Customer Reviews

The Tenderfoot Bride (Historical Romance) (Historical Romance)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have aways considered Harlequin books as worthless reading probably because of the covers and choice of title. However having read several I find good stories with warm romance that are hard to put down. Perhaps these various authors should try packaging that would appeal to those that love romance and dont require erotic sex to enjoy the story.

I liked both of the main characters and the story moves along nicely. This is my first book by this author, and I plan to read another. It was a "gentle love story", no steamy hot scenes in this book. Plus no strange plot, but realistic thoughts and ideas. A nice read on a rainy afternoon.

Linnea has only ever known hardship and abuse in her life. She finds herself alone and penniless and grasps the opportunity to work for Will Tucker, who needs a cook and housekeeper for his remote ranch. As Linnea is sent by Will's sister he expects a good sturdy woman to do the chores.

When Linnea arrives he is shocked to see a small and - to his mind - fragile woman. He instantly decides to send her home and abruptly tells her so. Linnea is used to being knocked back, but decides to clean the messy kitchen before she leaves in the morning as a way of repaying the inconvenience and being allowed to stay overnight.

Will is shocked to see the sparkling kitchen, but packs her into the wagon to head back to the station. He senses that she needs the job and something about her touches his conscience, so he decides to give her a chance to prove herself.

Linnea works hard and surpasses all expectations, even forming a bond with Will's difficult and aging step-mother. The hands love her and Will had to grudgingly admit to himself that there is a lot more to Linnea that he thought.

Their feelings for each other grow and secrets and lies from the past emerge. Linnea blossoms in her new home and Will allows himself to emerge from his armour.

The development of the characters and the love they develop for each other is a joy to read. This is Cheryl St John at her best.

The sample of this book convinced me enough to buy it and I thought it was pretty good. The book as a read went hot and cold for me.

Linnea McConaughey comes to Will Tucker's ranch to work as the house cook for the Will and his employed men and to take care of his elderly stepmother Aggie. Linnea is a young widow and skittish as a rabbit. Will is mean and cantankerous. Temperamental like a 5 year old, he thinks the small boned Linnea decieved him making him assume he was hiring a middle aged, sturdy widow who could handle the rough life in the mountains of Colorado.

After taking pity on her and realizing that she's in desperate need for a job, Will allows Linnea to stay on for a month to prove her worth to him. All the while just waiting for her to screw up so he can be proved right about her incompetence at handling ranch life and send her on her way. Linnea quickly wins over Will's surly stepmother Aggie and the ranch hands and this annoys him to no end.

For the majority of this book, I hated the hero. It's obvious to anyone with half a brain that Linnea is deadly afraid of angry men. The ranch hands are all sweet to her so they don't frighten her. Will, who comes at her fast, raises his voice and just has an overall mean spirit is obviously a flashback to an abusive husband. Yet, it takes Will FOREVER to notice this.

Then Linnea's true deception rears it's head....her pregnancy. Will basically near attacks her, grabbing her arms and rubbing all over her belly and Linnea thinks he's going to rape her. Will is too oblivious and ignorant to live most of the time in this book. How he never realized that he HAS to be gentle with this skittish woman I'll never know and it's one think Ms. St John had problems with in this story.

Will agrees to let her stay until the baby is born. But SOMEHOW he sees all she's doing around the ranch and starts to have feelings for her. Ms. St. John did an awful disservice to her readers here I think because it's OBVIOUS that Will doesn't really care for Linnea. He's thinking with his small head and she's a cook, she cleans and she's basically a wife so he decides to try and kiss her every now and then.

Linnea rebuffs his advances thinking as usual that she's not good enough. Her father made her feel worthless and so did her husband so she's ashamed of her past and telling Will. By then it's obvious Will wouldn't care but she lets it drag and linger (Ms St. John not Linnea).

The ending was ridiculously rushed. SO much so it's almost a crime that there's no epilogue. Linnea FINALLY spills and tells the full story of her background in a rushed out spiel just some 20 words before the book concludes and it just felt awful being rushed like that.

Overall: a decent read for the price. If it ever goes it up $5 don't bother but for $3.82 it's not bad if you can get through the annoying characteristics of BOTH the hero and heroine.

This is another Cheryl St John winner. Starting this story, I really didn't know what to expect. As I got into it, I felt so sorry for the main female character that I actually cried. Ms St John was able to bring out the characters emotions and make you feel for each one of them. I really liked this story and wasn't sure how it would end until the very last page. Great read.

This is the first time I have done a review, but I ejoyed this book so much, I am sure I will read again. I loved the whole store line and it wasn't all mushy, mushy it was just a great romance story. I did'nt want it to end. I stayed up way to late to finish because I couldn't put it down.

This is one of the first books I downloaded on my Kindle and I love this book. I read it over and over and love the way the story developed. I wish their would have been an epilogue at the end to show them a year or two down the road.

I've read a lot of the old-west romances and they nearly all start and end similarly, with plot differences in between where there's conflict, then the guy decides he loves the girl and they get married and have babies at the end. This one is sweet, well written and just enough plot differences to keep your attention all the way through. Makes you smile and doesn't make you roll your eyes, like some do. So I liked it.