Customer Reviews

The Cold Wife (Virginia Brides (Book 2))

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

 

 

Carrie Allen's father tells her that his business has gone bankrupt. Before Carrie can recover from the shock, her father also informs Carrie that he has arranged for her to be married to Justin Monroe. The wedding is in three days. Carrie can't believe this is happening to her. Justin may be wealthy but Carrie fells nothing but dislike for Justin. Soon after Carrie becomes Mrs. Justin Monroe, she demands an annulment. Carrie believes that Justin only married Carrie to make him look good to his clients. Justin knows this isn't true but he needs to convince Carrie of this fact. So Justin proposes a deal. He explains to Carrie that after a month if she still wants to leave then he will give her the annulment. In addition Justin won't consummate the marriage in order to protect Carrie's reputation. Carrie agrees to the deal. Besides how hard can it be to live with a man she hates for one month?

I felt bad for Justin having to live with Carrie but at the same time I was impressed with him. Justin tried everything he could to make Carrie feel his love for her but in a respected way. Carrie really wasn't all that bad. I could understand where Carrie was coming from as I would have felt defensive about the whole situation as well. Even though the circumstances between Carrie and Justin were sad, it was funny to read how these two coped with each other. The things they would say or do at times would make me laugh and smile. After reading An Unlikely Place to Love and now The Cold Wife; Mrs. Nordin is two for two in my book of great reads as well as a wonderful author. So if you are looking for a new author to try then give Ruth Nordin's books a chance.

I am quickly becoming a fan of Ruth Ann Nordin. This was the 2nd book I have read by this author and once again I loved it.

This book is an historical romance and the author was able to transport me to the time and place of the story with no effort at all.

The story is about a young woman forced to marry someone she believes to be boring, so that she doesn't get left destitute after her father is bankrupt. Little does she know that the man has loved her since she was 14 years old. Carrie is incredibly annoying to start off with but that is intentional, she doesn't yet realize what this young man is like, and we as the reader do. I got to the point where I wanted to shake her to get some sense into her. But thankfully she soon comes to realize what a wonderful man her husband is and, well you'll just have to read the story for yourself.

Although the ending is a happy one, it had a twist that I wasn't expecting.

A couple of people gave Ms. Nordin 1 star because they were disappointed with the fact that she was not accurate with the details of the period. I would say, If you are a stickler for period accuracy then don't read this novel because those things will probably annoy you enough to spoil the story. BUT if you enjoy a lighthearted romantic story filled with great, loveable characters then you can't lose.

This is a contemporary novel placed in the 1890s. The language is modern, the attitudes are strictly 21st century. This lends an unfortunate disbelief to the story. People simply did not talk openly about sex, or try to match an aristocrat's daughter with the family cook, or disrespect one's parents.But the worst offense of this book is the slaughter of the English language. Where was the editor? Grammar and spelling are not this author's fortes.

I am trying really hard not to give up on this book but the author fails to keep me interested. This type of book is defenitely not for everyone. It drags the heck of an already not to interesting story......wldnt try another book by this author

This book was so bad that I could only get 1/4 through it before I gave up in complete disgust. It's poorly written, has contemporary language in what is supposed to be a historical romance, and wooden dialogue. It's as if this author didn't even try, and that is what upsets me the most. The plot is a good one, but I couldn't put up with 19th century characters talking about "being in denial", and the conversation between the heroine and her friends about Harrison and his duplicity read more like high school sophomore melodrama. Even if this book were free, just the waste of time reading it should be enough to dissuade anyone.

This book is supposed to be a period piece, unfortunately, throughout the book the characters' language is very contemporary and completely out of place for the specified time period. In one of her books the author has a character wonder if a ring was an actual diamond ring or if it was cubic zirconia in the late 1800's! Additionally, the conversations between the characters are incredibly stiff and unrealistic. I ended up skipping whole paragraphs to get through this book, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

I was looking for a good read when I read the two 5 star reviews for this kindle book priced at a mere 99 cents. I have been pleasantly surprised in the past at low priced offerings so I was hopeful I had found another treasure. I found a great plot with lots of potential for a talented writer to create a memorable work. The two 5 star reviewers must have found my 1st grade reader spellbinding. Far from being the great American Novel the writing style is much closer to "Look! Look! See Spot run!" I read to the bitter end simply because I wanted to see how the plot developed. If you like the writing style of a High School Sophomore who still has to learn how real people talk to each other, who has yet to learn the subtleties of human relationships, and who reveals immaturity of thought in spades, then, this is exactly what you are looking for. Unfortunately, for me at least, this work was overpriced by about 99 cents.

I was slightly hesitant on beginning this book because I hadn't read many romances, but it was surprisingly entertaining and enjoyable! The premise, that a woman is forced into an arranged marriage after her father goes bankrupt, was immediately engaging and although I found the main character immature and whiny at first, she quickly evolved into a likable and charming woman. The relationship between her and her new husband seemed very genuine and I soon found myself relating to what she was going through.

One of the most interesting parts of the story is that the perspective changes from the wife to the husband and the reader gets to see how each of them interprets and experiences certain events differently. The struggle between the importance of work and providing for your family vs. being there for your significant other was also prominent and something which I'm sure many of us can still understand today. Beyond the romance of this book, there is also a mystery intertwined, which made it even more exciting.

As for some of the 1-star reviews (which I was very surprised to see!), I am not an expert on this time period, so I have no idea if the dialogue and characters were realistic or not. However, if you are not a stickler for historical accuracy, I definitely recommend this book. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the scenes and anxiously turning the pages to find out what would happen next. It's an easy, delightful read.

I tried so hard to like this book. The plot is really good. The development was okay. But the writing is terrible! Not to mention the end seems thrown together and there is no logical conclusion. To many plot holes....very disappointing:(

Book 2: The Cold Wife

Justin Monroe has secretly admired Carrie Allen for some time but he has been to shy to approach her. Carrie's brother, Brad, is a close friend of Justin. When Carrie's father is bankrupted he sets up a marriage between Justin and Carrie.

Justin could not be happier about the arrangement and Carrie could not be angrier!

Meanwhile they find that someone may have been to blame for bankrupting her father and they are not ready to stop with the damage they have already done. Can they stop whoever is out to destroy them and can Justin find some way to warm up his cold wife?