Warning: This book includes mature content such as: sexual content, and/or drug and/or alcohol use, and/or violence.
Series: The Heroes of Chance Creek #2
Published by CrushStar Multimedia LLC on 22 July 2014
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley
Staff Sergeant Austin Hall has a brilliant record in the Special Forces—except for one disastrous decision that cost his best friend’s life. Now he’s heading home to Chance Creek, Montana, where he’d like to spend the rest of his days in the obscurity of his family’s ranch. Too bad Great Aunt Heloise won’t hand the ranch over unless all four of the Hall brothers marry and one of them produces an heir within the year. Austin is too broken to marry for love, so he places an online ad for a fake wife. What could possibly go wrong?
Ella needs to leave Hollywood—fast. It’s bad enough another actress stole her fiancé—on national television. Now she’s ruined her comeback by decking her ex on a morning talk show. Pursued by paparazzi, Ella needs a new life, a new name and someplace to hide. When she reads Austin’s ad for a stand-in wife, she knows she can act this part perfectly. To the rest of the residents of Chance Creek, they’ll be a happily married couple. In private, they’ll just be roommates. In a year when she’d old news and the Hall brothers secure the ranch, she and Austin will quietly divorce and she’ll go on her way.
Or will she?
Austin’s already finding it hard to remember his promise never to love again. Ella’s finding it hard to keep her hands to herself. But when they’re asked make a back-up baby, Ella realizes she may have stepped into a lifetime role.
Can this pretend marriage go the distance?
*I received a free ARC of The Soldier’s E-Mail Order Bride from CrushStar Multimedia LLC via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review*
Feel-good romance with a very sweet couple, The Soldier’s E-Mail Order Bride made my toes curl with happiness.
My The Soldier’s E-Mail Order Bride review:
Everything seemed to be against Ella and Austin’s relationship becoming something real in The Soldier’s E-Mail Order Bride, and even I thought for a while that they just might not make it! Ella fled Hollywood after yet another embarrassing run-in with her ex and his new girl-friend, and she found Austin’s ‘wife wanted’ add at the right time. When they first met at the airport, Austin simply brought her to the church and they got married within an hour of meeting… There was instant chemistry and attraction, though, even if they had both agreed there would be no sex.
As they got to know each other a little bit, they realized they had more in common than they had thought possible – really, a soldier in the special ops and a Hollywood actress both hurting and hiding from the world shouldn’t have worked, but somehow it did. The Soldier’s E-Mail Order Bride is a very sweet story, even if Austin is dealing with a huge serving of survivor’s guilt, and he has no idea how to go on living when his best friend is dead. Thinking he didn’t deserve any happiness, he kept Ella at arm’s length; at least outside the bedroom.
The struggles both Ella and Austin had within themselves really hooked me, and made The Soldier’s E-Mail Order Bride a pleasure to read. Regan and Mason from the first Heroes of Chance Creek story played a part in this story as well, as did several characters from the Cowboys of Chance Creek series. Sexy cowboys, a beautiful actress, lots of hard work and even more hot love-making made me a very happy reader indeed. If you aren’t familiar with these series yet, but enjoy reading about hot and slightly brooding cowboys, you should pick it up! You won’t regret it 🙂
Some of my favorite The Soldier’s E-Mail Order Bride quotes:
Ella bit her lip. She hadn’t meant that to sound like an invitation. After a long moment, the cowboy nodded and turned on his heel.
As he stripped down, she turned away quickly and he bit back a smile. If he was a gentleman he would leave on his boxers, but he wasn’t a gentleman, and ever since he’d seen his name on her list, he’d been tingling with the knowledge that she ranked him right up there with fresh air, horses and children.
Ella’s face had been a sight to see a couple of days ago when they unloaded the John deere tractor and a couple of utility vehicles they’d brought to use for many of the jobs around the ranch. “Did you think we did everything on horseback?” he’d asked her. “I guess I hoped so. It’s sexier.”
Twitter: bmreviewsohmy
Sounds like a good one. 🙂 Have a great week!
I had a great time reading it, for sure 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Stormi!
It is always great to see characters you like make appearances in other books in the series. I think it gives greater depth to the book and you connect with the storyline more! Great review Lexie!
Naomi @ Nomi’s Paranormal Palace
I agree, Naomi. It makes the story seem even more ‘real’ if characters I already know show up and lend their credibility to the new characters 🙂
Thanks for stopping by!
I love this sort of story, Lexxie – where the hero and heroine try their best to not become involved. 🙂 I really should start this series as you know I love me some hot cowboys…and a military man too? Yippee! 🙂 But the sound of Ella and Austin’s personal struggles intrigues me too. I want to see how they help each other heal. Great review, my dear, and I’m happy you enjoyed it!
*BIG HUGS*
Yes, this is in the same universe as the Cowboys of Chance Creek, but it’s a new series called the Heroes of Chance Creek. So both cowboys and military men *drools*.
Thanks for stopping by, my dear! *BIG HUGS*
Well the title caught my attention and glad to hear it was a good read to go along with it
Yeah, it was fun, sexy and well written, Brandi 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.
Twitter: talksupeblog
I just saw this crazy docu about mail order brides and it’s NOTHING like this. Happy endings, makes my heart smile 🙂
Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s nothing like this in the real world, Braine. Especially because a lot of those brides come from a different country, and they don’t know the language for one thing when they arrive to be with their new husband.
Fictional life is much easier to deal with 🙂
Thanks for stopping by.
Entirely new take on mail order bride. Looks interesting 🙂