It’s a match made in heaven…as long as they don’t fall in love!The ranch Nolan Key has spent decades working for, even lost a leg for, is now his—or at least it should be. But an absurd clause in his father’s will means he’s in danger of losing the place to his lazy, undeserving cousin. Nolan finds himself scrambling to save his home—by proposing marriage to the town laundress. Corinne Stillwater’s hands have betrayed her. Numb from hours of doing the same work over and over, her hands will only heal, according to the town doctor, if she gives up the laundry and marries. But she’s been stung repeatedly by love before, so that is one remedy she can’t swallow. When Nolan offers Corinne a marriage in name only, how can she refuse? Such a partnership could give them the security they seek, but what if the ranch isn't as secure as they believe, and their lives—and dreams—aren't quite as compatible as they thought?Pretending to Wed is the second book in the Frontier Vows Series by award-winning Christian romance author Melissa Jagears. If you like marriage of convenience stories that deal with the nitty-gritty of making a relationship work, you’ll love this authentic romance set in a time gone by that tackles issues still relevant for today.
My Thoughts
Marriage of convenience is my absolute favorite trope, enough so that that’s basically all you need to say to convince me to read a book! And it’s even better when it’s by an author that I know I enjoy! So when I heard about this story I of course jumped at the chance to review it.
This one was a little different than most marriage of convenience stories in that both of the characters had previously decided to never marry and so when circumstances forced their hands they very much approached the whole arrangement as a business deal and were very clinical about the whole affair. The moments where they found themselves slipping up on the “no romantic nonsense” rule we’re definitely my favorites even if they weren’t acting on their thoughts!
Both Nolan and Corrine had physical limitations/ailments and both of them were too stubborn for their own good when it came to properly resting and/or taking care of themselves, which honestly was a little frustrating at times. They also were not great at communicating which led to problems that could have been avoided or at least handled better if they’d just have had a conversation. Their romance was still sweet overall though and made me smile several times!
Nolan’s cousin on the other hand did not bring any smiles and his conniving, slimy, manipulative ways made me what to give him a solid boot to the you-know-what and give him a one-way ticket to Siberia.
So while this wasn’t my favorite of Jagear's works it gave me the full range of emotions and if it sounds like something you’d enjoy I encourage you to check it out for yourself!
Meet the AuthorMuch to her introverted self's delight, ACFW Award winner and double INSPY finalist Melissa Jagears hardly needs to leave her home to be a homeschooling mother and novelist. She lives in Kansas with her husband and three children and can be found online at www.melissajagears.com, Facebook, Pinterest, and Goodreads.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
