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Seven Brides #0
No One But You
The long-awaited prequel to the Seven Brides series. Leigh Greenwood returns to his award-winning classic series to pen a brand-new Western romance featuring some of his most beloved characters.
First Comes Marriage…
Alone in the world and struggling to make ends meet, Texas war widow Sarah Winborne will do anything to keep her two small children safe and her hard-won ranch from going under. She hasn’t fought for so long to lose everything… and if that means marrying a stranger to protect her family’s future, then so be it.
She never expected anything but a business arrangement, but something about Benton Wheeler’s broad shoulders and kind eyes awakens emotions she’d long since buried. He makes her feel beautiful. He makes her feel desired. He makes her feel like a woman again. And even though their marriage was never intended to be more than a matter of convenience, as Benton stands between her small family and the wild and dangerous West, Sarah may just realize that the cowboy she married is the love she never dreamed she would find…
First Comes Marriage…
Alone in the world and struggling to make ends meet, Texas war widow Sarah Winborne will do anything to keep her two small children safe and her hard-won ranch from going under. She hasn’t fought for so long to lose everything… and if that means marrying a stranger to protect her family’s future, then so be it.
She never expected anything but a business arrangement, but something about Benton Wheeler’s broad shoulders and kind eyes awakens emotions she’d long since buried. He makes her feel beautiful. He makes her feel desired. He makes her feel like a woman again. And even though their marriage was never intended to be more than a matter of convenience, as Benton stands between her small family and the wild and dangerous West, Sarah may just realize that the cowboy she married is the love she never dreamed she would find…
336 pages, Paperback
First published August 24, 2010
104 people are currently reading
933 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
June 6, 2016
No One But You is a wonderful historical western. There's humor, romance, action, and passion, and I loved this glimpse into the early American West and all the work that went in to being a successful rancher during that time. Also, something I enjoyed is that it's unique that it's the female lead who goes in search of a husband. The process of choosing who she would wed was at times funny and at other times heartbreaking.
Leigh Greenwood is a male historical romance author - yes, a male! - and maybe that's why his stories are so...comfortable. They're easy to read without a bunch of emotional drama, just solid, entertaining stories!
An ARC was provided by SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca and in appreciation I'm giving them an honest review.
Leigh Greenwood is a male historical romance author - yes, a male! - and maybe that's why his stories are so...comfortable. They're easy to read without a bunch of emotional drama, just solid, entertaining stories!
An ARC was provided by SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca and in appreciation I'm giving them an honest review.
June 21, 2016
If you are looking for an honest to goodness, sweet western romance, this is the book for you! The setting is Texas, 1867, two years after the Cival War ended.
Sarah is in desperate need of an "in name only" husband to help work and save her failing ranch, as she and her twin seven year old children are near starvation and is about to lose the ranch to the bank. She grew up with an abusive father and was forced to marry an abusive husband, who left her six years ago and died in the war. She has serious trust issues with men and always felt her life would be better off without a man in it. Salty, a ranch hand, meets Sarah and her children and accepts her marriage proposal because he has always wanted to work his own ranch and finds himself very attracted to Sarah. Salty becomes a wonderful father figure to her children and stirs feelings in Sarah she has never felt before.
This book is a spin off from his (yes, Leigh Greenwood is a male, historical romance author) "Seven Brides" series. It is a stand alone, but if interested, read book one in the series called "Rose" to get a better feel for the secondary characters, Rose and George Randolph.
*I received a copy of this book, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review*
Sarah is in desperate need of an "in name only" husband to help work and save her failing ranch, as she and her twin seven year old children are near starvation and is about to lose the ranch to the bank. She grew up with an abusive father and was forced to marry an abusive husband, who left her six years ago and died in the war. She has serious trust issues with men and always felt her life would be better off without a man in it. Salty, a ranch hand, meets Sarah and her children and accepts her marriage proposal because he has always wanted to work his own ranch and finds himself very attracted to Sarah. Salty becomes a wonderful father figure to her children and stirs feelings in Sarah she has never felt before.
This book is a spin off from his (yes, Leigh Greenwood is a male, historical romance author) "Seven Brides" series. It is a stand alone, but if interested, read book one in the series called "Rose" to get a better feel for the secondary characters, Rose and George Randolph.
