Texas Bride (Bitter Creek Novels) [Mass Market Paperback]

Miranda Wentworth will do anything to protect her younger brothers from the rod of the mistress at the orphanage. Since she has to leave the orphanage because she will be of age, she has no choice but to take her youngest siblings with her. Fate had answered her dilemma in the guise of becoming a mail-order bride to a stranger in Texas. However, Miranda wasn't too sure that her groom-to-be would accept these young stowaways since she never mentioned them to him. She comes up with a slick little plan and hopes it will play out well for her HEA.

Jacob Creed is in need of a wife to help out at the ranch so that he doesn't lose it his enemy. He keeps mum about his "conditions" for his bride-to-be, and he fails to disclose that he already has a child. He has his own goals in completing this quick marriage of convenience. He certainly doesn't think that he will desire his wife either! However, Jacob soon finds that even his "conditions" may not be enough to hold off a woman intent on seduction!

Texas Bride was a heart wrenching sweet tale of romance with just the right amount of realistic conditions added to jack up the angst. I didn't like the hardships that Miranda had to endure, but I felt that they were probably authentic to the time period in Texas Bride. Jacob wasn't one of those great billionaires either, but more a down-to-earth hard-working man that truly deserved his HEA in Texas Bride.

The development of the secondary characters added more to the overall story, and answered some questions that were brought to life, since I read the series out of order. However, I was still looking for resolution in their stories as well in Texas Bride. Yet I can't find fault with Jacob and Miranda's love story in Texas Bride.

I felt invested with Jacob and Miranda and cried at several points in Texas Bride. I liked that Jacob learned to take a risk and that Miranda learned to trust Jacob in Texas Bride, as well. The dialogue was witty and entertaining at several points and engaged me in the lives of the various characters. The fact that I could become involved in this historical western, which I don't normally read, makes Texas Bride a Joyfully Recommended read!

Vanessa for Joyfully Reviewed

This is a story of hidden agendas: Both of the main characters have them. Perhaps they are too young, but they do not have the strength of character to state their objectives - so the other partner has a true view of the conditions.

Miranda Wentworth has become too old to stay at the orphanage and she must leave. However, conditions in the Chicago orphanage are so dire that she spirits away her two youngest siblings with her. Miranda has accepted Jacob Creed's ad for a mail-order bride. Fearing he will not want her with 2 additional mouths to feed, she doesn't mention it and trembles to meet the rancher.

Six months before, Jacob Creed lost his wife and stillborn son. He is desperate for a help mate and someone who can care for his two year-old daughter. Fearing no one would accept him with a child, he neglects to mention her in his ad or letter.

Jacob is so shocked by the loss of his wife in childbirth; he decided that this will be a marriage of convenience. He has no intention of losing another wife. Jacob neglects to mention this condition either in his advertisement for a wife.

Because this was an interesting (if fairly common) storyline, I looked at the previous novels in this series. What I learned stopped me cold. I'd already read the story of Cricket (Jacob's mother) - in FRONTIER WOMAN (1988). My review of that book is available elsewhere.

Then I found out about what happened to Jacob's father and how Cricket married Blackthorne. I realized I didn't want any part of the rest of this series.

This story was cute and quick; Miranda and Jake were interesting. However, I have no intention in investing any more time with this sick/crazy Cricket Creed and Blackthorne families.
3 stars on this novel

The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 left the six Wentworth children orphaned. The sextet have lived at the Chicago Institute for Orphaned Children for three years, but now the oldest Miranda is about to be sent away. Her five siblings fear her departure as she has been their strength to survive and their buffer from the wrath of abusive headmistress Miss Birch. Her sister Josie the bookworm arranged for Miranda to become a mail-order bride to a widower Texas rancher. Miss Birch catches them and hits Miranda several times with a rod.

Miranda takes her two youngest siblings (ten years old Nick and four years old Harry with her as she travels to the San Antonio area, but worries about the three teenage sisters she left behind. Widowed since his wife died in childbirth, Jacob Creed struggles to keep his ranch without the help of his affluent stepfather Alex Blackthorne. He is shocked when his new spouse arrives with two small children while she is shocked to find he is the father of a two years old daughter. Each is further shocked by their attraction, but he feels guilty for wanting her as he vowed to never endanger a woman with a pregnancy; while she will do what takes to make her his real wife.

This Bitter Creek western romance begins the Wentworth Mail Order Bride saga with a strong entry as readers learn the difficulty of life in Reconstruction Era Texas through the eyes of the Chicago transplant, her brothers and her husband. Although there is some exciting late suspense that detracts from the engaging changing relationships, the fully developed cast makes for a strong tale of love as readers will root for the pair to make it.

Harriet Klausner