The Marriage Bribe by Amber Cross
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by MistflowerPrissy is drowning in debt. Her only hope lies in finding a man equally desperate to marry her for six months so she can cash in on a big payout.
Logan has a solid reputation as a respectable businessman, yet he’s worried that won’t be enough to guarantee custody of his late brother’s unborn child.
When Prissy offers him a bribe-half her money for six months of his life-he takes the deal to strengthen his case with the courts.
Prissy doesn’t care why he agrees, if it means she can sleep through the night without visions of debt collectors coming to take her away.
It’s a simple deal. Live together for six months, and they both walk away better for it. But will they be able to walk away from the attraction growing between them?
When I opened The Marriage Bribe to the title page, I noticed a tagline beneath the title: A grumpy/sunshine marriage of convenience love story. I couldn’t have summarized the plot better myself—it perfectly captures the essence of this book.
The hero, Logan, carries emotional baggage so heavy that it fully justifies his grumpy demeanor. Personally, I’d describe him as downright bad-tempered at times, considering how mean he could be. Meanwhile, the heroine, Prissy, is the ultimate ray of sunshine—relentlessly positive and full of energy. She presents Logan with an offer he can’t refuse: a marriage of convenience. If they stay married for just six months, they’ll both receive a significant sum of money.
At first, Prissy doesn’t know (or care) why Logan agrees to the arrangement—she’s too focused on her own financial struggles. She’s drowning in debt, and this deal is her only way out. However, the why behind her situation turns out to be a dramatic plot twist I didn’t see coming. Her reason for needing the money also explains her over-the-top optimism, which makes for an interesting contrast with Logan’s brooding personality. Between the two of them, there was almost enough drama to drown me—but luckily, the supporting characters helped balance the story and kept it flowing smoothly, leaving me eager to keep reading.
Set in a small town where everyone knows each other and lends a helping hand, the story has a charming community feel. From Prissy’s coworkers and family to Logan’s close-knit group of friends, I loved how the secondary characters enriched the narrative and made the town feel real.
The chemistry between Prissy and Logan was sweet. Their mutual attraction was complicated by the boundaries of their agreement but watching them navigate those feelings made the romance even more satisfying. I especially enjoyed the ending, when they renegotiated the terms of their marriage—I always love a happily-ever-after!
If you enjoy small-town romance with a grumpy/sunshine dynamic and a heartfelt love story, The Marriage Bribe is definitely worth a read.
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