In Name Only [Mass Market Paperback]

Valeriana "Ana" MacPherson comes to care for her deceased sister's children, despite the fact -- or actually because of the fact -- their father is a reprobate. But the longer she remains in Ian Patterson's company, the more she questions what she thinks she knows.

Ian finds is sister-in-law annoying, self-righteous and prissy . . . and conversely, he finds her to be the most intriguing woman he's ever met, with a brain every bit as big as the enormous heart that heaps love and affection on his children. And it's that heart that Ian sets out to win. Ana might think the marriage he's proposed is a marriage-of-convenience, but with time and patience Ian is sure he can convince her that their marriage is based on something more, something more like love!

Janet Bieber weaves another historical tale that will weave its way into your heart and stay with you for a long time to come.

Though Ian, one of Cleveland's richest, was duped into marrying beautiful Lily (who was a very loose woman, before and after marrying Ian-loose with everyone except her husband, that is), he refused to desert her or the children. Though his father-in-law scandalized his name, Ian did all he could to protect Lily's reputation in spite of her cheating and birthing children outside of marriage. (Beauty is as beauty does.)

Valeriana aka Ana, the oldest of the four daughters is considered to be the outspoken, "plain Jane", spinster. She steps right in and pretty much takes over the children after Lily's death, not knowing all Ian has been through with her sister. Of course, Ian having never got along with Ana, wants her removed from the premises ASAP until he walks in on her father physically forcing her to leave Ian's house so she can come home and keep the parsonage clean and good timely meals on the table. To save her, Ian immediately states that they are to be married. Ana later agrees to marry Ian "In Name Only" only to prevent her father from forcing her younger sister, Laurel to marry him instead.

I did not give this book 5 stars because Ana did entirely too much weeping (prior to pregnancy) and her relationship with her father (preacher-whom I still have not figured out) was left up in the air. I was given this book by my cousin, Janie and had reservations about reading a story with sister's marrying the same man. After checking the Amazon.com ratings/reviews, I put them aside and decided to give the book a chance. I'm glad I did!!!

This book set in Cleveland and then on an island in Lake Erie is a treasure. It may not be for everyone as it is a warm but not hot in the steam factor and deals with unusual conflicts but the characters are rich and the drama of the novel is human and compelling as the heroine struggles with the ridged beliefs she gained at her father's knee and the hero with circumstances of his first marriage. The author does a wonderful job with the historical part of this book as well as with the romance. Some of the character transformations are bit quick and could have been more developed but they feel true none the less. It lacks a 5 star because there is some drama at the end that is a bit forced and quickly resolved, I would have liked a bit more time with the hero and heroine together and I like to savor my HEA a bit more but I really recommend this thoughtful and carefully drawn romance.

If you like these theme, this book has them. Beware spoilers below!

abuse-sexual-or-physical, abusive-father, american-h-or-hero, american-setting-romance, animals, aunt, buxom, character-driven, child-of-clergy, children, close-family, cuckoo-in-the-nest, difficult-parent, dogs, ginger-man, grief, historical-romance, illegitimate, innocent-heroine, intellectual-h, intellectual-hero, irish-american, island, kind-hero, knight-in-shining-armor, lonely, lost-child, love-hate, marriage-of-con, married-for-children, mental-disabilty, mothering, ohio, practical-herione, pregnancy-at-end, prim-herione, racism-prejudice, reserved-h, resistant-heroine, separation, sexually-repressed-culture, ship-captain-sailor-the-sea, shrew, single-father, sisters, slow-seduction, smoker, spinster, stalker, step-children-good, teacher, terrible-first-spouse, tricked, uncommon-setting, unfaithful-former-spouse, uptight, vineyard-wine, weddings, widower, wine, women-s-rights, zealot