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 …
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.
Until the Look Inside Feature pops up, you can read the first chapter on Melissa’s website at: http://melissajagears.com/pretending-to-wed/
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An inspirational new take on the marriage-of-convenience trope from Melissa Jagears! It was intriguing to have a heroine who is an inventor, and Jagears portrayed Corinne’s frustrations, for various reasons, with the men in her life well. The story sometimes felt a bit repetitive, and it was missing a lot of the action I usually look for in a Western romance, but Jagears’ writing style is never a disappointment.
Jagears brings attention to a few issues I rarely see covered in this genre, and while I won’t spoil anything, I will say that readers will appreciate these topics being covered in an inspirational manner. 3.5/5 stars
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Pretending to Wed by Melissa Jagears
Frontier Vows Series Book Two
Nolan Key had worked hard on the ranch with his dad. After he lost his leg in an accident…he worked even harder to prove himself. But now…his dad is gone and he may lose the ranch he loves.
Corinne Stillwater’s life hasn’t been easy. She’s made bad choices, especially when it comes to men. Now that she’s struggling to keep up with her laundry service, things are looking hopeless once more.
Nolan and Corinne find that they can help each other. Two people who never wanted to get married. But, they could be business partners and it would benefit them both. A great story with wonderful characters and nasty villains. Looking forward to the next book in this series.
https://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com/2015/06/melissa-jagears-book-list.html
Nolan Key has lost his leg, his mother, his father, and now he’s on the verge of losing his ranch – all because his father’s will stipulates that he must be married in order to keep it. Otherwise, it goes to his less than ethical cousin. Desperate to find a solution, he takes the advise of his close friends and approaches the town laundress with a business proposition.
Corinne Stillwater has been betrayed more than she wants to think about. Now, with the opportunity to run her own laundry business, she is struggling with her hands and the doctor says that she has to quit doing the repetitive motions that laundry requires. He says she should get married – as if that’s an option after all of her betrayals. Yet, when Nolan points out their mutual desperation and offers her exactly what she asks for, she agrees – with the rule of no romantic nonsense. But, as they get to know each other better, can she hold him to that rule forever? And what will happen as Nolan’s cousin, Matt, keeps hanging around looking for a way to claim the ranch anyway?
What follows is an examination of two people who have both physical limitations and emotional insecurities. Each are flawed and seeking to overcome their flaws through human effort. What they learn is that God is the one who directs their lives and it’s God who can solve their problems. If only they will trust God to step in and take charge.
Nolan and Corinne also suffer from self imposed restrictions that lead to a breakdown in communication. In an effort to fulfill their end of the bargain, the communication between them suffers. Fortunately, others in their lives help intervene.
Themes – marital intimacy, trust in God to solve problems, self-forgiveness for past sins, personal integrity
Romance – PG / kissing and closed door intimacy
Language – PG / clean
My rating – 4 stars
How exciting it was for me to once again to have a Melissa Jagears’ book in my hands again! I love her writing and her second installment from her series, Frontier Vows, Pretending to Wed definitely does not disappoint. I adored Nolan and Corinne’s story. It was such a beautiful and delightful tale of marriage of convenience. I loved how the grew throughout the book. It had some fun humor that made me to laugh out loud. It was all around a tender and sweet romance.
I am giving Pretending to Wed a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy clean and fun historical fiction.
I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.
I was so excited to read this second book in the Frontier Vows series. I loved the first one and I had high hopes for this one. I was not disappointed, I read this book in a day. Author Jagears takes us back to the same town and we not only get to catch up with the previous characters, but also get to know Nolan and Corinne.
Nolan Key is a rancher with a handicap of only one leg. He lost his leg years ago but still proved his worth to his father on the ranch. But at times it still seemed he could never measure up to his father, who preferred his cousin Matt instead. And likewise Nolan’s uncle favored Nolan instead of Matt. There was some family drama going on there. Much more so when Nolan finds out the specifics of his late father’s will. He must get married or lose the ranch.
Corinne has quite a colorful past. She is trying to start over on her own and to make it on her own. Without a husband or relying on any man. However, in that day and age for Corinne, her goals are hard to accomplish. Corinne also is having health problems, she is losing the use of her hands. She is a laundress and so she must use her hands, or she cannot support herself. Corinne is also a non-conventional heroine in the fact she is also an inventor.
Both Nolan and Corinne were characters to root for on their own and especially together. If you are looking for a read to take you away from current events, step back into the past and watch two characters learn that two is better than one.
I receive a copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.
