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The Marriage Bargain
The Marriage Bargain
The Marriage Bargain
Audiobook6 hours

The Marriage Bargain

Written by Jennifer Probst

Narrated by Coleen Marlo

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

About this audiobook

To save her family home, impulsive bookstore owner Alexa Maria McKenzie casts a love spell. But she never planned on conjuring up her best friend's older brother-the powerful man who once shattered her heart.Billionaire Nicholas Ryan doesn't believe in marriage, but in order to inherit his father's corporation, he needs a wife and needs one fast. When he discovers his sister's childhood friend is in dire financial straits, he offers Alexa a bold proposition.A marriage in name only with certain rules: Avoid entanglement. Keep things all business. Do not fall in love. The arrangement is only for a year so the rules shouldn't be that hard to follow, right?Except fate has a way of upsetting the best-laid plans . . .
LanguageEnglish
Release dateAug 2, 2012
ISBN9781452679341
Author

Jennifer Probst

Jennifer Probst is the New York Times bestselling author of the Billionaire Builders series, the Searching For series, the Marriage to a Billionaire series, the Steele Brothers series, the Stay series, and the Sunshine Sisters series. Like some of her characters, Probst, along with her husband and two sons, calls New York’s Hudson Valley home. When she isn’t traveling to meet readers, she enjoys reading, watching “shameful reality television,” and visiting a local animal shelter. For more information, visit her at www.jenniferprobst.com.

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Reviews for The Marriage Bargain

Rating: 3.9224137931034484 out of 5 stars
4/5

116 ratings31 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    what should I say?? nice short and hot as hell!!

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Deep heartfelt storyline. Couldn't sleep til I finished it in one day

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Really funny and well worth the time to listen to.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Alexa wears her huge heart on her sleeve and Nick is positive he has no heart. The marriage is arranged for mutual benifit..he for himself, her for her family.

    Nick's worst fear is to become like his father now on wife four. He knows he never wants children so that they won't suffer an emotionally lonely childhood as he did. Alexa has visions of a successful bookstore, the man she loves and of course lots of pets and children. After all, this sham of a marriage only has to last one year.

    As the book progresses we see through the wise eyes of Alexa, first the superficial layers and later the deep layers around Nick's heart fall away. They do find love, life and happiness but they needed to walk a path of learning first.

    I enjoyed the skill with which the characters developed through the pen of Probst. Very believable and very encouraging. A read of hope, goals and hot sex.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Definitely rushed but it was enjoyable for a 200+ paged book. I really thought they could have given them more depth. I mean, I loved Alexa and Nick, kind-of. He came off as a "tortured" guy, but not that I-really-want-to-comfort-this-guy-even-until-the-world-ends type of torture so I didn't really grow to care for him. His issues lacked promise. It was a vague history, just put out there and added some characters to prove his setbacks. If the book was longer, he really could have been a swoon worthy guy! He sounds dreamy but in all honesty, he didn't really make my inner goddess do cartwheels. (I'm still coming off of a mental and emotional high from the Fifty Shades trilogy). My heart warmed considerably at Taylor and the rest of Alexa's family. They remind me of the gentle hostility that my own family does when they grill an upcoming candidate for the family. I just about bursted with fits of "awww" on that bathroom scene with Nick and Taylor. It was beyond cute. As I said, I love Alexa's character. She was compassionate and radiating the sheer line of a woman to a treasure, and that's just what Nick needed. She was playful and headstrong as well. Probably one of the few heroines in a fictional book that I can salute to! She was definitely no Bella Swan or Anastasia Steele (although, I think Ana is headstrong at some points in the books, sometimes not in the most likeable moments).Very cheesy and cliche. The plot wasn't really something new and that shouldn't come off as a surprise. With this book, you won't be charged too guilty if you liked the going against the quote, "Don't judge a book by its cover" because the picture and the title screams exactly what it is. Oh, Jennifer Probst... why couldn't you just go all out with this one? I could've put those 5 stars into a permanent rest but after finishing, I was satisfied but I really felt like I just read the synopsis of the book.Maybe she'll make this a series with the same character or different characters within the same promising tone of the stories. The "billionaire" gig. Who knows, but I'm looking forward to reading her new materials if she did produce some.PS.I had like Dejavu and thought of the ABC movie, My Fake Fiancee, while reading this book

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A predictable romance, but also a cute and fun read. I enjoyed it.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I finished it, but not without a lot of eye rolling.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Great Book! Loved the characters, the sizzling romance, and especially loved the "marriage contract". My only complaint was that it was too short, I wanted more!

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: This is what happens when one person marries to gain control of a company and the other marries in order to aid family. Two worlds collide.Opening Sentence: She needed a man.The Review:There is just something that continues to draw me to marriage of convenience titles. Maybe because you only really get to know everything about each other when you live, sleep, work and eat together. More often than not this style of romance follows the formula: marry due to circumstances, grow to like and irritate each other, fall in love, catastrophe occurs, problem is fixed and then they live happily ever after. This book does not stray from the formula and yet I was entertained.The unique spin on this formula is that Alexa uses a spell in order to summon her soul mate. The problem is that Nick is everything Alexa doesn’t want. The only thing in his favor is that he can write a check out for $150,000 and never miss the money. On Nick’s part, he needs a wife to fulfill requirements to gain control of his company and not be worried about his wife developing feelings for him. The problem is that Alexa cares for Nick even before the ink is dry on the marriage certificate. In the end they both find that they need what the other can bring to the table and marry.The story moves along at a steady pace but doesn’t ever feel rushed or constrained. We are given opportunities to witness their heartbreak and joy before the book comes to its inevitable conclusion. One of my favorite scenes involves Nick and Alexa’s niece. There is nothing more endearing than to see a strong male humbled by a child’s tears. I was laughing so hard that I was afraid my side would split.What I truly enjoyed about this book was the verbal sparing between Nick and Alexa. She refused to take what he said at face value and would probe until she got to the truth. Nick, on the other hand, is a man that is fighting his past. The glimpse we get into his tragic youth provides the angst that he has carried with him into every relationship. In doing so, he becomes a more believable and lovable hero.This book has continued my passion for marriage of convenience titles and I shall be picking up the next book in this series to see what adventures Michael and Maggie must go through in order to find their own happily ever after.Notable Scene:He shifted his weight. His nod was halfhearted. “I guess.”“So, what about Gabriella?”He drew back in surprise. “How do you know about her?”“Maggie.”“Don’t worry about Gabriella. I’ll take care of her.”“Are you sleeping with her?”He flinched, then tried to pretend he didn’t care. “Does it matter?”FTC Advisory: Entangled Publishing provided me with a copy of The Marriage Bargain. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I liked the story as there was a lot of chemistry between the characters

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5


    GOSH I love the sexual temptations within the main characters!! The writing was great and stimulated a really clear images in my head. Sadly, I felt it a bit too rushed between the climax and the ending. And I didn't keen on the idea Nick in jersey to propose her wife back home again. Anyway this is short, hot piece to read! Gonna check another books from this author :)
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    as usual, the theme gets me every time. still fresh characters, great interaction. liked it alot.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A note to the narrator, please slow down and stop narrating all over, Pleaaase.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The Marriage Bargain was the typical marriage of convenience story, but the emotions of the characters and the quick-witted banter of the dialogue took it to another level beyond ordinary. Even though the book was fairly short, I enjoyed the development of the characters and the motives behind their actions. A simple story but well worth the read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Very sweet storyline, I laught, i even had tears in my eyes at some point! I will definitly recommend this author.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a cute, fun read. The writing was great, the characters were well fleshed out and easy to relate to, and dang! That cover is hot hot hot. *licks lips*

    The plot was predictable, but that didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the story. I will admit that there were a couple of places where we were in Nick's head and he thought things that didn't smack of "guy" (as I imagine men to think- figure that one out!), but all in all, this was a great book.

    Go Mets!
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    The Marriage Bargain by Jennifer Probst is a cliché smutty fanfiction that no matter what fandom you read, exist.

    Alexa needs money, and fast, so she marriages Nick, who needs to marry because (wait for it) he can't inherit his uncle's corporation unless married.

    Yes. Read it before.

    Not even the characters make the story any different.

    Alexa's passion is the literature, she writes poems and paints. And shelters animals from time to time. And is more of a giver than a taker. I couldn't stand her. She's hot, by the way. And she doesn't know it.

    Nick is hot. He got a supermodel ex-girlfriend. That's about all I remember about him.

    They don't behave like adults, and instead of dealing with their problems or saying whatever is happening they behave like teens and pout and sulk.

    That said, it wasn't such an awful book, it was entertaining and the author's writing is good, but the story just couldn't keep me interested.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Good book. The storyline is predictable, but it's a charming romance. Especially love that the heroine is involved with fostering for the local shelter. :)
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    An unexpected book for an unexpected story.Alexa a woman with a big heart who wants to help everyone and Nick facing an ultimatum to achieve his long lasting dream.I was hooked since the first line that I read and I have to admit it was also the same thing for every book of this sequel.I didn’t get bored by reading it which I usually feel with those romance books but not with this one, now even if they know that their wedding was just on papers and for the benefit of one another they couldn’t get away from the attraction for one another.I was an Alexa fun though not so much feeling for Nick spatially with the turn of the events.Still what a romance.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I truely wanted to smack both of the main characters at a couple points and yell TALK TO EACH OTHER! It was an enjoyable read, i finished it in a day and a half.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    LOOOL

    She gave an unladylike snort. “You want a Stepford wife without the sex. Haven’t you learned anything about women since you were fourteen?”
    “I learned plenty. That’s why Uncle Earl had to force me into an institution that favors women in the first place.” She gasped. “Men get plenty out of marriage!”
    “Like what?”
    “Steady sex and companionship.”
    “After six months the headaches start and you bore each other to tears.”
    “Someone to grow old with.”
    “Men never want to grow old. That’s why they keep seeking out younger women.”
    Her mouth dropped open. She closed it with one quick snap. “Children…a family…someone who will love you in sickness and health.”
    “Someone who spends all your money and nags you every night and bitches about cleaning up your mess.”
    “You’re sick.”
    “You’re deluded.”


    She narrowed her eyes. “I see you’re the same overbearing bully who teased me about my chest size. Some things don’t change.”
    He focused his attention on the dip of her dress. “I guess you’re right. Some things remain the same. Others keep expanding.”
    Her breath caught at the jab, but she surprised him when she smiled. “And other things remain small.” Her pointed stare settled directly on the bulge in the center of his pants.

    I like this book, quite a lot, I love Alexa and Nick, their clash of will, their humor ( “Do you have any Black Eyed Peas?” He looked puzzled by the question. “To eat?” She held back a groan). It was a sweet romance, although too short for me.
    I would love to read Maggie's story.

