What do you think?
Rate this book
Brides of Simpson Creek #4
The Rancher's Courtship
Though Caroline Wallace can't have a family, she can still have a purpose. Becoming Simpson Creek's new schoolmarm helps heal the heartache of losing Pete, her fiancé, to influenza. Then Pete's brother arrives, trailing a herd of cattle and twin six-year-old girls.Jack Collier expected Pete and his bride to care for his daughters until he was settled in Montana. But bad weather and worse news strand Jack in Texas until spring. It's little wonder Caroline grows fond of Abby and Amelia. But could such a refined, warmhearted woman fall for a gruff rancher…before the time comes for him to leave again?
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 8, 2011
30 people are currently reading
169 people want to read
About the author
Laurie Kingery
25 books89 followersLaurie Kingery is a central Ohio author and veteran E.R. RN who wrote 16 historical romances as Laurie Grant and now writes inspirational historicals for Steeple Hill. She won the Reader's Choice for short historicals in 1994. Her website is http://www.lauriekingery.com. Country Christmas was her first inspirational historical in Oct. '08; her next release from Steeple Hill was The Outlaw's Lady in Aug. '09. Her next release will be Marrying Milly in November 2010.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 12, 2012
Absolutely lovely! Another beautiful novel by Kingery!! And a fantastic addition to the Brides of Simpson Creek! When I was in the library today, I was torn over which books to leave behind (we were under strict orders to only bring 5!). Well, I certainly put this book in my take asap pile!! And I don't regret it! (By the way, I ended up sneaking 9 books to rent! Oh yeah!)
It was very touching and filled me with a renewed sense of love toward myself and those close to me, family and friends!
The plot was alright; the characters were the ones that drew me in though! They were extremely realistic and developed and so totally human and inspirational!!
It was very touching and filled me with a renewed sense of love toward myself and those close to me, family and friends!
The plot was alright; the characters were the ones that drew me in though! They were extremely realistic and developed and so totally human and inspirational!!
January 29, 2018
A delightful Christian historical fiction book about a one room schoolteacher. The twin girls in the story add a great deal to the plot. This is an enjoyable story.
September 5, 2019
This was a sweet story. You don’t have to read the series in order. Each are stand alone books with their own stories. It is more fun to read them in order, if possible because you come to know and love the characters.
January 26, 2012
This is a great book, filled with lots of beautiful descriptions, characters, action and a very interesting story line. This writer takes you right into the book, and I loved it.
February 21, 2012
it was very heart warming tale of love!
September 9, 2023
Nope.
I apparently am obtaining the books in this series out of order, because I sat down to read this and found out I've read #1 (two stars) and #7 (four stars!)... but this is apparently too early in the series (or in Kingery's writing career?) to earn much of anything from me, by way of ratings.
First of all, there's Caroline, who's about as stiff and relatable to the reader as her chalkboard. She's stand-offish, prim, controlled... everything NOBODY wants in their lives, thank you very much. Then there's Jack, who's brother died (Caroline's fiancé), but apparently the author killed off the personable, loving, gentle, caring brother that we *ALL* want to read about and left us with this uncommunicative stump who's in and out of the heroine's life in a choppy dance of 'sure, but... wait... no... wait... hrm'.
Jack's dad abused him. His stepmom robbed him. He's had to leave everything he's ever known... and he NEVER COMMUNICATES *ANY* OF THIS to Caroline. She doesn't know a dang thing about this guy - just that he looks like her dead fiancé and has 'cute' (read: naughtily written) girls. THAT'S what the author is basing this relationship on?! As for Jack, himself... why would she want him? For that matter, why would I want to read about him? Because he's the 'boss'? The surviving brother? Not. Good. Enough.
The romance is completely absent in this book, too. Gah, we're 40-something women, married and in stale relationships, reading these things to get a *little* zing of our heartstrings out of it, and these two NEVER have a single romantic moment in the book. They're co-parents at best, the entire read. The love declaration is thrown over her shoulder as she's striding away from him, for the love of Mike!! Cheating your readers out of their luv-high is criminal, and Kingery should be ashamed.
As for the 'Inspired' part of this 'not-so-Love, Inspired' book...? I read an Barna poll this weekend about how only 2% of churches teach Biblical tenets, anymore. This is one of the 98% that misses every. single. mark. Kingery calls Sunday the 'sabbath' - I'm sorry, but OH. HELL. NO. Not in my Bible!! She insists Jeee-zus is born on X-Mess day (I can point to more scripture that debunks that dogma than I can shake a fist at), and you KNOW you've lost me completely when your pastor preaches from a personal agenda, and not what the Lord prompts him to preach. Church raising over the summer, so we're reading Hezekiah. ****shocker!**** This is why I won't step foot in a 'c'hurch (<< for lack of a better descriptor - Messiah called them 'rotting sepulchers filled with rotting corpses, and I tend to agree).
Three sets of bad guys all band up together in this one - because why have multiple tension plots when you can cheat and throw them all together, absurdly and ineffectually? And all of the action happens OFF book - catching the cattle thieves, apprehending the superintendent? Cheats, all of it.
Badly written. Badly planned, badly executed. The whole thing is just lacking, start to finish. I'm wishing I hadn't wasted an hour of my life on this one...
I apparently am obtaining the books in this series out of order, because I sat down to read this and found out I've read #1 (two stars) and #7 (four stars!)... but this is apparently too early in the series (or in Kingery's writing career?) to earn much of anything from me, by way of ratings.
First of all, there's Caroline, who's about as stiff and relatable to the reader as her chalkboard. She's stand-offish, prim, controlled... everything NOBODY wants in their lives, thank you very much. Then there's Jack, who's brother died (Caroline's fiancé), but apparently the author killed off the personable, loving, gentle, caring brother that we *ALL* want to read about and left us with this uncommunicative stump who's in and out of the heroine's life in a choppy dance of 'sure, but... wait... no... wait... hrm'.
Jack's dad abused him. His stepmom robbed him. He's had to leave everything he's ever known... and he NEVER COMMUNICATES *ANY* OF THIS to Caroline. She doesn't know a dang thing about this guy - just that he looks like her dead fiancé and has 'cute' (read: naughtily written) girls. THAT'S what the author is basing this relationship on?! As for Jack, himself... why would she want him? For that matter, why would I want to read about him? Because he's the 'boss'? The surviving brother? Not. Good. Enough.
The romance is completely absent in this book, too. Gah, we're 40-something women, married and in stale relationships, reading these things to get a *little* zing of our heartstrings out of it, and these two NEVER have a single romantic moment in the book. They're co-parents at best, the entire read. The love declaration is thrown over her shoulder as she's striding away from him, for the love of Mike!! Cheating your readers out of their luv-high is criminal, and Kingery should be ashamed.
As for the 'Inspired' part of this 'not-so-Love, Inspired' book...? I read an Barna poll this weekend about how only 2% of churches teach Biblical tenets, anymore. This is one of the 98% that misses every. single. mark. Kingery calls Sunday the 'sabbath' - I'm sorry, but OH. HELL. NO. Not in my Bible!! She insists Jeee-zus is born on X-Mess day (I can point to more scripture that debunks that dogma than I can shake a fist at), and you KNOW you've lost me completely when your pastor preaches from a personal agenda, and not what the Lord prompts him to preach. Church raising over the summer, so we're reading Hezekiah. ****shocker!**** This is why I won't step foot in a 'c'hurch (<< for lack of a better descriptor - Messiah called them 'rotting sepulchers filled with rotting corpses, and I tend to agree).
Three sets of bad guys all band up together in this one - because why have multiple tension plots when you can cheat and throw them all together, absurdly and ineffectually? And all of the action happens OFF book - catching the cattle thieves, apprehending the superintendent? Cheats, all of it.
Badly written. Badly planned, badly executed. The whole thing is just lacking, start to finish. I'm wishing I hadn't wasted an hour of my life on this one...
