty quickly, but I have no idea how or why that happened. (Probably it’s his masculinity and the sex).
I didn’t hate the book or the main characters but I didn’t love it/them either. I found it pretty boring, tbh, even though things picked up speed in the end. That wasn’t enough to save the book. By the way, there was only one boxing event at Nye’s inn, so if you want to read the book because you’re interested in that topic, it’s not worth it.
Overall rating: 2.5
Story: 2/5
Emotion: 2/5
William: 2.5/5
Mina: 3/5
A prizefighter, running a dubious inn, and a prudish schoolteacher in an arranged marriage in the Victorian era – that’s an interesting setting for a historical romance. Unfortunately, the execution is not so interesting.
After reading 320 pages, I still feel like I know nothing about William Nye’s feelings and motives at all. He just jumps in and out of a few scenes without much impact - except when he’s having sex with Mina. You can certainly draw conclusions from some of his actions, but overall you can’t really assess him. That’s no surprise, since he doesn’t have his own POV (that might be part of the problem) and he and Mina don’t meet very often.
It’s also hardly possible for them to meet more often because Mina is busy with housekeeping most of the time (I guess at least 70% of the book). So while I learned nothing about the MMC or the apparently developing relationship between the MCs, I learned everything about cleaning, washing, cooking, and sewing in that era. Mina is also very sociable, she likes chats with the staff and all sorts of people she meets. Extended chats! Although I didn’t quite grasp her either, we know a lot more about Mina than we do about Nye. She’s grounded, nice, diligent, reasonable and loyal. She’s also obviously in love with Nye pretty quickly, but I have no idea how or why that happened. (Probably it’s his masculinity and the sex).
I didn’t hate the book or the main characters but I didn’t love it/them either. I found it pretty boring, tbh, even though things picked up speed in the end. That wasn’t enough to save the book. By the way, there was only one boxing event at Nye’s inn, so if you want to read the book because you’re interested in that topic, it’s not worth it.
Overall rating: 2.5
Story: 2/5
Emotion: 2/5
William: 2.5/5
Mina: 3/5
November 13, 2021
3.5 stars. Quite an enjoyable read. I tried this book a while ago and couldn't get drawn in, but on this second attempt, I pushed though and was somewhat surprised I actually ended up liking it.
The writing has some annoying modernisms and some odd grammatical constructions. But the characters and storyline were fresh, different and interesting. A story about the middle to lower classes, which makes a nice change for a historical romance. Not a duke to be seen. And Mina and her prizefighter were actually quite lovely together.
I will now try again with some other books by this writer.
The writing has some annoying modernisms and some odd grammatical constructions. But the characters and storyline were fresh, different and interesting. A story about the middle to lower classes, which makes a nice change for a historical romance. Not a duke to be seen. And Mina and her prizefighter were actually quite lovely together.
I will now try again with some other books by this writer.
February 24, 2023
Wonderful story. Plus a good little mystery at the end.
The story is set among the lives of regular people in the middle of 19th century and not among nobility. It was a refreshing read because of it.
I love love every Alice Coldbreath book. She truly has a way with overbearing heros and her heroines are always such a unique personalities. Mina keeps calling him “nasty brute” and it quiet suits him. He thinks she is a prude but through the story it is revealed that there is no one better they could ever be with.
However there is another character that stolen the book for me and that’s Jeremy, Mina’s half brother. Every time he showed up it was like a breath of fresh air. I felt for him. I wish he would have a story too.
Reason why I’m taking one star down, which really, really pains me, is because Mina had to work too hard. This is absolutely my subjective point of view because I feel tired of working chores right now :)
The story is set among the lives of regular people in the middle of 19th century and not among nobility. It was a refreshing read because of it.
I love love every Alice Coldbreath book. She truly has a way with overbearing heros and her heroines are always such a unique personalities. Mina keeps calling him “nasty brute” and it quiet suits him. He thinks she is a prude but through the story it is revealed that there is no one better they could ever be with.
However there is another character that stolen the book for me and that’s Jeremy, Mina’s half brother. Every time he showed up it was like a breath of fresh air. I felt for him. I wish he would have a story too.
Reason why I’m taking one star down, which really, really pains me, is because Mina had to work too hard. This is absolutely my subjective point of view because I feel tired of working chores right now :)
August 7, 2021
Audio - 5 Stars
Story - 4 Stars
Story - 4 Stars
September 16, 2022
Oh, I’m so happy I finally read this book! It’s been on my tbr forever, and I wish I wouldn’t have waited so long to pick it up. It was a lovely change of pace from my usual lords and ladies, Almack’s and Hyde Park, and I count it among my favorite historical romance books.
