Synopsis:~

Marrying a stranger to save a ranch is one thing; losing the land on their wedding day is another.

Desperate to keep the ranch where three of her children and a husband lie buried, Annie Gephart must marry or sell. Which of the few bachelors in town would consider a surprise proposal to wed a plain widow with a rebellious daughter, a spirited boy, and unpaid taxes—without laughing in her face?

Jacob Hendrix has never fully let go of his ranching dreams despite ending up as a small Wyoming town’s marshal. The job wouldn’t be so bad, except he’s more errand boy than lawman. When Annie proposes marriage without a single coquettish bat of an eyelash, can he commit himself to a woman he hardly knows for a choice piece of property he’d be an idiot to pass up?

But taxes aren’t all that threaten Annie and Jacob’s plans. Cattle rustlers, crumbling friendships, and wayward children make this marriage of convenience anything but. When they lose what they’ve sacrificed everything to save, will the love of a stranger be enough?

Romancing the Bride is the first book in the Frontier Vows Series by award-winning Christian romance author Melissa Jagears. If you like heartwarming marriage-of-convenience stories, you’ll love this sweet romance filled with endearing characters.

My take:~

Melissa Jagears continues to impress me, always breathing fresh life into a saturated genre, and using tried and true tropes with distinction, clearly displayed in Romancing the Bride. The marriage of convenience between the widowed, Annie Gephart – still in love with her late husband – and Marshal Jacob Hendrix, content as a bachelor until Annie’s shocking proposal, is a tender love story that unfolds naturally. The authenticity of her characters is a trademark of Jagears novels – they are never too sweet or too perfect, they stumble and struggle and make mistakes, and appeal to me even more as a result. Annie’s emotional heartache as she grieves the husband she still adores while slowing falling for the husband she is married to, is perfectly written. The faith elements of this story are equally genuine and thought-provoking. Romancing the Bride is another excellent story from one of my select must read historical romance writers.

With thanks to the author for my review copy. My thoughts are my own.

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