What do you think?
Rate this book
Have Brides, Will Travel #2
The Shotgun Wedding
The all-time masters of the classic Western cordially invite you to another trip down the aisle with America's mail order brides--and the foolhardy men who thought they could tame them...
Bo Creel and Scratch Morton are mighty proud. They managed to deliver five mail-order brides to the New Mexico mining town of Silverhill in one piece. The town is so grateful, they want to make Bo their marshal and Scratch his deputy. Bo and Scratch are happy to accept the job--and even happier to attend the weddings of the fine young women they brought here...
Cecelia has two young suitors--a well-off rancher and a low-born miner--but one of them is not what he seems. Tomboyish Rose has gotten herself roped into a cow-rustling scheme--with the wild young buck who's stolen her heart. Luella has a not-so-secret admirer of her own, a former journalist who's making headlines--with a gang of Mexican bandits. And the refined Jean Parker thinks she's finally found a suitable match in this raucous boomtown. But it turns out her educated doctor has a dishonorary degree--in killing.
With marriage prospects like these, Bo and Scratch will have to fight tooth and nail to keep the ladies safe and sound--and a real shotgun wedding is about to begin.
Bo Creel and Scratch Morton are mighty proud. They managed to deliver five mail-order brides to the New Mexico mining town of Silverhill in one piece. The town is so grateful, they want to make Bo their marshal and Scratch his deputy. Bo and Scratch are happy to accept the job--and even happier to attend the weddings of the fine young women they brought here...
Cecelia has two young suitors--a well-off rancher and a low-born miner--but one of them is not what he seems. Tomboyish Rose has gotten herself roped into a cow-rustling scheme--with the wild young buck who's stolen her heart. Luella has a not-so-secret admirer of her own, a former journalist who's making headlines--with a gang of Mexican bandits. And the refined Jean Parker thinks she's finally found a suitable match in this raucous boomtown. But it turns out her educated doctor has a dishonorary degree--in killing.
With marriage prospects like these, Bo and Scratch will have to fight tooth and nail to keep the ladies safe and sound--and a real shotgun wedding is about to begin.
448 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 28, 2020
55 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
About the author
William W. Johnstone
1,005 books1,392 followersWilliam W. Johnstone is the #1 bestselling Western writer in America and the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of hundreds of books, with over 50 million copies sold. Born in southern Missouri, he was raised with strong moral and family values by his minister father, and tutored by his schoolteacher mother. He left school at fifteen to work in a carnival and then as a deputy sheriff before serving in the army. He went on to become known as "the Greatest Western writer of the 21st Century." Visit him online at WilliamJohnstone.net.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
February 10, 2025
Definitely not as good as the first book.. As soon as they introduced all of the brides potential suitors I knew I would have a hard time remembering who is who. Some couples I liked more than others (I’m a Monte Stan).
October 8, 2020
With an ensemble of characters, the story takes us to the Old West and a variety of adventures, including mail order brides, cattle rustling, serial murders, revenge, stagecoach robberies, and more. A great slice of life in old New Mexico. I received an advanced digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
October 19, 2023
Scratch Morton and Bo Creel stayed in Silverhill to look after the five mail-order brides they delivered to a New Mexico mining town. It wasn't in their nature to stay in one place for long, but they felt responsible for the ladies and wanted to make sure they were married before they left. Meanwhile, the town was grateful for their help keeping the peace and asked them to be their marshal and deputy. I was glad they agreed to take the jobs and stay in town.
Keeping the peace in Silverhill turned out to be easier than looking after the ladies. Their suitors were not always who they appeared to be. The beautiful, feisty women could usually let down an admirer easily, when necessary. But sometimes they didn't see through the men's polite facade to the villain beneath.
This book was much more than the ladies finding husbands. It was quite suspenseful. There were murders, stagecoach robberies, and cattle rustling that kept Scratch and Bo busy.
I loved how these men felt responsible for the mail-order brides and stayed to make sure they were safely married before leaving town. They really did not want to settle in one place and were looking forward to moving on.
The ending was great and had me wanting to see what happens to Bo and Scratch next.
I highly recommend this book. Actually, both books I've read so far are terrific. This one has romance, adventure and mystery in an old-time western setting. I suggest you start with the first book in the series "Have Brides, Will Travel" to get to know the characters and why they were going to Silverhill.
Keeping the peace in Silverhill turned out to be easier than looking after the ladies. Their suitors were not always who they appeared to be. The beautiful, feisty women could usually let down an admirer easily, when necessary. But sometimes they didn't see through the men's polite facade to the villain beneath.
This book was much more than the ladies finding husbands. It was quite suspenseful. There were murders, stagecoach robberies, and cattle rustling that kept Scratch and Bo busy.
I loved how these men felt responsible for the mail-order brides and stayed to make sure they were safely married before leaving town. They really did not want to settle in one place and were looking forward to moving on.
The ending was great and had me wanting to see what happens to Bo and Scratch next.
I highly recommend this book. Actually, both books I've read so far are terrific. This one has romance, adventure and mystery in an old-time western setting. I suggest you start with the first book in the series "Have Brides, Will Travel" to get to know the characters and why they were going to Silverhill.
December 20, 2020
Second book with Bo & Scratch and the 5 mail order brides. A lot goes on in this story. Bo & Scratch become lawmen. One of the mail order brides decides to be a stagecoach driver. There are cattle rustlers, tempted stagecoach robbery and one that is successful. There is a serial killer in the mix, kidnapping of all the mail order brides and one other lady by bandits and later Rurales. Three of the mail order brides get married, one kind of a shotgun wedding, the other during a gun battle, third is forced and becomes a widow on the same day. The fourth one is going to get married within a week and the two others, the widow and the last one, kind of have male friends, but will they get married too? Time will tell. Lots more in this story that I haven’t told about, so you will have to read it to find out.
The ending is great. Bo and Creel have a new job taking more mail order brides to the last frontier. Looking forward to that story, but it won't be out until October 2021 called Til Death. But that's okay plenty of other books and eBooks to read until then. No hurry.
The ending is great. Bo and Creel have a new job taking more mail order brides to the last frontier. Looking forward to that story, but it won't be out until October 2021 called Til Death. But that's okay plenty of other books and eBooks to read until then. No hurry.
December 22, 2020
Have Brides, Will Travel series continues with Bo Creel and Scratch Morton accepting the towns gratitude by becoming the marshal and deputy. Vowing to continue protecting the brides until they are married, Bo and Scratch find themselves fighting tooth and nail. With loads of action and fun, this series will keep you on your toes just like Bo and Scratch. I love how the characters come together in the story to support and care for one another. I plan to go back to read Book 1 in the series and look forward to the next. William Johnstone and authors always deliver great books with wonderful story lines and mounds of history tied up together. I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.
January 27, 2022
I didn't realized until I was halfway through, that this is book #2 in a series. I never read the first book in the series, but I don't feel like I missed anything. It all still made sense, so I would say that this one can stand alone. It was a quick, easy read. I enjoyed it. The characters weren't well developed and the relationships weren't deep, but it had a lot of action. It reminded me a lot of the movie Tombstone, but maybe just because it was a western, and I've never read one before this. It was okay.
July 23, 2022
Any western written by the Johnstones will be a good one, you can count on it. This is episode 2 in the life and times of two of the most entertaining characters in the Johnstone library of memorable characters. Bo and Scratch have escorted five mail order brides to a mining town where they haven"t seen women in awhile. The story is complicated by the usual villians and would be rabble rousers but our duo is more than a match for them. I always love Joohnstone books and would recommend them even to those who just think they don't like westerns.
November 29, 2020
I recently read The Shotgun Wedding, the latest book in the Have brides, will travel series from William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone. Once again we get to follow Bo Creel and Scratch Morton and their troubles with a group of mail order brides. This is a great new way to do a western series and it's filled with both action and humor. Oh, and gunfights of course. I really enjoy this series and must thank#Netgalley #Pinnacle and #kensingtonBooks for giving it to me.
February 28, 2021
This book has plenty of subplots to ride along with the main theme of the book. Keeping 5 mail order brides safe In 19th century New Mexico is a tall task. Especially when the 19th century brides think like 21st century women.
March 1, 2022
Fun
Shotgun Wedding is a fun book with likable characters. Some of the sub-plots are overly simple but very well told. The first two books were good enough for me to complete the series.
Shotgun Wedding is a fun book with likable characters. Some of the sub-plots are overly simple but very well told. The first two books were good enough for me to complete the series.
May 25, 2022
It's a good read
I really enjoyed reading this book. Just when I thought Johnstone's books couldn't get any better, here another one to prove that thought wrong. This book was hard to put down. So much action in almost every page. I would recommend this book to everyone.
I really enjoyed reading this book. Just when I thought Johnstone's books couldn't get any better, here another one to prove that thought wrong. This book was hard to put down. So much action in almost every page. I would recommend this book to everyone.
September 22, 2022
I really enjoyed this western based story. I could picture the places and the characters easily. When you have two men who will do whatever it takes to take care of people and keep them safe...what could go wrong?
August 18, 2020
Well worth the time.
December 5, 2020
No and Scratch get themselves into more skirmishes and battles protecting the mail order brides they are in charge of that they brought to Silverhill.
March 24, 2021
William W Johnstone's The Shotgun Wedding is another reason why I love reading his books. I am giving it five stars.
April 14, 2021
Murder, kidnappings, bad guys, bullets flying, and weddings! Action packed girls! What more could a woman want? I liked it even though they were a bit more forgiving than I would have been.
June 12, 2021
A Fun Read
Awesome adventure, great action packed and it is definitely a must read with very lovable characters in it. It was a fun ride to read.
Awesome adventure, great action packed and it is definitely a must read with very lovable characters in it. It was a fun ride to read.
January 22, 2022
A great read
A great read by my favorite author William W Johnstone, The greatest western fiction writer I have ever read, Awesome!
A great read by my favorite author William W Johnstone, The greatest western fiction writer I have ever read, Awesome!
March 26, 2022
This was a fun book with a nice twist on the Traditional Western. I can't wait to read the next one.
April 25, 2022
A couple of the later chapters could have been left out.
July 31, 2022
Absolutely loved this story!
August 14, 2024
A fast-paced western with two older cowboys as the heroes. I enjoyed the whole book.
September 29, 2025
it was a fun read
November 22, 2020
#WilliamWJohnstone and #JAJohnstone book #TheShotgunWedding is a fast pace action book in the Wild West of New Mexico, where no one is really who they seem to be.
The mail order brides arrive safely due to the men hired to escort them to their destination, but once they arrive problems at their destination start to unravel quickly, and what everyone thinks is the truth, quickly becomes a game of chance, or more accurately, a game of roulette, and even the new brides still need protection from what is going on.
Mr. Johnstone Sr. and his nephew, Mr. Johnstone, are a power team when it comes to collaborating, and you have to read their work to believe it! If you haven't read a book this dynamic dua, I highly suggest you read The Shotgun Wedding. You won't be disappointed.
The mail order brides arrive safely due to the men hired to escort them to their destination, but once they arrive problems at their destination start to unravel quickly, and what everyone thinks is the truth, quickly becomes a game of chance, or more accurately, a game of roulette, and even the new brides still need protection from what is going on.
Mr. Johnstone Sr. and his nephew, Mr. Johnstone, are a power team when it comes to collaborating, and you have to read their work to believe it! If you haven't read a book this dynamic dua, I highly suggest you read The Shotgun Wedding. You won't be disappointed.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews