Brooke Burroughs

Bernie hasn't had a vacation in a while. Her mom gets her a Groupon for an Alaskan Denali week long hike. While she isn't sure about it at first, she decides to go and channel her great-aunt Bernice who she is named after and who was a very adventurous woman. When Bernie checks in to begin the hike she finds that she is to share a tent with a guy named Matthew because the organizers thought she was a guy. Matthew is a screen writer who is trying to clear his head before pilot season. Will they or won't they get along? Well, since this is a romance, I'll say that they end up working through their differences. Overall I thought this was a fun story with some unique aspects to it. The writing flowed well and I was entertained. I really loved the character of Bernie. She was working through some stuff in her personal life, and yet she was willing to try the hike and didn't give in when the going got tough. I do like more relationship building in my romances, but due to the timeline of this one, that was not all that possible. Despite that, I felt the connection between Bernie and Matthew and loved their banter.

My sincere thanks to Montlake and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book and give my unbiased opinion of it. I recommend!… (més)

Bernie has been forced to take her vacation days. This is truly what she does NOT want to do. Her mother decides that she needs an adventure. So, she books Bernie on a hiking trip in Alaska. She thinks Bernie needs to start acting more like Great-Aunt Bernice. Bernie is named after her so she needs to be adventurous like her namesake.

The trip does not start off as planned. When Bernie arrives, she realizes she will have to share a tent with a cute guy named Matthew. Matthew is a struggling screen writer and he is on this trip to clear his head. He has no intentions of being stuck with someone who knows nothing about camping or hiking.

As you can guess, these two clash on a huge scale. I adore Bernie. She is a character after my own heart. She is an introvert, she loves smutty novels and she is the least adventurous person on this trip. But she has the best attitude. She basically rolls with whatever life throws at her. Then there is Matthew. He really has a great heart and it comes out as the novel moves along.

Give me a book set in Alaska and I am hooked. Add these great characters and cute little quips and you have a wonderful tale.

Need a cute, adorable read..THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel for a honest review.… (més)

Formula romcom. Couple meets under unfortunate circumstances. Each has been promised the project lead for a new product and believes the other is totally unqualified for it. When Emma wins the project (RIishi believes unfairly), the pair are forced to work together. Of course it becomes a love/hate situation where both are the convinced the attraction in unreciprocated. Sound familiar?
The situation is complicated in that she is a flaming red head American while he is from Southern India. Running the project requires her to move to Bangalore where she has no friends and no clue about local cultural norms.
He is under pressure from his family to marry (ideally an arranged marriage) to a local woman who understands the culture, would submit to her husband and mother-in-law and maintain the familiy’s traditions. The urgency (aside from the global parental refrain, “So when are you going to give us grandchildren?”) is that Rishi’s sister has reached a marriageable age but cannot, within local tradition, marry unless her older brother marries first. He wants to marry for love and hasn’t found the right woman yet.
Running throughout the book are all the prejudices held by the characters themselves and the communities they live in. A Northern Indian bride would not be appropriate for Rishi because she wouldn’t understand the rituals or know how to cook the right food. Marrying for love is always ruinous. Arranged marriages are best because they provide a safe, comfortable relationship with the community norms where love will eventually grow.
Jane Austin did all this a lot better!
The eponymous marriage code refers both to a program Emma wrote to find the”perfect bride” for Rishi – one who could meet all cultural expectations and still be a companion he could love. It also refers to all the strictures cultures (both his and hers) place on “acceptable” marriages.
It should be no real surprise how the book ends. Note: food and cooking are intimately involved.
It’s a cute but hardly outstanding book. It has all the elements for a Hollywood/Bollywood summer movie. Just don’t hold your breath for another Bride and Prejudice.… (més)