Carter's Reluctant Bride

by Cassidy West

When a tornado tears through town, flattening the house of the new veterinarian, she turns to the only person she can trust. A marriage of convenience is on the table, but will it tear two best friends apart? Carter Duncan has moved back to his family's ranch after suffering a string of losses, including burying both of his parents and being left at the altar. All he wants to do is get his hands dirty at the ranch with his three brothers. Love, even with the sweet vet, isn't something that he's considering. He's too busy rebuilding his relationship with God to worry about a relationship with a woman. Jessie White has run from her past and found a place to live in Littleneck, Texas, but it doesn't feel like home. When her past comes back to haunt her, she needs someone in her corner she can depend on. She loves taking care of her animal patients, but needs to learn to let someone take care of her if she's going to be able to stay in Texas. She's too stubborn to just accept Carter's offer of money, but everything is shared in a marriage -- even a family's fortune. Will their marriage of convenience blossom into the love that they both deserve?

185 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 28, 2020

Reviews

[MaryEllen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overtly Christian, slow start romance with great characters and a lot of emotion.

This one didn't grab me right away. The characters are getting to know each other, we're getting to know them, and there's not too much to grab on to.

Until there is.

The trouble all seemed realistic and so did the way they all handled things... if you're stubborn. Not sure if this is the kind of town I'd want to raise my kids in based on the women there. Although the local men were all portrayed as honorable.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Christian Contemporary Romance book one in the A Duncan Ranch Novel series a well written story with a good storyline. I enjoyed reading rancher Carter Duncan and veterinarian Jessie White's story there is a very nasty man that makes trouble for them. This is a new Author to me and it looks like this is her debut book. I will be watching for more by her. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Niki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book and story, Carter and Jessie have both been hurt before however they become great friends. When she faces trouble all he wants to do is protect her and take care of her. The problem is she is very independent and he has to get thought he walls she has built around her heart.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Harmony · Rating 1 out of 5]

Because I suspect that this is a debut novel, I'm going to be as kind as possible and not leave an actual star rating. Since I tend to leave wordy reviews, there will be a short version and a longer version hidden under a spoiler tag. Actual spoilers might be included in the longer version.

Short version: The description of this book is inaccurate, it's almost a bait-and-switch. I only made it to 10% of the book before I gave up. So keep that in mind while reading the longer version. The story and characters might get better, I just don't have the patience today for it. I have no idea if this is a clean, Christian romance.

Longer version:

In the description of the book, we are told that this is a story about two best friends that enter into a marriage of convenience due to a tornado. That is not what happens! The two main characters don't even know each other! Also, there wasn't a tornado, it was a regular old thunderstorm that knocked a tree over on her house. The beginning of this book is slow, oh my goodness so slow. Yet, the author managed to throw in some God talking in the very opening pages. Stilted, awkward, misplaced God talking. It doesn't get any better from there.

Carter is emotionally-stunted and a man-child. Yes, that screamed off the pages in the very 5% of the book. I've had it up to my eyeballs with characters like this. Why must practically every single male character in romances be like this? Why are they all damaged goods? Come on, break out of this mold and give us some good strong men to swoon over. Carter read like he's in his late teens. Immature, childish, I didn't like him.

Yes, I'm aware that I barely gave this book a chance. I've read so many books that I can usually tell in the first 10% (although I try to force myself to get to 40% before I give up), if I'm going to like a book. I read two books a day, sometimes three because of COVID and having to watch my child doing school so "they" don't get distracted. So, I know what I like and don't like. I didn't like this book, I didn't like Carter, and I didn't like the style of writing.

The writing in the book is stilted and sophomoric. It is also boring and repetitive. The author repeats the same information from one paragraph to the next by rewording it to increase the word count (I suspect). Otherwise, she thinks that the reader has already forgotten what was written a paragraph above.

Sorry.

I wish this new author (I suspect new because looking at Amazon this is the only book available other than one that hasn't been released yet) all the luck in the world. I hope that their writing improves as they write more books. In an effort to be kind and respect for somebody who wrote a book, I am not leaving a star review and I'm hiding the worst of my review under a spoiler.



I feel bad leaving a 1-star rating. However, according to the Good Reads rating system that means I don't like the book. Since I didn't like it enough to finish it? Anyways, others love it so give it a try. This is just my opinion.