~Sixpence Bride~

by Virginia Farmer

      Heroine:  Formerly-plump

       Thoroughly modern Jocelyn Tanner was willing to lay aside her feminist reluctance at participating in the reenactment of an old-time wife swap while vacationing in England.   But she never expected to faint dead away during the tableau and wake up in the very time period she'd been mimicking! Her new "husband", a foul person indeed, is desperately trying to cast her off in exchange for a few cents, and Jocelyn is more than willing to help him complete the sale.  If only a suitable replacement "spouse" would rescue her from this predicament!

      Garren Warrick, Lord Spenceworth, is in deep trouble indeed.  With his father after him to take a wife, and no gentle woman who interests him in sight, Garren is fast becoming desperate.  But not so desperate as to be dragged to the altar by that doxy, Lady Paxton, who had lured him to her bed a mere six months after her husband's death. With the Duke's marry-or-be-disowned ultimatum ringing in his ears, a rebellious Garren finds his luck is changing as he passes by a wife sale during his travels in the countryside.

       Content to satisfy his father's dictate by hurriedly purchasing a bride (however unsuitable) he drops the grateful-but-confused Jocelyn off at his country estate and hastens back to London to get on with living his life as it suits him.  But events beyond his control have him returning to his new wife, whom he is shocked to discover is a most delightful and intriguing companion.

       Garren Spenceworth would never have guessed that he would find his spouse to be not only six-pence-worth, but completely priceless.  But can he look past her slight tendency towards insanity as she babbles on about being from the future, and find contentment with her in the present?

       What worked for me:

       It's always fun to see modern people struggling to make sense of their new surroundings when they fall into the past.

       Size-wise Jocelyn was unhappy with her new body as its plumpness reminded her of her high school days when she was tormented for being on the heavy side.  Rather than accustom herself to her new body, she decided to make it adjust to her and put herself on a strict dietary and exercise regimen. (I couldn't help but wonder if the young lady from the past who swapped places with Jocelyn freaked out similarly in the future and tried to make her slender new body gain weight?)

       What didn't work for me:

       Frankly, of all the trials a modern woman would face living in the past, I doubt I would focus on not gaining weight from the rich meals.  Indeed if there was anything to be concerned about as far as food goes, I would be far more terrified of falling ill from it being poorly prepared in unsanitary conditions!

       I never really  felt I knew Jocelyn or Garren all that well, so had a hard time rooting for them to work out their differences.  I also had some reservations about Jocelyn's attempts to make her husband believe that she truly was from the future simply by quoting chapter and verse to him from her college British History course.

Overall:

       A solid read for fans of time-travel romances.

If you liked "Sixpence Bride" you might also enjoy "Somewhere in Time",  "A Love Through Time", or "Say You're Mine".

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