The fact that they bedevil the villains of the book is an added plus. I generally can take or leave child characters but these two jump off the pages and despite the fact that they’re harder to get rid of than a tick, they’re so much fun to read about that I enjoyed every scene they’re in. I know it’s usual to start out talking about the hero and heroine but I’m just bursting with love for almost all the secondary characters here, especially the two brothers Finn and Rabbit – and with their given names I’d pick nicknames, too. Since I was a Goodman virgin, I decided not to go back and (re)read any past reviews either here or at other sites in order to approach the book with no preconceptions. It nicely coincided with my decision to read a Western and voila, a review was born.

I’d read Jane’s reviews here and think, “Yep, gotta read a Goodman book one day.” Well, one day finally came when we were offered this book to try. I know I say this a lot but you’re another author I’ve been meaning to try for quite a while. But when she sets out to prove him wrong, the secrets he cannot share put into jeopardy every happiness they hope to find…. His first impression of the fair and fragile Jane is that she is not that woman. Rancher Morgan Longstreet is in want of a wife who will be his partner at Morning Star, someone who will work beside him and stand by him. So when Jane discovers an ad for a mail-order bride needed in Bitter Springs, Wyoming, she responds with a hopeful heart. In 1891, life in New York is unforgiving for a young woman with no prospects, especially when her family wants nothing to do with her. Jayne B Reviews American historical / arranged-marriage / Historical / Mail-Order-Bride / western 17 Comments

In Want of a Wife by Jo Goodman