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Daughters of Texas #2
Instant Mommy
Recently widowed and burdened with a baby he can barely look at, rancher Deke Crandall's life is capsizing. But when Mollie O'Brien pounds on his door, Deke realizes he's found the answer to his baby problem--he just needs a new wife. Easy peasy.
When Mollie was seven, she decided that she wanted to marry Deke. Thirteen years later, she gets the proposal she dreamed of...with some vast differences. For starters, the marriage is purely a business arrangement. And now, for the bargain price of one wedding ring, Mollie has gone from being struggling student to wife and mom.
Has she married a man...or an employer?
When Mollie was seven, she decided that she wanted to marry Deke. Thirteen years later, she gets the proposal she dreamed of...with some vast differences. For starters, the marriage is purely a business arrangement. And now, for the bargain price of one wedding ring, Mollie has gone from being struggling student to wife and mom.
Has she married a man...or an employer?
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 1, 1996
4 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
Annette Broadrick
215 books42 followersAnnette Broadrick was born on November 26. Her mother read to her until she read to herself. From that time on, books became her closest companions and teachers. She was an only child until the middle of her 16th year when her sister was born.
She married immediately after high school graduation in the middle of her 18th year. Twelve months later she had her first son. She ended up having four sons in seven years. People with children do not need to explain what their life was like for the next 20 years. Those people without children do not want to hear about it. Early on, she became a secretary to supplement the family income. Eventually she became a legal secretary and for 25 years she worked for attorneys in Arizona, Texas, Illinois, and Oregon.
Her love of books followed her throughout her career as a mother and a secretary. By the time her youngest son graduated from high school she decided to write a book of her own. After writing in a spiral notebook for six months, she rented a typewriter and rewrote the book, showed it to a creative writing teacher, who was also a friend, listened to her critique and rewrote her story. Next she showed it to another avid romance reader and carefully listened to her critique. She rewrote her story once again. Next she mailed the manuscript to the Silhouette office in New York. Two months later she received a phone call asking if she'd be willing to do extensive revisions, including cutting one hundred pages. She said yes. This was in January 1984. By the time the book, Circumstantial Evidence, came out in November of that year, she had sold a total of six books.
Since October 1984 Annette has supported herself with her writing. Her career as a published author has also supported her reading habit and in the past five years she has managed to establish a quiet life in the Hill Country of central Texas that soothes as well as stimulates her. She hopes to continue writing the kind of books that readers enjoy.
She married immediately after high school graduation in the middle of her 18th year. Twelve months later she had her first son. She ended up having four sons in seven years. People with children do not need to explain what their life was like for the next 20 years. Those people without children do not want to hear about it. Early on, she became a secretary to supplement the family income. Eventually she became a legal secretary and for 25 years she worked for attorneys in Arizona, Texas, Illinois, and Oregon.
Her love of books followed her throughout her career as a mother and a secretary. By the time her youngest son graduated from high school she decided to write a book of her own. After writing in a spiral notebook for six months, she rented a typewriter and rewrote the book, showed it to a creative writing teacher, who was also a friend, listened to her critique and rewrote her story. Next she showed it to another avid romance reader and carefully listened to her critique. She rewrote her story once again. Next she mailed the manuscript to the Silhouette office in New York. Two months later she received a phone call asking if she'd be willing to do extensive revisions, including cutting one hundred pages. She said yes. This was in January 1984. By the time the book, Circumstantial Evidence, came out in November of that year, she had sold a total of six books.
Since October 1984 Annette has supported herself with her writing. Her career as a published author has also supported her reading habit and in the past five years she has managed to establish a quiet life in the Hill Country of central Texas that soothes as well as stimulates her. She hopes to continue writing the kind of books that readers enjoy.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 2, 2019
Honestly, I don’t know how to rate this one.
It has it’s sweet, fluffy and awww so adorable moments, and just as many annoying and downright unacceptable elements.
The h’s had a crush on the H since the day she met him at 7 yrs of age (he was 22). They never meet again although they live in the same small Texas town. She never forgets him, weaves dreams about him and hopes to marry him when she grows up. Of course, as with all such daydreams, he goes on to marry someone else and she goes to college.
In the present day, she’s 20 and home when she learns of his wife’s death in childbirth and his inability to cope with his grief and a small newborn baby. Her tender heart in turmoil (not showing though - she’s a sensible, calm girl), she goes to visit him and offers to keep house and baby for him during the summer vacation till he finds someone permanent. He’s grouchy and ungracious but accepts. She moves in and then fast forward - it’s December. Apparently she helped for a while and then went back to college. He visits her at UT and makes a proposition. No surprises - of a moc and we are set on our path for a hea.
Problems?
It has it’s sweet, fluffy and awww so adorable moments, and just as many annoying and downright unacceptable elements.
The h’s had a crush on the H since the day she met him at 7 yrs of age (he was 22). They never meet again although they live in the same small Texas town. She never forgets him, weaves dreams about him and hopes to marry him when she grows up. Of course, as with all such daydreams, he goes on to marry someone else and she goes to college.
In the present day, she’s 20 and home when she learns of his wife’s death in childbirth and his inability to cope with his grief and a small newborn baby. Her tender heart in turmoil (not showing though - she’s a sensible, calm girl), she goes to visit him and offers to keep house and baby for him during the summer vacation till he finds someone permanent. He’s grouchy and ungracious but accepts. She moves in and then fast forward - it’s December. Apparently she helped for a while and then went back to college. He visits her at UT and makes a proposition. No surprises - of a moc and we are set on our path for a hea.
Problems?
February 27, 2016
Recently widowed hero needs a wife so she can take care of his baby girl. Mollie has loved him since forever so she accepts his marriage proposal. Her dream is that someday Deke will come to love her the way she loves him.
Sweet and romantic love story, it warmed my heart and made me swoon!
Sweet and romantic love story, it warmed my heart and made me swoon!
July 19, 2017
Mollie and Deke
This wasn't as OTT as most harlequins. Mollie is 20 and Deke is 35. She has had a crush on him since she was a girl, but he doesn't really remember her and then it is only as a little girl.
Mollie comes back to town in between college semesters to find out that Deke's wife died shortly after having his baby. Mollie is practical and very level headed for a woman so young. She's a born homemaker though and can't resist offering her help to Deke with his infant daughter. Deke has become a drunken hermit and won't have anything to do with his daughter.
It's awkward for her to care for the daughter because it's a small town and people gossip, so he offers to marry her. The marriage turns into more than he expected and less than she hoped...
But even though Deke isn't a deep thinker, he recognizes a good thing when he has it and finally opens up.
Deke's first marriage was difficult and his early years were hard. Marrying a woman who cares for him is something he has difficulty trusting in. But he's not one of those H who takes the whole book to change. There's a nice arc through the book of them growing closer and facing their fears.
The book is pretty PG (sex but it's not very descriptive). No OW angst despite there being his first wife.
The difference in years was nicely defined and less important because Mollie is so comfortable with herself and Deke is a bit immature emotion wise.
This wasn't as OTT as most harlequins. Mollie is 20 and Deke is 35. She has had a crush on him since she was a girl, but he doesn't really remember her and then it is only as a little girl.
Mollie comes back to town in between college semesters to find out that Deke's wife died shortly after having his baby. Mollie is practical and very level headed for a woman so young. She's a born homemaker though and can't resist offering her help to Deke with his infant daughter. Deke has become a drunken hermit and won't have anything to do with his daughter.
It's awkward for her to care for the daughter because it's a small town and people gossip, so he offers to marry her. The marriage turns into more than he expected and less than she hoped...
But even though Deke isn't a deep thinker, he recognizes a good thing when he has it and finally opens up.
Deke's first marriage was difficult and his early years were hard. Marrying a woman who cares for him is something he has difficulty trusting in. But he's not one of those H who takes the whole book to change. There's a nice arc through the book of them growing closer and facing their fears.
The book is pretty PG (sex but it's not very descriptive). No OW angst despite there being his first wife.
The difference in years was nicely defined and less important because Mollie is so comfortable with herself and Deke is a bit immature emotion wise.
June 2, 2018
Very sweet cute uncomplicated story about a marriage of convenience that turns real very fast. I loved how normal the hero was. He was older and a widower so even though he didn't have that much experience because he lived on a farm he still had the experiences of his first marriage and i liked that they influenced how he handled the h amd the second marriage, that to me felt realistic. It was obvious that he wanted her but his baggage made him foolish. Nice cute simple story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2016
After the death of his wife the hero has to raise what he believes is not his kid cause his wife was sleeping with other men. He wanted nothing to do with his baby and he marries the heroine just to keep house for him and to raise his daughter. That's how it was going to be until he saw her and wanted her. They have a short but sweet honeymoon where he get busy with her and she ends up pregger for his next baby. I loved this story and I now want to read the last and the first one if I can find them. I hope I do. This was a great read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2019
Great
Read this story a long time ago. Recently tried to remember title and find agin. Needless to say I did and am very happy. Great story, great heroine, Molly is perfect. Deke has found his love just takes Molly to help him recognize it. You will enjoy.
Read this story a long time ago. Recently tried to remember title and find agin. Needless to say I did and am very happy. Great story, great heroine, Molly is perfect. Deke has found his love just takes Molly to help him recognize it. You will enjoy.
October 11, 2022
Es el segundo libro que leo de la serie y estuvo maravilloso, ese amor incondicional que demuestra la protagonista es hermoso, tan lindos...
February 23, 2023
took one star off because it was too short, or better it felt too sure, definitely left me craving for more. I needed time with those two
March 10, 2016
Sweet romance
The synopsis didn't sound interesting but I read this book because of the reviews and I'm glad I did. It followed the usual mills n boon plot, but it was better. The heroine wasn't a doormat by any means, and she was realistic about what she was getting herself into. We were given the hero's POV a few times, which made him more vulnerable and adorable. I enjoyed this one, even though it didn't have much angst.
The synopsis didn't sound interesting but I read this book because of the reviews and I'm glad I did. It followed the usual mills n boon plot, but it was better. The heroine wasn't a doormat by any means, and she was realistic about what she was getting herself into. We were given the hero's POV a few times, which made him more vulnerable and adorable. I enjoyed this one, even though it didn't have much angst.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews