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Her Wyoming Man
Courtesan Ella Reed escapes dangerous city life to rural Wyoming and says "I do" to a marriage of convenience! But she may not live the life of a respectable woman for long if she can't keep her past--and her heart--under lock and key.
For a self-made man with political aspirations, love is trivial in a paper marriage. Nathan Lantry needs a wife to secure his election and manage his rowdy little boys. Yet he can't stop wanting more from his irresistible new bride. Then her secrets start to unravel....
For a self-made man with political aspirations, love is trivial in a paper marriage. Nathan Lantry needs a wife to secure his election and manage his rowdy little boys. Yet he can't stop wanting more from his irresistible new bride. Then her secrets start to unravel....
284 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
4 people are currently reading
225 people want to read
About the author
Cheryl St. John
71 books552 followersCheryl is the author of more than fifty historical and contemporary romances. Her stories have earned numerous RITA nominations, Romantic Times awards and are published in over a dozen languages.
In describing her stories of second chances and redemption, readers and reviewers use words like, “emotional punch, hometown feel, core values, believable characters and real-life situations.”
With a 4.9 star rating on amazon, her bestselling non-fiction book, Writing With Emotion, Tension & Conflict by Writers Digest Books is available in print and digital.
In describing her stories of second chances and redemption, readers and reviewers use words like, “emotional punch, hometown feel, core values, believable characters and real-life situations.”
With a 4.9 star rating on amazon, her bestselling non-fiction book, Writing With Emotion, Tension & Conflict by Writers Digest Books is available in print and digital.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 8, 2011
Her Wyoming Man is a book about second chances. Ella has a second chance to have a life of her own, a life of freedom where she doesn't have to live in a gilded cage, at the whim of another person. People might think being a wife doesn't provide safety and freedom. But to prostitutes and courtesans who are one step away from being slaves, it's a way out of a desperate, hopeless life. So Ella, and some of the girls from a house of pleasure in Dodge City, Kansas sneak out and answer an ad in Wyoming for maidens suitable for marriage. They have to lie about their origins, saying they came from a finishing school, but that's a chance they are willing to take.
Ella ends up marrying Nathan, a handsome, kind, widowed father who has aspirations for the governorship of Wyoming. He's the way for her to have a safe life, and she's taking it. Ella has bottled up her emotions and what she wanted out of life for so long, she doesn't expect for her husband to love her. She just doesn't want to be seen as only a beautiful object, so she works hard to prove her worthiness to her husband. Much to her surprise, he shows her a consideration and care for her needs that she's never felt. And then he tells her he loves her, not even expecting for her to feel the same for him. She falls for him and his three young children, and living a lie doesn't feel so good, especially when her friend Celeste comes clean to her husband, and she sees how much Celeste's husband adores her, even knowing about her unsavory past. Can Nathan love Ella, even if she isn't the sheltered virgin he thought he was marrying?
Nathan is also getting a second chance. His first marriage wasn't happy. His wife didn't like living out West, and she tolerated, rather than enjoyed their time in the marriage bed, eschewing any intimacy on a personal and emotional level with Nathan. Nathan internalized this, thinking he was a bad husband, and fears he will do the same to Ella. But Ella is warm and eager for his attentions. How can he be getting his wish come true after things going so wrong the first time? Can he accept that she was once a courtesan, finding the courage to ignore what others might think and fight for their love?
This was a quick but rewarding read. I liked that the issues and the unsavory aspects of life as a prostitute weren't overlooked, but neither were they handled in a graphic manner. Instead, Ms. St. John tackles the emotional costs that a woman who has been forced into this life faces. She presents different women who were ladies of pleasure, and shows how they aren't all necessarily the same. Ella had it much easier than many of her fellow ladies, but she was still a prisoner, treated as merely a beautiful face,a pleasing/trained companion, a warm body, and valued only for what she could provide, her own emotional needs ignored. Her friend Celeste was sold into prostitution as a young girl, in very unpleasant circumstances, and physically abused. I was happy to see that she found a good man in her husband Paul. A man who loved her enough to realize that everyone deserves a second chance, and that she didn't really have a choice in that life, so who was he to hold that against her when she had a heart full of love to give. Nathan had a harder time accepting it, but I loved that he searched his heart and realized that Ella was the woman he loved, and that whatever happened in the past needed to stay there; that he didn't have the right to hold that against her. Admittedly, I was a bit skeptical at the town's resolution of the issue, but not enough that it affected my enjoyment of this story. There was too much to like about it, with characters that I liked as people and wanted to see get a happy ending.
The subject matter of prostitution is not a favorite of mine, but deep down I love the idea of people getting a blank slate, a chance for their happy ending, even if they didn't have such a good start in life. In fact, these stories make me root for the HEA even more. I like to see love conquer all and the good guy win; people overcome really horrible obstacles and come out the victor. And this book delivers that. I'd recommend this book to fans of shorter historical romances. It has a lot of heart and soul.
Ella ends up marrying Nathan, a handsome, kind, widowed father who has aspirations for the governorship of Wyoming. He's the way for her to have a safe life, and she's taking it. Ella has bottled up her emotions and what she wanted out of life for so long, she doesn't expect for her husband to love her. She just doesn't want to be seen as only a beautiful object, so she works hard to prove her worthiness to her husband. Much to her surprise, he shows her a consideration and care for her needs that she's never felt. And then he tells her he loves her, not even expecting for her to feel the same for him. She falls for him and his three young children, and living a lie doesn't feel so good, especially when her friend Celeste comes clean to her husband, and she sees how much Celeste's husband adores her, even knowing about her unsavory past. Can Nathan love Ella, even if she isn't the sheltered virgin he thought he was marrying?
Nathan is also getting a second chance. His first marriage wasn't happy. His wife didn't like living out West, and she tolerated, rather than enjoyed their time in the marriage bed, eschewing any intimacy on a personal and emotional level with Nathan. Nathan internalized this, thinking he was a bad husband, and fears he will do the same to Ella. But Ella is warm and eager for his attentions. How can he be getting his wish come true after things going so wrong the first time? Can he accept that she was once a courtesan, finding the courage to ignore what others might think and fight for their love?
This was a quick but rewarding read. I liked that the issues and the unsavory aspects of life as a prostitute weren't overlooked, but neither were they handled in a graphic manner. Instead, Ms. St. John tackles the emotional costs that a woman who has been forced into this life faces. She presents different women who were ladies of pleasure, and shows how they aren't all necessarily the same. Ella had it much easier than many of her fellow ladies, but she was still a prisoner, treated as merely a beautiful face,a pleasing/trained companion, a warm body, and valued only for what she could provide, her own emotional needs ignored. Her friend Celeste was sold into prostitution as a young girl, in very unpleasant circumstances, and physically abused. I was happy to see that she found a good man in her husband Paul. A man who loved her enough to realize that everyone deserves a second chance, and that she didn't really have a choice in that life, so who was he to hold that against her when she had a heart full of love to give. Nathan had a harder time accepting it, but I loved that he searched his heart and realized that Ella was the woman he loved, and that whatever happened in the past needed to stay there; that he didn't have the right to hold that against her. Admittedly, I was a bit skeptical at the town's resolution of the issue, but not enough that it affected my enjoyment of this story. There was too much to like about it, with characters that I liked as people and wanted to see get a happy ending.
The subject matter of prostitution is not a favorite of mine, but deep down I love the idea of people getting a blank slate, a chance for their happy ending, even if they didn't have such a good start in life. In fact, these stories make me root for the HEA even more. I like to see love conquer all and the good guy win; people overcome really horrible obstacles and come out the victor. And this book delivers that. I'd recommend this book to fans of shorter historical romances. It has a lot of heart and soul.
July 22, 2011
I’ve loved Ms. St. John since her very first book and gobble up her newest releases as soon as they come out and this one was no exception. Since Lorraine Heath left the Old West and departed to England, Cheryl St. John is my mind, THEE Western write who writes the most poignant stores
The heroine is a prostitute in the old west. She has run away from the brothel and agrees to be a mail order bride without informing her bridegroom Nathan Lantry of her past.
I get that this kind of heroine isn’t for everyone and I can respect that. But for any on the fence on this kind of heroine, or those contemplating trying one, they don’t come much better than Ella. Ms. St. John, as she has with so many of her heroines, writes Ella in such a way that she will break your heart. She makes her past so tragic, and she is still so vulnerable. But never does the reader sit in judgment on her. It’s a case of it was what it was and now she has an opportunity to make a new life for herself. She feels bad about not telling Nathan about her past and doesn’t really consider the consequences she’s so desperate to escape her past.
