The Marriage Bargain (Marriage to a Billionaire Book 1)

I absolutely LOVE this book! The story is fantastic, with a wonderful blend of romance, humor, and sensuality. Ms. Probst is a seasoned author, so as you might expect, the book is extremely well written, with three dimensional characters who are so well drawn that they seem real. Furthermore, the book is professionally published, so there are no amateurish editing issues, such as grammatical mistakes, incorrect spelling, or the like. Nick and Alexa are both wonderful characters; and I loved them equally (rare for me, as I usually like the H more than the h) Alexa is a fabulous heroine. She is feisty, smart, determined, witty, bubbly, impulsive, and quirky. Nicholas, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. He's calm, always in control, super organized, and plans every step before making a move. When we meet Alexa and Nick for the first time, she is fourteen and he is sixteen. Alexa and Nick's younger sister, Maggie, are best friend; Nick is Alexa's nemesis. He lives to torment the poor girl, but she gives as good as she gets! After the prologue, the story then jumps ahead thirteen years. Alexa and Maggie are still best friends; although Alexa and Nick haven't seen each other in almost ten years. Alexa is in desperate need of $150,000 in order to help her family out of a financial crisis. She figures the easiest way to get this money is to find a man who has an extra hundred grand lying around. To achieve this end, Alexa performs a love spell--yes, you read right...a love spell!--asking the earth mother to provide a man who fulfills a specific list of requirements, including having the money that she needs for her family. Her number one requirement?--that he be a Mets fan. LOL Nick too is in desperate need of a woman--although for completely different reasons. Nicholas is now a successful architect. He needs a wife for one year, in order to secure his inheritance. Getting married is the last thing that Nicholas wants, but his back is against the wall--it's either get married and get control of his uncle's architectural firm, or don't get married and become a figure-head with no real power (these are the terms dictated in his Uncle's will.) As far as Nick is concerned, the latter isn't even an option. So a wife a is needed. Nick makes a list of all his requirements for a wife...none of which Alexa meet...well none, except for one "woman I can trust." When Maggie discovers that Alexa needs money, she comes up with the idea for Nick and Alexa to get married. He gets a wife for a year, and Alexa gets her $150,000. Nick's first reaction when Maggie suggests Alexa as a potential wife, is a resounding, hell no! Alexa absolutely does not fit the image he has for his wife. She's too stubborn, too impulsive, and absolutely too reckless! Unfortunately, Nick has no other candidates in mind, and has a deadline to meet, so Alexa it is. When the two finally meet to discuss the marriage contract, Nick immediately discovers yet another criteria Alexa does not fulfill, "a woman I do not desire to sleep with." ROTFL Alexa is a hot siren, and Nick can barely concentrate. I laughed so much during the contract scene, my side started hurting. Nick tries to play hardball with Alexa, but she's more than a match for him. I love the way the negotiations went down... Alexa: "You have a list of requirements?" Nick: Just a few qualities I'd like my wife to have." Alexa: You want a hostess, an orphan, and a robot all rolled into one...You want a Stepford wife without the sex. Haven't you learned anything about women since you were fourteen?" Nick: "As my wife, you'll need a proper wardrobe. You'll get an allowance and have access to my personal shopper." Alexa: "I'll wear what I want, when I want, and pay my own damn way." Nick: "I have a huge deal on the line, so you'll need to make nice with the other wives." Alexa: "I can manage to keep my elbows off the table and laugh at their stupid jokes. But I need to be free to run my own business and enjoy my own social life." And when it came to the sex clause! OMG! I almost choked, I was laughing so hard! In any event, an agreement is reached and the two get married. From there the story progresses to the HEA. Of course the nice, easy, unemotional, business deal of a marriage that Nick envisioned is anything but. Pretty soon he and Alexa toss the "no sex" clause out the window and the two are knocking boots. I'm happy to say that this does not happen right away, and when the two finally do have sex, I thought the timing was perfect. The sex scenes are hot and steamy, and are tastefully done--no crude language!--and add a nice element of sensuality, without overwhelming the story. As time passes, feelings begin to develop between the two and love blossoms. Nick is terrified of marriage, commitment, and family. He and Maggie had a horrible childhood, being raised by selfish indifferent parents, who had no use for their children, other than as pawns to use against each other. Nick's biggest fear is that he will turn out like his father, and he doesn't want to subject a child of his own to the same suffering he had to endure. In Nick's mind, marriage equals messy emotions, which eventually lead to heartache, and inevitably divorce. As for Alexa, she accepts that at the end of the year her time with Nick will come to an end, but is decided to accept whatever he is willing to give her, and make the most of the time she has with the man she loves. The story that unfolds is sweet, touching, and absolutely captivating! It held me hostage from beginning to end! The book is just about perfect. It has everything from romance, to humor, to steamy sex. Shoot it even has an epilogue--I love epilogues--where you get to see Nick and Alexa some months after they declare their love, which is very sweet. The book is so wonderful that this is the second time that I've read it--both times cover to cover! I loved it so much, that after I borrowed it from the library, I went and bought my own copy. So, if you're in the mood for a good, grown-up, realistic romance, look no further. Just get yourself a copy of this book, sit back, and enjoy. Happy reading! FYI, the epilogue in this book is a perfect set-up for book two, The Marriage Trap (Marriage to a Billionaire Book 2) . As a matter of fact, the real focus of the epilogue is Maggie, as evidenced by the fact that the chapter is labeled "Maggie." LOL In any event, Maggie and Michael are the h and H in book two. Both characters are introduced in this book, and the two even have a dinner date, although we, the readers, only hear about it after the fact; apparently it didn't go well. LOL In the epilogue we get to see Maggie and Michael together for the first time. Michael is a business contact of Nick's, who appears in the story, and eventually becomes a close friend. Maggie, however, is convinced that Michael is in love with Alexa, and worries that he is a threat to her brother's marriage. She doesn't hide her feelings and is very hostile towards Michael. It's this love that Michael supposedly has for Alexa that he uses manipulate Maggie into agreeing to pretend to be his fiancee in book two. I had to laugh when I read the blurb for that book, because while Michael obviously is very fond of Alexa, I don't for one second believe that he is in love with her. IMO, Michale has the hots for Maggie, but she can't see the forest for the trees. I can't wait to read that book! I have it on hold at my library, but if it's half as good as this one, I'll end up getting my own copy of that book too. My poor wallet. Sigh! I just pray I wont have to wait too long for a copy to become available.