September 23, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. It has a good cast of characters, it is well written with a great storyline. It tells of a Rancher who sells his ranch and wants to head to Montana with his friends to start a new one. His friends are already there, so he decides to stop in Simpson Creek and drop off his twin girls with his brother and his new wife. Then he plans on coming back to get the girls once he gets set up in Montana.
Things don't go quite like he planned but the book was an easy read and I really enjoyed it. Think you will too
Things don't go quite like he planned but the book was an easy read and I really enjoyed it. Think you will too
January 29, 2012
This latest installment didn't disappoint. I was so happy that Caroline was able to find love again, and the author does a good job dealing with subjects that are still issues today (abuse of power, harrassment, and physical abuse). I was surprised that Jack wasn't a little paranoid about Caroline's love for him, and never wondered if he was just a replacement of his brother. This issue was never brought up, so I guess it wasn't a point the author wanted to focus on, but in real life, I know that's what I would wonder.. Looking forward to reading about more of the "spinsters" in the next books!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2013
I'm reading all the books in this series "Bridges of Simpson Creek" and this is the 4th in the series. These are "sweet" romance and are also Historical romances from "Love Inspired" books. There is no "heat" in this book and these books are "Faith" base. It's just a very sweet romance about a lady that lost her Fiance to influenza and becomes the Schoolmarm of her little town. Then out of the blue the brother of the fiance shows up hoping to see his brother and meet his new wife (mail being what it was in the 1800). And the Romance is on!! ;-) You can read this story as a standalone but it would be better if you read the earlier books first.. JMHO.
February 26, 2012
How do you go on when the man you are about to marry dies from a flu epidemic? Well you do go on and end up meeting his brother who has lost his wife and comes to town with his two children without realizing that his brother has died until Caroline tells Jack! There is some sort of immediate attraction between them and Caroline really loves his two children and eventually they realize they are falling in love and end up together!
I loved this story and would have given it 5 stars except it seemed to predictable to me! Great story though!
I loved this story and would have given it 5 stars except it seemed to predictable to me! Great story though!
January 13, 2017
Too predictable - but to read about that time in history makes one glad to live in this time period. One room schooling was hard for teacher and pupil. School teacher was a prestigious job though. Child abuse and spouse abuse are never a good thing even in today's society. I cannot imagine having to wear mourning clothes for a year! Glad that tradition has gone by the wayside. I guessed from the beginning that Jack would end up with Caroline but sure drug that storyline out too much in the book. Only in the last chapter do they finally confess their love for each other and kiss.
December 29, 2012
This was cute. Albeit predictable at times but still very, very cute and enjoyable. The romance was sweet between the leads and the twins were adorable seven year old. This series is really well done as a whole. Every book leaves me happy when I close the last page. Its nothing new as far as plot goes, but it has goos writing and lively characters.
Read
December 24, 2014Miniseries: Brides of Simpson Creek
Read
November 1, 2011Miniseries: Brides of Simpson Creek
January 14, 2012
This was really another 3.5 for me, a little dragged out in places but It was an enjoyable read no the less.
March 13, 2012
I loved everything about this book. The H and h met under horrible circumstances, but gradually build a love for one another. Great romance novel.
July 22, 2012
Love it! Needed a better first kiss though.
August 25, 2016
For some reason I think this book was my least favorite so far in the series but still enjoyed the book.
August 18, 2012
Great historical romance book. I loved it!
Read
October 14, 2013I love this book also keep up the good work.
October 19, 2014
Very good book. A romance with western action
April 18, 2017
This was a wonderful sweet romance. Caroline is grieving the loss of her fiancee,Peter Collier. Jack Collier is on her door step looking for his brother with his twin daughters. Caroline is shocked that he is there and that he looks so much like his brother. She has to tell him his brother died in a flu epidemic several months ago and she is still in mourning. There is so much sorrow and tears. Jack wants to drive his herd to a new life in Montana. Now what was going to happen? A wonderful story. You care about Caroline and the twins. Why is Jack so determined to go to Montana? Who is going to stop the abuse of a wife and son? Who's going to stop the rustlers? There is a lot of exciting things going on through out the story and how our hero and heroine live through the book is enjoyable read.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews