
Member Reviews

This is a DNF for me. Not bad, but nothing new either. I was sucked in by a great beginning, but then the momentum slowed to a crawl. Too much repetitive introspection. I'm just not engaged enough to keep going, not with Mount TBR beckoning.

DNF. Just wasn't my thing. Thanks to the Publisher for the review copy.

DNF@71%
I'll be honest when a hero drinks himself to stupor after some spat with the heroine and then has to be reminded by a friend that he should fight for her , I tend to lose my interest. If he can't make that decision on his own then there's no point in reading the book.
Also, the back and forth emotion of this book was just too much. One minute everything is fine and dandy and the next someone is storming off in fury.
I feel bad giving this a low rating seeing as this is a debut book for the author and that I did enjoy it for the first 71% , I just can't overlook the drinking part. Maybe I will eventually finish it at a later time.

Janna MacGregor has created a gut-wrenching tale in this, her first book. Her writing is excellently done and the story is pretty true to the time period.
IF you like sweet, funny, light-hearted stories, then this book probably isn't for you. I wouldn't necessarily call the book 'dark' (as in no rape or torture, etc.), but it is certainly very, very somber. The characters are all deeply flawed and tortured individuals. While there is a lovely HEA, we took a really torturous route to get to that happy ending.
What did I really love -- the epilogue - I'm a huge fan of epilogues and think ALL romances should have them.
What didn't I like -- well, the whole book was just so somber. I understand that the characters were deeply troubled and tortured individuals - but - I would have liked to see a few rays of sunshine somewhere in there.
I was a little intrigued by Lord Paul -- I can't decide if he is a good guy or a bad guy. I am betting that there will be a a book in his future so we can all find out more about him. I'd like to see him become a good guy and have his own HEA.
I will definitely look for the next book by this author and will hope that she's found her balance in writing somber and lightness. I did enjoy this story and you might also -- just know that it is filled with gut-wrenching sorrow and pain and that some really, really bad decisions are made because of that.
"I requested and received this book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."

Alex is bent on revenge. He believes that a man who was once one of his best friends has ruined his sister. The feeling of ruin led his sister to take her own life. Alex will never forgive Lord Paul.
A part of his plan for vengeance, is to take Paul's fiancee away and marry her himself.
The young woman, Lady Claire, is considered by society to be cursed. Her first fiancee died, her second fiancee had an accident and lost his leg, her third fiancee was found in the bed of a married woman and had to escape the country, and finally Lord Paul is her fourth. He is a gambler who has lost everything he owns and he has brought down the vengeance of Alex.
As well as her recent bad luck with possible husbands, Claire carries burdens from her past. Her parents were both killed in an accident and she has carried the emotional pain for many years.
Alex is rather a jerk, he is not the least bit trusting of anyone. He uses every opportunity to check up on what Claire says and does. He is dishonest about very important things and seems to have no qualms about his dishonesty.
Claire is hard to follow. She is up, she is down, she is ambivalent. Several times, I hoped that she would come to a conclusion and stay with it. The story kept telling me how strong she was, and she had courage, but she seemed unable to stick with any decision.
I liked both of them, but at times for me the angst carried on for much too long. I wanted their feelings for one another to finally work for them. And I wanted more honesty from each of them.
The creation and descriptions of all the characters are good. Claire, Alex and the secondary characters all held my interest. Everyone contributes to the action. And there were secondary characters who were interesting.
There was well written action and interesting events. But, at times there was too much.
I hope to read the next book in the series, and I believe that book will be a little more organized and easy to follow.
I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are my own.

There are a lot of ups and downs in this book that took me on an emotional rollercoaster. I enjoyed getting to know the characters. They were fun, yet serious. A great storybook ending. Must read!