I enjoyed this series. i do recommand reading all of the books. they are light enjoyable love stories that are very entertaining. View tips and guidelines | Submit You must be over 13 in order to write reviews on Amazon. Your review will be marked as an Amazon Verified Purchase. We will email you at [email protected] as soon as your review is processed. Here are some tips for writing great reviews: Do explain why you liked or disliked this product. Do compare to similar products and share how long you've used this product. Do identify specific attributes (e.g. comfort & fit of a shirt or the battery life of a camera) and whether they met your expectations. Don't describe your seller or shipping experience (you can do that at amazon.com/feedback). Don't include promotional content of any kind or reviews written in exchange for compensation. To see the full guidelines for writing reviews on Amazon, go here. The Marriage Bargain Jennifer Probst How do you rate this product? Headline or summary for your review (required) Write your review here (required) Consider: Why did you choose this rating? What did you like or dislike? Who would you recommend this product to? View tips and guidelines | Star Rating, Title & 20 more words required.Submit You must be over 13 in order to write reviews on Amazon. Your review will be marked as an Amazon Verified Purchase. We will email you at [email protected] as soon as your review is processed. Here are some tips for writing great reviews: Do explain why you liked or disliked this product. Do compare to similar products and share how long you've used this product. Do identify specific attributes (e.g. comfort & fit of a shirt or the battery life of a camera) and whether they met your expectations. Don't describe your seller or shipping experience (you can do that at amazon.com/feedback). Don't include promotional content of any kind or reviews written in exchange for compensation. To see the full guidelines for writing reviews on Amazon, go here. The Vincent Brothers Abbi Glines How do you rate this product? Headline or summary for your review (required) Write your review here (required) Consider: Why did you choose this rating? What did you like or dislike? Who would you recommend this product to? View tips and guidelines | Star Rating, Title & 20 more words required.Submit You must be over 13 in order to write reviews on Amazon. Your review will be marked as an Amazon Verified Purchase. We will email you at [email protected] as soon as your review is processed. Here are some tips for writing great reviews: Do explain why you liked or disliked this product. Do compare to similar products and share how long you've used this product. Do identify specific attributes (e.g. comfort & fit of a shirt or the battery life of a camera) and whether they met your expectations. Don't describe your seller or shipping experience (you can do that at amazon.com/feedback). Don't include promotional content of any kind or reviews written in exchange for compensation. To see the full guidelines for writing reviews on Amazon, go here. The Vincent Boys Abbi Glines How do you rate this product? Headline or summary for your review (required) Write your review here (required) Consider: Why did you choose this rating? What did you like or dislike? Who would you recommend this product to? View tips and guidelines | Star Rating, Title & 20 more words required.Submit You must be over 13 in order to write reviews on Amazon. Your review will be marked as an Amazon Verified Purchase. We will email you at [email protected] as soon as your review is processed. Here are some tips for writing great reviews: Do explain why you liked or disliked this product. Do compare to similar products and share how long you've used this product. Do identify specific attributes (e.g. comfort & fit of a shirt or the battery life of a camera) and whether they met your expectations. Don't describe your seller or shipping experience (you can do that at amazon.com/feedback). Don't include promotional content of any kind or reviews written in exchange for compensation. To see the full guidelines for writing reviews on Amazon, go here. The Marriage Mistake (Marriage to a Billionaire) Jennifer Probst How do you rate this product? Headline or summary for your review (required) Write your review here (required) Consider: Why did you choose this rating? What did you like or dislike? Who would you recommend this product to? View tips and guidelines | Star Rating, Title & 20 more words required.Submit You must be over 13 in order to write reviews on Amazon. Your review will be marked as an Amazon Verified Purchase. We will email you at [email protected] as soon as your review is processed. Here are some tips for writing great reviews: Do explain why you liked or disliked this product. Do compare to similar products and share how long you've used this product. 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Don't describe your seller or shipping experience (you can do that at amazon.com/feedback). Don't include promotional content of any kind or reviews written in exchange for compensation. To see the full guidelines for writing reviews on Amazon, go here. Showing 11 of 38 unreviewed purchases Show 10 more items Showing 5 of 12 published reviews Back to You December 18, 2012 Amazing!!!! (edit) 0 comments Love Unrehearsed: The Love Series, Book 2 December 13, 2012 Great story (edit) 0 comments Just For Now November 20, 2012 Excellent!!!!! (edit) 0 comments My Favorite Mistake November 14, 2012 sweet! (edit) 0 comments Chance Encounters November 13, 2012 Good read (edit) 0 comments Showing 5 of 12 published reviews Show 7 more reviews Write your reviews using the traditional review authoring page Need Customer Service? Or do you have feedback about writing product reviews?

