Wednesday, January 29, 2014

ARC Review: Montana Bride by Joan Johnston



*Received from NetGalley*
Montana Bride
(Book #3 in the Mail-Order Brides series)
Amazon | Goodreads | BN

Author: Joan Johnston

Publisher: Dell (January 7, 2014)
Genre: Adult, Historic Western Romance, 416 pages
ISBN-10:  0345527488
ISBN-13: 978-0345527486
ASIN: B00DXKHGIS
My Copy: ARC eBook






SUMMARY:
When Karl Norwood’s mail-order bride meets an untimely demise on the way to the Montana Territory, Hetty Wentworth steps in to take her place. Hetty has no idea how she’s going to pretend to be all the things she isn’t—including the mother of two kids. She only knows her deception is necessary if she’s going to save two orphans from the awful fate she suffered as a child.

Karl smells a rat when a much younger woman than he was expecting arrives with two children who look nothing like her. But his mail-order bride is so beautiful, he doesn’t object—until he realizes that his charming new wife has been lying . . . about everything. Can a woman forced to keep secrets and a man hindered by distrust ever hope to find happily ever after in each other’s arms?
MY REVIEW:
ERMERGERD. Joan Johnston does it again. *le sigh* I absolutely loved books 1 & 2 of the Mail-Order Brides series and book #3 is no different. We first met Hetty in book #1, a brief introduction as one of Miranda's little sisters. And then again in book #2 when she was traveling with her little sister, her twin sister Hannah and Hanna's sick husband Mr. McMurty.

Keeping secrets and lies is something Karl Norwood does not approve of, but that's exactly what Hetty Wentworth does to help two children on their mission to a better life. And Hetty just can't bring it to herself to leave these children behind. So she takes on the lie that she is a woman who she is not and has these children whom she just met and hardly knows. Not only is Karl expecting a woman with children, but a woman with experience as a wife: in the bed. And Hetty is far from an experienced woman.

When Karl first meets Hetty he already notices she's a lot younger than she pretends to be and that these children can't possibly be hers. As they look much different from her. They must have different fathers! Despite the fact that Hetty didn't want to do this in the first place, she goes on about it, to give herself and these children a better life. All the while carrying guilt with her about her previous "loves" death. And I put love in quotations because when you first get a real glance at Hetty's personality, she's flirty and beautiful and loves the vying attention of men. Even if that meant she had to put them at each other so that the one she wants will pop the question and that eventually that led to the death of a man she loved. I liked Hetty's character. She's not a push over, a bit stubborn and she's caring to a boot, definitely a Wentworth breed. 

Throughout the book Hetty is having a hard time keeping these secrets and she's having a harder time falling in love with Karl. She knows she doesn't deserve him but as time passes she slowly starts seeing things with a clearer eyes and falls for Karl. Does she tell him? Of course not, not like he would believe her, especially since their marriage started out with a pack of lies. Karl, Karl, Karl. *swoon* bookish nerdy and slowly learning to become a leader and an alpha, yes, I said it, ALPHA male. He knows what he wants but he's too scared to give his heart what it wants, and what it wants is Hetty. And not just her beautiful body, but her heart as well. Will Hetty and Karl free themselves of the lies that surrounds them and become a family or will the lies tear them apart? Well, you're just gonna have to read and find out!

LOVED this book, like all of JJohnstons' books. If you love yourself a good historical western romance, then you definitely need to pick up this book! BUT, before you do that pick up books 1 & 2 :)

Click HERE for my review of TEXAS BRIDE (Book #1 in the Mail-Order Brides series)
Click HERE for my review of WYOMING BRIDE (Book #2 in the Mail-Order Brides series)

MY RATING:
 



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