The Bad Luck Bride is Janna MacGregor's debut novel. I hate giving low reviews to new authors, especially when the writing is very good, but in this case the characterization really didn't work for me. This was a situation where I couldn't connect with such flawed characters and didn't enjoy the journey. Now, for those who read many of my reviews, you'll probably note that most of my favorite novels are usually of the lighter variety. I am one of those naive people who still goes through life in rose-colored glasses and in most situations (there are a few exceptions), it is what I like to read also.
Despite the gorgeous, airy cover, this book is not at all light in content. This came as a surprise to me so I'd like to warn others. Both characters have deeply buried demons, which come to the fore throughout the novel to put strain on the characters' marriage. The book opens with a tremendously gothic scene where the "hero", Alex, Marquess of Pembrooke, is threatening the life of another man as a result of his sister's death. The book then jumps forward in time to show Lady Claire's life falling apart yet again as another fiance breaks off their engagement and she goes into full panic in the face of a thunderstorm. The reasons why the characters behave the way they do in each of these situations are slowly revealed as you read the novel, and they are darker and more depressing than I could have anticipated (again "rose-colored glasses").
Lady Claire was at first a sympathetic character. She was vulnerable and had her fair share of secrets, but she showed grace and resilience despite her constant string of "bad luck." However, as the novel progressed, she became more erratic and the swing from happiness to despair made it hard for me to understand her emotionally. Granted, some of the things she became angry about made complete sense, but there were other times, I didn't understand why she acted the way she did because it only made things harder for everyone.
Unlike my feelings for Lady Claire, I never had any respect for Alex. I have to hand it to MacGregor though, in a time where most "brooding" characters written are usually just softies who like to growl a bit, MacGregor truly created a man with demons to fight and who is not a golden-hearted saint underneath all of his anger. He is an angry, controlling man to his core, and is hell-bent on revenge regardless of the costs. Some of the decisions he makes to manipulate a situation in his favor with complete disregard for the effect his choices will have on others made my skin crawl. I kept thinking that if a man behaved this way in our time, I would be labeling him as an emotionally abusive husband. He had anger issues, he was manipulative, and he was constantly pulling Claire away from other people so she would be entirely dependent upon him. He also spied on her and justified his actions as "helping" her. Ick. Needless to say, despite his gorgeous exterior, Alex's soul was a dark, mangled mess. He is eventually redeemed, so if you enjoy darker books, you will like this one. However, if you like heroes who start out as good men, this isn't the book for you.
Now, characters aside, I have to say that MacGregor's writing style is distinctive and very good. She writes interesting, complex sentences and does an excellent job describing a scene. I also felt like she had more historical details than most new authors I've seen of late. Granted, I am not historical expert and I am an American so I don't always pick up on the anachronistic/American phrases, but I do read a lot of historical romance, and this one "felt" more authentic.
Overall, I couldn't give this a high rating because I really disliked the characters, particularly the hero. If I hadn't been reading this for an ARC, I probably wouldn't have finished it. However, I think MacGregor has a strong voice and a good grasp of historical detail. Therefore, if she can create characters who are a little more stable and consistent in emotion and action, I feel like I would enjoy her books. Even though this one didn't work for me, I will try her again if it looks like she writes a lighter book. Gothic/damaged hero readers, you'll love this. Rose-colored glasses wearers, give this one a pass. 2.5 stars.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a chance to read and review.

Here is the link to my review on Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1951469326?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

The Bad Luck Bride by Janna MacGregor is a fascinating historical. Immediately readers are drawn deep into the tale. It lured me further by pure curiosity. The suspense of one charcater's plan...and what will actually come of it got me excited. The Bad Luck Bride is about one man getting back at another by using his enemy's fiancé. But little will both the bride and husband to be know that real love will play into the equation. I found it hilarious, enticing, and ful, of drama. Th action was never disappointing. Janna MacGregor has a flare for writinga romance that beckons and captivates readers whole. My heart was with the charcaters as their troubles unfolded. Society has a way of drawing the characters out...and pulling them closer than they thought they would ever be. Revenge is not to be toyed with...emotions ran strong within the book. I was highly entertained. Both Alexander and Claire are characters that readers like myself will always remember. Overall, I highly recommend this well-written plot to all.

Even though this cover is about as historically inaccurate as most historical romance covers, something about it caught my attention. That, combined with the fact this book is by a debut author, and the start of a new series, had me intrigued.
The Bad Luck Bride starts off with an interesting scene, with the hero fighting a duel. It immediately drew me in.
However, the chapters following this were a little confusing, with both hero and heroine seeming to have conflicting interests, and with the introduction of an array of characters I couldn’t quite get straight in my mind.
There is a good book in here, but I found it to be a little messy. I wasn’t sure what was going on, and was confused by why the characters acted the way they did. The author clearly has some talent, but an editor should have worked a little harder to shave away the unnecessary side characters and conversations and drawn out the focus of the plot.
I was also pretty annoyed by the blatant Americanisms that started immediately and didn’t end – it’s AUTUMN, not “the fall”, and it is completely reasonable to expect authors and editors to know this. Also, “snuck” is not just a hideous word that is out of place in the Regency setting, but there is nothing British about it. The made-up Pembrooke was also distractingly similar to the real Pembroke.
I think that author Janna MacGregor is going to develop nicely as an author, but this book isn’t quite where I wanted it to be.

