Here you are: my first review of a book marketed as Christian Fiction. It's all about reading something new, different, outside your comfort zone, right? Well I confess this one wasn't all that much of a stretch - considering how religious the majority of the colonisers in the Americas were, references to religion are more historically accurate than lecturing, and not at all out of place.Set in the mid-17th century (1643, to be exact), we meet Lady Constance Morrow on board a prison ship bound for Virginia and bearing her beloved uncle and mentor, Uncle Skelly, who publishes a mathematical problem-solving journal for ladies and has long encouraged Constance to develop her intellect. Having slipped her attentive maid to say a last goodbye to her uncle, Constance is too late to get off the ship and is taken by the captain as a tobacco bride - one woman in the female-starved colonies is worth 120 pounds of tobacco - and Constance is imprisoned below deck with the other women desperate for a new life.When the ship docks in Virginia months later, Constance's fine clothes are reduced to filthy rags and her uncle hasn't survived the harsh voyage, chained to the deck. Her haughty demands to be freed and returned to England go unheeded, and she's bought as a bride by one of the local, prosperous landowners, Drew O'Connor. Drew has been married before, years ago, but lost his wife as so many do to either childbirth or illness or the harsh living conditions and Indian raids. He isn't even looking for a wife: he needs a woman to cook and clean and look after his kid sister now that his older sister has married and moved out. But the only thing Constance has brought with her is her ability to solve mathematical problems, and Drew has no patience with that. With every woman in high demand in the colony, Constance has no choice but to marry Drew if she wants to be free of the other, far less desirable men who live in the area. And as long as the marriage remains unconsummated, she can annul it and return to England in a year when the ship returns. But as Constance and Drew, already attracted to each other on one level, discover much to admire in each other, keeping apart becomes harder and harder.I was expecting something rather silly from this book - and to an extent I got that - but what really captured my attention were the descriptions of life in the American colony at Virginia in the 17th century. I realised I hadn't read anything set in America earlier than the 1900s before - at least, not that I can think of, except for one book set prior to invasion and colonisation called Picture Maker by Penina Spinka; certainly, I can't think of a book set in the early white colonies that I've read. I've read several Australian ones, and I'm extremely fascinated by the period and by learning about what it was like and what went down between invaders/colonisers and the native already there. Yet I've never had much interest in reading about the white colony in America, beyond the fantastic book What is America? A Short History of the New World Order.The life depicted here was, despite being difficult and uncertain, very interesting to me. I loved the details of day-to-day living as well as the developing white culture growing there. There is a bit of interaction with the native inhabitants, and Drew is highly conscious of the fact that many of the conflicts have been the white settlers' fault, either through taking land that wasn't theirs to take or directly causing violence by killing an "Indian" - still, the idea of giving it all back and moving on never occurs to them, unsurprisingly.As for the main characters themselves, while I do tend to get a bit tired of relationships with obstacles, I did like Constance and Drew, they both learned and matured as the story progressed, though it would be hard to say which of them was the most stubborn. The sexual tension is strong - and that's as close to any actual sex as you're going to get. Unlike pretty much the entire Romance genre, there's no graphic scenes here. Which is part of the fun for me; I like those scenes. So I was disappointed when the narrative skipped right over Drew and Constance's eventual, first, shagging, though not necessarily all that surprised, considering.The other point worth mentioning - for people like me, anyway - is that there's no preaching in this book. The characters believe, and they pray, and they refer to God a few times, but only in a way that fits with their characters, the setting and the time period. I didn't feel like I was being patronised or anything; it was no different than coming across references to God and religion in the classics. Which left me free to read and enjoy the book as an historical romance.While the premise - getting Constance to the colony in the first place - was a tad ridiculous, and Constance didn't seem all that bright considering, I quite enjoyed the novel, mostly for the details of life in Virginia in the mid-17th century, which does include some pretty old-fashioned, but historically accurate, ideas of women's place in the home and what their level of education should be (i.e., none).
