Border Bride

Rating:
Summary: A disturbing read
Review: At the beginning of this book, the author, Amanda Scott, writes a little letter to the reader detailing this novel's journey to publication. She wrote it a long time ago, and it was rejected on the premise that the setting would be uninteresting to readers. She finally got it published, but the result is worse than uninteresting, it is downright disturbing. 16th century Scotland was a brutal place, and women were historically treated as possessions to be bartered around and subjected to the whims of their husbands. Ms. Scott portrays this with accuracy, as the heroine is repeatedly humiliated and beaten by her husband. However, Ms. Scott tries to tie in the more conventional Regency romance storyline, i.e., misunderstanding leads to relationship woes, but eventual communication lets love prevail. In this case, though, it just comes out too creepy to be heartwarming. I ended this novel not thinking about the many happy years the heroine spends with her husband, but rather, wanting to snatch her away to the nearest battered women's shelter.

Rating:
Summary: Two books with the same title
Review: I do believe we have a mix up here. When I pull up reviews for Amanda Scott's book "Border Bride" the info that comes up is about a book written by Arnette Lamb that is also called the "Border Bride". I can see why the confusion since both books have the same title. Amazon.com is showing the cover of Amanda's Scott's book but posting the reviews from Arnette Lamb's book. I don't think this will make either author very happy and is confusing to readers.

Rating:
Summary: When did spouse abuse become a "Romance"?
Review: If I could give less than a One Star rating, this sorry excuse for a "Romance" would get it. The slow-moving story of a young woman forced into an abusive marriage just drags on and on. There is the usual amount of friction between the two main characters in ther beginning, but that quickly turns to the young bride being subjected to continuous humiliations and repeated physical punishment at the heavy hands of her loutish husband. However, the most upsetting aspect is that the poor thing actually believes that everything is her fault, and that she deserves the cruelty!! I only finished this book because I thought that, at the conclusion, Adam, the husband, would see the error of this actions, be remorseful and seek to change his behavior and allow his wife with some dignity and kindness. That didn't come about, and I was left with a disgusted impression of the whole mess.

Rating:
Summary: When did spouse abuse become a "Romance"?
Review: If I could give less than a One Star rating, this sorry excuse for a "Romance" would get it. The slow-moving story of a young woman forced into an abusive marriage just drags on and on. There is the usual amount of friction between the two main characters in ther beginning, but that quickly turns to the young bride being subjected to continuous humiliations and repeated physical punishment at the heavy hands of her loutish husband. However, the most upsetting aspect is that the poor thing actually believes that everything is her fault, and that she deserves the cruelty!! I only finished this book because I thought that, at the conclusion, Adam, the husband, would see the error of this actions, be remorseful and seek to change his behavior and allow his wife with some dignity and kindness. That didn't come about, and I was left with a disgusted impression of the whole mess.

Rating:
Summary: When did spouse abuse become a "Romance"?
Review: This is the unlikely story of a hapless young woman abused by both her father and the course, ignorant man she was forced to marry. Their story starts out with the usual light conflict that is expected in Romance novels, but drags the reader through
the heroine's endless humiliations and physical abuse because of her husband's very heavy-handed manner. There is no pleasure to see a young woman cowering at every turn, but is it especially repulsive to see her accepting this abuse as her fault, and still trying to please this beast. There is far too much spousal abuse in our culture, and to read a "Romance" where such brutality is condoned is very upsetting.

Rating:
Summary: What kind of "Romance" is this ?!!
Review: This relationship seemed so abusive! He starts out being an inconsiderate bully - forcing himself on her at a party, rushing her into marriage, rushing her away from her own wedding feast so he can hurry home. When they arrive, in the middle of the night after 3 days in the saddle, traveling at breakneck speed, he's ready to consummate the marriage, without a meal, a bath, or even a maid to help her dress. Later on, she blames herself for losing her temper when he constantly ignores her and flirts blatantly with other women. She tries to stand up to him, but he beats any defiance out of her. He neglects her, belittles her, and is constantly violently angry with her. More than once he hits her. She becomes increasingly scatter brained, submissive and apologetic. She makes all kinds of mistakes because she's terrified of him - then graciously takes the blame herself. When she is blackmailed by someone threatening to spread damning information about her husband, she has to drug him (her husband that is) and tie him up to explain the situation to him safely. Even then she is apologizing all over herself. I kept expecting events to reach a turning point that would put these two characters on more even footing - that she would learn to stand up for herself and that he would come to treat her with respect. But it just never happened. He never acknowledges any wrong doing and she just says "I'm so sorry, I'm so wrong, I shouldn't have done this, I shouldn't have done that, ... "I think I love you". He smiles and says "I should beat you but I won't since I'm such a nice guy - I love you too". Disgusting !!