The Spring Bride

By: Anne Gracie / Narrated By: Alison Larkin

Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins

Chance Sister #3 has more depth than Abby; just like #2… wondering WHY at this point, but likable enough

Here’s the deal: In The Autumn Bride the journey on the road to Marital Bliss was big sister Abby’s. Now just to let ya know a feeew details without going into the whole shebang again: Abby is the oldest of the sisters, and she’s had a LIFETIME of carrying Life’s Burdens on her shoulders. Orphaned at an early age, she did her absolute best to keep shelter, food, etc. in the equation for herself and little sister Jane. And whenst the story’s 4-sisters come together, it’s Abby who goes out to do the Unthinkable to care for the sisters.

So, at this point: WHY was her story one of only personality clashes with her object o’ lust; and WHY did author Anne Gracie reduce her entire thought processes to only: MAGNIFICENT VIKING(s)?!

Cuz you see, in The Winter Bride, Damaris comes with a LOT of emotional baggage that is written and healed quite nicely. And here in The Spring Bride, little sister Jane’s demons and memories haunt and compel her reasons and actions.

Methinks author Gracie didn’t really think about Abby too much, because thus far, the following two seasons of marriage are pretty hardcore.

Let’s take Jane’s story here, for example. Abby has memories of her parents (Who were Cut Off for marrying each other) loving each other dearly. Jane, however, remembers only illness, landlords pounding on doors for the late rent, hunger and cold, and even of almost being ‘napped and sold, so beautiful is she, just BOUND to fetch a pretty price.

As such, Jane will NOT marry for love; she’ll NEVER doom her children to hunger and cold, and the terror of never having enough. She WILL pragmatically marry, even if it’s the flabby, doughy, dullard who’s the first to Offer for her. He has a title, various estates… and? When she comes clean about her background? He’s already investigated her, so only the brothel comes as a surprise. Much to Abby’s dismay, Jane WILL be a woman of her own, and will not be all starry-eyed, and well, just plain dumb about a match.

Monkey wrench: A gypsy named Zachary Black saves her and a dog from ruffians (Jane’s a soft touch when it comes to street urchins, starving animals, as she knows what it’s like to be the Oh So Down On The Luck Underdog). But of COURSE, he’s gloriously handsome (Uber-6-Pack Abs). And he insists on meeting her every. single. time she goes out to walk her new dog. While Jane is meek and demure with her Intended? With this Gypsy, she openly speaks her mind, laughs, shares, the whole 9-yards.

There’s a bit of a (Minor!) mystery and murder plot which, I must point out, is spoken of only glancingly when one would think MURDER would be kinda a big deal. And Jane’s Intended conveniently disappears from the writing for laaaarge stretches of time so that the attracted pair can develop their bond some more.

Still, tho’ I gotta ding Gracie for some lazy choices/writing/crafting, I DO applaud her for having Jane truly traumatized from a childhood Abby sees as only rosy, but which Jane KNOWS was horrific and terrifying. The brothel? Ah jeez, ‘twasn’t ANYthing compared with her childhood terrors.

Now here’s where I write my obligatory: Alison Larkin Was Phenomenal And I Am Eternally Grateful That She Doesn’t Make Her Voices Writhe And Twist As Our Couple Get Up To Their Passionate No-No(s). Thank GOSH! Larkin only does her slight mooooans, but at least Jane usually comes back to herself to realize This Must NOT Be! and she runs pellmell from heated kisses. Oh sure, sure, there’s the Obligatory Consummation scene, but here in this particular story it struck me as perfunctory, and all it did (NOT making m’ toes curl and all that!) was make me ponder this particular twist on the Genre. Gracie, at least in the Chance Sisters, does not write Steamy Throughout, but it’s as tho’ a particular Listener wishes only for the Consummation. I mean, whazzaheck?!

Whatever, I was greatly relieved that neither Gracie nor Larkin had me writhing in embarrassment for most of this story (Unlike The Winter Bride where Damaris has to LEARN to morph Shame into Pleasure. I mean JEEZ!!!).

Things flow quite rapidly in this particular audiobook in the series, so all manages to take place during Spring. There’s that quick-fire engagement, the almost immediate attraction and relationship development between Zach and Jane, and things reach a head in a fairly straightforward manner. So, yeh: Nuptials just in time for Spring!

Yeh yeh yeh, maybe some minor kvetching here for some lazy writing, but I’m totally looking forward to The Summer Bride as that’ll be Daisy’s turn at love. That Daisy is deVOTed to becoming a famed and successful seamstress, designer for the Ton, that she has NO time for Love, is compelling. EsPECially as she grew up in that brothel, so she’s a No-Nonsense kinda gal. Plus, she has that game leg that has her always feeling self-conscious.

I do NOT foresee MAGNIFICENT VIKING exclamations from her. AND, she’s got a LOT to unravel and heal.

So yesssss! as these days continue to roll into each other: Tally-ho! and SUMMER awaits!