*I received a copy of this book, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review*
June 26, 2016
A woman who is gutsy enough to go to perfect strangers and ask if she can interview their ranch hands for one to become her husband and help her save her ranch made for an amazing blurb and I was definitely eager to see how that turned out. This ended up being a touching marriage of convenience style story that grew into a beautiful romance.
As I was reading this book, I got the impression that it was connected to another story though it also worked fine as a standalone. In fact, I thought the other story sounded like one of my favorite all-time musicals 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'. Imagine my delight when I went to type up the review and noticed on Amazon with a different publisher that there is indeed a series by this author called The Seven Brides featuring the Randolf family that are strong side characters in this book. So, I guess this is a spin-off or part of that series. From what I can tell, this story would chronologically fit behind the first book in that series since only the oldest Randolf brother was married during this story and this story is about Salty who worked at the Randolf's ranch, but was unrelated.
Alright, so this story begins when widow, Sarah Winborne, and her two children arrive at the Randolf's ranch in search of a man. Sarah's husband died in the Civil War and through the war and the last two years, she has reached a point that she may lose her family ranch. Sarah has worked hard all her life finding things hard first with her father and then her husband. She was secretly relieved when he didn't come back from the war since he was never happy working the ranch, with his daughter and definitely not with a son who had a withered leg. Sarah has made due with indifferent and lazy hired men which was all she could afford. But now, she can't even afford them and figures a husband won't cost her money. Sarah has no desire to give over her hard-won independence so she has rules for the man she will take as husband and one is that it is strictly a business partnership which leaves out Salty Wheeler the man she is attracted to and who seems friendly and kind with her children. The Randolphs speak highly of him and she agrees, but dare she choose a man who she struggles to keep at a distance?
Salty grew up hard and lived with a bitter man. He came back from the war just wanting to settle on his own place and live in peace, but he can't afford it. Along comes determined and hard-working Sarah Winborne with her shocking proposal. At first, she told him that she wouldn't choose him because she liked him which hurt a little, but then he's not sure who is more surprised when Rose Randall asks who Sarah picked out of the hands and it's Salty's name she speaks. He adores her children and loves the idea of working hard to build up her ranch and getting his own land out of the deal when he sets things to rights. Salty can see that Sarah has been treated poorly by the men in her life and he understands her fear that he will be like the others. He has to go carefully and gently with her and her children. He knows that he has found something special with them. With each passing day, he hopes she changes her mind about a marriage in name only and a divorce when he gets the ranch on solid footing. He is helped by her two children and even her own attraction, but can Sarah get past her fears to accept him into her family?
Through a greedy neighboring ranch owner, a resentful former ranch hand and hard work the ranch slowly is brought back with everyone working as a team. Both Sarah and Salty feel the pull of family, togetherness, and love. Then the unthinkable happens and they face the fact that all might be lost just when they thought they had found happiness.
This starts as a marriage of convenience for two people who come together offering something both need. Sarah needs a hardworking man to help her save her ranch so she offers Salty a deal where he will get half the ranch when things are back in the black. Sarah wants it to stay a business deal and nothing else. From the beginning, she struggles as does he and the children accept Salty unconditionally and treat him as their father. Sarah's children have been hungry for love and acceptance because of the way they have been treated first by a father who left and didn't want them and then by a everyone else but Sarah. Sarah herself was used and even abused by her demanding husband so that all of them need a gentle, caring man like Salty to heal their emotional wounds. And Salty needs them too. His dad was always demanding of him and then after his dad was in the accident and paralyzed, Salty was forced to care for a bitter, hateful man that left him more emotionally carved up than fighting in the war though that was rough on him too. He wants a family and a home and people to love and care for who love and care for him right back. Though reluctant to fight, Salty is no coward and takes care of the ranch and his new family.
I loved the gently paced plot that had a slow-build passionate romance and a good description of daily life on a small neglected ranch in post-war Texas. The backstory of the characters and the inclusion of colorful side characters was well done as was the engaging plot. I liked the spikes of excitement caused by the people who wanted Salty and Sarah to fail, but also the fun times including visits with the Randolfs and Salty bringing joy back into the three Winbornes' lives.
