Book Review: His Disinclined Bride by Jennie Goutet

His Disinclined Bride (Seasons of Change #7) by Jennie Goutet

Pages: 270
Publish date: October 28th 2020
Publisher: –
ASIN: B086RVTN5H
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

She agreed to marry on impulse; he agreed for money.

Kitty Stokes never imagined she’d be so weak as to sacrifice herself on the altar of family obligations, but when her brother impresses upon her that her only alternative to marriage with Phineas Hayworth is to play nursemaid to his own children, Kitty agrees against her better judgment. On her wedding day, the certainty she has made a grave error is only outweighed by the realization that it’s too late to back out now.

Phineas Hayworth refrained from setting eyes on his new bride before their wedding day. It was the price he forced himself to pay for being so mercenary as to contract a marriage with a wealthy merchant’s sister to save his estate from foreclosure. Her beauty, therefore, comes as a shock, as does her icy treatment, which he cannot but secretly feel he deserves. He swears an oath he will not approach her for an heir unless the invitation comes from her.

As Phineas sets out to repair the estate, dismiss lazy servants, and bring Kitty to Bath to present her to local Society, he finds his wife to be more enchanting than he could have hoped for, even in a love match. Kitty continues to hold him at arm’s length, although he suspects her feelings for him run just as deep. As Phineas’s love and desire for his wife grows, the oath he swore her begins to suffocate, and it soon becomes clear he must win her over completely or spend the rest of his life in a loveless marriage.

His Disinclined Bride:

I received an earc of His Disinclined Bride by Jennie Goutet for free in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I didn’t know what to expect going into His Disinclined Bride by Jennie Goutet. I hadn’t heard about it before, I hadn’t heard about the author before. But when I checked out the synopsis, it caught my eye right away. It sounded intriguing, and I’m always up for new historical romances.

His Disinclined Bride follows Kitty Stokes as she is about to marry the man that her brother has arranged. She never thought that this would happen, but she takes it in her stride. But she has never met the man that she is about to marry and doesn’t until they are at the altar. Phineas Hayworth didn’t expect to be taken aback by his new wife beauty, but when he sees her on their wedding he is blown away. Now married Kitty and Phineas need to not only get to know one another but find a balance in their new lives. Nothing ever comes easy, and the more time that they spend together, the more they get to know one another.

Photo by Danny Gallegos on Unsplash

Kitty was such a pleasure of a character. She was engaging, smart and loving. As His Disinclined Bride went on the reader can see Kitty not only find herself but those around her. I thought that her characterisation was fantastic and well thought out. At first, we can see her anger and hesitation. But as she gets to know Phineas more and the life that they build together, she finds herself. I adore her caring nature, it was so nice to see and she melted my heart so many times. I do wish that she stood up for herself a little more especially regarding Phineas’ parents, there were hints of this. But I wanted more.

Phineas was an interesting protagonist. It did take me a little while to warm up to him, but as Kitty can break down his walls, it was easier to know him. It took him a little while to warm up to Kitty as while and their new life, but once that happens everything seems to flow so much better. I liked seeing him grow throughout the novel. At the start, he is very closed off and holds back, but as the novel goes on he starts to let go. And when he does that, he becomes a better person.

The romance in His Disinclined Bride had a tiny rough start to me. The reader can see that they both find each other attractive, but they don’t connect right away. They come from different lives and with that, they see things differently. But I adored that Phineas didn’t push Kitty for anything. That was one of my favourite things about the book. It made me so happy and excited. They had a lot of ups and downs, they fought, but they also didn’t know what to do with each other at times. However, when they let go, they came together and it was great.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Overall I enjoyed reading His Disinclined Bride by Jennie Goutet. It was intriguing and the romance and the characters were fantastic. I had such a good time exploring Kitty and Phineas and watch them not only fall in love but create a family. It was an engaging historical romance that didn’t disappoint. It’s also a great one to start with as it’s easy to read and follow. If you want a fresh new historical romance this is a great place to start.

About the Author

Jennie Goutet is an American-born Anglophile, who lives with her French husband and their three children in a small town outside Paris. Her imagination resides in Regency England, where her historical romances are set. Jennie is also the author of the award-winning memoir, Stars Upside Down, and the modern romances, A Sweetheart in Paris and A Noble Affair. A Christian, a cook, and an inveterate klutz, Jennie writes about faith, food, and life—even the clumsy moments—on her blog, aladyinfrance.com. You can learn more about Jennie and her books on her author website, jenniegoutet.com.