Hitched in a hurry…
To a stranger!
When rancher Jake Simpson hears of his philandering
cousin's upcoming marriage to Lady Caroline Evans, he can't let it happen: the
good-for-nothing groom's bound to someone else! But storming to London and
stopping the wedding leaves Lady Caroline in need of a husband…
Honor bound to save her reputation, Jake offers himself
-- and a ticket to accompany him back to Texas, where gossip can't hurt her.
It's supposed to be an arrangement of strict convenience, but Jake didn't count
on finding Caroline's sweetness quite so charming. Soon he finds himself
wondering whether this rugged cowboy can win his refined English wife's heart…
Good book that grabbed my attention from the start. When
Texas rancher Jake hears that his English cousin, Edward, is about to marry, he
rushes to London to stop the wedding. During a recent visit to Texas, Edward
compromised the daughter of a powerful politician. Jake vows to haul his cousin
back to Texas to marry Faith, who is expecting his child. The scene at the
church is fantastic, with Jake dragging Edward out by his collar.
And the bride? Surprisingly, Caroline is relieved at the
interruption. She had not wanted to marry the philandering Edward in the first
place, but was forced into it to save her family from financial ruin. Unfortunately,
with the public interruption of the wedding, Caroline is now the focus of
rumors and gossip.
Jake feels guilty about the damage done to Caroline's
reputation. His only option, as he sees it, is to marry her himself and take
her back to Texas with him. He and Caroline are practical people, and each sees
the benefits of their approach. But both have been burned by relationships gone
wrong and decide that a marriage in name only is the way to go. I liked seeing
them get to know each other. They quickly become friends, and Caroline looks
forward to her new life in Texas. Neither expected the sparks of attraction
between them, and do their best to ignore them.
But Jake is carrying some baggage from his previous
relationship and worries about trapping Caroline in a life she isn't
comfortable in. The more time he spends with her, the more he can't stop
thinking about her, and he starts regretting his insistence on no intimacy. But
he promised, and he won't go back on his word. Unknown to him, Caroline's
feelings have also deepened, but she believes her feelings aren't returned.
There are several instances where misunderstanding or misinterpreting the other's
words prevents them from being truthful about the way they feel.
I loved their arrival in Texas. Jake is happy to be home,
and Caroline is fascinated by her new world. There is a bit of a hiccup when
Jake's little sister is less than welcoming, but it doesn't take long for
Caroline to win Nellie over. Jake and Caroline's feelings for each other
continue to grow, but both fear rejection and keep quiet. A dangerous storm and
some straight talk from a friend wake them up to possibilities, but can they
overcome their insecurities enough to take the risk? I loved the ending, and
the epilogue provided a great glimpse into their future.
The secondary characters were great. Caroline's aunt and
uncle took in Caroline and her brother, Frederick, after their parents passed
away. The love is there, but both are oblivious to the realities of life,
wrapped up in their own hobbies. Frederick arranges Caroline's marriage to Edward,
seeking to capitalize on Edward's need to marry. Jake's aunt and uncle
(Edward's parents) are good people who are horrified by Edward's actions. I
liked how they supported Jake's desire to return Edward to Texas. Jake's little
sister, Nellie, has some understandable issues at first. I enjoyed watching her
relationship with Caroline develop. Faith, the woman compromised by Edward,
reminds me of Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun. She isn't shy with her
opinions and stands up for herself. Edward was an entitled jerk at the
beginning of the book, with no thought to how his actions affected others. A
surprising twist at the end showed that even he was redeemable.
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