[Editors note: Want to win a copy of The Marriage Bargain? Check out the giveaway at the end of the post! And thanks to Angie for this review. Sorry I took so long to post it!]
This is a very long overdue review. I actually read The Marriage Bargain by Jennifer Probst quite a while back, and it’s definitely a good book to read between the moodier/darker ones (you know, like the Fifty-esque books) because it is so damn funny and full of witty banter. I would catch myself ACTUALLY laughing out loud.
To save her family home, impulsive bookstore owner, Alexa Maria McKenzie, casts a love spell. But she never planned on conjuring up her best friend’s older brother—the powerful man who once shattered her heart. Billionaire Nicholas Ryan doesn’t believe in marriage, but in order to inherit his father’s corporation, he needs a wife and needs one fast. When he discovers his sister’s childhood friend is in dire financial straits, he offers Alexa a bold proposition.
A marriage in name only with certain rules: avoid entanglement. Keep things all business. Do not fall in love. The arrangement is only for a year so the rules shouldn’t be that hard to follow, right? Except fate has a way of upsetting the best-laid plans…
Like it says in the synopsis, the book starts off with Alexa casting a silly spell to Mother Nature about the things she wants in a man. Even though its last on her list, she needs $150k fast, to save her family home, and she’s hoping if she can secure a man with the cash, that he’ll also have all the other traits she desires. This is her list:
1. A Mets fan.
2. Loves books, art and poetry.
3. Believes in monogamy.
4. Wants children.
5. Knows how to communicate with a woman.
6. Loves animals.
7. Has a moral code of ethics and believes in honesty.
8. A good lover.
9. Has a strong sense of family.
10. Has $150,000 available cash.
Something about this list leads Alexa’s best friend Maggie to set her up with her brother Nick. Hot, billionaire Nick. Maybe it’s because Nick and Alexa knew each other as kids. A childhood love on her end, but Nick was a bit immature back then – a trait he carried into adulthood:
“I see you’re the same overbearing bully who teased me about my chest size. Some things don’t change.”
“I guess you’re right. Some things remain the same. Others keep expanding.”
She smiled, “and other things remain small.”
Or maybe it was because Nick is also in need of a wife if he wants to inherit the business, and fortune, his uncle left him. Although his list is quite the opposite of Alexa’s:
1. A woman who does not love me.
2. A woman I do not desire to sleep with.
3. A woman who does not have a big family.
4. A woman who does not have any animals.
5. A woman who does not want any children.
6. A woman who has an independent career.
7. A woman who will view the relationship as a business venture.
8. A woman who is not overly emotional or impulsive.
9. A woman I can trust.
Nick is confused by Alexa, but he marries her anyway. She’s not at all what he was expecting, but she fits the bill. As in, he doesn’t have feelings for her and he’s not attracted to her. Or at least that’s what he tries to tell himself. And it becomes clear to Alexa that Nick is the complete opposite of what she wanted. This leads to a lot of feisty arguments, which when combined with a vow of celibacy, also leads to a lot of built of sexual tension.
So, even though they hardly tics any of the boxes on each others lists, as we go further along in the their journey, we see how they BOTH change to suit each other. By the end of their marriage bargain, it’s clear to Nick that he has met his match. And Alexa has a chance to fulfill her childhood fantasy. But like I always say, there is always a BUT, and you will have to read the book to find out what happens!
Do you want to win a copy of The Marriage Bargain? We are giving away three digital copies, one courtesy of Jennifer herself. (Thanks Jennifer!) Just enter below using the Rafflecopter widget. Good luck!
And be sure to check out the other books in the Married series: The Marriage Trap, The Marriage Mistake and The Marriage Merger.
The post Booksessed: The Marriage Bargain by Jennifer Probst. (And a giveaway!) appeared first on Girly Obsessions.