And Nathan makes for quite an endearing hero. He didn’t stand out for me as much as Ella, but I really did enjoy how considerate he was of Ella and how concerned he was that he not make the same mistakes with Ella.
There’s nothing big or showy about this story. It’s a gentle book about how a young woman struggles to overcome her past with the help of a gentle and loving man.
The heroine is a prostitute in the old west. She has run away from the brothel and agrees to be a mail order bride without informing her bridegroom Nathan Lantry of her past.
I get that this kind of heroine isn’t for everyone and I can respect that. But for any on the fence on this kind of heroine, or those contemplating trying one, they don’t come much better than Ella. Ms. St. John, as she has with so many of her heroines, writes Ella in such a way that she will break your heart. She makes her past so tragic, and she is still so vulnerable. But never does the reader sit in judgment on her. It’s a case of it was what it was and now she has an opportunity to make a new life for herself. She feels bad about not telling Nathan about her past and doesn’t really consider the consequences she’s so desperate to escape her past.
And Nathan makes for quite an endearing hero. He didn’t stand out for me as much as Ella, but I really did enjoy how considerate he was of Ella and how concerned he was that he not make the same mistakes with Ella.
There’s nothing big or showy about this story. It’s a gentle book about how a young woman struggles to overcome her past with the help of a gentle and loving man.
July 9, 2011
I love romance novels and sometimes I hate to admit that, but its true. I'm also a sucker for the happy ending and happily ever after. There is enough unhappiness in the world that escaping into a good book with a happy ending is what I like to do to pass the time.
This book caught my attention right off and I read it all, only putting it down for dinner(my poor kids). The pacing was great and the story kept my attention. I liked the characters and the mess they got themselves mixed up in. I will be reading more from this author.
If you enjoy romance you will enjoy this book, also I love the historical references even if there weren’t that many.
Check it out, you will be glad you did.
This book caught my attention right off and I read it all, only putting it down for dinner(my poor kids). The pacing was great and the story kept my attention. I liked the characters and the mess they got themselves mixed up in. I will be reading more from this author.
If you enjoy romance you will enjoy this book, also I love the historical references even if there weren’t that many.
Check it out, you will be glad you did.
March 7, 2013
3.5/5; 4 stars; B+
I pretty much love every romance story I've read by this author. This one is no exception. Cheryl St. John always manages to give the reader insight into the turmoil and pain, hope, and joy that the characters experience. In this story Ella gets a second chance to be a wife and mother after being born into prostitution, and Nathan gets a second chance to have a happy marriage after being widowed.
I pretty much love every romance story I've read by this author. This one is no exception. Cheryl St. John always manages to give the reader insight into the turmoil and pain, hope, and joy that the characters experience. In this story Ella gets a second chance to be a wife and mother after being born into prostitution, and Nathan gets a second chance to have a happy marriage after being widowed.
January 30, 2016
This is a good book if you just want to read a quick and fluffy romance. There isn’t much substance to it, but it was still a cute story. I loved Ella as a heroine. She just had a really good heart and you couldn’t help but root for her and her second chance at life. Compared to Ella, I was more indifferent to Nathan, but I did like the dynamic between them. He seriously had me cracking up with how he dealt with his new marriage with Ella. He kept treating her like she was this delicate flower, not knowing that she used to be a prostitute. Ella kept trying to put the moves on him and he constantly shut her down because he didn’t want to scare her off. For a huge chunk of the book, I was on the edge of my seat. In the back of my mind, I was just waiting for the truth bomb to drop and everything to go wrong. They weren’t a huge part of the story, but I also really enjoyed the relationship between Ella’s friend Celeste and her new husband Paul. It was so cute to see this broken girl find happiness with a sweet man who was willing to accept her, no matter what sordid past she came from. I almost would have liked to read a story about the two of them.
While I’m all for a happy ending, the ending had to be the most unrealistic things I’ve ever read. I’m sorry, but there’s no way that . I just couldn’t help but roll my eyes at how the situation played out. I was glad things worked out for Ella and Nathan, but it seemed like the author tried too hard to wrap the story up with a nice neat little bow.
While I’m all for a happy ending, the ending had to be the most unrealistic things I’ve ever read. I’m sorry, but there’s no way that . I just couldn’t help but roll my eyes at how the situation played out. I was glad things worked out for Ella and Nathan, but it seemed like the author tried too hard to wrap the story up with a nice neat little bow.
Read
July 19, 2011Ella Reed grabs her first chance to escape the life of a courtesan and accepts a proposal from Nathan Lantry. Unfortunately Nathan has political aspirations. If Ella's secret comes out, he won't be able to run for office... and she'll lose the only home she's ever known. Ella's newfound friends insist she must decorate, unleashing a flurry of shopping and craft-making to bring Nathan's home up to the appropriate level of Victorian clutter.
The author does an excellent job showing the sexual tension between these two. Ella is supposed to be a virgin, but she finds Nathan enormously attractive. She needs to consummate the marriage to secure her legal standing as his wife, but he's decided to court her before bedding her. What fun to see how they both deal with frustration!
The author does an excellent job showing the sexual tension between these two. Ella is supposed to be a virgin, but she finds Nathan enormously attractive. She needs to consummate the marriage to secure her legal standing as his wife, but he's decided to court her before bedding her. What fun to see how they both deal with frustration!
March 28, 2012
QUICK TAKE:
A fine historical western read. I love second chance stories, and while I'm not too fond of romances with kids running around, there was just enough here. Ella comes to Wyoming with a bunch of other soiled doves, though Ella was an exclusive courtesan. Answering an ad in the paper for mail-order brides, these ladies pair up with the men in town while keeping their past secret. Ella hit the jackpot with widower Nathan Lantry. Handsome, tall, well-off and ambitious. And he is a loving father and honorable man. You know this secret will come out, how will Nathan take to being lied to? Lots of emotion and ultimately heart-warming to boot.
A fine historical western read. I love second chance stories, and while I'm not too fond of romances with kids running around, there was just enough here. Ella comes to Wyoming with a bunch of other soiled doves, though Ella was an exclusive courtesan. Answering an ad in the paper for mail-order brides, these ladies pair up with the men in town while keeping their past secret. Ella hit the jackpot with widower Nathan Lantry. Handsome, tall, well-off and ambitious. And he is a loving father and honorable man. You know this secret will come out, how will Nathan take to being lied to? Lots of emotion and ultimately heart-warming to boot.
March 3, 2015
This was a nice sweet read. It was fairly short. I would have enjoyed a book twice as long that went into a lot more detail but what there was was nice. Because this is a Harlequin historical, the heroine's background as a high priced prostitute was pretty clean so she could be almost a good girl. The story is pretty sweet and she tries so hard in her new life that she is very appealing. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop and you knew all along it was going to. The ending was improbable but hey it's fiction and Harley fiction at that. Ms. St. John writes a good yarn.
July 7, 2011
I really enjoyed this book..A very well written Western Historical..
July 17, 2012
This was a very sweet romance.
March 25, 2019
This was an interesting story. A former courtesan finds a new life and it is a rough ride. Ella has never known a normal life and she gets it when she travels and Nathan is just the man to have his world ruffled. His three children are a great addition to this story.
March 12, 2022
light read but farfetched
It was an easy read that kept me invested just to see how the big reveal would take place. Other than that ending was very unrealistic and didn’t buy it.
It was an easy read that kept me invested just to see how the big reveal would take place. Other than that ending was very unrealistic and didn’t buy it.
December 24, 2020
Ca se lit bien. On s'attache à l'héroïne et aux enfants... même au héros... mais on n'y croit pas du tout... enfin, c'est bien écrit et on a tellement envie d'y croire.
February 25, 2023
Not enough angst as the story would have required
Their confrontation was lacking and the resolution rushed
Their confrontation was lacking and the resolution rushed
June 21, 2020
Loved this book. Fast and enjoyable read.
August 14, 2019
Wonderful Story
Very romantic story of love, forgiveness and putting the past behind you. Good lesson in telling the truth and letting the past go.
Very romantic story of love, forgiveness and putting the past behind you. Good lesson in telling the truth and letting the past go.
June 27, 2011
(Disclaimer: I won this book for free in a giveaway on Goodreads.com. Doesn't mean I shall be even slightly less critical than I normally would.)
