The Marriage Agreement

by Ruth Ann Nordin

Jesse Palmer headed to Omaha with his expectant wife and his mother-in-law. When his wife dies in childbirth, his mother-in-law blames him. And worse, she refuses to let him take care of his son. In order to get his son back, he needs to marry someone–and fast. And who better than the one who makes the offer?

Laura Rufus volunteers to marry Jesse so he can have his son, knowing full well he’s still mourning the loss of his first wife. The last thing she plans on is falling in love with him, but day by day, his tenderness toward his son makes her wish she hadn’t been so quick to propose a marriage of convenience. Will there ever be something more between them, or will she be stuck with the marriage agreement they made?

Genres: Westerns, Romance, Western Romance, Historical

208 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 7, 2016

About the author

What's to say? I write a lot. I read often. I sleep little. Once in awhile, I've been known to clean the house. A number of kids live in my house and there's this guy they call dad and I call husband. All in all, it's a pretty good life. :-)

Reviews

[Gretchen Fatouros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read in order!

1 - Wagon Trail Bride (pioneer series book 1) - Richard Larson & Amanda's story - 1864
2 - The Marriage Agreement (Amanda's friend, Laura's story) - 1865
3 - Groom for Hire (Joe Otto) 1866
4 - Forced into Marriage (4 in Pioneer Series) - Brandon Herman - 1866
Then the previous books from Nebraska Historical series

1 - Her Heart’s Desire (Nebraska Book 1) – Sally Larson’s romance 1867
2 - A Bride for Tom (Nebraska Book 2) – Tom Larson’s romance 1868
3 - A Husband for Margaret (Nebraska Book 3) – Joseph Conneally’s romance
4- Eye of the Beholder (Nebraska Book 4) – Dave Larson and Mary’s first book
5 - The Wrong Husband (Nebraska Book 5) – Jenny Larson’s romance
6 - Shotgun Groom (Nebraska Book 6) – Joel Larson’s romance
7 - To Have and To Hold (Nebraska Book 7) – Dave and Mary’s Second Book
8 - His Redeeming Bride (Nebraska Book 8) – Neil Craftsman’s romance
9 - Isaac’s Decision (Nebraska Book 9) – Isaac Larson and Emily Craftsman’s romance

Pretty sure there are a number more now (October 2018)


Okay, let’s help everyone out a bit as the Larsons are in so many stories

*********
This is the best order to read these in

——- 1 ——
1 - Wagon Trail Bride (pioneer series book 1) - Richard Larson & Amanda's story - 1864
July 1864 - October, then November 1865 & June 1866
Richard Larson - 20 - school together, carpenter/house building, moved with family from NYC to Omaha, Nebraska; predicable & secure
Amanda - 20 around January - orphaned at 18, not girly-girl
(June 1866 - twins: Anthony & Mark)
Sally - 17 - always the smart one, quick to catch on
Tom - 15 - Joel gets under his skin
Dave - 12 - quiet, works a lot with his pa
Jenny - 10 - in a hurry to do everything; scream could wake the dead
Joel - 7 - needs someone to prod him along; feel sorry for Joel. Being so little, he doesn’t have a chance unless he learns how to outwit his older brothers and sisters. Joel likes to pick on Tom most

Also, Joe Otto - needs some who enjoys being outside
Laura Rufus - 20 - big heart
Jesse Palmer & MIL Mrs. Shaw & Elsie
Elliot - baby born in July (early October, 4.5 months old) - stronger than he looks, born early
Mr. Carmichael

—— 2 ——
2 - Marriage Agreement - Amanda’s friend, Laura’s story with Jesse
May 1865 +

Laura Rufus - 21 - from Pennsylvania, only child
Jesse Palmer - 23 from NYC
Mrs. Fanny Shaw - spoiled, outspoken, was youngest of 15 kids & no one wants her (even brother, Burt)
Elliot Palmer - 10 months in May 1865 (born July 1864)
Mr. & Mrs. Rufus - came from Ireland, arranged marriage, 25 years married

Larson Family (no bdays August or September & most likely not July or October, either):
Richard (22)
Amanda (22)
Sally - 18
Tom - 16
Dave - 13
Jenny - 11
Joel - 8

