Bride Required (Wedlocked)

by Alison Fraser

The price of a bride...

Baxter Ross had asked Dee to become his wife of convenience in return for a very large sum of money.

Dee decided she had nothing to lose, and agreed to go ahead with the wedding. But why did such a good-looking man need to pay for a bride? It seemed he'd never been short of female company before. And how would the raw physical attraction that simmered between them affect their marriage...?

Genres: Romance, Harlequin Presents, Harlequin, Marriage Of Convenience, Fiction

192 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 1, 1997

Reviews

[Naksed · Rating 1 out of 5]

This entire scenario left me feeling EEEEEKKKKKK.

Our poor heroine is a 17 year old runaway neglected by her weak mom and molested by her stepfather. Then, she gets "rescued" by the hero who, eerily, is also an older doctor who lusts after her, just like her step dad. The author goes to great length to try to explain why the two situations were different but I'm sorry, the alleged hero of the piece creeped me out just as much as the heroine's stepdad.

This guy is supposed to be a selfless helper of humanity because he is a doctor who chose to practice in a war ravaged country, putting himself at risk help famine-stricken, despairing people. Yet he had no qualms picking up a teenaged busker from the street, not to help her, but to use her in an immigration marriage fraud scheme, because he wanted to help one of his friends who was trying to stay in England and not return to his wartorn country.

He didn't see the heroine as a person, he dismissed her intelligence, he actually ridiculed her as a stray he picked up, like a dog, laughing about it with his nurse friend in full hearing of the young "stray" in question. What a compassionate doctor!

The worst was how he victim-blamed her and slut-shamed her for her alleged relationship with her stepdad instead of seeing it for what it was, which was an obvious case of sexual abuse of a minor. Then again, he had no qualms lusting after her and making passes at her well before her eighteenth birthday so I guess he shared the point of view that she was a provocative Lolita who brought everything onto herself, just like the stepdad claimed.

He put the moves on her while she was so malnurished and ill from her homeless state that she reminded him of one of his famine patients. But still, his lust was uncontrollable? I can't get over his grossness, really I can't. YUCK!

The hero's sister was also a pushy user. She was actually encouraging these two to get together, instead of trying to help the heroine out of this Stockholm Syndrome situation.

Even the poor old dog was a sad plot point because the author went to great length to drive the point that the poor pooch was at death's door. Once again, the heroine would be well and truly alone with the very dubious hero :(

There was nothing I liked in this story. Well, I liked the heroine and pitied her. She deserved a true HEA, not this sad conclusion.

[Leona · Rating 2 out of 5]

This has an interesting premise starting with the heroine busking and trying to survive on the streets of London. She's seventeen and homeless after running away when her mother catches her drunken stepfather trying to rape her, and falsely accuses her of seducing him.

This could have been a stronger read, but the heroine actually ends up wearing the reader down. Granted her chip on the shoulder and combativeness is necessary to portray her survival on the streets of London. However, it gets overplayed as she continues to shovel it out while living in a safe environment surrounded by friends who care for her.

I typically like this authors' work, but this one missed the mark.

[Jacqueline J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every once in a while you run across an absolute gem in the HP world. For me this one hit it out of the ball park.

This one had a very different set up and I don't want to say too much about it because that would spoil the story. The heroine is a street busker and the hero picks her up. Needless to say I loved the sarcastic plucky heroine and the long suffering hero was nice too. Lots of plot.

I realized just recently that I have enjoyed every Alison Fraser book I've read and I am disappointed that her backlist is so short.

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bride Required is the eleventh romance novel by British author, Alison Fraser. Baxter Ross spots her busking near the tube station. She’s quite good with the flute, and has a big old retriever with her. If she’s living rough, maybe she’ll go for his proposition. As soon as she opens her mouth, he’s having second thoughts: this girl seems bent on independence at all costs.

Dee’s running out of options: her squat is about to be demolished, and going back home to her mother and step-father is an absolute last resort. But she can’t seriously consider what this man is offering, can she? He’s offering her a crazy sum of money to marry, just for 12 months. But as the sparks fly between them, she wonders if she could last 12 minutes.

