The Marriage Bargain

Reviewed by Stacey
Review copy provided by Entangled Publishing
I am a huge fan of the whole “marriage of convenience” storyline and I believe that Jennifer Probst put an interesting spin on it to make it fresh, fun and sexy – with a hint of sass!

Alexa wants to be married; she wants to fall in love with the perfect man and have her happily ever-after. He also needs to have $150,000 cash handy so that she can save her family home. Nick needs a wife to claim an inheritance; but he doesn’t believe in love ever-lasting. They are as opposite as can be and yet they both need each other immediately.

The spin that author Jennifer Probst give us in “The Marriage Bargain” is that Nick and Alexa actually have a past; they have grown up show more together and have a history of friendship. We learn that Alexa had harbored a crush on Nick in her early teens but when the story starts up, we find that the two haven’t seen each other in years. Alexa is best friends with Nick’s sister but other than that connection, they are seeing each other again for the first time as adults.

If I had once complaint about the story it is that the build up to romance was a little slow. Don’t get me wrong, there was plenty of heat and attraction but every time I thought that they were finally going to hook up, they were interrupted. Between mean ex-girlfriends, rogue stray dogs, the cops…I found myself getting frustrated! But when they finally fess up give in to their attraction? Woo-hoo! It’s hot, it’s steamy and best of all, it’s very realistic in the fact that they are both ready for this turn in their relationship and are able to let their guard’s down.

With all good ‘convenience’ stories, their trip to happily-ever-after hits the familiar road blocks; one admits to love while the other feels trapped. I won’t give away who gives their heart first but I will say that “The Marriage Bargain” was a thoroughly enjoyable read and one that I will definitely pull out and read again. I read half of it in one night and woke up the next morning extra early to finish it before going to work! show less

LOOOL

She gave an unladylike snort. “You want a Stepford wife without the sex. Haven’t you learned anything about women since you were fourteen?”
“I learned plenty. That’s why Uncle Earl had to force me into an institution that favors women in the first place.” She gasped. “Men get plenty out of marriage!”
“Like what?”
“Steady sex and companionship.”
“After six months the headaches start and you bore each other to tears.”
“Someone to grow old with.”
“Men never want to grow old. That’s why they keep seeking out younger women.”
Her mouth dropped open. She closed it with one quick snap. “Children…a family…someone who will love you in sickness and health.”
“Someone who spends all your show more money and nags you every night and bitches about cleaning up your mess.”
“You’re sick.”
“You’re deluded.”


She narrowed her eyes. “I see you’re the same overbearing bully who teased me about my chest size. Some things don’t change.”
He focused his attention on the dip of her dress. “I guess you’re right. Some things remain the same. Others keep expanding.”
Her breath caught at the jab, but she surprised him when she smiled. “And other things remain small.” Her pointed stare settled directly on the bulge in the center of his pants.

I like this book, quite a lot, I love Alexa and Nick, their clash of will, their humor ( “Do you have any Black Eyed Peas?” He looked puzzled by the question. “To eat?” She held back a groan). It was a sweet romance, although too short for me.
I would love to read Maggie's story. show less

A ver que si, que últimamente he leído demasiado romance, pero en un mundo normal, jamás admitiría que me leí este libro y menos que me gustó tanto jajajajaja.

Tiene todo lo que odiaría en una novela romántica, un cliché, un fake romance, un matrimonio arreglado, un protagonista con un palo en el trasero y una protagonista que normalmente no me gustaría

¿Cómo es que funciona? será un enigma para mí, pero pues sí, funciona y no pude evitar disfrutarlo desde la primera hasta la última página.

The Marriage Bargain was the typical marriage of convenience story, but the emotions of the characters and the quick-witted banter of the dialogue took it to another level beyond ordinary. Even though the book was fairly short, I enjoyed the development of the characters and the motives behind their actions. A simple story but well worth the read.

I've been putting this one off for a few weeks now. I have no idea what I was thinking and I am really kicking myself for not reading it sooner.

I loved Nick and Alexa. The tension between the two throughout the whole "marriage" was palpable, I could almost feel the heat! Alexa being the strong character that she was drew me in from the beginning and I grew to love Nick's rough edges. My heart broke towards the end, but I just knew that Nick would realize everything and make it all right.

Jennifer Probst is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I love the way she writes with such realism and humor and warmth. Her characters seem like people I would actually want to meet in real life and then you add in the way she writes about animals and I'm just in love with her books. I also like that her heroines aren't rail thin and they still get the hot guy. Probst also writes a good love scene. She's the type of author where I would (and did) binge buy a bunch of her books. Now I just need to find the time to read them all.

I'd like to know who all these gorgeous, modern men and women are who end up having to get married to save their job/fortune/life. Is that even legal? The "marriage of convenience" plot has been done before, but who can resist characters who are extremely different being thrown together and falling in love?

The Marriage Bargain relies on several tried-and-true conventions, but the most annoying is: The Perfect Heroine. Alexa could not possibly be any more "good." She marries Nicholas, because she needs money. Why? This is the part where you hope she's gotten into a scrape somehow. Drug deal gone bad? No. Gambling debt? No. Shopaholic facing a credit card crisis? No. She needs money to give her parents to save their house. (By the way, show more the parents don't have an elicit story, either. They're in debt because of her dad's medical bills.) Throughout the entire book, we are confronted with more evidence of Alexa's inherent goodness, to the point that I realized if she were an actual person, I would loathe her. I would possibly consider hiring a hit man to be rid of her. Who can live up to this perfect female specimen, who is able to inspire some kinky lust-thoughts from a Billionaire (with a capital "B")while also saving her family's home, refusing to accept one more penny from her insanely rich husband, and helping him heal himself. (He was but a shell of a man until Alexa made him whole....) Oh, and let's not forget that she volunteers for an animal shelter and is able to rescue a dog and bring him out of his shell, too. I'd vote for Alexa to be a saint if I could. No, scratch that. Running your own business, then going home to greet your husband with a freshly cooked meal, glass of wine, and hot sex? She's ruining everything for the rest of us.

Nicholas comes across as a jerk with some severe issues. As great as Alexa is, I think he needs more help than she can give. Intensive counseling at the least; possibly even shock therapy. He mistreats her at times, even after we think he's redeeming himself and realizes he loves her. The last conflict seems to exist only to create a dramatic moment to preface the movie-like ending scene, which (much to my chagrin) is pretty great, if I do say so myself.

That's what makes this book so frustrating. While some parts had me rolling my eyes in frustration, it was not without its moments. The best parts, for me, were the times they spent around Alexa's family. Alexa and Nicholas are so intense, they need other characters as balance. Alexa's family helped Nicholas experience acceptance and a somewhat normal familial relationship, which affected his character and ultimately, the outcome for the couple. Despite some of my frustrations, I'll admit that I kept reading, because I was interested enough to want to finish their story. Warning: This book contains graphic sex scenes. show less