The Bad Man's Bride: Marrying Miss Bright

by Susan Kay Law

Book Overview

He'll leave town when he's good and ready...and when the pretty and proper young schoolmarm consents to be his bride.

A Bad Man's DesireAt first glance, the lovely Easterner Anthea Bright seems woefully unsuited for her position as the new schoolmarm in Haven, Kansas. But behind that fine finishing school polish is a fiery spirit and a determination to succeed. Gabriel Jackson, however, is a different kind of challenge. The intensely passionate,...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0380819066
• ISBN13: 9780380819065
• Release Date: May 2001
• Publisher: Avon Books
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

I LOVE SUSAN KAY LAW

The woman has become my new favorite author (with Johanna Lindsey, Jude Devereaux and Susan Johnson).THE BAD MAN'S BRIDE is the first book I've read and I just love it. I could not put it down. Anthea is a gentle-bred eastern girl with 2 sisters back East. She has come to Kansas to make a living and send the money back to her sisters. Anthea loves children, so naturally she takes a teaching job in Haven, Kansas (not to be confused with the real town of Haven).While she is in the schoolhouse writing a letter to her sisters about how wonderful Kansas is (in reality to her it isn't, but why tell her sisters how horrible it is), Gabriel Jackson storms in the schoolhouse demanding she do the job the town has paid her for... TEACH the kids reading, writing and arithmetic, something that will be useful to his "daughter" when she grows up, NOT balancing a book on her head and walking across the room.Anthea takes offense to this because she went to the best Young Ladies schools and learned it and everything else (reading, writing and arithmetic) and lets him know it to.Because the other kids pick on Gabriel's "daughter", Anthea takes the child under her wing, bring her that much closer to Gabriel. And then there's the stories flying around town about how Gabriel acquired Lily (the daughter), and the town council who want Gabriel out of town, but end up liking him. Including the mayor pro-tem, who's wife Gabriel had an affair with before the woman married the city councilman. Ever since, that woman has had an infatuation with Gabriel, but Gabriel, once he got Anthea to be his bride cause he wanted to, gives the councilman's wife a piece of his mind about her infatuation with him.THIS is just toooo good to put down and leave alone. If you have a chance GET THIS BOOK as well as others in the series.

SIZZLING AMERICANA ROMANCE

Really enjoyable read - great way to spend a snowy afternoon.

A sizzling love...

Anthea Bright came from Philadelphia to Haven, Kansas to become a school teacher. On her first week of school, Gabriel Jackson barges into the school and demands to know what the Hell she's teaching because his charge, Lily isn't learning how to read and write. From that moment on, they'll both be fighting a very captivating attraction. It doesn't make it easier that Gabriel has this bad boy reputation and that he's the pariah of the town. (It's one of those small towns where everyone gossips about everyone)The story takes place in the 1885 and it really is a wonderful read! My favorite parts were when Gabriel, Anthea and Lily act as a family. (Lily is like an orphan and Gabriel picked her up and decides to care for her) I like reading THE BAD MAN'S BRIDE because it's a historical romance (sort of) with a lot of spice in it. Usually in historical romances, the characters would be meek and kind of quiet but this romance has a lot of spice in it! I know there's another book that continues this one. It's called THE MOST WANTED BACHELOR and I'm thinking about reading it because THE MOST WANTED BACHELOR features Anthea's sister, Kathryn. ^_^ ~ Izzy

Entertaining Western Romance

In post Civil War Kansas, Anthea Bright has taken the position of school teacher in order to support her sisters living back east in Philadelphia. Anthea never bargained to meet Gabriel Jackson,'father' of Lily, one of Anthea's students. Though he frustrates her, Anthea finds herself drawn to Gabriel, an attraction which she can ill-afford. For Gabriel is shunned by the more respectable members of the town of Haven given the fact that his mother was never married. Gabriel's gruff kindness astounds Anthea as she comes to know him better and begins to care for Lily. Unforseen circumstances force the pair to marry to save Anthea's reputation. Will their marriage last, or will they go their separate ways, never to see one another again? Readers looking for a witty and delightful read will be sure to enjoy this book. While the emotions between the hero and heroine are intense enough to satisfy many a reader, the elements of humor cleverly interspersed in this novel lend a feeling of reality to the protagonists. A truly entertaining read!

Excellent Book

Haven, Kansas is as far away from Anthea Bright's upper class Philadelphia upbringing as you can get. Miss Addington's finishing school gave her the basics of teaching but certainly never prepared her to live in a soddy, or to deal with an infuriating man like Gabriel Jackson.Gabriel Jackson returned to Haven to be with his Mother in her final days, and winds up taking on the responsibility of an orphaned little girl named Lilly. He knows how cruel the town can be to the town can be to kids like her, after all he's been there himself. But he's determined that Lilly will not suffer the same pain he did. She will learn the skills that she needs to get by, reading and writing, not the posture and manners garbage that the prissy new schoolmarm is teaching her.Anthea offers to tutor Lilly privately each night to help her catch up with the other children, but being in such close proximity with Gabriel is putting the most unladylike thoughts in her head. And when he kisses her, all of Miss Addington's efforts fly out the window.Susan Kay Law has crafted the world of Haven so well you feel you could move in and set up house. Not only are the lead characters vivid but she's created a host of three-dimensional supporting players with intrigues and quirks of their own.The Bad Man's Bride is an entertaining novel that grabs your attention and takes you on an emotional ride of pain, passion, and romance. Anthea, Gabriel and especially Lilly will jump off the page and into your heart. Curl up in your favorite chair, with your favorite beverage and settle in for a good read.