All in all, this was a fantastic story and a treat for my Western Historical Romance loving heart. I can easily recommend this one to others. I plan to go back and hunt down more by this author who is fast becoming a must read.
My thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
As I was reading this book, I got the impression that it was connected to another story though it also worked fine as a standalone. In fact, I thought the other story sounded like one of my favorite all-time musicals 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'. Imagine my delight when I went to type up the review and noticed on Amazon with a different publisher that there is indeed a series by this author called The Seven Brides featuring the Randolf family that are strong side characters in this book. So, I guess this is a spin-off or part of that series. From what I can tell, this story would chronologically fit behind the first book in that series since only the oldest Randolf brother was married during this story and this story is about Salty who worked at the Randolf's ranch, but was unrelated.
Alright, so this story begins when widow, Sarah Winborne, and her two children arrive at the Randolf's ranch in search of a man. Sarah's husband died in the Civil War and through the war and the last two years, she has reached a point that she may lose her family ranch. Sarah has worked hard all her life finding things hard first with her father and then her husband. She was secretly relieved when he didn't come back from the war since he was never happy working the ranch, with his daughter and definitely not with a son who had a withered leg. Sarah has made due with indifferent and lazy hired men which was all she could afford. But now, she can't even afford them and figures a husband won't cost her money. Sarah has no desire to give over her hard-won independence so she has rules for the man she will take as husband and one is that it is strictly a business partnership which leaves out Salty Wheeler the man she is attracted to and who seems friendly and kind with her children. The Randolphs speak highly of him and she agrees, but dare she choose a man who she struggles to keep at a distance?
Salty grew up hard and lived with a bitter man. He came back from the war just wanting to settle on his own place and live in peace, but he can't afford it. Along comes determined and hard-working Sarah Winborne with her shocking proposal. At first, she told him that she wouldn't choose him because she liked him which hurt a little, but then he's not sure who is more surprised when Rose Randall asks who Sarah picked out of the hands and it's Salty's name she speaks. He adores her children and loves the idea of working hard to build up her ranch and getting his own land out of the deal when he sets things to rights. Salty can see that Sarah has been treated poorly by the men in her life and he understands her fear that he will be like the others. He has to go carefully and gently with her and her children. He knows that he has found something special with them. With each passing day, he hopes she changes her mind about a marriage in name only and a divorce when he gets the ranch on solid footing. He is helped by her two children and even her own attraction, but can Sarah get past her fears to accept him into her family?
Through a greedy neighboring ranch owner, a resentful former ranch hand and hard work the ranch slowly is brought back with everyone working as a team. Both Sarah and Salty feel the pull of family, togetherness, and love. Then the unthinkable happens and they face the fact that all might be lost just when they thought they had found happiness.
This starts as a marriage of convenience for two people who come together offering something both need. Sarah needs a hardworking man to help her save her ranch so she offers Salty a deal where he will get half the ranch when things are back in the black. Sarah wants it to stay a business deal and nothing else. From the beginning, she struggles as does he and the children accept Salty unconditionally and treat him as their father. Sarah's children have been hungry for love and acceptance because of the way they have been treated first by a father who left and didn't want them and then by a everyone else but Sarah. Sarah herself was used and even abused by her demanding husband so that all of them need a gentle, caring man like Salty to heal their emotional wounds. And Salty needs them too. His dad was always demanding of him and then after his dad was in the accident and paralyzed, Salty was forced to care for a bitter, hateful man that left him more emotionally carved up than fighting in the war though that was rough on him too. He wants a family and a home and people to love and care for who love and care for him right back. Though reluctant to fight, Salty is no coward and takes care of the ranch and his new family.
I loved the gently paced plot that had a slow-build passionate romance and a good description of daily life on a small neglected ranch in post-war Texas. The backstory of the characters and the inclusion of colorful side characters was well done as was the engaging plot. I liked the spikes of excitement caused by the people who wanted Salty and Sarah to fail, but also the fun times including visits with the Randolfs and Salty bringing joy back into the three Winbornes' lives.
All in all, this was a fantastic story and a treat for my Western Historical Romance loving heart. I can easily recommend this one to others. I plan to go back and hunt down more by this author who is fast becoming a must read.
My thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 10, 2016
This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance
Summary
What a fun story this turned out to be and I was so glad to pick this one up!! I have loved and adored this series so much, and Leigh Greenwood is such a talented author and is MALE!! How neat is that! He writes some of the best romances, they are so different and well balanced. This story I would say follows right after "Rose" which is the first book of the series. This series involves seven brothers, most of whom served in the army during the civil war. These brothers are working together to build up their home again. Salty is one of their most trusted ranch hands. George and Rose are married and expecting their first baby. I really loved how the beginning of this story starts out. We see this fun family interact with Sarah and her two children. We are then taken to the moment where Salty and Sarah decide to get married and they head to her ranch near Austin. First off, the way that Salty is with her kids is simply adorable. He is engaging, protective and accepting. Her daughter is a spitfire, and determined to run the ranch and never marry. hehe Now her son, has a deformed leg and has a difficult time walking. His real father has been very abusive about his condition. However the way Salty treats him is just perfect. Sarah takes a bit more time to warm up to him. She was treated pretty badly by her previous husband, so it takes a while before she opens her heart to Salty. But one she does their relationship takes a delightful turn. I just LOVED these two together and how they connect. It was perfectly built up, and I truly had a blast seeing them slowly come together and trust each other. We have some other aspects with a dangerous villain. I truly adored the way that this was written and was so perfect to have Salty's story after all of these years!! If you haven't picked up this author, you should do so. This story can be read as a stand alone if needed. But get ready for some adventure, humor, and unique chemistry.
The Cover
A most beautiful cover!! I just love everything about it! The pose is so romantic, I love the sunset in the background with the sunflowers and her dress is the perfect touch.
Overall View
No One But You is a perfect addition to a wonderful series....a story of discovery, passion and a slow burn romance.
[foogallery id="19251"]
Summary
A Texas War widow, Sarah Winborne needs help and with two children and a ranch to run by herself with no help. Sarah knows that she needs to resort to certain measures she isn't comfortable with but knows it needs to be done for the sake of her children and their future. Sarah has come to the Randolph family ranch, to see help from one of his ranch hands, to marry her. She knows George Randolph has a great reputation for being honorable. She meets Benton Wheeler "Salty" while she makes her decision on who to marry. But she feels a connection to, and even though she isn't looking for desire or passion....her heart wants Salty more than any other man. At first their marriage is one of an agreement, with no emotional or sexual entanglements. As Sarah and Salty work together with her children to rebuild her ranch. Salty finds himself becoming attached to Sarah and her charming children who are in desperate need of love and affection. Sarah and Salty discover a hidden desire for each other that develops into something more powerful.
What a fun story this turned out to be and I was so glad to pick this one up!! I have loved and adored this series so much, and Leigh Greenwood is such a talented author and is MALE!! How neat is that! He writes some of the best romances, they are so different and well balanced. This story I would say follows right after "Rose" which is the first book of the series. This series involves seven brothers, most of whom served in the army during the civil war. These brothers are working together to build up their home again. Salty is one of their most trusted ranch hands. George and Rose are married and expecting their first baby. I really loved how the beginning of this story starts out. We see this fun family interact with Sarah and her two children. We are then taken to the moment where Salty and Sarah decide to get married and they head to her ranch near Austin. First off, the way that Salty is with her kids is simply adorable. He is engaging, protective and accepting. Her daughter is a spitfire, and determined to run the ranch and never marry. hehe Now her son, has a deformed leg and has a difficult time walking. His real father has been very abusive about his condition. However the way Salty treats him is just perfect. Sarah takes a bit more time to warm up to him. She was treated pretty badly by her previous husband, so it takes a while before she opens her heart to Salty. But one she does their relationship takes a delightful turn. I just LOVED these two together and how they connect. It was perfectly built up, and I truly had a blast seeing them slowly come together and trust each other. We have some other aspects with a dangerous villain. I truly adored the way that this was written and was so perfect to have Salty's story after all of these years!! If you haven't picked up this author, you should do so. This story can be read as a stand alone if needed. But get ready for some adventure, humor, and unique chemistry.
The Cover
A most beautiful cover!! I just love everything about it! The pose is so romantic, I love the sunset in the background with the sunflowers and her dress is the perfect touch.
Overall View
No One But You is a perfect addition to a wonderful series....a story of discovery, passion and a slow burn romance.
[foogallery id="19251"]
April 24, 2016
Rating Clarification: 3.75 Stars
Well surprise, surprise I really enjoyed this book! While this is my first book by Leigh Greenwood it isn't my first Historical Western Romance. I quite enjoyed the pacing and mood of this book and while it wasn't a 5 star read it was pretty solid.
Sarah Winborne is standing on her last leg, she's about to lose her ranch and the only way she can save it is by marrying again. She meets Salty one of George Randolph's hands and they marry. It's a business transaction, they stay married for 5 years and when its over they divorce and he gets half the ranch. This is where I felt like I was missing out on something. In the beginning we're introduced to the entire Randolph brood. The Randolph brothers including a pregnant Rose who is George's wife. So I gathered that Rose had been his housekeeper before they'd married.
I hate feeling like this when reading a book I like to know the complete backstory of all the relevant characters. So I'll probably go back and read George and Rose's story if they have one because I'm quite intrigued. Back to Sarah and Salty, their relationship starts out very slowly. Rose has issues because of her past, specifically with men. Her Father was not an easy man and never saw her as anything but a useless woman. Her husband was the same, he treated her badly even struck her a few times. Until he went to war and never came back.
So when she feels attracted to Salty she's immediately weary and thinks that no good could of it. Sarah was a difficult and emotional character, she was younger than Salty's 27 years so that may have been part of the problem, also she'd only ever had her father and husband as a point of reference so she didn't really know very much about men. She definitely didn't make it easy for Salty to become part of the family even though he had brought so much needed help without even expecting gratification. I felt like she was overly suspicious of him. It was very frustrating.
Salty is your text book beta hero, protective but will cater to the heroines every whim. Not a bad thing at all, I loved his character and how loving and patient he was with Jared and Ellen. I enjoyed the conflict that the author threw in not all of it was predictable and I really enjoyed that. My only gripe would probably be with Arnie (any man who will hurt animals is a write off for me) I just felt like his character didn't deserve any redemption, Salty and Sarah were way too forgiving.
On to the little things I loved. I loved how Ellen loved cows and horses and wasn't afraid to say it, even though she was only 7. I loved Bones, he brought cuteness to the story. I loved how Jared got to show that he could also be strong in the end.
If you love historical Western romance then I'd definitely give this one a go if I were you. As a side note this was my first romance by a male author, I've only ever read fantasy written by men but I was quite impressed!
Well surprise, surprise I really enjoyed this book! While this is my first book by Leigh Greenwood it isn't my first Historical Western Romance. I quite enjoyed the pacing and mood of this book and while it wasn't a 5 star read it was pretty solid.
Sarah Winborne is standing on her last leg, she's about to lose her ranch and the only way she can save it is by marrying again. She meets Salty one of George Randolph's hands and they marry. It's a business transaction, they stay married for 5 years and when its over they divorce and he gets half the ranch. This is where I felt like I was missing out on something. In the beginning we're introduced to the entire Randolph brood. The Randolph brothers including a pregnant Rose who is George's wife. So I gathered that Rose had been his housekeeper before they'd married.
I hate feeling like this when reading a book I like to know the complete backstory of all the relevant characters. So I'll probably go back and read George and Rose's story if they have one because I'm quite intrigued. Back to Sarah and Salty, their relationship starts out very slowly. Rose has issues because of her past, specifically with men. Her Father was not an easy man and never saw her as anything but a useless woman. Her husband was the same, he treated her badly even struck her a few times. Until he went to war and never came back.
So when she feels attracted to Salty she's immediately weary and thinks that no good could of it. Sarah was a difficult and emotional character, she was younger than Salty's 27 years so that may have been part of the problem, also she'd only ever had her father and husband as a point of reference so she didn't really know very much about men. She definitely didn't make it easy for Salty to become part of the family even though he had brought so much needed help without even expecting gratification. I felt like she was overly suspicious of him. It was very frustrating.
