Genre: Inspirational Historical Romance
Setting: Seattle, 1865
POV: 3rd Person from both the hero and the heroine’s perspectives
Sensuality: Subtle
Violence: None
My Grade: B
A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist is the first inspirational romance I’ve read, and this review is the first in my bimonthly Stretch Yourself Challenge. Although I’m a non-believer, I decided to read this book because of the unusual setting. I’m one of the many fans of historical romance who bemoan the lack of variety in the settings of the mainstream historical romances published today. When Wendy the Super Librarian blogged about Deeanne Gist’s upcoming book, a Maid to Match, I looked up her website and read the blurbs of her backlist. A Bride in the Bargain sounded interesting, so I ordered a copy.
In post-Civil War Seattle, there is an abundance of lumberjacks, but not enough women to marry them. In the East, there is a scarcity of men following the war, and widows and spinsters abound. Asa Mercer hits on a scheme to bring women from the East to Seattle. In exchange for a bride, local men are to pay him $300 each.
One of the men who signs up for an Eastern bride is Joe Denton. Denton owns a prosperous logging business. He acquired his 640 acres of timberland for free when he moved to the area eleven years previously. At that time, men who moved to Washington Territory were entitled to free timberland. A married man received 640 acres, whereas a bachelor was allowed just 320 acres. When Joe moved from Maine to Seattle, his wife was due to follow him a few months later, but she died before she could make the trip. Now Joe’s neighbour has challenged his right to own 640 acres and wishes to claim it for himself. Joe has a few months to acquire a wife or lose his land and his livelihood. Due to the scarcity of women in the settlement, Mercer’s scheme is Joe’s only option.
Anna Ivey lost her family during the Civil War. Forced to fend for herself, she takes a position as a cook in a private household. When her employer tries to rape her, Anna flees and needs to find employment fast or end up on the street. She reads Asa Mercer’s ad in the newspaper looking for women to work as nannies and domestics in the Washington Territory. Having no letter of recommendation, and no ties to keep her in Massachusetts, Anna decides to apply for a place on Mercer’s ship to Seattle.
After a journey of several months, Anna and the other Mercer girls finally arrive in Seattle. Anna has been told she is to work as a cook for Joe Denton and his lumberjacks. Joe is, of course, expecting a bride. When Anna refuses to marry him, Joe realises the only chance he has to save his land is to woo Anna and make her fall in love with him before his final six weeks run out.
A Bride in the Bargain is charming. The setting is wonderfully original. While Joe and Anna are fictional characters, Asa Mercer and his Eastern bride scheme (or scam) are based on fact. The attention to detail is admirable, and the author clearly did her research.
Joe and Anna are extremely likeable characters. Joe is sort of a gentle giant type of hero. Anna is probably the stronger willed of the two, but I felt their personalities balanced each other out. The description of Seattle and the surrounding area made me want to go there – as long as I could go back in time for part of my visit!
I had been concerned that I might find the book a bit preachy, but I needn’t have worried. There are just a few religious references, all of which fit the characters and the context of their story. While the sexual content stops at the bedroom door, there is plenty of sexual tension throughout the book, and I didn’t feel shortchanged in this regard.
My only quibble was with a source of external tension towards the end of the book which I felt was tacked on and underdeveloped. However, it didn’t impair my overall enjoyment of the book.
To sum up: Although A Bride in the Bargain is marketed as an inspirational romance, I’m convinced it would appeal to many fans of secular historical romance, especially those who long for more books set in various periods of American history. Deeanne Gist has a few books in her backlist and I look forward to reading them.
{ 8 comments }
You’ve made me want to read this book — it does sound charming and as for the sexual tension, it’s there and not every book I read has to have all the deets!
Have you ever seen a picture of the author? She is (was?) a blogger over at Romancing the Blog and she’s very attractive and has a lovely blogging style too.
@Janet W: According to the acknowledgements in the book, Deeanne Gist’s daughter is the cover model for A Bride in the Bargain!
Good review. Sounds like an interesting book to try out..
>> I’m one of the many fans of historical romance who bemoan the lack of variety in the settings of the mainstream historical romances published today.
ITA! We should start a club.
Love the review – I think I may need to read this one.
That does sound fun, although I’ve shied away from reading books about mail-order brides since Sarah Plain and Tall.
This sounds really good, and I’m almost positive we have it here at work. Now if I could only catch-up on my reading backlog….
I am tempted by this just because, at 12 or 13, I read Petticoats West by Olive Wooley Burt about 10 times. Its heroine stows away on Mercer’s ship. I read it for the love story–sure sign I was destined to be a romance reader.
@Janicu: Thanks! It was a fun read.
@Lynn Spencer: I’d love to know what you think of it.
@heidenkind: I know I read Sarah, Plain and Tall at some point during my childhood but it left no lasting impression on me.
@Wendy: I also have a reading backlog, not to mention an ever-increasing TBR pile!
@Liz: I’ve never heard of Petticoats West! Thanks. I must look it up.