The Bride Says Maybe audiobook

*Published first on Buried Under Romance Lady Tara Davidson was devastated. By the time she realized she was in love with her friend, Ruary, a stable boy who was her childhood friend, she had already thrown away her chance at happiness. Not only did Ruary marry another, but her own intended groom threw her over for her older sister (all of which happens in the first book, The Bride Says No). And now she comes back to her dilapidated home, only to find that her drunken father had sold her hand in marriage to Breccan Campbell to pay off his debts.Tara was furious. Breccan, laird of the Campbells, fell for Tara’s beauty at first sight, and secured her father’s vows just to force her hand in marriage. At first, he saw her as a vessel of beauty, a means of pride, for Breccan was seen as a brute – he was not beautiful; he was large as a troll and marrying Tara would give him something to show off. Tara, on the other hand, wanted a frivolous life in London, away from Breccan’s wild Scotland and away from childbirth and children.So they struck a devil’s bargain: Tara would give Breccan two sons and then she can live her life away from him as she wished. There will be no love, no partnership, only this compromise. Can a relationship that begins on such animosity have a future? And what will happen once Tara and Breccan falls in love?We sense early on that Tara and Breccan are more than they appear. Tara, especially, is a complex creature who is at once vain, loving, caring, and inclined to honesty. She has always been aware of her beauty, and she knows how to wield it to her advantage, yet she chooses not to, for she wants to be seen for herself, not as a pretty face or figure. Her vulnerability regarding her inward redeeming qualities is central to her growth in the novel, from that of a self-absorbed lady to someone willing to carry the burden of giants for a loved one. It is a fantastic yet realistic transformation, a tribute to Cathy Maxwell’s fine characterization.Breccan, similar to Tara, has been fighting the stigma associated with his large figure and unhandsome face. He sees himself as a troll unfit for beautiful Tara, yet he craves her regardless. His largeness only serves to contrast his gentleness, his dependence as a laird, his intelligence and care towards his people. He, too, realizes that Tara is more than he supposed, and he takes the time to understand her, truly forming a bond with the woman he bought.The plot progresses smoothly for the first 2/3, in between charming anecdotes and hilarious conjugal mishaps. However, near the last 1/3, a villain suddenly appears to throw a wedge in Tara and Breccan’s relationship, causing a Big Misunderstanding that betrayed Breccan’s characterization, as he chose not to believe Tara after everything he’s learned of her. This provided unnecessary frustration to their relationship, and disrupted the hitherto flow of the story.In addition, another weak point was the way in which the central conflict was resolved – Breccan needed to win money at a horse race (as he spent all on buying Tara) – as well as the abrupt ending. I felt slightly cheated that after all the characters have progressed in their relationship, there should have been a chapter more contrasting how their lives have changed post actualizing their love.In spite of that, I truly loved the complex layering given to the characters; how both Breccan and Tara were self-aware of their faults and sought to change themselves was a testament of their dynamic growth, and a resulting of their growing love for each other. Cathy Maxwell write with a flair for comedic sensibility, bring to life two characters who are perfect for each other in a sweet tale of love and understanding, paying homage to “Beauty and the Beast.” I highly recommend this story and am highly anticipating The Groom Says Yes, the final book of this series! *Review copy courtesy of the publisher via Edelweiss for an honest review

The Bride Says Maybe by Cathy Maxwell is a 2014 Avon publication. I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This second book is the trilogy reunites us with Tara, a young woman we met in “The Bride Says No.” She was not the easiest person to warm up to, and she got her comeuppance when the man she thought she really loved, married someone else. As this story opens, Tara is still pining for her lost love, but soon finds herself being sold into marriage due to her father’s gambling debts. The lucky groom? Breccan Campbell – “The Beast of Aberfeldy”. Tara manages to wrangle a deal with him which consisted of providing him with two children, then allowing her to return to London and live the life she so longs for. Naturally, when two strangers move in together, things don’t go as smoothly as they think it will. Will Tara learn to love her new life or will she really abandon her future children for a life in London? Although Tara has only herself to blame for her single status, she knows she is beautiful and could still snare a husband. But, under the circumstances Breccan is her only hope of having the life she so desires. It takes her a long while to grow to respect Breccan, but by George, I think the lady has finally begun to grow up! But, Breccan is the one who stole my heart. He was so funny, patient, and forgiving, but also human, given to doubts, and a little outburst of temper. He makes mistakes, looks into his own heart and realizes his initial motives toward Tara were based on a few unreasonable illusions on his part, and whole lot of lust. All this takes place against a backdrop of hilarity, especially when Breccan’s dogs are around. The stories Breccan tells, are poignant, and funny, and the banter between the couple was sharp and witty. This is a very light hearted historical romance, written the way it should be. The language was right, the customs were right, and the dialogue fit the time period, with only few slightly modern terms slipping through the cracks. It was good to see Tara finally show some maturity, meet her true love, and have her very own happily ever after. 4 stars

I threw a wish in the well, Don’t ask me, I'll never tell.I looked to you as it fell, And now you're in my way.- Call Me Maybe, Carly Rae JepsenCathy Maxwell writes on the dedication page, “I am wealthy in my friends”. The perception of wealth is the basis of this book. The heroine, Lady Tara Davidson, is short on friends. A renowned beauty, Tara doesn’t have friends to guide her through beauty’s pitfalls. She grew up with her older sister substituting for her dead mother. Her sister married but returned home divorced from an abusive marriage, adding to the scandal that her father is a relentless gambling. Although Tara met “friends” in London during her debut, they simply envied her beauty and gossiped about her family. Tara, as a secondary character in THE BRIDE SAYS NO, walked away from an arranged marriage after she realized she stood in the way of two people finding love. She grew a heart ala the Grinch. Maxwell recaps the events of THE BRIDE SAYS NO in the opening chapters of Book Two, THE BRIDE SAYS MAYBE. Now it’s time to test Tara’s mantle.Unlike Tara, Laird Breccan Campbell is no beauty. He grew up being taunted for his oversized hands and awkward bearing. But he was comforted by a loving mother (who has since passed away) and supported by quirky uncles (one served in the Navy - a nod to the Navy blood that runs in Maxwell's family). Breccan is mesmerized by Tara’s beauty. He buys up her father’s debts to trade for her hand, thinking Tara’s elegance will bring respect to his family. Sadly, his family is the poor relations within the notorious Campbell Clan. Once again, Tara is forced into a marriage that she doesn’t want to a bear of a man. Still, she bargains with Breccan – she’ll give him two bairns in exchange for a life in London after she delivers. But she has to deliver living inside a medieval castle that has not been modernized to Regency standards. Likewise, she is greeted by a pack of indoor dogs who do not take kindly to her elevated status in their master’s heart. The “wedding night” is pure fun with the dogs!Tara soon realizes that Breccan’s clan may not be wealthy with money, but they are wealthy with love. Over time, Tara and Breccan fall in love, recognzing that their shared passion is wealth enough. Of course, there are a few hurdles to jump … and a villain from a previous series makes an appearance to stir the pot. Maxwell delivers all that I love about Scotland – the rugged majesty, the close connection with the land, the endearing characters within a family, and the realization that wealth is more than coin. I thank Maxwell for giving Tara the opportunity mature into a true Scottish lady … and rewarding Breccan with a partner who makes him feel beautiful inside and out. Recommended read for those who enjoy Regency romance, Scottish landscape, and a “Beauty and the Beast” theme.I received an ARC from Avon for an honest review.

Lady Tara Davidson, once the toast of London has been brought down by scandal. Wanting nothing more than to marry for love, she had run from a brilliant match in London to come back to the Highlands to marry her childhood beau, the stable master. Unfortunately, the stable master had fallen in love with a lady of his class, and when she tried to get back with her wealthy fiancé he had fallen in love and married her sister! Just when Tara didn’t think her life could get any more miserable or complicated, her dissolute father made an important announcement. He was “done in” and in order to keep himself out of debtors prison, had promised her hand in marriage to Breccan Campbell, the Beast of Aberfeld and laird of the valley’s most despised clan! Lordy, she may have to marry the beast but she definitely wouldn’t love him - or would she?*** After having read the first book of this series – THE BRIDE SAYS NO – I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about Lady Tara after she had acted like such a brat towards her fiancé and sister. However, I was very pleased right from the get-go that Breccan, her new husband, was no pushover - a down-to-earth brawny Scotsman, though I did have some concerns knowing how much Breccan had fallen in love with his lady wife. Frankly, THE BRIDE SAYS MAYBE was a total delight! In the beginning I was happy to see the Tara get her comeuppance, but Ms. Maxwell toned Tara down and before very long, Maxwell brought forth in Tara a sweetness and innocence which gave me hope, especially since by then I wanted to see Breccan happy. Maxwell had fashioned Breccan to my way of thinking as the underdog, no matter his ‘beastly’ reputation. Breccan was a product of his environment, and Maxwell described it well. Being a very big man, Breccan was not graceful and most would think him a big dumb brute. However, what he was underneath his gruff exterior was a very sweet and gentle man and not to be confused with a pushover. He was far from dumb, and he certainly wouldn’t be used. As you read you can see Maxwell describing that gentle giant with honor, caring and a deep morality. It did take time for Tara to realize her good fortune and just when it seemed all would work out as it should - a snake in the form of a greedy and nasty relative raised it’s ugly head to attempt to belittle and hurt Breccan and Tara’s new and happy life. Bottom Line: I loved this book, I loved the care Maxwell took in fleshing out the leads and secondary characters. Book #1 of this series was good, but to get the full impact of how Tara had grown one really should read them in order. Definitely a series I am looking forward to completing!Marilyn Rondeau, for www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com

I enjoyed that much more than I did the first book. Review originally posted at http://fictionvixen.com/review-bride-...The Bride Says Maybe is the second book in The Brides of Wishmore series by Cathy Maxwell. My main complaint about the first book, The Bride Says No ,was that it was all over the place as far as POVs and the woman who was supposed to be the main character, Lady Aileen, took such a backseat to her bratty sister that it turned me off. I didn’t believe the romance and was too focused on the decisions and actions of someone other than the heroine to really enjoy myself. To be blunt I wasn’t a big fan of Lady Tara when I finished the first book. Like, at all. But I was intrigued about how exactly Cathy Maxwell would redeem her character and turn her into a viable love interest after her childish, ridiculous actions previously.Now that her sister has married her intended and her childhood love has left her behind and married another Lady Tara is in a hard spot. She doesn’t realize how hard until her father calls her into his study one evening to tell her that they’re bankrupt. Done in. Broke. The only choice he has is to marry her to the man who purchased all of his debts and the marriage will take place that very evening. Her husband to be? The Black Campbell himself.Breccan Campbell is Laird of his clan. A big, brute of a man with a gentle heart who wants to do what is right and take care of his people. He has ideas that if they pay off will secure the futures of everyone who depends on him. Breccan hasn’t spent a lot of time in Tara’s presence, but he knows she’s beautiful and he wants her desperately. Enough to spend money he doesn’t have buying off her father’s debts in order to obtain her. Having spent his entire life being reminded of his enormous size, he wants Tara for her beauty and grace. But Tara isn’t about to be pushed into an unwanted marriage where she has no control over her future. So they strike a deal, she will marry him and stay long enough to birth him two babes, then she will be off to London where he will support her in a way she feels she deserves.The Bride Says Maybe picks up immediately where the first book leaves off. Tara still comes off as a selfish, hard-headed woman when she agrees to marry Breccan. This may be why I had my doubts going in, in fact after the first couple of chapters I was sure that Tara would never be believable as a love interest for such a wonderful, likable hero. Because Breccan grabbed my attention from the very beginning and the more I read the more I adored this big, hulking gentle giant. I simply love this type of hero.Then something happened. Tara started to change.When Tara gets to her new home she is taken aback by how crude and barren it is. There’s even a pack of dogs that run around inside like they own the place. Her husband is a stranger and she is a little scared of what is supposed to happen in the marriage bed. As Tara adapts to her new life she quickly learns that while her new family might be short on funds and manners they are big in heart. That’s when readers are finally clued in to why Tara thinks and acts the way she does. She may be beautiful, but she’s lonely and everyone who she’s ever loved has left her behind. It’s not until she feels safe and respected that she grows up and becomes much more likable heroine. Tara and Breccan’s romance builds and unfolds very slowly . There is a lot of time spent getting to know each other before they fall into bed and I very much appreciated that.There are plenty of misunderstandings, humor and shenanigans and this book is definitely more sweet than sexy, but I have to say I ended up reading it in one sitting. Which is something I can honestly admit I did not think I would do after being introduced to these characters in the first book. I had a few issues with the conflict at the end and how abrupt the ending was, but overall I found this to be another enjoyable historical romance by one of my tried and true authors. Final Grade- B-Favorite Quote:Yes, love. She was falling in love.And love surprised her. She’d returned to Annefield and the valley because she believed she loved Ruary.But now, she wondered if she’d ever loved before.Breccan was the one. One life; one love.

We first met Tara in The Bride Says No, where she was engaged to another man. She didn't want him, believing herself in love with the horse trainer on her father's estate. She ran away from her engagement, at which time her father forced her older sister to take her place. Tara then tried to break up the engagement between her old love and his fiancee, and when that didn't work, tried to get her old fiance back. She ended up with nobody, and facing the scandal of her actions. She still wants to marry for love, but that's looking unlikely while she's stuck in Scotland instead of being in London.Tara has begun to realize that she brought her troubles on herself. She also knows that she still wants to find someone she can love. She is also determined to find someone that will love her for herself, not just want her for her looks. She is smarter than people give her credit for and she wants to do something that matters, not just sit around and look pretty. Then her father promises her to a local laird, in exchange for the man's paying off his debts. Tara tries running again, but is caught by Breccan himself. Breccan is head of a local clan that doesn't have the best of reputations. He's also a very large man, which has earned him the title of "Beast of Abefeldy". He wants to marry and have children to pass his lands to, but finding a wife has been difficult. When he sees Tara he is immediately drawn to her beauty and thinks she'll make the perfect mother for his kids. He doesn't really think of her as a person outside of that.Their initial meeting is pretty funny. He catches her running away from him and is furious. He also still wants her. Tara doesn't want to marry him, but also doesn't want her father in debtor's prison. She puts her very agile mind to work, persuading Breccan to enter into a bargain with her in regards to their marriage. What they agree to is pretty interesting, especially as Tara is at a bit of a disadvantage regarding some of the information she is working with.Once they get back to his home, both have to face themselves and their own issues. Breccan has some self worth issues thanks to the way people treat him. He tends to be gruff and broody, which doesn't help Tara with her own fears. The information she has received about the wedding night has terrified her, which affects the way she acts around Breccan. At this point we actually do see another side to Breccan, and I loved the sensitivity he was able to show her. They start a process of getting to know each other and discover that they may actually like each other. I loved seeing Tara start to think about more than herself and begin to fit in around her new home. She also starts to see Breccan differently and her feelings about him begin to change. Breccan also begins to look at more than just Tara's beauty, and sees that she's even more than he could have dreamed of. He backslides, though, when his unpleasant cousin raises doubts in Breccan's mind about Tara's past, preying on Breccan's fears. I loved seeing Tara face him and start them talking again, and how they fixed their marriage. I liked seeing the cousin get a little of what he deserved at the end.

Tara oh Tara, how impetuous you can be. Having made Tara Davidson's acquaintance in the first THE BRIDES OF WISHMORE book, THE BRIDE SAYS NO by Cathy Maxwell, we find Tara to be somewhat spoiled and headstrong. Why, this lady ran away from London on the cusp of her wedding because of her refusal to marry a man she did not love. Lucky for her sister Aileen, who happily ended up with Tara's would-be groom and a perfect match in the end. In the second installment of THE BRIDES OF WISHMORE series, THE BRIDE SAYS MAYBE, Tara is still "in love" with horse master extraordinaire, Ruary and she will stop at nothing to convince him that she is the woman for him... Oh but wait! Ruary is engaged to be married to a local girl. So the plot thickens...Once again the Earl of Tay, substandard gambler and even more deficient father, has brokered a marriage for his daughter. This time the groom in question is Annefield's neighbor, Breccan Campbell who has paid the Earl for the "privilege" of his lovely daughter's hand, but Tara is still in love with Ruary, the common horse expert who even does business with Campbell. She is clearly opposed to any union with her wealthy neighbor, even if it will get her rogue of a father out of his financial straits. Breccan Campbell is known interestingly as the " Beast of Aberfeldy" and he is no simpering man of the ton. Breccan Campbell is a force to be reckoned with and he knows that Tara is going to be quite the challenge to win over, but he is completely up for that.I must say that going into a story where I was in DISLIKE of the heroine was quite an interesting proposition for me. This is where the unique talent that author Cathy Maxwell has comes into play with her plot twists and her distinctive sense of humor, which inevitably melts the ice around that DISLIKE. It certainly doesn't hurt to have a uber awesome alpha hero like Breccan Campbell as well, who is now one of my permanent Book Boyfriends. This book has it all, adventure, a touch of mystery and a fabulous romance between this seemingly unlikely pair. It is such a pleasure to see such a spoiled little lass like Tara see the light, especially when such a strong and entertaining Breccan is the one to show Tara that light. Grab your copy of THE BRIDE SAYS MAYBE... and your copy of the BRIDE SAYS NO for that matter. I promise, you won't be disappointed.~KIMBERLY~

