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A Worthy Pursuit #1.5
The Husband Maneuver
Marietta Hawkins has been in love with ranch foreman Daniel Barrett for years, but her father's rule about hands not fraternizing with his daughter has kept him out of reach. She believed her patience would win Daniel over--until now. He's leaving. Starting up his own spread. To have a chance at love, Marietta will have to act fast or lose him forever.
119 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2016
161 people are currently reading
1148 people want to read
About the author
Karen Witemeyer
69 books4,317 followersFor those who love to smile as they read, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. Voted #1 Readers' Favorite Christian Historical Author in 2023 by Family Fiction Magazine, Karen is a multiple award-winning author and a firm believer in the power of happy endings. She is an avid cross-stitcher, tea drinker, and family board game player who makes her home in Abilene, TX with her heroic husband who vanquishes laundry dragons and dirty dish villains whenever she's on deadline.
Karen also loves to reward her readers. Every month she gives away two inspirational historical novels to someone from her newsletter list and offers substantial bonus content on her website. To learn more about Karen and her books, or to join her subscriber list, please visit www.karenwitemeyer.com.
Karen also loves to reward her readers. Every month she gives away two inspirational historical novels to someone from her newsletter list and offers substantial bonus content on her website. To learn more about Karen and her books, or to join her subscriber list, please visit www.karenwitemeyer.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
May 27, 2025
Dan has been the foreman on Marietta's father's ranch for the last 3 years and is now preparing to leave as he has purchased his own property. When Dan started on the ranch Marietta's father made it clear to all employees that his daughter was off limits. Dan has feelings for Marietta but is determined to honor her father. Marietta is determined to win his affections before he is gone forever, she doesn't know about her father's directive. There were some really funny moments that had me laughing. I did enjoy the experts from the Dime novel that Marietta was reading, but having them at the start of each chapter distracted me when I just wanted to continue with the story of Dan and Marietta. The ending was fun how the two stories merged together. This was a fun quick read taking place over just a few days.
March 27, 2017
This was a fun short story. It was a stand alone short book that took about an hour to read. It was a sweet little romance that had all the good elements and wrapped up nicely. Lots of good chemistry between these two. That is something Whitemeyer knows how to do is get the sparks going:} This is a clean read. I love a good short story:}
June 3, 2016
Awesome book!
August 10, 2020
The story is not incredible, a little bit cheesy and unrealistic, but it was also fun and well written. Perfect for a short read in between two bigger books. It took me less than an hour to finish.
July 2, 2021
Short and sweet. Personally I would have preferred the romance to be toned down a tad, but I didn't mind too bad considering this is much shorter than her other stories.
January 21, 2020
What a fun follow-up to A Worthy Pursuit! I really liked the Dead-Eyed Dan character in the novel preceding this one, so I looked forward to reading this novella. The author went above and beyond, including segments from the dime novels I'm assuming she created for the series. And the final scene with the girl's father--priceless!!
October 2, 2019
great short novel!
March 24, 2017
Another sweet story! I love these novellas by Karen Whitemayer!!! Well, her novels as well! This one was sweet and humorous and a quick easy read!!! Loved that Daniel got his own happy ending!!!
Read
August 20, 2021Sweet
I enjoyed this short read. I plan to read more of this collection. I appreciate reading books that leave out vulgar language
I enjoyed this short read. I plan to read more of this collection. I appreciate reading books that leave out vulgar language
January 2, 2024
2.5 ⭐️ A big disappointment after the first book was so good. This, unfortunately, while mildly cute in a John Wayne kinda way, was only a shallow, plot-driven short story with miscommunication, withholding feelings when they are painfully obvious, too much emphasis on physical stuff and a very weepy girl that does not want to be weepy. Like, there are a LOT of mentions of tears and not wanting to cry. What happened to the wonderfully strong female of A Proper Pursuit??
And this hero has quite a temper too. In an early scene he shouts at Etta. And later it says:
“Dan had slammed the hammer back into his tool chest so hard, the box had splintered. Then he’d stomped back to his cabin to brood and possibly punch a few holes in the walls.”
Honestly a man with a temper is not unrealistic, but it was kind of jarring and definitely not a top trait for a hero.
But what made this a skim read was the emphasis on physical stuff that made me a little uncomfortable. Things like the long-pining girl sees him shirtless, or when she’s injured (in a freak hail storm) it says:
“Dan scowled. He wanted to examine her back, make sure those scrapes were as minor as she wanted him to think, but he couldn’t. She’d have to disrobe, and that was—he swallowed hard—out of the question.”
“Her bath. Dan swallowed. The thought of what would happen in this very room in a matter of minutes set his temperature shooting upward with all the speed of a bullet fired at the sky.”
“A mirthless laugh escaped him. Stars and garters. If she only knew.”
I agree. Tell her, you dolt.
But I did like the Dead-Eye Dan excerpts at the beginning of each chapter, and it was nice to get the resolution to these lovebirds of book 1.
Content: kissing only, some violence
And this hero has quite a temper too. In an early scene he shouts at Etta. And later it says:
“Dan had slammed the hammer back into his tool chest so hard, the box had splintered. Then he’d stomped back to his cabin to brood and possibly punch a few holes in the walls.”
Honestly a man with a temper is not unrealistic, but it was kind of jarring and definitely not a top trait for a hero.
But what made this a skim read was the emphasis on physical stuff that made me a little uncomfortable. Things like the long-pining girl sees him shirtless, or when she’s injured (in a freak hail storm) it says:
“Dan scowled. He wanted to examine her back, make sure those scrapes were as minor as she wanted him to think, but he couldn’t. She’d have to disrobe, and that was—he swallowed hard—out of the question.”
“Her bath. Dan swallowed. The thought of what would happen in this very room in a matter of minutes set his temperature shooting upward with all the speed of a bullet fired at the sky.”
“A mirthless laugh escaped him. Stars and garters. If she only knew.”
I agree. Tell her, you dolt.
But I did like the Dead-Eye Dan excerpts at the beginning of each chapter, and it was nice to get the resolution to these lovebirds of book 1.
Content: kissing only, some violence
Read
April 17, 2022Leuk kort
July 13, 2017
So cute and fast! I loved it.
April 11, 2023
Een simpel maar toch zo mooi verhaal!! Prachtig dat het verhaal je meeneemt terwijl er weinig grote dingen gebeuren. Heel mooi beschreven!
March 25, 2017
Super cute!
January 31, 2019
Short and sweet with characters from A Worthy Pursuit.
January 24, 2016
I cannot say enough about Karen Witemeyer's books. She pens a story that traps you within minutes. The Husband Maneuver is no different. This one does have more of a romance feel. I generally like historical and not romance..but love Karen's books.
Marietta Hawkins is in love with her daddy's ranch hand, Daniel Barrett. Daniel is older by 12 years and has lived a different lifestyle. He let go of his old bounty hunter ways and has become the foreman and Hawk's Haven Ranch.
Like most men, they are clueless when a woman is in love with them. Marietta forms a plan to make Daniel hers.
Meanwhile, Daniel has done everything to keep his feelings in check. As long as he works for her father, he cannot tell her how he feels.
What a great story! I really enjoyed it. I wish Karen's stories never ended. I love the way her characters are and how they interact.
I loved the excerpts from the Dead-eye Dan dime novel too. Especially the revision :)
Pick up any one of Karen's books. I promise you won't be disappointed..you will be hooked!
Marietta Hawkins is in love with her daddy's ranch hand, Daniel Barrett. Daniel is older by 12 years and has lived a different lifestyle. He let go of his old bounty hunter ways and has become the foreman and Hawk's Haven Ranch.
Like most men, they are clueless when a woman is in love with them. Marietta forms a plan to make Daniel hers.
Meanwhile, Daniel has done everything to keep his feelings in check. As long as he works for her father, he cannot tell her how he feels.
What a great story! I really enjoyed it. I wish Karen's stories never ended. I love the way her characters are and how they interact.
I loved the excerpts from the Dead-eye Dan dime novel too. Especially the revision :)
Pick up any one of Karen's books. I promise you won't be disappointed..you will be hooked!
