3.5 I love arranged marriages and contract troupes ..they always end up with delicious results. The Marriage Bargain while completely predictable was a fun fast read and one I thoroughly enjoyed. All the ingredients were there; sexual attraction, fear of commitment, tension and bittersweet moments. Alexa was a strong, caring, romantic character and I just clicked with her. Nicholas is our damaged, pretty boy who needs Alexa more then even he can imagine. The chemistry felt genuine and there was a nice mix of tender and funny moments.