The Bride by Julie Garwood

Title: The Bride
Series: Lairds' Fiancees, #1
Author: Julie Garwood
Date Published: February 15, 1991
Publisher: Pocket Star
Rating: 3.5 Stars

From New York Times bestselling author Julie Garwood, whose novels have enchanted millions of readers worldwide, comes a breathtakingly romantic novel about a mismatched young wife and husband who, despite their differences in background and temperament, fall inexorably in love. The Bride sweeps readers back to the savage beauty of medieval Scotland....

By the king's edict, Alec Kincaid, mightiest of the Scottish lairds, must take an English bride. And Jaime the youngest daughter of Baron Jamison, is his choice. From his first glimpse of the proud and beautiful English lady, Alec felt a burning hunger stir within him. This was a woman worthy of his fearless warrior's spirit. And he aches to touch her, tame her, possess her...forever.

But with the wedding vows, Jamie pledges her own secret oath: She will never surrender her love to this Highland barbarian. He was everything her heart warned her against -- an arrogant, brooding scoundrel whose rough good looks and seductive embrace fire her blood. But when strange accidents begin to threaten Jamie's life and an old rumor that Alec killed his first wife spreads anew, something far more dangerous than desire threatens to conquer her senses.

With all the storytelling power and insight into the human heart that have made her one of the bestselling authors of our time, Julie Garwood takes readers on an unforgettable romantic journey rich in humor, suspense, and historical detail.

My Thoughts:

The Bride was the first book I have read by Julie Garwood. I had been hearing so many great things about it, but I kept telling myself, "oh, I'll read it later" (you all know how that goes, right?). Anyways, I picked it up on a whim when I was at the library one day, and just started reading it, and thus became really invested in the story.

The first thing I want to say is that I genuinely like Garwood's writing style! Her descriptions were great, and for the most part, she stayed true to the historical context. Although this story takes place in medieval England & Scotland, she made the main character, Jamie, question her role as a woman in society and to challenge the status quo, which was nice! While I did admire this about Jamie, I found  she could also be rather naive and frustrating...and a bit of motor mouth (even by today's standards). So yeah, there were a few times I found myself shaking my head.

Alec was a decent character. He wasn't really as he seemed to be in the beginning of the book. I just wanted to know a little bit more about him. Fortunately, I got a little more info about him towards the end. But do you want to know who stole the show for me? Gavin. I just loved him! He was so kind, fun, and loyal! I would love to read a book about him!

All in all, this was a good book and well worth reading! There was a bit of a mystery aspect that I kind of figured it out about 2/3 of the way through (go me!). I would have also liked a couple of questions answered and to find out how (and if?) things worked out with Mary. With that said, I have already placed the second book, The Wedding, on hold at the library. I have heard that it was even better!