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The Flat River Matchmaker #2
The Stable Master's Bride
A woman needing a home; a man needing a mother for his children and a marriage of convenience that is nothing like they imagined.
Hannah Woods has lost everything. Left with only two choices, get married or become a soiled dove, she jumps at the chance for an arranged marriage. It won’t matter that she has no affection for her groom; she doesn’t want to be left alone. She wasn’t prepared for Hiram King and his two adorable charges.
Hiram King has no intention of getting married again, but his two daughters need a mother, and his deceased wife’s sister is pressuring him to turn the girls over to her to raise. When a local matchmaker offers to find him a wife, he has one condition—it will be strictly a business arrangement.
Can Hiram fight his growing attraction to Hannah? When tragedy strikes can Hannah find the courage to fight for her new family? What happens when Hiram starts to fall in love with his new wife—is it enough to make a marriage of convenience very real?
Find out in this small-town historical romance with a touch of faith.
The Flat River Matchmaker series features characters you know from Christine's popular series, The Chapmans. Each book in this series is a stand-alone and can be read in any order.
Hannah Woods has lost everything. Left with only two choices, get married or become a soiled dove, she jumps at the chance for an arranged marriage. It won’t matter that she has no affection for her groom; she doesn’t want to be left alone. She wasn’t prepared for Hiram King and his two adorable charges.
Hiram King has no intention of getting married again, but his two daughters need a mother, and his deceased wife’s sister is pressuring him to turn the girls over to her to raise. When a local matchmaker offers to find him a wife, he has one condition—it will be strictly a business arrangement.
Can Hiram fight his growing attraction to Hannah? When tragedy strikes can Hannah find the courage to fight for her new family? What happens when Hiram starts to fall in love with his new wife—is it enough to make a marriage of convenience very real?
Find out in this small-town historical romance with a touch of faith.
The Flat River Matchmaker series features characters you know from Christine's popular series, The Chapmans. Each book in this series is a stand-alone and can be read in any order.
116 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 11, 2022
253 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
About the author
Christine Sterling
117 books274 followersUSA TODAY bestselling author Christine Sterling loves immersing her readers in the small towns she’s created. Her inspirational stories feature humor, redemption, and romance, with themes of friendship, forgiveness, and fighting for the love you want.
She’s the author of over eighty romances, including the reader favorites, First Families of Flat River, and The Flat River Matchmaker series. She loves to create tight-knit families with strong family values, and you’ll often find that her characters cross over in many of her stories. Her readers describe her characters as old friends and her settings as places they would love to visit.
An empty nester, she lives with her husband and a menagerie of animals on a Pennsylvania farm. When she’s not writing, she can be found drinking tea, being judged by her cat, eating snacks, or napping.
Sign up for her newsletter and get a free book at www. flatrivernebraska. com
She’s the author of over eighty romances, including the reader favorites, First Families of Flat River, and The Flat River Matchmaker series. She loves to create tight-knit families with strong family values, and you’ll often find that her characters cross over in many of her stories. Her readers describe her characters as old friends and her settings as places they would love to visit.
An empty nester, she lives with her husband and a menagerie of animals on a Pennsylvania farm. When she’s not writing, she can be found drinking tea, being judged by her cat, eating snacks, or napping.
Sign up for her newsletter and get a free book at www. flatrivernebraska. com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
January 12, 2026
Depois do certeiro casamento entre Peter e Elizabet, Marmee continua a desejar o casamento para todos. E agora, Hiram parece ser sua vítima.
Viúvo, dono de um estábulo e pai de duas filhas, ele se encontra emaranhado nos seus deveres, em um ponto que talvez já não consiga mais lidar com todos eles.
O conselho de Marmee não parece ser de todo ruim. Uma esposa para cuidar de suas filhas e de sua casa, seria perfeito. Se ela pudesse ser sua amiga então, não precisaria de mais nada.
Se foi coincidência ou se Marmee iria fazer a proposta a Hannah, não sei, de qualquer forma, se casar com Hiram era a única escolha que a jovem tinha após seu pai falecer e não ter mais ninguém para chamar de família.
O que poderia dar errado em cuidar de duas garotinhas e uma casa?
Bem, os sentimentos são difíceis de controlar, no entanto, o amor parece ser o mais rebelde. O que Hiram não esperava era ter que lutar contra si mesmo para não se envolver com Hannah. Não suportaria aquela dor novamente.
Contudo, um incêndio é o início dos questionamentos sobre seu casamento por conveniência, e perder as suas filhas era pior do que mudar algumas coisas desse acordo.
Esse livro foi de emocionar. Amy e Charity possuem a carisma infantil, e a Amy ainda tem um olhar para o mundo mais maduro que muitos adultos. Hannah é uma jovem alegre, então irá enlouquecer a Hiram e seus humores. Já June, só posso dizer, ela merece um final feliz!
Viúvo, dono de um estábulo e pai de duas filhas, ele se encontra emaranhado nos seus deveres, em um ponto que talvez já não consiga mais lidar com todos eles.
O conselho de Marmee não parece ser de todo ruim. Uma esposa para cuidar de suas filhas e de sua casa, seria perfeito. Se ela pudesse ser sua amiga então, não precisaria de mais nada.
Se foi coincidência ou se Marmee iria fazer a proposta a Hannah, não sei, de qualquer forma, se casar com Hiram era a única escolha que a jovem tinha após seu pai falecer e não ter mais ninguém para chamar de família.
O que poderia dar errado em cuidar de duas garotinhas e uma casa?
Bem, os sentimentos são difíceis de controlar, no entanto, o amor parece ser o mais rebelde. O que Hiram não esperava era ter que lutar contra si mesmo para não se envolver com Hannah. Não suportaria aquela dor novamente.
Contudo, um incêndio é o início dos questionamentos sobre seu casamento por conveniência, e perder as suas filhas era pior do que mudar algumas coisas desse acordo.
Esse livro foi de emocionar. Amy e Charity possuem a carisma infantil, e a Amy ainda tem um olhar para o mundo mais maduro que muitos adultos. Hannah é uma jovem alegre, então irá enlouquecer a Hiram e seus humores. Já June, só posso dizer, ela merece um final feliz!
May 4, 2024
The Stable Masters Bride is Book 2 in the Flat River Matchmaker Series by Christina Sterling.
There are not many choices for a young woman who has no family. When Hanna Cross’ father dies, she has to decide quickly if she will become a bride to a stranger or work in a less than savory establishment. For her, the choice is simple, she must become a bride. When she is offered a marriage arranged to a widower with two young girls who simply need someone to care for them with no interest in love for himself she readily she readily accepts.
Hiram King never imagined he would be considering marriage again after losing his wife. But as raising his girls on his own os getting increasingly difficult and pressure from his late wife's sister is making him reconsider. What he wasn't expecting was for Hannah to be so beautiful or for her to challenge him in every way and for him to find love he never knew was possible.
Like the first book in this series, this book was fantastic. The story was well written. The characters are sweet and well matched. Their chemistry is obvious, and the way they come together is wonderful. The children are delightful and fun as well. I am enjoying this series so much and look forward to more from this author.
There are not many choices for a young woman who has no family. When Hanna Cross’ father dies, she has to decide quickly if she will become a bride to a stranger or work in a less than savory establishment. For her, the choice is simple, she must become a bride. When she is offered a marriage arranged to a widower with two young girls who simply need someone to care for them with no interest in love for himself she readily she readily accepts.
Hiram King never imagined he would be considering marriage again after losing his wife. But as raising his girls on his own os getting increasingly difficult and pressure from his late wife's sister is making him reconsider. What he wasn't expecting was for Hannah to be so beautiful or for her to challenge him in every way and for him to find love he never knew was possible.
Like the first book in this series, this book was fantastic. The story was well written. The characters are sweet and well matched. Their chemistry is obvious, and the way they come together is wonderful. The children are delightful and fun as well. I am enjoying this series so much and look forward to more from this author.
August 11, 2022
Hannah Woods decides that an arranged marriage is her only chance at survival without becoming a soiled dove.
Hiram King needs a mother for his children but he does not want a wife to replace the one he loved so much and lost too early.
Enter Marmee Chapman, as everyone in town knows her as Marmee. She has a knack for finding matches for those that don't feel they really want one but definitely need one.
Will Hannah and Hiram be able to fight off the budding attraction they have for each other? Will they be able to fool his first wife's sister into believing that their marriage is real so she will stop all the crazy thoughts of him turning his children over for her to adopt?
This book had me from the beginning and it was read in one sitting. I could not put it down and when I was finished I wanted it to go on forever. I felt so attached to these characters! Christine Sterling writes stories that you will want in your library and will read over and over! Book two was every bit as wonderful as book 1 and I cannot wait for the next one!
Hiram King needs a mother for his children but he does not want a wife to replace the one he loved so much and lost too early.
Enter Marmee Chapman, as everyone in town knows her as Marmee. She has a knack for finding matches for those that don't feel they really want one but definitely need one.
Will Hannah and Hiram be able to fight off the budding attraction they have for each other? Will they be able to fool his first wife's sister into believing that their marriage is real so she will stop all the crazy thoughts of him turning his children over for her to adopt?
This book had me from the beginning and it was read in one sitting. I could not put it down and when I was finished I wanted it to go on forever. I felt so attached to these characters! Christine Sterling writes stories that you will want in your library and will read over and over! Book two was every bit as wonderful as book 1 and I cannot wait for the next one!
July 25, 2025
I so enjoyed this series, and this book is no exception. This is a novella, and one of the things Christine excels at in this series is great character development in such a short book. Few manage to do it well. This is not my typical genre of choice, and I read book one on a whim from an ad and am so glad I did. We have a stubborn MMC, now a widower and father of two young girls. He is a good man grieving a loss while also fighting off his sister-in-law June for custody of the girls. He takes the FMC as his wife so that the girls with have a new mother figure and June will have to back off, but he was not looking for a real partner. They manage to grow into a true marriage, and I'm so glad they got their HEA. Our FMC was strong and smart, and I appreciated how she took on the mother role for the girls so genuinely but did not try to erase their real mother either. I think my favorite part of this book though might have been June's character arc. I highly recommend this entire series.
June 9, 2025
Stable Master's Bride
The narrative concluded with a heartwarming resolution that beautifully captured the essence of Hannah and Hirim's relationship. Their dynamic was both compelling and genuine, creating a seamless narrative flow that kept me engaged throughout. The inclusion of his children added depth and emotional resonance to the story, enriching the overall narrative landscape. Hirim's sister-in-law emerged as a nuanced character who significantly contributed to the plot. This series demonstrates remarkable storytelling prowess and comes highly recommended for readers seeking an emotionally satisfying experience.
The narrative concluded with a heartwarming resolution that beautifully captured the essence of Hannah and Hirim's relationship. Their dynamic was both compelling and genuine, creating a seamless narrative flow that kept me engaged throughout. The inclusion of his children added depth and emotional resonance to the story, enriching the overall narrative landscape. Hirim's sister-in-law emerged as a nuanced character who significantly contributed to the plot. This series demonstrates remarkable storytelling prowess and comes highly recommended for readers seeking an emotionally satisfying experience.
August 17, 2022
This book has lots to capture your interest. After her Father's death, Hannah needs a home. Hiram agrees that his daughters need a real Mother but he doesn't want a new wife. Will they both be happy with a marriage of convenience?
I like that Hannah didn't have to travel from far away in order for Marmee to find her a match. There was a sprinkling of danger and mystery as well. Plus a character that might just be showing up again....
I can definitely recommend this book. Can't wait for more Matchmaking in this series!
I like that Hannah didn't have to travel from far away in order for Marmee to find her a match. There was a sprinkling of danger and mystery as well. Plus a character that might just be showing up again....
I can definitely recommend this book. Can't wait for more Matchmaking in this series!
July 15, 2023
I am so glad I decided to continue this series, this has to be my favourite book from it so far!!
Amy and charity are absolutely adorable!! Also I love how despite going through such tragic events, Hanna kept her spirit positive and convinced Hiram to give their marriage a try.
I loved Hiram's character a lot. He had a nice character arc, which I enjoyed reading. This was a short yet emotional read. Absolutely recommend you to try this series if you like cowboys, short stories, found family tropes, and emotional touches!
Amy and charity are absolutely adorable!! Also I love how despite going through such tragic events, Hanna kept her spirit positive and convinced Hiram to give their marriage a try.
I loved Hiram's character a lot. He had a nice character arc, which I enjoyed reading. This was a short yet emotional read. Absolutely recommend you to try this series if you like cowboys, short stories, found family tropes, and emotional touches!
September 15, 2024
Great story.
After losing her father, Hannah had few choices for her future. With no family, it narrowed the choices to two. Work at the Bordello or, get married.
Hiram lost his wife to the fever several years ago. He has two children and he's trying to raise them and work. With his wife's sister trying to take the girls and adopt them, he felt the need to get a wife to take care of them and the house. He didn't want a wife, just a mother for his children.
Mrs. Chapman felt they would make a wonderful couple. This is a great storyline.
After losing her father, Hannah had few choices for her future. With no family, it narrowed the choices to two. Work at the Bordello or, get married.
Hiram lost his wife to the fever several years ago. He has two children and he's trying to raise them and work. With his wife's sister trying to take the girls and adopt them, he felt the need to get a wife to take care of them and the house. He didn't want a wife, just a mother for his children.
Mrs. Chapman felt they would make a wonderful couple. This is a great storyline.
September 15, 2025
The Stable Master’s Bride
Hannah and Hiram have a beautifully sweet story. Hannah is left alone with no family. She had promised her father she would not marry until she was eighteen, but after he died she had only two choices. One choice was totally unacceptable, the other was to become a bride. Hiram was a widower with two very small girls who were desperate for a mother. He wasn’t interested in a wife but in order to keep his girls, he would agree to a marriage of convenience. Be sure to pick up this book to read their story.
Hannah and Hiram have a beautifully sweet story. Hannah is left alone with no family. She had promised her father she would not marry until she was eighteen, but after he died she had only two choices. One choice was totally unacceptable, the other was to become a bride. Hiram was a widower with two very small girls who were desperate for a mother. He wasn’t interested in a wife but in order to keep his girls, he would agree to a marriage of convenience. Be sure to pick up this book to read their story.
August 14, 2022
Christine Sterling is a master at understanding small towns and the relationships within. Even in the 1800s in a city you really only knew a small number of people, but in a small town everyone knows everyone else and their business. That is the good and bad part of living in a small town and Christine understands and portrays that. Hiram might not think he needed a wife, but Mrs. Chapman knows he needs both. What a choice, Hannah could become a mail order bride or a soiled dove. Thankfully Mrs. Chapman was around to make sure of the choice. I’m just going to say that Hannah is nicer than I might have been. I really enjoyed this story.
August 12, 2022
Better and better
Once again Christine Sterling has another hit! Hannah and Hiram are opposites but are perfect for each other. The only problem...Hiram doesn't know it. He only wants a mother for his girls, no strings. You'll love the scene where Hannah meets aunt June! one of the best! I can't wait for Christine's next book, from any series. They are all fantastic.
Once again Christine Sterling has another hit! Hannah and Hiram are opposites but are perfect for each other. The only problem...Hiram doesn't know it. He only wants a mother for his girls, no strings. You'll love the scene where Hannah meets aunt June! one of the best! I can't wait for Christine's next book, from any series. They are all fantastic.
August 12, 2022
Innocence
There's an innocence that can't be denied in this author's wonderful story telling. Our characters are opposites. He stoic and she's joyful. He's a bit worn and older than he needs to be. She's innocent with high expectations and she's going to ruffle his feathers - in a good way.
There's an innocence that can't be denied in this author's wonderful story telling. Our characters are opposites. He stoic and she's joyful. He's a bit worn and older than he needs to be. She's innocent with high expectations and she's going to ruffle his feathers - in a good way.
August 13, 2022
Lovely Read
Lovely read. A love it when the man is still loyal to his first wife who has passed; because it means that once his heart moves on, he will be loyal the the next one. Love, loyalty, intrigue. Great story.
Now we need June's story. Her beginning was a part of this one and it has me in its claws already.
Lovely read. A love it when the man is still loyal to his first wife who has passed; because it means that once his heart moves on, he will be loyal the the next one. Love, loyalty, intrigue. Great story.
Now we need June's story. Her beginning was a part of this one and it has me in its claws already.
April 26, 2023
nice a sweet
This is a nice and sweet little read. It is written by Christine Sterling and is written quite nicely. I enjoyed reading about Hiram and Hannah in this story. Hiram is the stable owner who has two children that need a mother. Hannah’s father had just pasted away and she could no longer stay in there cabin. So Hiram and Hannah marry. What happens? You will enjoy
This is a nice and sweet little read. It is written by Christine Sterling and is written quite nicely. I enjoyed reading about Hiram and Hannah in this story. Hiram is the stable owner who has two children that need a mother. Hannah’s father had just pasted away and she could no longer stay in there cabin. So Hiram and Hannah marry. What happens? You will enjoy
June 13, 2023
Hiram and Hannah
This is a sweet tale of Hiram and Hannah’s match by the local matchmaker. She has a good matching record, but Hannah and Hiram only want a companion relationship. Things aren’t going as planned and a few sparks begin to fly. You will enjoy discovering how they find their happily ever after.
This is a sweet tale of Hiram and Hannah’s match by the local matchmaker. She has a good matching record, but Hannah and Hiram only want a companion relationship. Things aren’t going as planned and a few sparks begin to fly. You will enjoy discovering how they find their happily ever after.
September 11, 2023
I read the first few chapters of this story in an anthology of stories written for charity and the premise of the story stuck with me. Seeing it on Kindle Unlimited I decided to read the entire story. This is a quick read with a clean straight-forward story line and simple character development. It's consistent and reads well. A fun short-story.
August 13, 2024
The Stable Masters Bride
This was an interesting story. Hannah’s father had died and they were living in a cabin on the Chapmans ranch. A Marmee told Hannah she would find her husband and a new place to live. Then he met Hiram and his two little girls needing a mother.More to come, enjoy.
This was an interesting story. Hannah’s father had died and they were living in a cabin on the Chapmans ranch. A Marmee told Hannah she would find her husband and a new place to live. Then he met Hiram and his two little girls needing a mother.More to come, enjoy.
September 10, 2024
A decent read
I liked that there were a handful of core characters spilled over from the first book. While this second book was good, it wasn't as captivating as the first book in the series, but you'll have that. Again, anyone wanting a clean, light romance read will do well to try this series. Now i shall seek out book three.
I liked that there were a handful of core characters spilled over from the first book. While this second book was good, it wasn't as captivating as the first book in the series, but you'll have that. Again, anyone wanting a clean, light romance read will do well to try this series. Now i shall seek out book three.
August 12, 2022
Wow
What a follow up book! This series just got even better with this book. A little bit of everything. Death,marriage, step-children,interfering relatives and love.
Couldn't put it down.
What a follow up book! This series just got even better with this book. A little bit of everything. Death,marriage, step-children,interfering relatives and love.
Couldn't put it down.
April 14, 2023
Oh my goodness…
So good! I laughed out loud at this story. It had its moments of sadness, but the way Hiram was trying not to fall in love with Hannah. I truly enjoyed reading this story. Christine Sterling is a very good storyteller. I recommend this book and this series. ❤️📖📖❤️
So good! I laughed out loud at this story. It had its moments of sadness, but the way Hiram was trying not to fall in love with Hannah. I truly enjoyed reading this story. Christine Sterling is a very good storyteller. I recommend this book and this series. ❤️📖📖❤️
September 15, 2023
good read
I throughly enjoyed this book about falling in love again after loosing a spouse. The author Christine Sterling always delivers a wonderful story I am lookin forward to more books in this series
I throughly enjoyed this book about falling in love again after loosing a spouse. The author Christine Sterling always delivers a wonderful story I am lookin forward to more books in this series
October 5, 2023
Love is in the air
Second in a series of historical western Christian matchmaker novellas. Well, that match worked from the marriage of convenience to living forever. There was enough drama to carry it off, but the romance was the central theme as a second match was accomplished for Marmee.
Second in a series of historical western Christian matchmaker novellas. Well, that match worked from the marriage of convenience to living forever. There was enough drama to carry it off, but the romance was the central theme as a second match was accomplished for Marmee.
April 23, 2025
Really great
I'll be honest I like romances but usually a little bit racier but this one was just beautiful I loved the character of Hiram he was so very stoic but Hannah certainly won him over
I'll be honest I like romances but usually a little bit racier but this one was just beautiful I loved the character of Hiram he was so very stoic but Hannah certainly won him over
July 8, 2025
Marmee juntou mais dois solitários! Hiram dizia que não se apaixonaria mais, perdeu sua esposa e cria duas meninas. Hannah perdeu o pai e não tinha mais ninguém.
O cotidiano e o amor que ela demonstrou com as meninas fez com que ele se apaixonasse.
Mais um romance maravilhoso da Chris!
O cotidiano e o amor que ela demonstrou com as meninas fez com que ele se apaixonasse.
Mais um romance maravilhoso da Chris!
August 9, 2025
Convincing the sister in law.
Will they ever be able to convince June that they are truly married?
June has a very strong personality that bothers everyone. But does she really have a stable home life?
Will they ever be able to convince June that they are truly married?
June has a very strong personality that bothers everyone. But does she really have a stable home life?
August 12, 2022
I enjoyed this book! The story was interesting. Hiram’s two daughters were very sweet. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series. I highly recommend reading this book!
August 15, 2022
Great book 😀😘 CV
September 26, 2022
Hiram and Hannah
Necessity forms a strong reason for agreeing to a marriage for both Hiram and Hannah leaders to a period of adjustment. A few surprises occur. Good reading!
Necessity forms a strong reason for agreeing to a marriage for both Hiram and Hannah leaders to a period of adjustment. A few surprises occur. Good reading!
July 3, 2023
His sweet story
A good clean, and sweet story about a couple that need each other. He needs someone to care for his kids and she needs someone to love.
A good clean, and sweet story about a couple that need each other. He needs someone to care for his kids and she needs someone to love.
August 5, 2023
I listened to this one on Audio. The narrator did a great job. I did really enjoy this series. Looking forward to reading more
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews