[.uk] My Favorite Bride (Governess Brides, Book 6) (ISBN 0060092645)

I Liked The Book Very Much:
After reading a couple of chapters I was thinking to myself that the book reminded me of the movie "The Beautician And The Beast." Except for all the obvious reasons it's not of course. Samantha arrives at Col. William Gregory's mansion in the country to become a Governess for his six adorable daughters. The six girls have had an emotional time with the passing of there mother, and there fathers stick upbringing. Plus Col. Gregory has a secret life that requires to much of his time away from his six little girls. Needless to say the girls want there loving father back, and the new Governess OUT! Samantha has a sorted past and it comes into play in the secret plot of Col. Gregory's life. However once he finds out Samantha's secret he is disgusted by it and blames her for things gone missing around his home. Eventually he finds out he was wrong and he goes and makes things right again. I don't want to give to much of the story away because I hate when people say to much in the reviews and the book is ruined. Anyway...the book is really interesting and the sex was very HOT! Plus I really liked all the characters and contrary to some of the other reviews, I didn't think Col. Gregory was a bad man at all. He just needed a woman's guidance in his life to show him the error of his ways and he was good to go. It wasn't like he was abusing his little girls, he was just a single dad making mistakes. Ever parent makes mistakes. At least Col. Gregory was willing to learn from them.

My Favorite Bride:
This was a nice book. It was much like the other books in the governesses series but it was still sweet and an enjoyable read.

My Favorite Bride:
I enjoyed this book. This was my first Christina Dodd novel. I would buy another.

Mixed Feelings:
Well, I almost don't know where to begin. Many reviewers have complained about the formulaic love story, which I find hilarious, because as someone who has read MANY romance novels in my life, it must be said that they aren't known for their original plotlines. The reader knows exactly what she is getting when she picks one up, and therein lies their allure. That is not my complaint of the book. I also recognized "The Sound of Music" from the moment of reading the book jacket, and even though the story was a blatant rip-off of that fine film, there were enough differences in the details that I could get past that. In fact, like many readers, I really enjoyed the character of Samantha Prendregast (note spelling other reveiwers!) and her relationship with her 6 charges. I felt it was unique to make all of the children girls, as well as so close in age. Many writers would find it a challenge to give each of the children a unique personality under those circumstances, but I thought Ms. Dodd did an admirable job. The spy subplot was weak, although I suppose it was a necessary diversion for the Colonel. It (theoretically) explained why he was so distant and out of touch with the needs of his children. However, I would say that a wealthy, landowning military man living in 1840's Britain would not be expected to bother himself with the day-to-day necessities of 6 little girls. He did hire each one of them her own nursemaid besides a governess to see to their education. His disinterest would be fairly historically accurate, if not romantically desirable. My point is that the spy business really only served to be the cause for the Colonel's house party, which would prove to be the catalyst for all of the relationship plot developments, including the ones between Lady Marchant and Duncun. They were an enjoyable couple, and I almost wish they had their own book! That relationship definitely could have been developed more, if there had been time in the novel. Now we get to my major issue with the book. I was pretty accepting of William until the end. To all of you readers who thought the love scenes were "hot," I've got news for you. What he did to Sam the second time was tantamount to rape. *spoiler alert* Think about it -- he was furious with her, stormed her cottage, kicked in her LOCKED bedroom door, pinned her to the bed and ripped her nightgown with a KNIFE and then threatened her if she tried to get up. Just because he didn't beat her, doesn't mean he didn't force her. Also, just because she enjoyed it in the end, does not make it right. Many a man has used manipulation to demand sex from an unwilling woman, and most experts would still classify that as force. I must also comment on what brought on William's fury in the first place. I know he supposedly saw everything in "black and white," but his anger was SO out of proportion with Sam's confession of being a former pickpocket. You'd think she had admitted to being a spy by his reaction. By this point in the novel, he had already accepted so much of her with almost no complaint, and he had just hours before heard the story of her wretched childhood. Was he really so surprised that she had to steal in order to survive? It's not as if she was selling her body to strange men, or as previously suggested, a traitor to her country. I am not suggesting that he should not have been upset, but he treated her inhumanely from that point on. And as someone else said, his apology was too little too late, and Samantha forgave him WAY too easily. The first two-thirds of this book were actually pretty enjoyable, but the end just ruined it all, which is why I cannot recommend "My Favorite Bride."

An Amazing Book:
This book is One of my favorites by One of my favorite authors. This is an excellent book If you like the story line of the heroine who has had a hard time trying to make her way and the guy gives her a hard time until the end when he realizes his Collosal mistake. It definately had me sighing as I finished the last page.