I loved Mina from the very beginning and I felt bad for her plight; how awful it must have been to be a woman in that era. I pride myself on my independence and ability to stand on my own two feet financially, and I can’t imagine the sense of powerlessness to know your future is in the hands of a half-brother you only just met. I could feel Mina’s despair and unease but oh how I admired her attitude, her sass and strength. Girl had a sharp tongue and an even sharper mind and I adored her.
It was a bleak thought, that this was the only family left to her. This blond, laughing, drunkard with eyes full of spite and malice for all he was so pretty.
Mina agreed and saw by his quick frown that he would like to always have the last word. Immediately, she determined she would never let him have it.
Used as a pawn by her half-brother and quickly pushed into a marriage of convenience, she was so out of her element… a prim, gently-bred woman now married to a gruff, rude prizefighter/publican, thrust into a world of tavern life, innkeeping and relentless hard work. But she did what strong women always do. She held her head high and made the best of a lousy situation. Little by little, she effected positive change on her surroundings and the new people in her life, including her husband. And ultimately, she flourished. But I so felt for her hurts, her frustration and her struggles.
I loved how sheltered Mina was so flustered by this large, hard, muscular man orbiting her world. Big and braw, she had never seen a man like her new husband, and on their first meeting, this fine male specimen had her blushing simply by standing in the same room, shirtless.
Lord Faris turned toward her and showily offered his arm. Ignoring it, Mina stalked past him, trying not to stare at the almost indecently masculine display in front of her. William Nye possessed the broadest shoulders she had ever seen, and a muscular tanned back she found almost shocking to behold. His fawn trousers were damp and clinging over muscular thighs and buttocks in a fashion that made her blush.
Ooh I just wanted to reach out and touch…everything.
Mina wasn’t sure what imp of mischief prompted her, but before she knew it, she had added pertly, “After all, you can deduct any expense from my half-sovereign!” He took a step closer and Mina took an involuntary step back. Their gazes clashed and Mina realized they were both breathing hard now. “Careful Mina,” he told her in a low voice. “It wouldn’t do to give me an excuse, not right now.” “An excuse for what?” Mina asked, wishing her voice didn’t sound so breathless. Had she fastened her self-lacing corset too tightly that morning? He took another step forward and Mina took another back. Her skirts were up against the dressing table now and she had nowhere left to retreat. She stared up at him, transfixed.
Will was an intriguing, almost mysterious, character to me; on one hand I would have loved his POV, but on the other hand, not having it helped me to feel the confusion and uncertainty that Mina felt, along with the thrill of discovery. Who is this gruff, stern, private man? What’s he all about? What secrets is he keeping?
It was so satisfying to see how she turned his head, both literally and figuratively. Who would have thought this seemingly gruff brute would end up having a soft spot for his new wife. And oh my, when he fell, he fell hard, and I was there for it. In real life, jealous and possessive would not fly for me, but in my HR novels, it makes me swoon. And once Will found the feels, he was just all kinds of yummy.
The sex was raw and intense and so delicious. Will was sexy AF, dominant and virile and his filthy mouth was the icing on the cake. Poor Mina all prim and proper, utterly overwhelmed by her husband’s blazing sexuality lol. She didn’t stand a chance 🔥. And the little sprinkles of humor added a touch of sweetness to the spice.
He tore his mouth from hers. “Call me Will when I’m inside you,” he said gruffly.
“Will?” That got his attention.
“Yes?”
“I’m just trying it out,” she explained breathlessly.
“I’m not inside you yet, Mina,” he pointed out.
“Your fingers are,” she argued, then felt mortified she’d pointed it out.
So very different on the surface, in their hearts, they were made for each other and I was captivated by witnessing a true marriage of convenience blossom into something real and true and special. A relationship that started out as a necessary evil, two people from very different walks of life, strangers, working together, trying to find common ground, getting to know one another, and building a marriage. In the hands of a lesser author, this would have been a slog of mundane details, but in Ms Coldbreath’s hands, it was amazing world-building and beautiful storytelling. Highly recommended!
I loved Mina from the very beginning and I felt bad for her plight; how awful it must have been to be a woman in that era. I pride myself on my independence and ability to stand on my own two feet financially, and I can’t imagine the sense of powerlessness to know your future is in the hands of a half-brother you only just met. I could feel Mina’s despair and unease but oh how I admired her attitude, her sass and strength. Girl had a sharp tongue and an even sharper mind and I adored her.
It was a bleak thought, that this was the only family left to her. This blond, laughing, drunkard with eyes full of spite and malice for all he was so pretty.
Mina agreed and saw by his quick frown that he would like to always have the last word. Immediately, she determined she would never let him have it.
Used as a pawn by her half-brother and quickly pushed into a marriage of convenience, she was so out of her element… a prim, gently-bred woman now married to a gruff, rude prizefighter/publican, thrust into a world of tavern life, innkeeping and relentless hard work. But she did what strong women always do. She held her head high and made the best of a lousy situation. Little by little, she effected positive change on her surroundings and the new people in her life, including her husband. And ultimately, she flourished. But I so felt for her hurts, her frustration and her struggles.
I loved how sheltered Mina was so flustered by this large, hard, muscular man orbiting her world. Big and braw, she had never seen a man like her new husband, and on their first meeting, this fine male specimen had her blushing simply by standing in the same room, shirtless.
Lord Faris turned toward her and showily offered his arm. Ignoring it, Mina stalked past him, trying not to stare at the almost indecently masculine display in front of her. William Nye possessed the broadest shoulders she had ever seen, and a muscular tanned back she found almost shocking to behold. His fawn trousers were damp and clinging over muscular thighs and buttocks in a fashion that made her blush.
Ooh I just wanted to reach out and touch…everything.
Mina wasn’t sure what imp of mischief prompted her, but before she knew it, she had added pertly, “After all, you can deduct any expense from my half-sovereign!” He took a step closer and Mina took an involuntary step back. Their gazes clashed and Mina realized they were both breathing hard now. “Careful Mina,” he told her in a low voice. “It wouldn’t do to give me an excuse, not right now.” “An excuse for what?” Mina asked, wishing her voice didn’t sound so breathless. Had she fastened her self-lacing corset too tightly that morning? He took another step forward and Mina took another back. Her skirts were up against the dressing table now and she had nowhere left to retreat. She stared up at him, transfixed.
Will was an intriguing, almost mysterious, character to me; on one hand I would have loved his POV, but on the other hand, not having it helped me to feel the confusion and uncertainty that Mina felt, along with the thrill of discovery. Who is this gruff, stern, private man? What’s he all about? What secrets is he keeping?
It was so satisfying to see how she turned his head, both literally and figuratively. Who would have thought this seemingly gruff brute would end up having a soft spot for his new wife. And oh my, when he fell, he fell hard, and I was there for it. In real life, jealous and possessive would not fly for me, but in my HR novels, it makes me swoon. And once Will found the feels, he was just all kinds of yummy.
The sex was raw and intense and so delicious. Will was sexy AF, dominant and virile and his filthy mouth was the icing on the cake. Poor Mina all prim and proper, utterly overwhelmed by her husband’s blazing sexuality lol. She didn’t stand a chance 🔥. And the little sprinkles of humor added a touch of sweetness to the spice.
He tore his mouth from hers. “Call me Will when I’m inside you,” he said gruffly.
“Will?” That got his attention.
“Yes?”
“I’m just trying it out,” she explained breathlessly.
“I’m not inside you yet, Mina,” he pointed out.
“Your fingers are,” she argued, then felt mortified she’d pointed it out.
So very different on the surface, in their hearts, they were made for each other and I was captivated by witnessing a true marriage of convenience blossom into something real and true and special. A relationship that started out as a necessary evil, two people from very different walks of life, strangers, working together, trying to find common ground, getting to know one another, and building a marriage. In the hands of a lesser author, this would have been a slog of mundane details, but in Ms Coldbreath’s hands, it was amazing world-building and beautiful storytelling. Highly recommended!
July 6, 2020
5 STARS
Another winner from Alice Coldbreath. I have yet to read one of her books that I haven't loved. Such fantastic heroines, and such sulky, brooding, sexy heroes. I just loved the premise and the backdrop for this story. Mina is a respectable lady, a school teacher, a model of moral aptitude. And then she is thrust into a marriage with none other than a crude, surly pugilist who presides over a less than respectable establishment The Merry Harlot, located on a desolate coast of Cornwall. She has recently lost her father, and her only remaining family happens to be a less than caring, drunken half-brother, whose idea of doing his duty by her is to marry her off to the first man who'll have her.
So, with her job and school lost, her father's debts leaving her penniless, what choice does she have?
Loved Will's character. So boorish and crude, but with an undeniable tender side. And that mouth of his... *fans self* what's not to love? I say, that carriage ride near the end.... left me speechless.
Yeah... I have nothing bad to say here. I'll definitely be looking for a sequel for this one.
Another winner from Alice Coldbreath. I have yet to read one of her books that I haven't loved. Such fantastic heroines, and such sulky, brooding, sexy heroes. I just loved the premise and the backdrop for this story. Mina is a respectable lady, a school teacher, a model of moral aptitude. And then she is thrust into a marriage with none other than a crude, surly pugilist who presides over a less than respectable establishment The Merry Harlot, located on a desolate coast of Cornwall. She has recently lost her father, and her only remaining family happens to be a less than caring, drunken half-brother, whose idea of doing his duty by her is to marry her off to the first man who'll have her.
So, with her job and school lost, her father's debts leaving her penniless, what choice does she have?
“Give ‘er a kiss then, Nye!” called out a raucous voice.
“Fuck off, Jeb,” came her new husband’s surly reply, as he turned away and stalked back down the aisle, leaving her open-mouthed and deeply shocked at his profanity in a sacred place.
Loved Will's character. So boorish and crude, but with an undeniable tender side. And that mouth of his... *fans self* what's not to love? I say, that carriage ride near the end.... left me speechless.
“There’s no need to be crude,” she said, pressing her lips together. He gave a soft laugh. “That prim look doesn’t work when I’m buried between your thighs, Minerva.”
Yeah... I have nothing bad to say here. I'll definitely be looking for a sequel for this one.
December 5, 2023
I love everything Alice Coldbreath writes. This book is a standalone about Mina, a schoolteacher who is left penniless after her father's death. Her father wrote to her half brother (that she knew nothing about) to come and take care of her. When her brother Jeremy, Lord Faris arrives, he is drunk and unkind. He whisks her off and decides to marry her off to his bastard half brother Will Nye, a prizefighter and owner of a seedy tavern. (Neither H nor h are related, they are each from a different parent of Jeremy). And so begins our story of Mina trying to find her way in this strange world she has suddenly been thrown into (and let's not forget that she is still grieving her recently deceased father). What follows is a somewhat slow-burn romance with several endearing secondary characters.
The book has its problems. Several typos, repeated phrases, and her brother Jeremy gets a redemption that didn't quite feel earned. But you know what? I don't care one bit. I loved this book so much I ate it up with a spoon and stayed up until 2 am reading. Nye comes off as rather rough and gruff. He was raised at the tavern and then left to become a boxer. Sometimes it feels like the H and h fight more than they get along. But you can see how devoted the H is to Mina and that she is just what he needs. She doesn't take his crap and she jumps in and works hard to make her life a success. And the H is trying to be a better man to deserve her. I really loved this book!
Safety
The book has its problems. Several typos, repeated phrases, and her brother Jeremy gets a redemption that didn't quite feel earned. But you know what? I don't care one bit. I loved this book so much I ate it up with a spoon and stayed up until 2 am reading. Nye comes off as rather rough and gruff. He was raised at the tavern and then left to become a boxer. Sometimes it feels like the H and h fight more than they get along. But you can see how devoted the H is to Mina and that she is just what he needs. She doesn't take his crap and she jumps in and works hard to make her life a success. And the H is trying to be a better man to deserve her. I really loved this book!
Safety
August 4, 2024
Former schoolteacher falls into an unexpected marriage with an uncouth prizefighter 🧡🪵 unique historical romance set in a derelict inn filled with uncouth men, illegal activities and grime…lots and lots of grime
Mina’s world has just been upturned. Her dad died, she just met her new half-brother and suddenly she’s a schoolteacher no more. As if that’s not enough, she just got married to the owner of the most disgusting roadside inn called The Marry Harlot BIG YIKES! It’s Mina’s turn to roll up her sleeves and grab her new life by the (metaphorical) grimy horns! And when Mr. William Nye notices her stubbornness, kind heart and dedication you just now he can’t resist 🛌✨ sparks fly when minds clash!
🧡 strong & stubborn fmc
🧡 cottage core vibes with a disgusting inn
🧡 modern spicy language
🧡 prim and proper fmc / uncouth and dirty mmc *spicy habanero*
🧡 jealous mmc slowly becomes obsessed
MUST READ for every historical romance nut!! This one is so different from the typical regency historical books and feels way more…REAL! The harsh realities of the common folk and being a woman in that time. I really enjoyed coming along Mina’s mission to turn the inn into a semi respectable establishment.
The harsh realness also translates into the most realistic but super spicy passion. This is especially true for their first time ⚡️ wow wow wow! Complete consent and all but Mina was VERY confused with what was going on as he just dived in 🏊 A MUST READDDDD!
arranged marriage
cottage core
jealous & grumpy mmc
forced proximity
virgin fmc
kidnapping
found family
HEA
Mina’s world has just been upturned. Her dad died, she just met her new half-brother and suddenly she’s a schoolteacher no more. As if that’s not enough, she just got married to the owner of the most disgusting roadside inn called The Marry Harlot BIG YIKES! It’s Mina’s turn to roll up her sleeves and grab her new life by the (metaphorical) grimy horns! And when Mr. William Nye notices her stubbornness, kind heart and dedication you just now he can’t resist 🛌✨ sparks fly when minds clash!
🧡 strong & stubborn fmc
🧡 cottage core vibes with a disgusting inn
🧡 modern spicy language
🧡 prim and proper fmc / uncouth and dirty mmc *spicy habanero*
🧡 jealous mmc slowly becomes obsessed
MUST READ for every historical romance nut!! This one is so different from the typical regency historical books and feels way more…REAL! The harsh realities of the common folk and being a woman in that time. I really enjoyed coming along Mina’s mission to turn the inn into a semi respectable establishment.
The harsh realness also translates into the most realistic but super spicy passion. This is especially true for their first time ⚡️ wow wow wow! Complete consent and all but Mina was VERY confused with what was going on as he just dived in 🏊 A MUST READDDDD!
arranged marriage
cottage core
jealous & grumpy mmc
forced proximity
virgin fmc
kidnapping
found family
HEA
June 28, 2020
I have loved every Alice Coldbreath novel I have read...before this one. I was really looking forward to this book, but it just didn't do it for me.
The main reason was because the whole story was told from Mina's eyes entirely. One of the things that I enjoy the most about Coldbreath's other novels is that she uses the heroine and hero as equal points of view. It gives the reader a huge insight into the hero's head; otherwise, most of them would just appear to be gruff and angry all of the time. And I love reading how something that appears to be totally innocent in the heroine's head is actually significant to the hero (or vice versa).
But this book is only told from Mina's point of view, so we are left with absolutely NO IDEA what is going on in the hero's eyes for the entire book. That left me wondering who the heck he even was, since his character didn't feel very fleshed out and we only heard a few things about his background. I had no idea what was motivating him, what he was feeling, or what he was thinking until the very end of the book.
This also left the book to drag, because since we were seeing thing as Mina did, there was not a lot of good stuff going on for the first half of the book. I remember looking down at my page count at one point and thinking - I'm 43% into this book and I'm still just reading about all of the cooking and cleaning she is having to do instead of some romance unfolding already?
Also, let me talk about Jeremy.
I am definitely going to be reading the books this author puts out in the future. I just hope that those books have a dual point of view, because having just the one, especially from a character with such issues about how plain and unattractive she is for 90% of the book, didn't allow the same intriguing story to develop. I want to see things from the hero's perspective, too!
The main reason was because the whole story was told from Mina's eyes entirely. One of the things that I enjoy the most about Coldbreath's other novels is that she uses the heroine and hero as equal points of view. It gives the reader a huge insight into the hero's head; otherwise, most of them would just appear to be gruff and angry all of the time. And I love reading how something that appears to be totally innocent in the heroine's head is actually significant to the hero (or vice versa).
But this book is only told from Mina's point of view, so we are left with absolutely NO IDEA what is going on in the hero's eyes for the entire book. That left me wondering who the heck he even was, since his character didn't feel very fleshed out and we only heard a few things about his background. I had no idea what was motivating him, what he was feeling, or what he was thinking until the very end of the book.
This also left the book to drag, because since we were seeing thing as Mina did, there was not a lot of good stuff going on for the first half of the book. I remember looking down at my page count at one point and thinking - I'm 43% into this book and I'm still just reading about all of the cooking and cleaning she is having to do instead of some romance unfolding already?
Also, let me talk about Jeremy.
I am definitely going to be reading the books this author puts out in the future. I just hope that those books have a dual point of view, because having just the one, especially from a character with such issues about how plain and unattractive she is for 90% of the book, didn't allow the same intriguing story to develop. I want to see things from the hero's perspective, too!
March 11, 2023
Yup. Just what I was looking for.
Also why I have I never read a historical that’s about working class people?!? I need a million of these.
Also why I have I never read a historical that’s about working class people?!? I need a million of these.
April 15, 2022
This story is adorable. Two complete opposites, forced together in marriage, and make it work so beautifully. A well-written historical/Victorian romance novel featuring a sheltered schoolteacher, and a street fighter who ownes a bar. Wonderful side characters and world building.
A slow burn in terms of romance, but holy heck the steam was not at all demure and proper once it began.
A slow burn in terms of romance, but holy heck the steam was not at all demure and proper once it began.
“That’s it,” he grunted. “I want to see those breasts jiggle when I take you.”I loved how they were so honest with each other throughout...even during sex. Excellent narration by Carmen Rose.
Mina closed her eyes. “I wish you wouldn’t talk!” she groaned. “You’re so offensive!”
March 20, 2021
3.75*
For all the tea in ... Penarth.
From one tea drinker to another - You are an addict, girl.
I love this newer HR author and she writes the bestest, hottest mocs between complete or relative strangers. But this book works only in bits and patches. And the good is reaaaally good while the not-so-good is kinda .... well, boring. The good parts are when both the h/H are on the page. When the H's away, things get dull. And I don't mean because of the sexy bits (which are darn hot!); just the guy's presence lifts the book.
The inn/pub owning (I wasn't aware they're called publicans) prizefighter and the newly destitute schoolteacher marry under the strangest of circumstances. I do wonder why the h didn't put up any/more of a fight and just went along with the flow/wedding. That's strange. For a strong, spirited woman she just folded there.
Still, the story is good, the beginning is promising but then things go into dull mode for almost 30% of the book and the H remains incommunicado and the new ignored wife potters about the dubious establishment, helping cleaning and cook... and drink tea.
Of course, more than pub-ing and prize-fighting is going on at the place. The book keeps hinting, sleighting.
The track about the h's and H's mutual half-brother is intriguing. I liked the guy despite his obvious shortcomings. Curious bits (Colfax?) are thrown in about his private life that remain unresolved. Will he be getting a book? Even Clem seems promising.
For all the tea in ... Penarth.
From one tea drinker to another - You are an addict, girl.
I love this newer HR author and she writes the bestest, hottest mocs between complete or relative strangers. But this book works only in bits and patches. And the good is reaaaally good while the not-so-good is kinda .... well, boring. The good parts are when both the h/H are on the page. When the H's away, things get dull. And I don't mean because of the sexy bits (which are darn hot!); just the guy's presence lifts the book.
The inn/pub owning (I wasn't aware they're called publicans) prizefighter and the newly destitute schoolteacher marry under the strangest of circumstances. I do wonder why the h didn't put up any/more of a fight and just went along with the flow/wedding. That's strange. For a strong, spirited woman she just folded there.
Still, the story is good, the beginning is promising but then things go into dull mode for almost 30% of the book and the H remains incommunicado and the new ignored wife potters about the dubious establishment, helping cleaning and cook... and drink tea.
Of course, more than pub-ing and prize-fighting is going on at the place. The book keeps hinting, sleighting.
The track about the h's and H's mutual half-brother is intriguing. I liked the guy despite his obvious shortcomings. Curious bits (Colfax?) are thrown in about his private life that remain unresolved. Will he be getting a book? Even Clem seems promising.
May 8, 2022
I listened to the Audio version, and I think it made the book more enjoyable (normally I prefer a written book). The reader captured the accent of Mina being a lady and Nye a commoner. The book is from Mina's point of view, and it shows the difficulties of woman of the 1800's. Nina is married to a prizefighter who owns a tavern. This is a woman who ran a school and is not afraid of hard work. I found it interesting how each character came to accept and work their way through the difficulties of an arranged marriage and to come to enjoy it. To me this was more a slice of life type story with a minor mystery than a typical romance.
September 3, 2025
➳ 4 ★
My very first buddy read with Captain, and oh my word - I had so much fun. The amount of texts and voice notes back and forth… I'm actually obsessed with this girl's energy 🥹💌
Now, the book itself - We follow Mina, a prim and proper schoolteacher, who ends up married off to Will Nye, a filthy-mouthed prizefighter. This first book had such a slice-of-life vibe. I loved being in Mina's day-to-day - helping out in the tavern, navigating her new life, and most of all, watching her slowly fall for her absolute menace of a husband (Nye, you rude gremlin, but also…I get it 😏).
And Mina herself - I adored her. She's a stern, no-nonsense type. Throw her into the wrongest situation possible and she embraces it and ends up thriving. Watching her hold her own in the tavern, stand firm with Nye, and still keep her dignity intact had me cheering for her. Plus, I loved seeing her make friends 🙂↕️
Of course, in true Alice fashion, there's some outside interference near the end. But Mina and Nye fought their way back together, and it made me grin like a fool. Also, for my fellow safety-checkers: this is so safe. No OWD, no wandering eyes - Nye only has eyes for his wife, full stop.
So why not 5 stars? Honestly, it's just that sometimes the pacing leaned a little too everyday-life-y. I adored the coziness of it, but there were moments where I wanted a tiny bit more tension or oomph to really push it over the top. Don't get me wrong though, Nye is over-the-top, lol.
Overall, this book made me laugh, it made me swoon, and it made me ridiculously excited to continue this series. Nye might swear like the devil, but he's husband material through and through 🫡✨
-~-
.☘︎ ݁˖ What happens when Capt. and I, aka Alice Coldbreath's number 1 fans, unite for a buddy read? Well, of course we clear our rooms for maximum dramatic flailing 😌 Snacks prepped, hearts unguarded, and expectations sky high. We haven't even started and I already know I'm about to become unbearable 🤭
My very first buddy read with Captain, and oh my word - I had so much fun. The amount of texts and voice notes back and forth… I'm actually obsessed with this girl's energy 🥹💌
Now, the book itself - We follow Mina, a prim and proper schoolteacher, who ends up married off to Will Nye, a filthy-mouthed prizefighter. This first book had such a slice-of-life vibe. I loved being in Mina's day-to-day - helping out in the tavern, navigating her new life, and most of all, watching her slowly fall for her absolute menace of a husband (Nye, you rude gremlin, but also…I get it 😏).
And Mina herself - I adored her. She's a stern, no-nonsense type. Throw her into the wrongest situation possible and she embraces it and ends up thriving. Watching her hold her own in the tavern, stand firm with Nye, and still keep her dignity intact had me cheering for her. Plus, I loved seeing her make friends 🙂↕️
Of course, in true Alice fashion, there's some outside interference near the end. But Mina and Nye fought their way back together, and it made me grin like a fool. Also, for my fellow safety-checkers: this is so safe. No OWD, no wandering eyes - Nye only has eyes for his wife, full stop.
So why not 5 stars? Honestly, it's just that sometimes the pacing leaned a little too everyday-life-y. I adored the coziness of it, but there were moments where I wanted a tiny bit more tension or oomph to really push it over the top. Don't get me wrong though, Nye is over-the-top, lol.
Overall, this book made me laugh, it made me swoon, and it made me ridiculously excited to continue this series. Nye might swear like the devil, but he's husband material through and through 🫡✨
-~-
.☘︎ ݁˖ What happens when Capt. and I, aka Alice Coldbreath's number 1 fans, unite for a buddy read? Well, of course we clear our rooms for maximum dramatic flailing 😌 Snacks prepped, hearts unguarded, and expectations sky high. We haven't even started and I already know I'm about to become unbearable 🤭
April 13, 2023
When Mina's father dies and the school she works at closes, she's swept away by a half-brother she didn't even know she had. In a scheme that is purely the result of her brother's drunken mischievousness, she's married off to the owner of an inn called The Merry Harlot, which is run by a prize-fighting man of few words, William Nye.
William and Mina start off on the wrong foot. Mina is trying to make the most of her marriage, but she can't get a good read on William. She's constantly being course-corrected ("Sit here," "Don't go in there," "Stop doing that") but she doesn't understand why. When the stress and loneliness of this finally cause Mina to snap, we see a completely different side to William.
After this, William asks if they will be married in truth, and they take it to the bedroom. This is where we find out that William... does know how to talk. Wash that mouth with soap!!!
I loved this so much. This is a middle class love story, and it really pulled my heartstrings in a way that grand gestures from a duke or a Vanderbilt-type never could. I lost a day to this book because I didn't want to do anything else but keep reading.
William and Mina start off on the wrong foot. Mina is trying to make the most of her marriage, but she can't get a good read on William. She's constantly being course-corrected ("Sit here," "Don't go in there," "Stop doing that") but she doesn't understand why. When the stress and loneliness of this finally cause Mina to snap, we see a completely different side to William.
After this, William asks if they will be married in truth, and they take it to the bedroom. This is where we find out that William... does know how to talk. Wash that mouth with soap!!!
I loved this so much. This is a middle class love story, and it really pulled my heartstrings in a way that grand gestures from a duke or a Vanderbilt-type never could. I lost a day to this book because I didn't want to do anything else but keep reading.
May 29, 2024
(second read, twenty-twenty four)
a bride for the prizefighter is such a frustrating case of u were so close to being perfect and i am so salty about it. the last ten percent of this book was so random and unnecessary …
still, i stand by what i said in my first review. this is one of the best forced-marriage romances i have ever read. the evolution of mina and will's romance was absolutely perfect. also, i lived for every time he called her minerva and she called him will.
…
(first read, twenty-twenty two)
a bride for the prizefighter is the kind of forced-marriage / strangers-to-lovers-because-forced-married-shenanigans we all deserve.
and when i say we i obviously mean me 🤪
a bride for the prizefighter is such a frustrating case of u were so close to being perfect and i am so salty about it. the last ten percent of this book was so random and unnecessary …
« “come and sit on my lap, mina,” nye interrupted her.
she lowered her sewing and blinked at him. “nye!”
“what? i want my treasure in my hands,” he said warmly. »
still, i stand by what i said in my first review. this is one of the best forced-marriage romances i have ever read. the evolution of mina and will's romance was absolutely perfect. also, i lived for every time he called her minerva and she called him will.
…
(first read, twenty-twenty two)
a bride for the prizefighter is the kind of forced-marriage / strangers-to-lovers-because-forced-married-shenanigans we all deserve.
« what I want to know is this … are you just another pair of hands about the place or do you mean to take up the role in earnest? »
and when i say we i obviously mean me 🤪
July 16, 2025
Reread 7/2025
Yep...still a favorite.
Reread 9/2024
Reading in preparation for Jeremy's book! Still loved it.
Reread 2/2024
Still a favorite. This time I noticed more of the witty banter between Mina and Jeremy as well her banter with other side characters. That was really entertaining. I loved seeing Jeremy's redemption and changing into a good brother for Mina. Probably the best side character redemption ever.
****
4.5
I loved this story! This has been on my TBR for a while. Finally decided to purchase it and read it. Now I'm kicking myself for waiting for so long! Mina was a great heroine! Her story was a bit heart breaking and I found myself rooting for her. She handled everything thrown her way in a smart way without overreacting. I found myself completely engrossed in the story and couldn't put it down. I haven't read much historical romance but now I might.
Yep...still a favorite.
Reread 9/2024
Reading in preparation for Jeremy's book! Still loved it.
Reread 2/2024
Still a favorite. This time I noticed more of the witty banter between Mina and Jeremy as well her banter with other side characters. That was really entertaining. I loved seeing Jeremy's redemption and changing into a good brother for Mina. Probably the best side character redemption ever.
****
4.5
I loved this story! This has been on my TBR for a while. Finally decided to purchase it and read it. Now I'm kicking myself for waiting for so long! Mina was a great heroine! Her story was a bit heart breaking and I found myself rooting for her. She handled everything thrown her way in a smart way without overreacting. I found myself completely engrossed in the story and couldn't put it down. I haven't read much historical romance but now I might.
September 20, 2022
RTC!
***9/19/2022 UPDATE***
This is how you write a proper heroine with a bossy, taciturn hero.
This is how you write low/middle class Victorian romances.
This is how you write an ending speech by the hero.
It took me forever to read A Bride for the Prizefighter even though I love the Prizefighter series. I saw the word "inn" and for some reason, I didn't want to read it.
However, I LOVE to read about everyday, mundane life and if I had known AC would have gone on about what Mina did at the inn, I would have read this sooner. I enjoy reading about women did, and also the interesting cleaning hacks. Or how she rereads periodicals. I live for these little details.
But that scene when she runs to the cliffs and he pulls her back, she's beating his chest telling him, I don't want you either?
OMG. Perfect.
How the different threads come together, her brother Jeremy, the smugglers, her previous student and her guardian, also so well-done.
***9/19/2022 UPDATE***
This is how you write a proper heroine with a bossy, taciturn hero.
This is how you write low/middle class Victorian romances.
This is how you write an ending speech by the hero.
It took me forever to read A Bride for the Prizefighter even though I love the Prizefighter series. I saw the word "inn" and for some reason, I didn't want to read it.
However, I LOVE to read about everyday, mundane life and if I had known AC would have gone on about what Mina did at the inn, I would have read this sooner. I enjoy reading about women did, and also the interesting cleaning hacks. Or how she rereads periodicals. I live for these little details.
But that scene when she runs to the cliffs and he pulls her back, she's beating his chest telling him, I don't want you either?
OMG. Perfect.
How the different threads come together, her brother Jeremy, the smugglers, her previous student and her guardian, also so well-done.
September 1, 2020
A well-bred school teacher finds herself with no choice but to marry a brutish and broody prize-fighter who owns a rather disreputable inn. The heroine Mina makes this book; I liked the fact that she tried to make the best of things without rolling over and just taking crap.
Mina's brother Jeremy was an ass at the start of this, contrite at the end I still wish some ice-cold water had been thrown on him more than once.
Would have loved dual POV, getting Will's view in this would have added a fab dimension to the story.
A nice read although not one I see myself re-reading unlike Coldbreath's other books.
Mina's brother Jeremy was an ass at the start of this, contrite at the end I still wish some ice-cold water had been thrown on him more than once.
Would have loved dual POV, getting Will's view in this would have added a fab dimension to the story.
A nice read although not one I see myself re-reading unlike Coldbreath's other books.
December 9, 2021
Really loved the premise, but the romance was nearly non existent.
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