Hired Bride

I wanted to give this book four stars, I really did but after struggling to finish the already short story I just couldn't lie to myself. I would actually rate this book on the higher spectrum of my three-star shelf but that doesn't erase the fact that it failed to move me in any way whatsoever.

Now, before getting into the details of why this book failed to deliver, I would just like to point out the fact that the synopsis is misleading. Deanna Beaufort, the main heroine of this novel is not that hard to manage as a wife, regardless of what the synopsis would have you believe. They make her out to be this spitfire when she is absolutely not. Mitchell is more true to the summary but even he is a little too quickly seduced and swayed by his deep feelings for Deanna.

I have to admit, it is partially my fault for jumping into this book because of the pretty cover and for buying it for free also for the same reason. I thought it would be a light, fun, easy romance to read but it was rather on the long, old fashioned/boring side. What I mean is that the book seemed rather long and I had a very hard time getting through it, even though the book itself wasn't long at all. The story was kind of stretched out even when it didn't need to be. I think this book could have achieved what it did in half of its actual length. And even though the main heroine was a huge traditionalist and very old fashioned in terms of her values and beliefs, I would still have liked to see a little more life and vivaciousness from her. I mean, she's supposed to be repressed by her grandma's wishes, isn't she? So why isn't she acting out against it?

I will say that even though the characters were not quite as full as I would have liked them to be, her writing was pretty solid. Even a little on the easy side, the story itself was written beautifully and showcased well in that aspect. It flowed smoothly and made getting through it a little easier.

Now, my main issue with the book was the overload of romance that was a bit on the cheesy side. I mean, I get that these two characters fall in love with each other quickly but not this quickly. I would have liked to see a little more resistance, at least from Deanna. It would have showed her as being more real and less cookie-cutter like. Also, the dialogue was a bit unrealistic at some places and this made the romance seem even more pretentious and cheesy.

The smut was, as everything else with this book, mediocre. It was not by any means the worst smut I have ever read but it also wasn't the best. It was, by lack of a better word, average. There wasn't much variation in the vocabulary or imagination in the sex scenes themselves. Not a book that will be engraved in my mind forever. Not even close.

I guess, what it comes down to is that the story seemed like merely a tiny portion of what it could truly be. I would recommend this only to people who like mediocre love stories, that have nothing else to offer. Simply put, there is nothing special about this book and it shows. And for this reason, I am in no hurry to read the next book in the series, even though I might give another one of Noelle's books a chance in the future. Just not the near future.

3.5
It was pretty good for a free book but could have used more character development.

Rereading this I had the same issues but the lack of communication bothered me more. I felt like we didn't even get enough relationship development and that was the main plot point.

Judge me all you will, marriages of convenience make excellent “read in a sitting with some tea” mornings.