Anyway, The Wedding is, in my opinion, the weakest of her historical triumphs. I figured this out upon a second read. Why do I dislike it? Connor - the hero - is a jerk. Plain and simple. Normally I can deal with the dark brooding male . . . by the end of the book, he becomes attached to the heroine and the ice melts, forcing us (as readers) to fall in love with him as he realizes the extent of his feelings for his wife/lover/mistress.

Never happened with this one . . . at least for me. I thought Connor treated Brenna like a piece of luggage. I was actually furious with the character on occasion, and that's not good. I don't read romance to get angry. I read it for a nice vacation from my brain.

Garwood's romances have always followed a formula: she creates a heroine who is strong but flawed. The Wedding is no different. There is humor and a sense of sweetness to the English Lady Brenna. She finds herself saddled with a brute of a husband (a 'barbarian' Highlander)and mystically melts in his arms. I just can't figure out why. Connor's self absorbed, obsessed with revenge, and an all around miserable man. Course, by the end of the book he's as soft as milktoast for his wife, but I just didn't feel that he deserved her - even though he realizes the prize he has in his wife.

For great Garwood, there are other places to turn. If you want romance set in the Highlands, look at The Secret or Ransom. I also really liked The Bride. If you're looking for London victorian style stuff, Guardian Angel, Castles, and Lion's Lady are excellent.

Happy Reading!

25 of 26 found the following review helpful:


A Great Historical  Dec 29, 2006 By Cherise Everhard
This is the second book in a series. It can be read on it's own without leaving the reader feeling one step behind. It does visit the couple from the previous book.

Lady Brenna and Connor MacAlister met long ago, when she was a little girl. He rescued her from pigs, she proposed. Years later she is on her way from England to Scotland to marry a man she has never met.

Connor is a Laird and a man seeking revenge for his father's death. He knows that his enemy's bride is on her way and he decides to take the bride for himself. He has no idea it's the woman who as a little girl proposed to him.

Brenna is not happy about either choice for marriage. She chooses to marry Connor in order to save her father's men who were guarding her.

This is one of my favorite Julie Garwood books. What should seem like an unbelievable and ridiculous start to a relationship instead seems not only plausible but even romantic. Connor and Brenna have a wonderful chemistry and their characters seem very tangible.

Brenna is a mischievous, warm, caring heroine. She is eager to please her husband, his staff, his men and even his stepmother.

Connor is a strong leading male with a heart he is determined not to give away. He tries to keep Brenna `in line' but in the end always relents.

There are some wonderful supporting characters. Connor's two most trusted men Quinlan and Crispin. They offer some comic relief and there is a real brotherhood between the three. Father Sinclair marries Brenna and Connor, and then becomes Brenna's friend and Priest. Connor's stepmother adds some conflict to the story. She runs Brenna and the staff ragged. Alec and Jamie, from The Bride, also make appearances in this story.

This story is about Connors quest for revenge and his search for his father traitor. Brenna's longing for love and her efforts to please her husband. It's a believable, wonderful historical romance.

16 of 17 found the following review helpful:


Almost Better Then The Bride  May 05, 2000 By Kelly
I absoluetly loved this book. Brenna was fresh and cute andConner steals your heart. The character developmant was excellent.Ms. Garwood sure knows how to get your attention. Brenna and Conner were perfectly written for each other and they definatly had a hot romance. I loved that the men were awed by the fact that she ate so much. Finally, a heroine who isn't afraid to pig out. Scottland is my all time favorite setting, and Ms. Garwood describes it beautifully. Now I want to visit it for myself! The plot is fast paced and the pages basically turn themselves. Plus, the return of Alec and Jamie was perfect. It was wonderful to hear about how they turned out. If you've read any of Julie Garwood's books, this is definately for you. Brenna's end description of her wedding is truly the icing on the cake. Please, read this superb, fabulous classic from the magic pen of Julie Garwood.

13 of 14 found the following review helpful:


An Unforgetable Non-stop Romantic Adventure in the Highlands  Oct 22, 1999
This was the first book of Julie Garwood that I read and was totally hooked by the first chapter. Julie Garwood has a great talent for getting you to care about the characters and creating the perfect setting/scene. The Wedding got me totally hooked on her books and found other great treasures in her collection. If you're looking for unforgettable romantic adventures of clan wars, powerful lairds and strong-willed ladies set in the Highlands of Scotland, then look no further beyond Julie Garwood's collections. I highly recommend The Bride, The Secret, Ransom and Saving Grace.

7 of 7 found the following review helpful:


Wonderful naration - audio book  Jul 14, 2002 By Tanya L. Schaub "TSchlaack"
I listened to this audio book and couldn't stop until it was done. Part of the charm was the wonderful naration, with the accent and differnt voices for different characters.

The story starts when Brenna first is little, and decides who she will marry, as well as with Conner who is full of vengance. It is a wonderful romance seeing them grow together, and it is also wonderful how JG takes the character of Brenna and shows all her faults (boy can she jump to a conclusion) and how this changes Conners fate.

If you like Scottish Romances this one is for you!

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