All romance lovers out there, make way for the superbly talented Jennifer Probst who has succeeded in earning herself an auto-buy spot on my already long list of authors whose books I wouldn't hesitate to purchase. Not only do I immediately purchase Jennifer Probst's books, but I stop everything I am reading at the moment and plunge into her books with an enthusiasm that tells a story of its own. 27 year old Alexandria Maria McKenzie (Alexa) is in a bit of a dilemma. She needs a husband, preferably with $150,000 to spare and she needs it fast. Brushing aside her ideals and her image of the perfect husband to share her life with isn't easy for Alexa. But she will do it because she is willing to do everything in her power to rescue her family home. And so Alexa casts a little love spell, all the while feeling a bit silly but nevertheless hopeful that Mother Earth would send her way, a man who would meet all those qualities that she wants in a man together with that wad of cold hard cash to give as well. 30 year old Nicholas Ryan (Nick) is in a bit of a fix as well. Nick has a fortune at his fingertips, but his Uncle Earl had changed all the rules of the game at the last minute and left him hanging. His dream of owning Dreamscape, the architectural firm that brings out all his emotions and creativity in one stride would belong to him, only if gets married before the stated time is up. Nick is a man who doesn't believe in happily ever afters, large families and the strength of a love between two people that defies all odds and logic. And he is certainly the direct opposite of what Alexa envisions as a husband for herself and nor is he too thrilled to know that his only viable option of a wife for a year is none other than his childhood tormentor Alexa herself. 14 year since that humiliating experience that had broken Alexa's heart, she meets an altogether more controlled and formidable Nick, whose cold and hard way of looking at a marriage leaves a lot to be desired. But Alexa is desperate enough and thus she enters into a bargain which would give them both a marriage in name only, merely a business transaction on both sides, cold and aloof right from the onset until the 1 year period is up and both parties go their separate ways. But neither Alexa nor Nick thinks of those messier emotions that could botch things up, or those tendrils of desire that slowly erupts, leaving them both wanting more and brings in the possibility of that elusive thing called love that could last a lifetime. Jennifer Probst surprised me with The Marriage Bargain. I was already in high anticipatory mode when I started on the book, knowing that Jennifer would not disappoint me. What surprised me, and all in a good way I must add, was the thread of humor that was introduced into the book right from the very beginning. Humor and red hot passion is an unbeatable combination in any romance novel and I was a goner from the first chapter itself. Alexa was a character I loved right from the very beginning. Her sense of humor, her loyalty and kindness, the way that she gives everything she has got with no expectations of gaining anything back in return were some of those traits that drew me towards her in the same way way that Nick continued to be as the story progressed. Alexa is a woman who is comfortable with who she is, a woman who is helplessly drawn towards her husband as she had been when she was much younger and more naive, already in love with a man who had no illusions about love and happily ever afters. And Alexa's well rounded family certainly makes for a heartwarming addition to an already character driven story that proved to be of the unputdownable kind. Nick *sigh*, Nick is a character I am going to be remembering for a long, long time. He is a man torn between the desire he feels for his altogether too alluring for her own good wife, a woman who confuses and befuddles him as no other woman ever has and his need for control that remains to be a thing of the past when Alexa steps into his life. He has no intention of staying around after the one year period is up to see where their relationship could go, already convinced that he would never make a good husband, a conviction born out of a childhood that had seen the endless battles of war waged between his parents. The sexual tension that Jennifer so cleverly weaves into the story is of the scorching variety, the tingles and jolts that the reader experiences right along with Nick and Alexa one of the best parts of the story. Jennifer has a talent for building up the tension until it is an either do or die impasse that the characters reach, and the reader cannot help but be drawn towards the magic that unfolds that just left my throat parched, in dire need of a cool, tall glass of iced water to smooth things over. Without gushing further on this aspect, I will just let my quotes section do it for you. And don't let me forget the verbal warfare between Nick and Alexa, Nick finally meeting his match in every way. A woman who doesn't back down, a woman who brings those little bits of color to his otherwise stark and empty life, showing Nick that life as he had known it is no longer an option for him. It is Alexa's patience when it comes to Nick, the way she draws the inner soul inside of him that years to embrace those emotions which Nick is afraid to name that just makes this one of the best romances I have read in a long while. A passion that is explosive as the love that unfolds is tender, a beautiful happily ever after that encompasses everything; Jennifer Probst delivers a fiery and wild romance that goes straight to your heart. Highly recommended! Rating=5/5

