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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Generally I enjoy her books. This was not one of them.
It is repeated over and over how much the brothers manipulate, fight, and are spiteful to one another. They’re just plain unlikable. They have zero redeeming qualities. I understand they’re supposed to be radicals turned hero’s, but ……. It has yet to happen.
Emmeline is unremarkable. She’s unlikable, petulant, and demands everything her way or throws a tantrum. *yawn
It is repeated over and over how much the brothers manipulate, fight, and are spiteful to one another. They’re just plain unlikable. They have zero redeeming qualities. I understand they’re supposed to be radicals turned hero’s, but ……. It has yet to happen.
Emmeline is unremarkable. She’s unlikable, petulant, and demands everything her way or throws a tantrum. *yawn
too long. kinda boring. skipped a lot. heroine was awful.
Excellent book. This is the first in the McKettrick family books. I love this family and all their passions and drama. Rafe had no intention of settling down anytime soon, until his father laid down his ultimatum. So he sent off for a mail order bride. Emmeline had fled Kansas City, certain her reputation was in tatters. When she arrived in Indian Rock, expecting to be met by her new husband, she found him brawling in a saloon. One of her brothers-in-law took her out to the ranch, and Rafe showed up shortly after. He could tell she had secrets, but didn't press her to tell them. He also discovered that she wasn't one to be ordered around. As they spent time together, they first discovered passion, and then stronger feelings began to develop. When the previously unknown half-brother appeared, tensions increased. And when Emmeline finally told Rafe her secret, the explosion tore them apart. It took nearly losing her for Rafe to realize his love. Great series, and I loved all the side stories and undercurrents.
4 STARS
The Mckettrick brothers have had a good time playing cards, nights in the saloons and flirting with women until their aging father decides that he wants grandchildren and heirs for his ranch. The first one to marry and have children will get the ranch - all of it. The race is on and Rafe Mcketterick the eldest puts an ad asking for wife...enter Emmeline - an orphan being raised by her brothel owning aunt - has done the one thing she and her aunt have feared...slept with a man for money. And, to make it worse Emmeline cannot remember a thing from that night.
While Emmeline bonds with the McKettrick clan Rafe and her seem to but heads again and again. Emmeline is an educated headstrong woman and Rafe is a man's man. Can these two make it work? Will Emmeline and Rafe keeps their secrets?
I was not really expecting to like this novel, or rather had no expectations period. I instantly loved the various characters and felt like Emmeline had the potential to be a strong woman among wise women like Concepcion and Becky. I can't wait to see what happens next!
The Mckettrick brothers have had a good time playing cards, nights in the saloons and flirting with women until their aging father decides that he wants grandchildren and heirs for his ranch. The first one to marry and have children will get the ranch - all of it. The race is on and Rafe Mcketterick the eldest puts an ad asking for wife...enter Emmeline - an orphan being raised by her brothel owning aunt - has done the one thing she and her aunt have feared...slept with a man for money. And, to make it worse Emmeline cannot remember a thing from that night.
While Emmeline bonds with the McKettrick clan Rafe and her seem to but heads again and again. Emmeline is an educated headstrong woman and Rafe is a man's man. Can these two make it work? Will Emmeline and Rafe keeps their secrets?
I was not really expecting to like this novel, or rather had no expectations period. I instantly loved the various characters and felt like Emmeline had the potential to be a strong woman among wise women like Concepcion and Becky. I can't wait to see what happens next!
Read in January, 2012
Read for Fun!
Overall Rating 4.00
Story Rating 4.00
Character Rating 4.00
Challenges: 2012 TBR Challenge, Goodreads Read for Fun
Published in 2002
NOTE: I am so glad that I finally started the McKettricks from the beginning. I am a huge fan of LLM's humor and this book was full of her classic storytelling style!
What I Loved: Holy Hot Cowboy Brothers! These are some smoking hot Cowboys that are hard-headed, hot-tempered, and most off all having to do exactly what Daddy says. I love reading stories where otherwise devil may care guys get stuck doing something they didn't want too. I am really going to enjoy this series that started it all :)
What I Liked: The gals in this series are full of spit-fire and backbone. They are perfect for the McKettrick clan. Emmeline was great and I really enjoyed her toe-to-toe moments with Rafe!
Why I will continue the series: Can't wait to see Rafe's brothers fall as hard as he did :)
Linda Lael Miller
High Country Bride (McKettrick Cowboys, #1) (McKettricks, #1)Secondhand Bride (McKettrick Cowboys, #3) (McKettricks, #3)Shotgun Bride (McKettrick Cowboys #2) (McKettricks #2)McKettrick's Choice (McKettrick Cowboys, #4) (McKettricks, #4)
Read for Fun!
Overall Rating 4.00
Story Rating 4.00
Character Rating 4.00
Challenges: 2012 TBR Challenge, Goodreads Read for Fun
Published in 2002
NOTE: I am so glad that I finally started the McKettricks from the beginning. I am a huge fan of LLM's humor and this book was full of her classic storytelling style!
What I Loved: Holy Hot Cowboy Brothers! These are some smoking hot Cowboys that are hard-headed, hot-tempered, and most off all having to do exactly what Daddy says. I love reading stories where otherwise devil may care guys get stuck doing something they didn't want too. I am really going to enjoy this series that started it all :)
What I Liked: The gals in this series are full of spit-fire and backbone. They are perfect for the McKettrick clan. Emmeline was great and I really enjoyed her toe-to-toe moments with Rafe!
Why I will continue the series: Can't wait to see Rafe's brothers fall as hard as he did :)
Linda Lael Miller
High Country Bride (McKettrick Cowboys, #1) (McKettricks, #1)Secondhand Bride (McKettrick Cowboys, #3) (McKettricks, #3)Shotgun Bride (McKettrick Cowboys #2) (McKettricks #2)McKettrick's Choice (McKettrick Cowboys, #4) (McKettricks, #4)
Angus McKettrick announces that the heir to his ranch is the son that marries and produces a heir first. The race is on! This book pulled me into it. A bit of scandal, romance, adventure, and readability made the perfect weekend read. Strong female characters but realistic. Romance but not over the top.
My five star rating isn't claiming that this book is going to be classic literature or stretched my brain by creating deep thoughts. It had room to grow, for example it could have worked on character development a bit more. But it whisked me away and I fell in love with it, and that is what books are for. I will be continuing this series and will probably read some more Linda Lael Miller in the future.
My five star rating isn't claiming that this book is going to be classic literature or stretched my brain by creating deep thoughts. It had room to grow, for example it could have worked on character development a bit more. But it whisked me away and I fell in love with it, and that is what books are for. I will be continuing this series and will probably read some more Linda Lael Miller in the future.
reflective
While well-written, I did not feel the romance between the MC’s. Rafe was an unapologetic jerk and Emmaline was an idiot for not listening to her mother and for not talking to Holt to find out what actually happened. She was TSTL, a pet peeve of mine. I found the plot overall to be very improbable.
There could’ve been a lot of angst, rejection, and an emotional reconciliation, but this novel missed those opportunities. Instead we got no apologies or groveling. Supposedly the characters had amazing sexual chemistry, but it was never convincing to me. I did enjoy the secondary characters. Emmaline would’ve been better off with Holt! Especially after Rafe was going to order another bride!
There could’ve been a lot of angst, rejection, and an emotional reconciliation, but this novel missed those opportunities. Instead we got no apologies or groveling. Supposedly the characters had amazing sexual chemistry, but it was never convincing to me. I did enjoy the secondary characters. Emmaline would’ve been better off with Holt! Especially after Rafe was going to order another bride!
emotional
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Angus McKettrick assessed his life and issued a challenge to his three sons: the first to marry and produce a child would inherit his ranch instead of him splitting it between them. Rafe, the oldest of his sons by his deceased wife, Georgia, takes immediate action by contacting a mail order bride service and gets himself a wife. Emmeline leaves Kansas City, Missouri to join her new husband in the Arizona territory, sight unseen. She is also hoping to leave behind quite a few secrets.
The story starts off really well as the characters are defined pretty quickly and we get a good sense of who they are. Emmeline, while naive and pretty innocent, has an adventurous spirit and strong spine. Rafe is a bit hot-headed with a penchant for getting into physical fights. However, he never seems to really graduate from his immature behavior and I found it tough to see any really admirable qualities in him. He certainly got the better deal in the match. There were times when their relationship seemed to be developing normally in spite of the circumstances, with heartwarming interludes that hinted of it becoming a genuine love match. But, you could count on Rafe doing something insensitive and blowing it.
Angus also leaves a lot to be desired in having abandoned his infant son from his first marriage after his wife died delivering the baby. His sons from his second marriage aren't even aware they have an older brother and they seem to be as immature as Rafe. The women in this book are who make this book interesting. In addition to Emmeline, there is Concepcion, the McKettrick family housekeeper, and Becky, Emmeline's aunt who raised her in her bordello. All are strong-minded and interesting and stand up repeatedly to these fairly clueless men.
It's an interesting story but unlike most in the romance genre, it failed to provide a compelling connection with the supposed heroes in the book. I'm hoping to find a reason to change my opinion in the next book in the series. There were too many unresolved issues for me to stop at this point.
The story starts off really well as the characters are defined pretty quickly and we get a good sense of who they are. Emmeline, while naive and pretty innocent, has an adventurous spirit and strong spine. Rafe is a bit hot-headed with a penchant for getting into physical fights. However, he never seems to really graduate from his immature behavior and I found it tough to see any really admirable qualities in him. He certainly got the better deal in the match. There were times when their relationship seemed to be developing normally in spite of the circumstances, with heartwarming interludes that hinted of it becoming a genuine love match. But, you could count on Rafe doing something insensitive and blowing it.
Angus also leaves a lot to be desired in having abandoned his infant son from his first marriage after his wife died delivering the baby. His sons from his second marriage aren't even aware they have an older brother and they seem to be as immature as Rafe. The women in this book are who make this book interesting. In addition to Emmeline, there is Concepcion, the McKettrick family housekeeper, and Becky, Emmeline's aunt who raised her in her bordello. All are strong-minded and interesting and stand up repeatedly to these fairly clueless men.
It's an interesting story but unlike most in the romance genre, it failed to provide a compelling connection with the supposed heroes in the book. I'm hoping to find a reason to change my opinion in the next book in the series. There were too many unresolved issues for me to stop at this point.