This is another captivating novel by outstanding wordsmith Melissa Jagears. Pretending to Wed is a Christian Historical Romance that had me turning pages to see where the story was going next. I was immediately invested in the story.
This is the story of Corinne is our heroine, a laundress. It is also the story of Nolan. He lost a leg when he was younger and naturally this has affected his entire life. Nolan has always done his best but could never measure up to his cousin. Now he and Corrine both need a spouse for very different reasons. Corrine is strong, independent, and a bit sassy. Nolan is sincere, sweet, and adorable. They really do make a perfect couple.
Characters are well rounded and believable. The villains are despicable, but that was their job. Expect a few familiar faces from her past book, Romancing the Bride, which is Book 1 in this series. If you haven’t read it you will be able to follow this one just fine. It can be read as a stand alone.
I absolutely love the writing style of this author. Her mixture of historical information with Christian inspiration is a winning combination. Conversations sound authentic and add tremendously to the story. The author does her research well and has a fantastic sense of humor. Life lessons are easily threaded throughout the story leaving readers much to ponder. One of my favorite parts of the book is Nolan’s belief in Corrine.
This is a another winner from an author that is exemplary in writing tales that touch hearts. I connected to the characters and felt their emotions right along with them. I highly recommend this Christian fiction to everyone. Reading groups would have fun and inspiration while discussing this book. It gets 5 out of 5 stars from me. I received a copy from the publisher but these are my honest words.
Pretending to Wed by Melissa Jagears is a delightful marriage-of-convenience story in the Frontier Vows series. I enjoyed the first book so much I was hoping the second book would be just as good and the author did not disappoint. Nolan Key and Corrine Stillwater are two people who have been stung by life, but are so deserving of a happily-ever-after. How their business partnership turns into a different kind of need for each other is certainly a novel worth reading. In addition to the hero and heroine, there is a very nasty cousin and his fiancée that made me want to “boo” and enough humor to make me laugh out loud.
What I enjoy most about Melissa Jagears’ books are the way she seamlessly combines a sweet romance with a spiritual lesson. The characters’ conversations with God were a natural part of the story and not an add-in.
Characters from the first book do appear in this book, but I believe this book could be read on its own. (But you may want to start with that first book because it was lovely as well).
I highly recommend this book!
I received a copy of this book from the author. All opinions are my own.
In Pretending to Wed, we revisit our friends Jacob and Annie, Spencer, Celia, Leah, and other townspeople from the first Frontier Vows story, Romancing the Bride. If you read my review of ROB, you’ll remember I loved these characters!
I enjoyed getting to know Nolan, the amputee rancher hero this time around, and Corinne, the laundress and inventor incognito.
This is a fun, quirky marriage of convenience story that looks at its own trope with a bit of a smirk, hence the first lines:
“This couldn’t be happening. Not unless he’d stumbled into one of those silly romance novels his aunt used to read.”
A very cute lampshade in my opinion.
The characters begin the story convinced they’re doing their future spouse a favor by staying single. When circumstances press them into desperate situations, they agree to marry one another as a business-only partnership to achieve their career goals. But when unexpected romance blossoms, past hurts, physical disabilities, and fears of failure hinder their growth in their relationship to the Lord and to each other. Through the story, they learn to overcome the spiritual, physical, and emotional handicaps that keep them from becoming who God wants them to be.
Like all of Jagears’ books, this story carries a message that will resonate with readers. In a world that interchanges the phrase “diamond ring” with “miracle happy pill,” this book shows us that marriage takes work, communication, commitment, resilience, faith, sacrifice, lots of gratitude, and good counsel.
Our generation says, “Physical intimacy now, marriage later…maybe…but if we don’t like how things go, we’ll split,” this book gives us a carefully handled illustration that reminds us “trying out” intimacy before marriage doesn’t guarantee compatibility. Without the commitment of marriage, how many would stick around and work through the hard things that cause dissatisfaction in relationships?
If you like to be warned about romance-y stuff: there’s romance-y stuff. This is a Christian romance novel. But this story isn’t sappy, it’s the opposite of sappy. It’s smart, and serious, and straightforward and real, but at the same time, fun. For those who would prefer to know, the story takes on discreet conversations about complications with married intimacy. But Jagears handles the subject matter very delicately and closes the door before any real-time scene treads into the more private aspects of marriage. Kristi Ann Hunter’s story, An Uncommon Courtship, approaches a slightly similar topic, but not the same, and the stories are vastly different.
With almost every Jagears book I review, I mention how much her writing reminds me of Lori Wick, the writer that got me hooked on Christian fiction. This story, in some ways, put me in mind of Megan and Bracken’s relationship from Wick’s book The Knight and the Dove. Melissa’s characters, dialogue, spiritual insight, and delightful “living room” voice keep me coming back for more of her stories. I look forward to reading more from her Frontier Vows series.
What a great marriage of convenience story! It is book two of the Frontier Vows series, yet can be read and enjoyed even if you have not read book one, Romancing the Bride.
This novel has a lot to recommend it. There were some humorous moments, yet the struggles and difficulties that Nolan and Corinne both carried around with them were things that weighed on them and made committing to another person very difficult. Corinne had huge trust issues and Nolan, while strong and capable, felt inadequate much of the time because he lost his leg as a child.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and thought that Corinne and Nolan had really good chemistry together, even as they were both trying to remain only business partners. I loved the way Nolan recognized how smart and creative Corinne was. Pretending to Wed was a book I enjoyed from the start to the finish!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Melissa Jagears is a pro when it comes to writing about marriages of convenenience on the old frontier. Pretending to Wed, book two in her Frontier Vows series is no exception. Her style is entertaining and her characters are steadfast in their convictions. Nolan and Corinne Key both have reasons for not marrying so their arrangement is suitable to them both.
Nolan had a mere three months to wed or lose the ranch to his dandyfied cousin Matt. Corinne suffered with constant pain from doing the only job available for a woman alone to subsist on. Pain slowed her down and she was behind on the rent for her laundry business. She was in danger of losing everything. It seemed natural that the two join forces and wed from a business standpoint. No need for romance. No entanglements. A visit from greedy Mat and his finacee Lilith was all it took to push Matt to a proposal.
Corinne had been thwarted in her past relationships and after warding off several proposals from the single men in town she gained the reputation of being against marriage. She met her match in Nolan, a man who supported her uncanny ability to create marvelous inventions. She kept pace with him on the ranch, working side by side while keeping up with the house and her tinkering projects. It would be hard to keep a partnership like this purely business.
I enjoyed this book. Instead of a lonely man and a wilting female, we have Matt and Corinne. Following their journey, with its twists and turns was as entertaining as it was in showing what determination and faith can lead to for a good marriage. This is the stuff that settled the west. This is the type of story that our great grandparents might have told if we turned back time.
I have been reading Melissa Jagears’ work and enjoying it for years. She keeps getting better with each book. This is her best yet, with characters to root for and a storyline that is poignant as well as hope-filled.
It’s rare that the two main characters literally NEED each other, but that is the case in this novel. Nolan needs a wife to keep his ranch and Corinne needs a break from her laundry business or risks losing the use of her hands, and therefore her livelihood. Their marriage begins as a convenient one, but it becomes less so as the characters begin to experience feelings in their business-only arrangement.
I really enjoyed Corinne’s character and her uniqueness; it also allowed me to learn a little bit more about how women inventors were discriminated against and reinforced my gratitude to live in a time where women are mostly deemed competent and fully capable of designing new products and patenting them, men as well as women purchasing their inventions.
The romance is sweet but frustrating at times. Both characters bring a fair amount of baggage to the marriage, which makes them willing to consider a convenient business arrangement over a traditional relationship, but also creates barriers when they begin to consider if their partnership can be a true marriage.
I also enjoyed the faith element; both Corinne and Nolan believe in God, but sometimes they get a bit confused about who is in charge (don’t we all?). They experience struggles both before the story begins and during the novel itself, and their pasts’ impact the present. In a positive vein, the focus on loving our spouse in a Biblical manner was beautiful to read and a good reminder of how I should treat my own husband, too.
This is a great romance, especially for fans of the western genre or those with an interest in women inventors or who enjoy marriage of convenience stories. I highly recommend this well-written story!
I received a review copy of this book from the author but was under no obligation to post a positive review. The opinions expressed are both honest and my own.
Melissa Jagears is one of my favorite storytellers. She completely enthralled me with her newest release, Pretending to Wed, book 2 in her Frontier Brides series. In this story, Jagears presents her hero and heroine as individuals with harsh challenges – those that are both apparent and hidden. Through clever dialogue, an ever deepening plot, and complex characters, these challenges are illuminated and threaten to destroy the very foundation of our characters’ lives.
I absolutely loved everything about this book. The characters, the tension, the depth… And although it is the 2nd book of the series, it can serve as a standalone, however reading the first one will help to add definition to the story. But I promise you will want to quickly pick that book up and devour it!
Beautiful, feel of meaning, poignant, and insightful, this book is not to be missed.
I received this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.