The Promise Bride by Becca Whitham/Gina Welborn

The Promise Bride

by

Gina Welborn/Becca Whitham

"Determined to save her father and siblings form a crumbling Chicago tenement, Emilia Stanek becomes the long-distance bride of a Montana rancher. But when she arrives in Helena, a rugged lawman shatters her plans with the news that her husband id dead--and deeply in debt.

County sheriff Mac McCall can't afford to be distracted by the pretty young widow, not with scandalous secrets emerging as he investigates his friend's suspicious death. Mac's gruff order that she leave town at once only spurs Emilia's resolve to take ownership of her late husband's ranch and face his debtors. But as her defenses soften, Emilia begins to accept Mac's help, feel compassion for his own wounded heart--and learns that trust means taking a leap of faith...."

A booming frontier town, a mail-order proxy marriage gone awry, a sheriff, and danger....

I expected a historical romance. Instead I read a historical romantic suspense, light on the romance, with a few open plots at the end, which leads me to believe there are sequels that will tie up the loose ends. For a setting of the late 1880's, the Emilia seemed too modern in her behaviour and thoughts. I thought a little more research could have been done for the book to make it more authentic.

On a positive note, the writing style was well executed in an old style format that I am accustomed to reading. The story is multi-layered and did keep my interest. 

For a languid, easy read with a cup of tea/coffee beside you, then this is a good book to pick up.