Official Review: The Hasty Bride
Posted: 15 Jul 2020, 10:48
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Hasty Bride" by Martha Livdahl Grigg (Withe William Grigg).]
Can you imagine marrying someone after only knowing them for a couple of weeks? It wasn’t the life that Brigitte had planned for herself either, but she let herself get swept away by the charm and looks of Matthew Conningham. Brigitte is in New York City working for a temporary employment agency and hopes to break into theater. Brigitte and Matt have a chance encounter outside the Plaza as Matt gets into a taxi to avoid the rain, and Brigitte accidentally hits him as she opens her umbrella. Sounds like a recipe for love, right? Matt offers to share his taxi and they hit it off from there.
People could argue that one of the most difficult things about marrying someone is getting along with their family. Having not met Matt’s family before the wedding, Brigitte doesn’t realize what she’s getting herself into. Matt lives at Conningham Court, which is a property containing a large main house and several smaller homes. Many relatives live on the property with Matt. Haynes, Matt’s adopted brother stays in a smaller house but usually comes to have dinner with the family. He gives Brigitte a drunken warning to get out on her first night at her new home. Aunt Marietta is a widow who also enjoys acting like Brigitte. Her daughter, Paula, and her husband, Jack, also live in the main house. Then there is also lewd Uncle Lloyd who likes to pinch Brigitte in the rear. For as many family members and hired help, there are probably ten times as many secrets. Brigitte is desperate to find out each and every one of them.
I loved the suspense that Martha Livdahl Grigg and William Grigg created in this novel. The book kept me guessing until the end about so many different things. Who was responsible for the fire that killed Matt’s parents? Who was leaving the threatening notes for Brigitte? Why did Harriett, the housekeeper, look like a Conningham with her beautiful, blue eyes? I’ll be happy to tell you I found out the answers to all these questions. I appreciated that about the book also. I never like a book that leaves me hanging on too many details at the end.
I can’t think of anything I disliked about the book. Unfortunately, I did find nine errors while reading the book. If it weren’t for the errors, I would have given the book a perfect score. The book was funny and engaging throughout. I loved the ending too. My favorite character was probably Brigitte’s godmother, Aunt Bridget. I liked how she came to Conningham Court and tried to talk some sense into Brigitte. She’s a smart lady who can carry on a conversation with almost anyone. Giving an outside perspective, she was able to see some of the things that were off with the Conningham clan.
I rate The Hasty Bride 3 out of 4. As I mentioned before, I took off a point for the number of errors I found. I think the book is most appropriate for readers that are young adults and older. The sexual content and bad language are mild, but the subject matter makes it best suited for those age groups. I think readers that enjoy suspense or murder mysteries would like this novel. It does have a romantic component to it, but I think the uncertainty and secrets among the characters is the more dominant theme. Being an avid reader of suspense novels, I liked that about the book.
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The Hasty Bride
View: on Bookshelves
Can you imagine marrying someone after only knowing them for a couple of weeks? It wasn’t the life that Brigitte had planned for herself either, but she let herself get swept away by the charm and looks of Matthew Conningham. Brigitte is in New York City working for a temporary employment agency and hopes to break into theater. Brigitte and Matt have a chance encounter outside the Plaza as Matt gets into a taxi to avoid the rain, and Brigitte accidentally hits him as she opens her umbrella. Sounds like a recipe for love, right? Matt offers to share his taxi and they hit it off from there.
People could argue that one of the most difficult things about marrying someone is getting along with their family. Having not met Matt’s family before the wedding, Brigitte doesn’t realize what she’s getting herself into. Matt lives at Conningham Court, which is a property containing a large main house and several smaller homes. Many relatives live on the property with Matt. Haynes, Matt’s adopted brother stays in a smaller house but usually comes to have dinner with the family. He gives Brigitte a drunken warning to get out on her first night at her new home. Aunt Marietta is a widow who also enjoys acting like Brigitte. Her daughter, Paula, and her husband, Jack, also live in the main house. Then there is also lewd Uncle Lloyd who likes to pinch Brigitte in the rear. For as many family members and hired help, there are probably ten times as many secrets. Brigitte is desperate to find out each and every one of them.
I loved the suspense that Martha Livdahl Grigg and William Grigg created in this novel. The book kept me guessing until the end about so many different things. Who was responsible for the fire that killed Matt’s parents? Who was leaving the threatening notes for Brigitte? Why did Harriett, the housekeeper, look like a Conningham with her beautiful, blue eyes? I’ll be happy to tell you I found out the answers to all these questions. I appreciated that about the book also. I never like a book that leaves me hanging on too many details at the end.
I can’t think of anything I disliked about the book. Unfortunately, I did find nine errors while reading the book. If it weren’t for the errors, I would have given the book a perfect score. The book was funny and engaging throughout. I loved the ending too. My favorite character was probably Brigitte’s godmother, Aunt Bridget. I liked how she came to Conningham Court and tried to talk some sense into Brigitte. She’s a smart lady who can carry on a conversation with almost anyone. Giving an outside perspective, she was able to see some of the things that were off with the Conningham clan.
I rate The Hasty Bride 3 out of 4. As I mentioned before, I took off a point for the number of errors I found. I think the book is most appropriate for readers that are young adults and older. The sexual content and bad language are mild, but the subject matter makes it best suited for those age groups. I think readers that enjoy suspense or murder mysteries would like this novel. It does have a romantic component to it, but I think the uncertainty and secrets among the characters is the more dominant theme. Being an avid reader of suspense novels, I liked that about the book.
******
The Hasty Bride
View: on Bookshelves
. I love the idea of romance, with a little twist.