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A Reluctant Bride for a Heartbroken Rancher
Mercy grew up an orphan. But her life wasn’t bad and at least she has her sisters. They aren’t blood but they’re family. When they lose their lodgings, Mercy isn’t sure what to do. When she loses her job immediately after, she knows she’s going to have to come up with a plan — and quick. She never thought she’d become a mail order bride but desperate times call for desperate measures.
Cap McKenney has to get married. It’s the only chance he has to save their family ranch. Problem is, the woman he wants to marry, spurned him and marrying anyone else is unthinkable. Cap’s in a tight spot. The only choice he has is to find a nice mail order bride, get married, save the ranch, and spend the rest of his life nursing a broken heart.
So Mercy and Cap get married, having no other choice except to join their lives together. But all is not well in paradise and neither of them is sure if their fragile union is going to survive.
Then a band of outlaws rustles almost all their cattle. With the danger of losing the ranch hanging over them, Mercy and Cap will need to work together and summon all their courage because they are going to do something that no one has ever done. They’re going to get their cattle back.
Will they, and their precarious new feelings for each other, survive taking on a band of dangerous outlaws? Or will they both lose everything they hold dear?
Cap McKenney has to get married. It’s the only chance he has to save their family ranch. Problem is, the woman he wants to marry, spurned him and marrying anyone else is unthinkable. Cap’s in a tight spot. The only choice he has is to find a nice mail order bride, get married, save the ranch, and spend the rest of his life nursing a broken heart.
So Mercy and Cap get married, having no other choice except to join their lives together. But all is not well in paradise and neither of them is sure if their fragile union is going to survive.
Then a band of outlaws rustles almost all their cattle. With the danger of losing the ranch hanging over them, Mercy and Cap will need to work together and summon all their courage because they are going to do something that no one has ever done. They’re going to get their cattle back.
Will they, and their precarious new feelings for each other, survive taking on a band of dangerous outlaws? Or will they both lose everything they hold dear?
538 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 17, 2020
417 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
Evelyn Boyett
53 books32 followersEvelyn Boyett grew up on a farm outside Topeka, Kansas. Evelyn spent most of her youth climbing trees, riding horses, swimming and fishing in her daddy's pond.
When Evelyn wasn't reveling in the great outdoors she enjoyed watching Black Spurs and Gunfight at Comanche Creek at her grandmother's house.
Evelyn married her childhood sweetheart Spencer Boyett right out of high school. After majoring in English Lit at the University of Chicago, Evelyn came back home to Kansas and had two adorable children.
Evelyn enjoys sitting in a lawn chair with a glass of peach tea, penning her latest novel while her boys play rousing games of Cowboys and Indians.
She currently lives outside of Lenexa, Kansas and still enjoys watching old Deforest Kelley films in her spare time.
When Evelyn wasn't reveling in the great outdoors she enjoyed watching Black Spurs and Gunfight at Comanche Creek at her grandmother's house.
Evelyn married her childhood sweetheart Spencer Boyett right out of high school. After majoring in English Lit at the University of Chicago, Evelyn came back home to Kansas and had two adorable children.
Evelyn enjoys sitting in a lawn chair with a glass of peach tea, penning her latest novel while her boys play rousing games of Cowboys and Indians.
She currently lives outside of Lenexa, Kansas and still enjoys watching old Deforest Kelley films in her spare time.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 16, 2020
Love the heroine in this story
A nun in the heat of the Boston fire hears a baby crying. She finds the infant in her dead mother's arms and rescues her just as another fiery wooden beam threatens them both. When she gets back, the convent is gone & the nuns are in makeshift quarters...with a group of infants, all female. They determine not just to rebuild, but to rebuild as an orphanage to care for, educate, and train the girls.
When the story resumes, the 5 who were the original girls are adults, living in rented rooms. They made themselves blood sisters. One is an engineer. One works in one of the death trap textile mills. She's frail and they have nearly lost her before. Another was scarred by a falling junknof debris from the fire. She has a scar but it's along the hairline, able to be hidden by arranging jer jaor. It eats away at her, eroding her confidence. Another dpes seamstress work. Another has an office job. Amd Mercy works at a farm, where she is treated like family, amd learned to deal with the animals in all aspects, repair things, and shoot...and she has her sisters come to the farm to learn to ride a horse, shoot, and tend to crops and animals. She had a yoing man she had been seeing, and she thought theynwere getting along well, then he suddenly left, leaving no word.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch - the one where her young man and hos brothers lived, Mercy's beau is heartbroken. He had to leave suddenly, and he left her a note explaonimg and asking her to consider writing to him, and she never did. This has left him heartbroken. Then his grandpa tells them he has put a stipulation into his will that his 3 grandsons either marry within the year, or the ranch will go to their cousin, who is a world class creep. Grandpa has set up a mail order bride soet of arrangement except it's more an agency than just ads. More protection for the women amd the men. Granpdpa has enrolled all 3 of the boys in the agency and suggests they pick up any letters when they're in town. Since there are 3 men for every woman in the West, it's a bit untamed, and Grandpa wants to get it tamed. None of the boys wants to marry, but none of them want their nasty cousin to inherit.
Meanwhile, the girl in the textile factory breaks her arm and loses her job; the one with the scar is marrying a leech; the engineer has a chance at a better job with the railroad; then, back to back, their landlord tells them je sold the house because his family out west needs him and they have a week to find a new place; and Mercy's farm job is over when the farmer has a stroke that will require prolonged rehab, and they sell the farm. She gets home with her news and her seamstress sister tells her about the matrimonial agency. The engineer and the onenwoth the scar won't go and Mercy doesn't want to, but the seamstress points out that they have to save their frail sister from the textile mills.
It turns out that the man who was matched to the frail sister is a lech and doesn't want her...and Mercy gives him a piece of her mind on the street...to the agreement of most of the citizenry around them. The clerk says he has an idea, and introduces the frail sister to the bashful town doctor. They hit it off and get married. Charity's fiance has become unavailable. And Mercy gets married...her sister lives in a boarding house and hunts (finds) a job as a seamstress, and ends up living in the main house, renting a room.
There have been rustlers around, and they have some way to hide a thousand head of cattle wjere no one can find them. Mercy's marriage gets complicated...the ranch's cattle are in danger...and Mercy shows her mettle. Repeatedly.
The author generally has good story lines. This book has fewer grammatical errors, so whoever proofread this wasn't as bad as whoever proofread every other book I've read from this author so far. There are fewer improperly used homophones as well.
But the main character, Mercy, is THE most awesome main character this author has ever created IMO. All of them are good, but Mercy is best.
This could easily be extended to follow the other 4 girls as well. Tell the story of the one who married the doctor...the one whose fiance had left before she got there... the eone with the scar that thinks so little of herself, and the engineer. And I'd like to see what happens to Solomon, the baby brother on the ranch who has just graduated college...the one still living with Mercy who seems to have captured a lawman's heart...even the boys' widowed mother who has hinted at being courted. The characters the author has created are that memorable.
A nun in the heat of the Boston fire hears a baby crying. She finds the infant in her dead mother's arms and rescues her just as another fiery wooden beam threatens them both. When she gets back, the convent is gone & the nuns are in makeshift quarters...with a group of infants, all female. They determine not just to rebuild, but to rebuild as an orphanage to care for, educate, and train the girls.
When the story resumes, the 5 who were the original girls are adults, living in rented rooms. They made themselves blood sisters. One is an engineer. One works in one of the death trap textile mills. She's frail and they have nearly lost her before. Another was scarred by a falling junknof debris from the fire. She has a scar but it's along the hairline, able to be hidden by arranging jer jaor. It eats away at her, eroding her confidence. Another dpes seamstress work. Another has an office job. Amd Mercy works at a farm, where she is treated like family, amd learned to deal with the animals in all aspects, repair things, and shoot...and she has her sisters come to the farm to learn to ride a horse, shoot, and tend to crops and animals. She had a yoing man she had been seeing, and she thought theynwere getting along well, then he suddenly left, leaving no word.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch - the one where her young man and hos brothers lived, Mercy's beau is heartbroken. He had to leave suddenly, and he left her a note explaonimg and asking her to consider writing to him, and she never did. This has left him heartbroken. Then his grandpa tells them he has put a stipulation into his will that his 3 grandsons either marry within the year, or the ranch will go to their cousin, who is a world class creep. Grandpa has set up a mail order bride soet of arrangement except it's more an agency than just ads. More protection for the women amd the men. Granpdpa has enrolled all 3 of the boys in the agency and suggests they pick up any letters when they're in town. Since there are 3 men for every woman in the West, it's a bit untamed, and Grandpa wants to get it tamed. None of the boys wants to marry, but none of them want their nasty cousin to inherit.
Meanwhile, the girl in the textile factory breaks her arm and loses her job; the one with the scar is marrying a leech; the engineer has a chance at a better job with the railroad; then, back to back, their landlord tells them je sold the house because his family out west needs him and they have a week to find a new place; and Mercy's farm job is over when the farmer has a stroke that will require prolonged rehab, and they sell the farm. She gets home with her news and her seamstress sister tells her about the matrimonial agency. The engineer and the onenwoth the scar won't go and Mercy doesn't want to, but the seamstress points out that they have to save their frail sister from the textile mills.
It turns out that the man who was matched to the frail sister is a lech and doesn't want her...and Mercy gives him a piece of her mind on the street...to the agreement of most of the citizenry around them. The clerk says he has an idea, and introduces the frail sister to the bashful town doctor. They hit it off and get married. Charity's fiance has become unavailable. And Mercy gets married...her sister lives in a boarding house and hunts (finds) a job as a seamstress, and ends up living in the main house, renting a room.
There have been rustlers around, and they have some way to hide a thousand head of cattle wjere no one can find them. Mercy's marriage gets complicated...the ranch's cattle are in danger...and Mercy shows her mettle. Repeatedly.
The author generally has good story lines. This book has fewer grammatical errors, so whoever proofread this wasn't as bad as whoever proofread every other book I've read from this author so far. There are fewer improperly used homophones as well.
But the main character, Mercy, is THE most awesome main character this author has ever created IMO. All of them are good, but Mercy is best.
This could easily be extended to follow the other 4 girls as well. Tell the story of the one who married the doctor...the one whose fiance had left before she got there... the eone with the scar that thinks so little of herself, and the engineer. And I'd like to see what happens to Solomon, the baby brother on the ranch who has just graduated college...the one still living with Mercy who seems to have captured a lawman's heart...even the boys' widowed mother who has hinted at being courted. The characters the author has created are that memorable.
May 5, 2020
Grandpa just wanted to right the Great Imbalance
This story was delightfully different. A baby is found during a fire in Boston by a nun who takes her back to the convent. The nuns ended up taking in 4 more girls, all orphans. They named them Hope, Joy, Charity, Prudence and Mercy. They grew up close as sisters and when they were of age they all moved into an apartment together. All went well until their landlord came one evening and said he was moving to Missouri for family reasons and had sold their home. They had a week to find another place. Then Mercy and Charity lost their jobs and Prudence, the sickly one, had an accident at the textile factory where she worked and broke her arm. Mercy was adamant the the factory was going to be the death of Prudence yet. What were they going to do?
Cap McKenney and his 2 brothers grew up on their Grandparents' ranch with their mother. His Grandpa had always said that the way to tame the "Wild West" was to get more women to live there so he started a mail-order bride business which proved to be a success. His grandsons however were still unmarried. He called Cap and Zach into his study to tell them he'd changed his will. (Solomon was away getting a degree in engineering.) They were told that they would only inherit the ranch if they both found wives; they had a year to do it in. If they didn't, he would give the ranch to his other grandson Lovett. They were incredulous and angry. They neither one liked their cousin and thought it was unfair; they didn't want to get married but couldn't let Lovett take it.
His Grandpa continued that he had taken the liberty of placing an ad for them in the Matrimonial Times and had gotten several replies; all they had to do was pick one! In the meantime, Charity had talked Mercy and Prudence into becoming mail-order brides. Hope had a very good job and Joy was betrothed so they stayed in Boston. What were the odds?
The storyline continues with hope, surprises, misunderstandings, and betrayal. Will the ranch be lost to cattle rustlers? Can love survive the suspicions on both sides? There's an extended epilog that was good but could have been a little longer. What happened with Hope and Joy?
This story was delightfully different. A baby is found during a fire in Boston by a nun who takes her back to the convent. The nuns ended up taking in 4 more girls, all orphans. They named them Hope, Joy, Charity, Prudence and Mercy. They grew up close as sisters and when they were of age they all moved into an apartment together. All went well until their landlord came one evening and said he was moving to Missouri for family reasons and had sold their home. They had a week to find another place. Then Mercy and Charity lost their jobs and Prudence, the sickly one, had an accident at the textile factory where she worked and broke her arm. Mercy was adamant the the factory was going to be the death of Prudence yet. What were they going to do?
Cap McKenney and his 2 brothers grew up on their Grandparents' ranch with their mother. His Grandpa had always said that the way to tame the "Wild West" was to get more women to live there so he started a mail-order bride business which proved to be a success. His grandsons however were still unmarried. He called Cap and Zach into his study to tell them he'd changed his will. (Solomon was away getting a degree in engineering.) They were told that they would only inherit the ranch if they both found wives; they had a year to do it in. If they didn't, he would give the ranch to his other grandson Lovett. They were incredulous and angry. They neither one liked their cousin and thought it was unfair; they didn't want to get married but couldn't let Lovett take it.
His Grandpa continued that he had taken the liberty of placing an ad for them in the Matrimonial Times and had gotten several replies; all they had to do was pick one! In the meantime, Charity had talked Mercy and Prudence into becoming mail-order brides. Hope had a very good job and Joy was betrothed so they stayed in Boston. What were the odds?
The storyline continues with hope, surprises, misunderstandings, and betrayal. Will the ranch be lost to cattle rustlers? Can love survive the suspicions on both sides? There's an extended epilog that was good but could have been a little longer. What happened with Hope and Joy?
May 14, 2020
A Boston Orphan and a Rancher visiting from the West
Mercy and Cal knew each other by those names and due to him leaving so suddenly, they lost touch with each other. Cal had left a letter for her that she never received, thus when he never heard from her, he thought she never cared about him as much as he did her.
When his grandfather makes it a stipulation for him and his brothers to inherit the ranch that they had to marry within a year, Cal decides to use the mail-order service that his grandfather had devised to find himself a wife.
Mercy and two of her "sisters" decide to change their circumstances by applying as mail-order brides to prevent falling into desperate circumstances like that of the woman that Mercy saved from freezing to death.
Unbeknownst to Mercy and Cal, fate steps in bringing them together. Things get rocky between the two when she overhears a conversation between his grandfather and the lawyer and she believes he married her as a convenience to save his inheritance. When the majority of the cattle are rustled, the two work together to try to solve the disappearance of the cattle and figure out how to get them back to prevent foreclosure on the ranch.
Mercy and Cal knew each other by those names and due to him leaving so suddenly, they lost touch with each other. Cal had left a letter for her that she never received, thus when he never heard from her, he thought she never cared about him as much as he did her.
When his grandfather makes it a stipulation for him and his brothers to inherit the ranch that they had to marry within a year, Cal decides to use the mail-order service that his grandfather had devised to find himself a wife.
Mercy and two of her "sisters" decide to change their circumstances by applying as mail-order brides to prevent falling into desperate circumstances like that of the woman that Mercy saved from freezing to death.
Unbeknownst to Mercy and Cal, fate steps in bringing them together. Things get rocky between the two when she overhears a conversation between his grandfather and the lawyer and she believes he married her as a convenience to save his inheritance. When the majority of the cattle are rustled, the two work together to try to solve the disappearance of the cattle and figure out how to get them back to prevent foreclosure on the ranch.
April 26, 2020
What a delightfully clean and wholesome story. A Reluctant Bride for a Heartbroken Rancher brings the Wild West to life with outlaws, turmoil, violence and a villainous snake in the grass in the town of Twin Bridges. Evelyn Boyett's cast of characters are believable, easy to relate to, a strong plot, remarkable emotions, with setting descriptions and action sequences are wonderfully vivid which brings this read together perfectly and will keep you captivated from the moment you begin the journey with Cap and Mercy until the very end! Mercy and two of her sisters of her heart leave Boston as mail order brides because of unavoidable circumstances in Boston. Cap needs to marry to save a inheritance from his cousin. Cap and Mercy come together in a web of misunderstandings and insecurities they soon find their feelings growing for one another in this action-packed story full of drama, greed, family love, chaos, forgiveness and while the suspense builds, tensions escalate and all twist and turns abound that makes for one outstanding story!
April 28, 2020
Great story!!
This was another great read by Evelyn Boyett!! It's hard to put down after you get into the book . The way that Mercy and her 'sisters' looked out for each other was a good thing in the story. The way that Cap and Mercy were confused about what was going on with each other kept it interesting to what was going to happen next. Can't wait for the book by this author.
This was another great read by Evelyn Boyett!! It's hard to put down after you get into the book . The way that Mercy and her 'sisters' looked out for each other was a good thing in the story. The way that Cap and Mercy were confused about what was going on with each other kept it interesting to what was going to happen next. Can't wait for the book by this author.
May 27, 2020
Mercy decides that when life started to get difficult she would become a mail order bride with a few of her sisters. She's not sure if she can get over her first love but she heads to the west to get married to save her sister Prudence from working in a factory. When she shows up at the mail order bride company she meets her future husband Cap McKenney. Well written early romance with some twists and turns to keep you flipping pages!
July 8, 2021
Mercy was found in a fire in Boston as a baby, along with four other babies and now they are grown and consider themselves sisters. Mercy and Cap are married after she answers his ad for a bride. Things are really tough as they try to figure out their lives together. The ranch is already in trouble, but rustlers come and steal their cows...they will go and try to retrieve them even though it is very dangerous. It could cost them their lives! What will happen?
April 29, 2020
Communication is the key!
A good marriage is impossible without good communication. These two met in Boston and when he has to leave he leaves her a message which she never gets. So both of them think the other doesn’t love them when they find themselves each other’s mail order spouse! Fun read.
A good marriage is impossible without good communication. These two met in Boston and when he has to leave he leaves her a message which she never gets. So both of them think the other doesn’t love them when they find themselves each other’s mail order spouse! Fun read.
February 4, 2021
A Western Romance
I'm delighted that I hung on and continued to read Evelyn Boyett!
Another great story with very few errors!
Another continuation of the 5 orphaned sisters that made a blood pact to always be sisters.
Mercy and Cap work as hard not being in love. But their Providence had plans.
Pick this book! Read this book.
Thanks Evelyn Boyett!
I'm delighted that I hung on and continued to read Evelyn Boyett!
Another great story with very few errors!
Another continuation of the 5 orphaned sisters that made a blood pact to always be sisters.
Mercy and Cap work as hard not being in love. But their Providence had plans.
Pick this book! Read this book.
Thanks Evelyn Boyett!
April 24, 2020
A Great Western Romance
This book is so interesting and enjoyable that I can highly recommend it to be read. The author, one of my favorites, did not disappoint. The story is intriguing, realistic and romantic all at the same time.
This book is so interesting and enjoyable that I can highly recommend it to be read. The author, one of my favorites, did not disappoint. The story is intriguing, realistic and romantic all at the same time.
September 22, 2021
An Exciting Story
I loved this book, it was full of misunderstandings, adventure and love. Characters were authentic, and the plot was full of danger and excitement. It was a very emotional read.
I loved this book, it was full of misunderstandings, adventure and love. Characters were authentic, and the plot was full of danger and excitement. It was a very emotional read.
April 24, 2020
This was much better than expected.
July 19, 2020
Nice read!
Good story and great characters. Enjoyed the main female character, Mercy. The content of story was good but a little to much romantic conflict between main characters.
Good story and great characters. Enjoyed the main female character, Mercy. The content of story was good but a little to much romantic conflict between main characters.
February 25, 2021
A Reluctant Bride for a Heartbroken Rancher
This was an amazing story of a child rescued from a burning building. Later to become a willing bride for a rancher. From birth to being an adult and finding true love. Enjoy her journey.
This was an amazing story of a child rescued from a burning building. Later to become a willing bride for a rancher. From birth to being an adult and finding true love. Enjoy her journey.
August 7, 2022
I'm loving this series! Have read book about Charity's and Hope's adventure and loved them as well. Does anyone know if Zach, Prop and Joy have books written yet?
May 6, 2020
Unexpected
Good characters and some unexpected happenings keep you reading. This nice romance keeps you reading even when you are tired. Had to get to the end.
Good characters and some unexpected happenings keep you reading. This nice romance keeps you reading even when you are tired. Had to get to the end.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews