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Big Sky Brides #2
Bride for Keeps
They all said it wouldn’t last…. Sierra McArthur never could have imagined they were right, but ever since her husband’s world was rocked by a family secret, it’s clear that their happily ever after isn’t to be. But one last night of passion with her husband creates a lasting consequence neither of them planned on…. Or is it? Carter McArthur doesn’t want a divorce. But he doesn’t know how to fix all the mistakes he’s made in the wake of his family’s betrayal. But when a surprise pregnancy gives them one last chance at forever, Carter is determined to make her understand, she’s not his bride by accident. She’s his bride for keeps. Big Sky Brides series Book 1: Bride by Mistake Book 2: Bride for Keeps
212 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 16, 2018
49 people are currently reading
113 people want to read
About the author
Nicole Helm
308 books498 followersNicole Helm is the national bestselling author of fast-paced romantic suspense for Harlequin Intrigue and down-to-earth contemporary romance. Her Intrigues routinely land on the Publishers Weekly Bestseller list, and she’s received starred PW reviews for her contemporary romances. She’s written over 75 books, known for their emotional depth and happily ever afters.
Nicole also writes with Megan Crane/Caitlin Crews as Hazel Beck writing the Witchlore series, which began with SMALL TOWN, BIG MAGIC in 2022.
In her spare time, Nicole loves losing herself in genealogy research, watching Cardinals baseball, and hiking with her family. She lives in Missouri with her husband and two sons.
You can contact her via email: Nicole@nicolehelm.com
You can sign up for Nicole’s monthly newsletter at http://eepurl.com/V973n
Nicole also writes with Megan Crane/Caitlin Crews as Hazel Beck writing the Witchlore series, which began with SMALL TOWN, BIG MAGIC in 2022.
In her spare time, Nicole loves losing herself in genealogy research, watching Cardinals baseball, and hiking with her family. She lives in Missouri with her husband and two sons.
You can contact her via email: Nicole@nicolehelm.com
You can sign up for Nicole’s monthly newsletter at http://eepurl.com/V973n
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
October 13, 2024
Heroine is intensely unlikeable. Her husband finds out he's not his father's son and that his cold as ice parents have lied to him all his life, and heroine can't handle why he's so quiet all the time.
Second horrible heroine from this author. Maybe that's her thing.
Second horrible heroine from this author. Maybe that's her thing.
April 17, 2018
DNF at 52%.
When I was reading this book I had the distinct impression that it bore very little resemblance to the blurb. Having re-read the blurb it's so non-specific that I probably inferred the plot I wanted to read!
Sierra is the bad girl who married, against the odds, Doctor Carter McArthur, the eldest son of the snobby McArthurs and older man. His brother Cole has been estranged and riding bulls for years but has recently found love and come home.
Their parents have landed a family bombshell on Carter, Cole and their sister Lina which has devastated Carter and he has been left floundering, estranged even from Sierra.
At first Sierra acts like a good time girl, when she doesn't get attention she makes a scene. When that stops working she tries to fit in with the McArthurs and become a Stepford Wife, when that doesn't work she asks for a divorce.
Carter is left bereft AGAIN. Brought up with the heavy expectations that he would be a doctor, marry a nice girl, have 2.5 children an SUV and a dog etc, etc. Basically his parents wanted a perfect automatron. The only thing he ever did for himself was to marry the beautiful, wild child Sierra and now his one shining light is leaving him. In desperation he wrangles an agreement that Sierra will allow him to have a conversation with her for five minutes every day for a month.
I had to double-check that this wasn't a re-release because it had such an old-fashioned feel for me. The older husband, the professional man who marries a younger woman with a chequered past. The rigid 1950s style family, even the 'we're getting divorced but I'm pregnant' plot feels like a throw-back. Cole gives Carter advice and Carter genuinely thinks about it AND DOES THE OPPOSITE. Now I get that it's hard to open up and let people see the weaknesses you have, but if someone says, for example, tell the truth and you think about it and decide to tell a lie ... hmmm.
Curiouser and curiouser, I knew I had read a book by Nicole Helm before and assumed it was as part of the American Extreme Bull Riders Tour series, in fact it was actually Sierra's good girl sister Kaitlin's story and I loved it!
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
When I was reading this book I had the distinct impression that it bore very little resemblance to the blurb. Having re-read the blurb it's so non-specific that I probably inferred the plot I wanted to read!
Sierra is the bad girl who married, against the odds, Doctor Carter McArthur, the eldest son of the snobby McArthurs and older man. His brother Cole has been estranged and riding bulls for years but has recently found love and come home.
Their parents have landed a family bombshell on Carter, Cole and their sister Lina which has devastated Carter and he has been left floundering, estranged even from Sierra.
At first Sierra acts like a good time girl, when she doesn't get attention she makes a scene. When that stops working she tries to fit in with the McArthurs and become a Stepford Wife, when that doesn't work she asks for a divorce.
Carter is left bereft AGAIN. Brought up with the heavy expectations that he would be a doctor, marry a nice girl, have 2.5 children an SUV and a dog etc, etc. Basically his parents wanted a perfect automatron. The only thing he ever did for himself was to marry the beautiful, wild child Sierra and now his one shining light is leaving him. In desperation he wrangles an agreement that Sierra will allow him to have a conversation with her for five minutes every day for a month.
I had to double-check that this wasn't a re-release because it had such an old-fashioned feel for me. The older husband, the professional man who marries a younger woman with a chequered past. The rigid 1950s style family, even the 'we're getting divorced but I'm pregnant' plot feels like a throw-back. Cole gives Carter advice and Carter genuinely thinks about it AND DOES THE OPPOSITE. Now I get that it's hard to open up and let people see the weaknesses you have, but if someone says, for example, tell the truth and you think about it and decide to tell a lie ... hmmm.
Curiouser and curiouser, I knew I had read a book by Nicole Helm before and assumed it was as part of the American Extreme Bull Riders Tour series, in fact it was actually Sierra's good girl sister Kaitlin's story and I loved it!
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
June 8, 2018
I never knew I was a fan of the tropish goodness of a marriage-in-trouble romance until I read Nicole Helm’s Bride For Keeps. It’s not that I avoided the trope, it’s just not one that’s done often, or at least favoured by the authors I tend to read. One of my earliest reviews was of Ruthie Knox’s marriage-in-trouble novella, “Making It Last.” There was an edge to Knox, an anger, that made the marriage compromise, no matter how cheerfully I tried to review it at the time, about diminishing the hero and heroine. This is not the case for Helm’s category-length romance.
Bride For Keeps opens with a family bombshell for the hero: the diagnosis of his father’s MS accompanied by the revelation that he is the product of his mother’s affair. Dr. Carter McArthur is floored: he has striven to be the perfect son, to stand in his father’s medical and community footsteps, giant, important, arrogant footsteps. His one rebellion, his one out-of-perfection decision was to marry wild-child Sierra Shuller.
Carter’s identity crisis comes just as his foundling marriage is settling into the danger zone of familiarity if not breeding contempt, definitely sowing doubt about, not love, but the ability of surviving the day-to-day grind. Sierra, on her part, has come down from the headiness of being married to this perfectly educated, perfectly responsible, perfectly controlled man, a bastion of community respect, a pillar that holds up everything staid and honourable. And Sierra is anything but: she rants, pouts, and throws tantrums. The wilder Sierra behaves, the more indulgent and soothing Carter has responded. This the pattern their marriage has settled into. It’s not good. There is a reckoning and Carter’s reeling from his “father’s” truth-telling sets it in motion.
When the novel opens, Sierra is struggling with Carter’s emotional withdrawal. Contending with his own pain, upholding his notion of what his masculine husbandly role is – to shelter Sierra from his struggles – Carter shuts her out. Sierra wants to reach out, to share Carter’s pain, but she’s afraid she won’t measure up to what he needs, won’t be enough, won’t be the exalted image of what his family would’ve wanted Carter to find in a wife. Sierra is immature and Carter is behaving like a cold fish. Balancing humour and angst, Helm’s tells the story of how Carter and Sierra work their way back to a place of understanding and renewed love. Her fulcrum is the key to how romance tears the hero and heroine asunder, only to build them back up again: the betrayal. Carter betrays Sierra by withholding himself; Sierra betrays Carter by leaving him and withholding herself. Helm does a great job of getting her hero and heroine to be brave enough to expose their vulnerabilities to each other in acts of trust, by opening up and speaking honestly … because they realize what is at stake: their love withering; their marriage, ending.
I loved Carter and Sierra, I loved them apart, and even more, together. I thought they were real, angsty and funny, messed up and put together, arguing, open and honest and raw. But Helm’s novel, really more novella, was pretty much done by their reconciliation. Then, as filler, she had not one, but three epilogues, with baby, with other people’s babies, with all manner of stuff. I read the fillers, I nodded at the fillers, I didn’t particularly enjoy the fillers. And that left me with a moue of disappointment and pulled one of the year’s most emotional reads down several notches. With Miss Austen, I would say Helm’s Bride For Keeps offers “real comfort,” Emma.
Nicole Helm’s Bride For Keeps is published by Tule Publishing. It was released on April 16 and may be found at your preferred vendor. I received an e-ARC from Tule Publishing, via Netgalley.
Bride For Keeps opens with a family bombshell for the hero: the diagnosis of his father’s MS accompanied by the revelation that he is the product of his mother’s affair. Dr. Carter McArthur is floored: he has striven to be the perfect son, to stand in his father’s medical and community footsteps, giant, important, arrogant footsteps. His one rebellion, his one out-of-perfection decision was to marry wild-child Sierra Shuller.
Carter’s identity crisis comes just as his foundling marriage is settling into the danger zone of familiarity if not breeding contempt, definitely sowing doubt about, not love, but the ability of surviving the day-to-day grind. Sierra, on her part, has come down from the headiness of being married to this perfectly educated, perfectly responsible, perfectly controlled man, a bastion of community respect, a pillar that holds up everything staid and honourable. And Sierra is anything but: she rants, pouts, and throws tantrums. The wilder Sierra behaves, the more indulgent and soothing Carter has responded. This the pattern their marriage has settled into. It’s not good. There is a reckoning and Carter’s reeling from his “father’s” truth-telling sets it in motion.
When the novel opens, Sierra is struggling with Carter’s emotional withdrawal. Contending with his own pain, upholding his notion of what his masculine husbandly role is – to shelter Sierra from his struggles – Carter shuts her out. Sierra wants to reach out, to share Carter’s pain, but she’s afraid she won’t measure up to what he needs, won’t be enough, won’t be the exalted image of what his family would’ve wanted Carter to find in a wife. Sierra is immature and Carter is behaving like a cold fish. Balancing humour and angst, Helm’s tells the story of how Carter and Sierra work their way back to a place of understanding and renewed love. Her fulcrum is the key to how romance tears the hero and heroine asunder, only to build them back up again: the betrayal. Carter betrays Sierra by withholding himself; Sierra betrays Carter by leaving him and withholding herself. Helm does a great job of getting her hero and heroine to be brave enough to expose their vulnerabilities to each other in acts of trust, by opening up and speaking honestly … because they realize what is at stake: their love withering; their marriage, ending.
I loved Carter and Sierra, I loved them apart, and even more, together. I thought they were real, angsty and funny, messed up and put together, arguing, open and honest and raw. But Helm’s novel, really more novella, was pretty much done by their reconciliation. Then, as filler, she had not one, but three epilogues, with baby, with other people’s babies, with all manner of stuff. I read the fillers, I nodded at the fillers, I didn’t particularly enjoy the fillers. And that left me with a moue of disappointment and pulled one of the year’s most emotional reads down several notches. With Miss Austen, I would say Helm’s Bride For Keeps offers “real comfort,” Emma.
Nicole Helm’s Bride For Keeps is published by Tule Publishing. It was released on April 16 and may be found at your preferred vendor. I received an e-ARC from Tule Publishing, via Netgalley.
April 14, 2018
When a family secret comes out, Carter McArthur shuts down. He won’t even want to talk to his wife, Sienna, even though they live in the same house. In a last ditch effort, Sienna tries to revive their relationship with a night of passion, only to wake up and find Carter gone. That’s when she realizes it is over and wants a divorce. When Sienna finds out they created a baby that night, she decides she will raise it on her own.
Carter never intended to hurt Sienna. He just didn’t know how to control his emotions. Carter was raised in a family where everything always had to be perfect. He thought keeping his feelings to himself was the right thing to do. Obviously, he was wrong. When he finds out Sienna is pregnant and wants a divorce, he decides he will do anything to win her back.
This was an emotional story and at times had me tearing up. Like many young people, Carter and Sienna thought marriage would be fun and easy and didn’t realize there would also be difficult times that they would need to work through. The author did a great job writing a story with real life situations and solutions. I liked Sienna and Carter and couldn’t wait to see how they patched up their marriage.
My favorite quote in the book:
“Love is showing each other your cracks. Maybe more than that, maybe it’s trusting each other with your flaws. Your imperfections.”
Carter never intended to hurt Sienna. He just didn’t know how to control his emotions. Carter was raised in a family where everything always had to be perfect. He thought keeping his feelings to himself was the right thing to do. Obviously, he was wrong. When he finds out Sienna is pregnant and wants a divorce, he decides he will do anything to win her back.
This was an emotional story and at times had me tearing up. Like many young people, Carter and Sienna thought marriage would be fun and easy and didn’t realize there would also be difficult times that they would need to work through. The author did a great job writing a story with real life situations and solutions. I liked Sienna and Carter and couldn’t wait to see how they patched up their marriage.
My favorite quote in the book:
“Love is showing each other your cracks. Maybe more than that, maybe it’s trusting each other with your flaws. Your imperfections.”
August 18, 2018
I hated that Lena, Carter's brother, was always on Sierra's side without giving a chance to her brother. It was like she hated him and I found that very non-sibling like and annoying. The thing that bothered me the most was Siera though. She didn't know what she wanted and for a person who was supposedly trying to fix her marriage, she was too against Carter's efforts to make things right. It was too one-sided for me. Carter wasn't perfect. He should have opened up to Siera about his feelings after the bomb was dropped, but at least he realized his mistake. Siera was drowning in her own insecurities and she never felt like she belonged on Carter's side. I don't even know why she got married to him. Carter should have made her feel more at ease, but she never said anything to him from what I gathered. She ruined the book.
April 23, 2018
Bride for Keeps by Nicole Helm
Big Sky Bride #2
It took till the end of the book for Carter and Sierra to find their way to a happily ever after and throughout the book, until they actually realized communication was essential, it was my opinion that they would be better off parting and moving on to someone else. Unless the two were mentioned in book one and part of their story is missing I could not see how the two ended up together in the first place. Sure, they were opposites and it sounds like they had instant attraction with all the zing and sizzle that many do have but they didn’t seem to share much before they married or afterward, either.
Okay, to be honest, I almost gave up and thought about not even bothering to read this book. I thought that Carter was a pompous jerk and Sierra was a spoiled brat. Both were living up to the image they thought others held of them or expected them to fulfill but neither seemed to get what marriage or even love really meant.
Eventually, with a bit of advice from friends and family, the two did make an effort but even then I wondered if it would be too little too late. Since I have liked previous books by this author I persevered but even after Carter and Sierra seemed to have matured and moved into working to make their marriage a success and having been given snippets of their future I wondered why they ended up together in the first place and if there might have been another person that would have made them both happier.
Marriage is work. In my opinion it takes commitment, communication and respect. I kind of felt that one or more of these were missing for this couple most of the first year of their marriage. Unusual romance in that it did not start with happiness and falling in love but instead started in the midst of a marriage floundering. Anyway, I did finish and it did come together and there was a HEA but I have to say it was not my favorite book by this author and yet, I will read more by her when the opportunity occurs.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tule Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.
2-3 Stars
Big Sky Bride #2
It took till the end of the book for Carter and Sierra to find their way to a happily ever after and throughout the book, until they actually realized communication was essential, it was my opinion that they would be better off parting and moving on to someone else. Unless the two were mentioned in book one and part of their story is missing I could not see how the two ended up together in the first place. Sure, they were opposites and it sounds like they had instant attraction with all the zing and sizzle that many do have but they didn’t seem to share much before they married or afterward, either.
Okay, to be honest, I almost gave up and thought about not even bothering to read this book. I thought that Carter was a pompous jerk and Sierra was a spoiled brat. Both were living up to the image they thought others held of them or expected them to fulfill but neither seemed to get what marriage or even love really meant.
Eventually, with a bit of advice from friends and family, the two did make an effort but even then I wondered if it would be too little too late. Since I have liked previous books by this author I persevered but even after Carter and Sierra seemed to have matured and moved into working to make their marriage a success and having been given snippets of their future I wondered why they ended up together in the first place and if there might have been another person that would have made them both happier.
Marriage is work. In my opinion it takes commitment, communication and respect. I kind of felt that one or more of these were missing for this couple most of the first year of their marriage. Unusual romance in that it did not start with happiness and falling in love but instead started in the midst of a marriage floundering. Anyway, I did finish and it did come together and there was a HEA but I have to say it was not my favorite book by this author and yet, I will read more by her when the opportunity occurs.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tule Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.
2-3 Stars
April 1, 2018
Review written: April 1, 2018
Star Rating: ★★★☆☆
Heat Rating: ☀☀☼☼☼
An Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book was received free via Netgalley for an honest review.
Carter and Sierra McArthur: I've been waiting for this book ever since Cole and Jess's book. So glad it finally got here. After the shock announcement that stick-in-the-mud, straitlaced, just like Daddy Carter is not really a McArthur in that book and Carter's and Sierra's obvious distress in a later book, this second story for Carter and Sierra was necessary.
I enjoyed both Carter's and Sierra's journeys to greater understanding of themselves, each other, and love. But of them needed to learn how to be vulnerable and when they did, they reaped the rewards of their love. But, they both got some hard advice from people they normally wouldn't have listened to (Cole and Kaitlin). Seeing the entire McArthur clan and seeing the Shullers again was fun. They are both dysfunctional families and seeing some of that smooth over and fix itself was a nice touch.
But... Sierra's starting point was so terrible - it's all about how I feel - and her seeming lack of empathy for her devastated husband was tough to swallow. That she remained mired in it for so long is also tough to deal with. It showed her in a particularly negative light and I hadn't thought that much of her to begin with. She had the hardest road to walk for me because she was so unsympathetic.
That's not to say that Carter was a prince. He had been a total tool in earlier books and the announcement had genuinely taken the ground out from under him. He struggled to accept that not everything had to be perfect and had to learn to connect with his brother and sister, neither of whom were close to him in any way.
On the other hand, both Cole and Kaitlin, who had been hurt in the past by their siblings took active and sympathetic roles in helping Carter and Sierra grow. While the Shuller and McArthur parents both began to unbend a bit and appear, if not sympathetic, at least not so horrible as before.
What ended up knocking the rating down on this was less the characterization (which was difficult) but the complete lack of curiosity on Carter's part about his father. It also didn't help that Carter has not resolved precisely who he is by the end of the book. I almost feel like we need a third book for Sierra and Carter because these are significant unresolved issues.
This review is ©April 2018 by Monique N. and has been posted to Netgalley.
Star Rating: ★★★☆☆
Heat Rating: ☀☀☼☼☼
An Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book was received free via Netgalley for an honest review.
Carter and Sierra McArthur: I've been waiting for this book ever since Cole and Jess's book. So glad it finally got here. After the shock announcement that stick-in-the-mud, straitlaced, just like Daddy Carter is not really a McArthur in that book and Carter's and Sierra's obvious distress in a later book, this second story for Carter and Sierra was necessary.
I enjoyed both Carter's and Sierra's journeys to greater understanding of themselves, each other, and love. But of them needed to learn how to be vulnerable and when they did, they reaped the rewards of their love. But, they both got some hard advice from people they normally wouldn't have listened to (Cole and Kaitlin). Seeing the entire McArthur clan and seeing the Shullers again was fun. They are both dysfunctional families and seeing some of that smooth over and fix itself was a nice touch.
But... Sierra's starting point was so terrible - it's all about how I feel - and her seeming lack of empathy for her devastated husband was tough to swallow. That she remained mired in it for so long is also tough to deal with. It showed her in a particularly negative light and I hadn't thought that much of her to begin with. She had the hardest road to walk for me because she was so unsympathetic.
That's not to say that Carter was a prince. He had been a total tool in earlier books and the announcement had genuinely taken the ground out from under him. He struggled to accept that not everything had to be perfect and had to learn to connect with his brother and sister, neither of whom were close to him in any way.
On the other hand, both Cole and Kaitlin, who had been hurt in the past by their siblings took active and sympathetic roles in helping Carter and Sierra grow. While the Shuller and McArthur parents both began to unbend a bit and appear, if not sympathetic, at least not so horrible as before.
What ended up knocking the rating down on this was less the characterization (which was difficult) but the complete lack of curiosity on Carter's part about his father. It also didn't help that Carter has not resolved precisely who he is by the end of the book. I almost feel like we need a third book for Sierra and Carter because these are significant unresolved issues.
This review is ©April 2018 by Monique N. and has been posted to Netgalley.
April 29, 2018
I wanted to love this book but I feel like perhaps the description sold me one book and then I found myself reading a different book. I didn’t hate it by any means but I just didn’t find it to be compelling. The characters just never moved me. I didn’t buy their actions much of the time. They did things that didn’t make sense to me. And I wouldn’t really call this a romance … it’s more of a dissection of a relationship. Yes, there are moments of romance but I don’t think this is what we’d normally refer to as a romance. It is very emotional and what not but I ultimately didn’t buy Carter and Sienna as a couple which is why I’m rating it 2 stars. It’s not a bad book, it just didn’t work for me. Perhaps my opinion would have been different if I’d been expecting a non-romance? I’m not sure.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review.
April 25, 2018
So this book is actually the third book that follows one family but is part of different series set in Marietta, Montana. This is a book I had difficulty getting into since it felt disjointed at first. However, as the story progressed and I’ve pieced together what the whole backstory for both Sierra and Carter were it was easy tonfollow after that. There were a lot of situations that might feel frustrating to a reader especially when it comes to both Sierra and Carter’s interactions with one another. But this book also had a lot family moments and honest conversations between a couple on the brink of breaking apart. It is recommended for romance readers who likes family oriented storylines.
*ARC provided for an honest review*
*ARC provided for an honest review*
April 15, 2018
I really enjoyed this one. It has a fresh storyline and characters you just can't imagine not being together. The writing is fabulous and the story moves along nicely.
Sierra and Carter may have gotten married quickly but Sierra was certain they could weather anything. Apparently not. After Carter's family drops a bombshell in his lap Sierra tries to be supportive but she finally has to admit that he pulled away from her completely. It takes Sierra leaving him and filing for divorce to snap Carter out of his funk and realize all that he's losing. Now he has his work cut out for him trying to convince Sierra that he's all in and what they have was and is real and will last forever.
I highly recommend this one.
Sierra and Carter may have gotten married quickly but Sierra was certain they could weather anything. Apparently not. After Carter's family drops a bombshell in his lap Sierra tries to be supportive but she finally has to admit that he pulled away from her completely. It takes Sierra leaving him and filing for divorce to snap Carter out of his funk and realize all that he's losing. Now he has his work cut out for him trying to convince Sierra that he's all in and what they have was and is real and will last forever.
I highly recommend this one.
April 15, 2018
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I love Montana, specifically Marietta, Montana books. This was the at times heartbreaking story of a married couple having problems. We meet Carter and his wife Sierra who are having communication issues. Both are very much in love but Sierra is calling quits after the behavior towards her by her husband and she learns she is pregnant. The book includes lots of interactions with their siblings as they try to help the couple face their fears and stay together. I loved the storyline and seeing so many characters I’ve previously met. I give this 5 wonderful stars and recommend this story.
May 1, 2018
I recommend reading the first book in this series or you may get confused about the characters and their history. It is a story of a marriage on the brink of divorce and trying to give love a second chance. Love and life is not all sunshine and rosy. The author captures real life feelings that a couple may go through.
I love the Montana setting and the characters as I have read most of the books based in Marietta, Montana.
I love the Montana setting and the characters as I have read most of the books based in Marietta, Montana.
April 18, 2018
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I had recently purchased and read the first book in this series - Bride by Mistake and enjoyed reading it (except for all of the typos). When I saw this title was available for request I wanted to give this series another chance. I can honestly say that I didn't come across any typos in this book - that's a huge + in my eyes!
As for the story - I got a little frustrated with Sierra's lack of self-confidence and both her and Carter's lack of communicating. Towards the end of the story I realized that this was the main point the author was trying to teach - love and marriage isn't always easy and fun, it takes both partners giving their all and working hard! If it's worth fighting for, never back down! Use your words, express yourself - spouses are not mind readers!
I had recently purchased and read the first book in this series - Bride by Mistake and enjoyed reading it (except for all of the typos). When I saw this title was available for request I wanted to give this series another chance. I can honestly say that I didn't come across any typos in this book - that's a huge + in my eyes!
As for the story - I got a little frustrated with Sierra's lack of self-confidence and both her and Carter's lack of communicating. Towards the end of the story I realized that this was the main point the author was trying to teach - love and marriage isn't always easy and fun, it takes both partners giving their all and working hard! If it's worth fighting for, never back down! Use your words, express yourself - spouses are not mind readers!
April 4, 2018
Bride for Keeps is my first book by this author. The cover is boring looking, but sometimes you shouldn’t base a book by the cover. Or so the saying goes. The description of this book made me want to read it – sounded very interesting. And it didn’t disappoint!
Carter and Sierra met and married quickly. So in love! Both are very happy until Carter gets some unexpected news from his parents and no longer feels as if he knows who he is. He feels lost. Because of this, he cuts out his wife and she tries to be what she thinks he needs.
One night of passion which Carter says was mistake ends in pregnancy and she files for divorce (because he said the night was a mistake). Carter doesn’t want a divorce and tries to win his wife (and family back). Such a good book!
Carter and Sierra met and married quickly. So in love! Both are very happy until Carter gets some unexpected news from his parents and no longer feels as if he knows who he is. He feels lost. Because of this, he cuts out his wife and she tries to be what she thinks he needs.
One night of passion which Carter says was mistake ends in pregnancy and she files for divorce (because he said the night was a mistake). Carter doesn’t want a divorce and tries to win his wife (and family back). Such a good book!
January 7, 2021
Oh, dear…
2 stars
I was a bit worried when I started this book as I’d (stupidly) read the reviews and didn’t want them to sway my opinion - I’m a bit of a sucker for a second chance romance, you see.
I shouldn’t have worried, within the first chapter of the book the characters had already convinced me, regardless of the other reviews, that this book was not one that I was going to enjoy. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever disliked a heroine more.
Carter is 31 and Sierra is younger. I didn’t catch her actual age (I did go back and try to see if it was mentioned but I just got myself angry all over again) but she acts like a spoiled, petulant child all throughout the book. I still wouldn’t have liked the book had Sierra’s character grown-up and evolved throughout the book - but she didn’t. She was a brat from beginning to end.
Here are just some of the ways that the author explained Sierra’s character and her relationship with her husband.
“…she usually threw a little fit, and he’d come after her trying to make things right. It was the pattern of their relationship. Sierra didn’t know that it was the best pattern, but it was always how they’d worked.”
“She’d thrown she didn’t know how many fits lately, and Carter had simply let her.”
“Her flouncing wasn’t even enjoyable anymore, but she didn’t know how else to get Carter’s attention.”
“Usually a good fit got his attention, pulled him out of all he kept himself caught up in.”
Honestly, I could go on.
Why would staid, stand-up guy Carter be interested in such a girl?
No really - I just didn’t get it.
And since this is a romance book, my intense dislike of Sierra and my scorn of Carter’s actions and feelings, made this book a complete dud for me. I’m sorry to say, I didn’t care if they got together at the end - or stayed together. I’m adding my voice to those that said that their marriage won’t last!
I did give the book 2 stars since I did force myself to the end - even if some skim-reading was involved. I also don’t think that the writing was terrible - it was just the subject matter, or more accurately, the characters and the situations they were in, that was.
Sorry to say - but I recommend that you avoid this book at all costs.
August 6, 2022
"Received an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for a fair review"
A delicious romance of regaining trust and reconciliation between a married couple. I really enjoyed reading about Carter and Sierra’s troubles and how they tried to overcome the wedge in their relationship. Carter is a wonderful guarded hero, who finds it difficult to express his feelings and vulnerabilities, but is so earnest and willing to try and correct his mistakes;
“He didn’t know how to explain love, to put into words this big, horrible thing inside him. It was too messy. Too unpredictable.” (Quote from ARC)
His utter ignorance about the need for communication and for things that are not rational was fun to read, as was his willingness to learn this new foreign language and use it in all his relationships (he feels like he has woken from a decades-long coma).
These dimensions, together with a great cast of secondary characters, make “Bride for Keeps” a very enjoyable read.
I'm grateful to the publisher, Tule Publishing, and NetGalley for providing a free copy.
A delicious romance of regaining trust and reconciliation between a married couple. I really enjoyed reading about Carter and Sierra’s troubles and how they tried to overcome the wedge in their relationship. Carter is a wonderful guarded hero, who finds it difficult to express his feelings and vulnerabilities, but is so earnest and willing to try and correct his mistakes;
“He didn’t know how to explain love, to put into words this big, horrible thing inside him. It was too messy. Too unpredictable.” (Quote from ARC)
His utter ignorance about the need for communication and for things that are not rational was fun to read, as was his willingness to learn this new foreign language and use it in all his relationships (he feels like he has woken from a decades-long coma).
These dimensions, together with a great cast of secondary characters, make “Bride for Keeps” a very enjoyable read.
I'm grateful to the publisher, Tule Publishing, and NetGalley for providing a free copy.
June 9, 2018
Content: Langauge including 1 use for the f-word. 2 sex scenes (married)
April 17, 2018
Reviewed at Keeper Bookshelf
Bride for Keeps is a very difficult story to read. I suspect it was also a difficult story to write. You see, we Romance readers love a love story, the great guy meets fantastic girl have a few issues to deal with and eventually settle down with a happy ever after ending. And that’s where we leave them, where everything is wine and roses – but real life isn’t like that. Real life is messy, boring full of mistakes large and small, lots of wondering ‘what if”, secrets at times or at least distance from the truth. Real love is a constant work in progress, it takes time, dedication to sticking to it, it means changing when you don’t want to, compromise when that’s the last thing on your mind. The reality is love is hard work, and those willing to put in the time, effort and work are the ones that get to that 50th anniversary cake.
Bride for Keeps isn’t easy to read because we’re watching a marriage implode. We’re witness to a love that is facing challenges on all sides and this couple aren’t doing the work to make sure it lasts. One doesn’t see the other runs away. In order to survive together Carter and Sierra have to really talk, listen to the words of friends and family, decide what is truly best for them… and they have to want to make this love work, in spite of the fears, doubts and life itself getting in the way., It’s painful to read because it hits so close to home.
There are a lot of reviews out there all across the number range. I’d like to ask you to ignore those reviews and go pick up Bride for Keeps and read it for yourself. On the surface it’s easy to get annoyed with Sierra but beneath she’s falling apart because she loves Carter so much. It’s equally easy to fault Carter for not opening up to his wife, for holding onto that perfect that no one can really find, when his world falls apart he made mistakes. Huge mistakes. And until those mistakes are made right – by talking with his wife – then their marriage really is over. I got caught up in and continued with this story because it is so realistic. It’s not fluffy, love solves every problem. Here love is part of the problem, different views of what love is. Watching Carter and Sierra find their way back to each other is painful, but it’s also beautiful in a way I cannot describe. Sometimes the only way to win is to let go of all the crap around you and just be your true self. That is a very hard lesson to learn, even if it is reality.
Stories that connect featuring all of the siblings you’ll find in Bride for Keeps include:: Kaitlin & Beckett’s romance in Bride by Mistake (#1 in Big Sky Brides & #3 in Montana Born Brides) — Cole & Jess’s romance in Keep Me, Cowboy (#3 in The 77th Copper Mountain Rodeo) — Sierra & Carter in Bride for Keeps (#2 in Big Sky Brides) — Lina & Ace’s romance in Ignite (#3 in Firefighters of Montana)
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*
Bride for Keeps is a very difficult story to read. I suspect it was also a difficult story to write. You see, we Romance readers love a love story, the great guy meets fantastic girl have a few issues to deal with and eventually settle down with a happy ever after ending. And that’s where we leave them, where everything is wine and roses – but real life isn’t like that. Real life is messy, boring full of mistakes large and small, lots of wondering ‘what if”, secrets at times or at least distance from the truth. Real love is a constant work in progress, it takes time, dedication to sticking to it, it means changing when you don’t want to, compromise when that’s the last thing on your mind. The reality is love is hard work, and those willing to put in the time, effort and work are the ones that get to that 50th anniversary cake.
Bride for Keeps isn’t easy to read because we’re watching a marriage implode. We’re witness to a love that is facing challenges on all sides and this couple aren’t doing the work to make sure it lasts. One doesn’t see the other runs away. In order to survive together Carter and Sierra have to really talk, listen to the words of friends and family, decide what is truly best for them… and they have to want to make this love work, in spite of the fears, doubts and life itself getting in the way., It’s painful to read because it hits so close to home.
There are a lot of reviews out there all across the number range. I’d like to ask you to ignore those reviews and go pick up Bride for Keeps and read it for yourself. On the surface it’s easy to get annoyed with Sierra but beneath she’s falling apart because she loves Carter so much. It’s equally easy to fault Carter for not opening up to his wife, for holding onto that perfect that no one can really find, when his world falls apart he made mistakes. Huge mistakes. And until those mistakes are made right – by talking with his wife – then their marriage really is over. I got caught up in and continued with this story because it is so realistic. It’s not fluffy, love solves every problem. Here love is part of the problem, different views of what love is. Watching Carter and Sierra find their way back to each other is painful, but it’s also beautiful in a way I cannot describe. Sometimes the only way to win is to let go of all the crap around you and just be your true self. That is a very hard lesson to learn, even if it is reality.
Stories that connect featuring all of the siblings you’ll find in Bride for Keeps include:: Kaitlin & Beckett’s romance in Bride by Mistake (#1 in Big Sky Brides & #3 in Montana Born Brides) — Cole & Jess’s romance in Keep Me, Cowboy (#3 in The 77th Copper Mountain Rodeo) — Sierra & Carter in Bride for Keeps (#2 in Big Sky Brides) — Lina & Ace’s romance in Ignite (#3 in Firefighters of Montana)
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*
September 10, 2018
When your "not supposed to be" is the one right thing in your life and you are in danger of losing it forever, it certainly makes you think about many things and reconsider your choices and your values. And if you find that this is the one thing worth fighting for, well, don't give up on it!
Sierra was Carter's "not supposed to be" and even though she is everything that is good in his life, those two have lost their way. When Sierra learns that her husband has hidden some pretty important news from her instead of sharing his fears and his concerns with her, she gives up and runs. His family never accepted her and with Carter becoming more and more distant and withdrawn, it seems that their fairy tale ended. Only Carter will not accept that things are over and when all seems lost, he finally starts to fight for their love and their marriage.
I absolutely didn't like Carter's parents, so I just hoped that they wouldn't win...it took Carter and Sierra long enough to get their act together and to start fighting. I loved to see them find out what love and marriage are about, that it is not just fun and roses but sometimes also hard work and hurt - and the willingness to keep trying.
It was good to see them bond with those around them who supported them and helped them find their way back to each other.
I'm a bit torn though because even though I loved Carter and Sierra and read this book in one sitting, I was sometimes annoyed when Sierra once again stressed that she wasn't worthy of him and that it would be better for their marriage to end and that it would just hurt. When she finally accepted that ....well, read for yourself!
Sierra was Carter's "not supposed to be" and even though she is everything that is good in his life, those two have lost their way. When Sierra learns that her husband has hidden some pretty important news from her instead of sharing his fears and his concerns with her, she gives up and runs. His family never accepted her and with Carter becoming more and more distant and withdrawn, it seems that their fairy tale ended. Only Carter will not accept that things are over and when all seems lost, he finally starts to fight for their love and their marriage.
I absolutely didn't like Carter's parents, so I just hoped that they wouldn't win...it took Carter and Sierra long enough to get their act together and to start fighting. I loved to see them find out what love and marriage are about, that it is not just fun and roses but sometimes also hard work and hurt - and the willingness to keep trying.
It was good to see them bond with those around them who supported them and helped them find their way back to each other.
I'm a bit torn though because even though I loved Carter and Sierra and read this book in one sitting, I was sometimes annoyed when Sierra once again stressed that she wasn't worthy of him and that it would be better for their marriage to end and that it would just hurt. When she finally accepted that ....well, read for yourself!
April 20, 2018
Bride for Keeps, Nicole Helm
Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
Genre: Romance
I was looking forward to this, I have a weakness for a second chance romance.
It didn't start well for me though, they're already at break point when we meet them and TBH I didn't like either character. They seemed so opposite I wondered how they ever could have been the couple who were so in love they ignored everyone else. Sierra is like a big spoiled kid, throwing a tantrum when she doesn't get her own way and as for Carter. Well, he's so closed of he barely speaks to her, for days, stays at hos parents home for days...They've been married months, together less than a year and I found it hard to like either of them.
Didn't like Carters parents either, though they and the shock they reveal about him made me see why he was so introverted, so able to be single minded to the point he ignores Sierra.
I guess if maybe I'd seen the love I'd have been rooting harder for them, but it took a long while for me to warm up to either of them, and the whole breakup/get back together seemed very superficial.
Its not a bad book, just one where the story and characters don't work for me. Nicole has written many stories and I'd be happy to read another, hoping its just tis one that doesn't suit.
Stars: Two, a book I just didn't connect with.
ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers
Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
Genre: Romance
I was looking forward to this, I have a weakness for a second chance romance.
It didn't start well for me though, they're already at break point when we meet them and TBH I didn't like either character. They seemed so opposite I wondered how they ever could have been the couple who were so in love they ignored everyone else. Sierra is like a big spoiled kid, throwing a tantrum when she doesn't get her own way and as for Carter. Well, he's so closed of he barely speaks to her, for days, stays at hos parents home for days...They've been married months, together less than a year and I found it hard to like either of them.
Didn't like Carters parents either, though they and the shock they reveal about him made me see why he was so introverted, so able to be single minded to the point he ignores Sierra.
I guess if maybe I'd seen the love I'd have been rooting harder for them, but it took a long while for me to warm up to either of them, and the whole breakup/get back together seemed very superficial.
Its not a bad book, just one where the story and characters don't work for me. Nicole has written many stories and I'd be happy to read another, hoping its just tis one that doesn't suit.
Stars: Two, a book I just didn't connect with.
ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers
August 3, 2018
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and I am voluntarily reviewing it.
I am going to be really honest here. This book was hard to rate. I didn't like Sierra much at all. I felt for Carter. He went through a really bad time after his family had a "meeting" and things were revealed to the rest of the family. Yes, he made mistakes but I really saw a lot of myself in him. I tend to withdraw into myself to reason things through. I really think that Sierra was a childish person who didn't grow up. She thought marriage would be easy. She would "run away" from the hard issues making her husband come after her. To her, that was her husband's way of showing how much his cared. REALLY?! Communication was a MAJOR issue here. Being a reader and outside of the story situation though it is easy to see what is going on and criticize the people (characters) that are going through something. While reading the story, I suffered from this. What the author was doing was showing the development of the character. It was very painful to read though.
Ms. Helm a great job though if you actually realize the direction and statement the author was trying to make. Again it was just a little painful for the reader at times BUT don't give up on this. The story really has a point that we as a society today need to see. Communication is very important but very hard to do but oh so worth it in the end.
I am going to be really honest here. This book was hard to rate. I didn't like Sierra much at all. I felt for Carter. He went through a really bad time after his family had a "meeting" and things were revealed to the rest of the family. Yes, he made mistakes but I really saw a lot of myself in him. I tend to withdraw into myself to reason things through. I really think that Sierra was a childish person who didn't grow up. She thought marriage would be easy. She would "run away" from the hard issues making her husband come after her. To her, that was her husband's way of showing how much his cared. REALLY?! Communication was a MAJOR issue here. Being a reader and outside of the story situation though it is easy to see what is going on and criticize the people (characters) that are going through something. While reading the story, I suffered from this. What the author was doing was showing the development of the character. It was very painful to read though.
Ms. Helm a great job though if you actually realize the direction and statement the author was trying to make. Again it was just a little painful for the reader at times BUT don't give up on this. The story really has a point that we as a society today need to see. Communication is very important but very hard to do but oh so worth it in the end.
April 24, 2018
First let me say I read these books out of order ( the series wise) so You can also without danger of not understanding what is going on. Second know that this book is not a white roses and lace kind of romance. If that is what you are looking for well stroll on by. This book is a real life, nitty gritty stand up and slap your momma book. This is the story of a couple and what married life really can truly be like if communication is not there. Please folks if you are like me and you read reviews before you buy books, this is one of those books that you will either Love it or Hate it. I don't think there is any middle ground honestly. It is a raw, true life peek into a married life... We have Sienna the misfief of her own family who marries Carter the first born of the family of perfectionist. Only issue is there are secrets and when they come out they come out as BOMBS and leave massive holes that can not be filled... or so it seems. Author, Nicole Helm seems to know how to put us right inside the life of not only this couple but also their extended families as well. While Sienna might have made me mad at times with the way she behaved, Dr Carter was just as guilty. Of what you ask? Oh, I don't share all. That is for you to discover on your own by flipping the pages of the book.
April 18, 2018
Bride for Keeps by Nicole Helm is part of a series that spans several other series. To actually attend Carter and Sierra’s wedding you will need to read Kaitlin’s story, Bride by Mistake. Theirs has been a story in the making which finally comes to fruition. Boy, is it a humdinger! This story could be summed up as a second chance before the marriage comes to a divorce book. Seeing how a couple work through their difficulties is always encouraging. Seeing these two opposite personalities do that makes this an amazing read.
A few might say the above is a spoiler but honestly isn’t seeing how the HEA is achieved the whole reason for reading romance books. Add in a charming couple, personal growth, dysfunctional family backgrounds and forgiving siblings you count on not just a great read but also a smile on your face when finished. My favorite of any Nicole Helm’s books.
An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
A few might say the above is a spoiler but honestly isn’t seeing how the HEA is achieved the whole reason for reading romance books. Add in a charming couple, personal growth, dysfunctional family backgrounds and forgiving siblings you count on not just a great read but also a smile on your face when finished. My favorite of any Nicole Helm’s books.
An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 10, 2019
Loved this one! It’s all about marriage and family and what love really means and it had me in tears at times. Carter and Sierra are, on paper, the most mismatched couple in history. He’s all about being upstanding and proper and doing the right thing while she is a free spirit with tattoos and no career to speak of but these two love each other. The story starts with their fledgling marriage falling apart through lack of trust, lack of communication and an unwillingness on both their parts to let their partner see their weaknesses. With family playing a strong role in the background, carter and Sierra dissect their marriage and their motivation and slowly learn what it means to commit fully to each other. Tissues were definitely an accompaniment to this story, which held me in its thrall throughout.
April 3, 2018
This was an interesting read, We are dropped right into the middle of a marriage on the brink of divorce. Neither party is acting like a well-adjusted adult and we aren't really shown their actual connection, just a lot of pain they inflict on themselves and each other for a myriad of reasons. There is family drama and baby drama and we are supposed to be rooting for these two people to find their way back to each other amidst it all. To be honest, I just didn't. I did not see much care or concern for each other or understand what made them work together. I thought the resolution was rushed, Helm is a hit or miss author for me and this one was a miss.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 19, 2018
3.5 Stars
I didn't know that there was a previous book to the series when I read BRIDE FOR KEEPS and I think it would be better read in order.
This story is a second chance romance because the characters are already married, but a family bombshell nearly destroys their relationship. This couple flunk communication 101 something fierce. When Carter is told the secret, he emotionally shuts down and won't let Sierra in. After 5 months (and one special night) Sierra has had enough and wants a divorce. This finally shakes Carter out of his funk and he finds his wife giving up on them now because she has issues and insecurities of her own. Carter is no alpha, but he is a good man and he doesn't want to lose her. It is lucky that they both have friends and family help and support them while they find there way back to each other.
I didn't know that there was a previous book to the series when I read BRIDE FOR KEEPS and I think it would be better read in order.
This story is a second chance romance because the characters are already married, but a family bombshell nearly destroys their relationship. This couple flunk communication 101 something fierce. When Carter is told the secret, he emotionally shuts down and won't let Sierra in. After 5 months (and one special night) Sierra has had enough and wants a divorce. This finally shakes Carter out of his funk and he finds his wife giving up on them now because she has issues and insecurities of her own. Carter is no alpha, but he is a good man and he doesn't want to lose her. It is lucky that they both have friends and family help and support them while they find there way back to each other.
April 30, 2018
Bride for Keeps (Big Sky Brides Book 2) by Nicole Helm. This is Sierra McArthur and Carter McArthur's story.
Being a McArthur means you have to do everything perfect or follow what his dad and mom expect. Marrying Sierra was the one time that Carter went against his family expectations. Family secrets come out that make Carter question everything he has always known. Now, Carter is not only dealing with the McArthur family secrets but now his pregnant wife, Sierra, is wanting a divorce.
This is an emotional read where two people forget how to communicate with each other and what is really important.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Being a McArthur means you have to do everything perfect or follow what his dad and mom expect. Marrying Sierra was the one time that Carter went against his family expectations. Family secrets come out that make Carter question everything he has always known. Now, Carter is not only dealing with the McArthur family secrets but now his pregnant wife, Sierra, is wanting a divorce.
This is an emotional read where two people forget how to communicate with each other and what is really important.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
May 1, 2018
This book is like real life. We take an emotional journey with Carter and Sierra as there short marriage heads for divorce. Carter's family has never been accepting of his wife and he has stuck up for her with his family. When Carter keeps a life changing secret from her and she later finds out it is more than she can take. She files for divorce. Little did they know that there was a bun in the oven. When Sierra decides to continue with the divorce despite the pregnancy, Carter has to prove to her that she is his for keeps bride. Can past heartache be forgotten and can secrets be forgiven or are they destine to divorce? Good, but serious read.
June 5, 2018
Sierra McArthur and her husband Carter couldn’t be more alike. And that Is what seemed to draw them together, at first. But when they faced their first family crisis as a couple, Carter blocks Sierra out. Tires of waiting for her husband to open up to her, Sierra decides to leaven, but not before one last night or loving. And then the unplanned…she became pregnant. Now Carter will do anything to win back his wife and their baby. But to do that he first has to figure out how to open up.
A sweet, sexy story that is perfect for summer reading.
A sweet, sexy story that is perfect for summer reading.
April 22, 2024
MMC/FMC- Carter and Sierra
POV- 3rd person
Genre- Contemporary Romance
Heat- They do the thing without naming the parts.
Series? Y
Safety? Y
Tropes- Second Chance (Marriage), Surprise Pregnancy
What I thought- not gonna lie, I didn’t care for either main character. They weren’t people I could care about, either. I just couldn’t connect with them. I did like the work they put into their marriage, though, and her sister and his brother were good characters, along with Jess. The book was okay. Not horrible, not great, but okay.
POV- 3rd person
Genre- Contemporary Romance
Heat- They do the thing without naming the parts.
Series? Y
Safety? Y
Tropes- Second Chance (Marriage), Surprise Pregnancy
What I thought- not gonna lie, I didn’t care for either main character. They weren’t people I could care about, either. I just couldn’t connect with them. I did like the work they put into their marriage, though, and her sister and his brother were good characters, along with Jess. The book was okay. Not horrible, not great, but okay.
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