Jan 062014
Secondhand Bride (McKettrick Cowboys Trilogy #3)
Dear Reader:Willow is a novel from early in my career, and it was originally shorter than many of my other historical romances. Now, I’m delighted to be able to share this brand-new edition with you. I’ve taken the opportunity to expand Willow to include the subplots, love scenes, and deeper characterization that are possible with a longer book. I hope you enjoy reading this retelling as much as I have enjoyed visiting these characters and this story once again.In 1883, the railroad had only
List Price: $ 7.99
Price: $ 2.44
My first western was really good…,
Jeb McKettrick is a wild one who never kept out of trouble. The story opens as he is running, literally, from one such example, a fiery heroine named Chloe. Chloe catches him between the bulkhouse and a pile of manure surrounded by angry chickens and the story explodes into action. We discover that the beautiful Chloe is actually Jeb’s wife who was abandoned after one hour of marriage, discarded hastily once Jeb discovered she was already married. Chloe argued that he was her only husband and if he would just listen he would understand….but he is a man.
Generally I am a Regency only kind of gal, but I was desperate for something to read and this was sold in the hospital gift shop. Somehow this book was meant for me because I thought it was splendid. The cast of characters was so rich, I want to read the whole series. A definite good buy.
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A Perfect Weekend Read,
This was the perfect story for curling up on the sofa with a cozy blanket, and a sleeping cat or dog at your side. Jeb and Chloe’s story was heartwarming.
I enjoyed that their story began after things between Jeb and Chloe had already become very developed. I felt as though I was thrust right into the story from the very beginning, and couldn’t put it down for very long until the last page. Jeb and Chloe are head strong, yet you can’t help but fall in love with them.
I’m looking forward to reading the other novels in this series. And I’m hoping that I will get a change to read Holt’s story as well. He’s such an interesting character, I think his would be a wounderful tale.
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Exellent !!!,
I just love Linda Lael Miller. For the handful of books I’ve read of hers that I haven’t cared for, there are ones like this that more than make up for it!! Who couldn’t fall in love with Jeb and his carefree, reckless, wild ways? He reminded me of Jesse in the McKettrick contemporary series, and if I go back and look, it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s a descendant of Jeb’s.
The book started out lively, and stayed that way until the end. Chloe was a perfect compliment to him and I loved the relationship between all the brothers, including Holt. Miller has such a way of writing that makes you feel as if you’re living right back in those times too, and I love some of her phrases, such as when Jack wants to bait Lizzie with a doll, and Sue Ellen tells him that would be akin to teasing a wildcat with a stick. It gives you such a great insight into what these characters are really like.
I did, however, have just a couple problems with the storyline. First, if I remember correctly, in Shotgun Bride, Emmeline had a miscarriage somewhere in the story, and it was devastating to both her and Rafe. But yet, in Secondhand Bride, Angus keeps harping on his boys to produce grandchildren, wondering why nobody has. I thought that was just a tad callous, given what happened to Rafe and Emmeline. My second problem is that, while I know Miller likes to produce brave and strong heroines, but given that Jack knew where Chloe was, and that she was living alone in a little cottage at the edge of a barren little town, and knowing that he was after her, threatening her, frightening her, it just doesn’t seem conceivable that she would have stayed there alone at night. And then slept. I can’t imagine anyone being that brave, particularly when she knew how dangerous he was. And why was it that her and Jeb’s divorce was going to take a year, but she divorced Jack much more quickly?
All in all, however, it was a really good read and I stayed up half the night to finish it. Being tired at work today was worth the read.
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