I really loved this story. Looking forward to read The bride got lucky.
It's a must read book. ♡♡♡♡♡ rating

If you like historical, regency romances you will love this book. Initially a story of manipulation that turns into a love match. Alex hell bent on revenge is determined to marry Claire who at the start of the novel is engaged to be married to the man Alex blames for his sister’s death. But Claire has a history of her own and has been promised many times already, each time falling through for one reason or another leading to the ton declaring her cursed. Can she turn her luck around with Alex and will his revenge ease his burdens or make them worse? The back story for these two is quite fascinating and the dialogue and interplay between them is well written. Together with the lovely ancillary characters this has everything you would want from a regency romance. I really enjoyed it and will seek out the next one “The Bride who got lucky” when published in November 2017.

Just an ok read, very wordy if you know what I mean. New author for me, will give other books a chance if the seem interesting.. I just couldn't get into THSES characters.

I enjoyed watching the relationship between two hurt people blossom into love and devotion. Not without struggles of course!

3.5 stars
I am torn about this review - I liked the book, but I didn't love it. My understanding is this a debut novel and in my mind, that explains a lot of the qualms I had with the book.
There is A LOT going on in this book - revenge, a "curse", past tragedy, a heroine with PTSD, a hero with a guilt complex, deceit, betrayal, marriage of convenience, wagers and a lot of mistrust. It is too much, I felt like the author was trying too hard and kept adding elements to make the story more interesting, but sometimes more is not better, it is just more. I think I would have enjoyed this book more if the author choose one or two elements and focused on them, rather than trying to cram everything into the story.
In a nutshell, Lady Claire Cavensham is "cursed" she has been engaged four times and never made it to the altar. I honestly didn't get the whole "curse" angle - bad luck, yes, but cursed? I understand that she might be considered cursed until she finally got married, but after her marriage shouldn't all the curse nonsense stop? It didn't and it didn't make sense to me. Claire has other issues besides the "curse", she was the sole survivor of an accident that killed her parents and still suffers from nightmares and has a crippling fear of storms and bridges. She is a very kind and generous person, who keeps all her fears to herself to spare her loved ones any grief. She doesn't trust or love easily and seems prone to assuming the worst - can't say I blame her considering her past.
Alex, Marquess of Pembrooke is on a quest, he wants to ruin the man who he believes ruined his beloved sister Alice. The final step in his plan is to steal Lady Claire from him. He really thinks that he is saving her, but proceeds to manipulate every one around him to achieve his goal. He means well, but ends up causing a boatload of misery for himself and Claire.
These two have a long and hard road to their HEA and at times I couldn't see how they would get there.
I think with time this author will shine, this story had good bones and the potential to be a great book, but it just didn't flow that well and the dialogue at times seemed awkward. Even though I wasn't overwhelmed by this book, I will definitely read the next book in the series and look forward to seeing this author come into her own.

Its an okay read. I would of wished for more life and humor as well as real passion. There is a lot of manipulation and domination for different situations. However, being fair, the plot is good as are the characters themselves. It is just not my cup of tea without some more life in the book itself. I was given this book in return for an honest review. Anna

Brilliant debut book. A completely different storyline with characters that I could get invested in. Enjoyed.