  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was fine.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Author: Jennifer ProbstPublished By: Entangled Publishing, LLCAge Recommend: AdultReviewed By: Arlena DeanRaven Rating: 4Blog Review For: Great Minds Think AloudReview:"The Marriage Bargain" by Jennifer Probst was a good romantic read and the book cover isn't too bad to look at either. I really laughed out loud at some of the hilarious humor that is in this storyline.This novel was indeed very sweet, funny and yet very interesting read. Ms. Probst did a wonderful job in getting Billionaire Nicholas Ryan and Alexa McKenzie(childhood sweethearts) together with both being believers. Alexa believed in family...rooting for the Mets and trying to live her life with a purpose. Nick on the other had believes only in things which he could control...like his career and very much his independence. Definitely this was two opposites that are drawn together in a romance that really turns into real love. After Alexa and Nick enter into a contract where they will be married for a year (in name only...with certain rules...avoiding entanglement...keeping things all business and not fall in love) ... but secretly did they have feeling for each other? This was a wonderful relationship between Alexa and Nick both having secrets to be worked out. What were the secrets? Now, this is where I say you will have to pick up this good novel "The Marriage Bargain" to find out how this turns out. You will not be sorry!I found "The marriage Bargain" a very amazing read that you will stay with until its beautiful ending leaving you smiling. I would definitely recommend this read to any adult who wants a good romantic read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Reviewed by StaceyReview copy provided by Entangled PublishingI am a huge fan of the whole “marriage of convenience” storyline and I believe that Jennifer Probst put an interesting spin on it to make it fresh, fun and sexy – with a hint of sass! Alexa wants to be married; she wants to fall in love with the perfect man and have her happily ever-after. He also needs to have $150,000 cash handy so that she can save her family home. Nick needs a wife to claim an inheritance; but he doesn’t believe in love ever-lasting. They are as opposite as can be and yet they both need each other immediately. The spin that author Jennifer Probst give us in “The Marriage Bargain” is that Nick and Alexa actually have a past; they have grown up together and have a history of friendship. We learn that Alexa had harbored a crush on Nick in her early teens but when the story starts up, we find that the two haven’t seen each other in years. Alexa is best friends with Nick’s sister but other than that connection, they are seeing each other again for the first time as adults. If I had once complaint about the story it is that the build up to romance was a little slow. Don’t get me wrong, there was plenty of heat and attraction but every time I thought that they were finally going to hook up, they were interrupted. Between mean ex-girlfriends, rogue stray dogs, the cops…I found myself getting frustrated! But when they finally fess up give in to their attraction? Woo-hoo! It’s hot, it’s steamy and best of all, it’s very realistic in the fact that they are both ready for this turn in their relationship and are able to let their guard’s down. With all good ‘convenience’ stories, their trip to happily-ever-after hits the familiar road blocks; one admits to love while the other feels trapped. I won’t give away who gives their heart first but I will say that “The Marriage Bargain” was a thoroughly enjoyable read and one that I will definitely pull out and read again. I read half of it in one night and woke up the next morning extra early to finish it before going to work!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Alexa needs the money. Nicholas needs the wife. They both need things the other can provide, so it seems only logical for them to join up and marry to satisfy both needs. It was an ideal arrangement. She’d get her money to save her family home, and he’d get the wife required to take hold of his family’s corporation. They wouldn’t fall in love, they wouldn’t dare even think about sex, it was strictly a business arrangement. But, when things begin to lead from one thing to another, the two find themselves wrapped in a steamy situation neither one signed up for—love.The Marriage Bargain was a light, cute read. It included bouts of humor, steamy scenes, and passionate romance. Though I still feel that there could have been room for more of the passion to flourish. For the most part it all seemed to be confused for lust which left me kind of befuddled as to how the two actually fell into “love” when they were surrounded by lust nearly every time things heated up.But don’t let that keep you from checking it out if you’re interested, those scenes were pretty hot. Not to mention the book had some dramatic moments that tugged on my heartstrings, and all in all it felt like I was watching a movie.Jennifer Probst is quite witty and gifted with keen writing abilities that kept me engaged from the first chapter and until the last page was turned. I’ve been looking for a book to read quite quickly and am glad to say that The Marriage Bargain has officially knocked me from my reading slump. I will definitely check out the other books in this series in due time, and will keep my eye out for future releases from this author. I give it a four out of five and am pleased that I read it.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    What happens when a special snowflake meets an unfeeling ass, why chemistry of course. This is one of those pairings where I feel the author took everything they could think of to make these two folks complete opposites and threw into the book. I’m not saying opposites can’t be attracted to each other but this one was beyond unrealistic.

    This book contains everything you need for a romance: a past between the two characters, fighting that turns to passion, stupid assumptions keeping them apart and of course jealousy. This is a very straight forward romance and there isn’t much more to add.

    You get what you ask for with this book which is a straight romance and that is exactly what this is almost to point of being formulaic. I needed a “brain-break” due to high work stress and decided I hadn’t listened to a good old romance in a long time and chose this one. Now why didn’t I rate it any higher than 3 stars; I didn’t because my taste in stories is changing and I almost didn’t finish this because it was a little too straight forward.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I did enjoy this, a fun read, even though it was a predictable story. I laughed at the part about the dogs invading Nick's impeccable home. I didn't expect the comedic part of it, so that's why I gave this a four star rating.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Marriage Bargain is a great beach read. The story is preditable, but I still enjoyed. Basically it is about two childhood friends, Alexa and Nick, that need each other for financial purposes only... or so they think. In reality, they need each other on a more basic level but that can't admit this to each other. Most of the book is about how they try to avoid their feelings for each other. When they finally admit to themselves, and each other, that the attraction is there and has been for awhile you get a nice tidy happy ending. Total beach, fluff read but I still really enjoyed. Nice to have a book that you love the characters and requires little thought.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I'd like to know who all these gorgeous, modern men and women are who end up having to get married to save their job/fortune/life. Is that even legal? The "marriage of convenience" plot has been done before, but who can resist characters who are extremely different being thrown together and falling in love?The Marriage Bargain relies on several tried-and-true conventions, but the most annoying is: The Perfect Heroine. Alexa could not possibly be any more "good." She marries Nicholas, because she needs money. Why? This is the part where you hope she's gotten into a scrape somehow. Drug deal gone bad? No. Gambling debt? No. Shopaholic facing a credit card crisis? No. She needs money to give her parents to save their house. (By the way, the parents don't have an elicit story, either. They're in debt because of her dad's medical bills.) Throughout the entire book, we are confronted with more evidence of Alexa's inherent goodness, to the point that I realized if she were an actual person, I would loathe her. I would possibly consider hiring a hit man to be rid of her. Who can live up to this perfect female specimen, who is able to inspire some kinky lust-thoughts from a Billionaire (with a capital "B")while also saving her family's home, refusing to accept one more penny from her insanely rich husband, and helping him heal himself. (He was but a shell of a man until Alexa made him whole....) Oh, and let's not forget that she volunteers for an animal shelter and is able to rescue a dog and bring him out of his shell, too. I'd vote for Alexa to be a saint if I could. No, scratch that. Running your own business, then going home to greet your husband with a freshly cooked meal, glass of wine, and hot sex? She's ruining everything for the rest of us.Nicholas comes across as a jerk with some severe issues. As great as Alexa is, I think he needs more help than she can give. Intensive counseling at the least; possibly even shock therapy. He mistreats her at times, even after we think he's redeeming himself and realizes he loves her. The last conflict seems to exist only to create a dramatic moment to preface the movie-like ending scene, which (much to my chagrin) is pretty great, if I do say so myself.That's what makes this book so frustrating. While some parts had me rolling my eyes in frustration, it was not without its moments. The best parts, for me, were the times they spent around Alexa's family. Alexa and Nicholas are so intense, they need other characters as balance. Alexa's family helped Nicholas experience acceptance and a somewhat normal familial relationship, which affected his character and ultimately, the outcome for the couple. Despite some of my frustrations, I'll admit that I kept reading, because I was interested enough to want to finish their story. Warning: This book contains graphic sex scenes.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Oh, this is a walking cliché or better yet a written cliché and I absolutely loved it to pieces. The dynamic between Alexa and Nick was so good and in spite of being very similar to some other books, I don't really care. I totally recommend this to anyone who is as much a sucker for romance as I am.