Showing Average rating 3. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Aug 13, Lois rated it liked it Shelves: romance , black-books , historical-fiction , books-i-own-digital-copy , person-of-color-author , african-diaspora-interest , books-i-read-in , poc-pov-char-or-peripheral-char , slavery-non-fiction , brain-candy. Not a bad story but the romantic lead is manipulative and abusive. I know that can be common in romance but in this context, I'm not sure this can be salvaged.
View 2 comments. Mar 22, Shelia Brown rated it it was amazing. I reread parts of this book today and look forward to the sequel. Lord Welling is grief stricken over the loss of his young wife, Eliza who died during childbirth.
He sees images of Eliza when he looks at Precious. Precious was Eliza's slave. Precious' eyes are almond shaped and brown with flecks of green just as Eliza's eyes were. How could that be? Sometimes he addresses Precious as Mouse, sometimes as Madame. It's an interesting book. He is unable to relate to his son but Precious has become I reread parts of this book today and look forward to the sequel.
He is unable to relate to his son but Precious has become a surrogate mom to Jonas. How will Precious adapt to a new location and the bargain that Lord Welling proposes? Will Precious flee? Will she stay? She loves Jonas as much as she would love her own child. Lord Welling will probably do some real soul searching in the sequel. He feels his hands are clean regarding slavery. Jewel had spunk and courage, a likeable combination.
However, there were too many unanswered questions. It is not a 'Happily Ever After' type of reading I look forward to. View 1 comment. Dec 05, Aleen rated it it was amazing Shelves: series , short-stories-novellas , regency-romance. I'm a big fan of books that are in series, however this is the first time that I've read one that has serialized parts to it.
The Bargain, Part 1 is the beginning of the tale that revolves around the slave Precious Jewell. The story starts out in Regency England and in future installments will progress to Port Elizabeth. You get thrown into the story right away and it takes you for a ride starting from page one. Precious experiences the loss of her mistress with whom she's close to during childbi I'm a big fan of books that are in series, however this is the first time that I've read one that has serialized parts to it.
Precious experiences the loss of her mistress with whom she's close to during childbirth and it seems that her life is about to change. No more my slave. She will care for my son, Jonas. Precious makes a promise to look after Jonas, but soon finds out that freedom is not that easy to obtain.
She is a cynical character. One who has been through so much suffering and disappointment. Trust is not something she gives away easily. Her inner monologues are true to her character. They were ingrained in her brain, and the consequences of disobedience had cut scars on her back. After all, she's been waiting two years for him to grant her freedom. Two years of taking care of his son, who now thinks Precious is his mother.
The Baron is a haunted man, haunted my his wife. Depressed and desolate, constant reminders are ever present. He even finds similarities between his wife's eyes and that of Precious. Although, I might have an idea However, it is his compassion and duty to his son and wife's memory that makes him strike up a bargain with Precious.
He will be leaving for South Africa to mend relations with the slaves and decides that he doesn't want to leave his son behind. The Baron realizes the closeness between his son and Precious. It convinces him that there could be an alternative to granting her freedom.
A 5 year bargain is struck that forces Precious to become an indentured servant. However, she has plans too and will wait until the right time to execute them. My thoughts: This was really well written. Even though we were just introduced to the characters, they were still interesting. I liked the fact that this Regency was different than those I've read before.
The protagonist being a slave was new to me and I find that it was a refreshing change. The only aspect I didn't like was that the POV changed suddenly. It kind of threw me off guard at times. Overall, I'm invested in this series and intrigued as to where Precious will end up, and how she will grow as a character.
NOTE: This is a serial, which means that there is a cliffhanger. Conflicts from Part 1 are resolved, but the story is not over yet. Jun 12, Cherrie rated it liked it. Precious Jewell started off strong but ended up being an annoying character. I got through this book but am not intrigued enough to want to go to the next book in the series. Not my favorite read at all. Apr 22, D rated it it was amazing. The Bargain Good story and I can tell by the story line that this will be an awesome series.
Yes, I can't wait to see what happens next between Jewell and Lord Wellington. Jan 05, Ann rated it it was amazing. Beautifully Written! Absolutely loved this 4-book serial. The Bargain, Episode 1 starts the story of Precious Jewell, a slave. Eliza died in childbirth, but not before giving birth to a son, Jonas. Lord Welling refused to bond with his son, and simply expected Precious to take care of the child.