Will you take a chance on love? When Lady Tara Davidson looked in the mirror she saw nothing spectacular, just a woman looking to have her voice heard. When Breccan Campbell first set his eyes upon her he found her beauty could be compared to no other and one factor alone made him want her as his wife. The respect that Breccan craved and the children he wanted to secure his future were all about to be laid upon Tara’s beautiful feet, and Breccan wondered would she accept. Granted Tara had little else to do but accept since her father, again had himself backed into a financial corner but that did not mean Tara would go quietly into that relationship. The pack that Tara and Breccan agreed upon made each of them feel they had the upper hand in the marriage, however was it true? Tara was raised without a mother so she felt she could have children and still live her life to the fullest while Breccan wanted her tied down to his way of life. Tara fought for her relevance in making Breccan’s castle her home and with a change her and there she was working on managing the present while setting the ground work for the future. Both Tara and Breccan were judged by their overall appearance and each wondered if their union could turn public opinion around. Each sought meaning in their lives and while they may have fought during the war for individual decisions, each night brought them closer to being of one mind about the love and life they could build together. If the past leaves them alone, and some good luck comes their way everyone’s opinion will matter and the only thing holding Breccan and Tara together will be their love for one another. When you think of charismatic characters; romance that makes you blush; and amazing story lines one author always comes to mind, Cathy Maxwell

This was a fast, fun read that I liked a lot. The heroine grew up in Scotland, neglected by pretty much everyone but the servants. She runs away from her noble fiancé back to the stable boy she grew up with and loved, but he's married someone else and gone to train horses at Newmarket. The hero is a big man whose always been teased for his size. He saw the heroine, became infatuated with her and bought up all her father's debt so he could marry her. She doesn't think much of him so she tries to run away again and gets caught by the hero. They argue, throw a few home truths in each other's faces--like the debts aren't hers so what's in it for her?-- and make a bargain. Then the real work begins. I was surprised at how fast this book read. It goes down easy with all the adventure and humor and angst and great dialog anyone could want. I really enjoyed it.

What a wonderful book! I read it in one sitting and stayed up well into the night to finish. The hero was my favorite kind -- a little damaged, a few imperfections, just enough to make him absolutely lovable! Ms.Maxwell has never disappointed me and this one went right to my "To be read again" shelf. Would have given it 7 or 8 stars but of course Goodreads is only happy with a maximum of 5.

Amusing.I met Cathy Maxwell at an author event once and enjoyed her. I want to love her books, but it's not quite there. This one was close except there were a few vague inconsistencies that niggled at me and I would like for her to mention some kind of foreplay....anything at all beyond kissing and

El primero fue bueno pero éste fue... Hermoso.Pocas veces me logro enganchar tanto con una historia, creo que desde La Canción de Anne, ningún otro histórico me había gustado tanto.El protagonista... Divino. Es grande físicamente, pero es inseguro, tierno, noble, caritativo, responsable y sobre todo muy inocente para su gran tamaño.La protagonista una mimada, ingenua chica que no sabe nada del mundo.

4.5 starsThis book follows the brat Tara from book 1, and I loved watching her evolve into a more strong/sensible person.Our hero is Breccan who is a very tall, strong, intelligent man, but he's also a very insecure man because of his size and strength, which was adorable to see.Seeing these 2 be vulnerable with each other really tugged on the heart strings and I was really invested in their relationship.