Book Review - Bride for Keeps

A Bride for Keeps is the first novel in the Unexpected Brides Series.

Although Everett Cline can hardly keep up with the demands of his homestead, he won’t humiliate himself by looking for a helpmate ever again–not after being jilted by three mail-order brides. When a well-meaning neighbor goes behind his back to bring yet another mail-order bride to town, he has good reason to doubt it will work, especially after getting a glimpse at the woman in question. She’s the prettiest woman he’s ever seen, and it’s just not possible she’s there to marry a simple homesteader like him.

Julia Lockwood has never been anything more than a pretty pawn for her father or a business acquisition for her former fiance. Having finally worked up the courage to leave her life in Massachusetts, she’s determined to find a place where people will value her for more than her looks. Having run out of all other options, Julia resorts to a mail-order marriage in far-away Kansas.

Everett is skeptical a cultured woman like Julia could be happy in a life on the plains, while Julia, deeply wounded by a past relationship, is skittish at the idea of marriage at all. When, despite their hesitations, they agree to a marriage in name only, neither one is prepared for the feelings that soon arise to complicate their arrangement. Can two people accustomed to keeping their distance let the barricades around their hearts down long enough to fall in love?

*******

This is the first time I have read a book by Melissa Jagears and I would gladly read another! Her writing style is easy and kept me interested in the story she was telling. The story really brings your mind back to simpler times when life was less complicated. The story of Everett and Julia was heartwarming. The fact that Everett had some hard luck with his mail order brides was amusing but led you to think that they were not the right brides for him and God had something better in store for him. The fact that they married and grew to love one another despite bumps in the road also made this an interesting read. I found myself rooting for them and hoping that everything would work out!

I would recommend this book and author to others! Looking forward to the next one in the series!

"Book has been provided courtesy of David C. Cook and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller.”