ARC REVIEW: Wyoming Bride: A Bitter Creek Novel by Joan Johnston

WYOMING BRIDE: A BITTER CREEK NOVEL

(Mail-order Brides #2)

by Joan Johnston

5 HEARTS

From Goodreads

The sensational second novel in Joan Johnston’s new Western historical romance series set in the world of Bitter Creek.

CAN SECRETS AND SECOND CHOICES EVER LEAD TO LOVE? 

 After three months in a mail-order marriage, Hannah Wentworth McMurtry is a widow—pregnant, alone, and near death in the Wyoming wilderness. Though she is saved by a man with a face cut from stone, she still grieves the husband who died on their journey west. Hannah needs a husband, but does she dare marry another stranger? 

 Flint Creed has also lost someone he loved—when the woman he hoped to marry chose his younger brother instead. Now he must find a ranch wife of his own. But every female in the remote Wyoming Territory is too old, too young, or already married . . . until he discovers Hannah on the prairie. Flint doesn’t pretend to love her, but he doesn’t tell her he loves another woman, either. Hannah doesn’t pretend to love him, but she doesn’t tell him about the child she carries. Though danger surrounds them on the Wyoming frontier, the greatest threats of all are the secrets within—revelations that could destroy the new life Hannah and Flint have begun to cherish.

I absolutely loved this book.  Wyoming Bride is the 2^nd book in the Mail-order Brides series by Joan Johnston.  I liked the first book, but it didn’t hold a candle to this one.

In an attempt to save her sisters Hannah Wentworth offered herself up as a mail-order bride.  She’s found herself married to a shy, gentle, kind (if inadequate) man, traveling west with a wagon caravan.  She’s ready to start a life with her new husband and sisters.  If the vision of her future with Mr. McMurty seems a bit underwhelming she’s just going to have to deal with it.  One very unhappy, uncomfortable and unsatisfying wedding night might not be what it’s all about.  It may all get better once they are settled.  As life often does, all that Hannah was prepared for changed in a second.  Kicked off the wagon train, her husband dead, sisters gone Hannah is pregnant, all alone and fighting for her life.  Enter Flint Creed.

Flint Creed is in love with his brother’s fiancé.  This is really bad considering he loves his brother and would never want to do anything to hurt him.  He has to find a way to make it work considering they will be sharing a home once his brother and his bride are married.  It seems like divine intervention when he comes across a beautiful widow barely holding on to life.  He saves her life by taking her home and nursing her back to health.  He then proposes a marriage of convenience.  This is the perfect solution to his problem.  He can have another woman in the house to take the stress off of being there with the happy couple and he can have a helpmate and partner without the emotional ties that most women expect.  What he doesn’t expect is the strong feelings that come with having Hannah in his life and bed.

She didn’t want to be a bother.  He wanted her to know she was no bother at all.  That for her, he would carry the world on his shoulders.  All she had to do was ask.

I will repeat I loved this book.  It was essentially the story of Hannah and Flint, but we get the double pleasure of delving into the love story of Emaline and Ransom.  Both of these stories are lovely and worthy of the read.  Joan Johnston has to be the best historical romance author out there, in my humble opinion.  I can not wait for the opportunity to read more about the next 2 Wentworth sisters and what their journey will bring.

Thank you to NetGalley for the loan of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Hotness Rating 

4 out of 5