Zoe's Reviews > The Sherbrooke Bride

oh man how I laughed re-reading this book. I don't remember being so amused before. Leave it to Catherine Coulter to write the most brainless lustful book.

The plotline was ok. Douglas found himself being married to the wrong woman, Alexandra. The pair did not start interacting until 20% into the story. The first 20% was spent on buildling up the backdrop of the story. Douglas had some government duties and Alexandra was already in love with Douglas. Douglas wanted to marry Alexandra's beautiful sister. All in all, quite messy.

I truly detest Alexandra's character. She started out alright, as a quiet girl with a strong will. Very quickly she became this annoying heroine who begged Douglas to let her stay married to him, for "a chance to be his wife" as she called it. Douglas was angry and quite honestly, I understand him and cannot blame him for being an asshole. He repeatedly refused to accept her (and I have to say, I do not pity her). Somehow he made peace with the fact that he was stuck with Alexandra. And they started having wild sex, which was always very hard and quick and rather violent. Knowing Coulter's style, I kind of expected it.

I think Alexandra ruined this perfectly brainless lustful book for me. This book could have been a great book for what it is: a brainless lusty read. Alexandra had to be this fierece little woman who would do anything for her sorry excuse of a husband who did not want her but could not keep his penis in his pants. I could work with an arrogant asshole such as Douglas, but could not, could not, I repeat, stomach a stupid heroine like Alexandra. This woman has no self-worth. She did all that she did because she wanted so desparately to be his wife. Even in her "tough moments" when she showed some backbone, she was just angry because her husband rejected her. Seriously, what did she expect? She married him by proxy knowing perfectly well that he intended to marry her sister. And she was upset that he did not want to overlook that fact?

In the last 20% of the book, Coulter had to somehow wrap it up and make Douglas "fall in love" with his wife. So Alexandra was kidnapped and something terrible happened and oh wow Douglas could admit that he had feelings for Alexandra. I went through the last 10% very quickly, not really caring how Douglas came to find Alexandra. For 80% of the book I was reading with a certain level of enthusiasm, despite the messiness in this book. After all, Coulter is good at such lusty books. You don't need a heart to appreciate her romance stories because they are not romance stories. I imagine they are like hard porn, you wince and are appalled that people can actually get hot watching it. But you watch it occasionally and realize crxp people can get hot watching it.