"In order to inherit her father's vast fortune, Lady Jocelyn Kendal must marry before she turns 25. She has only a month left and Rafe, the one man she loves, refuses to even have an affair with her unless she is married or a widow. When visiting a friend in a military hospital, she meets Major David Lancaster who is paralyzed from the waist down and likely to die from the injuries he received at Waterloo. He does not want to die without providing for his sister, Sally. David and Jocelyn strike a bargain. He will marry her so she can get her inheritance and after David dies, she will provide an annuity for Sally. And once she is a widow, maybe she can finally get Rafe's attention.
But David does not die and Jocelyn finds herself with a husband who she will have to keep for a while longer until her greedy relatives can no longer claim her fortune. As David recovers, the pair find themselves becoming friends and maybe falling in love. But Jocelyn is afraid of marriage and thinks she only wants an affair with Rafe. David has to convince her not to annul their marriage. As an added bonus, Sally finds herself attracted to the surgeon who saved David's life. "
L. Watson, Resident Scholar
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Review Analysis of The Bargain
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of story
- 19th century
Difficult/unusual lover?
Yes
How difficult?
- He's impotent
Love Triangles/Polygons
Yes
What kind:
- one woman-two men
Marriage/Married
Yes
Marriage subplot:
- marriage of convenience spurring real love
Main Male Character
Profession/status:
- infantry soldier
Age/status:
- 20's-30's
How sexual is this person?
- several sexual encounters
How romantic is this person?
- very romantic
Sex has good effect on him
Yes
Sex makes him
- blissful
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Female Character
Age/status:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- Prince/Nobleman/King
How sexual is this person?
- naive virgin
How romantic is this person?
- very romantic
effect of sexing
- scared
Sex has bad effect on her
Yes
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
City?
Yes
City:
- London
Misc setting
- Fancy Mansion
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
What % of story is romance related?
- 90%
Sex in book?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references
- descript of kissing
- touching of anatomy
Part of a series?
Yes
Focus of story
- equally on him and her
How much dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
How much sexing?
- 1-2 sex acts