As always, Fraser gives her heroine an arsenal of insults and a feistiness that ensures plenty of argument before both forgo their pride and admit their true feelings. Sassy, sexy romance.

[iamGamz · Rating 4 out of 5]

My very first Alison Fraser book and I am eager for more.

Wasn’t sure what to expect, but the story was beautifully written, the characters quirky enough for me to enjoy them and the antagonists vile enough for me to hate them.

Dee is a seventeen year old runaway who busks for money by playing her flute. Baxter is a 34 year old doctor who has recently returned to England after years of working in Africa.

Their meeting is odd, their relationship is odder but they are very attracted to each other and fighting it for all it’s worth.

I enjoyed AF’s writing. I didn’t want to put down the book. I look forward to reading more from her.

[Saly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this book much though it could have been good it was just so dry, yes that is the word for it. The heroine Dee is sarcastic 90% of the time and I don't mind sarcasm and use it a lot but too much of it is irritating. The hero finds her on the street begging, she's homeless and almost 18, she ran away from her house when her step-father tried to make a move on her, she went home once it seemed okay then he started again and this time she didn't go back.

She might be 18 but she is too cynical and old and doesn't believe in good people and even marriage. The hero has a hard time making her accept help, he actually presents a marriage proposition to her, business only, she agrees and is later the next day and when he comes to find her she is injured and her the place she is sleeping gone.

She is stubborn and almost doesn't let him get her help and in her stubbornness even lets him take her home where she immediately realizes she doesn't want to be there. He takes her to his place, they share some kisses but he stops, he's an honourable guy and older than her(34).

Few weeks pass and that makes her realize she loves him and he is her soul-mate but he doesn't seem to look at her that way, but there is way too much drama and I found her immature, she agrees to marry another guy so that he is not deported(he was the groom he had propositioned her for), even when he tells her she doesn't need to do that and shouldn't , her pride as usual comes in the way.

Of course it doesn't happen and he tells her that she can stay as long as she wants and he loves her and we get a HEA. I dunno I have enjoyed some books which have a big age difference but here I found the heroine immature and there weren't much sparks between them except for the handful of times they kissed or made out.

And she turned eighteen before they actually did something for those who care.

[RomLibrary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Baxter Ross's offer was hard to resist: if Dee was willing to marry, he would pay her a large amount of money. What did she have to lose?
Dee decided to accept. She was intrigued as to why this good-looking man would need to pay for a bride - it seemed he'd never been short of female company before. Anyway, this wasn't a job for life: after a year, she could be divorced and free again. Except that, soon, a raw physical attraction was simmering between them..

[DamsonDreamer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like this author and I did like this H, Baxter ( a medicins sans frontiers type of doctor) albeit his being 34 and her (Dee) being 17 and then turning 18 made me very uneasy. I get that she'd grown up fast, being a teenage runaway from a grooming, child molesting stepfather but still. The age gap is a big factor in this romance and my logical, real world brain is very anti. My romance brain however is swooning like there's no tomorrow so go figure. I guess it's the whole older guy taking care of you (in every sense) that's so appealing. I thought the marriage of convenience plot line was actually pretty interesting. I worked briefly in a field in which this was a professional issue and can say that it was a smart move of Baxter to get them a church wedding. In those days that would have definitely had a lower level of scrutiny than a register office. Anyhow, I did like it. They fought a lot and the Hs sister was lovely.

[JillyB · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were not too many reviews on this one. Anyone who reads my reviews knows that I tend to round up in my star ratings. I liked this story and struggled between a 3 and a 4. Naksed leaves a very good 1 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... as well and it helped me see some things although I still err on the goodness of the H overall. In fact it was her 1 star review that inspired me to read it. ( yes it is a problem. At times I am definitely the Bill Murray character from caddy shack picking up the candy bar and saying It’s still good!)