Her Wyoming Man is the story of Ella, who begins the story as a high-class hooker in Kansas City during the late 1800s (I think, I can't recall if any specific dates were ever given). After a change in circumstances, Ella and a few of the other women from the "house of pleasure" make a run for it, answering an ad from a city in rural Wyoming that needs marriage-worthy women. Ella quickly finds herself married to a young widower named Nathan, who has three small children and political aspirations. How long can she keep her past a secret? And what will happen if it comes out?
In general, this is a pretty standard Harlequin-style romance. The heroine is beautiful, the hero is dashing, there is a certain amount of conversation, sexy times, a problem comes up, is overcome, and everyone basically lives happily ever after. It is not especially original, but the story is serviceable, and the characters are fairly likeable. The sexy bits were pretty good, though definitely not explicit. I really only had two issues with it; my first problem was the sometimes dizzying switches in perspective--the story is mostly from Ella's point of view, but often it moves to Nathan's, generally without warning, often mid-paragraph. My other problem was purely personal--I had trouble enjoying the story because I was so dreading the point when the truth about Ella's past comes out.
I'd recommend this for anyone who enjoys the occasional fluffy historical romance. It's a great way to spend a rainy evening or an afternoon lying on the beach.
Her Wyoming Man is the story of Ella, who begins the story as a high-class hooker in Kansas City during the late 1800s (I think, I can't recall if any specific dates were ever given). After a change in circumstances, Ella and a few of the other women from the "house of pleasure" make a run for it, answering an ad from a city in rural Wyoming that needs marriage-worthy women. Ella quickly finds herself married to a young widower named Nathan, who has three small children and political aspirations. How long can she keep her past a secret? And what will happen if it comes out?
In general, this is a pretty standard Harlequin-style romance. The heroine is beautiful, the hero is dashing, there is a certain amount of conversation, sexy times, a problem comes up, is overcome, and everyone basically lives happily ever after. It is not especially original, but the story is serviceable, and the characters are fairly likeable. The sexy bits were pretty good, though definitely not explicit. I really only had two issues with it; my first problem was the sometimes dizzying switches in perspective--the story is mostly from Ella's point of view, but often it moves to Nathan's, generally without warning, often mid-paragraph. My other problem was purely personal--I had trouble enjoying the story because I was so dreading the point when the truth about Ella's past comes out.
I'd recommend this for anyone who enjoys the occasional fluffy historical romance. It's a great way to spend a rainy evening or an afternoon lying on the beach.
October 15, 2015
Being raised as a courtesan didn't give Ella a lot of options. When her friend answered a call for mail order brides Ella jumped at the chance to change her circumstances. Now she just had to make sure her past stayed a secret.
I really enjoyed the book and the characters. The author made them come to life and really seem real. Ella had such a strong personality and big heart for someone that grew up in her situation and I like how Nathan acted towards her.
I really enjoyed the book and the characters. The author made them come to life and really seem real. Ella had such a strong personality and big heart for someone that grew up in her situation and I like how Nathan acted towards her.
March 25, 2013
Because I work in a library, I think I always have to read something educational. But this week, I decided to pick up a romance (they're very popular at the library) and I'm glad I did. The book is sweet, easy to read, and paints a vivid picture in my imagination. It's like a day at the beach for the mind.
September 17, 2015
3.5 stars. Short, sweet, straight-forward romance. No real angst and turmoil and the "big misunderstanding" is easily swept away by love and happily-ever-after. A definite "palate cleanser" of a book. Like a warm hug.
July 24, 2014
3.5 stars
April 9, 2016
What happened to Lena?
December 31, 2017
Una historia muy linda, en donde la aceptación por un pasado es lo primordial para ser felices, sin importar lo que conlleve ese perdon después que sea de corazón.
Elle es una mujer que ha tenido que vivir en una casa de cita desde que nacio, solo conoce ese mundo cuando se le presenta la oportunidad no lo duda dos veces.
Nathan busca una esposa y madre para sus hijos, eso es lo que encuentra y con creces.
Todo lo que depara el futuro es nada comparado con lo que vivio
Elle es una mujer que ha tenido que vivir en una casa de cita desde que nacio, solo conoce ese mundo cuando se le presenta la oportunidad no lo duda dos veces.
Nathan busca una esposa y madre para sus hijos, eso es lo que encuentra y con creces.
Todo lo que depara el futuro es nada comparado con lo que vivio
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews