Whitney Smith always knew her aunt and uncle didn’t love her. It’s no surprise when she learns they sold her to Sheldon Walker to pay off their gambling debts. Adventure tells her to answer an ad from a sheriff in Montana looking for a wife in time for Christmas. Desperation tells her to steal the mans’ address and flee on the next train, not caring that he’s not exactly expecting her.
Sheriff Clark Holden doesn’t wish to spend another holiday alone. Although no one has responded to his ad just yet, he’s hopeful someone will soon. What he doesn’t expect is for one of those ladies to show up, knocking on his door. Instinct says she’s on the run, and he can’t help but want her to stay.
Along with her new life starting in Montana, Whitney distracts herself with their wedding plans and preparing for their first Christmas together. She’s forgotten all about the deal her family made. When a storm rolls in, trapping Whitney and Clark in his mountain cabin, she believes it’s a blessing. Snow and ice are no match for Sheldon Walker, however, who has come looking for her. And has found her.
Can Clark protect Whitney from the man threatening to take her away or will Sheldon take back the woman he paid for?
Check out the other fabulous stories in the Mail Order Brides' First Christmas Series!
Welcome to my little corner of the internet! So who am I? Well, it’s quite simple actually. Of course, first and foremost, I’m a wife and mother. However, along with those two hats, I’m also a Sweet Historical and Contemporary Romance author who writes in her fuzzy pants and loves her horses and her cats!
Love historical romance? Well, then strap on those petticoats, travel back in time, and go on adventures with my sweet Historical Romances. Not feeling historical today? I have a few sweet Contemporary Romances, too!
And if you are looking for something with a little more heat (not too much, but more smooching and some fade-to-black scenes), then check out my titles written under the name Angela Christina Archer
When Whitney snuck out the window with her pet chicken, I knew I was in for a read that I couldn't put down. This book was fun and the author did an excellent job of weaving in elements of danger and surprise. I am definitely glad I read A Christmas Wreath for Whitney.
This is an OK mail-order bride romance, with likable characters, but I did have a few issues with it. It gets 3 stars from me.
First, it was just too short to have enough character development. I wanted more backstory on both Whitney and Clayton.
Whitney was likeable enough, but I thought the part about her escaping with her pet chicken was kind of silly. She was running from a forced marriage to a terrible man, so I didn't think she would have bothered to take along a chicken. I also thought her escape and then conveniently finding a couple that helped her was just too easy, and not very believable.
Whitney's decision to just show up at Clayton's house was a bit odd, too. I get that she was desperate, but I didn't think Clayton would have let her stay like he did. For one thing, most people in the town would have thought poorly of a single woman staying in a man's house before they got married.
Clayton was likeable, and I loved that he was willing to help Whitney, even when he wasn't sure yet if he wanted to marry her. I also liked how he protected her from the forced marriage, and how they seemed to be really good for each other.
This is a clean romance, with nothing but kisses. If you only want to read romances that do not include sex scenes, this one might work for you.
My rating system is below. 1 star -- Hated it, or did not finish. I usually only give this rating if some of the content is truly objectionable to me, like if one of the main characters does something really awful, and gets away with it. 2 stars -- Didn't like it. This rating usually means that I thought the writing wasn't very good, the editing was terrible, I didn't like the characters, or it had other major flaws. 3 stars -- I liked it, but had some minor issues with it. This rating means that there were minor editing issues, the story needed more character development, it was just too unrealistic, or had some other fairly minor issue. The majority of books I read get this rating – I do not consider it a bad rating. 4 stars -- I liked it a lot. This is a high rating for me, and I rarely give a higher one. 5 stars -- I loved it, and will probably read it again. Very few books are good enough to get this rating from me. The ones that do are usually classics.
In A Christmas Wreath for Whitney by London James, Whitney Smith overcomes numerous obstacles to make a new life far from her neglectful aunt and uncle, who have sold her to pay their gambling debt. Sheriff Clayton McClain wants a wife, and if the townspeople have anything to say about it, he’ll soon be married off to one of their nieces—which is just what he doesn’t want. Whitney runs away from the abusive man her aunt and uncle sold her to and finds her way to Clayton’s doorstep. The characters in this novella are engaging and well-written. I enjoyed being immersed in their lives and their blossoming romance. If you like sweet mail order bride romances, then I highly recommend this book!
This is mail order bride tale that starts out with a betrayal by Whitney’s aunt and uncle. She slips out her bedroom wind to make her way to the train and away from a forced marriage to an evil man. She attempts to sneak onto the train but is caught , only to be rescued by a marriage broker and his wife. The wife gives Whitney a name and location of one of her husbands clients so she can successfully escape. She knocks on the prospective groom’s door and tells him she is his bride from the agent. You will enjoy discovering how Clayton and Whitney find their happily ever after.
This was a very good book to read. The book is well written by London James and very enjoyable. Whitney is not a mail order bride but a mail order agent is what saved her. Clayton, a sheriff looking for a bride. The towns we on folk feel he needs a bride. So Clayton requests a bride from an marriage agent knowing he would have time to write and make up his mind later. Whitney is running away from many different things, into the arms of the sheriff. Will he save her? Need to read.
This was a sweet (clean) enjoyable holiday historical romance. When Whitney discovers her aunt and uncle intend to trade her to an abusive man to settle their gambling debts, she hops a train and runs away to Montana--with her pet chicken! She becomes the "mail order bride" to the local sheriff. I enjoyed this story for its likable characters who liked each other from the start. At times A Christmas Wreath seemed a little too modern for a historical, but I still enjoyed the story. The chicken was a fun, quirky twist.
Whitney has had tragedy in her life from the loss of her parents and the way her aunt and uncle have raised her over the years. Whitney sees the last straw when her aunt and uncle loss at gambling again and this time they give her away to clear their debt. Whitney wants no part of the man who she was given to so she runs. I found this an incredibly sweet story of strength and determination mixed with hope. When Whitney shows up on the doorstep of Sheriff Clayton McClain she hopes he lets her stay. What a great holiday love story!
A Christmas Wreath for Whitney is pure joy and will get you in the Christmas spirit. Whitney sneaks out of the house she shares with her Aunt and Uncle. They have done the unthinkable and she is not staying around to let it happen. With little funds, she must get away. She is helped by a couple on the train and she arrives in Butte Creek and finds Clayton. Will he be the answer to her dreams this Christmas?
I don’t know why I’m still surprised when a family member thinks they have the right to “sell” someone, usually a female, for a debt they owe. I love that Clayton wants a bride but is surprised when one just shows up with a pet chicken. This story has romance but also humor, danger and a few twists and turns. I loved it.
Whitney has lived a tragic life with her aunt and uncle. It seemed things couldn’t get worse until she learns they have sold her. Clayton is a small town sheriff who wants to find his own bride not one the ladies in town pick for him. What will he do when a mail order bride shows up at his door with her pet chicken?
This was such a sweet story. The characters were well developed and the storyline was great. It kept me turning pages until the end. This is the first book I have read by London James, but it won't be the last. I highly recommend this book and series.
Sheldon Walker finally got his due but not until he terrorized Whitney.
Whitney's aunt and uncle should be in jail for making a deal with the "devil". Thankfully she had the courage to escape and get out of town. Also getting on that train and meeting with the marriage broker and his wife led her to her future husband.
This is a good and fast pace mail order bride story. It has elements of danger and romance. Whitney has to run away because her aunt and uncle have sold her to a horrible man. Sheriff Clayton McClain is looking for a bride so the town matchmaker’s will leave him alone. Will Whitney be the one he chooses?
I love that Whitney and Clayton find each other, they are very sweet together, both understanding what the other needs with no judgement. It is lovely to see Whitney find safety and to once again have hope. I read this on Kindle Unlimited .
Whitney is promised to someone else thanks to her Aunt and Uncle, so she up and leaves. She ends up far from home and seeking refuge with a man she doesn't know but he is seeking a wife only he expected her to write. Can they get everything straight?
This story had a lot of twists and turns to it! A surprise Christmas wife! A despicable treacherous man hunting her! A great twist to this storyline and a sweet romance!
This story is about a young lady who ran from a life she didn't want. Along the way she met someone who would lead her to her forever life. He is a sheriff who wants to share his life.
Whitney’s aunt and uncle sold her to pay off their gambling debts. Whitney escapes to become a mail order bride. This is a very good story and I highly recommend it!
I really enjoyed this book very much . A CHRISTMAS WREATH FOR WHITNEY , MAIL ORDER BRIDES FIRST CHRISTMAS BOOK 6 BY LONDON JAMES . I recommend teens and up .