I will admit out of the AF stories I have been reading lately this was lacking something they had. It started off very interesting, and then it seemed to lose its momentum. There is a lot of focus on the h and although she is a tough cookie like many of the AF heroines, I found at times she was tiring. The book picked up a lot of angst in the last 1/3 with a little bit of unnecessary confusion in the last 10 pages…the otherwise intelligent heroine came off as a little daft.

So here is a basic premise before I present spoilers. The 17 year old heroine has been living on the streets of London with her geriatric dog. She was avoiding her letch of a stepfather and her mom who likes to pretend all is well. The 34 year old doctor H happens upon the busking h and decides she will make a perfect wife since she must be needy. It will be a marriage of convenience where she will be paid handsomely, get 3 square meals a day, and not have to do a thing. It all sounds very suspicious to the h, and the H isn’t really seeing her as a person but more of a solution.

SPOILERS HAPPENING NOW:

Our h Dee comes from an upper middle class home and was quite the looker. Her stepfather’s initial interest in her seemed caring. Unbeknownst to her he was starting the grooming process. He almost rapes her and the mom walks in where of course she puts her blinders on and listens to how the h was all over him. The heroine leaves. Life is tough on the streets though and she returns back home to a “reformed” stepdad. This didn’t last long and she went back to the streets as an unemployable 17 year old. To stay safe, she cut her beautiful locks of blonde, got multiple piercings and looked like a depressed Sex Pistols fan girl.

The hero, Baxter, has spent most of his life doctoring in 3rd world countries. Although, he has had sexual partners throughout the years he has never had a serious relationship because of his job. He now needs a wife. So, we spend many pages of him trying to convince the h to be the one. At this point in the story he is not sexually attracted to the young waif at all. She is too young, too skinny, and too brash for his taste. Then he decides she is way too much trouble. However, by this time she is injured and has no where to go. (Plus she thinks he is gay or needs to marry by 35 to inherit money etc…she is not lacking in imagination)He tries to take her back home to her mom and stepdad. He picks up on undercurrents between the stepdad and her but misinterprets them. She refuses to stay there. So, he takes her to Scotland with him to his home. He tells her not to worry as he definitely has no designs on her. However, they did share a kiss and for the first time in her life she realizes what desire is. So, when the H is so adamantly, insultingly opposed to her, she does have some hurt feelings but refuses to let him see.

Back in Scotland we meet the H’s older married pregnant sister(she happens to be married to a man 18 years her senior) and they have a young daughter. We now find out why the H was desperate for a wife. The wife was for his 18 year old charge from Africa to avoid deportation. At this point the h feels even more undesirable. The H and her have had moments where she felt that they had a connection but obviously it is one sided. It is decided that she will continue to stay and pay back the H for his hospitality by being the housekeeper. The H has no desire for her to marry Joseph his charge. A few months pass and the H and h become good friends. They enjoy each other’s company and there is no more sexual advances. She gains weight, her hair grows out, and the piercings are long gone. She has never been this happy. The h turns 18, and it is at this point we find out that Joseph will be deported in 2 months and go back to his country to most likely die in a civil war. The h suggests that she should fulfill the original reason the H wanted her and marry Joseph. The H is vehemently opposed to this.

Later the h seeks out Joseph and tells him she will marry him. He is confused as he is pretty sure there is something between her and the H. Since SHE still doesn’t see that the H is hoh in love with her she laughs it off. She then takes off to babysit the H’s niece and stay the night. After getting the niece off to bed and she herself dons the H’s pajama top(her nightgown of choice) there is frantic knocking at the door. She goes to find an outraged hero(he is pissed that she is intent on marrying Joseph) A making out session ensues ending up in the bedroom. Clothing is tossed aside, however, the H is without back up, so he tells her that this time it will be just about her. She is a little confused and then he proceeds



Obviously the good doctor did well in his female anatomy courses.



After his performance, the h is looking to step it up and then his sister comes home. She is terrified at being caught with the H and scrambles to get dressed, he on the other hand takes his time. His sister picks up on things pretty quickly, but then the h announces her impending marriage to Joseph shocking both the sister and the H. Our h keeps twisting the knife in one very besotted hero. He leaves angry. The h decides to live with the sister as a full time nanny, and keeps her distance with the. H. A week before her wedding to Joseph and the H gets to see the h in her wedding dress, tearing his insides up even more. I definitely envision the scene from the Graduate.




Believe me the H hasn’t been twiddling his thumbs this last month. The h ends up at his house where it is revealed that Joseph has another solution to his problem. (Wedding averted) With less than 20 pages left in the story (and no HEA yet)the h and H finally get to pleasure each other. BUT(and this is the part that aggravates me) the h still thinks the H only wants her sexually but is otherwise not interested(plus she despises marriage in general). He told her he loves her but she discounted it since it was during passion. The H is truly confused at this point as the h is getting dressed and treating him like a one night stand. Finally, the H gets his point across to her and she realizes that he loves her because they are compatible in every way. Plus, he points out that although she hasn’t had experience, that what they just had was 1 in a million and not just sex. Maybe I will put down her ambivalence to the H’s true feelings as being one of inexperience and maturity.

They end up marrying a month later. Hopefully, and I think he will, he will encourage her to get some additional schooling as their home is pretty sheltered.


So the age difference is probably going to be an issue for some. However, I never had the sense that the H was intentionally out to molest the h (unlike her stepfather). I think his heart is in the right place most of the time, except, and Naksed’s review helped me see this, he did delude himself in thinking he was being a do gooder by “rescuing” the h initially so she could marry Joseph. No, you were also taking advantage of her.

I was able to get past this but others may not. I really saw that the H fell in love with the h even when he knew it was skating the fine lines of propriety. He backed off his initial plan on marrying her off, got to know her, fell in love with her, and still tried to keep feelings at bay. He was overcome with love though, so eventually he gave into it.

[SassyLeg · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
First book by this author - loved the story and both characters.
The age difference theme is dealt well - H is a great character, but I also loved the h, despite her sarcasm.

[Mela · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ridiculous/unbelievable that a hero searched a candidate for 'a fake wife' amongst homeless girls. I could explain it only that he was so tired of his responsibilities/life that he had some kind of breakdown, he lost temporarily his mind. When he approached the first candidate he regained his senses but then other feelings started to control/lead him.

Besides the said point, what can I add? It was another trip to Hplandia: anger, drama, misunderstandings, passion, all those absurdly smoothing/calming things that are like warm milk before sleep (at least to me they are).

[L.E. Truscott · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as you begin reading this book and discover that the main female character is just seventeen years old, the seed is planted in the back of your mind that there is going to be yet another inappropriate age gap between her and her male love interest. But the further you read, the less bothersome it is because she’s feisty and mature beyond her years and the physical contact is pretty PG right up until the last third of the book, by which time she has turned eighteen.

Dee is homeless, busking for money on London’s streets while she struggles to feed both herself and her dog, and living in a boarded up building without water or electricity scheduled for demolition. Baxter is a doctor, recently returned from a lengthy stint working for a charity in Africa and close to burned out. When he spots Dee playing her flute in a corridor of the London Underground, she’s exactly what he’s looking for. Which isn’t a girlfriend but someone prepared to enter into a marriage of convenience in exchange for payment.

Dee isn’t naïve – she’s been exposed to enough bad things in her short life to be wary. But when she hurts her knee and Baxter takes care of her, she realises he’s exactly what he says he is. The only problem is that despite abandoning his plan to use her in a marriage of convenience, he won’t just let her go back to her life on the streets. He gives her an ultimatum: come to Scotland with him where he can continue looking after her (and her badly damaged leg) and maybe get her back into school or return home and sort out her problems with her family.

She chooses to return to her family, planning to see Baxter off and then do nothing of the sort, but he insists on driving her right to the front door. She fumes as he goes through her bag to find her birth certificate, telling her he’s going to drive to the address on it and see if that gets them anywhere close. Dee finally gives in and gives him the correct address but when they get there, Baxter sees her dysfunctional family is something worse than living on the streets. And so they go to Scotland.

The dialogue in this book is pitch perfect. Instead of the usual waffle that permeates so many romance novels, their discussions are interesting and not always about themselves and their burgeoning love. There’s an actual plot, genuine drama and life difficulties, and terrific writing. I’ve read quite a few of Alison Fraser’s books and her efforts are always significantly better than most of the other writers writing in the same genre.

This book is a little unusual in that it is written from both the main characters’ perspectives, not just one. Usually, romance writers only show the thoughts of one main character in order to maintain the drama that comes from the misunderstandings that dominate romance as opposed to genuine reasons keeping them apart.

The only thing that detracts is Dee’s age but it’s a necessary component of the plot and Baxter is written so well that he doesn’t come off as a creepy old man – always a good thing in romance fiction.

If you’re looking for a good romance read, you’ll find it in this book. If you’re looking for a good example of how to write romance, you’ll find that as well. If you’re not a romance fan, then don’t bother because it doesn’t pretend to be anything else but if you are, it should tick every box.

[Last Chance Saloon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feisty and yet vulnerable heroine (17/18), who had been living rough in London, gradually wows Scottish doctor hero (34) who has just returned from working in Africa. They go to live outside Edinburgh near his sister (in a small castle!) and, although he had other reasons for helping her, is unable to proceed as he falls in love for the first time (although it is made clear he's had a lot of very smart career women lovers). The young heroine holds her own and the HEA is super.

[Calysta · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an odd duck of a story. I think, politely, the prose could be termed as...spare. I can read between lines, queerness requires it, but I think the author was just too restrained in her depiction of the character's feelings toward each other. And the woman's (well, girl's) background story was too dark for a story with so little overt comfort.

[Susan Corbridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the hero, the heroine was a hard headed, sullen brat.

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fraser really stretched the harly formula with her themes on this one. I applaud her for that. Made her characters complicated and real for me.

[Ann Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Shouty · Rating 5 out of 5]

LISTEN, I ADMIT I JUST MENTALLY CHANGE THEIR RESPECTIVE AGES IN MY HEAD TO MAKE THIS WORK . . . BUT WHAT CAN I SAY, THIS BOOK IS ONE OF MY ORIGINAL TEXTS

[Elisa Vangelisti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lo dico sempre, io, che a forza di scavare qualcosa si trova. Anche perché di grandi e medi titoli di mio gusto ne ho letti abbastanza, quindi devo ripiegare sui piccolini. E sono rimasta piacevolmente colpita da questa storia fresca, semplice e molto ben scritta. Un medico trentenne di ritorno da un lungo periodo in Rwanda s’imbatte in una adolescente in fuga. Scatta qualcosa, ma lui cerca con tutte le sue forze di contrastarlo, a causa della differenza di stile di vita e soprattutto d’età, mentre lei piano piano sembra innamorarsi per tutto ciò che lui rappresenta: la sicurezza, ma soprattutto la gentilezza. Il dottor Ross infatti è quanto di più equilibrato, concentrato e maturo si possa trovare in un ragazzo di quell’età. Ma non nel solito modo più volte descritto in romanzi di questo genere, o di qualunque genere in cui “lui” è molto più maturo rispetto a “lei”. Non è accondiscendente né accomodante. Si intuisce – grazie alla prosa di Alison – una maturità che corre di pari passo con l’educazione ricevuta e questo è molto piacevole, perché è privo di forzature, funziona e sembra davvero reale. Cercherò altro di suo perché merita.

È davvero carino, gli opposti che si attraggono. L’ho riletto con piacere, ma devo fare spazio in libreria quindi lo libero.

[Roub · Rating 3 out of 5]

very touching :)

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I liked everything about this book except the age difference between the H/h. As it was the main conflict, it was not something I could put out of my head.

[More Books Than Time · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF.

Finally managed to finish, had to skim. Revolting premise and H. Naksed says it all for me.