Grace comes to Birch Creek for a new start, Jed isn’t sure he’s ready to let go of the past.Grace has loved caring for her brother’s children, but when her brother remarries, Grace knows it’s time to move on. With the invitation from a good friend to move out west and start a new life there, Grace knows it might be the only chance she would have to find a place where she’d fit in. She won’t let … where she’d fit in. She won’t let her childhood injury keep her from fighting for what she wants, a home of her own.
Jed is a widowed father of three young children with a growing farm and he knows he can’t take care of it all on his own. When he meets Grace, he’s reluctant to follow through with the suggestion from a friend to marry the girl. But if he doesn’t do something, he’ll either lose his farm or his children.
When the two marry, they know it will be mutually beneficial, but when tragedy strikes, can the two of them pull together as a team and see that there is more to life than just survival?
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I’m writing this review after I finished all 6 books so that should tell you I enjoyed the stories. Jed really doesn’t want a wife, he still loves his late wife, but he does need someone for his three children. I really have a hard time imagining 5 year old children today being able to do all that Missy was doing to help her father and siblings. Grace needed to get away from the well-meaning pity of her home town residents regarding her shortened leg. She wants a family. I love how God brought the two together.
What I liked and my thoughts about this book:
• I liked this marriage of convenience story. Jed needs a wife to look after his children, but he does not want a wife to love. Grace accepts to care for the children. I wanted to read to find out how these two characters would fall in love.
• I liked that Missy and Lottie were the most amazing children. They were ages 5 and 3 and had to grow up fast.
• There were many secondary players in this novel. They were varied, well developed, and interesting. They added depth to the storyline.
• The descriptions of locations and emotions were well done, easy to visualize, and to feel. I felt a part of the scenes.
• The pacing of this story was good. It was neither too fast nor too slow. It was a quick read because of 116 pages.
• There was a smooth, coherent flow to this book. The author was a great writer.
• This was a clean read and I appreciated that.
4.5 stars
After receiving a letter from a friend who’d recently moved to Birch Creek, Grace decides that’s where she’ll start a life for herself after her brother marries since she’ll no longer be needed to take care of her nieces and nephews. Her friend Annabelle has offered her work as a seamstress or she can work at the new boardinghouse. It’s at the boardinghouse where she meets Jed, a widower with 3 young children.
Jed is a widower who lives on the edge of town, struggling to raise his children and take care of his farm. He’s still mourning the loss of his wife and isn’t ready to take another wife. When he notices how well his children and Grace get along, he asks for her hand in marriage and she accepts. Theirs will be a marriage of convenience–to have his children and home cared for, nothing more.
I really liked Grace. She was a hard worker and had a positive outlook despite her disability. It takes a special kind of woman to marry a man you just met so you can take care of his home and children. Since Jed lived an hour out of town, she couldn’t depend on anyone but herself when Jed was injured.
Jed was a good man who was still in love with his recently deceased wife. He realized he wasn’t ready to get married but cared for his children so much he married Grace without knowing anything about her. I felt his injury helped him see things from Grace’s perspective and it helped bring them closer faster than it would’ve normally happened.
I’m not really into Westerns but I’m enjoying this series about the town of Birch Creek. You don’t have to read the books in order, but it should be noted that characters from the previous books are mentioned.
When life is as chaotic as mine has been lately there is nothing like a calmer read to ground you, and that’s one thing I loved about reading The Widower’s Bride. There is not a lot of drama, just realistic “points of contention” that gave this mild story the perfect tension. Your heart breaks for Jed as you can almost tangibly feel the pain and frustration he is going through trying to keep his life together after the sudden death of his wife. Raising three children under the age of five as a single father is hard enough, but also running an entire farm by yourself with no help from anyone, would make even the strongest of men go crazy.
That’s where Grace comes in, who is aptly named, as she pours grace into this father and his beautiful family. One thing I really admired about Grace’s character was that she wasn’t perfect, battling an ailment that she refuses to let herself be hindered by.
There were parts that frustrated me about Jed’s words and attitude towards Grace but I also loved reading the transformations of the characters as the story unfolded. I especially fell in love with the children! Their cuteness and sweetness just leapt off the page and really added to the charm of this story.
Though not fast paced, this was an incredibly sweet read that does tug on your heartstrings.
What a sweet story. The story is very good and the characters are great.
Grace had suffered an accident as a teen and had a bad leg. She had been helping her brother with his children after his wife had died. At the suggestion of friends, she moves to the west after her brother remarries.
Jeb had just lost his wife and was struggling to keep the farm going and raising the three children. He needed his plow fixed and had taken it to town to the blacksmith. Michael suggested to Jeb that the new lady in town would be excellent for him as a wife and helpmate. He was not willing at first to think about it as he missed Lizzie too much. But, after seeing Grace interacting with his kids, who adored her, he decides it might not be a bad idea.
This inspirational book will keep you wanting to finish it before putting it down. I highly recommend it to all who like good clean happy ever afters.
Laura D. Bastian’s The Widower’s Bride: A Golden Valley Story (The Brides of Birch Creek Book 2) is well written, has a great storyline, awesome characters, a slow burn and a bumpy ride. With a marriage of convenience will Jed Owens and Grace Burr find what’s missing? One click it and follow the journey to a HEA!
I have voluntarily read and reviewed this advanced readers copy
The Widower’s Bride is a sweet, well written, western historical romance with captivating characters. Jed has three charismatic children. This is not a mail-order bride romance. Grace moved west when her brother remarries. However, with few women in town, she is soon wed. The story held my interest. It was fun to see Jed fall in love with Grace.
LAURA’S STORY HAS HEARTBREAK, HARD TIMES, AND A STRONG LOVING WOMAN. A MUST READ FOR YOUNG AND OLD ALIKE. SWEET AND CLEAN FROM THE DAYS OF THE PIONEERS.
This was so sweet and awesome. I loved how the story progressed and one of the characters learned to lean on others for help. Was a charming story I feel all should read.
This book and this series makes you appreciate life today. It was so hard for people during the 1800’s. I liked how brave Grace Burr was to leave her New York home, her brother and nieces and nephews and to travel west to Birch Creek after her brother remarried. After only a short time there she agreed to marry Jed Owens, whom she had just met. I liked Jed. He was young widower with three adorable children who had recently lost their mother. I admired Jed’s strength as he was still grieving the loss of his wife, taking care of his three young children ages one, three, and five, and trying to take care of the house, animals, and his farm all by himself. This story is full of hope and some trying times too as you realize that love and faith are all Jed and Grace needed to get by. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.
I was really anxious for Grace’s story after the sneak peak after Annabelle’s story. It didn’t disappoint. Grace is such an amazing strong loving person. Jed’s children were adorable and won my heart right away. Jed is sweet, but is still hurting from losing his wife. I’m glad he was able to open his heart again. He and Grace are very sweet together.
This is a good story I liked. Good how Jed learns Grace is a tough, hard worker & really more than he could have hoped for. I received an ARC. This is my voluntary opinion.
This is a clean historical western romance. It’s a sweet story with two people coming together,helping and supporting each other and finding love along the way. The author does a fantastic job taking you back to the days of the old west and their ways with her descriptive writing and detailed scenes. I loved reading Grace and Jed’s story and would recommend this book.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.
Grace is content to find a place where she’s needed even if her new husband will never love her… at least, she thinks so.
Jed finds much to respect and admire in his new bride. His children are blessed to have her as their new mother, even if she will never grow to love him.
If you want a second chance historical love story this is the one for you. Loss and disability are sensitively handled. The pace of the book is perfect for reader anticipation and Laura draws you right in.
Jed is a single father in need of a mother for his children. His heart belongs to his wife who recently passed, but he will work hard to provide for his family—if he can find someone willing to join him in a loveless marriage.
Grace has a permanent disability due to an improperly healed injury. She’s been teased and rejected. She knows no man would want her for herself, but she longs for a family of her own. She might want more, but love is too far out of reach.
In the middle of lost love and lost opportunities can two wounded souls find each other?
This book had me rooting for the happy ending. I love the characters in this book.
I received a copy of this book courtesy of the author and this is my honest review.
“The Widower’s Bride” by Laura D. Bastian
A sweet clean American historical romance well written, well told. A really good reminder of how lucky we are to live now, rather than in the good old days. I was given an ARC of the story by the author and have truly enjoyed the time I have spent with Grace and Jed and the precious Missy & Lottie and their wee little brother Milo. This story is well worth the read. Happy Reading ! !
I love stories set in the old west. Times were simpler and people were happy. Grace and Jed had a beautiful story. They had to learn how to make it work in a marriage of convenience.