I really like this book but thought Alex's level of manipulation toward his friend was counter to his kindness meaning it seemed unfeasible for a person so kind to be that ruthless. I think he should have planned other things to recompense his friend. Claire seemed uncertain at times but I would have preferred she asked Alex hard questions and dialog occurred quicker. Alex took iniative in many things why not clear the air a bit sooner. It was entertaining. Thanks

Every time I read a great regency romance I feel like my "readers" palate has been cleansed. And Bad Luck Bride is exactly that, a great regency romance. In it we have a hero driven by revenge and therefore flawed, and a heroine burdened by, well bad luck and a very unfortunate case of post traumatic stress.

Everyone in the 'ton knows that Lady Claire is cursed. Engaged 3 times, with tragic circumstances constantly separating her from her destiny. An orphan, she just just a family to call her own and when Alex swoops in to save her from the potential scandal with Lord Paul, she finds herself agreeing to his proposal. However, she is smartly a bit mystified by what would motivate Alex, the Marquess of Pembrooke, to want to marry her. He doesn't need her fortune and he doesn't even know her. But Alex can be quite convincing and when the wedding goes off without tragedy she thinks she's finally beat back her bad fortune.

Lady Claire embodies all that I love in a aristocratic heroine, she's smart and passionate and I immediately fell in love with the story premise and her matching hero, Alex, the Marquess of Pembrooke. The story unfolds at the perfect pace, with feelings between the two slowly developing, making them feel genuine and well earned. But alas, Lady Claire learns that not all is as it seems and we witness confusion and heartbreak all around.

This is Janna MacGregors' debut (amazing one at that) and I am firmly a fan. Her writing is impeccable, plot line well thought out and I felt every emotion. It's a bit of a roller-coaster ride as Alex and Claire experience the rush of falling in love and forming a relationship, to being divided by deception. For me it was a quick read if only because I didn't want to put it down. I couldn't wait to see what would transpire between Alex & Claire, and the conniving Lord Paul. I'm looking forward to next book in the series " The Bride Who Got Lucky". I wholeheartedly recommend the Bad Luck Bride as a 5 star read.

Having been lucky enough to receive an advance copy of this book from NetGalley, I looked forward to reading this new author's work with interest. I was not disappointed. Loved this book. It was a bit different from the standard regency romance, with complex characters and an intriguing storyline. The stories of the very likeable main characters developed through the book and this made for an interesting and compelling read.n. An excellent reading choice for fans of this genre.

You all know I don't like writing negative reviews - and this is a debut novel which makes this doubly hard. But there are real and substantial problems here that I wanted to talk about

I really don't know where to start with this. There are four principle problems, anyone of which would derail a romance novel.

1. The hero is not heroic. He is creep. He is a vindictive, manipulative stalker and continues with this behaviour after he "loves" the heroine thus this behaviour is not properly redeemed. (NB if you think Christian Grey models acceptable behavior for a hero, you may not have as many problems with this as I did)

2. The heroine is incredibly damaged. This is not necessarily a problem, but the damage is the sort that is difficult to fix/resolve and certainly isn't really properly dealt with in this case.

3. The combination of 1 and 2 means that the relationship that you're being asked to invest in is not a healthy one - a controlling man and a woman suffering from what we would now call PTSD does not a good relationship make. It certainly made me want to scream at the heroine to run away and run away fast.

4. Too much plot. Honestly, there are so many obstacles, misunderstandings, miscommunications and the like in this that your head fairly spins. Any one of these problems would be enough to sustain a romance novel, we don't need all of them. I believe this is the author's debut, and it feels like she's thrown everything and the kitchen sink (plotwise) at the book to keep it moving, when actually, one or two of these issues would be enough to sustain a novel if there were interesting characters and proper character development.

I hate writing reviews like this, but honestly, I nearly DNF'd this - except that it annoyed me so much I hate read until the end to see exactly how the author was proposing to resolve all the stuff.

3.5 Stars Rounded

As I started off, I was thrown by the development of the hero in Alex: vengeful, determined and more than a bit controlling, he was a character that I instantly found dislikable and while I appreciated MacGregor’s attempt to bring a deeply flawed and wounded character to redemption, I had reservations. And then I met Claire: constantly thinking of herself as cursed, with yet another engagement exploding in a most unusual way: with the rather mousey and innocuous introduction, I didn’t see compelling, and worried that Alex would be one who manipulated and reframed So the whole “curse” passed me by, unless one is referring to it in terms of social position, and there, Claire is cursed with being a woman at a time when her purpose in life is to marry well, and personal choice is not an option.

So we move on and at about the 50% mark the story started to show great flashes of promise in the writing: complex ideas, a bit more character development and the backstories are slowly revealed and bring an option to find more depth in the characters than in my initial impressions. But, the continued “we’ll discuss this later” moments, combined with constant interruptions from others, all playing out against Alex’s continued manipulation of situations and Claire: lying to her, watching her to “help her” (ick) and never really listening just rubbed me wrong. Claire was equally to blame, whether the attention (when she got it) from Alex is what she wanted, or she was just so ingrained to be “married” that she was willing to convince herself that she felt love for him – I missed that connection or those moments from Alex that didn’t feel proscribed or convenient. And when Alex’s duplicity is discovered, and everything that Claire thought was solid dissolved into ash, she leaves - a completely understandable reaction and one that moved her from mouse to kitten. Of course, Alex has his epiphany and realizes he loves her beyond measure, but the damage done early on just didn’t seem to allow for this option to me. Sure, it’s fiction and meant to end in a happy ever after, love you forever moment – but with all of the twists, the deception and the bad behavior –I wasn’t convinced.

As a debut offering, it showed promise, although it decidedly left room for improvement: a few plot holes and perhaps a few too many twists and interruptions as the couple’s connection should have been more palpable and believable, with Alex’s realization that his actions and behavior are in need of adjustment did not come soon enough, and I felt as though his realizations were too little and more about his losing than realizing his behavior pushed her away, and he needed to change that before making new attempts. Story flow was uneven, starting with a bit of a bang, the back and forth and twists dragged on – where I expected development and palpable emotions I didn’t find it, and the story didn’t really bring those moments where I needed to know what came next. There is promise here, as MacGregor can write a wonderful description, and does integrate historic norms and information with flair, her conversations are solid and the secondary characters did arrive with enough intrigue to know more, all good things when looking for a new author. I’m curious about the next book in the series, finding this one promising even as it didn’t feel as fully realized as I would have hoped.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” http://wp.me/p3OmRo-8US/”> <a> I am, Indeed </a>

Lord Alexander Hallworth is desperate to avenge the death of his dear sister and that means ending the suspected villain's engagement to Lady Claire Cavensham. To ensure the engagement is off, he steps in as the next fiance the "cursed" Lady Claire. After getting to know Claire, Alex falls hard but can he salvage their marriage when she discovers his original intent.

The highlight of this story was the strong bond of the Caversham family. They were devoted to each other's happiness. The love they showed each other was endearing. Alex, despite his original motives, had those same traits and fit right in.

The "curse" that was constantly referred to, seemed to be misnamed. It was too overly exaggerated and melodramatic. Claire had a sad story, true, the curse made it hokey.

I will continue this series just because of the Caversham' s. I expect the Duke' s sons will be hilarious, sexy and fun.

3.5 STARS

A well written historical romance, that is not only twisted, but a little disturbing at times and confusing at times (that's just me). It seems that the author did a great job by researching when it comes to well described historical details.

It was hard for me to connect to the story, especially when it was hard to believe it at times. For example, as being of how temperamental they were, every single time that someone had interrupted their conversation, they never put people on their place or got upset as one expect them to react!!

However, don't take my word for it and please just give it a try and judge for yourself! For a debut novel, the author did a pretty good job and have no doubt that her stories will only get better!!

ARC Kindly provided by Publisher via NetGalley!

IS MARRIAGE A BLESSING OR A CURSE?
A man of honor, Alexander Hallworth, Marquess of Pembrooke, will not rest until he exacts revenge on the man who destroyed his family. Just one more piece must fall into place for him to succeed he needs to convince his enemy s fiancee, the tragically beautiful Lady Claire Cavensham, to marry him instead.

Lady Claire s curse has always left her one misstep away from social ruin her past three engagements have gone awry, and now her fourth is headed in the same direction. . .until Alex, a man she barely even knows, shocks the ton and Claire by announcing their engagement. What begins as a sham turns into something deeper, and more passionate, than either Claire or Alex could have imagined. But when their secrets are revealed, will the truth behind their union scandalize them both or is their love strong enough to break the curse and lead them toward their happily ever after?




Review:




You have to feel bad for Claire when you here about her story. Four engagements broken from one thing or another, then losing her parents at a young age in an accident. You would think it would break her, but throughout she remains steadfast. Working for her charities and trying to let other's whispers get to her. The only thing that threatens her resolve and heart if Alex, Marquess of Pembrooke. Out to get revenge for his deceased sister, Claire comes into the middle of his schemes. Alex does quickly fall for Claire and knows he must tell her the truth about his deception, but it comes too late and the growing feelings are put to the test.




I have not read this Author before and I quite enjoyed her writing. I thought that both Claire and Alex were complex and interesting characters. I came to care what was happening to both of them. There is a little intrigue, having to do with Claire's past and fears and also the truth behind Alex's sisters death. Now, there is some sexy times but it is not an overly erotic romance. It is the first in a new series, so I would imagine the series will only get better as it goes on.




Wonderful historical romance!




4Stars




*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book provided by the publisher.*

Alexander Hallworth the Marquess of Pembroke needs his revenge and will not rest until he has destroyed the man who has ruined his family. Everything is set in place and all he needs is to secure marriage to Lady Claire Cavensham his enemy's betrothed.

Lady Claire has been cursed three engagements failed, at the brink of ruin she needs to marry but her betrothed seems to be heading down the same road as her previous three. Until the Marquess of Pembroke comes to her rescue, but Alex has his own reasons for perusing Claire. What starts of as a scam engagement turns into something more passionate and complex.

A really enjoyable story will definitely keep your attention from start to finish.
Make sure you have a tissue handy it could get you emotional if you're the soft tender hearted kind of reader but never fear there definitely is a very happily ever after!
Jenna MacGregor rocked this! Outstanding writing and this goes on my keeper shelf.

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest freely given opinion.
Comment

Revenge isn't a great motive for marriage, but that is the plan of Lord Alexander Hallworth, the Marquess of Pembrooke in this highly entertaining Regency romance. He plans to thwart the aspirations of the man he blames for his sister's demise, ensuring he will never get to marry Lady Claire Cavensham by getting him to break their engagement and Alex then marrying her himself. Lady Claire has already been engaged three times and in each case some untoward action has resulted in her marriage plans being thwarted. She's been dubbed by the ton as the bad luck bride and no one is certain she'll ever actually be the bride, least of all herself!

The story has a grand mix of intrigue, mystery, blackmail, hate and love, skilfully mixed by a skilled writer to create an engaging read for anyone who enjoys reading well crafted Regency romances. The background information pertaining to the main characters is revealed as the story progresses and their mutual attraction grows. This is a romance commencing as revenge but, after a plethora of problems are encountered and overcome, will it prove to be a delightful romance. I enjoyed reading it and have no hesitation in highly recommending it to anyone else who enjoys this genre.

I was gifted a copy of this book via NetGalley and chose to read and review it. This is my honest opinion after reading it.

I liked the book although the plot wasnt very strong and Alex was a little difficult to really liked. However the book has some good scenes and the style was good.

I really liked this historical read. Clair has definitely been cursed with bad luck in the fiancé department and now Alex plans to take revenge on her 4th fiancé Paul and his plans include Clair. I like the story as well as the characters. The story is fast paced with lots of drama and plenty of intrigue. I found the entire cast of characters very entertaining. A good read.

What happens when a curse meets revenge? In the Bad Luck Bride two people find and then almost lose each other. Alex starts out looking for revenge and then realizes that he is about to destroy a innocent woman. Clair has had three engagements broken and is said to be cursed when Alex causes the fourth to also be broken. Both have a lot to learn about faith and truth. I liked Clair and though she let Alex off too easily. I was not that found of Alex and his drive to ruin Lord Paul. He just did not see the truth about how he felt about Clair until it was almost too late. The is the first book by Janna MacGregor and it is a good start to her writing career.

“The Bad Luck Bride” is the start of a new series with another book on its way in November. This book is the story of Claire and Alex.

Claire has suffered traumatic events in her early life that have left her with some serious emotional issues. She is deathly afraid of crossing over rivers in a coach and even more so of thunderstorms.

Add to that, she has had a number of betrothals but never a wedding. While there have been understandable explanations for all instances, it has still earned her the reputation of being “cursed” when it comes to marriage. It looks like this will end with her official engagement and marriage to Lord Paul.

Alex is getting over the death of his beloved sister, whose demise he blames on Lord Paul. Alex is determined to keep Claire from suffering as his sister did and intervenes to break up the engagement between Claire and Lord Paul. Instead, Alex is determined to marry Claire himself.

With much machinations, the story goes forward with two individuals who have good hearts but whose actions work against their possibility of a happy life together. Claire has her secrets and other issues from childhood and Alex is hiding his part in the more recent problems in Claire’s life. With so much standing between them, it seems impossible for the two to work their issues through.

The story was interesting both stand-alone and as a first book in a series. There were a number of rather sensuous and somewhat graphic scenes which occur between husband and wife. While there were some fights in the book, the level of violence was not high on the whole.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

When I saw the title of this book I knew I had to read it. That wasn't the only reason, the cover really drew me too. It was both of them that started me wanting to read this story, the blurb signed the deal.

All that was the good part, here's the bad. I really thought I would have liked this story more. It was way too dense for me. It's a very heavy book and I really thought for some reason that it was going to be lighter.

Silly me!

I had trouble really liking Alexander. I got where he was coming from and it didn't bother me that he was seeking revenge, or even how he was going about it. but at times I thought the love story suffered for it.

At times I also felt the story was standing still. I kept wanting it to move but it wasn't listening to me.

I loved the idea of how everyone was thinking Claire was cursed because of her bad luck with suitors. I have to admit her bad luck gave me a chuckle. She just couldn't keep a man.

I don't want you to think that they whole book is bad, because there are moments that I enjoyed. I just don't feel excited about it after reading the story then I'd like. I'm not sure if it's the authors characters or writing style that didn't suit me. Since this is her first book it's hard to tell.

I might not have loved it but since I liked it somewhat I would give it about 3 stars. I kinda think I'm being a little generous but this is her first book, so...

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Dawn – ☆☆☆
This is a difficult one. The book started off quite slow, then when it got going I found the main character to be very annoying.

I liked the writing style, which is why I gave three stars.

I just didn't enjoy the characters, and sadly, wouldn't read the second book. :(

The Bad Luck Bride by Janna MacGregor caught my attention with its absolutely lovely cover. I love reading historical romances, especially Regency Era romances and this book just fell right in that category.

The blurb is interesting and will instantly catch a reader's attention. After picking up this book. I came to know that this is the author's debut story and I must congratulate her on a story well done.

Lady Claire has been termed "unlucky" after so many broken engagements. She also feels that she is cursed. Enter Alexander Hallworth, Marquess of Pembrooke, who convinces her otherwise but is he so sincere and honest?

I enjoyed reading The Bad Luck Bride which started slow but gained pace as the story progressed. However, despite the ups and downs in the narration pace, I was kept at the edge of my seat throughout the book. Janna McGregor's style is fresh, crisp and very characteristic. I enjoyed how she sketched the characters and events which is very different from the other historical romances that I have read in quite sometime.

Lady Claire is a confusing yet delightful mix of contradictions. She is sometimes shy, sometimes bold but always a strong character who is a match for the manipulating ways of Alexander who knowingly and sometimes unknowingly manipulates people around him. He is determined to avenge his sister's death and unfortunately for Claire, she falls right in his plans for revenge.

While I empathized with Alexander's grief, I also felt angry with him for using an innocent woman. Sometimes both Claire and he went in circles in their conversations which was exhausting to read and also frustrating but still the author managed to keep my interest alive.

Why Claire feels that she is cursed is an open ended question with no direct explanation given. I kept guessing the reasons and once you start adding the pieces you come to many answers. I just dont know which one is the right one! This was at once fun and also very frustrating.

I enjoyed the spunk of Claire who quickly became my favourite character in this book.

All in all, The Bad Luck Bride by Janna McGregor is a very promising and entertaining historical romance with plenty of suspense that has a simple plot but a very fresh execution that makes it a recommended read. 4 stars out of 5 to it and I hope to read lots more from the author in the future.

I received an ARC from the author and the publishers via Netgalley and I am very thankful to them. The above is my honest and unbiased opinion and in no way influenced.

On the grovelling index, I’m not even sure I’d put Alex at a single puppy level — not the adorable dogs gifted in Hardly a Husband nor the puppy cannon of Suffragette Scandal. He himself might qualify as a lovesick puppy with the way he shadows Claire. He does manage to be in the right place in the right time, and does confess his sins most admirably. It just takes him a while to get there.

Lady Claire Cavensham has found herself engaged to Lord Alexander Hallworth, the Marquess of Pembrooke. It’s quite shocking, considering she’s engaged to someone else. Unfortunately, she’s already had 3 bad engagements and her 4th one seems to now be ruined, so she must continue on with it and hope this one will allow her to finally get married. As part of his revenge, Alexander has forced his enemy’s fiance to become his. Unfortunately, this sham of a marriage seems to be changing into something real.
This was a pretty good story. I really liked that there was some meat to the characters, making it more than just a light-hearted historical romance. It covered things that aren’t usually in this genre of book I liked all of the interactions between the different characters. I really enjoyed the plot. I look forward to reading more from this author.

This arranged marriage has more intrigues than it initial appears to be! If you like your historical romances with a mysterious angle and lots of secrets just waiting to be revealed then Bad Luck Bride is for you. Refreshing in its approach, it doesn't pretend that the hero is a good guy and the heroine a wilting damsel in distress. Claire's distress comes from being the unlucky recipient of a so-called curse that renders her well not ending up married. With four engagements all ending abruptly to her name, Alex's offer of a short engagement and a quick wedding is an answer she could not really refuse. She has her own reasons to agreeing to this engagement and it has nothing to do with just being accepted in polite society. Alex also has his own reasons for offering for the hand of the beautiful Lady Claire. His quest for revenge on those who wronged his sister comes first and it doesn't help that he is quite attracted to his fiancee at the same time distrustful of her. Bad Luck Bride is sexy, intriguing and quite the romantic suspense all together.