What do you think?
Rate this book
Wild West Weddings #3
Want Ad Wife
"Owner of general store looking for a wife to start a family."
Abandoned as a child, John Bench has always craved a family of his own. Even if it means advertising for a wife from back East.
Selina Montgomery must keep her new husband at a distance. Because if John discovers the truth about the secret she once carried, their mail-order marriage could crumble before it's even begun! They've promised to love, honor and obey, but can the spark that flares between them transform Selina and John's wedding vows into a passion that will last forever?
Abandoned as a child, John Bench has always craved a family of his own. Even if it means advertising for a wife from back East.
Selina Montgomery must keep her new husband at a distance. Because if John discovers the truth about the secret she once carried, their mail-order marriage could crumble before it's even begun! They've promised to love, honor and obey, but can the spark that flares between them transform Selina and John's wedding vows into a passion that will last forever?
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2016
About the author
Katy Madison
28 books62 followersKaty Madison has always loved stories. As a child she was always lugging a book around. At the age of eight, after
Katy Madison having gone through over a hundred Nancy Drew mysteries, all the Laura Ingalls Wilder books—at least twice—and many others including her full weekly allotment of library books, Katy went to her mother and begged for a new book to read. Her frustrated mother handed her a romance novel. Katy fell in love with the romance genre. She quickly found where her mother hid the rest and began sneaking them out to read. She cut her eye teeth on books by Georgette Heyer and Mary Stewart, not to mention dozens of Barbara Cartland’s. With a nod to great Gothic novels like Jane Eyre and Rebecca, Katy offers up her gothic romance Tainted by Temptation.
Katy Madison having gone through over a hundred Nancy Drew mysteries, all the Laura Ingalls Wilder books—at least twice—and many others including her full weekly allotment of library books, Katy went to her mother and begged for a new book to read. Her frustrated mother handed her a romance novel. Katy fell in love with the romance genre. She quickly found where her mother hid the rest and began sneaking them out to read. She cut her eye teeth on books by Georgette Heyer and Mary Stewart, not to mention dozens of Barbara Cartland’s. With a nod to great Gothic novels like Jane Eyre and Rebecca, Katy offers up her gothic romance Tainted by Temptation.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 15, 2019
Good conclusion to the series. Selina was in dire straits when she answered John's ad for a wife. Now, several months later, she has arrived and found herself immediately in front of the preacher getting married. Though they corresponded for several months, she and John don't know each other very well, so Selina is a bit wary. That wariness seems justified when her inquiries about his family and past set off an angry tirade.
John couldn't believe his luck. Selina is even more beautiful than her photograph, and he hurried to marry her before another man could snatch her away. He's so happy that she's there that he's nervous and stumbling over his words. He also hasn't thought much about what it means to have a wife, so he was pretty awkward when they arrived at his store and home.
The development of the relationship between John and Selina was a rocky one. Selina had become a mail-order bride for security. She gave birth to an illegitimate child after she was essentially raped and the father declined to marry her. Desperate to give her son a better life, she gave him to a childless couple to raise. Fearful of what John's reaction would be if he knew, her attempt to find out more about him reinforced those fears. John desperately wanted a family of his own. He had been abandoned as a baby, adopted by a man who treated him cruelly and has harsh words about the mother who left him to such a life. Because of this, Selina went to great lengths to hide the fact that she'd had a child.
It was both heartwarming and painful to see John and Selina adjust to married life. John wasn't quite sure how to deal with Selina's desire to help him in his store when he was expecting that she'd want to do "wife stuff" in their apartment above the store. Selina just wants to do whatever she can to make him happy that he chose her. Neither expected the strength of the attraction that flared between them. Because of her previous experience, Selina was extremely nervous about the intimate side of their marriage, plus she had her fears about revealing her past. I liked John's patience with her, and his desire to show her the possibilities. While this part of their marriage progressed quite well, there were other challenges to overcome.
Trust was another issue that they had to overcome. Besides John's harsh attitude about his mother, he also had trouble trusting anyone else with the store. The last time he had done so, the man nearly ruined him. Selina's had secrets that she believed could destroy her marriage, but her attempts to protect those secrets put her on a collision course with John. There were times when I wanted to shake her and tell her to come clean about it all, but for those times her fears were understandable. When everything finally came out, I also had ambivalent feelings about John. I understood his feelings of betrayal because of Selina's actions and lies, but I also thought that some of his behavior was callous and cruel. I hurt for Selina as she had to make some difficult decisions, and I ached for John when he believed he had lost her. I loved Selina's big moment at the end as she showed John that her love for him would always be there. There was also a heartwarming twist at the end, and an epilogue that reunited all three women and their husbands.
John couldn't believe his luck. Selina is even more beautiful than her photograph, and he hurried to marry her before another man could snatch her away. He's so happy that she's there that he's nervous and stumbling over his words. He also hasn't thought much about what it means to have a wife, so he was pretty awkward when they arrived at his store and home.
The development of the relationship between John and Selina was a rocky one. Selina had become a mail-order bride for security. She gave birth to an illegitimate child after she was essentially raped and the father declined to marry her. Desperate to give her son a better life, she gave him to a childless couple to raise. Fearful of what John's reaction would be if he knew, her attempt to find out more about him reinforced those fears. John desperately wanted a family of his own. He had been abandoned as a baby, adopted by a man who treated him cruelly and has harsh words about the mother who left him to such a life. Because of this, Selina went to great lengths to hide the fact that she'd had a child.
