The Bartered Bride

The Brides #3

by Lena Goldfinch

COLORADO 1880

Jem Wheeler has always been a survivor. He just wants to make a fresh start in Colorado Springs after the loss of his wife. But then he happens upon a young mute woman being sold off to the highest bidder. He wasn't looking for a mail-order bride. He wasn't looking to rescue anyone either. But desperate circumstances can drive a good man to do things he hadn't planned on doing...

When Jem steps into Annie's life, she's not expecting anyone to save her. Mute from birth, she's just using all her wits to survive. All she’s ever really wanted is a family of her own. For someone to see her. To look at her long enough to hear the things she can't say.

Can Annie finally break through the silence to win Jem's heart?

Book 2 in The Brides Series
Sweet Historical Western Romance / A Mail-Order Bride Novel
A full-length novel (approx. 108,000 words)

Each book in The Brides series can be read as a stand-alone novel, but reading in order will provide a more complete reading experience.

The Brides Series
#1 The Unexpected Bride
#2 Sleigh Bells & Milestone: A Short Story
#3 The Bartered Bride

Genres: Romance, Historical, Christian Fiction, Westerns, Historical Romance, Marriage Of Convenience, Historical Fiction

392 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

LENA GOLDFINCH writes sweet historical Western romance, inspirational romance, and books for teens, books with a taste of "sigh-worthy romance." Lena has been a finalist in several national writing contests, including the RWA Golden Heart and ACFW Genesis contests.

Latest Releases:
CHRISTMAS CAKE KISSES
SWEET BRIAR ROSE

THE BRIDES SERIES:

* THE UNEXPECTED BRIDE
... "This old-fashioned mountain romance is an unexpected treat!"
* SLEIGH BELLS & MISTLETOE
* THE BARTERED BRIDE
* ONLY THE HEART KNOWS

"With unexpectedly fresh characters and twists, the imagination is kept on its toes, even while feeling entirely comfortable with the familiarity of the mail-order bride storyline... A great curl-up-on-a-cold-night read, so go grab a copy for yourself!" (USA TODAY on THE UNEXPECTED BRIDE)

"Danger, magic, romance, and royal intrigue, AIRE is a must read!" (NYT Bestselling Author JESSICA ANDERSEN)

"Looking for something fresh and new to read? Try Lena Goldfinch's AIRE." (USA TODAY)

"SONGSTONE sings with characters who come to life, a story full of magic, heart and adventure, and a world that lets you smell the sea air and feel the tropical sun on your back." (LISA GAIL GREEN, author of THE BINDING STONE)

"SONGSTONE is an original fantasy world inhabited by superstitious tribal nations and intriguingly developed characters." (USA TODAY)

"THE LANGUAGE OF SOULS is the perfect tiny romantic escape." (Tales of Whimsy)

Reviews

[Debbie DiFiore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christian Romance Clean and sweet

I loved this book mainly because I like Traumatized heroines for some reason? Call me mean but I love when they triumph and this girl did. Her husband is still mourning his dead wife and I really hate that trope. Big time. But what caught my attention was Sugar (the cutest dog ever) and little Mae. I loved these two characters so much. And then there was Ray, the butler aka the housekeeper, the cook, the nurturer. I loved them all. Especially the heroine Annie. She couldn't speak but she sure did shout. And the hero was so sweet. Yes he did mourn his first wife and didn't consummate the marriage but he was a really good man. The cast of characters touched my heart. Especially Gabe. That poor boy. I loved him. The villain was truly evil. He was so mean and he mistreated everyone. I loved this book. It can be a little religious but I don't mind that. There is zero passion but there is romance. My younger self wouldn't have read this but I am glad my old lady self did. It was really good. It just made me realize how old I really am. :) will definitely read the others in the series. Not all at once but I will read them.

[Shantelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bartered Bride is another lovely country historical romance from Lena Goldfinch! Book three in THE BRIDES SERIES, it satisfies in a sweet way just as the books before it.

Jem Wheeler is a widower, struggling to care for his small daughter and grieving his late wife.
Annie is a mute young woman, put in a terrible position not of her own doing. She's to be bartered off to the highest bidder; will her new husband be kind to her? Will love ever blossom between them in such a confusing arrangement?

This was a sweet story! It was very interesting to have a mute heroine ... and see how that plays out in a spur-of-the-moment marriage. How a relationship would deepen even with no conversation to be had between the man and woman. I found the romance of The Bartered Bride to be quite touching. Some moments were so beautiful! So yes, more of a deep love story. It does have some adult situations, so I would recommend to eighteen and up.

And there's not only romance, but danger, drama, excitement, horrific crimes, and lessons learned. I found myself sighing dreamily one moment, then breathless with fear the next. Fans of historical fiction of sweet romance and faith will surely enjoy THE BRIDES SERIES by Lena Goldfinch!

Overall, a beautiful story. Looking forward to more!

I received a copy of The Bartered Bride from the author in exchange for my honest review.

[SheLove2Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Very likeable characters in a compelling storyline. 4 stars

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

After his wife's death, Jem takes his little daughter on the train to her uncle's home. On the way, they meet a young woman in a desperate situation--she is about to be sold off in marriage to the highest bidder. Without forethought, Jem steps in to help the woman, Annie, and marries her on the spot. Love could grow between the two of them, but there are a few complications to surmount before their marriage can really move forward, namely, Annie's muteness, Jem's grief over his wife's death, and revenge from the man who had previously intended to marry Annie.

The Bartered Bride was lovely. I was reminded why I put others of Lena Goldfinch's books on my favorites list. Her writing was good, her plot complicated and enjoyable, and her characters deep and like-able.

Annie's disability was very interesting. Born unable to form spoken or written words, she learned to communicate with hand gestures and facial expressions, with training in sign language. It was fascinating to learn about her disability and to imagine how hard it would be to play guessing games with people all the time. Can you imagine not being able to say "I love you" to your family or ask a simple question? Part of the book was spent trying to overcome the communication problems.

Throughout the novel, readers are reminded of Jem's grief over his deceased wife. It would be extremely difficult to lose a spouse, and that was obvious. But I wondered what Annie went through. Her life was certainly not pleasant and she had baggage from her previous bad experiences. I appreciated that Jem found out about those problems and took the time to help her overcome them.

Overall, this was a fascinating look into history, speech disabilities, and human depth. I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a sweet historical romance.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Sydney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lena Goldfinsh has written a beautiful and delightful story in The Bartered Bride, book three in The Brides Series. Set in Colorado Springs, this western novel is filled with fun, adventure, and of course romance. Jem Wheeler recently lost his wife and is still grieving for her, but when he comes across Annie, a woman who cannot speak and over hears that she is to be sold off. Jem intercedes, paying enough money that Annie does not have to go with the evil man and purchasing the nearby dog as well. After removing them from the situation, Jem’s and Annie’s lives revolve around taking care of Mae, Jem’s daughter, and helping around the family ranch. But danger lurks nearby as the man that previously attempted to buy Annie lives on a neighboring ranch. But Jem determines to protect Annie. This novel also brings to light the struggle that Jem and Annie have with their relationship, as well as, in communicating with one another. But somehow, they find away, and eventually they attend a school and learn to sign. As complicated as Jem and Annie’s romance may seem at the beginning, throughout the story it grows and blossoms into a marvelous and wonderful, soft affair. I would recommend this novel to readers that enjoy western romance novels.

Series: The Brides
Genre: romance, western, historical
Publisher: Indigo Road Publishing
Publication date: December 1, 2015
Number of pages: 390

Content Rating: PG, strong feelings between a man and wife, but nothing graphic
Book Rating: 5 stars

Other books in the series:
1-The Unexpected Bride
2-Sleigh Bells & Mistletoe​

A review copy of this book was provided by SLB Tours.

[Joann Maggio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bartered Bride written by Lena Goldfinch ****

Jen Wheeler, a widower, was traveling with his little daughter Mae. They were on their way to Colorado Springs to see her uncle. Jem gets off at a stop and sees Anne. Anne is mute from birth but can clearly hear. She is being sold to the highest bidder. Jen is appalled. The man Creed who purchases Anne does not sit right with Jem. Jem doubles the asking price and buys her and marries her right on the spot. She is quite the mess all dirty and bedraggled.

Although, he was not looking for a wife since he still mourns the death of Mae's mother he could not leave her. He reboards the train with Anne, his daughter Mae and an abused dog.

The story unfolds from there. It is a sweet western romance. The story examines the different lives people are subject to in order to survive. Each character is a survivor from neglectful or abusive parents. Anne with her handicap just wants to be invisible and live her life in the safe background of others. Deep in her heart wanting love and a family.

Jem has the patience to understand Anne and she too can interpret all his plight. The book is quite open to love without vivid sexual explicitness. I enjoyed the story very much and feel it could be read by all age groups.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annie is a woman silenced with a life full of heartache. When she was about to be sold to a man with horrendously mean eyes Jem steps in. Jem has lived a hard life the most recent of which is the loss of his beloved wife leaving him a single father to his 2 year old. When Jem steps in and buys Annie their lives go on a whirlwind of mistrust, miscommunication, and hurtful secrets. And all of that leads out to a new life filled with family and closure.
I really liked this romance story, it wasn't sappy by any means, and there was no sex. The most it had PDA wise was a few kisses which was a nice change of pace. Jem is a man filled with doubt, selfloating, and guilt. When he gets to know Annie all of that's starts to change. And when Jem first met Annie she was a woman trying to blend into the background, She was a shy, mute woman who just wanted a chance to be normal. She has never trully felt love before, so the chance with Jem and his family gave her exactly what she was looking for.
This was a great 300+ page read. Recommended for all historical romance lovers.

[Miranda A. Uyeh]

The Bartered Bride turned out to be quite different from what I expected, but in a good way.  Some outcomes I’d hoped for turned out differently, but I could see the author’s point.

This story may appear simple, but it is in fact more complex than it seems—different themes interwoven to pass across a myriad of inspirational teachings, some more easily discerned than others: from the story of a man whose life portrayed that the most painful of losses and wounds can be healed, to that of a mute woman whose story showed that there’s hope for the abandoned, and that anyone can find true love and be blessed by God. These are just two wonderful messages. The story is packed with so much more, and, no, it’s not overdone!

While I’m without doubt that The Bartered Bride can be enjoyed by all, I believe it will be better appreciated by mature minds.

Overall, this is another well done work by Lena Goldfinch. Goldfinch has become one of my favorite authors, one whose work I always look forward to reading!

[Carrie Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bartered Bride is a sweet love story with depth and heart and grace evident in every word.

A gentle thread of faith frames a portrait of courage, strength, and love in The Bartered Bride by Lena Goldfinch. Annie is one of the most interesting characters I’ve read about in a long time – her mutism and inability to write merely facets to her creative and winsome personality. Jem’s story is equally engaging as he struggles to find his place in the world – not to mention his new and unexpected marriage – while grieving his first wife. Secondary characters such as Mae, Ben, Ray, Gabe, and even Sugar bolster the heart of the story even further. Fans of Janette Oke’s Love Comes Softly series will find much to love in Lena Goldfinch’s The Bartered Bride as well.

(I received a copy of this book in exchange for only my honest review.)

Read my full review at Reading Is My SuperPower

[Christine Woinich · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is part of a series. The hero is introduced in the previous book, and I love how Jem's story plays out. It is quite some time since the first book and a lot has happened. He is now a widower with a child and they come across Annie who is mute. Under less than ideal circumstances, Jem marries Annie to protect her. Watching their love grow as they encounter big and little problems warmed my heart. This story held my attention and was hard to put down. I hope to read more from Lena Goldfinch.

I had a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Lilian80 · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I started to read this book, I was sure it was going to be one of those novels that I could not put down. Well, it did not happen. I love to read about the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters as in my opinion it is the best way to get to know them. We have a lot of that in this book. The problem is that these thoughts became very repetitive and boring specially the hero’s thoughts. In my opinion, somewhere from the middle of the book characters became flat and their relationship insipid. I did not care about them at the end and that is sad as I really liked both of them at the beginning, specially the heroine. I could feel her pain and desires. The hero was also very likable but I could not believe his love for the heroine when it happened. I will definitely try other books from this author in future but am not in a hurry to do it.

[Julie Graves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jem Wheeler’s wife has recently passed away. He and their daughter Mae are on their way to his wife’s former home. Jem isn’t sure why he is going there, but he feels the urge to take Mae to her mother’s home. On the way the train they are on comes to a stop and Jem decides to check on his horse and get he and Mae some food. What he encounters changes he and Mae’s life forever.

Annie hasn’t bathed in days, but there is a reason for this. She must keep the man she is travelling with away from her at all costs. Annie can’t speak to defend herself so she must rely on other resources to help keep herself from being abused. Annie’s mother abandoned her when she was 3 leaving Annie an orphan. The family that Annie was with could no longer care for her so now she is travelling with a disreputable pastor who is set on selling her to an equally disreputable man. This is where Jem and Annie’s paths cross. Seeing the transaction taking place and Annie’s distress over the treatment of a young puppy Jem steps in and offers to marry Annie and take the puppy with them. Needless to say he makes an enemy of the man who wanted to purchase Annie.

Annie is amazed that Jem would marry her and take her with him saving her from the man with the evil eyes. Mae understands it isn’t to be a “real” marriage, but she is quite willing to be a caretaker for Mae and help Jem in any way she can. Jem has closed himself off from caring about anyone since his wife has died. When they reach the ranch he throws himself into the work that is needed. When he realizes how pretty Annie is once she cleans up he pushes her away feeling disloyal to his first wife.

Of course the man with the evil eyes is a neighbor of their ranch and it is inevitable that they will see him. Jem vows though that he will let nothing happen to Annie or Mae. From the moment Annie arrives on the ranch she starts to realize what a special man Jem is. By her quiet loyalty Annie manages to win over Jem’s young brother-in-law Ben and Ray who does all of the cooking for the ranch. What Annie wants most though is to win Jem’s heart as he has won hers.

This was such a sweet story. I loved how Jem swooped in to Annie’s rescue. Even though Jem was closed off because of the death of his wife he still was able to rescue Annie from her situation and give her a new life. I loved the way the author portrayed how patient Jem was with Annie not being able to communicate. I enjoyed the softening and awareness that Jem started having for Annie even though he felt he was being disloyal to his first marriage. The suspense was sort of secondary to the story of Annie and Jem, but it definitely kept me up too late wanting to find out how the whole story ended. This is the 3rd book in The Brides Series with The Unexpected Bride being the first book and Sleigh Bells and Mistletoe, a short story, being the 2nd. I recommend all three books. They probably don’t have to be read in order, but Jem is in the first 2 books so to get a feel for his background I would recommend reading them in order. I hope that author Lena Goldfinch will be writing another book in the series as I would really like to know what happened with one of the characters in this installment.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very sweet wonderful historical romance about a man who is still grieving for his late wife while struggling to raise his daughter. When he comes across a mute lady who is to be bartered off to the highest bidder he is stopped short wondering how anyone could treat a lady this way. Annie is lost, alone wondering what this new life will bring her, wondering if she can Indore this life that she is about to be thrown into. Jem isn’t looking for another wife but he just couldn’t leave her as he steps in and marrying Annie she is left with thoughts of what her new world will be like, what kind of man he is and will he be kind to her. Can they build a loving relationship, will love ever come to past between the two of them.

This is a very sweet story with a new twist of a mute lady trying to make the best of the life God has given her. I found this to be a very interesting read and loved how the author spun the story and their relationship learning to overcome issues and dealing with not being able to communicate like normal people. This really was a very touching read that really grabs your heart as the author tells of all the trials each have to deal with and learning how to give and love again.

The author spins a story of romance, danger, excitement as she gives us a story we can really sink our eyes into she teach not only the characters but we are selves need to remember these lessons as well. This really is a breath taking read that will keep you invested as you turn the pages to see what other excitement the author has in store for you. This truly is a very touching read you will not want to miss.

Book Obsessed Chicks Review

[Britney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Brides Series is one I have enjoyed since reading the first book, The Unexpected Bride. Although each book in the series can be read as a stand-alone novel, reading them in order will provide a more complete reading experience.

The Bartered Bride is a compelling story! Lena Goldfinch does a wonderful job crafting characters readers will care about, and my heart ached for several in this story. Jem and Annie’s story is rife with drama and danger, but it is also a tender tale of romance.

I delighted in the unique characters, historical details, and engaging plot of this well-told story. I really enjoyed The Bartered Bride and recommend it to fans of historical romance!

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All thoughts expressed are my own.

[M.A. Nichols · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lena Goldfinch's "Brides" series is a sweet, fun read. Full of tears and romance, it's a great read for anyone looking for a clean Western historical romance. It could be shelved as a Christian novel, as it does talk about God and scriptures occasionally, but it felt more like an extension of the time period and the characters, rather than the author preaching to the readers. It's the kind of Christian fiction I can get behind, because the religion side of it is brought up naturally and isn't the focus.

[Cheryl Baranski]

The Bartered Bride is book three in the Brides Series. The Bartered Bride by Lena Goldfinch is a most wonderful historical fiction book that will tug at your heart. If you love historical fiction, and romance then you are going to love The Bartered Bride. Be sure to get your copy today. 5 stars!

[Gmc · Rating 5 out of 5]

A love story. Also a compassionate look at some different learning disabilities from an author that knows the problems from personal experience and observation. If you liked Annie's Song
by Catherine Anderson you'll love this.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great continuation of books 1 and two, with this installment concentrating on Jem's story. I thought the premise was intriguing--man happens to buy mute woman. I really like the artwork on the covers in this series.

[Hunter]

DNF 35%- part of me really wanted to finish this book, but the MC’s wife died less than a year ago and he was deeply in love with her, and they had a little girl, who is 2 in the book. It just made me sad. Maybe if it was like 5 years after the wife’s death and it wasn’t so fresh I could have finished.

The writing, pacing, flow, all that was good. Annie is sweet and very likable FMC. Jem is a very likeable MMC.

I may come back one day to this, or read it in bits. I big part of me really wanted to see Annie’s happy ending.

Content of what I read: no swearing, no spice, but mention of a “preacher” taking advantage of girls, nothing gory

[Lyngay Hemsath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone has gifts

Start with trying to sell a woman as a mail order bride minus the writing of letters. A puppy and a 2 year old and Grieving widow . Challenges with the situations make for a very good story. Well worth the price plus you get an update of characters previously met in the first book of the series.

[Frances Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good story

I really enjoyed this story about Jem and how his life was now changed because of his wife dying and how he met Annie and how he had to learn sign language as she couldn’t speak and how he came to love her.

[Mercedes Herman · Rating 5 out of 5]

thought provoking

This was one of the books , that I found so fulfilling , it was well written and characters were so well formed ..this is my first time with is writer and it will not be last. I had one question why did the foster family sell Annie ? And I loved Ray.

[Norma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Y'know, I REALLY ended up liking this book, and I didn't know whether I would. Not preachy. Just good characters who take time to get to know one another and develop. Going to read the rest of the series.

[Donna Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet, Interesting Book

Read it, you will want to read as fast as you can. First time I've read this author and just love her style.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took me a long time to read.

[Bonita Biswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Readability would like to read this book beforehand images

I make a comment thank youiwould read read read read recreated reread read read read read read read r re are a d

[Debbie Dodd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed reading this book.

Tear jerker for sure.

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read. An extra star earned by the treatment of dysgraphia and dysplaxia.

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too much in their heads.
Christian clean romance

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This is definitely my favourite book of this series. I loved all the characters especially Jem and Annie, they were both really likeable and part of their charm was that they weren't perfect. This was a clean read with no sex, for me I don't care if there is or isn't sex but I know some people do. If you want a historical western romance this book is a great read and you should give it ago. Also you don't need to read the first book in the series to read this one although you meet Jem in the first book you don't need to read before this book.