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Fraser's Bride
She had loved Jerry. Now she wasn't sure.
"You have a lot to learn about men, Ice Maiden," Matt said. "Maybe I can teach you a few things. I might be doing Jerry a favor!"
His words echoed in Lara's mind as she fled. She had told him she was Jerry's fiancee in a momentary impulse intended to get under his leathery skin.
But why not marry Jerry? The life he offered was one she knew. Who needed Matt Fraser and the prairie dust that covered him most of the time?
"You have a lot to learn about men, Ice Maiden," Matt said. "Maybe I can teach you a few things. I might be doing Jerry a favor!"
His words echoed in Lara's mind as she fled. She had told him she was Jerry's fiancee in a momentary impulse intended to get under his leathery skin.
But why not marry Jerry? The life he offered was one she knew. Who needed Matt Fraser and the prairie dust that covered him most of the time?
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
About the author
Elizabeth Graham
115 books11 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Elizabeth Graham (1):
E. Schattner wrote as Elizabeth Graham and Emma Church.
Elizabeth Graham (1):
E. Schattner wrote as Elizabeth Graham and Emma Church.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 5, 2025
A surprisingly compelling read despite the tsunami of tackiness that was the love quadrangle between heroine, her fiance (OM), his brother (hero) and the brother's ex-fiancee (OW). Nevertheless, I liked this book. This type of city mouse-country mouse, fish out of water trope, bringing two opposites together, always appeals to me. The author pulled it off spectacularly.
The heroine is a city-bred, cool, classy, blonde socialite, groomed by her politician father to become an outstanding Stepford political wife. Her limp lettuce leaf boyfriend (OM) is a young attorney who is running for his first election in his hometown in the Cariboo region of British Colombia. His family lives there on a vast ranch. It is obvious from the start that OM is using the heroine for her political savvy. She is helping him run his campaign and she has a high public profile and lots of useful social connections, being the daughter of a well-known MP from a long line of illustrious Canadian politicians and philanthropists. So the boyfriend absolutely wouldn't mind the cachet of having her as his convenient wife, however there are no real sexual sparks between them, more of a political alliance with some superficial friendship sprinkled on top. The heroine is also definitely hands-off with him when it comes to the physical side of their relationship and I got the impression that she knew she was being used but mechanically accepted the situation because that’s what was expected of her all her life. Sad. She immediately got my sympathy.
At the beginning of the story, the heroine and OM arrive at his ranch to stay there for the next 6 weeks so they can go and meet his future constituents and gather some support for the upcoming election. Heroine is meeting his family for the first time and they are a riot. Author really went to great length to draw the secondary characters and the setting, which made the story that much more interesting. There is the OM’s ridiculous, snobbish mother who coddles and pampers her grown-up son like he was her baby and at first tries to dismiss the "secretary" heroine by banishing her to a small, closet-like room at the back of the house. Heroine takes it in stride like the classy young lady she is. When OM's mother finds out heroine is the daughter of a renown MP and a famous socialite, wealthy in her own right, and with all sorts of political and social connections, she is mortified. Heroine is promptly moved to the best guest room in the house, with a view of the lake, and the contretemps is blamed on the salty housekeeper lol.
There's the OM’s shy, awkward sister, a scruffy tomboy who is Seekretly In Love with her older brother's right-hand man at the ranch, a widower who sees her as a child (don't worry, she is not a child, she isa grown woman!). There is a sweet subplot where the heroine takes the sister on a shopping spree and gives her a make-over. That, along with many supportive woman to woman chats, help the shy girl develop her self-confidence and go after her man.
There is also a precocious ten year old plot moppet who adores the heroine and is desperate to find a new wife for his widower father, and a young romantic ranch-hand who chastely serenades the heroine with his guitar under the stars, making her teary-eyed with her longing for true love.
Which brings us to the hero of this piece, the OM's older stepbrother and owner of the ranch. He is all rugged cowboy masculinity, and rude, cynical put-down. Yet, the heroine finds herself wildly attracted to him. But of course, because of her relationship with his brother, and because she think the hero is just playing around with the "city lady," she masks her feelings and constantly tells hero off. The more she tells him off, the more he becomes cranky and sad lol.
Luckily, circumstances contrive to make hero and heroine stay at an overnight camp in the wilds, along with a bunch of ranch hands, away from the OM. Heroine proves her mettle by being able to cook for and befriend a bunch of rowdy cowboys. She also takes enthusiastically to the great outdoors despite being a city greenhorn. This is when the hero and heroine really get to know each other and genuinely, mutually fall in love. But of course, they can't express, let alone act on their feelings.
Then, we get the return of the hero’s skanky ex-fiancee. The brazen hussy had run off with hero’s own little brother years before, and is now back seemingly to win over the hero again. To heroine’s great chagrin, the hero starts spending all his time with the fang-toothed viper ex and dangling her under the nose of the heartbroken heroine. As for the OM, the heroine had already told him by that point that their quasi-engagement was off but he begged her to keep it under wraps temporarily so as not to upset his election prospects. Predictably, the OM loses the election and in a sulky fit, he runs off with the OW for the second time! GOOD RIDDANCE!!!
The hero thinks the heroine is heartbroken by his brother’s defection. She thinks he is devastated because his ex dumped him again. After a rowdy party during which the heroine has too much to drink, she finally confesses to him that she couldn't care less about the OM or his elopement with the man-eating barracuda, it is the hero she loves. Whereas the hero reveals that all that dangling of the OW has been done to protect the heroine, not because he wanted to get back with his ex. By flirting with the OW, he was trying to ensure that she wouldn’t steal the OM away from the heroine.
So yes, it is a cluster of epic proportions of Great Big Terrible Misunderstandings but at the end of the day, I totally drank the Kool-Aid on this one. The heroine never had feelings for the OM beyond platonic friendship and he certainly didn't have any for her other than using her as a political prop. I am sure the OM is going to dump the skanky OW in a few weeks time, as he had done the first time around, and now the hero can kick her out on her backside if she ever comes crawling back. As the hero said, his brother did him a great favor when he ran off with OW the first time, preventing him from making the fatal mistake of tying himself legally to her, but it became a true blessing when he took her off his hands the second time, because it left the field clear for hero to claim the woman he actually loved lol.
I believe 100% that the hero and heroine are totally and utterly in love with each other and will settle down to a wonderful life on the ranch with plenty of babies, cattle drives, and camp cookouts under the stars while a cowboy strums the melody of a "Perfect Love" on his guitar in front of a campfire.
Well done!
The heroine is a city-bred, cool, classy, blonde socialite, groomed by her politician father to become an outstanding Stepford political wife. Her limp lettuce leaf boyfriend (OM) is a young attorney who is running for his first election in his hometown in the Cariboo region of British Colombia. His family lives there on a vast ranch. It is obvious from the start that OM is using the heroine for her political savvy. She is helping him run his campaign and she has a high public profile and lots of useful social connections, being the daughter of a well-known MP from a long line of illustrious Canadian politicians and philanthropists. So the boyfriend absolutely wouldn't mind the cachet of having her as his convenient wife, however there are no real sexual sparks between them, more of a political alliance with some superficial friendship sprinkled on top. The heroine is also definitely hands-off with him when it comes to the physical side of their relationship and I got the impression that she knew she was being used but mechanically accepted the situation because that’s what was expected of her all her life. Sad. She immediately got my sympathy.
At the beginning of the story, the heroine and OM arrive at his ranch to stay there for the next 6 weeks so they can go and meet his future constituents and gather some support for the upcoming election. Heroine is meeting his family for the first time and they are a riot. Author really went to great length to draw the secondary characters and the setting, which made the story that much more interesting. There is the OM’s ridiculous, snobbish mother who coddles and pampers her grown-up son like he was her baby and at first tries to dismiss the "secretary" heroine by banishing her to a small, closet-like room at the back of the house. Heroine takes it in stride like the classy young lady she is. When OM's mother finds out heroine is the daughter of a renown MP and a famous socialite, wealthy in her own right, and with all sorts of political and social connections, she is mortified. Heroine is promptly moved to the best guest room in the house, with a view of the lake, and the contretemps is blamed on the salty housekeeper lol.
There's the OM’s shy, awkward sister, a scruffy tomboy who is Seekretly In Love with her older brother's right-hand man at the ranch, a widower who sees her as a child (don't worry, she is not a child, she isa grown woman!). There is a sweet subplot where the heroine takes the sister on a shopping spree and gives her a make-over. That, along with many supportive woman to woman chats, help the shy girl develop her self-confidence and go after her man.
There is also a precocious ten year old plot moppet who adores the heroine and is desperate to find a new wife for his widower father, and a young romantic ranch-hand who chastely serenades the heroine with his guitar under the stars, making her teary-eyed with her longing for true love.
Which brings us to the hero of this piece, the OM's older stepbrother and owner of the ranch. He is all rugged cowboy masculinity, and rude, cynical put-down. Yet, the heroine finds herself wildly attracted to him. But of course, because of her relationship with his brother, and because she think the hero is just playing around with the "city lady," she masks her feelings and constantly tells hero off. The more she tells him off, the more he becomes cranky and sad lol.
Luckily, circumstances contrive to make hero and heroine stay at an overnight camp in the wilds, along with a bunch of ranch hands, away from the OM. Heroine proves her mettle by being able to cook for and befriend a bunch of rowdy cowboys. She also takes enthusiastically to the great outdoors despite being a city greenhorn. This is when the hero and heroine really get to know each other and genuinely, mutually fall in love. But of course, they can't express, let alone act on their feelings.
Then, we get the return of the hero’s skanky ex-fiancee. The brazen hussy had run off with hero’s own little brother years before, and is now back seemingly to win over the hero again. To heroine’s great chagrin, the hero starts spending all his time with the fang-toothed viper ex and dangling her under the nose of the heartbroken heroine. As for the OM, the heroine had already told him by that point that their quasi-engagement was off but he begged her to keep it under wraps temporarily so as not to upset his election prospects. Predictably, the OM loses the election and in a sulky fit, he runs off with the OW for the second time! GOOD RIDDANCE!!!
The hero thinks the heroine is heartbroken by his brother’s defection. She thinks he is devastated because his ex dumped him again. After a rowdy party during which the heroine has too much to drink, she finally confesses to him that she couldn't care less about the OM or his elopement with the man-eating barracuda, it is the hero she loves. Whereas the hero reveals that all that dangling of the OW has been done to protect the heroine, not because he wanted to get back with his ex. By flirting with the OW, he was trying to ensure that she wouldn’t steal the OM away from the heroine.
So yes, it is a cluster of epic proportions of Great Big Terrible Misunderstandings but at the end of the day, I totally drank the Kool-Aid on this one. The heroine never had feelings for the OM beyond platonic friendship and he certainly didn't have any for her other than using her as a political prop. I am sure the OM is going to dump the skanky OW in a few weeks time, as he had done the first time around, and now the hero can kick her out on her backside if she ever comes crawling back. As the hero said, his brother did him a great favor when he ran off with OW the first time, preventing him from making the fatal mistake of tying himself legally to her, but it became a true blessing when he took her off his hands the second time, because it left the field clear for hero to claim the woman he actually loved lol.
I believe 100% that the hero and heroine are totally and utterly in love with each other and will settle down to a wonderful life on the ranch with plenty of babies, cattle drives, and camp cookouts under the stars while a cowboy strums the melody of a "Perfect Love" on his guitar in front of a campfire.
Well done!
November 24, 2017
Available on Open Library.
What a mess! The heroine was an indecisive ninny, and the Hero was mocking and contemptuous towards her.
She makes bad decisions, gets engaged to the wrong man. The Hero pays too much attention the the other woman. They were all playing games and pretending with each other instead of communicating. The whole book is one big misunderstanding, they never even had a relationship and I don’t know how they even fell in love.
And what’s up with the family, they can’t even tell her that her fiancé is a douche who was responsible for the break-up of his brother’s engagement.
What a mess! The heroine was an indecisive ninny, and the Hero was mocking and contemptuous towards her.
She makes bad decisions, gets engaged to the wrong man. The Hero pays too much attention the the other woman. They were all playing games and pretending with each other instead of communicating. The whole book is one big misunderstanding, they never even had a relationship and I don’t know how they even fell in love.
And what’s up with the family, they can’t even tell her that her fiancé is a douche who was responsible for the break-up of his brother’s engagement.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2015
Great to read this one quickly in french. A few new words to learn.
July 20, 2015
I guess it must have been about this time that harlequin romances started getting a little edgy. While most folks would consider this a clean read I still prefer kisses only romances.
October 5, 2023
'Engaged to the wrong brother' trope
For someone who’s been constantly embroiled in her father’s political career and so experienced in PR, Lara is clueless and unable to read between the lines.
She’s about to help a young lawyer in her father’s team to win his first election (although her father doesn’t seem to have much faith in the lawyer’s ability to become a politician to be honest), so she travels with him to his family ranch. She falls in love with the ranch, the simple living and with the lawyer’s older brother.
What does the girl everyone praises for her sensibility do? Gets engaged to the lawyer!
The H is besotted and you can clearly see Lara is hurting him when she pretends he’s too rough, uncivilized and animalistic to a refined city lady like her.
For someone who’s been constantly embroiled in her father’s political career and so experienced in PR, Lara is clueless and unable to read between the lines.
She’s about to help a young lawyer in her father’s team to win his first election (although her father doesn’t seem to have much faith in the lawyer’s ability to become a politician to be honest), so she travels with him to his family ranch. She falls in love with the ranch, the simple living and with the lawyer’s older brother.
What does the girl everyone praises for her sensibility do? Gets engaged to the lawyer!
The H is besotted and you can clearly see Lara is hurting him when she pretends he’s too rough, uncivilized and animalistic to a refined city lady like her.
May 21, 2025
The hero (32) would have been more attractive if he had just been upfront with his feelings, but the long drawn out OW nonsense was painful. It’s obvious to the reader, but no-one else (hence constant reference to the OW by everyone!) that he is besotted with his half-brother’s girlfriend/secretary/campaign manager/fiancee/heroine (22).
The heroine is fab. But perhaps not quite as smart as she could have been. Oh well, they make a super cute couple and it was interesting that she made the drunken ILY declaration at the end - unusual - and very unexpected for the hero. That is one lucky man and apart from liking the OW and dancing with random women when he should h e been keeping a proper eye on the heroine. he’s a lovely hero.
3 1/2 stars
The heroine is fab. But perhaps not quite as smart as she could have been. Oh well, they make a super cute couple and it was interesting that she made the drunken ILY declaration at the end - unusual - and very unexpected for the hero. That is one lucky man and apart from liking the OW and dancing with random women when he should h e been keeping a proper eye on the heroine. he’s a lovely hero.
3 1/2 stars
abrierto-to-read-hr-other
July 1, 2022She had loved Jerry. Now she wasn't sure.
"You have a lot to learn about men, Ice Maiden," Matt said. "Maybe I can teach you a few things. I might be doing Jerry a favor!"
His words echoed in Lara's mind as she fled. She had told him she was Jerry's fiancee in a momentary impulse intended to get under his leathery skin.
But why not marry Jerry? The life he offered was one she knew. Who needed Matt Fraser and the prairie dust that covered him most of the time?
"You have a lot to learn about men, Ice Maiden," Matt said. "Maybe I can teach you a few things. I might be doing Jerry a favor!"
His words echoed in Lara's mind as she fled. She had told him she was Jerry's fiancee in a momentary impulse intended to get under his leathery skin.
But why not marry Jerry? The life he offered was one she knew. Who needed Matt Fraser and the prairie dust that covered him most of the time?
November 1, 2024
I rate it 5 star 🌟 cause I love it
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews