Too Rich for a Bride: A Novel (The Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek) [Paperback]

Mona Hodgson (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 3, 2011 | Series: The Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek

With a head more suited to bookkeeping than a bridal veil, Ida’s dreams include big business- not beaus. 
 
Ida Sinclair has joined her sisters, Kat and Nell, in the untamed mining town of Cripple Creek, Colorado for one reason: to work for the infamous but undeniably successful businesswoman, Mollie O’Bryan. Ida’s sisters may be interested in making a match for their determined older sister, but Ida only wants to build her career.

Under Mollie's tutelage, Ida learns how to play the stock market and revels in her promising accomplishments. Fighting for respect in a man's world, her ambition leaves little room for distractions. She ignores her family's reservations about Mollie O'Bryan's business practices, but no matter how she tries, she can't ignore the two men pursuing her affections—Colin Wagner, the dashing lawyer, and Tucker Raines, the traveling preacher.

Ida wants a career more than anything else, so she shrugs off the suitors and pointed “suggestions” that young ladies don’t belong in business. Will it take unexpected love—or unexpected danger—for Ida to realize where her priorities truly lie?

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Too Rich for a Bride

“A beautiful tale. Intriguing. Inviting. Inspiring.”
—Cindy Woodsmall, author of The Hope of Refuge and When the Soul Mends

“This is a story that lets us stand on the cusp of a great societal shift—the entrance of women into the business world…. Cripple Creek’s cast of colorful characters plays host to a new romance, as well as pulling back the curtain on a local family tragedy. This sequel revisits the characters we’ve already come to love and creates a complementary depth to an entertaining new tale.”
—Allison Pittman, author of Stealing Home and The Bridegrooms

“Ida believes her future is secure in a man’s world. After all, she has drive and determination. But what happens when she meets a man who makes a withdrawal from her heart? Author Mona Hodgson makes discovering the answer to this question a rich, rewarding adventure.”
—DiAnn Mills, author of A Woman Called Sage and the Texas Legacy Series

“Ah! A book I’ve been waiting for. Too Rich for a Bride by Mona Hodgson will charm your socks off. All the ups and downs of a romance with a delightful dose of history and characters who will sneak into your heart and take up residence. More, more, we want more.”
—Lauraine Snelling author of No Distance Too Far and the Daughters of Blessing series

“Mona Hodgson has done it again. With deft storytelling and characters that leap off the page, Too Rich for a Bride is a book I won’t soon forget.”
—Kathleen Y’Barbo author of The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper and Anna Finch and the Hired Gun

From the Author

Ida Sinclair is the oldest of four daughters. Guess what! I am too. And that's not all Ida and I have in common. I'm also a businesswoman. The similarities take a big detour there. Her business is numbers, and mine is words, written and spoken. I had a lot of fun writing Ida's story and revisiting the two middle sisters in Cripple Creek.

Which has held the more prominent position in your life? Ambition or love? Ida thought ambition was enough to satisfy her. But she hadn't yet met Colin Wagner or Tucker Raines.

Cripple Creek, Colorado in the 1890's is one of my favorite places to hang out (figuratively speaking). I'm so glad there are four books in the series.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: WaterBrook Press (May 3, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 030745892X
• ISBN-13: 978-0307458926
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.7 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (70 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,034,262 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Married forty-one years to her leading man, Mona from Arizona lives in the Southwest where trees have arms instead of branches and salsa is a staple. When Mona Hodgson isn't writing or speaking, she's playing Wii games with her Arizona grandson, spending time with her mom, picnicking, texting her sisters, or chatting on Skype with her grandchildren in Africa.

Mona Hodgson is the author of nearly 40 books, historical novels for adults and children's books, including her popular Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek Series, The Quilted Heart novellas, and upcoming Hearts Seeking Home Series. Her children's books include bestseller, Bedtime in the Southwest, six desert and princess Zonderkidz I Can Read books, Real Girls of the Bible: A 31-Day Devotional, and her six I Wonder books. Mona's writing credits also include several hundred articles, poems and short stories, which have appeared in 50 different publications. Mona is a speaker for women's groups, Christian women's retreats, book clubs and reading groups, schools, and conferences for writers and librarians.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Too rich for a bride May 18, 2011

By Courtney

Format:Paperback

This is the second book in The Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek series. I read the first one but I think that this one can be read as a stand-alone book as well. Ida is the oldest of the Sinclair sisters and she finally sets out to move to Colorado to be with sisters Nell and Kat. Unlike Nell and Kat, Ida isn't searching for a husband in Colorado but she is searching for success. She wants to be a businesswoman despite all the people opposed to that. She finds lots of opportunities in Cripple Creek to test her knowledge and to test her heart!

There are lots of the things to love about this book. It was nice to catch up with the sisters Nell and Kat from book one and to hear how their lives are going. The secondary characters are in this book as well and they are still just as quirky and delightful as before, I especially like Hattie, the old matchmaker and off-key singer!

Ida is a great character as well; I love how she is determined to make it in a man's world, yet she doesn't let anyone push her around, she stands up for her values. She is just as stubborn as the other two Sinclair sisters.

Now, what I don't like about this book is the lack of development. I felt the characters could have been more developed, especially Tucker. I knew him and like him but I wanted to LOVE him. There just was a lack of connection for me. I didn't connect with the story that much and overall didn't really feel that moved! Another pet-peeve of mine is that there was romance, but not that much of it and no kissing...none! This of course is my personal opinion but I feel that a good romance has to have a lot of romantic developments and some kissing...cleanly done of course.

Overall, I do think that was an easy, simple and enjoyable read and I think the majority of Christian romance readers would enjoy this even though I didn't quite connect with the story. There is still a lot to like and therefore I do recommend it!

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this honest review.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars A little too predictable for me December 18, 2011

By The Sassy Lime

Format:Paperback

This was not a bad book -- it was okay. I didn't even know it was the second book in a series until I came to Goodreads to rate it. So obviously it was not hard to follow what had happened in the first book. It was easy to join in with the characters. I had two main problems with this book -- 1. It was predictable, 2. It was cheesy. So we'll take these one at a time.

Predictable: it's difficult to get into this without giving away the ending, but suffice it to say that the way it ended was exactly the way I thought it would end. When I read the liner notes, not just when I started reading the book. So that was disappointing. The 'twists & turns' along the way weren't very convincing and I still felt like I knew exactly where the plot was going.

Cheesy: This is a completely subjective thing. Sometimes a book just has to hit you at the right time, or one thing will turn you off of it. With that said, here's a quote that really was the tip of the cheesy iceberg for me:

"...he'd stirred her heart long before she knew the depth of his pain. Before she'd seen the strength of his character. And sitting beside him now in comfortable silence, watching two ravens gliding on a wind current, only served to strengthen the stirring in her heart."

When I read that, I rolled my eyes. I may have even groaned. I mean no disrespect to the author; I think that for another reader, this would've been a really enjoyable read. Unfortunately, that reader wasn't me.

With all of the that negativity, I do have to say that I loved the author's descriptions of Cripple Creek. It sounded beautiful & made me want to visit; I felt like I could really visualize this Gold Rush town in my head. I also strongly identified with the sisters' relationships: I have 3 sisters of my own & know how close that relationship is, and I felt like the author did a great job portraying what it's like to be sisters as grown women. I appreciated Ida's drive towards business, and that she wanted something for herself besides falling in love.

In summary, I think this would be a great book for the reader who wants a clean romantic book, set in another era. Unfortunately, I had a difficult time enjoying it as much as I'd hoped.

WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group provided this book to me for free in exchange for this honest review as part of their Blogging for Books program.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Strong storyline, Excellent discussion topics July 7, 2011

By Laura A. Jackson

Format:Paperback

In a time when women were expected to "stay in the kitchen," Ida Sinclair defies tradition by moving to Cripple Creek, Colorado, to become a businesswoman. When she arrives, she is hired by Mollie O'Bryan, who is a successful woman in a man's world. Ida soon thrives but finds herself balancing her ethics with her ambition. Enter Tucker Raines, a preacher who must give up his career to run his family's business. Can two ambitious entrepreneurs find time for love?

This book is my first book by Mona Hodgson, but it won't be my last. I am a character-driven reader, and this book is full of unique characters whose stories need to be shared. Ida is a strong, fierce woman who strives for something more than is expected of her. Even though women today are equal to men in the workforce, female readers will identify with the need Ida has to prove herself and her worth to those she loves. The minor characters are intriguing. Abraham, the young boy who always has a joke, adds a layer of humor to the story. (I'd love to see what happens with him when he's grown.) Otis, an African-American, faces some discrimination as he serves as a faithful employee to Tucker. His story could stand alone in a book. Willow is a young woman who broke down mentally after her husband's death. Her story adds to the development of Tucker's character, but it's also an interesting topic on its own: how mentally ill people were treated then in comparison to now.
I did not read the first book in the series, but I did not feel lost in this book. I do plan to check out the first book, and I hope Mona writes more about the characters in this small town. Overall, I thought it was a fantastic story with wonderful characters and a strong plot that sparks discussion. Too Rich for a Bride would be a great book club read.

I was given this book free of charge by the publisher. My thoughts and opinions