Review: The Bachelor's Bargain by Catherine Palmer

Title: The Bachelor's Bargain
Author: Cathrine Palmer
Publisher: Tyndale House
Date released: October 2006
ISBN: 978-0-8423-1929-4

Stars (out of 5): *****
Age rating: PG-14

Back cover(from Amazon):
When Ruel Chouteau returns home after his supposed death, he shocks everyone. They are even more surprised when he mock-proposes to a common housemaid as proof that no woman in her right mind would marry him. Anne Webster is no ordinary woman, and when she is shot through the leg, it appears that she will surely die. She decides to accept Ruel's proposal so he will be obligated to save and provide for her family. Since he will have a year to mourn her death, Ruel will be spared the hounding from his family and the many families of single women in the community. But after the marriage on Anne's deathbed, she surprises them all by returning to full health! Now Ruel and Anne must face a future they never expected!


My Thoughts:
Now, I've never been a big Regency fan *ducks for cover* so, when I read the first book in the Miss.Pickworth series, The Affectionate Adversary, I was less then thrilled. But, I still wanted to read the other two books in the series , just to see how the story played out. And whoa baby, was I surprised at how much I LOVED reading The Bachelor's Bargain. We first meet Anne webster in The Affectionate Adversary, as the lowly handmaid, whose minister father, is imprisoned and needs her help. Where as Ruel Chouteau, has never cared much about anything except to regain the lost fortune of his family's Duchy (is that the how you say it?) . Some of my favorite parts of TBB, were where Anne and Ruel play act, in order to keep up their ruse of being happily married and blissfully ignorant. It was just too funny, and romantic. Anne was a heroin you couldn't help but love. She's always speaking her mind and not caring who hears and is strong in her faith (although, sometimes following God's plan, isn't apart of hers). Where as Ruel was the dashing rogue, who despite his rough exterior, had a heart of gold. *sigh* I loved that there wasn't just one romantic affair but two, involving the beautiful yet, self centered, Prudence Watson. Full of romance, faith and strong wills', The Bachelor's Bargain is probably the best Regency romance I've read to date.

To learn more about Catherine Palmer and her books go to:
Her Website

Love Y'all,
Ashley