A Bride Most Begrudging by Deeanne Gist

Lady Constance Morrow only boarded the ship because she wanted to bid her uncle goodbye. Unfortunately, a deceptively simple choice leads to her being kidnapped, sold as a tobacco bride and then won on a gamble by Drew O'Conner. When she is forced into a marriage of convenience, she remains convinced that once her father hears of her misfortune, he will bring her back to England. What she does not count on is the strong attraction between her and her new husband. But this is only one of many struggles that she faces. Will their growing love survive the struggles that rage inside each of them?

This was actually my second time reading A Bride Most Begrudging and I had the same opinion of it that I had the first time. I loved the story. It is well-written and the pace is perfect. There is plenty of romance and even the occasional moment of humor. I loved the characters and the depth that the author gave to them. However, the sexual overtones are so strong that they almost overpower the story. It's just a matter of personal taste whether or not that would bother a reader. Deeanne Gist is known for her edgy fiction and most of the time I love her books, but this one is actually my least favorite by her.

Letter Perfect

The death of her mother brings Ruth Caldwell's life into serious upheaval. In obedience to her mother's final wishes, she travels to California to live with the father she never knew. Unfortunately, when she arrives, she finds that he is dead and she may be heir to a part of the Broken P ranch. Joshua McCain has devoted his life to the success of the Broken P ranch and is part owner of the ranch. The revelation of Ruth Caldwell's existence gives her a claim to his ranch and at first, Joshua wants nothing more than to put her on a train and send her back East. To his dismay, Ruth proves to be a kind, sweet, admirable woman and Joshua can not help but be attracted to her. However, when her clumsiness begins to involve serious incidents, he begins to wonder if something sinister may be involved.

Letter Perfect is the struggle of one woman to move beyond her grief and the things of her past to embrace a future. The character of Ruth Caldwell is ridiculously clumsy and yet the author makes her seem perfectly authentic in the context of the story. The book contained just the right combination of mystery, humor, romance and culture to create a story that one will want to read over and over again.