The Marriage Barter

Orphan Train #2

by Christine Johnson

Mission: Children

Rounding up a gaggle of orphans isn't Wyatt Reed's specialty. Still, the bounty hunter is being paid handsomely to bring these children from Evans Grove to the next town. And then he sets eyes on one pigtailed, pint-sized complication, and the beautiful widow who needs his help.

Charlotte Miller's marriage lacked love, but at least it gave her the right to adopt little Sasha. Now without a husband, she can't be a mother. Wyatt agrees to be her groom-for-hire—only until Sasha is hers. But the man who couldn't wait to leave town is finding unexpected reasons to stay…and glimpsing a future surpassing any fortune he's known.

Genres: Love Inspired, Romance, Historical, Love Inspired Historical, Historical Fiction, Westerns, Christian

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 7, 2013

About the author

Christine Johnson grew up in small-town Michigan, where tales rise taller than old-growth forest. God blessed her with a love of story, which led to publication with Love Inspired Historical and Revell. When not at the computer keyboard, she loves to quilt and explore God’s majestic creation.

Reviews

[Sheila]

Too much drama and gossiping in this town for me.

[Jennifer]

Potentially offensive items: cultural sensitivity, adult situations, alcohol, violence, mature themes, lying, arson

This book was the best in the series, in my opinion. It did a good job of balancing a man who doesn't want to commit with his attraction to a woman he has married out of convenience.

[Phylisha Stone]

3.5 stars
This was a good historical romance as well as a very well written look into somewhat dark part of American history. The story revolves around an orphan train. Homeless, abandoned, orphaned children from large eastern cities were put on trains and sent west to the to be "adopted". In some cases that happened. What also happened was that children were often put to work as nothing more than farm hands/indentured servants, some were taken and forced to more in mines. Others especially young girls were forced into prostitution because they had no options. They were often no better off that freed slaves. This book made me think.

[Mary Shreffler]

Evans Grove, Nebraska is the setting in 1891 when Wyatt goes to get 8 orphans and bring them back to Gainesville. Charlotte was a new widow who's hoping to adopt little Sasha but being a single mom is not what the orphan train was set up to do. Wyatt want to get in, get out and do his job but Sasha is calling him Papa and Charlotte asks him to marry her so she can adopt Sasha

[Lisa]

I wanted to nudge it up in the star count, however there was too much cliche in character progression and too much dialogue when you knew what the outcome would be. So it was okay.

[Agnes Houessou]

Certainly a new angle on the orphan train romance -clean too.

[Marjorie]

The "Orphan Train" series has produced several really good stories with common threads linking each. The Marrage Barter is no exception. We first meet Sasha and her adoptive mother when several of the orphans are chosen by townspeople, Sasha among them. A hateful spinster bucks and brays at every juncture. The entire town finds her obnoxious, but she withstands them all, convinced she's protecting the town from the encroaching orphan rabble. Sasha's new mom, Charlotte, was married at the start of the proceedings but her husband dies early on, leaving her a now single woman and therefore ineligible to adopt. Her dilemma is finding someone to marry so she can keep Sasha. Wyatt is the bounty hunter who was hired to bring all the orphans to the last stop, where that town's leaders have their own (hidden) agenda. Charlotte promises Wyatt the money her husband left her if he will marry her long enough to make the adoption of Sasha sure. He reluctantly agrees. The rest of the story involves fighting off all the opposition. Wyatt's heart is touched by little Sasha, but it's overwhelmed by the brave-hearted Charlotte and the orphans' plight. How he saves the day makes for a delightful read.

[Joyce]

What a sweet, gentle romance! This historical Christian romance takes place in 1875. An orphan train was robbed en route to its final destination of Greeneville. The orphans are taken in by the nearby town of Evans Grove. Many of the orphans have found loving families ready to adopt them but Wyatt Reed has been hired by an overly eager Greeneville to bring the orphans to their original destination. Charlotte Miller has taken in one of the orphans but is now widowed. As a single woman, she is no longer eligible to adopt. She has 3 days to get married or send her daughter on to Greeneville.
This is the story of characters who have suffered tragedy and disappointment, but they discover that by putting their faith in God, they can begin to heal and move forward.
I really enjoyed this story, but it seemed to end a bit abruptly. I would like to have seen more of the happy couple at the end, after they both realized their love for each other.
I received this book in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.

[April]

I really wish that I could do half stars on the rating scale. I would have rated the book at 3.5 if I could have done so. At the beginning of the book, I had a difficult time connecting to the characters because I was a bit frustrated with their inability to communicate in any meaningful way. However, by the end of the book, I was very taken with the characters and their stories of faith and survival. In the end, I am glad that I read the book, but I do wish that it had drawn me in a bit quicker and maybe contained a bit more of the future for the characters. I almost felt that it ended to abruptly because I wanted to know that they really did have a good life and a happy ending. I would definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy historical romance and inspirational, faith-based romance stories.

As a side note: I received this book through a goodreads giveaway.

[Pegg]

A classic frontier story of; woman needs a husband and the nearest available guy will have to do…with a serious twist when the lives of a group of orphans are at stake. The story is built around the true history of the Orphan Train that ferried children from the cities back east to the frontier. Some of these children were adopted into loving families while others became little more than slaves.

In The Marriage Barter, Wyatt Reed and Charlotte Miller combine forces to ensure that Charlotte can keep the orphan girl who has captured her heart. It seems a straight forward arrangement until Wyatt uncovers the darker side of the Orphan Train legacy. Fighting against court deadlines and their own battered emotional backgrounds, the two discover what the meaning of family really is.

The history is nicely integrated into this charming tale. I can highly recommend this book!

[Tonileg]

Western Historical clean romance with a damaged man for hire that has a good past that finds love with a sweet recently widowed lady that wants to adopt a little girl from the Orphan Train.
I recently listened to 'Stuff you missed in History class' podcast on the history of the Orphan Train which is a bittersweet story of good and bad choices forced on children in the 19th century America. Which I highly recommend to people that might want to know more.
So marriage of convenience plot that grows to love with an evil rich rancher thrown into the mix to add some pressure and a time limit to the marriage. Heavy handed Christian themes if you like that sort of thing, but the storytelling was still very good.
281 pages and a handy book club guide of questions at the end.
2 stars and bought used at the library

[Barbara]

This second book in the Orphan Train series is a good one. Intrigue and danger, romance, and sweet children all make it delightful. The characters of Sasha, Wyatt, and Charlotte are wonderful; each grabs your heart in a different way, and Charlotte and Wyatt change and grow so much during the course of events that transpire. The female antagonist from the first book is also in this one, but the mysterious "villian" in the story masterminding the evil was a little bit predictable. Orphan trains fascinate me, and I can't wait to read the third book in the series.

[Alana]

great heart-warming story. loved the relationship between wyatt/sasha and charlotte's determination to keep them both. additionally, the historical view of life as an orphan train rider was an interesting aspect. it showed the good and bad realities some children faced when they boarded the trains.
i hope in the next story the search for the other orphans will be included and who will mr brooks turn out to be? will wyatt be able to find jakob?


***SIGNED***
(Received free through Goodreads First Reads)

[June]

The orphans have arrived and half of them have found new homes but nobody expected someone to question the legality of it all. Was the contract between the Orphan Society and Greencille broken? Wyatt has come to collect the children and a hefty fee that will let him move on with his miserable life. But Charlotte and the other towns people don't want to give up the children they have come to love. Rules, rules and more rules.

[Janis Kay]

I think that of all 3 couples, Charlotte and Wyatt are my favorite. She's not afraid to voice her beliefs and he never has a dull moment because of that xD They are both very independent characters and this gives their bond the extra strength for when he took off to find the other orphans:) And Sasha is just the icing on the cake><

[Victoria]

Not having read the first book in the trilogy wasn't too much of a hinderance. All in all it's a touching story, but a bit predictable. Wyatt isn't the monster he makes himself out to be, and redeems himself.

[Harlequin Books]

Miniseries: Orphan Train
Category: Inspirational Romance

[Harlequin Historical]

Miniseries: Orphan Train
Category: Inspirational Romance

[Rashika]

wonderful story of once was. beautifully written. loved the play into relationships.
good read.

[Linda]

Fashioned after the orphan train idea. Loosely!!