Temporary MarriageWhen she and her sister are unexpectedly orphaned and prevented from traveling West unless they have a male chaperone, Mattie Prescott disguises herself as a boy. But after Mattie's fellow wagon train companions discover her masquerade, their long-dreamed-of fresh start is over before it's even begun. She has only one marriage to the man who helped her-and kept her secret-along the trail. To save her honor and his own, Josiah Dawson agrees to take Mattie as his bride. But his plans don't include a wife, and this hasty union is just a temporary duty he'll dissolve at the end of the trail. As Mattie proves herself indispensable in the face of tragedy, though, it's soon clear that she's also indispensable to Josiah's heart…
I love Westerns, especially ones that take place during journeys out West. Mattie pretends to be a man after the sudden death of her father. She has no choice, really, because she and her younger sister have nothing but a wagon full of supplies for a trip out west to join her aunt and uncle. The romance was a slow slow burn (duh, it's an inspie), and the trials of life on the trail was vividly described. I thought the pacing was a tad slow at the midway point, but overall this was quick, engaging read.
For the most part I enjoyed the book. I'm not sure however that the author know much about guns. Also the book just ends without much wrap up for the main characters. Will there be sequels for the other characters? Yes there was an epilogue but it felt rushed and a bit forced. I would read this author again as she is new.