Customer Reviews

Then Comes Marriage

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Honor Witherspoon and Bram Bennett are first introduced as minor characters in Ridgway's "First Comes Love." In "Then Comes Marriage," they take center stage as unlikely newlyweds.

After being kidnapped and held captive for two weeks, Honor is thrown together with Dylan Matthews, an FBI hostage negotiator who helps her pass the time awaiting rescue by telling her about his hometown. She decides that after her rescue, she will move to the small country in the California Gold Country.

Bram, Dylan's oldest and closest friend, is in a self-imposed exile as he mourns the murder of his wife Alicia. He visits her grave every evening at dusk and has become an unapproachable shell of a man.

Honor's father purchases Bram's security company, where he will stay on as a consultant. Because Honor's father is leaving the country on business, and he fears for his daughters safety, he forces Bram and Honor into a marriage of convenience, must to both of their horror.

Bram looks at Honor as a nuisance to his fortress of solitude, while she thinks he is a cold and unfeeling techno-geek. He even has a computerized guard dog. Honor promises that she will be out of there within six weeks. Then goes about turning his life upside down, as they both give in to the lust they have for each other, while still trying to maintain the sham of a marriage to the rest of the town who are so elated that Bram has found love again.

It is a cute story, though not as good as its predecessor. Check out Dylan and Kitty's story in "First Comes Love" for more adventure in the Gold Country.

"Then Comes Marriage" is a different kind of book - while the plot is a standard if too-often used one (arranged marriage for convenience sake) and a bit unbelievable (arranged marriages in the twenty-first century??), the characters in this book are as different and unusual as they come. If you have had your fill of the usual storyline and protaginists, than you may find this book a welcome change of pace.

I liked the heroine very much - she is not your silly, cookie-cutter spoiled brat, even though she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth - she makes sure to make that point over and over again. And she even comes across that way as well in this story - she has more guts, brains, and maturity than your average romance heroine. And Bram - when he first makes his appearance I thought he was really awful - but never judge by first impressions, they tell you, and Bram does sort of grow on you as the book goes on. It helps that I wasn't so shocked by the hero's obsession with his wife's grave thing - having encountered this exact story-line in the long-ago published "Red Threads" by Rex Stout - and seen that story resolved well.

There are some loose ends to this story - the arranged marriage, the improbability of the hero being both a computer/science genius/geek and star football player?? - no, this book was not high on the realism scale.

The style of this book was well-written and funny, but the somewhat slow pace and the obvious implausibility of parts of the plot turned this book into a four star, for me.

If you are looking for a romance that is somewhat off the beaten path, unusual characters, and high quality writing, I would definitely recommend "Then Comes Marriage".

Like one of the other reviewers I did not realize that this book was a sequel. After reading such a fun read like THEN COMES MARRIAGE I am now reading its prequel, FIRST COMES LOVE which is just as great. The characters in this book were well-written and I loved the secondary ones as much as the primary ones. Some of the scenes are laugh-aloud funny, i.e. the pumpkin patch scene. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading all of Ms. Ridgway's books.

America's wealthiest heiress Honor Witherspoon marries its most famous security recluse Bram Bennett. Last year, Honor was a kidnap victim; Bram makes the security devices that keep "Celebs" safe. Many skeptics figure this is a business deal brokered by her daddy to provide affluence to Bram and security to Honor. The cynics think that Daddy Witherspoon brokered the deal, blackmailing and forcing Bram into marrying his daughter with the real threat to destroy his hometown of Hot Springs, California.

Bram still mourns for his deceased wife, but Honor wants her marriage to work and not as a convenient deal sponsored by her dad. As Bram struggles to keep Honor safe and she still recovers from her harrowing experience, the impossible happen and they fall in love. However, can this couple turns their marriage of convenience brokered by an interested third party into a lifetime of happiness with he carrying eight years and she one year of baggage?

The device seems to have been used, as many times as there are stars. The baggage seems to have been used as many pieces of sand. Put together, THEN COMES MARRIAGES should be a trite disaster, but in the hands of a magician readers receive a warm uplifting contemporary romance. The story line overcomes the banal almost corny mechanisms through the delightful lead couple, each unknowingly seeking someone to believe in even while they deny their love for one another. The townsfolk add a feeling of homecoming and a bit of wackiness, but Christine Ridgeway's latest Hot Springs' novel resides with the couple avoiding that elusive butterfly.

Harriet Klausner

Bram Bennett sold his company to Warren Witherspoon, who then forced a marriage of convenience with his daughter Honor. Warren's ultimatum: marry Honor to keep her safe from her recent kidnappers, or he would destroy the economy of Bram's home town of Hot Springs. Bram, a techno wizard turned recluse since his wife's death eight years ago, reluctantly complies, unaware of how his life is about to change.

Honor is bound and determined to start her life over in Hot Springs and embraces her new community, and reluctant husband, with her zest for life and refusal to be made an invalid by her kidnappers. The quirky characters of the community, along with yet another romantic liaison between Mia and bad man Josh, add life to a plot that has been used over and over again. In the hands of this gifted author, she turns it in to a poignant and hilarious love story, where everyone learns once again the value of love, trust and truly finding home. I enjoyed the fireworks and fun in this fabulous book!

Then Comes Marriage was the sequel to the book First Comes Love by Christie Ridgeway. I will say that this was not a terrible book; but it wasn't great either. It had it's moments but they were few and far between and it often felt like the author kept rehashing previous events. (Which she was.) First Comes Love was a much more satisfying literary endeavor.

The basic premise of the book is that of two people, heiress Honor Witherspoon and techno wiz Bram Bennet, are forced into marriage by Honor's father, Warren, because Bram wants to sell his company and Warren wants a bodyguard for his daughter. Honor had been kidnapped by thugs after her father's money and Bram's first wife Alicia was kidnapped and killed by a carjacker.

Basically the two fall in love and heal each others wounds. It's not dreadfully exciting. Except for the one stellar sex scene where Bram narrates everything, their whole relationship is decidedly morose. (Although I did think Honor's interactions with the mechanical dog were sweet.)

However, I knew there was a problem when I actually cared more about the relationship between the secondary characters of Josh McCool, heartless L.A. flunky of Warren's sent to check up on Honor, and Mia, Bram's housekeeper cum lottery winner and daughter of the kook who swears he was abuducted by aliens. There are generally secondary romances in romance novels, but are usually mentioned in passing. The story of Josh and Mia felt like a novella slipped in to make the story longer and was actually better than the main story.

There were also aliens, a parade about aliens, and people who come to see the aliens that seemed to be awkward as they had little or no interaction with the main characters and were almost like an afterthought.

I recommend Then Comes Marriage only if you've read First Comes Love and are interested in the further stories of Hot Water, CA. But it's nowhere near as good as First Comes Love

This author's writing style is so awkward and clumsy, both in the manner of writing and in the plot development. Everything about this book was so contrived and unbelievable. Two grown adults are "forced" to marry in the 21st century, based simply on the bride's father's threat to financially destroy a town? A billionaire father ignores his daughter during her entire life, yet cares enough about her safety to buy her a husband? The hero hasn't gotten over his late wife's murder EIGHT YEARS AGO, not because he misses her, but because he will never know what she felt in her final hours before being murdered? The hero and other male romantic sub-character both realize they love the women in their lives after a bright green light shines down on them from the sky? Huh?? Nothing made sense. Also, all of the characters were under-developed. I'm guessing, based on the little that was written, that Honor was supposed to be an impressive business manager, and was planning to manage the town's historic district, but almost nothing was written about how she was doing this. The main characters never talked to each other much over the weeks they were together, but somehow fell in love. In short, this book was an outline, not a fully fleshed book. Don't waste your money.

This story follows "1st Comes Love", and it is really cute.

We 1st met Bram as the tortured guy who visited his wifes grave daily (still does). Honor, who followed Dylan to Hot Springs in the last book, her father blackmails Bram into marrying her.

Bram is a technical genius, who has a very modern household, all which is run from his palm pilot. Honor does not get along with electronics, and proceeds to put everything on the fritz.

It starts off pretty typical, but is well written and enjoyable. Bram softens towards Honor, but still has a hard time opening his heart because he is afraid of losing her the way he did his 1st wife.

There is a side story with Mia, (Bram's housekeeper) and Josh McCool, (Honor's Fathers assistant, who originally shows up to romance Honor but falls for Mia). I could have cared less about that part and kind of skipped it.

It was great seeing Bram grow into a caring person and start opening up, and how they help each other heal, her from her previous kidnapping. If you liked the 1st one definately buy it. This story will stand alone if you don't want to get the 1st one. Fun story that I read in one sitting, but not one of my keepers.

I really like all of Christie Ridgway's books. They are all very good. This one was no exception. The pace bogged down a bit in the middle, but it was still worth it.

Well, I liked it! Sure, it's a little flawed with some of the plot points and extras, but for sheer romance and charm, it's a winner. I also liked First Comes Love. You really should read that first before Then Comes Marriage to get a real feel for the characters and town.

I am off to find any and all other Christie Ridgway books.