It was both heartwarming and painful to see John and Selina adjust to married life. John wasn't quite sure how to deal with Selina's desire to help him in his store when he was expecting that she'd want to do "wife stuff" in their apartment above the store. Selina just wants to do whatever she can to make him happy that he chose her. Neither expected the strength of the attraction that flared between them. Because of her previous experience, Selina was extremely nervous about the intimate side of their marriage, plus she had her fears about revealing her past. I liked John's patience with her, and his desire to show her the possibilities. While this part of their marriage progressed quite well, there were other challenges to overcome.
Trust was another issue that they had to overcome. Besides John's harsh attitude about his mother, he also had trouble trusting anyone else with the store. The last time he had done so, the man nearly ruined him. Selina's had secrets that she believed could destroy her marriage, but her attempts to protect those secrets put her on a collision course with John. There were times when I wanted to shake her and tell her to come clean about it all, but for those times her fears were understandable. When everything finally came out, I also had ambivalent feelings about John. I understood his feelings of betrayal because of Selina's actions and lies, but I also thought that some of his behavior was callous and cruel. I hurt for Selina as she had to make some difficult decisions, and I ached for John when he believed he had lost her. I loved Selina's big moment at the end as she showed John that her love for him would always be there. There was also a heartwarming twist at the end, and an epilogue that reunited all three women and their husbands.
February 15, 2016
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
Mail-order brides are my thing. I am endlessly fascinated with the intricacies of an arranged marriage between strangers; their motivations and insecurities and the emotional upheavals that usually result. John Park Bench (gotta love the name) is a hard-working store owner who simply desires a family; to love and be loved. He can't believe his good fortune in Selina, but she brings with her a heavy burden that must remain a secret. You can almost taste his desperation to have her. But for as much as Selina wants to love him, she's just as desperate to keep him in the dark. Their intimate moments are satisfying yet taut with frustrated desire. I was disappointed that the story lost steam during their separation and didn't quite recover its previous pace, but reuniting with Selina's other mail-order bride friends gave the series an appropriate closure.
Mail-order brides are my thing. I am endlessly fascinated with the intricacies of an arranged marriage between strangers; their motivations and insecurities and the emotional upheavals that usually result. John Park Bench (gotta love the name) is a hard-working store owner who simply desires a family; to love and be loved. He can't believe his good fortune in Selina, but she brings with her a heavy burden that must remain a secret. You can almost taste his desperation to have her. But for as much as Selina wants to love him, she's just as desperate to keep him in the dark. Their intimate moments are satisfying yet taut with frustrated desire. I was disappointed that the story lost steam during their separation and didn't quite recover its previous pace, but reuniting with Selina's other mail-order bride friends gave the series an appropriate closure.
February 6, 2016
Well written and steamy romance plus an interesting story. I liked that this wasn't a 'typical' mail order bride book - there are so many out there that are really "blaaa..." (This isn't one of them)
I was frustrated with the heroine's behaviour as her background could have been revealed to her new husband as soon as she arrived - but then, there wouldn't have been a story would there !!!! Also, I think if I were in her shoes back in those days, I probably would have kept everything a secret as well. Ladies had nothing back then and were mostly reliant on the men. It would have been a hard life.
I also like that the travel times seemed real for that era and the story spanned over a year.
I was frustrated with the heroine's behaviour as her background could have been revealed to her new husband as soon as she arrived - but then, there wouldn't have been a story would there !!!! Also, I think if I were in her shoes back in those days, I probably would have kept everything a secret as well. Ladies had nothing back then and were mostly reliant on the men. It would have been a hard life.
I also like that the travel times seemed real for that era and the story spanned over a year.
September 15, 2017
When I finally love a hero the heroine ruined it.... Argh can I exchange the heroine at book 1 to this book's heroine? This heroine and the hero from book 1 of this series are much suited for they are both boiling my blood....
February 1, 2026
I actually loved this book. I was transfixed by how bewitched he was with her and how, every time she was about to tell him a secret, they were ‘interrupted’ somehow. Just after 1/2 way through though, I will admit to turning 3 or 4 chapters over without looking at them as I just felt the same thing was happening in every chapter. Will she tell him? Will he believe what she says, over and over again. However, then things picked up as secrets were shared etc. After a period of time, they both admit that they love each other and by the epilogue, they have set up their HEA.
November 20, 2017
Selina Montgomery answered an ad for a wife from John Bench, store owner in California. She has an illegitimate son that she gave up for adoption before coming west but she hesitates to tell John when he tells her he himself was abandoned and he hates a woman who would abandon her child. John and Selina have a rocky start but are making a go of it when other secrets from her past come to light. A very melodramatic story with various implausible events, but still enjoyable.
April 22, 2021
I was pleasantly surprised by this one! I never go into a Harlequin book with much expectation, but I really enjoyed this one. I loved Selina & John.
Read
February 14, 2016"Mail-order brides have never been this much trouble! The last book in the Wild West Weddings series is an emotional and dramatic tale of love, lies and second chances. This novel contains solid characters, authentic setting and plenty of plot twists to satisfy all Western fans. Thoroughly enjoyable" (RT Book Reviews, 4 stars).
Miniseries: Wild West Weddings
Miniseries: Wild West Weddings
Read
March 7, 2016Miniseries: Wild West Weddings
February 16, 2016
If you like mail-order brides this book should really hit the spot. However, you may get more out of it if you've read the other two in series.
February 18, 2016
Absolutely loved this book, couldn't put it down.
This is the last book in a series of three, I enjoyed them all and am sorry to see the series end :(
This is the last book in a series of three, I enjoyed them all and am sorry to see the series end :(
March 25, 2016
Good Read
May 24, 2016
3 1/2 stars. Didn't like this one as much as the others in the series.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews