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Patterson-Cannon Family #1
Duncan's Bride
Reese wanted a wife. Someone to have children with, someone to help rebuild his ranch, someone uncomplicated, and very different from his first wife, the woman who'd destroyed his life. Now he had Madelyn--sophisticated, citified, willing to herd cattle, keep house and start a family. The only thing she asked for in return was love--one thing Reese couldn't guarantee.
251 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1990
582 people are currently reading
3999 people want to read
About the author
Linda Howard
223 books7,169 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Linda S. Howington is an American best-selling romance author writing under the pseudonym Linda Howard. After 21 years of penning stories for her own enjoyment, she submitted a novel for publication which was very successful. Her first work was published by Silhouette in 1982. She is a charter member of Romance Writers of America and in 2005 Howard was awarded their Career Achievement Award.
Linda Howard lives in Gadsden, Alabama with her husband, Gary F. Howington, and two golden retrievers. She has three grown stepchildren and three grandchildren.
Linda S. Howington is an American best-selling romance author writing under the pseudonym Linda Howard. After 21 years of penning stories for her own enjoyment, she submitted a novel for publication which was very successful. Her first work was published by Silhouette in 1982. She is a charter member of Romance Writers of America and in 2005 Howard was awarded their Career Achievement Award.
Linda Howard lives in Gadsden, Alabama with her husband, Gary F. Howington, and two golden retrievers. She has three grown stepchildren and three grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 635 reviews
March 17, 2022
3.5 stars.
Find yourself a city girl that will chase after a hen in erratic circles to prove a point and ram it down your throat, and you're settled for life. 😌
These quotes are my unsophisticated way of telling you how obsessed I am with the scene without actually telling you how obsessed I'm with that little morning chase. In case you were wondering. 😌
Reese and I...
we're together in this. 🤝🏻
I JUST COULDN'T READ THIS RANCH LIFE EPISODE #3 UNFOLDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY EYES WITH A STRAIGHT FACE. 😂
Reese's (H) live reactions were so hilarious: the guy just hooked his thumbs in the belt loops and casually leaned against the truck to watch the show and pop in his comments here and there.🍿
Honestly, I'd do the same because furious Madelyn is da bitch whose path you don't wanna cross.
Meanwhile the hen in question:
All joking aside, Madelyn was such a classy bitch, which basically means she's one of the rare unicorns in the genre. Her grace and class were truly remarkable, even during the moments when she fell prey to horniness (or was chasing chickens). 💅🏻
Nothing, let me repeat that, nothing makes me happier than authors pairing their smart, graceful, elegant heroines 👸🏼👸🏼👸🏼 with rude, bitter, aggressive, authoritative and jealous chauvinistic pigs. 🧟♂️🧟♂️🧟♂️
Don't come @t me. Men whose love language is tantamount to controlling every aspect of a woman's life because they can't stand the thought of anyone looking at what is their legal property areabusers hotter than boiling water!
Reese's genuine bewilderment at Madelyn not having any of his bullshit antics was so funny to witness. 😂
He didn't know what was coming his way until it hit him right in the face. Happens when you're too absorbed in admiring the long, beautiful legs of your future wife instead of dissecting her personality before taking the marriage vows.
The best sort of entertainment for me is watching a guy, who thinks he's all tough and resilient to love, acting like a helpless kitten and at the same time barking like a mad dog in a futile attempt to scare off the big tide of feelings that is on the verge of hitting him full-force. There's no escape, bitch, who are you kidding.
😌😌😌😌💅🏻💅🏻💅🏻💅🏻
Reese was being a mean motherfucker half the time, but you could tell Madelyn was special to him and he had a tough time fighting off the unexpected feelings that were slowly emerging to the surface in their business-like marriage of convenience.
I adored how effortlessly Madelyn managed to stand her ground and immerse herself so deeply in his "lonely rancher" life that he simply couldn't imagine living without her by his side by the end of the book. 🥰
Lemme say this again: I don't want chauvinism until it's as sexy as in this book. ✨
I've been binge-reading Ms. Howard's books for the past few days, and, in all honesty, it didn't go well until I came across this book. I spared everyone the nasty details and deleted hateful updates off my friends' feed though. 💀 This author's characters and writing style usually miss the spark and wildness I crave in my romance reads.
Apparently Linda Howard wrote one of my all-time favorite books —All That Glitters — (that almost everyone but me hated dhjjsjsjsj) and retired.
That being said, this particular book was deliciously fun.
It features the iconic couple that almost died together, had lots of angry sex, hurtful exchanges of pleasantries and funny, amusing moments. 🌙
"You'll have your damn chicken for dinner, if I have to ram it down your throat feathers and all!"
Find yourself a city girl that will chase after a hen in erratic circles to prove a point and ram it down your throat, and you're settled for life. 😌
...the hen squawked and ran for her life with Madelyn in pursuit.
These quotes are my unsophisticated way of telling you how obsessed I am with the scene without actually telling you how obsessed I'm with that little morning chase. In case you were wondering. 😌
She slid along the ground in a flurry of dust and pebbles, and her hand closed over one of the hen's legs. The bird immediately went wild, flapping her wings and trying to peck the imprisoning hand that held her. They grappled in the dust for a minute, but then Madelyn stood up with the hen upside down and firmly held by both feet, its wings spread. Her hands were dotted with blood where the furious hen had pecked her, breaking the skin.
"Faster than a speeding pullet," she said with grim triumph.
Reese could only stare at her in silence as she stalked up to him.
Reese and I...
we're together in this. 🤝🏻
I JUST COULDN'T READ THIS RANCH LIFE EPISODE #3 UNFOLDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY EYES WITH A STRAIGHT FACE. 😂
Reese's (H) live reactions were so hilarious: the guy just hooked his thumbs in the belt loops and casually leaned against the truck to watch the show and pop in his comments here and there.🍿
Honestly, I'd do the same because furious Madelyn is da bitch whose path you don't wanna cross.
Meanwhile the hen in question:
All joking aside, Madelyn was such a classy bitch, which basically means she's one of the rare unicorns in the genre. Her grace and class were truly remarkable, even during the moments when she fell prey to horniness (or was chasing chickens). 💅🏻
Nothing, let me repeat that, nothing makes me happier than authors pairing their smart, graceful, elegant heroines 👸🏼👸🏼👸🏼 with rude, bitter, aggressive, authoritative and jealous chauvinistic pigs. 🧟♂️🧟♂️🧟♂️
Don't come @t me. Men whose love language is tantamount to controlling every aspect of a woman's life because they can't stand the thought of anyone looking at what is their legal property are
Reese's genuine bewilderment at Madelyn not having any of his bullshit antics was so funny to witness. 😂
He didn't know what was coming his way until it hit him right in the face. Happens when you're too absorbed in admiring the long, beautiful legs of your future wife instead of dissecting her personality before taking the marriage vows.
The best sort of entertainment for me is watching a guy, who thinks he's all tough and resilient to love, acting like a helpless kitten and at the same time barking like a mad dog in a futile attempt to scare off the big tide of feelings that is on the verge of hitting him full-force. There's no escape, bitch, who are you kidding.
😌😌😌😌💅🏻💅🏻💅🏻💅🏻
Reese was being a mean motherfucker half the time, but you could tell Madelyn was special to him and he had a tough time fighting off the unexpected feelings that were slowly emerging to the surface in their business-like marriage of convenience.
I adored how effortlessly Madelyn managed to stand her ground and immerse herself so deeply in his "lonely rancher" life that he simply couldn't imagine living without her by his side by the end of the book. 🥰
Lemme say this again: I don't want chauvinism until it's as sexy as in this book. ✨
I've been binge-reading Ms. Howard's books for the past few days, and, in all honesty, it didn't go well until I came across this book. I spared everyone the nasty details and deleted hateful updates off my friends' feed though. 💀 This author's characters and writing style usually miss the spark and wildness I crave in my romance reads.
Apparently Linda Howard wrote one of my all-time favorite books —All That Glitters — (that almost everyone but me hated dhjjsjsjsj) and retired.
That being said, this particular book was deliciously fun.
It features the iconic couple that almost died together, had lots of angry sex, hurtful exchanges of pleasantries and funny, amusing moments. 🌙
February 10, 2019
3.5 Stars
I liked it. Not Howard's best but still enjoyable.
However, the story itself is hardly believable.
QUICK REVIEW:
Enjoyment: 3/5
Writing style: 3.5/5
Storyline: 3/5
Hero: 2/5
Heroine: 2/5
Secondary characters: 3/5
Hotness/steam: 3/5
Romance: 3/5
Angst: 3/5
Darkness level: 1/5
Humor: 2/5
Depth of the book: 3/5
POV: dual, 3rd person
Triggers:
I liked it. Not Howard's best but still enjoyable.
However, the story itself is hardly believable.
QUICK REVIEW:
Enjoyment: 3/5
Writing style: 3.5/5
Storyline: 3/5
Hero: 2/5
Heroine: 2/5
Secondary characters: 3/5
Hotness/steam: 3/5
Romance: 3/5
Angst: 3/5
Darkness level: 1/5
Humor: 2/5
Depth of the book: 3/5
POV: dual, 3rd person
Triggers:
April 14, 2018
May, 2012 Update
Read this last May and had to read it again for 2012! Loved it! With all the recordings of less-than-desirable books from the 80's & 90's, why can't they put this one on audio?
★★★★★ Five full stars! It has been 21 years since I last read Duncan’s Bride and it is still holds up to the ravishes of time and my fickle changes in reading material. I love Linda Howard at her best and I found her here in this quick-read of a Silhouette Intimate Moments publication. Ms. Howard has the ability to show us the magic of stubborn people falling in love whilst dealing with the everyday realism of daily life. The dialogue is believable, yet held my interest. The characters interesting, the setting beautiful, the love scenes intimate.
Reese is determined not to give his heart a second time and Madelyn is just as determined to win it. Some of the best scenes, the ones that made me giggle with glee in the back of my throat, take place in grumpy Floris’ café, provided by her acerbic nature; however, it is the Duncans, in the end, providing the area’s best entertainment for miles around.
Well worth the read!
Read this last May and had to read it again for 2012! Loved it! With all the recordings of less-than-desirable books from the 80's & 90's, why can't they put this one on audio?
★★★★★ Five full stars! It has been 21 years since I last read Duncan’s Bride and it is still holds up to the ravishes of time and my fickle changes in reading material. I love Linda Howard at her best and I found her here in this quick-read of a Silhouette Intimate Moments publication. Ms. Howard has the ability to show us the magic of stubborn people falling in love whilst dealing with the everyday realism of daily life. The dialogue is believable, yet held my interest. The characters interesting, the setting beautiful, the love scenes intimate.
He leaned against the kitchen cabinet and crossed his arm. “Are you scraping the house?”Yes, Reese Duncan is a “bold and arrogant and quick-tempered” Montana rancher, but Madelyn Patterson is just the New Yorker to calm him down while conversely stirring his blood to fever pitch.
“Yep.”
“Don’t pull that Gary Cooper routine on me. I want it stopped right now.”
“The routine or the scraping?”
“Both.”
“The house can’t be painted until the old paint is scraped off,” she said reasonably.
“I can’t afford the paint, so it doesn’t make any difference. And I don’t want you climbing around on a fourteen-foot ladder. What if you fell while I’m out on the range?”
“What if you got hurt out on the range by yourself?” she retorted. “I’m careful, and I haven’t had any trouble so far. It shouldn’t take too much longer.”
“No,” he said, enunciating carefully. “I can’t afford the paint, and even if I could I wouldn’t let you do the scraping.”
“You don’t have time for it, so who else is going to do it?”
“For the third time,” he yelled, “I can’t afford the paint! What does it take to make you understand that?”
Reese is determined not to give his heart a second time and Madelyn is just as determined to win it. Some of the best scenes, the ones that made me giggle with glee in the back of my throat, take place in grumpy Floris’ café, provided by her acerbic nature; however, it is the Duncans, in the end, providing the area’s best entertainment for miles around.
Well worth the read!
April 26, 2017
The scene in the pick-up truck.
That is all.
December 8, 2016
I will be brutally honest and say that I did like parts of this book but I did not looooove it.
The heroine was just about the most amazingly understanding woman to put up with his bullshit.
OR SHE IS A DOORMAT!?
You decide here.
Not only does he treat her horrible but he is a really terrible lover to the heroine.
That's a first for me! Normally, even if they are asshole, they are at least good in bed.
Sorry about my strong language here.
I just knew when he got out the lube for their first night together, I was NOT going to like their intimacy. Which was for the most part consisted of her loving him and putting up with REALLY CRAPPY SEX.
Come on, he could have at least given the poor girl an orgasm before he took her virginity!
But this zero hero could not even do that right!!
After that it just goes from bad to worst for me, because he was always about what is mine never was is theirs.
She literally saved his ass and got him out of the crap house he was in and he all he kept repeating was This is my place, you get no say in it," and "I choose what I want to do with it."
Really!!?
After everything that happened and with her saving your sorry excuse of a human being, you go and treat her like absolute garbage?
Sorry to say this but the hit and miss sex combined with the treatment of a house slave and the whole it's mine and I am the boss, really had me wanting to call a hit on him. (And I'm not even in the Mafia, lol)
This is not my favorite and not going to keep it either. I guess, I am not following the popular opinion here, as I did not love it.
It's needed some hot sex, to make up for all that is was lacking.
He needed to grovel way more....I mean an industrial amount.
So we are clear, it's not worth a reread and I will not recommend it to anyone.
Again these are just my thoughts and how I saw things.
The heroine was just about the most amazingly understanding woman to put up with his bullshit.
OR SHE IS A DOORMAT!?
You decide here.
Not only does he treat her horrible but he is a really terrible lover to the heroine.
That's a first for me! Normally, even if they are asshole, they are at least good in bed.
Sorry about my strong language here.
I just knew when he got out the lube for their first night together, I was NOT going to like their intimacy. Which was for the most part consisted of her loving him and putting up with REALLY CRAPPY SEX.
Come on, he could have at least given the poor girl an orgasm before he took her virginity!
But this zero hero could not even do that right!!
After that it just goes from bad to worst for me, because he was always about what is mine never was is theirs.
She literally saved his ass and got him out of the crap house he was in and he all he kept repeating was This is my place, you get no say in it," and "I choose what I want to do with it."
Really!!?
After everything that happened and with her saving your sorry excuse of a human being, you go and treat her like absolute garbage?
Sorry to say this but the hit and miss sex combined with the treatment of a house slave and the whole it's mine and I am the boss, really had me wanting to call a hit on him. (And I'm not even in the Mafia, lol)
This is not my favorite and not going to keep it either. I guess, I am not following the popular opinion here, as I did not love it.
It's needed some hot sex, to make up for all that is was lacking.
He needed to grovel way more....I mean an industrial amount.
So we are clear, it's not worth a reread and I will not recommend it to anyone.
Again these are just my thoughts and how I saw things.
October 29, 2024
Mild spoilers ahead
I first read this book either in my college years or shortly after. Back when I was a naïve peng ting that believed in tru wuv and that men were trustworthy lovers. Books like these served to reinforce the notion that love is a fixed thing. A happy ending is something you have to work for and when you're "blessed" enough to get it, you hold on.
Damn Beyoncé, the simp not the feminist, had me believing that love is all about growing together, serving your man. I should have paid more attention to her more self serving anthems. As the memes say, I gotta put me first Lucious. (If you've never watched Fox's Empire, only season 1 is worth it).
Now, it's no secret that I have little to no patience for romance. But I was telling my friend about this book and I was misremembering many details. When I saw it was available on Libby, I decided to borrow it. The narrator, Lena Stark, is extremely talented and I'll be sure to look out for more books she's done. That aren't hetero romances because yeish.
This book starts with Reese Duncan, a grumpy rancher extraordinaire who was bitterly divorced seven years ago. His ex wife, a stereotypically vindictive 90s "other woman". Her name was April. August. A month thing. After December divorced Reese she demanded a lump-sum payment rather than alimony or a share of his ranch. Reese had to sell part of his land, most of his animals and let go of his ranch workers to make the payments. He'd spent seven years working to make the ranch profitable again and decided it was time to make it a legacy. And of course because the 90s was the era of biological essentialism, he couldn't possibly adopt a child. He placed an ad for a wife who'd be his maid and brood mare. Enter Maddy.
Madelyn is the quintessential manic pixie dream girl. Tiktok tropes will have you believing that such a romance is called grumpy x sunshine. And at it's core, it is. But Maddy is an MPDG. For you kiddos, that means an insultingly upbeat woman whose sunny disposition is supposed to heal the brooding male lead's broken heart. She has therapy pussy. Maddy is recovering from the death of her mother and grandmother, which is mentioned once for... a reason. As she was bumming it in a do-nothing job at her stepbrother's company, she realises she's experiencing a bout of ennui. She spots the ad when her best friend shows her the local newspaper she'd received from back home in Montana.
Maddy answers the ad out of curiosity and Reese offers to meet and let her see the ranch. They have an undeniable connection, an adorable love for trivia and enough heat to roast a maize cob. But after the one night stay, Reese tells Maddy she's wrong for the role because she's a city girl. But really it's because he's still not over what July did to him. Maddy's heart is broken and she decides, then and there, that she's in love with him. This 28 year old virgin decides the one dude she just met, made out with ONCE and exchanged facts with ONE TIME is the love of her life. 😮💨
The other two women who answered his ads didn't work out and so he eventually calls Maddy and invites him to be his bridal house management and progeny production liaison. And because November tried to take half his ranch, he insisted on a prenup. Reese seemed level headed to me. Straightforward, someone who doesn't mince words. He needed therapy but men will do anything but deal with their issues. Seriously. My ex flirted with a lesbian instead of accepting that he was just wasting my time. Why I stayed after I found out? We're not addressing that today.
Maddy turns out to be a very different girl from September. For one, she appreciates small town life. She also enjoys cooking for Reese. She gathers pleasure from servicing the house, cleaning it, making it look better. February would never have done such a thing. It bothered me that Maddy made her new life revolve around her man. Unleashing his passion, healing his heart.
Clears throat, unfortunately things don't remain blissful. When winter hit, Reese experiences great losses. Maddy thinks she can help but Reese sets a boundary that she dismisses because she wuuuuvs him and she knows better. Now the book argued that Reese was wrong to react the way he did. But I would counter that he was justified. Whatever October did to him was a trigger and Maddy's actions show that she didn't care about that. She kept saying she shouldn't be compared to January but then does something vaguely similar to what she did. Taking away Reese's agency annoyed me. A more aware author would have had Maddy apologise and experience a moment of growth while Reese also learns to let go. Mutual respect is more important to me than love and perhaps that's why girls like me, whose heads were forcefully beaten out of the clouds just have to accept that romance is no longer for us.
Ps. I also refuse to shelf this under historical because no matter what publishing and gen Z insist, the 90s are NOT the past. They're present day.
Story: 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars
Audio narration is 5 stars tho.
I first read this book either in my college years or shortly after. Back when I was a naïve peng ting that believed in tru wuv and that men were trustworthy lovers. Books like these served to reinforce the notion that love is a fixed thing. A happy ending is something you have to work for and when you're "blessed" enough to get it, you hold on.
Damn Beyoncé, the simp not the feminist, had me believing that love is all about growing together, serving your man. I should have paid more attention to her more self serving anthems. As the memes say, I gotta put me first Lucious. (If you've never watched Fox's Empire, only season 1 is worth it).
Now, it's no secret that I have little to no patience for romance. But I was telling my friend about this book and I was misremembering many details. When I saw it was available on Libby, I decided to borrow it. The narrator, Lena Stark, is extremely talented and I'll be sure to look out for more books she's done. That aren't hetero romances because yeish.
This book starts with Reese Duncan, a grumpy rancher extraordinaire who was bitterly divorced seven years ago. His ex wife, a stereotypically vindictive 90s "other woman". Her name was April. August. A month thing. After December divorced Reese she demanded a lump-sum payment rather than alimony or a share of his ranch. Reese had to sell part of his land, most of his animals and let go of his ranch workers to make the payments. He'd spent seven years working to make the ranch profitable again and decided it was time to make it a legacy. And of course because the 90s was the era of biological essentialism, he couldn't possibly adopt a child. He placed an ad for a wife who'd be his maid and brood mare. Enter Maddy.
Madelyn is the quintessential manic pixie dream girl. Tiktok tropes will have you believing that such a romance is called grumpy x sunshine. And at it's core, it is. But Maddy is an MPDG. For you kiddos, that means an insultingly upbeat woman whose sunny disposition is supposed to heal the brooding male lead's broken heart. She has therapy pussy. Maddy is recovering from the death of her mother and grandmother, which is mentioned once for... a reason. As she was bumming it in a do-nothing job at her stepbrother's company, she realises she's experiencing a bout of ennui. She spots the ad when her best friend shows her the local newspaper she'd received from back home in Montana.
Maddy answers the ad out of curiosity and Reese offers to meet and let her see the ranch. They have an undeniable connection, an adorable love for trivia and enough heat to roast a maize cob. But after the one night stay, Reese tells Maddy she's wrong for the role because she's a city girl. But really it's because he's still not over what July did to him. Maddy's heart is broken and she decides, then and there, that she's in love with him. This 28 year old virgin decides the one dude she just met, made out with ONCE and exchanged facts with ONE TIME is the love of her life. 😮💨
The other two women who answered his ads didn't work out and so he eventually calls Maddy and invites him to be his bridal house management and progeny production liaison. And because November tried to take half his ranch, he insisted on a prenup. Reese seemed level headed to me. Straightforward, someone who doesn't mince words. He needed therapy but men will do anything but deal with their issues. Seriously. My ex flirted with a lesbian instead of accepting that he was just wasting my time. Why I stayed after I found out? We're not addressing that today.
Maddy turns out to be a very different girl from September. For one, she appreciates small town life. She also enjoys cooking for Reese. She gathers pleasure from servicing the house, cleaning it, making it look better. February would never have done such a thing. It bothered me that Maddy made her new life revolve around her man. Unleashing his passion, healing his heart.
Stands on soapbox: Your vagina is not going to save him. Pussy is not therapyMaddy knew that if she just kept taking care of him, eventually he'd fall in love with her too. By this point I was ready to give up. But Lena is too compelling a narrator and when her voice dipped when she was narrating their moments of passion I-
Clears throat, unfortunately things don't remain blissful. When winter hit, Reese experiences great losses. Maddy thinks she can help but Reese sets a boundary that she dismisses because she wuuuuvs him and she knows better. Now the book argued that Reese was wrong to react the way he did. But I would counter that he was justified. Whatever October did to him was a trigger and Maddy's actions show that she didn't care about that. She kept saying she shouldn't be compared to January but then does something vaguely similar to what she did. Taking away Reese's agency annoyed me. A more aware author would have had Maddy apologise and experience a moment of growth while Reese also learns to let go. Mutual respect is more important to me than love and perhaps that's why girls like me, whose heads were forcefully beaten out of the clouds just have to accept that romance is no longer for us.
Ps. I also refuse to shelf this under historical because no matter what publishing and gen Z insist, the 90s are NOT the past. They're present day.
Story: 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars
Audio narration is 5 stars tho.
June 1, 2015
3.5 stars.
Did a re-read... think it might drop a half star for me. He was a bit of a jerk. She was a bit too naive! Still a good read though. But my reading tastes have definitely changed over the years.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I love anything by Linda. Serious, Gruff Hero who eventually succumbs to the love of a good woman. Need to get more of her older stuff out on Kindle. Thanks Jenna for the book.
Did a re-read... think it might drop a half star for me. He was a bit of a jerk. She was a bit too naive! Still a good read though. But my reading tastes have definitely changed over the years.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I love anything by Linda. Serious, Gruff Hero who eventually succumbs to the love of a good woman. Need to get more of her older stuff out on Kindle. Thanks Jenna for the book.
January 25, 2019
So many good reviews and I don't have much to add. This is a "mail order"/arranged marriage story of a bitter rancher hero and the city girl heroine who rescues the ranch, teaches the hero how to love, paints the house, and fries a mean chicken (literally).
Heroine makes this story. She is unflappable, but feels deeply. She also knows when to cut her loses after the hero throws a tantrum for the black moment. Hero finally wakes up after his ex-wife dies and he realizes that holding on to his pride will ruin his life. The grovel and baby-makes-three ending are note perfect. If you like mail order romances, don't miss this one.
Heroine makes this story. She is unflappable, but feels deeply. She also knows when to cut her loses after the hero throws a tantrum for the black moment. Hero finally wakes up after his ex-wife dies and he realizes that holding on to his pride will ruin his life. The grovel and baby-makes-three ending are note perfect. If you like mail order romances, don't miss this one.
May 20, 2017
I fully expected Duncan's Bride to be one of those weepy, Hallmark, watch the dove fly into the sunset and wipe away a tear kind of book. Sweet and schmaltzy. Hell on wheels NO! Madelyn is a kick-asss, spine of steel heroine that made laugh out loud. I want to be her. Madelyn, her reactions as well as her actions to Reese and her circumstances are the primary reasons to read this. The steamy sex doesn't hurt. Not overly explicit but hot.
Reese is an emotionally and financially bankrupt Wyoming rancher with a heart of stone. Fleeced by his evil ex-wife, he wants a cool MOC with a "breeder" so he writes a want ad. Madelyn, a sophisticated and sweet New Yorker, sees it and thinks what the heck: a trip to Wyoming couldn't be worse than a blind date or meeting someone in a bar. Reese and Madelyn are both poleaxed by their visceral reaction to each other. Initially, Reese rejects her as she is too much like his old wife, a painted up big city woman to quote I Love Lucy, but they end up together anyway.
It is obvious from the beginning that Madelyn is head over heels with love and lust for Reese. He's got the lust part down all right. From the get go, he is an unmitigated, grumpy bastard, but she can hold her own without succumbing to tears, wimpiness or manipulation.
Madelyn handles Reese the way I wish I could have handled my exes and my current guy aka my husband. She doesn't react; she acts. Believe me, when she does get a head of steam going it is quite effective.
Reese is a little harder to love as he is so incredibly bitter. All I could think was this guy needed a good lawyer with his first wife. He is drawn to Madelyn and can't figure her out. He crosses the line with her one last time, and without spoiling it she makes him suffer. Smart girl.
There are some great secondary characters; namely Floris the hatchet faced owner of the diner.
My only regret is that when Madelyn finds out how bad April, the ex, took Reese, she tells her cool and probably somewhat evil step-brother to ruin them. We never hear about that which is too bad.
A great read. Thank you Goodread reviewers.
Re-read
Just as good the second time. Madelyn just makes this book. She's strong, sweet and loving without sacrificing her sense of self and self-respect, as task few heroines seem to grasp. She is one of the rare heroines that you would want as a friend.
Reese is an emotionally and financially bankrupt Wyoming rancher with a heart of stone. Fleeced by his evil ex-wife, he wants a cool MOC with a "breeder" so he writes a want ad. Madelyn, a sophisticated and sweet New Yorker, sees it and thinks what the heck: a trip to Wyoming couldn't be worse than a blind date or meeting someone in a bar. Reese and Madelyn are both poleaxed by their visceral reaction to each other. Initially, Reese rejects her as she is too much like his old wife, a painted up big city woman to quote I Love Lucy, but they end up together anyway.
It is obvious from the beginning that Madelyn is head over heels with love and lust for Reese. He's got the lust part down all right. From the get go, he is an unmitigated, grumpy bastard, but she can hold her own without succumbing to tears, wimpiness or manipulation.
Madelyn handles Reese the way I wish I could have handled my exes and my current guy aka my husband. She doesn't react; she acts. Believe me, when she does get a head of steam going it is quite effective.
Reese is a little harder to love as he is so incredibly bitter. All I could think was this guy needed a good lawyer with his first wife. He is drawn to Madelyn and can't figure her out. He crosses the line with her one last time, and without spoiling it she makes him suffer. Smart girl.
There are some great secondary characters; namely Floris the hatchet faced owner of the diner.
My only regret is that when Madelyn finds out how bad April, the ex, took Reese, she tells her cool and probably somewhat evil step-brother to ruin them. We never hear about that which is too bad.
A great read. Thank you Goodread reviewers.
Re-read
Just as good the second time. Madelyn just makes this book. She's strong, sweet and loving without sacrificing her sense of self and self-respect, as task few heroines seem to grasp. She is one of the rare heroines that you would want as a friend.
September 29, 2018
Este libro lo leí hace mil años (mi madre es fan de la autora y tiene muchos de sus libros) y estuve una época preguntando por él pues no recordaba el título, pero si la trama, que me gustó mucho en su momento. Leído de nuevo con motivo del #retorita2 #ritahoward, puedo decir que me ha gustado, aunque no tanto como entonces. Sus protagonistas son todo un cliché y algo machistas (la época en que está escrita tiene gran parte de culpa) y un buen ejemplo de lo que le gusta a la autora (machos alfa cabezones y protagonistas de armas tomar), pero la química entre ellos es bestial (esa camioneeeeta) y narra de forma muy realista lo dura que es la vida en un rancho.
April 8, 2020
3 Stars
Overall Opinion: This was an enjoyable read, but I wanted more. I feel as though it had potential to be that “more” but it just didn’t get there. I struggled with the H but I actually liked the h — so there is that! I liked the whole arranged marriage, but the instalove for the h bugged a little. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either 🤷🏻♀️
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Maddie and Reese’s story. Reese puts a want ad in for a wife after he is finally get his ranch back in order after a nasty divorce that almost bankrupt him. He wants children and this is the most efficient way that he sees that happening. Maddie is bored in New York working at her brother-in-laws office doing nothing, so when she sees the ad she is instantly intrigued. They meet and sparks fly and eventually make an arrangement to get married. Life on the ranch is hard, there are adjustments for both of them, some previous baggage they have to deal with, and some sexy times...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between focusing on Maddie and Reese in 3rd person narrative.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.
Instalove: Yes for the h, but the H takes a while to develop stronger feelings.
H (Hero) rating: 2.5 stars. Reese. He was a little less than okay for me. I felt like he made a lot of mistakes and he didn’t grovel as much as I would’ve liked.
h (heroine) rating: 4 stars. Maddie. I liked her. I appreciated her strength and how she didn’t allow the H to walk all over her.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Alright. They have some tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Not in the typical way
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This had pretty good closure with what I would call a HEA, but I still would’ve liked a farther glimpse into their future!
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
Overall Opinion: This was an enjoyable read, but I wanted more. I feel as though it had potential to be that “more” but it just didn’t get there. I struggled with the H but I actually liked the h — so there is that! I liked the whole arranged marriage, but the instalove for the h bugged a little. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either 🤷🏻♀️
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Maddie and Reese’s story. Reese puts a want ad in for a wife after he is finally get his ranch back in order after a nasty divorce that almost bankrupt him. He wants children and this is the most efficient way that he sees that happening. Maddie is bored in New York working at her brother-in-laws office doing nothing, so when she sees the ad she is instantly intrigued. They meet and sparks fly and eventually make an arrangement to get married. Life on the ranch is hard, there are adjustments for both of them, some previous baggage they have to deal with, and some sexy times...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between focusing on Maddie and Reese in 3rd person narrative.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.
Instalove: Yes for the h, but the H takes a while to develop stronger feelings.
H (Hero) rating: 2.5 stars. Reese. He was a little less than okay for me. I felt like he made a lot of mistakes and he didn’t grovel as much as I would’ve liked.
h (heroine) rating: 4 stars. Maddie. I liked her. I appreciated her strength and how she didn’t allow the H to walk all over her.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Alright. They have some tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Not in the typical way
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This had pretty good closure with what I would call a HEA, but I still would’ve liked a farther glimpse into their future!
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
February 28, 2021
Linda Howard is legendary in the romance genre, and this may be one of her finest. I recently reread it to see if it would live up to my fond memories and I am pleased to say, if anything, it surpassed them.
Reese Duncan is the quintessential Howard hero......... strong alpha, stubborn, sexy, and prideful. However, Duncan's Bride stands out to me NOT because of the hero, but because of the heroine. Madelyn is everything that I love my heroines to be. She has a ton of class, heart, devotion, work ethic, and the determination to win over Reese Duncan (a seemingly impossible task).
This book has the ability to make you laugh one minute, cry the next, feel anger and then happiness in the space of a few paragraphs. The ability to draw the reader in is one of Howard's biggest gifts, and in Duncan's Bride..... she outdoes even herself.
Madelyn is EXACTLY what Reese needs. He is an embittered and angry man. Madelyn is all warmth, laughter, hope, and love. Slowly she teaches Reese how to love and trust once more. It takes some time...he's a stubborn man.....but the payoff at the end is worth everything. I highly recommend this favorite of mine.
Reese Duncan is the quintessential Howard hero......... strong alpha, stubborn, sexy, and prideful. However, Duncan's Bride stands out to me NOT because of the hero, but because of the heroine. Madelyn is everything that I love my heroines to be. She has a ton of class, heart, devotion, work ethic, and the determination to win over Reese Duncan (a seemingly impossible task).
This book has the ability to make you laugh one minute, cry the next, feel anger and then happiness in the space of a few paragraphs. The ability to draw the reader in is one of Howard's biggest gifts, and in Duncan's Bride..... she outdoes even herself.
Madelyn is EXACTLY what Reese needs. He is an embittered and angry man. Madelyn is all warmth, laughter, hope, and love. Slowly she teaches Reese how to love and trust once more. It takes some time...he's a stubborn man.....but the payoff at the end is worth everything. I highly recommend this favorite of mine.
September 9, 2016
Kudos to this book because it's set back in the 80's and it mentions electric typewriters and people still communicate via mail. Lol. But I've NEVER been so upset with a book character before!!! EVER!!! Reese was so stubborn. Ugh. Nevertheless, this was an adorable book!! I. Must. Read. The. Follow up.
August 18, 2019
It's pretty rare for me to love the heroine more than the hero. Madelyn was kind of awesome and I really loved how she handled a lot of the situations when Reese was a giant A-hole.
So... Reese was a giant A-hole. He has his reasons, but kind of took those reasons too far at times. I will say that if you want to see a man have to grovel at the end, you will get that with him.
I enjoyed the audiobook from audio escape and while the female narrater wasn't the best with the male voice, it wasn't bad enough to take me out of the story. I am pretty picky about that.
So... Reese was a giant A-hole. He has his reasons, but kind of took those reasons too far at times. I will say that if you want to see a man have to grovel at the end, you will get that with him.
I enjoyed the audiobook from audio escape and while the female narrater wasn't the best with the male voice, it wasn't bad enough to take me out of the story. I am pretty picky about that.
November 13, 2011
KNOCKED OUT!This is a 5++++++++++++++ rating book.Absolutely wonderful awesome heart warming emotional read.Loved Reese-Maddie both are cute adorable caring strong intelligent characters,Reese is a man full of integrity and his ranch is his pride and when that pride was attacked and half snatched he was filled with bitterness but Maddie came into his life and completely healed him though it took some time but he did came to his senses
Reese-Maddie's are now on my top 10 favourite couples shelf,in start of their marriage their relationship lacked all essential emotions required-trust love understanding support,but as time passes by and they start spending time knowing each other and understanding each other,making each other realise their mistakes and most importantly their relationship survived even without trust-love-understanding cause both supported each other through thick n thin
Reese had a lot to work on-his mistrust,his bitterness,his anger and his habit of seeing everything through April's eyes and making decisions based on what April did.I completely understand he was attacked brutally cause his pride was attacked and its the worse blow anyone makes which left him wounded,that is why i am not angry at his words-actions and way he judged Maddie and most fun part was way Maddie always proved him wrong and made him realise and accept his mistakes and finally he comes to his senses
Enjoyed their bickering-riddles so so much,Maddie stood and fought Reese and made him realise his mistakes and healed him completely,this is one couple who accepted each other with their flaws and they did'nt tried to change each other but completely accepted each other,Maddie's fighting techniques were fun,after so much anger fights pain hurt Maddie's hard work and love wins and they both get their happiness and truly deserved HEA
Overall a fabulous read
Recommend it
Reese-Maddie's are now on my top 10 favourite couples shelf,in start of their marriage their relationship lacked all essential emotions required-trust love understanding support,but as time passes by and they start spending time knowing each other and understanding each other,making each other realise their mistakes and most importantly their relationship survived even without trust-love-understanding cause both supported each other through thick n thin
Reese had a lot to work on-his mistrust,his bitterness,his anger and his habit of seeing everything through April's eyes and making decisions based on what April did.I completely understand he was attacked brutally cause his pride was attacked and its the worse blow anyone makes which left him wounded,that is why i am not angry at his words-actions and way he judged Maddie and most fun part was way Maddie always proved him wrong and made him realise and accept his mistakes and finally he comes to his senses
Enjoyed their bickering-riddles so so much,Maddie stood and fought Reese and made him realise his mistakes and healed him completely,this is one couple who accepted each other with their flaws and they did'nt tried to change each other but completely accepted each other,Maddie's fighting techniques were fun,after so much anger fights pain hurt Maddie's hard work and love wins and they both get their happiness and truly deserved HEA
Overall a fabulous read
Recommend it
January 17, 2022
4.75 stars
I love this book! I remembered the story from reading it many moons ago, but I couldn't recall the title or enough for a decent Google search, so I asked a group in Goodreads that helps people find books by the plot, recalled details, character descriptions, etc. and within minutes, I had several responses that led me directly back to this gem! Thank you, thank you!! :)
It was as good as I recalled, and I have read a LOT of books since I first read this one, so I have much more to compare it with. The story centers around a city slicker woman frustrated with where she was in life wanting to take a risk for once in answering a personal ad that intrigued her, and a rancher who had "been done wrong" and wasn't taking any more chances with silly things like love and passion. Even though the H attempted to find other "qualified" candidates, he inevitably came back to the one woman he couldn't keep his mind off of. He tried for awhile to hold much of himself back, but the h pushed him a little too far and popped the cork on all that denied passion. Thankfully, this was early enough in the story so this angst issue wasn't overplayed. Ultimately, he has to decide whether he is willing to take a chance and allow someone in his life to truly be a partner or end up with a wife in name only.
I really loved the characters, even when the H was being a stubborn @$$ - he owned up to it and did his best to make amends. And the h was no withering wallflower - she was gutsy, smart, and wouldn't back down even when presented with significant challenges (like, say, catching a hen for dinner and then de-feathering and cooking it!).
All in all, a really good read with the right dosage of smut for my tastes (hot and steamy!)!
I love this book! I remembered the story from reading it many moons ago, but I couldn't recall the title or enough for a decent Google search, so I asked a group in Goodreads that helps people find books by the plot, recalled details, character descriptions, etc. and within minutes, I had several responses that led me directly back to this gem! Thank you, thank you!! :)
It was as good as I recalled, and I have read a LOT of books since I first read this one, so I have much more to compare it with. The story centers around a city slicker woman frustrated with where she was in life wanting to take a risk for once in answering a personal ad that intrigued her, and a rancher who had "been done wrong" and wasn't taking any more chances with silly things like love and passion. Even though the H attempted to find other "qualified" candidates, he inevitably came back to the one woman he couldn't keep his mind off of. He tried for awhile to hold much of himself back, but the h pushed him a little too far and popped the cork on all that denied passion. Thankfully, this was early enough in the story so this angst issue wasn't overplayed. Ultimately, he has to decide whether he is willing to take a chance and allow someone in his life to truly be a partner or end up with a wife in name only.
I really loved the characters, even when the H was being a stubborn @$$ - he owned up to it and did his best to make amends. And the h was no withering wallflower - she was gutsy, smart, and wouldn't back down even when presented with significant challenges (like, say, catching a hen for dinner and then de-feathering and cooking it!).
All in all, a really good read with the right dosage of smut for my tastes (hot and steamy!)!
September 3, 2025
➳ 3.5 ★
I can't decide if the FMC, Madelyn, was a total warrior for staying with Reese, or just an absolute doormat 😂 Either way, I stan her.
➺ Likes:
• Madelyn the Bad Bitch
• Madelyn the Warrior
• Madelyn the Doormat
• Maddie when she ran downtown defying her husband ☺️
• did I mention Maddie?
• Reese when he's sweet <3
• Reese when he's mean <33
• Reese when he almost died freezing <333
• the April Drama
➺ Dislikes:
• Reese...sometimes
• insta-love
• insta-lust
In short, I had a blast! 😋😋 Also, if you're buddy reading this, prepare for nonstop commentary and 87 "OMG did he really just say that?!" texts 🙏
-~-
Buddy read with my irl friend 🤭 I'm a bit nervous about this one, mostly because I've heard the MMC is… well, an asshole. (Getting Kiss an Angel flashbacks - and honestly, I miss that book right now.) Duncan's Bride is city-girl-marries-grumpy-rancher, so I'm bracing for this to be hilarious as fuck. Please hit, pleaseplease 🙏
I can't decide if the FMC, Madelyn, was a total warrior for staying with Reese, or just an absolute doormat 😂 Either way, I stan her.
➺ Likes:
• Madelyn the Bad Bitch
• Madelyn the Warrior
• Madelyn the Doormat
• Maddie when she ran downtown defying her husband ☺️
• did I mention Maddie?
• Reese when he's sweet <3
• Reese when he's mean <33
• Reese when he almost died freezing <333
• the April Drama
➺ Dislikes:
• Reese...sometimes
• insta-love
• insta-lust
In short, I had a blast! 😋😋 Also, if you're buddy reading this, prepare for nonstop commentary and 87 "OMG did he really just say that?!" texts 🙏
-~-
Buddy read with my irl friend 🤭 I'm a bit nervous about this one, mostly because I've heard the MMC is… well, an asshole. (Getting Kiss an Angel flashbacks - and honestly, I miss that book right now.) Duncan's Bride is city-girl-marries-grumpy-rancher, so I'm bracing for this to be hilarious as fuck. Please hit, pleaseplease 🙏
April 3, 2015
4.5 STARS
I'm so glad I read this book! I was thisclose in returning it to the library, thinking it might not be as good as I hoped for. I don't even know why I thought that, but it was excellent. Reece Duncan is a Montana rancher hard on finances and time. He'd been burned before by an ex-wife determined to wreck him and bankrupt his ranch. Not again. This time, Reece was going to advertise for a woman built to withstand labour and the expectations of living on a ranch. So what if he doesn't love her? He doesn't need to be at the mercy of his heart ever again. But he does want children, and he doesn't have time to court, so a newspaper ad is what he takes out.
When Madelyn answers Reece's ad for a wife in the country papers, she doesn't seriously consider it working out. But I loved seeing her reaction to Reece, in all his alpha-male, masculine glory. She fell hard and fast, and although I'm not much for insta-lust, I thought it worked here. But I did feel bad for Maddie. She didn't bargain on Reece being so bitter and jaded by his experiences with his ex. There were times he was cruel even, saying things out of anger that wouldn't be so easily forgiven after he cooled down. He was such a cannon at times, but at others he was so sweet, kind, funny and considerate.
He took a while coming to the conclusion that Maddie wasn't like his ex, nor had anything in common with her. The patience Maddie had dealing with him, gheesh! Reece would try the calmness of a saint. I loved how Maddie finally decided to do something drastic. She didn't deserve to be treated badly, although I could understand why Reece reacted the way he did to what she had done. Anyways, this was so good, and steamy, too. LH writes some pretty sensual scenes. They're not drawn out but are so potent and I wish more authors would get with the 'quality over quantity' program, otherwise known as LESS IS MORE.
Maddie was a fantastic heroine. She truly gave over herself for Reece and brought out the best in him. I think he needed a woman like her, a woman who accepted him for who he was. He was so manly, and the ranching scenes were so well done showing all the work and effort required in managing one. I wish there was an epilogue, but I've gotten used to LH's lack of them.
I'm also very interested in knowing more about Robert Cannon, Maddie's step-brother! He intrigued me with his mysterious ways and I'm so excited about his book, Loving Evangeline. This was great though, loved it.
I'm so glad I read this book! I was thisclose in returning it to the library, thinking it might not be as good as I hoped for. I don't even know why I thought that, but it was excellent. Reece Duncan is a Montana rancher hard on finances and time. He'd been burned before by an ex-wife determined to wreck him and bankrupt his ranch. Not again. This time, Reece was going to advertise for a woman built to withstand labour and the expectations of living on a ranch. So what if he doesn't love her? He doesn't need to be at the mercy of his heart ever again. But he does want children, and he doesn't have time to court, so a newspaper ad is what he takes out.
When Madelyn answers Reece's ad for a wife in the country papers, she doesn't seriously consider it working out. But I loved seeing her reaction to Reece, in all his alpha-male, masculine glory. She fell hard and fast, and although I'm not much for insta-lust, I thought it worked here. But I did feel bad for Maddie. She didn't bargain on Reece being so bitter and jaded by his experiences with his ex. There were times he was cruel even, saying things out of anger that wouldn't be so easily forgiven after he cooled down. He was such a cannon at times, but at others he was so sweet, kind, funny and considerate.
He took a while coming to the conclusion that Maddie wasn't like his ex, nor had anything in common with her. The patience Maddie had dealing with him, gheesh! Reece would try the calmness of a saint. I loved how Maddie finally decided to do something drastic. She didn't deserve to be treated badly, although I could understand why Reece reacted the way he did to what she had done. Anyways, this was so good, and steamy, too. LH writes some pretty sensual scenes. They're not drawn out but are so potent and I wish more authors would get with the 'quality over quantity' program, otherwise known as LESS IS MORE.
Maddie was a fantastic heroine. She truly gave over herself for Reece and brought out the best in him. I think he needed a woman like her, a woman who accepted him for who he was. He was so manly, and the ranching scenes were so well done showing all the work and effort required in managing one. I wish there was an epilogue, but I've gotten used to LH's lack of them.
I'm also very interested in knowing more about Robert Cannon, Maddie's step-brother! He intrigued me with his mysterious ways and I'm so excited about his book, Loving Evangeline. This was great though, loved it.
February 5, 2024
SPOILERS
The way I loved the FMC wayyyy more... She was such a bad bitch, plus she knew what she wanted AND she knew how to get it, unlike some people (the MMC💀)
Reese was such an asshole, a old fashioned man and a dumbass, you would think a man at his age should have common sense, well, he did not.
Now, Madelyn is a mail order bride, they meet up at Reese's house and he ONLY sees is her legs, her bust, her sexy ass 🤠 And you know what he says;
"You're real suitable for the purposes of bed," he said grimly. "I'd like to take you there right now. But out of bed – no. You won't do at all."
Aren't you flattered, I'm flattered!!!!✨✨
He had 2 more brides to choose from and they didn't do, he calls Madelyn to ask her to marry him and Madelyn agrees! Ok🤔
When I tell you, this man is THE definition of a 1950s husband, he's probably in the dictionary.
"Why isn't dinner ready?" he asked in a very quiet, ominous tone.
"I was busy and didn't notice the time – "
"It's your job to notice the time. I'm dead tired and hungry. I've worked twelve hours straight, the least you could do is take the time to cook."
WHAT ON EARTH AM I READING😭
So this bitch Reese had a wife that cheated on him 8 YEARS AGO. 8. YEARS. This man is still scared Madelyn is like her, even after she chased a chicken like a madwoman so they could eat it for dinner, and after she told him that she loved him.
Winter comes, everything starts falling apart, they are literally dying, Reese can not pay off the mortage of the ranch, like a good wife Madelyn is she offers to pay it off.
He says no and she does it anyway because, that is their house AND SHE'S PREGNANT.
When he learns this, BOYYY he gets MADDDD. You would think a grown ass man would not throw a tantrum👹
"Well, you're not what I want. You're hot between the sheets, but you don't have what it takes to be a ranch wife," he said cruelly.
"When you calm down you'll regret saying this."
"The only thing I regret is marrying you."
He's scared that if they get divorved, she'll take the ranch, she tells him 95 times that she DOES NOT want a divorce and that she loves him but he's dumb so....
"...If you take the keys to the car or do something to it so it won't run, then I'll walk wherever I want to go, and you can bet the farm on that. I'm not April, do you understand? I'm not April! "
April is his ex wife from 8 years ago, Lord have mercy.
Our pregnant girl goes downtown to stay somewhere and she starts working as a waitress and Reese is like come home, she says no, this goes on for 40 pages and after he realizes that he loves her, he tells her that and HAPPY EVER AFTER😍🥺
Honorable mention;
"Did you get a kick out of men looking at your legs?"
Isn't he such a sweetheart when he says this after she wore a skirt that reached down to her knees🤭
Anyways, no other addiction like a asshole hero, I loved this.
The way I loved the FMC wayyyy more... She was such a bad bitch, plus she knew what she wanted AND she knew how to get it, unlike some people (the MMC💀)
Reese was such an asshole, a old fashioned man and a dumbass, you would think a man at his age should have common sense, well, he did not.
Now, Madelyn is a mail order bride, they meet up at Reese's house and he ONLY sees is her legs, her bust, her sexy ass 🤠 And you know what he says;
"You're real suitable for the purposes of bed," he said grimly. "I'd like to take you there right now. But out of bed – no. You won't do at all."
Aren't you flattered, I'm flattered!!!!✨✨
He had 2 more brides to choose from and they didn't do, he calls Madelyn to ask her to marry him and Madelyn agrees! Ok🤔
When I tell you, this man is THE definition of a 1950s husband, he's probably in the dictionary.
"Why isn't dinner ready?" he asked in a very quiet, ominous tone.
"I was busy and didn't notice the time – "
"It's your job to notice the time. I'm dead tired and hungry. I've worked twelve hours straight, the least you could do is take the time to cook."
WHAT ON EARTH AM I READING😭
So this bitch Reese had a wife that cheated on him 8 YEARS AGO. 8. YEARS. This man is still scared Madelyn is like her, even after she chased a chicken like a madwoman so they could eat it for dinner, and after she told him that she loved him.
Winter comes, everything starts falling apart, they are literally dying, Reese can not pay off the mortage of the ranch, like a good wife Madelyn is she offers to pay it off.
He says no and she does it anyway because, that is their house AND SHE'S PREGNANT.
When he learns this, BOYYY he gets MADDDD. You would think a grown ass man would not throw a tantrum👹
"Well, you're not what I want. You're hot between the sheets, but you don't have what it takes to be a ranch wife," he said cruelly.
"When you calm down you'll regret saying this."
"The only thing I regret is marrying you."
He's scared that if they get divorved, she'll take the ranch, she tells him 95 times that she DOES NOT want a divorce and that she loves him but he's dumb so....
"...If you take the keys to the car or do something to it so it won't run, then I'll walk wherever I want to go, and you can bet the farm on that. I'm not April, do you understand? I'm not April! "
April is his ex wife from 8 years ago, Lord have mercy.
Our pregnant girl goes downtown to stay somewhere and she starts working as a waitress and Reese is like come home, she says no, this goes on for 40 pages and after he realizes that he loves her, he tells her that and HAPPY EVER AFTER😍🥺
Honorable mention;
"Did you get a kick out of men looking at your legs?"
Isn't he such a sweetheart when he says this after she wore a skirt that reached down to her knees🤭
Anyways, no other addiction like a asshole hero, I loved this.
February 11, 2019
I loved this as much the second time as when I read it the first time.
The heroine was the absolute best. And the hero was a perfect Alpha with a heart of gold deep down.
The love story had such emotion and heart.
Wonderful writing and I felt like I was right there, watching a movie take place in my mind (best way for me to describe it).
The dedication and strength the heroine had in her love for the hero was beautiful.
I loved description of ranch life, the scenery came to life and the secondary characters were wonderful too.
Loved it and definitely will reread this one again.
The heroine was the absolute best. And the hero was a perfect Alpha with a heart of gold deep down.
The love story had such emotion and heart.
Wonderful writing and I felt like I was right there, watching a movie take place in my mind (best way for me to describe it).
The dedication and strength the heroine had in her love for the hero was beautiful.
I loved description of ranch life, the scenery came to life and the secondary characters were wonderful too.
Loved it and definitely will reread this one again.
March 27, 2017
Really good characters and relationship development. I didn’t want to stop reading.
I liked the audiobook better than the physical book due to the narrator’s wonderful interpretations.
BACKSTORY:
Reese was wealthy land owner/rancher in Montana. He married Alice who divorced him after 2 years and took half of everything he owned. For 8 yrs he has been under a mortgage and barely existing with half of the land left and a small herd of cattle.
THE STORY BEGINS:
Reese wants a wife and kids so he places an ad in a newspaper. Madelyn (Maddie) a city girl sees the ad and visits him. It is lust at first sight for both of them, but Reese does not want to marry her because he thinks Maddie will be like Alice. But no one else suitable responds to the ad, so Reese marries Maddie. Reese then limits his emotions for Maddie due to his past relationship fears.
AUDIOBOOK AND NARRATOR:
I read the physical book several years ago and just now listened to the audiobook. The narrator Lesa Lockford made it even better. She does a wonderful interpretation of Maddie. And she was good with men too. I was pleased that her breaths were removed.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Story length: 245 pages. Swearing language: none that I recall. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: about 5. Setting: current day before cell phones mostly Montana with a little New York. Book copyright: 1990. Genre: contemporary romance.
I liked the audiobook better than the physical book due to the narrator’s wonderful interpretations.
BACKSTORY:
Reese was wealthy land owner/rancher in Montana. He married Alice who divorced him after 2 years and took half of everything he owned. For 8 yrs he has been under a mortgage and barely existing with half of the land left and a small herd of cattle.
THE STORY BEGINS:
Reese wants a wife and kids so he places an ad in a newspaper. Madelyn (Maddie) a city girl sees the ad and visits him. It is lust at first sight for both of them, but Reese does not want to marry her because he thinks Maddie will be like Alice. But no one else suitable responds to the ad, so Reese marries Maddie. Reese then limits his emotions for Maddie due to his past relationship fears.
AUDIOBOOK AND NARRATOR:
I read the physical book several years ago and just now listened to the audiobook. The narrator Lesa Lockford made it even better. She does a wonderful interpretation of Maddie. And she was good with men too. I was pleased that her breaths were removed.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Story length: 245 pages. Swearing language: none that I recall. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: about 5. Setting: current day before cell phones mostly Montana with a little New York. Book copyright: 1990. Genre: contemporary romance.
November 21, 2022
"you’re not what I want. You’re hot between the sheets, but you don’t have what it takes to be a ranch wife,”
When you calm down you’ll regret saying this.”
he said cruelly. The only thing I regret is marrying you.”
Reese Duncan was looking for a wife. A man scorned by his ex- wife, he has a lot of baggage when it comes to woman. So when he places an ad looking for a wife, he didn't expect for beautiful Madelyn to show up. She agrees to marry him and they work hard to maintain the ranch.
Their marriage was unconventional, and she had to work so hard to prove to him that all his wrongful ideas about her were untrue.
"She was like fire, and she was all his. She burned for him and with him...God, I can’t get enough of you,” he muttered. “I don’t want you to.”
I liked Madelyn, and how strong she stood against his crazy ways to bring him down in his knees, to make him grovel and to regret all his cruel treatment.
"somewhere along the way his obsession had changed into a love so powerful that now he couldn’t live without her, he could only exist"
Rating 4 stars 🌟
When you calm down you’ll regret saying this.”
he said cruelly. The only thing I regret is marrying you.”
Reese Duncan was looking for a wife. A man scorned by his ex- wife, he has a lot of baggage when it comes to woman. So when he places an ad looking for a wife, he didn't expect for beautiful Madelyn to show up. She agrees to marry him and they work hard to maintain the ranch.
Their marriage was unconventional, and she had to work so hard to prove to him that all his wrongful ideas about her were untrue.
"She was like fire, and she was all his. She burned for him and with him...God, I can’t get enough of you,” he muttered. “I don’t want you to.”
I liked Madelyn, and how strong she stood against his crazy ways to bring him down in his knees, to make him grovel and to regret all his cruel treatment.
"somewhere along the way his obsession had changed into a love so powerful that now he couldn’t live without her, he could only exist"
Rating 4 stars 🌟
August 2, 2022
Reread- audio is free if you have scribd.
City slicker meets broody rancher with baggage make up this mail order bride romance by Linda Howard. This book is 30 years old, but other than our hero using a payphone; you won't notice... much. The plot is a bit unbelievable, but if you can accept that a 28-yr old virgin, modern, independent woman can meet and fall into absolute love on sight...like zap with a grumpy divorced cowboy... and agree to marry a stranger...relocating across the country...then you'll enjoy it. I know this type of plot fits better with historical romances (where the heroines had less options), but I actually liked the aspect of the couple dealing with more modern issues...divorce, prenups a woman with choices....
Madelyn hails from NYC, but she isn't a city slicker. She has roots from Virginia and longs for a simpler life. She's laid back, but not lazy...has grey eyes and long legs. She's also stylish in a rancher chic kind of way. She loves trivia, and loves Duncan desperately.
Duncan is looking for a wife, to cook for him, and have his babies. He's been burned big time by his ex wife, and does not want something like feelings to jeopardize his family ranch again. He's ruggedly handsome, with green eyes and a hairy muscular chest that could compete with any of D. Palmer's leading men. He's bossy and has a temper, but isn't cruel or abusive.
I found both Mc's likeable, and enjoyed the book. There isn't any major drama issues, no OW, just the underlying issue of Duncan letting go over the past and learning to trust. I loved how strong the heroine is , and how she continues to love and support Duncan while refusing to be a doormat. Good read.
City slicker meets broody rancher with baggage make up this mail order bride romance by Linda Howard. This book is 30 years old, but other than our hero using a payphone; you won't notice... much. The plot is a bit unbelievable, but if you can accept that a 28-yr old virgin, modern, independent woman can meet and fall into absolute love on sight...like zap with a grumpy divorced cowboy... and agree to marry a stranger...relocating across the country...then you'll enjoy it. I know this type of plot fits better with historical romances (where the heroines had less options), but I actually liked the aspect of the couple dealing with more modern issues...divorce, prenups a woman with choices....
Madelyn hails from NYC, but she isn't a city slicker. She has roots from Virginia and longs for a simpler life. She's laid back, but not lazy...has grey eyes and long legs. She's also stylish in a rancher chic kind of way. She loves trivia, and loves Duncan desperately.
Duncan is looking for a wife, to cook for him, and have his babies. He's been burned big time by his ex wife, and does not want something like feelings to jeopardize his family ranch again. He's ruggedly handsome, with green eyes and a hairy muscular chest that could compete with any of D. Palmer's leading men. He's bossy and has a temper, but isn't cruel or abusive.
I found both Mc's likeable, and enjoyed the book. There isn't any major drama issues, no OW, just the underlying issue of Duncan letting go over the past and learning to trust. I loved how strong the heroine is , and how she continues to love and support Duncan while refusing to be a doormat. Good read.
November 30, 2017
***FIVE STARS***
What an adorably charming story. I enjoyed every single second of this awesome read. I loved Reese, with his scarred, emotional distrust of women that kept him from moving forward with his life, vowing never to be royally fucked over ever again. And Maddy was adorable and so full of personality. She was so supportive to Reese trying to pull him through his mistrust, always keeping this amazing wit about her as well. The drama in this story was delicious too. And the sex!! This story has some of the steamiest sex scenes I have ever read.
This story had it all: Great characters, great story, great sex, and the perfect ending! An absolutely perfect Labor Day adventure for me!
October 2, 2015
Great classic, contemporary mail-order-bride story!
There are times when Reese will make you want to smack him, but other times he's so swoonworthy. I love how protective he is.
He has a huge chip on his shoulder because of his ex taking him to the cleaners and some of the things he says to Maddie are infuriating, but she gives as good as she gets and figures out just how to handle him.
The parts about ranch life were interesting and sad at times. The blizzard made me sad for the poor animals.
This book stands out for having one of the best extended grovels....well not so much groveling, but he did have to work to get her back and recognize what an ass he was. So happy with the ending for once :)
There are times when Reese will make you want to smack him, but other times he's so swoonworthy. I love how protective he is.
He has a huge chip on his shoulder because of his ex taking him to the cleaners and some of the things he says to Maddie are infuriating, but she gives as good as she gets and figures out just how to handle him.
The parts about ranch life were interesting and sad at times. The blizzard made me sad for the poor animals.
This book stands out for having one of the best extended grovels....well not so much groveling, but he did have to work to get her back and recognize what an ass he was. So happy with the ending for once :)
October 6, 2010
Duncan's Bride is sexy, sassy, a real page turner, it's all the things I've come to expect from Linda Howard.
Reese Duncan wants a wife but not for love or any of those sappy reasons. He has a strong sex drive, he wants children and a strong woman willing to help him rebuild his ranch. In the heroine's words he wants a brood mare. He's been burned by his ex-wife who wasn't willing to rough it out as a ranch wife and took half of everything he owned in the divorce settlement, leaving him nearly bankrupt. So he places an add and gets three measly responses. Madelyn Patterson is the only applicant who sets his blood boiling but she's all citified and completely wrong for the job - or so he thinks. His lack of choices, her determination and her sex appeal win her the job and they marry.
All of the above takes place right away and the remainder of the book is spent watching Maddie prove to Reese that all woman aren't like his ex-wife. He's got a lot of baggage to deal with but Maddie handles him with humor and tenderness, two things he isn't used to but over time learns he desperately can't live without. He is an extreme alpha man, one who wants his wife to give him babies, cook dinner, clean the house, and jump when he snaps his fingers, all without a complaint. He is overbearing and sometimes he annoyed me but as much as I wanted to give him a swift kick in his pretty rear, I understood why he was this way. He'd been hurt and destroyed and was only protecting himself and his future children. So, I could deal with all of his chest pounding and I liked the fact that Maddie handled him maturely and never lowered herself by giving into a fit of whimpiness or "poor me's". She didn't out and out tell him off which would not have worked with this guy anyway, but she did it in more subtle ways, getting under his skin and teaching him to love again. She was an admirable character and the only thing I couldn't figure out was why such a sweet, sensual, twenty-eight year old woman had no steady boyfriend or sexual history previous to meeting Reese. It wasn't really explained, unless I missed it. But I'm being nitpicky, I liked this book, the characters were three dimensional, the love scenes were steamy, and most importantly it made me feel.
Reese Duncan wants a wife but not for love or any of those sappy reasons. He has a strong sex drive, he wants children and a strong woman willing to help him rebuild his ranch. In the heroine's words he wants a brood mare. He's been burned by his ex-wife who wasn't willing to rough it out as a ranch wife and took half of everything he owned in the divorce settlement, leaving him nearly bankrupt. So he places an add and gets three measly responses. Madelyn Patterson is the only applicant who sets his blood boiling but she's all citified and completely wrong for the job - or so he thinks. His lack of choices, her determination and her sex appeal win her the job and they marry.
All of the above takes place right away and the remainder of the book is spent watching Maddie prove to Reese that all woman aren't like his ex-wife. He's got a lot of baggage to deal with but Maddie handles him with humor and tenderness, two things he isn't used to but over time learns he desperately can't live without. He is an extreme alpha man, one who wants his wife to give him babies, cook dinner, clean the house, and jump when he snaps his fingers, all without a complaint. He is overbearing and sometimes he annoyed me but as much as I wanted to give him a swift kick in his pretty rear, I understood why he was this way. He'd been hurt and destroyed and was only protecting himself and his future children. So, I could deal with all of his chest pounding and I liked the fact that Maddie handled him maturely and never lowered herself by giving into a fit of whimpiness or "poor me's". She didn't out and out tell him off which would not have worked with this guy anyway, but she did it in more subtle ways, getting under his skin and teaching him to love again. She was an admirable character and the only thing I couldn't figure out was why such a sweet, sensual, twenty-eight year old woman had no steady boyfriend or sexual history previous to meeting Reese. It wasn't really explained, unless I missed it. But I'm being nitpicky, I liked this book, the characters were three dimensional, the love scenes were steamy, and most importantly it made me feel.
May 15, 2021
Not bad. It was a nice change of scenery and era for me.
Although...what year is this story supposed to take place? Everything is modern, from phones to airports to short skirts and cars. Yet, the hero puts a personal ad for a wife? I was born in 1985, so was this a common thing before then? I've never read a book with a mail-order bride, so I don't know which era that practice occurred in.
Although...what year is this story supposed to take place? Everything is modern, from phones to airports to short skirts and cars. Yet, the hero puts a personal ad for a wife? I was born in 1985, so was this a common thing before then? I've never read a book with a mail-order bride, so I don't know which era that practice occurred in.
September 6, 2024
4.5 stars
September 22, 2018
#retorita2 #RitaHoward
Libro sencillo y entretenido, que se lee en un suspiro.
Me ha gustado mucho, y también me gusta como escribe la autora. Él a veces saca de quicio por su carácter, puede ser muy cromañon en ciertas situsciones, 😂
pero se llega a entender por que actúa así y ella tiene más paciencia que un Santo y carácter.
Seguiré leyendo más de esta escritora
Libro sencillo y entretenido, que se lee en un suspiro.
Me ha gustado mucho, y también me gusta como escribe la autora. Él a veces saca de quicio por su carácter, puede ser muy cromañon en ciertas situsciones, 😂
pero se llega a entender por que actúa así y ella tiene más paciencia que un Santo y carácter.
Seguiré leyendo más de esta escritora
March 2, 2016
What is up with the high ratings?!?!
The book was AWEFUL!
The starting of the book do not make any sense. i mean, why on earth would a person agree to become a wife to a total stranger was never explained . I mean, we get that she feels very lonely and she is in need of a companion. Still, her desperateness to agree to this ridicule was not portrayed nor explained enough. This book was very much like morning glory so it was not even original. Also,
Who the heck falls in love, that hard, in ONE day?!?!
It also do not make sense that a city girl is willing to do all that ranch work. i mean, it is simply unlikely and how it was done so easily by the heroine was super unrealistic. i mean, have u guys tried catching a chicken? it takes more than the amount of time taken by the heroine for the FIRST time. again, unrealistic!!!
Btw,
Final verdict
ok,ok steamy
story plot sooooo not an original
trying to be funny but not actually succeeding
waste of time
The book was AWEFUL!
The starting of the book do not make any sense. i mean, why on earth would a person agree to become a wife to a total stranger was never explained . I mean, we get that she feels very lonely and she is in need of a companion. Still, her desperateness to agree to this ridicule was not portrayed nor explained enough. This book was very much like morning glory so it was not even original. Also,
Who the heck falls in love, that hard, in ONE day?!?!
It also do not make sense that a city girl is willing to do all that ranch work. i mean, it is simply unlikely and how it was done so easily by the heroine was super unrealistic. i mean, have u guys tried catching a chicken? it takes more than the amount of time taken by the heroine for the FIRST time. again, unrealistic!!!
Btw,
Final verdict
ok,ok steamy
story plot sooooo not an original
trying to be funny but not actually succeeding
waste of time
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