Capital Bride

Matchmaker and Co. #1

by Cynthia Woolf

Sarah Johnson and her daughter MaryAnn are about to be homeless and without many options. That leads her to Matchmaker & Co. and John Atwood. He's a single father, raising his daughter. Can Sarah and John overcome their pasts to find happiness together?

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Westerns, Historical Fiction, Western Romance, Fiction

312 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 9, 2012

About the author

Cynthia Woolf is the USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author of eighty-five works of romance fiction. Comprising sixty-six historical western romances, ten contemporary romance novels, two contemporary romance novellas, one historical western romance novella, and six sci-fi space opera romances, which she calls westerns in space. Along with these books, she has also published twelve boxed sets of her books and two short stories.

Cynthia loves writing and reading romance. Her first western romance, Tame A Wild Heart, was inspired by the story her mother told her of meeting Cynthia's father on a ranch in Creede, Colorado. Although Tame A Wild Heart takes place in Creede, that is the only similarity between the stories. Her father was a cowboy, not a bounty hunter, and her mother was a nursemaid (called a nanny now), not the ranch owner.

Cynthia credits her wonderfully supportive husband, Jim, and her great critique partners for saving her sanity and allowing her to explore her creativity.



WEBSITE – http://cynthiawoolf.com

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TITLES AVAILABLE (English unless otherwise stated)

COLORADO BILLIONAIRES (sweet contemporary novels)
THE CEO
THE RANCHER
THE MAVERICK
THE TYCOON
THE ARTIST (coming soon)
THE QUARTERBACK (coming soon)


MONTANA BILLIONAIRES SERIES (contemporary sweet western novels)
Her Secret Cowboy Billionaire (Available in German)
Her Mysterious Cowboy Billionaire (Available in German)
Her Royal Cowboy Billionaire (Available in German)
Her Christmas Cowboy Billionaire (Available in German)
Her Bachelor Cowboy Billionaire (Available in German)
Her Wild Cowboy Billionaire (Available in German)
Her Elusive Cowboy Billionaire
Her Disguised Cowboy Billionaire


CHRISTMAS AT THE MISTLETOE INN (contemporary novella)
Cooking Up Christmas


THE BRIDES OF THE KLONDIKE
The Gold Rush Bride (Available in German)
The Gold Mountain Bride


THE PRESCOTT BRIDES (Available in German)
A Bride for Ross
A Bride for Frank
A Bride for Tucker
A Bride for Clay
A Bride for Brodie



THE HEART WISH MAIL-ORDER BRIDES SERIES
Heart of Stone
Heart of Shadow


MARSHALS MAIL ORDER BRIDES
The Carson City Bride (Available in German)
The Virginia City Bride (Available in German)
The Silver City Bride
The Eureka City Bride


ANGEL CREEK CHRISTMAS BRIDES
Adele


BRIDES OF GOLDEN CITY
A Husband for Victoria
A Husband for Cordelia
A Husband for Adeline


BRIDES OF THE OREGON TRAIL (Available in German)
Hannah
Lydia
Bella
Eliza
Rebecca
Charlotte
Amanda
Emma Rose
Nora
Opal


BACHELORS & BABIES
Carter (Book 3)


BRIDES OF SEATTLE (Available in German)
Mail Order Mystery
Mail Order Mayhem
Mail Order Mix-Up
Mail Order Moonlight
Mail Order Melody


CENTRAL CITY BRIDES (Available in German)
The Dancing Bride
The Sapphire Bride
The Irish Bride
The Pretender Bride


HOMESTEAD CANYON SERIES
Thorpe’s Mail-Order Bride
Kissed by a Stranger
A Family for Christmas


HOPE’S CROSSING
The Hunter Bride
The Replacement Bride
The Stolen Bride
The Unexpected Bride


AMERICAN MAIL-ORDER BRIDES
Genevieve, Bride of Nevada


THE SURPRISE BRIDES
Gideon


THE BRIDES OF SAN FRANCISCO
Nellie (Available in German)
Annie (Available in German)
Cora (Available in German)
Sophia (Available in German)
Amelia (Available in German)
Violet


THE BRIDES OF TOMBSTONE (Available in German)
Mail Order Outlaw
Mail Order Doctor
Mail Order Baron


DESTINY IN DEADWOOD (Available in German)
Jake
Liam
Zach


MATCHMAK

Reviews

[Jessica's Totally Over The Top Book Obsession · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
What a cute and sweet story :) and it's still free at amazon if anyone wants to read it.




Here is the link http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A...

[Delta · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know what it is about this genre that seems to attract writers who attempt historic romance without properly researching the culture of the setting's time period.

The characters speak using idioms and language not appropriate to the time, including the heroine "a lady through and through" saying "Oh my God" and "hell" during conversation.

In this post Civil War story, the heroine's rancher husband attempts sterile surgery at home when the method wasn't widely accepted in the medical community at that time.

The character development of the villain was completely lacking, and the villain was more of a caricature. This book was free, but I am not recommending...

[Angieleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Capital Bride is about a woman, Sarah, whose Great Aunt dies suddenly and leaves her and her young daughter, MaryAnn, without a home to live in. Desperate for some stability for herself and her daughter, Sarah goes to see Mrs. Selby, the Matchmaker, about becoming a mail order bride. Soon she and her daughter are off to Colorado to live a new life with John Atwood and his mute-due-to-trauma daughter, Katy.

Sarah is a likable woman who does what she has to in order to keep her daughter safe and cared for. She doesn't seem to have the normal trepidation one would expect when moving across the country to live with a stranger. John is a likable man who obviously loves his daughter and is very open to accepting MaryAnn into his life as well as Sarah, even though he's bound and determined to never love her. Although, that really kind of went out the window as their interaction together in bed left this reviewer wanting to find a fan to cool herself down with.

MaryAnn and Katy really make the book. They're so cute and MaryAnn is a chatterbox like no other. William seemed so...boring at the beginning and then creeped me out.

Overall this was a really fun book to read. However, the dialogue between characters seemed a bit lacking and forced at times. Also, it could have used a bit more editing in some places.

My actual rating for this book is 3.5 stars.

I look forward to reading more by Ms. Woolf.

[Katie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm actually embarrassed I read this all the way through. If you want to be spoon fed shallow nonsense go ahead and pick it up. No historical novel should contain the phrase, "what the crap?" Enough said.

[Laura Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was only my second ever mail order bride read. It's a historical that's completely historically inaccurate. It was a quick light read. Just meh. But it was free so can't complain too much......

[Debby *BabyDee* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Capital Bride by Cynthia Woolf, is a new author to this reader. The story is about a woman named Sarah whose aunt suddenly dies leaving her and her daughter, MaryAnn, who was born out of wedlock, shunned by society and searching for a new home. Due to the circumstances of her position, she turns to the Matchmaker and Co. to become a mail order bride and start a new life far from New York City.

John Atwood is a handsome rancher and father of a daughter that is unable to speak due to witnessing the murder of her mother. When John meets Sarah, there is a mutual attraction between the characters. Their daughters Katy and MaryAnn also become fast friends.

Both are likeable characters and the H/h immediately become intimate after they arrive to the ranch the following day. Although the heroine doesn't seem to have any trepidations when she moved acrossed the country, I thought the intimacy was a bit rushed since they both were very much strangers and taken things a bit slow to get to know one another. Then again, there was no unknown expectations from both the H/h going into the marriage. He needed a wife, cook and mother for his daughter. She needed a husband, new life and father for hers. With regards to MaryAnn and Katy, the two were adorably cute in the story. The cousin/villain who appeared acceptable in the beginning of the story, turned into a cruel, obsessive killer.

There were a few twists to build on suspense but it was not very strong. The story did not sync up historically and could have used some research on the part of the author to make the timelines and some of the things done solidify throughout parts of the story. I thought there were undeveloped parts i.e., the lie about the heroine being married, the wife's killer and unknown and the cousin's underlying obsession could have been expounded on and made a bit stronger.