Also, Joe Otto - knows lots of people between driving wagon trains & doing odd jobs
Ralph Lindon - merchant, likes to haggle

—— 3 ——
3 - Groom for Hire - Joe Otto’s story
March 1866 - Omaha, Nebraska to San Francisco, California (late October), March 1867 back to Omaha
Joe Otto - dark brown hair and eyes, thin built, loves the process & adventure of the trip, running wagon trains for 5 years, horse: Buck, only child
Michelle Heller - 21 - Mother died when she was 10, rich, taught to always look pretty, pays piano, always inside before wagon train, wants to try new things
“The sense of adventure beckoned to her. And that was what the tune made her think of as she played it. Her mother hadn’t been one to shy away from the opportunity to do something new, and she wouldn’t, either.” Sense of freedom being outside, long dark brown hair, slender build, and bright blue eyes, only child

Bernard Heller - Michelle’s Dad
Jesse & Laura Palmer Elliot (20 months March 1866/ born July 1864) & Benjamin (born April 1866) & Laura’s mom married Hans (German)
Danny Taylor - 22 - traveling with sister & mother, afraid of shadow
Henrietta Taylor - 19
Alice Woods - 30 - gossip, traveling with cousin & family (Ferns)
Stuart Fern - better hunter than Danny
Sherry Fern - late 30s - nice to everyone, married to Alice’s cousin
10 year old daughter
Brandon Hermon - other hired person - early 30s, recently divorced & drunk (left in Wyoming Territory)
Ted Gilbert - middle-aged man
Phillipa Grady - husband & 3 young kids: son (12), Liz (10) & 1 more not mentioned
Matthew - leader of hunting party
Diana & Ruby - “older” women, learned to hunt
Nancy - keep to herself & family mostly

—— 4 ——
4 - Forced into Marriage (4 in Pioneer Series) - Brandon Herman - 1866
Early July 1866 Wyoming Territory (about 4 months since started out in Omaha on Wagon Train) with epilogue 5 years later
Brandon Clint Herman - 29, wife (Hester) cheated with best friend, when he started drinking and ended up losing mercantile because of it & gambling debt (in Omaha), to Ralph Lindon, married 6 years,
Lokni - 19, from Crow tribe, US military killed friends & family & sold her to 4 terrible men who abused & raped her for a year: Orson Pitt, Hank Pitt, Zane Wilson, Barney Pitt (sheriff his brother), 4th man: Nolan Anders, 1st husband married her & her 2 sisters and she was not even first wife, had stillborn girl,
Clint Herman (born July 1866)
Wilma (3 years younger)
Donna
Matt
(Brandon and Lokni Herman found their happily ever after in a quaint home in San Francisco. Brandon did work at the mercantile, and he eventually bought it from the owner who decided to go further north to set up another business. Brandon and Lokni had more children together. After Clint, Lokni gave birth to Wilma, Donna, and Matt. Donna and Matt were named after a couple they had befriended in California.)

Also:
Craig - boss when cut trees
Mrs. Wilma Samson - laundry, widow
Mr. Burke - works or owns mercantile
Donald Jones - leading another wagon train to Washington Territory

Michelle & Joe Otto - see book 3: Groom for Hire
By 1871 - 3rd year going to California, 1870 - lead one to Nevada, also have done the Oregon Territory. Try to get out to Omaha at least every 2 years to see her father
(No children. They did, however, often visit Jesse and Laura Palmer, and those children were like nephews and nieces to them. They also got to travel the entire country, including Canada and Alaska, and lived out a lot of adventures along the way.)

Richard and Amanda Larson - book 1: Wagon Trail Bride
(had twin boys, Anthony and Mark, and a girl, Annabelle. I am going to write Anthony’s and Mark’s romances in the Misled Mail Order Brides Series, which are due out in 2018. The first book in the series is due out November 2017, and that features Sep Wilson, who was Joel Larson’s younger brother-in-law in Shotgun Groom (Book 6 in the Nebraska Series). So you will be seeing some more of Richard and Amanda as they continue to live their happy ending in this series.)

Jesse and Laura Palmer - book 2: The Marriage Agreement
(had Elliot, Benjamin, Mark, and Teresa. Amanda and Laura remained very close friends, and Jesse went on to acquire more farmland, which he farmed with two of his sons. They ended up selling a lot of their crops and made a good living this way.)

—— 5 ——
5 - Her Heart’s Desire (Nebraska Book 1) – Sally Larson’s romance
April 1867

Larson Family (no bdays August or September & most likely not July or October, either):
Richard (22)
Amanda (22)
Sally - 19
Tom - 17
Dave - 14
Jenny - 12
Joel - 9


6 - A Bride for Tom (Nebraska Book 2) – Tom Larson’s romance
September 1868

7 - A Husband for Margaret (Nebraska Book 3) – Joseph Conneally’s romance

8 - Eye of the Beholder (Nebraska Book 4) – Dave Larson and Mary’s first book

9 - The Wrong Husband (Nebraska Book 5) – Jenny Larson’s romance

10 - Shotgun Groom (Nebraska Book 6) – Joel Larson’s romance

11 - To Have and To Hold (Nebraska Book 7) – Dave and Mary’s Second Book

12 - His Redeeming Bride (Nebraska Book 8) – Neil Craftsman’s romance

13 - Isaac’s Decision (Nebraska Book 9) – Isaac Larson and Emily Craftsman’s romance


Misled Mail order brides series
More, too...

[Sandra R · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy reading this author's American romances, including this one. It's a simply written, but engaging story. She manages excellent character development, makes you care about her H/h and their situations and the historical details seem very real. There's drama, heartache and love mixed in with a cute baby and some lighthearted scenes. 3.5 stars. 💝 (It can be read as a stand alone, although there are side characters that have had, or will have, their own stories.)

[SamS · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ruth Ann Nordin has a tendency to write second chance romances as epic tragedies. She never does the female Main character justice but gives all the limelight to the deceased spouse. She did the same blunder in Bride of second chances and now in this one. It always feels like we are reading the love story of the first couple with the heroine as the second lead. The H is too much dedicated in his love to his first wife and is just fulfilling a duty to the second wife in this life. Although it always ends with an I love you and babies, I m never convinced that the H actually truly loves the h as much as he loved the previous wife. And the tendency of Nordin to insert the memories of first spouse in the worst possible time is an instant mood killer. There's always this ghost hovering over the couple that you would never fully enjoy their screentime together. Everytime they're together she makes it a point to insert memories of the first spouse. It's irritating and a huge turn off. And don't even get me started on all the Christian BS about meeting in heaven and afterlife and whatnot. So basically, the H never actually moves on with his new wife and appreciates the life he has got again to live..but just performing a duty to finally reunite with his true love first wife in afterlife. And this is what pisses me off.

[Mary Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's okay

The story is set up like it should be longer. It's slow building which is good in a long novel, here however as it gets to the interesting parts of the story it seems to shorter in length and detail. There's lots packed in the story which is good but it's in so few pages that there's hardly any details. Then the ending is debts paid, she's pregnant, everyone's happy, lead in to next story, the end. The story just stops like there's a word count the author it's allowed to across and when she reaches it no more story.

[BAG of Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jesse's wife Elsie died in childbirth of their son Elliot. Jesse and Elliot live on a farm, and Elsie's mother Fanny lives on the property, but in her own house, and helps watch Elliot while Jesse works. But Elsie's mother is too old to watch the baby full time, so another young lady, Laura, comes a few days a week to help.

Laura (20) still lives with her parents, because there aren't any men of marriageable age in their little town. Except for Jesse. Jesse came on a wagon train, and some other man her age might show up on a wagon train in the future, but there's no guarantee. She also loves Elliot and another man wouldn't have Elliot. So Laura decides to propose a marriage of convenience to Jesse. And she's not secretly in love with Jesse, either. They're really just friends, that's all.

Jesse's worried about her being stuck on his farm with him, and not being able to marry for love. She explains how this is really her best option. Jesse eventually agrees.