I'm just going for the middle here. I really enjoyed the story and the plot itself. The writing is good and the characters feel multi-faceted. And I really loved the friendship with Mary and the child Sally.And I love the cover!And the tongue-in-cheek humor of including the skunk!Why it didn't get five stars:First, the focus on the physical. That is of course a part of the natural state of things, but these two seem to have started lusting for each other and enjoying fantasizing about deep kisses, etc, from moment one. Fantasizing about such things is dangerous if out of control. And, may I repeat, physical attraction is NOT the number one reason for getting married. It's one of many reasons. I felt that all else took side issue to their sexual tension, and that bothered me.Second, historical. Gist did her homework and read about the time period...but there are obvious gaps. There should have been much more study done. First, the privy: no man in America at that time would think twice about any such thing as "wasting good wood". England was facing a severe shortage of wood, and the forests of massive trees in America stunned them with the sheer vastness of the plenty. She would have been less likely to have had the privy in England! And not to provide one for the grandmother's needs would make him unfeeling indeed.Second, the Indian attack. Not only did the Indian boy speak in a fashion of mingled short words and good King's English that didn't match in the least, within the same paragraph, but he spouts politically correct words about the claiming of the land and the logistics of the attack. The truth: The Powhatans had been friendly to the English and had been paid for the lands. John Smith and his men insisted on fair dealings. After Pocahontas's death, however, relations grew strained, both parties becoming discontent with each other. Opechancanough hated the English and had married into the Powhatan tribe from his own to the south. But the warriors didn't come up with overtures of peace. They attacked that morning, with their usual methods. They came out of the forests in scores, with their allies from other tribes (her version makes it sound like only the Powhatans attacked), in full war paint and feather. (view spoiler)[ Mary's death would have been an instant scalping, not a blow to the head; Sally, as a child, might have been treated so, but there would have been no question as to whether or not Mary lived. (hide spoiler)]
What do You think about A Bride Most Begrudging (2005)?
This book was okay for me. I wasn't so excited over the time period or the setting. I thought the story was good only at certain parts... it was engaging at times, but mostly didn't claim my full attention. I thought the initial tension between Constance and Drew was good and there were a few laughable moments. Some parts of the story felt rushed and not fully developed... for example, when did Josh realize he had feelings for Mary? It just didn't seem practical. Many people loved this book, but it was a story that didn't really stir me.
—Jeannette Garcia
I've been having a good run of luck with Christian Fiction lately, which makes me glad that I didn't give up on the genre entirely as I had been thinking of doing. Gist's debut novel is entertaining and fast-paced, in short, I couldn't put it down.Being a debut novel, it is certainly not without flaws, but they did not detract from the story too much. While generally a well-written book, there were times when the language felt forced--as if Gist realized she needed to make sure the characters were speaking correctly for the time, so she threw in some key phrases and words for good measure. Sometimes the dialogues felt a bit awkward but with time, I think that is a skill that Gist can perfect.The story itself may not be original, but the likable characters and great pacing make for an enjoyable read. As with most (Christian) romances, we have a great deal of miscommunication and lack of communication between the story's focal couple, Drew and Constance, but for once I didn't find it to be so frustrating, and it actually kept me turning the pages. And while this may be a work of Christian fiction, it is thankfully not one that outright preaches to the reader, and that is certainly the way I prefer it. In fact, there is nothing in the storyline that involves a character on a mission to convert someone to Christianity, which is also refreshing. Though a Christian, myself, I have never been particularly fond of the preachy fiction that focuses on converting and saving people.Overall I thought that A Bride Most Begrudging was a strong debut work for Gist, and I look forward to reading her other novels, as well.
—Melissa
When precocious Lady Constance Morrow is kidnapped aboard a ship headed for the Americas, loaded to the gills with female and male prisoners as indentured servants, she is certain that upon arrival she will find someone to believe her story. Such is not the immediate case, and she is purchased as a bride by a most reprehensible man who then has the bad fortune to lose her in a game of cards. Constance finds herself then under the ownership of sturdy Master Drew O'Connor who wants no wife. Obviously, God had other plans. Together the two attempt to forge out a new life, particularly since despite both of their wishes, they are bound together in holy matrimony per the laws of the colony.Deeanne Gist writes what you might call sensual Christian romance. She's not afraid to pronounce sexual attraction between a husband and wife, and though she soundly closes the bedroom door against the reader, she has a fun time with the foreplay. Which, I admit, is refreshing, especially for readers like myself who are bored with books where the beau and his lady are perfectly unmoved by sexual attraction and the accompanying emotions. Deeanne has no such problems, and I commend her for her forthrightness. Some will find her too descriptive, but I found it to be just enough without crossing into impure territory.Now, as for the story, I admit that it is a little weak. For instance, my suspicious mind doubts that Constance would have made the voyage to America still a maid. Yet, she does. Also, a part of me wishes, however fleetingly, that the book had a counterpart to it, written from the perspective of Drew's brother. Josh has more flaws than his brother, therefore making him more interesting. I like Josh, moral scabs and all, and I wish Deeanne has written a sequel, which it appears she hasn't. Maybe someday she'll indulge Josh and give his story an end.Speaking of endings, there were aspects of the ending I didn't like. When I pick up a fluffy romance, I don't expect the type of tragedy that climaxes A Bride Most Begrudging. It was a shock, and I really wished she hadn't gone where she did at the end. Still, there were enough unique aspects to Deeanne's writing that kept me fully engrossed from start to finish. I love that Constance is interested in mathematics, and I love all of the little historic bits that Deeanne added to her story, like explaining the mistletoe at Christmas. Her work is charming and I'd say she does for Revolutionary fiction what Karen Witemeyer does for the prairie romance, infuses a bit of life.
—Carissa
