Sunday, July 22, 2012

The Bridal Price by Barbara Boswell

Bridal Price (Western Weddings)Bridal Price by Barbara Boswell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a fun, well-written update of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew (actually one of my faves by him). In this case, Carling (Katarina) is an only child, the spoiled society princess of a Texas Congressman and wife, and Kane (Petruchio) is a principled, hardworking, focused rancher. If you don't like a heroine with a sharp mouth who isn't particularly nice to the hero, you might want to avoid this book. I was quite impressed with how Kane took many of the verbal darts from Carling cheerfully. I love a hero who doesn't give up on the woman he wants and shows honor in the pursuit. Yes, I love a bad boy, but not a sleazy guy. Kane is an earnest, strong-minded guy and that comes through in his actions and personality. He's not exactly domineering, but he definitely has his ideas about how things should go. I'm not into the whole "I want my wife to stay at home with our kids and just be my wife" type guy, but if that works for a woman, than Kane will definitely appeal. As it was, I still liked him and found him sexy and attractive in this book. He has a rugged, cowboy vibe that really works.

Carling has some growing up to do, but down deep, she is a decent, good-hearted woman, unfortunately a product of her shallow environment. But she has a lot to offer Kane as a wife, and I'm glad that he picked the right woman to pursue in the end. Their love connection made for a fun, sexy reread.

I'd recommend this book to folks who like the Taming of the Shrew dynamic, as well as modern western/ranch-set romances with sexy cowboy heroes.

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