Maybe it's because I cut my teeth on Silhouette romances, but I've read this storyline SO many times that it's almost trite. And yes, I read the description beforehand so I knew what I was getting into and for $3 on Kindle, it was worth it for a fun vacation read. I thought that being written outside the Silhouette banner, it might be a little different. And it was. There was more sex. That was about it. The rest was the same rollercoaster, and predictable Oh No! moments. Don't get me wrong, I love a good sex scene. But some of them just seemed contrived. Your cheating at cards, I'm going to tackle you to look for evidence...OHMYGODTAKEMENOW. And, my personal favorite...when he stepped in dog crap and that somehow managed to lead to sex. Ohhhkay. I did like the characters - well, I liked Nick (he killed me with the little girl and the ice cream). Alexa kind of got on my nerves. Especially with the shelter dogs. Though I understand the reasons behind it, to show Alexa's compassionate side, it really pulled me out of the story. You can't expect to put more than 3 dogs in an enclosed room, where they're ripping up sheets and afgans, and not expect them to bark. Especially shelter dogs. but she managed to keep them from barking, while they were in a strange place and without a human around? Kinda hard to swallow. Also, one night wouldn't have made a difference unless they knew ten dogs were being adopted that night. When the sun came up, the shelter would still be overcrowded. Anyway. It was an okay story and a decent vacation read, but nothing that will stay with me or make the 're-read' list.

I read this book some time ago, pre-blog and pre-book review mania, and since it has been proudly sitting on my Favourites shelf ever since then and to celebrate its print debut on 4 September, I felt that it deserved to be revisited and reviewed in detail this time. "Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive ..." ~ Sir Walter Scott I honestly LOVED everything about this book! From start to finish, it kept me in a constant state of elation, the escapist in me doing cartwheels of joy every time I turned a page. This is a feel-good, funny, sexy, romantic story of two people who do everything they can to fight the chemistry between them, to only fail miserably at every turn. A story like this is a romantic escapist's dream come true. Alexa is a strong and independent young woman, a small business owner, in desperate need of two things - the man of her dreams and a large sum of money to save her family's home. Preferably in the same package. She dreams of a man possessing "loyalty, intelligence, humor, a strong sense of family and a love for animals, a healthy income." The solution to all her problems comes in the form of her childhood crush, her best friend's arrogant older brother, whom she has not seen ever since he broke her heart when they were kids. Nick is a successful architect who needs a wife for a year in order to inherit his late uncle's company and is willing to pay for it. He does not believe in "love everlasting, marriage, and family" but he is willing to have a fixed-term marriage of convenience with someone he trusts, even if that someone is the only woman capable of getting under his skin and making him question his resolve. "All women wanted marriage, and marriage meant messiness. Fights above emotion. Children tearing them both at the seams, wanting more attention. Needing more space, until the end became the same as every other relationship. Divorce. With children as the casualties." Alexa comes from a tight-knit family, a family that fights to stay together and fights for each other, and she would do anything for the ones she loves, even marry a man who she knows could never love her the way she dreams of being loved. "Could she stand being married to a man who made logic his God and thought monogamy was a female thing? ... Nick only experienced strong emotions for his buildings. Never for women." Nick, on the other hand, is the product of a broken home, whose parents' self-absorbed behaviour has taught him from an early age that marriages are as messy as they are short-lived. "Marriage is unnecessary. The dream of forever is a fairy tale. White knights and monogamy don't exist. ... Sure, people mean it when they confess love and devotion, but time erodes all the good stuff and leaves the bad." Two people with completely opposite views on most things, most importantly on the importance of commitment, but equally desperate to achieve their goals. The deal gets sealed, they marry each other and all their best laid plans slowly fall through. Neither of them quite expected for their loveless marriage of convenience to turn into an irresistible battle of wills, a delicious struggle against their ever-growing attraction, or to find their `soul-mate' in the midst of it all. They tear through each other's walls and become vulnerable to something neither of them have ever experienced or felt before. The more they fight the pull, the more the chemistry between them sizzles. Eventually they lose the battle and give in to all the pent-up frustration and emotions that have tortured them since their wedding day. But nothing is easy or uncomplicated when two equally stubborn individuals are trying to make a relationship work, never giving up or changing their views on what that relationship should look like in the long run. The highlight of the book for me were the dialogues, especially between the two main characters, Alexa and Nick. It is so enjoyable when a heroine with a smart mouth can disarm a man with only a few words - "It was nice to see you again, Pretty Boy." Alexa is a woman we want to emulate, befriend, idolize. Her only weakness is her fierce devotion to her loved ones which is also her biggest strength. Her larger-than-life personality disarms Nick, makes him question everything he has ever believed about love and relationships - she gives herself to him completely, unselfishly and shows him the truth of his feelings for her. "She gave for no gain of her own, no goal she needed to reach. Love was not a prize but something she owned inside and shared freely. Every night she took him deep into her body and held nothing back. The woman who was his wife was a fierce, proud creature who both shattered and humbled him, and he realized in the glimmer of firelight that he loved her. He was in love with his wife." However, love is easy, trust is hard and eventually their biggest challenge is shutting down their doubts about each other and trusting their hearts to have made the right choice. Nick's personal journey in this book drives the storyline and his emotional growth in the end is the catalyst for everything else. He shows us that it is never too late to become better people if what we are causes pain to the ones we love. Life is full of compromises, we give and we take, and sometimes life throws us a bone that is worth re-evaluating everything we hold dear just to keep it. A truly wonderful and uplifting book, a delightful writing style, even Ms Probst clichés leave a sweet taste in your mouth. The second book in the series - The Marriage Trap - comes out on 2 October and I have been counting down the days with pleasurable anticipation. ~ N ♥ See this review on my blog ~ [...]