Her parents don't like Jesse and don't want her to marry him, but she's old enough to marry him without permission. Jesse's MIL doesn't want him to remarry, because she doesn't want another woman replacing her daughter. The whole first third of the book is all about how no one wants them to marry. The pacing is very slow, IMO, and really not much happens. The main conflict is external, from their families who don't want them to marry.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jesse Palmer- lost his wife giving birth to his son on the trail from the east (NYC or PA) to Omaha same trail as the Larsons.
Laura- Helped with the son on the trail and now in Omaha with the mean mother-in-law. She decided that she wanted to make the choice of who her husband will be and not her father's.
I enjoyed reading this captivating story of convivence turned to a love match that has a sweet motherless baby boy, a nagging selfish mother-in-law and domineering parents on Laura's side. Their story has a loving hea.
Ama

[Viola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Another great read by Ruth Ann Nordin. The Marriage Agreement is about Laura and Jessie with baby Elliot. Laura asks Jessie to marry her so she can take care of his son and to get away from her father. Jessie agrees to do this and their life begins or is the challenges of life start. I really enjoyed this read.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love is grand especially when it sneaks up on you.

Ruth Ann Nordin weaves an intriguing story to keep your interest to find out what will happen next. Nagging ex-mother-in-law and controlling father are two main concerns for Jesse and Laura. You must read this book to follow what Laura and Jesse experience to be together to raise Elliot. Happy reading!!

[chelseaerinreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn’t my favourite. Most of the book was then being friends and rushed it right at the end. Also, there was no description of Jesse for majority of the book. I had no idea what I was picturing.

- marriage of convenience
- single dad

🌶️ 2/5

[Vassia Dimokosta · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very pleasant read. I liked how the author took the time to deveop the relationship between the two protagonists, given the circumstances of their marriage. She took the time to get them closer, gave them obstacles to overcome, and delivered a happy ending.

[Naima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Konfliknya tidak berasal dari tokoh utama buku ini. dan meskipun ada konflik disana-sini, buku ini nyaman dibaca sebagai selingan.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good & quick read I really enjoyed. I have soft spot for marriage of convenience stories.

[brenda donnaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read enjoyed it a lot. Could have done without the sex tho

[Brandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series. The story line is so good. The only critique is the sex scenes. I could live without all the details.

[Sieravonne · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

It was a nice story about moving on and finding love for the second time. However, there was no chemistry build-up between Laura and Jesse.

Additionally, Laura's father reaction towards Laura and Jesse's marriage was sooo overreacting, sooo dramatic . I understand the bitterness but the need to have a revenge?? It wasn't like Jesse stole the love of his or Jesse killed someone very dear to him or Jesse ruined him.

There were only a number of things that were hyperbolized and inconsistent.

Chapter 5: It was truly an exaggeration when Joel flung a biscuit to Tom and sent him tipping back in his chair and moaning in pain(?) I don't care if Joel has a strong arm. It's just a biscuit, not a rock.

Chapter 13: It was narrated that Laura was married to the object of her unrequited love, however, it was never told that she fell in love with Jesse, only attracted.

Chapter 15: I thought Laura hadn't read Fanny's pamphlet then how can you explain the phrase in Chapter 14, "... all the other things Fanny’s booklet warned against."? It gave me the impression that Laura had read or probably just browsed through the pamphlet.

I really like Ruth Ann Nordin's works, however, a lot of times a scene was blow out of proportion.

[Miriam Rivera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another hit!

I've been a fan of this author for a while now and every book she writes is success. We find our hero struggling to raise his son and start his farm. He lost his wife while on the wagon train and his mother in law thinks he's doing everything wrong. Our heroine fell in love with a beautiful baby boy who lost his mom and his dad is trying very hard to establish a home for them. What else to do but marry the nice girl offering to help him be a mother to the baby without love of course. From there our adventure begins and we get a beautiful story of unexpected love.

[Shelley Chastagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I so enjoyed this one. There were a few moments that made me snicker. I loved Laura's kind generous nature and Jesse is such a sweetheart. I have to say I actually cheered when he finally grew a back bone with Fanny. I loved that Laura turned out to be the woman who could heal his wounds. She consistently put his happiness first and every time I saw the smallest evidence of it I smiled.
Adult read

[Judy Lavik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet!

Laura Rufus loves Elliot Palmer. She loves him like a mother would love her child. So, when his widowed father, Jesse, is threatened by his former mother-in-law, she offers to marry Jesse, providing the child with 2 loving parents. Neither expected to find love, but of course, they did.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving this series!!

Ruth Ann Nordin is an amazing author. She is also my favorite. Her stories are so loving and heartwarming. Definitely a must read author.

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again Ms Nordin has written a wonderful story with characters you can't help but fall in love with.