A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist - MY REVIEW

“The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (p.343)

Anna Ivy has lost life’s greatest treasures – her mother, father and brother – all victims of the Civil War in one way or another. Alone, threatened and desperate, Anna responds to an advertisement for women to come to the Northwest Territory. What Anna doesn’t realize when she signs the contract is that her job as cook for men at a lumber camp entails a great deal more than she bargained for. In fact, the owner of the lumber camp is expecting a bride.

Joe Denton will lose what he treasures most in this world – his 640 acres of prime lumber – if he fails to marry within a few short moths. Having already lost his first wife to illness just after coming to Seattle to obtain a land grant, Joe will lose half of his acreage unless he can prove his wife’s death or obtain another one. Problem is, there are no women of marriageable age in the Northwest Territory. Rather than lose what he has invested eleven years of his life to obtain, Joe pays money to have someone go back east and bring him a bride. He never could have imagined that his contracted bride would turn his entire world upside down. For you see, she refuses to marry him!

Oh, dear reader, you are in for a treat extraordinaire! A Bride in the Bargain has to be one of Deeanne Gist’s best tales ever! The story begins with enough tension and confusion to keep the pages turning at a frantic pace, but as the story grows and deepens, and the relationship between Joe and Anna begins to develop, the pages become almost warm to the touch! I promise you, when I read the scene with the apple fritters on page 172, flames were leaping from the page!! Deeanne Gist is a master of romantic tension!! She is a master at causing the scene to “fade to black” rather than force the reader to endure unnecessary titillation. And on top of that, she includes the faith of the main characters as naturally and realistically as the clean mountain air they enjoy among the firs and redwoods of the Seattle territory!

There is a great deal to enjoy about A Bride in the Bargain, and I daresay it’s one of the best historical romances I’ve read lately! I highly recommend this book to everyone!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

After a short career in elementary education, Deeanne Gist retired to raise her four children. Over the course of the next fifteen years, she ran a home accessory and antique business, became a member of the press, wrote freelance journalism for national publications such as People, Parents, Parenting, Family Fun, Houston Chronicle and Orlando Sentinel, and acted as CFO for her husband’s small engineering firm--all from the comforts of home.

Squeezed betwixt-and-between all this, she read romance novels by the truckload and even wrote a couple of her own. While those unpublished manuscripts rested on the shelf, she founded a publishing corporation for the purpose of developing, producing and marketing products that would reinforce family values, teach children responsibility and provide character building activities.

After a few short months of running her publishing company, Gist quickly discovered being a "corporate executive" was not where her gifts and talents lie. In answer to Gist’s fervent prayers, God sent a mainstream publisher to her door who licensed her parenting I Did It!^® product line and committed to publish the next generation of her system, thus freeing Gist to return to her writing.

Eight months later, she sold A Bride Most Begrudging to Bethany House Publishers. Since that debut, her very original, very fun romances have rocketed up the bestseller lists and captured readers everywhere. Add to this two consecutive Christy Awards, two RITA nominations, rave reviews, and a growing loyal fan base, and you’ve got one recipe for success.

Her new release, A Bride In The Bargain, is now available!