Alexa needs love and money, and not necessarily in that order. Her parents are about to lose her childhood home, overwhelmed by debts from her father's medical expenses, with a younger brother in college, and two teenage sisters still at home. Alexa has sunk every penny into her bookstore, which is just edging into the black. She doesn't have a dime to spare to help her family, so she half jokingly performs a love spell that will supposedly bring her the man of her dreams to her door, complete with one hundred fifty thousand dollars. Instead of a man at her door, she finds her best friend Maggie. Maggie's brother Nick needs to marry in one week in order to inherit the architectural company he has put his soul into. All his dreams, everything he has ever cared about, hinges on owning Dreamscape. He just needs to be married for a year to someone he can trust, who won't disrupt the calm life he's worked so hard to build. When Maggie tells him about Alexa, he is optimistic. He grew up with her. Who better to trust in a short term, contract marriage, than a childhood pal? I normally don't like the whole contract marriage theme. This worked for me though because Alexa and Nick know each other. They'd grown up together. Alexa has remained close friends with Nick's sister even into adulthood. It's so unbelievable when a character agrees to marry a stranger responding to an ad in the paper, or someone she literally runs into on the street. The history between these two allowed me to overcome my instinctive reaction and enjoy the book. The characters in this novel worm their way into your heart from the first page. Alexa is artsy, impulsive, and fun. Her family is big, loud and loving, and you can clearly imagine her as the kind of childhood friend you'd keep into adulthood. Nick is from an emotionally distant, wealthy family. Even with the lack of parental affection, Nick clearly has fond childhood memories of eating cookies at Alexa's house, playing with the two girls, and teasing them horribly as older boys do. The back stories, with memories both happy and painful, are woven skillfully into the novel from both points of view. I actually laughed out loud at points. Nick awkwardly assisting a toddler with a bathroom matter at a busy family party. Alexa's and Nick's passionate and philosophical argument around baseball. And a hysterical incident involving some animal shelter dogs. The sexual tension is dynamically built to the breaking point. I seriously thought I'd have to go take a cold shower at a few points in the novel. The only criticism I have is that I wish the ending had been drawn out a bit longer. When the crisis in the relationship occurred, it would have been nice to see how each of the characters dealt with it, rather than such a quick resolution. Even so, the writing is clever and funny, the characters have depth, and the sensuality is hot enough to blow the shoes right off your feet.

I kept seeing this book pop up in my recommended reads, so I thought I'd check it out. The story sounded like it would be a great fit for our SSS. I really enjoyed the story and look forward to the next book in the series. I didn't realize it was going to be a series, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found out. I really liked Alexa. She's dedicated to helping her family even though she needs help with her business. Despite the problems her family has had in the past, they are loving and loyal to each other. So, Alexa and her best friend set a plan in place for Alexa to marry. Part of that plan includes marrying a man with money, so she can help her family. Her best friend has just the guy in mind. Her own brother. Nicholas Ryan needs to get married in order to solidify a business deal. He never planned on getting married, but he thinks if he can stick with it for a year, he'll have his deal signed. The problem is that Nick doesn't have any one in mind. Then, his sister approaches him with the suggestion that he and Alexa marry. It's a win win situation for the both of them. The thing is, Nick was Alexa's first crush. Years have past since they've seen each other, but their attraction is still there. Needless to say, they do marry and their feelings for each other grow. As time goes by, they learn to trust, rely, and deeply love each other. This realization is hard for Nick because of his own family issues. Alexa and Nick have their share of challenges along the way. Ex-girlfriends and Nick's father cast a dark shadow on their relationship. I really liked seeing how they battled through these interruptions. As for the steam factor...I would say the steam factor was medium-high. This isn't an erotic novel, but there is a lot of sexual tension and build up to the big event. The teasing was pretty hot, but I was ready for the real deal. While it wasn't overly graphic, I wasn't disappointed with the smexy. Nick is one hot guy. Overall, I really enjoyed it. The story developed nicely and the writing was good. I connected to the characters early on in the story and remained interested in the storyline all the way through. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, The Marriage Trap.