Overall, the intent and plot of the story was nice. The narration by Lia Frederick a new narrator also to this reader, was okay but could have been a bit more famale and child friendly voiced. The male voice was on spot. I look forward to the second in this series and hope the narration and writing is a bit better. Would have rated higher if not for the under research and development of the story.

3.0 Stars

[Varsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short-Feel-good read🌚💜

[Regan Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 and ½ Stars - Entertaining Light Western Historical

This was my first by Woolf so I cannot compare it to others she has written.

It begins in New York City in 1867 as Sarah Johnson evaluates her options. Her fiancé died at Bull Run, leaving her pregnant and alone; then her great aunt, who had been sheltering her and her young daughter, died. Once again, Sara and 5-year old daughter MaryAnn are alone. With no other choice, she decides to become a mail order bride—to one John Atwood, a rancher in Colorado.

The first half of the story is told from the perspective of the heroine. I so wanted to see the West through the eyes of Sarah, but the story was short on descriptions—of Colorado, of John’s ranch and of his ranch hands. She did convey the tiresome train ride well, though. Woolf also did a good job of capturing the two young children (MaryAnn and John’s daughter Katy), though that was primarily through dialog. The two shared tender moments, like any two playmates would who were becoming fast friends, and those scenes made me smile.

When, half way through, we finally get the hero’s perspective, the change was a bit awkward. And there were a few things that happened that were very unlikely for the 19th century—like passionate kissing in front of a crowd (twice), and a sheriff accusing a man of murder based on the statement of a child (he would have arrested him, yes, but not accused him as if he’d already been tried and convicted).

As one reviewer noted, there was a lot of sex in this historical romance. Some of the scenes could have been omitted with no loss to the story. I also thought the emotional connection to their past loves (which in John’s case suddenly turned out not to be love) and to each other could have been better developed. What the story lacked was depth. And I thought it strange Sarah never noticed before that the villain was deranged.

Still, over all it was an entertaining, light read.

[Ruth Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can honestly say this is one of the easiest-to-road historical romances I have read in quite some time. The language and font make the reading of this book go by very quickly, and the story (though simple) is fantastic. I struggled to put the book down because I was so enraptured. I loved Sarah and John, and who can pass up the old romance of a mail order bride? This is the almost-perfect historical Western romance.

As you can imagine, I do have a few minor critiques. I will not complain about the bedroom scenes. Though they are only for adults, I can easily say that I was not offended. I was quite pleased that they were married! After all, in so many romances, they don't bother to take that step. The profanity in the book was so mild that it was almost nonexistent. I can safely say that the two major issues I often point out with books are truly no problem.

My only complaint has to do with the style of the writing. I discussed this very issue with my mom, and she helped me understand what I struggled to put my finger on. This novel is fast-paced, but it is not detailed. I realize that there is a fine line between too much and not enough detail, but I am one who truly desires to connect with the story and the characters in a book. To do this, I usually need a little more detail than this book provides. I often felt that I was reading a newspaper article or journal entry. And for that very reason, there may be readers who will be clamoring to read this. And all I can say is that you will not be sorry. The story is enchanting, and I am so glad that I was privileged to read it. Highly recommended for an easy evening romantic read!

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 RATING- I have no idea how I ended up reading this book but I ended up liking it. I saw a lot of complaints from Amazon reviewers that the book wasn't historically accurate which generated some low ratings. That may be true but since I don't normally read historicals and wasn't looking for an in depth story the inaccuracies didn't bother me. Since I'm a lover of guilty pleasure reads over "quality", my threshold for overlooking things may just be higher than others.

I thought the story was at times cheesy but overall, very readable. I was having some book confusion on what to read next. Nothing was really working for me and this did. Go figure. I'm on to the next book in the series now.

[Dianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Capital Bride was a quick but enjoyable read. There were a few editing problems but they didn't affect the story. Sarah and John were a sweet couple, at times a little too sweet for me. I felt they came together a little too quickly I would have expected some hesitation and delay from Sarah before intimacy began. Nevertheless, I did enjoy this book, there were scenes I absolutely loved and the two little girls were adorable!

[Chrissy Loves Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Brenna Chase · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love mail order brides romances, and this one by Cynthia Woolf was everything I’d hoped for and more. Sarah Johnson and John Atwood have past hurts and are unsure of what to expect of each other. I love that the chemistry between the heroine, Sarah Johnson, and the hero, John Atwood, is instant and how they build upon their initial attraction as the story develops. Their two little girls are adorable and help them grow in their relationship. But just when things seem to be going well a shadow from the past threatens to rip them apart. I didn’t see it coming, but I enjoyed the little twist and how it pushed them to acknowledge their feelings for, and finally to, each other. Looking back I saw that the hint was there, but it was so subtle and well-played that I’d missed it. Wonderful read, especially if you like westerns or mail order bride stories, or both.

[Vikki Vaught · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed listening to Capital Bride. The plot is great and I loved the characters. The little girls are adorable. The narrator did a credible job, for the most part, though, at times, she was a bit over dramatic. Happy reading!

[K · Rating 2 out of 5]

Capitol Bride felt like an unpolished first draft. The story jumped about too much. There were some good ideas in there and I even liked the characters. It had the makings for what could have been a really good story but it was just too disjointed. Such a shame.

[Maleka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Tina :*

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the book to be a Historical Romance it had some surprisingly frank sexual content that took me by surprise. However over all John and Sarah's story was pretty textbook "mail order bride" material with that one major difference as usually the newly married bride and groom do not engage in such hedonistic activities together immediately.

The added allure of precocious Mary Ann, Sarah's 5-year-old daughter and the light of her life, was a much enjoyed bonus. As were the two free pups that she and John's daughter, 7-year-old Kate, managed to acquire when their blended family went to town to enjoy a yearly celebration.

This was a familiar love story with several new twists, a villain that readers could identify well before he tipped his hand and tried anything drastic in regards to Sarah.

I enjoyed the story, despite some weird editing errors I found that were basic mistakes of words left out or used incorrectly in sentences.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Capital Bride starts shortly after the Civil War with Sara Johnson a single unwed mother and her little five year old daughter, Mary Ann moving to Colorado to become the mail order bride to John Atwood and his daughter, Katy. The romance is sweet and tender, the children are fun and realistic and the plot includes threats, some violence from Sara's evil cousin William with a very happy ending. I enjoyed it.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matchmaker and Co. we need more of these companies today with the kind of integrity this company had thanks to the founder of it. What is a single mother to do, no place to live soon and no job. Well thank goodness for this matchmaker place matching up mail order brides with decent guys.They are not the dog type either, lucky for the woman. Sarah goes there and sure enough they can match her with someone and she even has choices. John also has a little girl and a ranch and off on adventure it will be like to her little girl MaryAnn. This little girl is a sweetheart. Of course there is one little thing though she could of done marry her cousin William if it wasn't so yeck to her. You go girl especially during them days and desperation could of made her do a dumb thing. You might be saying going to marry someone sight unseen is dumb too, but not in this story. John's little girl doesn't talk either because of seeing her mother murdered. Glad the two little girls hit it off right away. So do the grownups in this story too. Be carried along with a humorous warm flowing storyline on there growing relationship. It will warm your heart and lighten your soul as a excellent story of this caliber can do. Of course not everything is peaches and cream either or it would be dullsville which this is not most definitely. That cousin comes along and causes more trouble than wolf in a hen house. Also would say loony as a bird. Very successful for both John and Sarah so much so neighbor would like to contact Matchmaker and Co. to see if maybe he too can get a mail order bride. Warning though once you read this one you will have to go further and see what else this company can do and who they do it for. Received a copy for a honest review.

[Jasz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not so sure whether I liked this book or not. I did like the story a little bit but it was way too predictable. Everything just happened too fast and I just couldn't get into it. That's probably because it wasn't detailed enough. It was like one moment they met, than were suddenly two months later, something awful happens and suddenly they both realize that they are in love. Cute, right? Not so much. I have the feeling this story could have been better, because it really wasn't that bad. I think I've just read this kind of story too many times: a couple meets, they marry, there is some shooting involved, one of them almost dies so suddenly, completely out of the blue, they realize they're in love... Well, that's how in goes in the many books I've read (that involve 'the Western part of America' aka cowboys - or at the least farmers). Still, I did like the some characters thought you didn't get to know them very well (the two little girls were adorable). It's also a very easy to read romance story which counts for something, and which is why I gave it three stars.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love mail order bride romances and am cleaning out the unread in my Kindle. Capital Bride is a sweet romance where a young mother who is unwed because her beau died at Bull Run marries a widower with a ranch and daughter in Colorado. It is really love at first sight, but he is holding on to commitment to his dead wife. Enjoyable story except for the arrival of Cousin William, which didn't fit the story flow. If William wanted her, he would have taken her in Boston. It would make a more logical story for Katie's bad man to escape jail and come after the witness of Dorothy's murder and the new mother. Great series.

[J.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sara Johnson is a sweet, young mother who only wants the best for her daughter. She goes to a matchmaker who specializes in mail-order brides because she has nowhere else to go.
John Atwood has a ranch in Colorado and a daughter who hasn't spoken since she saw her mother killed in front of her.
Sara and John have a sweet and steamy romance, trying not to fall in love with each other while they're at it.
Very fun western romance from Cynthia Woolf. Add it to your TBR!

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. It has a good story line with well rounded characters. It has romance, adventure a spunky heroine and a charming hero. Great descriptions of people and places without weighing down the store. Overall a wonderful read.

The one negative i have is that at times the editing was lacking.

[L.B. Shire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good read. It has romance, a villain, and a spunky heroine with an adorable daughter. The story line takes place in the old west, which is my favorite. It was a quick read for me, and I would recommend it for others who enjoy romance mixed with the wild west!

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cynthia Woolf's books keep getting better and better. I am loving the Matchmaker & Co series. An excellent romantic match for John and Sarah.

An excellent good feel and sweet romance, a highly recommended read

[Natasha Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. I was happy there were no misunderstandings. If there were any problems it didn't take forever to solve.

[Pat · Rating 1 out of 5]

I quit reading at 51%. The plot seemed to be going nowhere and there was not any character development.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Capital Bride (Matchmaker and Co. #1)
by Cynthia Woolf (Goodreads Author)
I really like to read mail order bride books for some reason. I love the old frontier stories. They aren’t deep, they don’t take huge amounts of concentration and thought. They don’t challenge the brain much. I just enjoy them! Some authors are able to make the stories very real by going into great detail on the different ways they did things. They didn’t have our luxuries back then that’s for sure. A woman who has a child before she is married is really frowned upon and most don’t want anything to do with her, to employ or to marry. Sarah Johnson slept with her true love, they were to be married in the next few days. He was going to be called up to go to war. He did get called up and his captain wouldn’t even allow him to take a few hours that day to marry his true love. She ended up pregnant, he died. Her Father threw her out of his home. A family friend took her in, but when she passed, Sarah and her daughter had nowhere to go. Her cousin wanted to marry her but she wasn’t about to marry a cousin. She found an add about Matchmaker and Co. and decided to visit them. She was soon on her way to marry a rancher and she sent a telegram stating when she would arrive. Her letter and telegram arrived but it was too late, her soon to be groom had been mauled by a bear and had died. His brother picked her up at the station with his daughter. He absolutely was not going to marry again. His wife had been killed during a bank robbery and his daughter was the only one to see it. She stopped speaking then. He lived with his sister. He was going to take her to town soon so she could see if she could get a job, but she fell off the porch and broke her leg. He had to get to know her like it or not. Soon he began to like her. Whether they end up together or she ends up working in another town is for you to find out. Her cousin comes after her he wants to marry her still. Read the book and find out! I received this e-book in exchange for an honest review.
Description as found on Good Reads:
Unexpectedly homeless, un-wed mother Sarah Johnson has few options. They could go live with her cousin William, but Sara believes there’s something untoward about his offer and it leaves her feeling uncomfortable. She's qualified to be a governess, but no one will have her because she wasn't married when she had her precious MaryAnn. Matchmaker & Co could be her salvation as mail-order-bride to Mr. John Atwood.

Single father, John Atwood, is raising his daughter the best he can in the wilds of the Colorado Territory but knows he needs help. No woman he knows wants to take on the raising of his daughter who hasn't spoken since she saw her mother brutally murdered during a bank robbery. Can Sarah, John and their two daughters overcome their pasts and find happiness together?

[Halley Parke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't typically write reviews unless the book really makes an impression. To be honest, I am absolutely gobsmacked that this author is an "award-winning" writer of some seventy-five novels. I don't think I've read anything else of hers, but this book does not make me want to. I'm about 54% of the way through the book and am disappointed in it.

The basic idea of the book is decent - Guy's wife is murdered. He is looking for a new bride. Woman is homeless but an outcast and needs a place for her and her daughter. She has the option to marry her cousin or become a mail-order bride. Marrying your cousin is icky so mail-order it is. As I said, decent plot. There's even decent sub-plots - the guy's daughter hasn't spoken since she witnessed her mother's murder and she's the only one who can identify the perpetrator. The woman is keeping secret that her five-year-old daughter was born out of wedlock. The guy is still hung up on his dead wife. The woman is falling in love with the guy because he's a decent guy.

But why is the sub-plot of the murderer and the mute daughter fixed in a paragraph? This should be a major to-do in the book, but the author literally spent more time on the scene where two new puppies are given a flea bath. Suddenly, the very traumatized daughter who hasn't spoken in two years is perfectly fine and can talk up a storm. She sees the murder at a county picnic, her father is informed, he gets the sheriff and points a gun at Mr. Bad. Then Mr. Bad is arrested. And that's it. That's the entire plot. Then it suddenly switches to the plot of My Cousin Who Gave No Indication of Truly Wanting Me Is Actually Crazy And Will Do Anything To Have Me.

As I'm only 54% of the way through the book, I'm hoping this plot bears some ground, but based on other reviews, it will be lackluster at best. I'm still struggling with the sudden accusation that the male main character pushes everyone away when there is absolutely no indication of such in the book's first half. It rings the same as me coming up to you and screaming at you that the way you played the piano last Wednesday ruined my love for music forever.

I want to like this book, but it is all over the place. I guess writing seventy-five books is no guarantee that you actually know HOW to write a book. Sorry C. Woolf, but this book is a mess.

[Scarlet Fanning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah Johnson became a fallen woman in New York society, when the man she was to marry was called back into the Civil War two weeks before their wedding. They made love once before he left, leaving her with a child. He died at Bull Run. Once her pregnancy became evident, her father disowned her and kicked her out of the family home. She ended up on the steps of her great aunt, who opened her arms and house to Sarah.

Once her graat aunt dies, she learns that her cousin has put the house up for sale. Sarah goes to a matchmaker to sign up as a mail-order bride. After going through the references process on both ends, a rancher/widower in Colorado is found. One with a daughter near the age of her daughter.


John Atwood needs a wife for his daughter, who witnessed the murder of her mother and hasn't spoken a word since that day. He also needs a cook, since his housekeeper lacks that skill. John vows not to give his heart and love to the new wife, since losing his first wife was too hard to bear.

Yet sparks fly between John and Sarah, and soon they are sharing the bed for more than sleeping. The daughters have become best friends and share a room, instead of the two bedrooms provided.

Danger is around them as first, John's daughter spots the murderer. And later, Sarah's crazy cousin arrives to claim her.