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livruther's review
emotional
3.75
i enjoyed the unique conflicts, but i didnt love the characters’ relationship. like i couldn’t really feel their chemistry. and the ending felt like it was missing something. also the title doesn’t really apply to the book😭
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Grief
bookloverchelle's review against another edition
4.0
He may have not started his life on the right path but Cleo’s father is trying to make good by providing a large dowry to his daughters but only if they marry into society. But marriage is not what Cleo wants for her life; she’s seen what it’s done to her mother so she just wants her freedom. But she must play her father’s game so that she can plan on how to escape marriage. Nothing prepared her for Lord Logan who initially noticed Cleo because of her dowry but once he saw her, he saw no other woman. As these two try to navigate their two different agendas, they find that falling in love can be almost easy. I really love this series from Sophie Jordan and am so excited that there will be at least two more stories to tell. She has some wonderfully independent heroines who come from various backgrounds trying to find happiness in their own individual ways.
mrs_rebadon's review against another edition
3.0
Sophie Jordan's second work in a trilogy of forgotten princesses, "Lessons from a Scandalous Bride," could itself stand a few additional lessons, as this story failed to appeal to me as strongly as her other works. Brought to London by her estranged father, wealthy scoundrel Jack Hadley, Cleo Hadley is determined to avoid her mother's fate: helpless to the demands of a drunkard husband who confines her to the sickbed as a result of near-constant pregnancies. As the eldest child, Cleo had been tasked with carrying deceased and stillborn siblings to the graveyard; thus, she enters London society determined to avoid any attachment or passion with her future husband. Just as she begins a courtship with an aging, but kind, widowed earl, she meets Logan McKinney.
Logan becomes enraptured with Cleo, whose mysterious air and determination to avoid him only serves to pull him into an even greater trance. The story continues with this line, with Logan in a passionate pursuit and Cleo determined to resist despite her body's urges. I'm not a huge fan of resist/pursue romance stories, as the physical encounters occasionally test the boundaries of consent. However, Jordan does work to reassure the reader that Cleo's resistance always consciously wars with her even stronger desire for Logan.
Jordan emphasizes that these two characters are well-matched, however Logan's personality does not have time to develop beyond the superficial, as much of the book focuses on Cleo's personal trauma and her desperate attempts to help her family. I wish that the reader had more time to watch Logan and Cleo develop as a couple once they return to his home in Scotland - instead Cleo leaves two days after their wedding because she could not face the possible consequences of their consummation. Jordan ends the story nicely, though, as circumstances allow both Logan and Cleo to understand the value of mutual trust and love. 3/5 - not bad, but resist/pursue stories aren't my favorite.
Logan becomes enraptured with Cleo, whose mysterious air and determination to avoid him only serves to pull him into an even greater trance. The story continues with this line, with Logan in a passionate pursuit and Cleo determined to resist despite her body's urges. I'm not a huge fan of resist/pursue romance stories, as the physical encounters occasionally test the boundaries of consent. However, Jordan does work to reassure the reader that Cleo's resistance always consciously wars with her even stronger desire for Logan.
Jordan emphasizes that these two characters are well-matched, however Logan's personality does not have time to develop beyond the superficial, as much of the book focuses on Cleo's personal trauma and her desperate attempts to help her family. I wish that the reader had more time to watch Logan and Cleo develop as a couple once they return to his home in Scotland - instead Cleo leaves two days after their wedding because she could not face the possible consequences of their consummation. Jordan ends the story nicely, though, as circumstances allow both Logan and Cleo to understand the value of mutual trust and love. 3/5 - not bad, but resist/pursue stories aren't my favorite.
laurenjodi's review against another edition
3.0
Lessons from a Scandalous Bride
3 Stars
The first book in this series is one of my rare five star reads, but this is a very poor follow up.
Cleo and Logan's romance has incredible potential. Unfortunately, neither one is particularly likable, and the drama and angst surrounding their prejudicial attitudes, reluctant attraction and marriage woes is just over the top.
The reasons for Cleo's aversion to sex are plausible enough, but the manner in which the issue is resolved is not at all believable.
All in all, rather disappointing and hopefully the last book will be better as I already have it for Kindle. I've really got to stop getting all of these Kindle sales that I ultimately put off reading.
3 Stars
The first book in this series is one of my rare five star reads, but this is a very poor follow up.
Cleo and Logan's romance has incredible potential. Unfortunately, neither one is particularly likable, and the drama and angst surrounding their prejudicial attitudes, reluctant attraction and marriage woes is just over the top.
The reasons for Cleo's aversion to sex are plausible enough, but the manner in which the issue is resolved is not at all believable.
All in all, rather disappointing and hopefully the last book will be better as I already have it for Kindle. I've really got to stop getting all of these Kindle sales that I ultimately put off reading.
ravensherwood's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Minor: Miscarriage
misamille's review against another edition
5.0
This book was what I wanted from the second in the Forgotten Princess series and more!
First off I didn't realize it was directly connected to "Wicked in Your Arms" until it mentioned in the first few pages about Grier, but I should have known better because as an after thought I remembered that Cleo, the lovely subject of this one, was in the first book when Grier was introduced to her towards the end when their father found out about her.
Anyways, "Bride" was truly a great heart wrenching story about Cleo Hadley, one of Grier Hadley's half-sisters. After their father, Jack, had abandoned her mother, Cleo and her mom went through this awful time full of an evil stepfather and multiple siblings, some stayed alive and some unfortunately left this world.
When Cleo learns that her awful person of a stepfather basically sold her back to her father, she is then thrust into the high social circles of London, so her social climber of an actual father can get that English wealth that he wants, as if having your other daughter marry a prince wasn't enough!
That's when Cleo meets the WONDERFUL Logan McKinnely! Jordan basically describes him a sex on a stick without the crude description that I just gave! Logan is the most gorgeous Scotsman in the world with the reputation that those beautiful men get.
Logan's estate is in trouble so he has to marry to keep his family home in one piece. Of course mayhem of the two people who should be together but aren't ensue.
If "Wicked in Your Arms" was basically Pride and Prejudice with gorgeous people and scandalous intrigue, "Lessons from an Scandalous Bride" would be like the Cinderella version of that, but better!!
I got this book on Friday and read it all through the night it was SUCH a great read! I now just can't wait for the next one about another interesting Hadley sister!! But I doubt her man can compare to Logan!!!
All I could think of when I was reading his part was imagaining him as that guy who married Christina on Grey's Anatomy because he was that hot Scotsman in Made of Honor. He's gorgeous! Go Google him, then read this book and you will know why I'm kinda in love with Logan McKinnely right now!
First off I didn't realize it was directly connected to "Wicked in Your Arms" until it mentioned in the first few pages about Grier, but I should have known better because as an after thought I remembered that Cleo, the lovely subject of this one, was in the first book when Grier was introduced to her towards the end when their father found out about her.
Anyways, "Bride" was truly a great heart wrenching story about Cleo Hadley, one of Grier Hadley's half-sisters. After their father, Jack, had abandoned her mother, Cleo and her mom went through this awful time full of an evil stepfather and multiple siblings, some stayed alive and some unfortunately left this world.
When Cleo learns that her awful person of a stepfather basically sold her back to her father, she is then thrust into the high social circles of London, so her social climber of an actual father can get that English wealth that he wants, as if having your other daughter marry a prince wasn't enough!
That's when Cleo meets the WONDERFUL Logan McKinnely! Jordan basically describes him a sex on a stick without the crude description that I just gave! Logan is the most gorgeous Scotsman in the world with the reputation that those beautiful men get.
Logan's estate is in trouble so he has to marry to keep his family home in one piece. Of course mayhem of the two people who should be together but aren't ensue.
If "Wicked in Your Arms" was basically Pride and Prejudice with gorgeous people and scandalous intrigue, "Lessons from an Scandalous Bride" would be like the Cinderella version of that, but better!!
I got this book on Friday and read it all through the night it was SUCH a great read! I now just can't wait for the next one about another interesting Hadley sister!! But I doubt her man can compare to Logan!!!
All I could think of when I was reading his part was imagaining him as that guy who married Christina on Grey's Anatomy because he was that hot Scotsman in Made of Honor. He's gorgeous! Go Google him, then read this book and you will know why I'm kinda in love with Logan McKinnely right now!
northship's review against another edition
1.0
so much angst. so much. the heroine doesn’t want to have sex because, understandably, her mother’s health and emotional wellbeing were destroyed by an abusive husband and constantly being pregnant. and of course the heroine changes her mind about that lifelong promise to herself like immediately after sucking the hero’s magic dick. because of course she does.
kriff08's review against another edition
3.0
This wasn't a bad read, but it also wasn't the best. I really enjoyed the beginning, that opening really grabbed me, and honestly I was interested till about the middle of the book.
Looking back I feel this was almost two books in one. The first half 'England' the second half 'Scotland', but not enough time was spent on either half. I really wanted more to happen in the 'England' half, you know with that whole marrying-the-wrong-man-and-his-jealous-heir thing. I feel like I was led to think more was going to happen there than actually did and I kept waiting for it to follow them into the 'Scotland' half. When it never did I was disappointed.
So I give this book a three star rating (which is actually higher than I felt it would be at the end of the book), because in the end I did really enjoy it even if it did seem like two stories meshed into one.
Looking back I feel this was almost two books in one. The first half 'England' the second half 'Scotland', but not enough time was spent on either half. I really wanted more to happen in the 'England' half, you know with that whole marrying-the-wrong-man-and-his-jealous-heir thing. I feel like I was led to think more was going to happen there than actually did and I kept waiting for it to follow them into the 'Scotland' half. When it never did I was disappointed.
So I give this book a three star rating (which is actually higher than I felt it would be at the end of the book), because in the end I did really enjoy it even if it did seem like two stories meshed into one.