I think Jo had goods reason to marry Professor Bhaer. It would seem strange for someone in today’s time to marry someone so much older, but back then, it was not as unusual. I think that he seems ideal for Jo because of all the knowledge he possesses, and his experiences overseas. These are both things that she yearns for and she is getting them vicariously through his stories. He is intriguing to her because he is so complex. She refuses Laurie because he cannot give her that intellectual challenge that she longs for, and when she meets Bhaer, she finally gets what she is looking for.