Book Review: Lord Rupert’s Foolish Bride

The Official Blurb

“Rupert would never call her his foolish bride. She makes him laugh. She is lovely, amusing, and a mystery. All those tales about her could not possibly be true. Or could they?

To get the land he needs, Lord Rupert Veryan must marry Farmer Tolliver’s witless daughter. Gossip says Jenny was raised in a barn, denied an education, and used as a servant. Even if she could act like a lady, he would never wed a foolish bride. Rupert has no intention of putting his head in the parson’s noose to marry the wild young woman, until he meets her.

The lovely Jenny Tolliver waits for Rupert on the path to her home. She mocks him delightfully, refuses to marry him, quotes Shakespeare, and tells him kindly that no one wants to marry the poor youngest son of a wicked noble family. He insists his mother is not wicked, though he cannot deny the rest.

Jenny acts the fool in front of her father. Rupert is convinced she is afraid of the brute. If she is a somewhat uncivilized, surely being raised in a barn by a donkey could do that to anyone! Meeting Jenny has thrown him into a storm of passion and laughter, laced with pity for her life with Tolliver. Rupert wants the land and Jenny, but can she be taught to be a lady? Or will she forever be his foolish bride?

Spoiler Alerts & Trigger Warnings: domestic abuse, assault

 My book for Season 2 Episode 7 Fools in Love is Lord Rupert’s Foolish Bride by Maggie Jagger. Published in 2015, it’s an historical romance and a delightful read.

Let’s Talk About the Author

British-born Maggie Jagger lives in Canada. She wrote several romance books (as well as some paranormal and children’s fiction) between 2008-2015 but no longer seems to be actively writing. Which is a pity because I thoroughly enjoyed reading Lord Rupert’s Foolish Bride. Jagger’s approach to romance writing is to give her readers surprises and mix in flashes of humor with the love story. And it works, especially in this book.

My Spiciness Ranking

I’m giving Lord Rupert’s Foolish Bride a poblano on our Spicy Scoville Scale. There are some brief sex scenes with very minimal details. So, if you like your romance books to have just a hint of romance without graphic details, this book may be for you. While it certainly wasn’t steamy (the way I normally like my novels), I still enjoyed the love story between Lord Rupert and Jenny.

Let’s get to know more about our romantic leads.

The Main Characters

Lord Rupert Veryan is the last of three sons. He stands to inherit nothing as his father and older brothers are drunken gamblers who fritter away their money. Rupert is trying to secure a modest future for himself by becoming a land owner.

Jenny Tolliver is delightfully quirky. She has a pet donkey named Winifred Wellington. Because why wouldn’t you? Jenny pretends to be an idiot to avoid her father’s abuse but is actually very perceptive and intelligent in her own right. She’s been running her father’s farm for years.

Both Rupert and Jenny come from abusive families and they are both naturally gentle, caring people. But they’ve both had to learn to defend themselves over the year. Rupert can still be a little naive at times but Jenny is not afraid to fight for and protect them both.

The Storyline

Rupert makes an arrangement with Farmer Tolliver to gain a portion of lander from him and wed Jenny. Rupert and Jenny know a little bit about each other as acquaintances but not much else. Rupert just knows Jenny is more than what she seems and he enjoys their witty banter and conversations. And it certainly doesn’t hurt that Jenny is an attractive young lass.

Jenny agrees to the marriage (because it means she can escape her father) as long as she can bring along her pet donkey. Rupert senses how important Winifred is to Jenny and agrees to her request.

They are married in a quick and simple ceremony and the book follows their first two years of marriage. As the couple embarks on life together, they get to know one another very well and their personalist complement each other beautifully. They have lots of great witty banter and they are tender and loving with each other. The pair work together to solves a variety of problems & challenges they encounter — from their abusive fathers to Rupert’s lecherous and scheming brothers.

There are lots of plot twists and turns as well as surprises involving some mysterious characters. The book is definitely worth reading if you like historical romances.

What I Enjoyed About the Book

Rupert and Jenny make really great partners and I love Jenny’s spunk and bravery paired with Rupert’s gently, loving nature. He respects and values Jenny’s personality traits and never expects her to change nor does her ever ask her to do anything she doesn’t want to.

I also immensely appreciated Jagger’s use of the word “romantical.” I love this word and use it often in my vernacular.

Final Thoughts

If you want to hear more of my thoughts on the book, you can listen to the podcast episode on your favorite podcast streaming service. Or click here for our in-house podcast player. I share some fun anatomy references as well as my Romantic Reminder. You can also find out if I won the episode Boobie Prize. Want to read the book for yourself? You can get it here.

Have you read The Border Lord’s Bride? Let me know your thoughts on this book in the comments!