Review: His Make-Believe Bride by Martha Hix

Print Length: 150 pages

Publisher: Lyrical Press (October 25, 2016)

From Goodreads.com: She’s a bride with a secret as big as Texas…  

 
Widowed and alone, Linnea Powell agrees to swap places with a reluctant mail-order bride. Arriving in Lubbock, Texas, armed only with her future husband’s letters promising a prosperous life, Linnea feels hopeful—until the stagecoach leaves her standing before a handsome stranger who has more ambition than he does prospects. Still, Linnea accepts Sam Kincaid’s proposal, knowing the moment he seals their vows with a hungry kiss, she’ll never be able to keep her past a secret. For her appealing new husband is all too eager to share the marriage bed….
 
Sam knows there’s something mysterious about his new bride. But that only adds to Linnea’s allure. And when he learns his wife is really a vulnerable widow, he’s even more determined to give her the life and family she dreams of. Sam’s not afraid of hard work, especially when the prize is Linnea’s love. What the rugged rancher doesn’t know is that Linnea has an even bigger secret, one that could destroy his reputation—and shatter his heart….

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My Rating: 3 stars out of 5

While this was a cute and fast read (I read it in under a day), it wasn't an immediate favorite. In fact, I would say that this story hit a solid middle of the road for me.

On one hand, while there are sex scenes, they aren't explicit, nor do they take up more space than necessary in the overall story. The characters were ok, there was a little too much dishonesty and omission than I would have liked, however what really did me in was the the overall story reminded me too much of the old story The Gift of the Magi. For those of you not familiar with it, it is where the wife sells her hair to buy a chain for her husband's pocket-watch, while her husband sells the watch to buy expensive hair combs for his wife. Instead of just being honest with each other from the start, these two omit things from one another to the point where much of the conflict could be (and indeed some of it is, just not in the way you would expect) if they had just been honest with each other in the first place. 

Overall, I would still recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a decent romance novel set in the Old West, and I would read more from this author! 

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

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                                His Make-Believe Bride is available from Amazon.com