The Bad Luck Bride begins with the heart of the relationship between three best friends. Lord Alexander Hallworth, the Marquess of Pembrooke is about to kill his childhood friend for being the cause of his sister Alice taking her own life. Alice left Alex a note telling him not to blame Lord Paul. Only Alex and his other close friend, Lord Somerton knew from her note she was pregnant and could not live with the shame. Lord Somerton kept Alex from killing Lord Paul outright. So, Alex spends his year of mourning for his sister doing everything he could to ruin his childhood friend. Included in his ruination Alex forced Paul to break his engagement with the lovely Lady Claire Cavensham, daughter of the deceased Duke of Langham. Marrying her would have provided Paul the funds to stay out of debt. Alex cannot allow that to happen.
Lady Claire is considered to have a curse due to the mishaps of the men with whom she has been engaged.
Each has befallen a mishap keeping her from ever marrying. She had been friends with Paul and believed they might even come to care for each other once married. At what would have been her betrothal ball, Paul sends her a note he will not be attending their wedding. In her distress to be alone at the ball, she finds herself outside and alone with Alex. He seems to be attracted to her and wants to protect her from his scoundrel of a former friend. They are ‘caught’ alone and an engagement and wedding quickly follow. Her uncle, the current Duke, warns Alex she is tender and to care for her. She is surrounded by family who chose to care for her rather than force her to marry.
This sweet couple comes to care for each other as they spend time together. She is enthralled by Alex, yet, does not completely trust him with her secrets. Nor does Alex want to tell her of his duplicity in how they were brought together or how he ruined her former fiancé. They slowly forge a relationship upon which to build a good relationship and marriage. Somerton has pressed Alex to tell her everything. So, you can guess what happens . . . .
You would never guess this is a debut novel as Janna MacGregor has written a heartfelt and heartrending story that keeps you interested to the end. Your heart breaks right along with this couple and the tragedies they have had to endure. Janna has interwoven the love, strength and loyalty of family into a captivating tale of two lovers who kept trying to find their HEA, not willing to give up until it seemed it was too late. I loved everything about this book. When you want to reach into your kindle and tell the hero to quit being an idiot and fess up, you know it is a good book. Thank you Net Galley for sharing this book in exchange for an honest review.

Outstanding debut!
The Bad Luck Bride is Ms. Janna MacGregor’s introduction into historical romance, and she does not leave you disappointed. There is not that awkwardness or timid story telling. I was pleasantly surprised by the steady flow of the story, the surprising twist and the steamy chemistry between our main characters.
In this story we find Alex, Lord Pembrooke, on a mission to avenge his sister’s sad passing. He blames an old friend for taking advantage of his sister, leaving her and ultimately driving her down the path of death. Part of his plan is to ruin his enemy’s engagement to our heroine, Claire.
Claire has had such terribly luck with engagements. Sadly losing past fiancés, which brands her with a curse. She needs to be able to successfully marry so that she can break the curse and move on. Sadly Alex’s plans get in her way and she is forced to marry him to save face. I was surprised how fast these two were able to connect, but it did not take away from the story. It was very intriguing to learn about the demons that were chasing Claire. The numbing memories of losing her parents to an accident in an awful storm and how much it still paralyzes her.
Alex was very sweet in trying to help her. He tried so hard to get Claire to slowly melt and share her fears, but yet still carried with him what he did to break her engagement, and not being able to break down and confess. I many ways, he was very selfish. Alex wanted Claire to be able to bare everything and yet he was not being very truthful with her as well.
The story did start to drag a little towards the end. There was a minute when I did have to pause and say, “Come On!...let’s move on and forgive him!” , but in the end, it did work well with the story. I must say that there were times I thought we were heading a certain path, and yet was pleasantly surprised by twists in the story line.
I look forward to future books from Ms. Janna MacGregor’s

"The Bad Luck Bride" is a 4.5 star read. I loved the story line, the main characters and the secondary characters as well. Alexander's sister has died by her own hand and he is hell-bent on revenge against the man he believes is responsible for her downfall, a man who used to be one of his closest friends - Paul. Paul is engaged to marry an heiress, Claire, and Alex will do anything to stop the marriage and take her as a bride himself.
Claire is a bad luck bride. She has been engaged four times and still not made it to the altar. She is starting to believe that she will finally be married to Paul, when he sends a note breaking their engagement at their engagement ball. Claire is devastated, but Alex steps in with a plan - marry him instead and pretend that she ended the engagement with Paul and not the other way around. Under duress, she agrees and finds herself starting to believe that she may not be cursed in truth.
Of course Alex goes into the marriage with devious intentions, but not toward Claire, just her former fiancee. Alex is interesting, he wants justice for his sister and will stop at nothing to ruin Paul's life, but he is instantly attracted to Claire and wants a real marriage. Claire is a completely sympathetic character that readers will connect with, she has a great amount of pain and trauma from when she was a child and lost her parents in a carriage accident. She was honestly in love with her first fiancee and lost him to a fever, she has lost so many people close to her. She is not the ordinary simpering romantic heroine virgin. Claire is starting to fall for Alex as well until she finds out her marriage isn't based on attraction or decency, but based on revenge.
There is sparking chemistry between Alex and Claire and passion. "The Bad Luck Bride" is a lovely story that peels the layers back on its two characters, until we find out who they truly are and what they will become as a couple. This is the first book I have read by Janna MacGregor, but it won't be my last. I hope Alex's sister and his best friend will end up together and get their own story. Really, really enjoyed the book.