Smart, independent and vivacious Alexa McKenzie needed a man. Real bad. When her family is in danger of losing their home, Alexa conjures up a spell to bring her a man who held all the qualities she dreamed her soul mate would possess and had very deep pockets. She didn't have to wait very long because long-time best friend, Maggie, walks in and suggests Alexa marry her older brother, Nicholas 'Nick' Ryan. Nick has his own reasons to find a wife, quick. In order to inherit the majority of his family's company shares, Nick must marry and for it to last at least one year. Being the shrewd business man that he is Nick gives into his sister's suggestion and agrees to marry Alexa even though he has a very strong aversion to marriage. Although the "marriage of convenience" plot of The Marriage Bargain isn't all that new, Jennifer Probst was able to breath in some fresh air into an old premise. What I really liked about Alexa and Nick's arrangement is that they weren't two strangers who meet at an opportune time but actually had a past. Having known each other since childhood, Alexa harbored a crush on Nick until he smashed those dreams and broke her heart. With their history and hidden attraction for each other, the dialogue and interactions between Alexa and Nick were highly entertaining. It's doesn't take long before Alexa is able to unravel Nick and his cynical views of love, family and marriage. I instantly liked Alexa from the very beginning. She is extremely independent but loving, and very loyal to her family and will do whatever she needs to help them. Her compassion and free spirit is what essentially breaks down the walls that Nick had built up all these years. Coming from a broken home, it was understandable why Nick was so apprehensive to get too emotionally attached to a woman. Seeing him unexpectedly open up to the idea of love was beautiful and touching. The Marriage Bargain is a wonderfully fun romance read that will make you laugh, cry and fall in love with the characters. I was unable to put my Kindle down until I finished it. Alexa and Nick were very charming and the passion between the two was engrossing. Jennifer Probst is definitely a romance author that will be on my watch list.

Ok this book was just great. It was fast paced and a page turner. If you like slow burn then this one is for you. I honestly enjoyed it so much. It’s like a not good enough number out of 5. I really like this book. I wanted to buy a physical book but it’s like $45 AUD lol. Quite pricy for a paperback. Anyways I just bought the kindle version that’s all. Also can we talk about how perfect Nick Ryan is?! I don’t particularly like contemporary romance. Hell contemporary anything at all but this book is just *chefs kiss* 🤌🏻🤌🏻 It’s also smutty. Hehe I love that. Honestly probably my best read of the year.

This writer is awesome.She's able to put together drama,romance and comedy.Many times I caught myself laughing out loud.I've read some of her books and they are all worth reading.

This book was one of my recommendations by Amazon so I took the bait. Boy am I glad I did. This is a lovely story. It is funny and actually made me laugh out loud on quite a few occasions especially the bit involving the homeless dogs housed in a spare room. I kid you not. This is just a really lovely story. There were times when I was cross with Nicholas but then he redeemed himself. Alexa is a fiesty character and quite charming. She is definitely a sharer and giver a complete opposite to Nicholas. I have now received the second book which follows 2 characters in the first book. I hope I will not be disappointed. Jennifer Probst is a new author to me and I'm not always struck with American writers but this is a great read and I look forward to reading other stuff by her. You should at the end of the book have a lovely glow about you and a smile on your face. Enjoy....

I love books that entertain you from the very first page you start reading...could not put it down. Was such a nice read that I purchased the second book to it called the Marriage Trap. The author captures the reader's attention from beginning to end. Loved it!

A trilogy, but can be read on its own. I read the first & had to read the other two as well