Customer Reviews

Border Bride

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

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.

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.

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 !!

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.

I'd also add that in addition to the physical abuse, I found the hero's behavior to other women deeply disturbing. When the heroine arrives at her new home with her husband, she finds one of the sixteen year old maids is pregnant by her husband. The child is working as a maid at the keep because she was thrown out by her family after the hero seduced her and left her with child. The hero makes no provisions for the girl or his illegitimate child except allowing her to work in the keep, and nothing more is said about her welfare or the outcome for the baby.

Even if this did happen in ancient times, (and lets be honest it still happens today) I don't want to read about it in a romance. It's not heroic behavior.

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.

Heck after the first 100 pages and over 2 weeks time I give up. I wasn't aware of all the negative reviews concerning this book but I feel better knowing I'm not the only one with misgivings about it.

And it's not really the content that offended me as much as the writing style. If after 100 pages all I read was useless drivel and see the book has no character itself and is going in circles I give up. For instance when the author mentions a certain house or castle, she injects 9 pages (or so it seems)of the history of this place back thousands of years that have no bearing on the story or it's contents. Then with every other page any situation, cicumstance or physical item has her again added several pages of useless drivel again giving a history, describing, or possibly her opinion on these things. I noticed with evry turn of the page it was like the author herself jumped between the pages to add her opinion on the goings on in the book. Seriously, you'd have to read it to believe me, but it's there all the same.

So I wonder where this author is today, or is she like Alice In wonderland and still stuck in one of her own books.

Frankly, in my opinion, this was one of Amanda Scott's best books, but am guessing that is because it was written before all the current PC nonsense came out forcing historical romance authors to dilute or even change the way actual historical events from those past centuries occurred, between men and women. I could not believe the readers who slammed this book for its being true to the historical time period in which it was set -- like it or not, folks, that is the way life was back then. If a reader does not know anything about the time period about which she or he is reading, do not blame the author for a well-written book just because that author took the time to research that historical period thoroughly to bring to life a well-written and captivating story. Likewise, if the reader does not want to read the way things really were in those past centuries, then just skip buying the book, but do not blame the author for your poor choice of reading material that did not fit your personal opinions that it should have met with today's standards.

Please understand (and do not bother flaming me), I am not in any way condoning the way women were treated back then, but the key words are "BACK THEN", not in the here and now. So, if historical romance (the type that truly presents things in the ways they really were in those past centuries) turns you off because of the harsh treatment of the fairer sex, then I strongly suggest you stick with the contemporary romances which will certainly meet your needs in that department, am sure. This is of course, just my humble opinion.

I know this book is not PC but in 1580 life was not easy for women. I love the banter in this book between Mary Kate and Adam. I enjoyed the "discussions" they had together. He was such a challenge for Mary Kate. I could just picture her stomping her foot and trying to get him to see her side of the story. However, I could also see Adam's side of the story ...."when I give an order it is for a good reason"....ie. don't go riding outside the castle walls without an escort of men. Mary Kate finds out the hard way how true that is when she is abducted by a group of horrible men who hold her for ransom.

I only wished that Scott developed a more loving relationship between Mary Kate and Adam. She never showed Adam doting on his wife. Instead we see him flirting with every attractive female at the parties they attend. I thought it strange that they didn't dance a few dances together or talk as a couple at the parties. They were newly weds and they never acted like one. I would have given this book 5 *'s if she had worked a softening of Adams heart towards his wife into the story.

The best part of the whole book is when Mary Kate finally gets him to listen. I laughed while reading this scene. I could imagine Adam all tied up with his eyes gleaming with anger at his wife while she told him "her side of the story."