Of course, Precious made not too subtle attempts to encourage a relationship between Lord Welling and Jonas. However, Lord Welling would have none of it Beautifully Written! However, Lord Welling would have none of it.
Compounding the situation is the fact that Precious wanted her freedom. Instead of rushing to sign papers to give Precious her freedom, Lord Welling is determined to keep her in her current position. He even found himself enjoying his encounters with Precious and watching her womanly figure. Truly enjoyed the dialogue and the chase between Lord Welling and Precious. Read on!
Thanks, Vanessa! Highly recommended. Sep 05, Fionna Guillaume rated it really liked it. As the author explains, this story is the first episode in a series of soap opera-esque mini-stories, each of which stands alone but clearly leads to something more. That is the impression one gets after finishing The Bargain. And, like every good soap opera, it does make you want to read on to find out what happens next!
I found this well written, with believable Regency-era language and social norms. Precious Jewell is instantly likable; I can see myself rooting for her throughout the story. Al As the author explains, this story is the first episode in a series of soap opera-esque mini-stories, each of which stands alone but clearly leads to something more.
Also, I'm intrigued to see how colonial South Africa will be portrayed later on. All told, this is a nice intro to what promises to be an interesting historical romance. Jun 26, Paula Shreckhise rated it it was amazing Shelves: romance , owned , e-books. This is the first part of a serialized story. It was quite interesting. I liked the author's way of putting words on the page. It feels realistic to the time period and her choice of words are never redundant or overdone.
I liked the story also. There is just enough information given to pique my interest to pursue the rest of the story! Good job Vanessa Riley! Nov 19, AmazingJ rated it liked it. Each of these 4 books has around pages. I hate to say this but I needed to read something short in between of waiting for my book order to arrive and I remember I had this copy of this ebook somewhere in my old thumb drive and I decided to read it.
I don't think Precious Jewell actually had any kind of attraction to Gareth in the first episode although she d Ummm I don't think Precious Jewell actually had any kind of attraction to Gareth in the first episode although she did acknowledge that he is handsome. I like that Precious is very tenacious about her freedom who isn't and she fights for it. I like that she speaks her mind although I do feel like she is rather brave to do so without having her mistress around.
Risky thing to do. I do feel like there is hardly any cosmic attraction between these two main protagonist IfIi'm being honest, I don't think I will continue this series. It's a shame though because it is not a bad story. Feb 12, Latoya Wilson rated it really liked it.
Would've been five stars This is a great story, gripped me from beginning to end until I saw the season 1 tacked on but couldn't find season 2. I don't know if authors are preparing for a movie deal or what these days.
Since I couldn't find season 2, I stopped at book 1 season 1. No point in continuing if I can't finish and season 1 is three years old. I am going to follow this author and hope she finishes the series Let's go, Vanessa. You have a beautiful story on your h Would've been five stars This is a great story, gripped me from beginning to end until I saw the season 1 tacked on but couldn't find season 2.
You have a beautiful story on your hands, this reader needs a finish line. I haven't read a serial before and I love how this first episode took off. Precious is a great character, I love how she is spirited and opinionated and how she already doesn't let Conroy get away with anything.
I'm not such a fan of Conroy who can't seem to understand why Precious wants her freedom in the first place, but I can't wait to see what happens when they go to Port Elizabeth. It's definitely a series I want to continue! May 28, Debbie Whitlock rated it liked it. Short and sweet This was a pretty good book.
I believe the plot and characters could have been more developed. I also believe you can make this one complete story instead of novellas. May 27, Kathleen Gray rated it it was amazing. The characters in this novel bring life and heart to this story, each with a distinct voice and personality.
They made reader love them, they made reader sad, they made reader angry, they made reader laugh, they made reader cry, and they made reader believe in the promise of love and home.
It is an extraordinary piece of work, a perfect balancing act with terror on one side and love on the other. This exceptionally well-written novel is all about suspense, thrill and drama, including the relationships between generations and what happens between long-standing friends.
The characters are sensitively portrayed, as is their recovery, and the hopeful ending is realistic. Readers of domestic dramas will be enthralled. It is perfect for a long plane trip or a rainy weekend. This book is available in ePub and PDF format with a single click unlimited download.
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