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McLain #3
To Wed in Texas
Reverend Daniel McLain desperately needs help in bringing guidance and peace to the mid-19th-century Western town of Jefferson, Tex., and with twin toddlers running him ragged, he can't get focused. He appeals to his late wife's family and expects the assistance of an elderly aunt. Instead, poor family relation and spinster Karlee Whitworth arrives. Although Karlee only adds to the chaos of the household and can't even boil water, she is wonderful with Daniel's daughters, so he asks her to stay. When Daniel is blinded in a fiery accident, it is Karlee who cares for him, and when the girls' elderly aunt threatens to take them away, it's Karlee who saves the day by marrying Daniel to keep the family together. For the first time in her life, Karlee has a home--now she wants a real marriage and a real husband. And though Daniel can face the most ruthless of outlaws, he's powerless against his desirable and passionate new wife.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
72 people are currently reading
632 people want to read
About the author
Jodi Thomas
111 books2,509 followersI'm a New York Times and USA Today Best Selling author, wife, mother, in-law, grandmother, sister, friend, and owner of one fat cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
October 2, 2025
I knew this was going to be different—okay, downright odd—when Kaylee jumped out of a trunk full of clothes, shouted “Clear the decks!” and sprinted out the kitchen door for the outhouse. You just don’t see that very often.
Daniel and his twin daughters, who had been expecting an aunt to arrive with the trunk, soon discovered that the aunt had rid herself of the family’s poor relation by sending her instead. Kaylee had run out of money to pay the last portion of her passage and had tagged the trunk for delivery and climbed inside, not expecting the latch to be locked en route. For almost a full day. Let’s ignore that the trunk had to be the size of a coffin, had no air holes, and Kaylee had to hold her water for a long, long time.
It’s not the only things a reader has to ignore. Half the stuff in this book doesn’t make a lick of sense. Let’s spin the wheel and pick just one: how about the white Apache warrior, always referred to as “the savage,” kept tied to a chair in the kitchen for days? Who’s clearing the decks for that poor guy?
Our MMC is not the stuff of dreams either. He’s a minister with no congregation, an afterhours avocation of crusading for justice in a Texas town simmering with post-Civil War tensions, and vows eternal devotion to his dead first wife. When it comes to Kaylee, he blows cold, then hot, fondles the blue velvet ribbon belonging to the dead wife as a reminder he can never love again, blows cold, then hot, fondles the ribbon, blows cold, etc.
The three stars are all for Kaylee. She’s awesome. A terrible cook, true, but tough, inventive (see trunk idea above), resilient, courageous, a woman who’s never been wanted anywhere, never belonged anywhere, never fit in anywhere. She wants to stay with Daniel and his girls, so she does. She wants to claim a permanent place with Daniel and his girls, to help them, to be useful, so she does. She wants to love Daniel and his girls, so she decides that’s just what she’ll do. And she tells him so, much to his dismay and eventual redemption. After all, this woman survived a day packed in a trunk. What’s a little swim in a river full of alligators?
This has all the ingredients of a hot mess, but it has its nice moments too, enough to get a reader to the end.
Daniel and his twin daughters, who had been expecting an aunt to arrive with the trunk, soon discovered that the aunt had rid herself of the family’s poor relation by sending her instead. Kaylee had run out of money to pay the last portion of her passage and had tagged the trunk for delivery and climbed inside, not expecting the latch to be locked en route. For almost a full day. Let’s ignore that the trunk had to be the size of a coffin, had no air holes, and Kaylee had to hold her water for a long, long time.
It’s not the only things a reader has to ignore. Half the stuff in this book doesn’t make a lick of sense. Let’s spin the wheel and pick just one: how about the white Apache warrior, always referred to as “the savage,” kept tied to a chair in the kitchen for days? Who’s clearing the decks for that poor guy?
Our MMC is not the stuff of dreams either. He’s a minister with no congregation, an afterhours avocation of crusading for justice in a Texas town simmering with post-Civil War tensions, and vows eternal devotion to his dead first wife. When it comes to Kaylee, he blows cold, then hot, fondles the blue velvet ribbon belonging to the dead wife as a reminder he can never love again, blows cold, then hot, fondles the ribbon, blows cold, etc.
The three stars are all for Kaylee. She’s awesome. A terrible cook, true, but tough, inventive (see trunk idea above), resilient, courageous, a woman who’s never been wanted anywhere, never belonged anywhere, never fit in anywhere. She wants to stay with Daniel and his girls, so she does. She wants to claim a permanent place with Daniel and his girls, to help them, to be useful, so she does. She wants to love Daniel and his girls, so she decides that’s just what she’ll do. And she tells him so, much to his dismay and eventual redemption. After all, this woman survived a day packed in a trunk. What’s a little swim in a river full of alligators?
This has all the ingredients of a hot mess, but it has its nice moments too, enough to get a reader to the end.
October 27, 2011
I know people loved this hero. I think I would have too if it weren’t for the first wife. To be frank, his kids were used so little in the plot line, it all could have gone completely without them, and as such the first wife could have been gone ,gone, gone! And I would have been happy happy HAPPY!
I read the previous books, and with that the first book in which May makes an appearance. She was very blah. Petite, nice, what ever. Blah blah blah. Boooring! She was underdeveloped as a character but the little I saw of her I almost hated because she was so very dull! And so nice! And dull!
Also the references of her following Daniel from school was made in this book just like in the first and we still have no idea how that whole thing started! Or even why they got married or fell in love (if they did, I never felt it in the words) other then the fact they could talk and were friends.
But still, in this book we open with the memory of May,the goddess, the first love, the woman that is better then all the other women!
Get a life,Mr.Lead male.
She died. They married when she was 17ish and he was 19. They were friends for years. It was kiddy love! He went to war and like in all good stories went back to the sweetheart and knocked her up. She was child-like in figure (a big eeeew for me if the hero is built like a giant) and oh my! She died in child birth having twins. How ever did this happen?
I harbor a lot of hate for novels that have a first dead saint love theme. The ‘I will be unfaithful to my love if I kiss the new woman/man in my life’ theme is an even more hateful one for me.
Daniel looked at her. First at her eyes, then his gaze lowered to her nightgown with a two-inch opening at her breasts. “I'm not a saint, Karlee.”
“Yes, you are.” She shifted slightly so that her gown opened more. “Saint Daniel. Ready to sacrifice your whole life for the love of one who died. Well, prove it. Button me up.”
How true. It describes the whole of this book. The hero struggles and struggles with the fact that he likes the heroine. Why? Because she is nothing like May! Oh no! To be perfectly honest, it would have been super creepy if she was Mays copy! So knock out the talk about how you would never court a woman like her.
It was very clear that the heroine WAS the tipe of woman the hero needed and not May. May was just a dutiful little pest. Thank God she died! And yes, I am just mean that way.
It’s not like I liked the hero. But seeing how most of all my animosity was due to his love love LOVE of the first wife, I cant help but be mean and want her gone.
The plot was nothing special. Most of the time I had a feeling the weapons and the fuss about the solders and robberies was just crammed in there so we would not notice that nothing important is really happening.
We also have May’s evil sister that just turns out nice. Yes, she cut out the heroines stuff when she was a kid. Yes she is a spiteful moron. And yeeeeeeeeeet the hero does nothing about it, except really stupid stuff that in my eyes in no real way defended the heroine. But oh! The evil sister does it only because she is lonely. I am guessing you could say that about Hitler too. Talk about a sham… this whole book was one cliché after another.
The heroine, even thou I liked her best of the whole lot was a sad little creature that saw herself as ugly because she was not ok by the norm that was set. In light of this she was prepared to love the hero even thou she went around squeaking about his loved loved LOVED May etc. Well ,girly you two deserve each other. You both suck!
He marked his place in the Bible with two ribbons, one blue velvet, one pink satin, and stood from a desk now void of all clutter. Glancing up, he noticed Karlee standing at the study door and wondered how long she'd been watching him.
Her beauty stopped his breathing for a moment. How could he have ever thought her hair a hindrance, or her body too thick? She was perfection. Just the memory of how they'd made love in the hours before dawn made him wish for the privacy of night once more. She was a woman who took him into her heart and body so completely, he became lost in the pleasure of her.
“You still love her, don't you?” she asked so quietly it was almost a thought. Her eyes held only a question, not a demand for denial.
Slowly, he straightened, pulling himself back to the present, making his mind see her now and not as she'd looked at dawn with her body bare and damp after their mating. “Yes.” He circled both ribbons around his hand. “Do you mind?”
Karlee smiled. “No. She's part of you, part of what made you the man I married. If you stopped loving her, you wouldn't be my Daniel. She can be your first love as long as I can be your last.”
He closed the few steps between them and kissed her tenderly. He couldn't keep his hands from moving over her, longing for the feel of her closer. “I do love you,” he whispered against her ear.
And also:
He knew she loved him, she'd told him so since before he even wanted her to say such words. But it was the way she touched him, always offering more, almost daring him to take more, that drove him mad. They'd been married four months now and, when he made love to her completely and fully, he saw her smile as she fell asleep, exhausted and satisfied. She somehow knew he'd never get his fill of her. She knew he'd always want more of the nearness of her, the feel of her, the taste of her.
Plus:
He wondered if she knew how deeply he wanted her? How much a part of him she'd become? He wasn't sure he'd ever find the words to tell her, but he planned to spend the rest of his nights showing her.
Barf ,barf barf!!!
He still loved May? And she was ok with this? Well I would not be ok with it! It has been 4 years since she died. It’s ok for her to have a place in the heroes heart but him twirling the ribbon of his dead wife and the new one? Lame! And creepy. Coupled with the ‘ohhhh,I like having sex with the new wife’ I have this sick feeling that he still thinks he is in love with May and lust after Karlee. Which brings me back to the initial ‘May was my angel!’ theme that made me queasy from the start.
My solution? Make a fortune. Then go and brake your neck from a horse or something so you could join your precious May. The heroine could then take your money, give the inconsequential and underdeveloped fictional kids to their aunt and meet a nice man that will not be a ‘second hand husband’ as May's sister had called the hero. And really that was so true! I did not like the book mostly for the fact that till the end I had a feeling the heroine was given crumbs. And for no reason, because May was NOT perfect, was more a friend than a lover and was pretty much a dull young girl. So what ever. But lets not call this a love story. And even if we classified it as a love story it was a very bad one in which the HEA made me unhappy.
Also, most all of it was underdeveloped –form the relations of the characters, to the kids and right up to the conspiracy plots. The evil Yankee lieutenant just disappeared and other people appeared at will. All in all-a very badly written book book. And I usually love this author.
So,my advice? Don’t read it but try some of her other books.
I read the previous books, and with that the first book in which May makes an appearance. She was very blah. Petite, nice, what ever. Blah blah blah. Boooring! She was underdeveloped as a character but the little I saw of her I almost hated because she was so very dull! And so nice! And dull!
Also the references of her following Daniel from school was made in this book just like in the first and we still have no idea how that whole thing started! Or even why they got married or fell in love (if they did, I never felt it in the words) other then the fact they could talk and were friends.
But still, in this book we open with the memory of May,the goddess, the first love, the woman that is better then all the other women!
Get a life,Mr.Lead male.
She died. They married when she was 17ish and he was 19. They were friends for years. It was kiddy love! He went to war and like in all good stories went back to the sweetheart and knocked her up. She was child-like in figure (a big eeeew for me if the hero is built like a giant) and oh my! She died in child birth having twins. How ever did this happen?
I harbor a lot of hate for novels that have a first dead saint love theme. The ‘I will be unfaithful to my love if I kiss the new woman/man in my life’ theme is an even more hateful one for me.
Daniel looked at her. First at her eyes, then his gaze lowered to her nightgown with a two-inch opening at her breasts. “I'm not a saint, Karlee.”
“Yes, you are.” She shifted slightly so that her gown opened more. “Saint Daniel. Ready to sacrifice your whole life for the love of one who died. Well, prove it. Button me up.”
How true. It describes the whole of this book. The hero struggles and struggles with the fact that he likes the heroine. Why? Because she is nothing like May! Oh no! To be perfectly honest, it would have been super creepy if she was Mays copy! So knock out the talk about how you would never court a woman like her.
It was very clear that the heroine WAS the tipe of woman the hero needed and not May. May was just a dutiful little pest. Thank God she died! And yes, I am just mean that way.
It’s not like I liked the hero. But seeing how most of all my animosity was due to his love love LOVE of the first wife, I cant help but be mean and want her gone.
The plot was nothing special. Most of the time I had a feeling the weapons and the fuss about the solders and robberies was just crammed in there so we would not notice that nothing important is really happening.
We also have May’s evil sister that just turns out nice. Yes, she cut out the heroines stuff when she was a kid. Yes she is a spiteful moron. And yeeeeeeeeeet the hero does nothing about it, except really stupid stuff that in my eyes in no real way defended the heroine. But oh! The evil sister does it only because she is lonely. I am guessing you could say that about Hitler too. Talk about a sham… this whole book was one cliché after another.
The heroine, even thou I liked her best of the whole lot was a sad little creature that saw herself as ugly because she was not ok by the norm that was set. In light of this she was prepared to love the hero even thou she went around squeaking about his loved loved LOVED May etc. Well ,girly you two deserve each other. You both suck!
He marked his place in the Bible with two ribbons, one blue velvet, one pink satin, and stood from a desk now void of all clutter. Glancing up, he noticed Karlee standing at the study door and wondered how long she'd been watching him.
Her beauty stopped his breathing for a moment. How could he have ever thought her hair a hindrance, or her body too thick? She was perfection. Just the memory of how they'd made love in the hours before dawn made him wish for the privacy of night once more. She was a woman who took him into her heart and body so completely, he became lost in the pleasure of her.
“You still love her, don't you?” she asked so quietly it was almost a thought. Her eyes held only a question, not a demand for denial.
Slowly, he straightened, pulling himself back to the present, making his mind see her now and not as she'd looked at dawn with her body bare and damp after their mating. “Yes.” He circled both ribbons around his hand. “Do you mind?”
Karlee smiled. “No. She's part of you, part of what made you the man I married. If you stopped loving her, you wouldn't be my Daniel. She can be your first love as long as I can be your last.”
He closed the few steps between them and kissed her tenderly. He couldn't keep his hands from moving over her, longing for the feel of her closer. “I do love you,” he whispered against her ear.
And also:
He knew she loved him, she'd told him so since before he even wanted her to say such words. But it was the way she touched him, always offering more, almost daring him to take more, that drove him mad. They'd been married four months now and, when he made love to her completely and fully, he saw her smile as she fell asleep, exhausted and satisfied. She somehow knew he'd never get his fill of her. She knew he'd always want more of the nearness of her, the feel of her, the taste of her.
Plus:
He wondered if she knew how deeply he wanted her? How much a part of him she'd become? He wasn't sure he'd ever find the words to tell her, but he planned to spend the rest of his nights showing her.
Barf ,barf barf!!!
He still loved May? And she was ok with this? Well I would not be ok with it! It has been 4 years since she died. It’s ok for her to have a place in the heroes heart but him twirling the ribbon of his dead wife and the new one? Lame! And creepy. Coupled with the ‘ohhhh,I like having sex with the new wife’ I have this sick feeling that he still thinks he is in love with May and lust after Karlee. Which brings me back to the initial ‘May was my angel!’ theme that made me queasy from the start.
My solution? Make a fortune. Then go and brake your neck from a horse or something so you could join your precious May. The heroine could then take your money, give the inconsequential and underdeveloped fictional kids to their aunt and meet a nice man that will not be a ‘second hand husband’ as May's sister had called the hero. And really that was so true! I did not like the book mostly for the fact that till the end I had a feeling the heroine was given crumbs. And for no reason, because May was NOT perfect, was more a friend than a lover and was pretty much a dull young girl. So what ever. But lets not call this a love story. And even if we classified it as a love story it was a very bad one in which the HEA made me unhappy.
Also, most all of it was underdeveloped –form the relations of the characters, to the kids and right up to the conspiracy plots. The evil Yankee lieutenant just disappeared and other people appeared at will. All in all-a very badly written book book. And I usually love this author.
So,my advice? Don’t read it but try some of her other books.
March 17, 2019
Didn't like this one much. Stupid hero: till the end the heroine is 2 best.... He is still in love with his last wife!!!
Because of her bad conditions growing up the heroine felt worthless... I didn't find her strong character or mind, she was only strong carrying buckets of water...
Because of her bad conditions growing up the heroine felt worthless... I didn't find her strong character or mind, she was only strong carrying buckets of water...
April 24, 2009
I have wanted this book since I first saw it on Ms. Thomas's website. You see this book is set in my home town of Jefferson Texas. I enjoyed the fact that the author actually used the backdrop and real times of the period that this book was set in. Set after the end of the civil war, Jefferson was a wild riverboat town. I loved the characters that she placed in the Jefferson and the story in itself. One I will always keep on my bookshelf.
April 14, 2011
This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic.
Expected Release Date: Available Now!
Publisher: Penguin
Imprint: Berkley
Author’s Website: http://www.jodithomas.com/
My Source for This Book: Amazon.com
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 3, Texas Brothers/McLain series
Series Best Read in Order: Works well as a standalone.
Steam Level: Steamy
Yes, I know, I just reviewed the second book in the series a few minutes ago. I couldn’t help myself. The little teaser at the end of To Kiss a Texan for this book made me have to go snag this one immediately.
Karlee is a typical Plain Jane heroine. She’s tall, overly endowed in the bosom department, has masses of fiery red hair, and for some reason, thinks she’s absolutely fugly. *shrugs* While the whole heroine-is-really-a-hottie-but-thinks-she’s-gross thing doesn’t usually appeal to me, I do enjoy when the heroine is an unwanted, poor relation. Karlee has been bounced around from family member to family member since she was orphaned at a young age, and it has been made clear time and time again that they only tolerate her because they absolutely have to.
Daniel, on the other hand, is the main reason I wanted to read this book. I remember in the first novel when his wife died, how sad I was to think he’d never get his second chance at love.
Daniel was devastated when his wife died giving birth to their twin daughters several years ago. So much so that he’s never even named his girls. Yes, you read that right. He never. Named. His children. *facepalm* In fact, they don’t actually get called anything other than “Twin” for almost half the book (he calls them Twin because in his words, when he wants one he usually wants the other as well)
So yes, I wanted desperately to smack Daniel at the beginning of the novel. However, the reason that I tolerated him is because I could tell that he dearly loved his children, and that they were really his only reason for continuing to live.
The subplot of the rebel activity, as well as the bit about the guns and the army, definitely added a lot of flavor to the story. While I enjoyed Karlee and Daniel’s unconventional courtship, I admit that I was beginning to think that they’d never actually get past their stubbornness and actually get together. The clichés were a little out of hand as well, though they didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story as much as one might think.
Overall, a nicely angsty, entertaining read. 3.5/5 Stars
Expected Release Date: Available Now!
Publisher: Penguin
Imprint: Berkley
Author’s Website: http://www.jodithomas.com/
My Source for This Book: Amazon.com
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 3, Texas Brothers/McLain series
Series Best Read in Order: Works well as a standalone.
Steam Level: Steamy
Yes, I know, I just reviewed the second book in the series a few minutes ago. I couldn’t help myself. The little teaser at the end of To Kiss a Texan for this book made me have to go snag this one immediately.
Karlee is a typical Plain Jane heroine. She’s tall, overly endowed in the bosom department, has masses of fiery red hair, and for some reason, thinks she’s absolutely fugly. *shrugs* While the whole heroine-is-really-a-hottie-but-thinks-she’s-gross thing doesn’t usually appeal to me, I do enjoy when the heroine is an unwanted, poor relation. Karlee has been bounced around from family member to family member since she was orphaned at a young age, and it has been made clear time and time again that they only tolerate her because they absolutely have to.
Daniel, on the other hand, is the main reason I wanted to read this book. I remember in the first novel when his wife died, how sad I was to think he’d never get his second chance at love.
Daniel was devastated when his wife died giving birth to their twin daughters several years ago. So much so that he’s never even named his girls. Yes, you read that right. He never. Named. His children. *facepalm* In fact, they don’t actually get called anything other than “Twin” for almost half the book (he calls them Twin because in his words, when he wants one he usually wants the other as well)
So yes, I wanted desperately to smack Daniel at the beginning of the novel. However, the reason that I tolerated him is because I could tell that he dearly loved his children, and that they were really his only reason for continuing to live.
The subplot of the rebel activity, as well as the bit about the guns and the army, definitely added a lot of flavor to the story. While I enjoyed Karlee and Daniel’s unconventional courtship, I admit that I was beginning to think that they’d never actually get past their stubbornness and actually get together. The clichés were a little out of hand as well, though they didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story as much as one might think.
Overall, a nicely angsty, entertaining read. 3.5/5 Stars
October 8, 2013
I finally found the rest of the books in this series and instead of starting with book 1 I continued where I left off- at book 3 because Daniel intrigued me in book 2. This was a classic Jodi Thomas western! (not that I've read a bunch lol)
The heroine made the story for me here, which is surprising because I thought that Daniel would be super angsty and super brooding and I would love him, but it felt too superficial. I wasn't too keyed into his emotions, his struggles seemed half-a$$ed so I didn't really feel his side as much as I thought I would.
Also can I just add: not naming your twin 4 year old girls doesn't make you sad and withdrawn, it makes you an a$$hole :) sorry Daniel! lol
Wolf I can't wait for your book!!
The heroine made the story for me here, which is surprising because I thought that Daniel would be super angsty and super brooding and I would love him, but it felt too superficial. I wasn't too keyed into his emotions, his struggles seemed half-a$$ed so I didn't really feel his side as much as I thought I would.
Also can I just add: not naming your twin 4 year old girls doesn't make you sad and withdrawn, it makes you an a$$hole :) sorry Daniel! lol
Wolf I can't wait for your book!!
January 2, 2013
:::sigh::: I do love a marriage-of-convenience set in the old west.... Even better when the hero is a hot (widowed) reverend and the heroine is a kind, loving orphaned family outcast, not to mention a virgin with more than her fair share of womanly bosom LOL.... This book has it all.
November 28, 2017
Not as good as book 2 T.T ..The writing as always got me sooo into the story... I usually finish JT's book in a day and a half but I got slow with this one due to the hero... I am really not into a hero/heroine who's in love with another but I guess not everyone can have a perfect love story right? I know that but still the ending and their love story is not so satisfying. It's still fun read JT's humor is still there together with other interesting characters and other members of McLain Family including the extended family member Wolf and now an addition John Caitlin.... Can't wait to read the story of these two tough man ^^
March 5, 2025
In the beginning I thought I was gonna hate Daniel but oH mY gOsH hE iS a ShEeSh AnD i LoVe HiM sO mUcH. 🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠I especially love how Karlee excepted his past with May!! Jodi Thomas is definitely my go to western romance writer
August 11, 2014
The third book in the Texas Brothers series by Jodi Thomas. A sweet touching story of a plain jane finding her place in the world. Rev. Daniel McLain needs help desperately and gets it in the form of a poor relative of his late wife, Karlee Whitworth. Things are awkward at first but Daniel soon finds he needs Karlee as much as his children do.
May 9, 2011
Great addition to the series! I just loved Karlee. She was so spunky and adorable, she just made the whole story. The book I am most looking forward to is Wolf's. He is the most interesting character and has played major roles in each of the books. I enjoy how all the brothers show up in all the books so you get to see how their lives are moving on after reading their stories.
October 18, 2017
Usually I don't start a series in the middle. I loved Daniel and Karlee's story. One of the special gifts Thomas brings to writing is the ability to use humor without losing the dignity and decency of her characters.
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July 8, 2015Karlee Whitworth arrived in a trunk at Daniel McLean's residence. Her aunts had shipped her to Daniel in a trunk because they didn't want her anymore. Karlee was first cousin to Daniel's first wife, May, who had passed away giving birth to their twin girls. Karlee had been passed around to numerous relatives in her life. She was now considered old enough to be a spinster and had been sent to Daniel to help him with the girls. She had been told all her life that no one would ever want her. She was too big, too tall and too plain and her red hair was and ugly color. She felt like she was worthless and a throwaway.
Right after Karlee was let out of the trunk, some troublemakers came to visit. Daniel attempted to hide Karlee and his girls in a hidden basement. Karlee refused and had the girls hide under the kitchen table with a cloth over it making a tent. Wolf came in the back door and Karlee hit him over the head with a skillet. Daniel passed out from being hit but was OK. Karlee tried to make dinner and burned it. She couldn't cook and throughout the story she tried to learn. Daniel was not happy. Karlee went out and hid on the porch. She was trying to make herself invisible because she didn't want to be sent away again. Daniel was planning on having her go but he felt sorry for her and told her he did need help with the girls and he was afraid that May's sister, Gerilyn, would take the girls from him because he wasn't taking good enough care of the twins. He hadn't even named them yet.
Karlee felt like she was living an adventure and she wanted to stay. Daniel was the preacher and the next morning she got the girls up to go to hear Daniel preach. They didn't want to go and ended up being the only ones at church. The previous preacher had been killed and his mother disappeared. Karlee fell asleep during the service and apologized to Daniel. He didn't get mad as she expected. He took her to Sunday lunch at the Buchanan's. Willow used to take care of the twins but she had married one of the Buchanan boys and was expecting a baby soon. Daniel and Deuteronomy Buchanan talked and they decided that none of his sons could try and date Karlee because Daniel needed her and Daniel made Karlee promise to not marry one of the Buchanan's he needed her to stay to take care of the girls. Karlee easily agreed and said the boys were none too smart. A wounded rider showed up and Daniel loaded him up in the wagon and took him and the women back home. They took the guy home and traded his body for a dead one, put the other dead one in a coffin and snuck the wounded guy out of town. His pregnant wife came to Karlee and asked her to take her to her husband's funeral. Karlee loaded her up in a wagon with the girls and went to the burial. Amy Ann ended up having her baby after the funeral on the grass outside the church. Karlee delivered the baby. The doctor arrived to clean her and the baby up and they named the baby RIP, like what was on most of the grave markers.
Shortly after the funeral, someone set a building in town on fire and soon the whole town was burning. Daniel told Karlee to take the girls and go to the Buchanan's. A rider came in as they were leaving and dumped a tied up Indian boy in the wagon and told her to take him with them and to keep him tied up. The Indian wouldn't sit still and tried to jump out but all he did was get himself hurt. She had to pick up back up and reload him into the wagon when he fell out. The Buchanan's kept him tied up for Daniel to take care of. Wolf had been keeping the boy tied up because he was wild and thought he was an Apache. Another Apache had told Wolf the kids story and it was the same story of Wes's wife Allie. Wolf was pretty sure the boy was not a wild Apache but Allie's brother. Wolf was keeping him in one of the buildings in town, that was on fire, while he waited for Daniel's brothers to come and pick up the boy. There was an explosion at the church and one of the windows blew out when Daniel kicked at it. The fire hit Daniel full in the face and he was badly burned. He was brought home unable to see.
Karlee had made friends with the daughter of the local baker, Valerie, and she wanted to see the Indian. She was part Indian and got him to eat and drink. The girls came to visit Daniel and Karlee watched them Daniel said one smelled like Cinnamon and the other always talked about becoming a Star. The girls finally got names, Cinnamon and Starlet. While Daniel couldn't see, he became worried because he was told that Gerilyn was coming to try and take his girls from him. Wolf suggested he marry Karlee so that she couldn't take the girls. Daniel and Karlee were married. Daniel told Karlee that they would stay married for life but he would never love her. He was in love with his wife that died and he would never love again. Karlee decided that she would love Daniel regardless and she set out to prove him wrong. He could love again and it would be her...
The brothers arrived with Allie and she talked a lot to the boy and tried to convince him that he was indeed her brother. Willow had her baby and Karlee went and helped. Valerie came to visit often. Karlee let what she thought was a German family move into her barn. She helped some of the family members find jobs. It turns out that the Mother was actually the mother of the previous preacher that had been killed. She was German and her family were other Germans who had no place to go.
The hiding place in the house where Daniel had first tried to hide Karlee had guns in it. Daniel didn't know where they were from but found out that some people that used to be soldiers had stolen them from an army shipment and then some of the guys stole them from the gang. The leader of the gang, Cullen Baker, returned to get them and Wolf caught most of them and put them in jail. Karlee hid the guns in Gerilyn's trunks and she was sure to find them when she unpacked after she returned home, without the girls.
Allie eventually let the Indian boy loose and he ended up being a little scared but wanting to stay with Allie and her family. Allie had convinced him that he was her brother and he was no longer frightened of her. Karlee was kidnapped by some of the gang members and got away by untying herself and swimming home. Daniel had gotten most of his eyesight back and determined that he had fallen in love with Karlee partly because he missed her so much when she was taken. Daniel had to go the river and get her out because she didn't have any clothes on. They had come off in her swim.
Daniel asked Karlee to marry him again so that she would know that it was a real marriage this time. The town rebuilt the church and this time the townsfolk all came. Daniel was leaving now that the town had gotten rid of most of it's law problems. The gang members had all been caught or killed and order was restored. Daniel was going to help start a land-grant college in Texas. It was an Agricultural and Mechanical college that Karlee thought would one day be shortened to A and M.
Right after Karlee was let out of the trunk, some troublemakers came to visit. Daniel attempted to hide Karlee and his girls in a hidden basement. Karlee refused and had the girls hide under the kitchen table with a cloth over it making a tent. Wolf came in the back door and Karlee hit him over the head with a skillet. Daniel passed out from being hit but was OK. Karlee tried to make dinner and burned it. She couldn't cook and throughout the story she tried to learn. Daniel was not happy. Karlee went out and hid on the porch. She was trying to make herself invisible because she didn't want to be sent away again. Daniel was planning on having her go but he felt sorry for her and told her he did need help with the girls and he was afraid that May's sister, Gerilyn, would take the girls from him because he wasn't taking good enough care of the twins. He hadn't even named them yet.
Karlee felt like she was living an adventure and she wanted to stay. Daniel was the preacher and the next morning she got the girls up to go to hear Daniel preach. They didn't want to go and ended up being the only ones at church. The previous preacher had been killed and his mother disappeared. Karlee fell asleep during the service and apologized to Daniel. He didn't get mad as she expected. He took her to Sunday lunch at the Buchanan's. Willow used to take care of the twins but she had married one of the Buchanan boys and was expecting a baby soon. Daniel and Deuteronomy Buchanan talked and they decided that none of his sons could try and date Karlee because Daniel needed her and Daniel made Karlee promise to not marry one of the Buchanan's he needed her to stay to take care of the girls. Karlee easily agreed and said the boys were none too smart. A wounded rider showed up and Daniel loaded him up in the wagon and took him and the women back home. They took the guy home and traded his body for a dead one, put the other dead one in a coffin and snuck the wounded guy out of town. His pregnant wife came to Karlee and asked her to take her to her husband's funeral. Karlee loaded her up in a wagon with the girls and went to the burial. Amy Ann ended up having her baby after the funeral on the grass outside the church. Karlee delivered the baby. The doctor arrived to clean her and the baby up and they named the baby RIP, like what was on most of the grave markers.
Shortly after the funeral, someone set a building in town on fire and soon the whole town was burning. Daniel told Karlee to take the girls and go to the Buchanan's. A rider came in as they were leaving and dumped a tied up Indian boy in the wagon and told her to take him with them and to keep him tied up. The Indian wouldn't sit still and tried to jump out but all he did was get himself hurt. She had to pick up back up and reload him into the wagon when he fell out. The Buchanan's kept him tied up for Daniel to take care of. Wolf had been keeping the boy tied up because he was wild and thought he was an Apache. Another Apache had told Wolf the kids story and it was the same story of Wes's wife Allie. Wolf was pretty sure the boy was not a wild Apache but Allie's brother. Wolf was keeping him in one of the buildings in town, that was on fire, while he waited for Daniel's brothers to come and pick up the boy. There was an explosion at the church and one of the windows blew out when Daniel kicked at it. The fire hit Daniel full in the face and he was badly burned. He was brought home unable to see.
Karlee had made friends with the daughter of the local baker, Valerie, and she wanted to see the Indian. She was part Indian and got him to eat and drink. The girls came to visit Daniel and Karlee watched them Daniel said one smelled like Cinnamon and the other always talked about becoming a Star. The girls finally got names, Cinnamon and Starlet. While Daniel couldn't see, he became worried because he was told that Gerilyn was coming to try and take his girls from him. Wolf suggested he marry Karlee so that she couldn't take the girls. Daniel and Karlee were married. Daniel told Karlee that they would stay married for life but he would never love her. He was in love with his wife that died and he would never love again. Karlee decided that she would love Daniel regardless and she set out to prove him wrong. He could love again and it would be her...
The brothers arrived with Allie and she talked a lot to the boy and tried to convince him that he was indeed her brother. Willow had her baby and Karlee went and helped. Valerie came to visit often. Karlee let what she thought was a German family move into her barn. She helped some of the family members find jobs. It turns out that the Mother was actually the mother of the previous preacher that had been killed. She was German and her family were other Germans who had no place to go.
The hiding place in the house where Daniel had first tried to hide Karlee had guns in it. Daniel didn't know where they were from but found out that some people that used to be soldiers had stolen them from an army shipment and then some of the guys stole them from the gang. The leader of the gang, Cullen Baker, returned to get them and Wolf caught most of them and put them in jail. Karlee hid the guns in Gerilyn's trunks and she was sure to find them when she unpacked after she returned home, without the girls.
Allie eventually let the Indian boy loose and he ended up being a little scared but wanting to stay with Allie and her family. Allie had convinced him that he was her brother and he was no longer frightened of her. Karlee was kidnapped by some of the gang members and got away by untying herself and swimming home. Daniel had gotten most of his eyesight back and determined that he had fallen in love with Karlee partly because he missed her so much when she was taken. Daniel had to go the river and get her out because she didn't have any clothes on. They had come off in her swim.
Daniel asked Karlee to marry him again so that she would know that it was a real marriage this time. The town rebuilt the church and this time the townsfolk all came. Daniel was leaving now that the town had gotten rid of most of it's law problems. The gang members had all been caught or killed and order was restored. Daniel was going to help start a land-grant college in Texas. It was an Agricultural and Mechanical college that Karlee thought would one day be shortened to A and M.
June 28, 2025
This is a descriptive documentary of what happens when two traumatized people marry each other. There were a few lines I loved so much. Most of the time the potential made me cry and the result made me barf.
I loved the humor, it had been so long since I laughed like that..
I loved the heroine but there was just something that wasn't right with her story, you know what I mean? Daniel didn't love her, no. He needed her because she made him feel, that's not love, it's addiction.
And the twins? They were so invisible in the story.
Honestly? Wolf was a better match for her. I loved him in this one, infact when Daniel couldn't stand up for her, he did.
Andddddd hear me out!!! I searched for this book because! I wanted a preacher!!! Not whatever Daniel told himself he was.
He was more a soldier than his own profession.
There were many loose ends and story didn't make sense at a point, Gerilyn was supposed to take away the daughters when she saw the chaos right? All I saw was her having a free vacay. I mean it didn't come up even once? How unsafe it was for twins? All she did was poke the FMC and criticize everything in the name of social code.
Somehow the story made me feel like I was in a zoo and then in a circus and then in jurassic park, if that even makes sense.
And May? *sighs* there simply was nothing on her in the story, not enough to move on, not enough to hold on. Just a name- May, first love, dead wife, childhood sweetheart. She was just a figure, an idol. I couldn't feel her humanity at all.
I think this story had potential, and of course it's easier to criticize than write but as much as I loved the writing style there was just no story or plot worth writing. I loved the other works though and I am hoping to find more <3
I loved the humor, it had been so long since I laughed like that..
I loved the heroine but there was just something that wasn't right with her story, you know what I mean? Daniel didn't love her, no. He needed her because she made him feel, that's not love, it's addiction.
And the twins? They were so invisible in the story.
Honestly? Wolf was a better match for her. I loved him in this one, infact when Daniel couldn't stand up for her, he did.
Andddddd hear me out!!! I searched for this book because! I wanted a preacher!!! Not whatever Daniel told himself he was.
He was more a soldier than his own profession.
There were many loose ends and story didn't make sense at a point, Gerilyn was supposed to take away the daughters when she saw the chaos right? All I saw was her having a free vacay. I mean it didn't come up even once? How unsafe it was for twins? All she did was poke the FMC and criticize everything in the name of social code.
Somehow the story made me feel like I was in a zoo and then in a circus and then in jurassic park, if that even makes sense.
And May? *sighs* there simply was nothing on her in the story, not enough to move on, not enough to hold on. Just a name- May, first love, dead wife, childhood sweetheart. She was just a figure, an idol. I couldn't feel her humanity at all.
I think this story had potential, and of course it's easier to criticize than write but as much as I loved the writing style there was just no story or plot worth writing. I loved the other works though and I am hoping to find more <3
June 9, 2023
-4 stars. nice easy reading with a happy ending. i needed something lighter.
"Karlee closed her eyes, wishing that there was a real place called "Nowhere" where people who were 'nobodies' could go. she'd go there and be happy with all the other invisible people."
"but i'll give her one thing, she tries. she's not a woman who lets not knowing stop her from trying."
"wolf said this lady is blessed with the knowledge of knowing everything of no importance and the curse of constantly telling others. he says she tries endlessly to give everyone this knowledge, but no one will listen."
"the world had gone mad with resentment and prejudice. it reminded him of a story he'd read once about a tribe long extinct. the culture considered itself to be a civilized lot. so when two chiefs had a quarrel, they would stand on either side of the river with their people behind them. to show his belief in his cause and anger with the other chief, the leader on one side would kill one of his own tribe. the other chief would do the same. back and forth it went, until one leader was sick of how many of his people lay dead at his feet. that chief was declared the loser for he would kill no more of his own. sometimes, according to legend, only the chief would remain. he'd killed his entire tribe to prove how strongly he believed in his cause..he'd won." [sounds like our leaders and the poor disposable folks in the military]
"shut up! you're as dumb as a wart on a dead frog."
"Karlee closed her eyes, wishing that there was a real place called "Nowhere" where people who were 'nobodies' could go. she'd go there and be happy with all the other invisible people."
"but i'll give her one thing, she tries. she's not a woman who lets not knowing stop her from trying."
"wolf said this lady is blessed with the knowledge of knowing everything of no importance and the curse of constantly telling others. he says she tries endlessly to give everyone this knowledge, but no one will listen."
"the world had gone mad with resentment and prejudice. it reminded him of a story he'd read once about a tribe long extinct. the culture considered itself to be a civilized lot. so when two chiefs had a quarrel, they would stand on either side of the river with their people behind them. to show his belief in his cause and anger with the other chief, the leader on one side would kill one of his own tribe. the other chief would do the same. back and forth it went, until one leader was sick of how many of his people lay dead at his feet. that chief was declared the loser for he would kill no more of his own. sometimes, according to legend, only the chief would remain. he'd killed his entire tribe to prove how strongly he believed in his cause..he'd won." [sounds like our leaders and the poor disposable folks in the military]
"shut up! you're as dumb as a wart on a dead frog."
July 31, 2018
I’ve read other books in the series, one before this book and one after. It must be pretty decent “standalone“ reads. I’m not really sure what happened the other box because I can’t remember. But I do know I like Jody Thomas as an author so I knew that I would like this book. Turns out that I was right. I loved Carlie‘s character! Her spunk and vivacious energy as well as her intelligence made for a wonderful heroin that did not need a hero but wanted one anyway. I also liked Danielle quite a bit. I did have some difficulty with his parenting skills at some points but what do you want for bachelor in the 1800s? The beginning of the story had my imagination captured right away with the arrival of Karalee at the minister is home. She was one of those people that though she knew she was a poor relation and had been beaten down her whole life she still had that resilient spark of hope that was able to burst into flame when she was ready and when circumstances allowed. I’ll probably go back and read the rest of the series. And I’m sure the rest of it will be as good as this novel was.
October 10, 2019
Rev. Daniel McLain needs help with his 3-year-old twin girls, so asks a great-aunt to come to Texas to help. Instead, he gets orphaned Karlee Whitworth - the weird poor relation. It's an unusual situation, compounded by the feuding still going on between northerners and southerners after the end of the Civil War. When Daniel gets blinded and cut by flying glass in a town fire, he and Karlee marry so his sister-in-law can't take the twins. Daniel didn't want to remarry - it hurt too much when his 1st wife died. But Karlee worms her way into his heart and eventually they work it out. She gets the family she's always wanted and he gets a loving family again too.
August 19, 2018
another good book by JT. not my favorite of the series, but still good. Daniel was infuriating for most of the book since he was still so obsessed over his first wife - I get that and I wouldn't have wanted to see him jump right into another relationship, but it's been almost 4 years! I love, love, loved Karlee - she was an excellent character and in the end she won him over by being herself in so many ways (and she was nothing like May was).
June 14, 2021
Good versus Evil
One of my favorite novels by Jodi Thomas in the McLain Series. Excellently written full of believable characters who give you hope for a better tomorrow. Daniel is a lost soul who finds his life filled with a heroine who is so loving and generous ( and funny). Complications abound with all the turmoil and interruptions but love comes to the rescue in the entertaining western of good versus evil.... Love it and enjoy rereading it often...
One of my favorite novels by Jodi Thomas in the McLain Series. Excellently written full of believable characters who give you hope for a better tomorrow. Daniel is a lost soul who finds his life filled with a heroine who is so loving and generous ( and funny). Complications abound with all the turmoil and interruptions but love comes to the rescue in the entertaining western of good versus evil.... Love it and enjoy rereading it often...
February 21, 2023
This series continues to entertain. This, the story of the youngest brother Daniel a widower with twin daughters, and Kaylee who is sent from his late wife’s family to help.
Based in reconstruction Texas the story tells of problems readjusting amid the growing love of Daniel and Kaylee.
I enjoy learning through reading and this book didn’t disappoint telling of the origins of Texas A&M.
Based in reconstruction Texas the story tells of problems readjusting amid the growing love of Daniel and Kaylee.
I enjoy learning through reading and this book didn’t disappoint telling of the origins of Texas A&M.
May 1, 2020
Not one of her best
Very little romance between h & H. Story seemed forced and awkward. I skimmed the last 20% just to get to the end and didn’t much care how it actually ended. Disappointed considering how great some of her other books are.
Very little romance between h & H. Story seemed forced and awkward. I skimmed the last 20% just to get to the end and didn’t much care how it actually ended. Disappointed considering how great some of her other books are.
February 25, 2025
McLain Series
Absolutely, book number three, did not disappoint me. What a wonderful exciting adventure. Also, a shocking thrill stopper. I’m looking forward to book number four. Thank you, Kristy Cromer
Absolutely, book number three, did not disappoint me. What a wonderful exciting adventure. Also, a shocking thrill stopper. I’m looking forward to book number four. Thank you, Kristy Cromer
April 7, 2025
Good Story
Daniel, the brother who is a minister moves to a town with a secret. His wife has died and his replacement for his nanny arrives, a red head who is tall and has always been left behind. They fall in love and the secrets of the town are discovered.
Daniel, the brother who is a minister moves to a town with a secret. His wife has died and his replacement for his nanny arrives, a red head who is tall and has always been left behind. They fall in love and the secrets of the town are discovered.
April 29, 2019
Great read
Great book-- love all the books in this series. Jodi Thomas never fails to deliver. Anything she writes is excelle
Great book-- love all the books in this series. Jodi Thomas never fails to deliver. Anything she writes is excelle
February 12, 2021
This was a decent story. I liked Karlee and Daniel but still not as much as Wes and Allie. Can’t wait for Wolfs story!
September 21, 2021
Love her!
One of my favorite series! I’ve read and reread them all and they still make me laugh and give all the feels. The kind of characters you want to know or want to be 💛
One of my favorite series! I’ve read and reread them all and they still make me laugh and give all the feels. The kind of characters you want to know or want to be 💛
May 15, 2022
The writing in this book was pretty subpar, and the story itself was nothing special. I found myself rolling my eyes a time or two.
May 19, 2022
I feel like this was a pretty good take on loving again after losing someone. I appreciated the extra danger aspect added
August 23, 2022
Not great
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