February 8, 2017
LOVE IT! As always Karen spins out a tale that I didn't want to put down and I don't want to end! :) Her style of writing never ceases to drag me into the story and not let me go until the last page! I'm SO happy that Dan and Marietta get their story told and boy howdy is it a GREAT story! I laughed, I sat at the edge of my seat, there may have been a tiny bit of swooning at times! LOL! Seriously though I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this story and would read it again and again! I especially love the format Karen uses for this novella, by starting each chapter with a Dime Novel chapter! So not only was I hooked on one story I was hooked on two at the same time! :D
Song: "God Gave Me You" by Dave Barnes
Songs etc. May be changed and/or added in the future. ~ASC
Isaiah 29:11
~ASC
*I requested and received this book in a collection from Bethany House for the purpose of reviewing it. This in no way affected my opinion and the above are my true thoughts and feelings about The Husband Maneuver. ~ASC
Song: "God Gave Me You" by Dave Barnes
Songs etc. May be changed and/or added in the future. ~ASC
Isaiah 29:11
~ASC
*I requested and received this book in a collection from Bethany House for the purpose of reviewing it. This in no way affected my opinion and the above are my true thoughts and feelings about The Husband Maneuver. ~ASC
October 3, 2020
Freestone County, TX Spring 1892
All the feels.
Not a catch phrase I've ever used with a book before, but I really enjoyed this novella, particularly when it made my heart lurch frequently when things got dangerous or intense between Marietta & Daniel. The jumps back & forth between the story and the dime novel about Dead-Eye Dan she was reading were fun as well.
Tea moment ch 6. page 57, "After that, he went in search of the tea box. Women liked tea. He was sniffing the different pouches, trying to decide which bag of dried leaves he should choose, when a creak from the staircase brought his head around."
Originally released in the book With THIS Ring? – A Historical Romance 4 Novella Collection but also available as a separate download.
Gifted by a friend. My opinion is my own.
All the feels.
Not a catch phrase I've ever used with a book before, but I really enjoyed this novella, particularly when it made my heart lurch frequently when things got dangerous or intense between Marietta & Daniel. The jumps back & forth between the story and the dime novel about Dead-Eye Dan she was reading were fun as well.
Tea moment ch 6. page 57, "After that, he went in search of the tea box. Women liked tea. He was sniffing the different pouches, trying to decide which bag of dried leaves he should choose, when a creak from the staircase brought his head around."
Originally released in the book With THIS Ring? – A Historical Romance 4 Novella Collection but also available as a separate download.
Gifted by a friend. My opinion is my own.
September 5, 2016
This was just a delightful little novella from Karen Witemeyer.
Both participants love each other, but don't know how to tell each other.
So they set out to maneuver the other one into confessing their love.
Wonderful Christian fiction!
Both participants love each other, but don't know how to tell each other.
So they set out to maneuver the other one into confessing their love.
Wonderful Christian fiction!
December 3, 2016
Cute short!!
October 18, 2025
📚 [...] "It's the only way I can ensure your protection. Plan for the worst, and you'll stay alive whether it happens or not. Expect the best, and the vultures will be picking the eyeballs from your carcass before you realize you were wrong."
Marietta glared right back up at him. "My carcass? Really, Daniel? Don't you think you're blowing this a mite out of proportion? We're not dealing with hardened outlaws here. We're talking about my aunt and a young man who's never been anything but kind to me. I'm sure your pessimistic philosophy served you well in your bounty-hunting days, but those days have passed. It's time to start thinking in terms of possibilities, not problems. " [...]
📚 [...] "You don't have to like it," Marietta snapped. "This is my home, and I have just as much right to be here as you do. More, in fact. If you want to look for the eye-plucking vultures behind every cloud, go ahead. I'm looking for rainbows." [...]
Marietta glared right back up at him. "My carcass? Really, Daniel? Don't you think you're blowing this a mite out of proportion? We're not dealing with hardened outlaws here. We're talking about my aunt and a young man who's never been anything but kind to me. I'm sure your pessimistic philosophy served you well in your bounty-hunting days, but those days have passed. It's time to start thinking in terms of possibilities, not problems. " [...]
📚 [...] "You don't have to like it," Marietta snapped. "This is my home, and I have just as much right to be here as you do. More, in fact. If you want to look for the eye-plucking vultures behind every cloud, go ahead. I'm looking for rainbows." [...]
July 4, 2017
Marietta is in love with Daniel, her father's foreman. She's pretty certain he's interested in her too, but he's never spoken a word about it to her. She knew her father had forbidden any of his ranch hands from showing any romantic interest in his daughter or they would be fired. Marietta tries to take matters into her own hands, but Daniel promised her father he'd abide by his rules. Daniel is not a man to go back on a promise.
This is a fun read. I enjoy this author. She writes great characters and great stories.
This is a fun read. I enjoy this author. She writes great characters and great stories.
August 27, 2018
I so loved everything about this cute little novella. It is one of the few I have read that I found I could have read again when I was finished. The presentation style of excerpts from the book our heroine was reading at the beginning of each chapter was a unique and creative touch. There was nothing about this book I didn't like. The characters... the setting... the plotline... it all wove together nicely. Probably my favorite so far from Karen Witemeyer. We will see if any others from this series knock it from top spot.
October 11, 2019
Super cute! I loved reading Daniel and Marietta's story, especially since I recently finished A Worthy Pursuit. The main characters had great chemistry and the conflict was perfect for a novella - Marietta hoping to win Dan's heart, while Dan hopes to keep his distance to uphold his honorable vow despite his feelings. I also loved the chapter intros from the Dead-Eye Dan dime novels - fun, appealing and a great tie-in for the ending. Overall, a quick read with charming characters and a sweet romance!
August 21, 2018
A sweet, charming historical Western story. Daniel Barrett, the ranch foreman, has fallen for the ranch owner's daughter, but he can't tell her because a condition of his employment was that he not flirt or court the daughter. Marietta Hawkins is head over heels for the ex-bounty hunter that even has a dime-novel series modeled after him. When Etta's father takes off on a cattle drive she engineers circumstances to show Daniel how she feels. Can she get past his honorable nature?
September 29, 2019
I generally don’t like novellas as there’s not enough time to really get to know the characters and spend a little quality time with them. While I certainly wouldn’t mind more time with Daniel and Marietta, I feel like the author fleshed them out well in this tale and packed sufficient detail into few pages (about 100) that I did feel connected to them and was able to enjoy the story without feeling that I was missing out on what was left out. Well done!
March 1, 2024
I DNF this one. The story wasn't interesting enough to capture my attention. I wasn't sure if the MMC actually even liked the FMC at all. This story is told from dual point of view but when it was the MMC's point of view, he didn't mention anything about the FMC, just about moving away.
Romance: ? Sorry, I stopped reading after the first chapter, so I really wouldn't know if this is clean or not, but I'm pretty sure Karen Witemeyer is a clean author.
Romance: ? Sorry, I stopped reading after the first chapter, so I really wouldn't know if this is clean or not, but I'm pretty sure Karen Witemeyer is a clean author.
May 2, 2020
The Husband Maneuver (With the Ring? Collection): A Worthy Pursuif Novella by Karen Witemeyer
May 2, 2020
5 stars
Sweet Historical Romance
Another amazing story! My favorite part was his fighting the hail and door to get to her! Daniel's a bigger hero in person than in the fictional stories of Dead-Eye Dan that Etta enjoys!
May 2, 2020
5 stars
Sweet Historical Romance
Another amazing story! My favorite part was his fighting the hail and door to get to her! Daniel's a bigger hero in person than in the fictional stories of Dead-Eye Dan that Etta enjoys!
December 27, 2020
Look forward to reading the next book! I have it in my reading pile. A bit hilarious and wild.
Marietta is determined it's time for her to get Daniel to propose before he leaves her father's ranch. She's gonna do her best to give him many opportunities to see how great she is and how much he'll miss her.
Marietta is determined it's time for her to get Daniel to propose before he leaves her father's ranch. She's gonna do her best to give him many opportunities to see how great she is and how much he'll miss her.
February 21, 2022
Dead-eye Dan, Daniel Bartlett, ex-bounty hunter and dime novel hero has been in love with Marietta Hawkins for three years. But his vow to her father, his employer, has kept him silent.
Marietta loves the man, not just the hero in the stories. Once she learns of his plan to leave the ranch, she devises a plan of her own, to win his heart.
Marietta loves the man, not just the hero in the stories. Once she learns of his plan to leave the ranch, she devises a plan of her own, to win his heart.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews