Review: The Bride Price by Anne Mallory

Posted February 19, 2009 by Casee in Reviews | 3 Comments

Publisher: Avon, Harper Collins

Winner take all . . .

Sebastien Deville, the debauched, dangerously handsome illegitimate son of the Duke of Grandien, has waited his whole life for revenge—and suddenly it is there for the taking. A competition sponsored by the ing has all the ton talking. The winner will receive an immense fortune, a newly created title, sponsorship, and a well-born bride—everything Sebastien needs to reclaim his mother’s stolen lands and to wield the colossal power itching beneath his fingertips. His victory is all but assured . . . until he meets Caroline.

Caroline Martin knows all about Sebastien, the legendary heartbreaker who leaves women weeping in his wake, and she is determined not to see him win the competition in which he would claim her friend as his bride. Yet sabotage is so very hard to concentrate on when the target’s searing glances promise incredible pleasure and his skillful hands vow unimaginable desire. She knows the danger he presents, the temptation he offers, yet she is willing to risk everything for all she holds dear.

But Sebastien Deville will do anything to win . . . and Caroline’s heart may become the ultimate prize.

After Three Nights of Sin, I was prepared to be dazzled by this book. Unfortunately, I wasn’t. The whole story fell flat for me. The characters fell flat. The book just felt wooden.

I can’t even be bothered to give this book a proper review. The premise is that there is basically a contest in which a certain number of men get to compete. The prize is money, land, and a bride. The bride in question is Caroline’s good friend, Sarah. Caroline is determined to help Sarah in any way she can, even if it means cheating.

Caroline has had her own bad luck with love. She fell for a man that only wanted her for her money. She thinks of herself as jaded when she is anything but. She first meets Sebastian when she goes on an errand for Sarah’s father, the earl of Something. She’s supposed to drawn a picture of the house and land that is supposed to be a part of the game. That’s where she meets Sebastian for the first time.

This is a reformed rake story. Sebastian wants to win b/c the land was his mother’s. He tried to buy it from his father, the duke of Oranother, but he would never sell it to him. So he is bitter and tortured, but still determined to get what he wants. What he wants is Caroline, which puts a serious crimp in his plan.

I just found that I couldn’t really care about the characters. I supposed that Caroline was supposed to be viewed as an independent woman, but I just found her to be over-the-top. She wanted [whatever] and that’s that. She used Sebastian even though she was convinced that he was going to use her.

If anything was worth reading, it was probably Sebastian. I’ve read positive reviews of this book, so maybe it’s just me. I doubt it though.

3 out of 5.

This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here or here in e-format.


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3 responses to “Review: The Bride Price by Anne Mallory

  1. Willa

    a newly created title, sponsorship, and a well-born bride—

    I read it to say “a well worn bride” *chortle* my eyes, my eyes!!

  2. Lori

    I completely agree with you. I had the hardest time getting though it, in fact it was a DNF for me, and that’s not a frequent thing. I found all the characters unlikeable. I didn’t connect with any of them, found none of them sympathetic at all. A twinge here and there for Sebastian – I agree. Anytime I put a book sown and don’t go back to it, I feel sad.

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