Pocket Star, $7.99, ISBN 978-0-6717-3779-5
Historical Romance, 1991 (Reissue)
Julie Garwood’s The Bride is said to be the book that made kilts sexy for an entire generation of readers in the late 1980s. Set in the Scottish Highlands, Ms Garwood’s novel managed to blend passionate romance with a subtle advocacy for plaid. It’s said that after the book’s release, tartan fabric sales spiked. No, that’s not true, but you believed it for a second, right?
This tale follows Jamie Jamison, a headstrong English lass, and Alec Kincaid, a brooding, manly Scotsman, who is less of a “man” and more of a walking monument to testosterone. The two are forced into a marriage, naturally, because why wouldn’t a stubborn English girl and an emotionally unavailable Scotsman be the perfect match? They bicker, they fight, they make up passionately in case you wondered if kilts allowed for ample… movement. As their romance blossoms, there’s also a side plot involving warring clans, because, as we all know, nothing fuels romance quite like inter-clan violence.
Ms Garwood’s writing is like butter—smooth and rich, with just the right amount of indulgence. You’ll be transported to a time when men grunted a lot, but that was okay because they had feelings buried under all that gruffness.
Alec is the embodiment of the “strong but silent” type. The tension between him and Jamie is palpable, and there’s nothing like a good enemies-to-lovers trope to keep the pages turning.
Also, The Bride gives us one of the most deliciously ridiculous “I hate you but let’s kiss” moments in romance history.
Plus, the Scottish setting is lush and engaging, full of beautiful descriptions that make you feel like you’re traipsing through the Highlands.
However, don’t go into this thinking that Jamie is your modern, independent heroine. Sure, she has sass and wit, but there are more than a few eyebrow-raising moments when you realize she’s just playing into the “taming of the shrew” trope.
Alec’s brand of masculinity is… let’s just say it would raise quite a few red flags in today’s dating scene. “Oh, he ignored your opinions, but did he look dreamy doing it?” seems to be the vibe here.
The pacing can he uneven. Well, there’s a lot of swooning and riding horses through moors, which may make you feel like you’re stuck in the longest, steamiest peloton class ever.
Still, in The Bride, Julie Garwood delivers a romance that is equal parts charming and eyeroll inducing. It’s predictable, a little cheesy, but somehow irresistible. If you’re here for kilted heroes and swoon-worthy drama, well, you could do worse than a trip to the Highlands with Jamie and Alec. Just be prepared to suspend a lot of modern sensibilities at the castle gate.