Salty is your text book beta hero, protective but will cater to the heroines every whim. Not a bad thing at all, I loved his character and how loving and patient he was with Jared and Ellen. I enjoyed the conflict that the author threw in not all of it was predictable and I really enjoyed that. My only gripe would probably be with Arnie (any man who will hurt animals is a write off for me) I just felt like his character didn't deserve any redemption, Salty and Sarah were way too forgiving.
On to the little things I loved. I loved how Ellen loved cows and horses and wasn't afraid to say it, even though she was only 7. I loved Bones, he brought cuteness to the story. I loved how Jared got to show that he could also be strong in the end.
If you love historical Western romance then I'd definitely give this one a go if I were you. As a side note this was my first romance by a male author, I've only ever read fantasy written by men but I was quite impressed!
April 23, 2016
ARC received for review
I love Mr Greenwood's books. Yes, this is a man writing western romance, and they are amazing a great mix of cowboy life, suspense, and romance. This one is part of the Seven Brides series and takes place after book one. It's been a long time since I've read this series, but I still remember every one of the Randolph brothers. Salty was always one of my favorite secondary characters that I wanted to get his own book. Sarah and her kids make a great family for him.
It's a great addition to the series, and I wish I had time to go back and re-read them all again.
I love Mr Greenwood's books. Yes, this is a man writing western romance, and they are amazing a great mix of cowboy life, suspense, and romance. This one is part of the Seven Brides series and takes place after book one. It's been a long time since I've read this series, but I still remember every one of the Randolph brothers. Salty was always one of my favorite secondary characters that I wanted to get his own book. Sarah and her kids make a great family for him.
It's a great addition to the series, and I wish I had time to go back and re-read them all again.
May 7, 2017
The best thing about this book is the cover, they are both very attractive with a nice background for the imagination. You do get a very good look into life on a ranch and living in that time period.
The worst thing though... It's a toss up between the constant describing of the characters' inner thought processes or the extreme level of beta-type reactions from the hero.
Besides the fact that you are constantly reading their thoughts (instead of actually dialogue or actions) it's the same few thoughts that are repeated over and over again. In the first half of the book, Sarah is constantly mentally berating herself that she hasn't been a good enough mother, and every time someone tried to lend her a much needed hand, she would go off into another bitter tangent inside her head. She really was a bitter shrew the first half of the book. I couldn't figure out what exactly the hero saw in her... She did finally see the light by about 70% into the book, but by that time I didn't care either way for her.
As for the hero, he was a total beta guy. Which on one had can be nice to read. He was such a nice, hardworking guy, bonded with the children wonderfully, not a rude grumble out of him once. But what was so frustrating to read was that every time he and Sarah encountered a 'bad guy' instead of hauling him off to the sheriff, or kicking them off their ranch... this hero invites them to dinner, or insists they stay on to help out on the ranch! Unbelievable. I lost some sort of respect for the guy, way too nice to dangerous scum buckets.
This book was NOT steamy at all for me. It came across more as an ok Western novel with a few last minute embraces thrown in. Without giving any spoilers, the consummation of their marriage scene was not romantic at all. Between her having to try to convince him to do it and the references to a wolf.... it was not impressive at all.
The worst thing though... It's a toss up between the constant describing of the characters' inner thought processes or the extreme level of beta-type reactions from the hero.
Besides the fact that you are constantly reading their thoughts (instead of actually dialogue or actions) it's the same few thoughts that are repeated over and over again. In the first half of the book, Sarah is constantly mentally berating herself that she hasn't been a good enough mother, and every time someone tried to lend her a much needed hand, she would go off into another bitter tangent inside her head. She really was a bitter shrew the first half of the book. I couldn't figure out what exactly the hero saw in her... She did finally see the light by about 70% into the book, but by that time I didn't care either way for her.
As for the hero, he was a total beta guy. Which on one had can be nice to read. He was such a nice, hardworking guy, bonded with the children wonderfully, not a rude grumble out of him once. But what was so frustrating to read was that every time he and Sarah encountered a 'bad guy' instead of hauling him off to the sheriff, or kicking them off their ranch... this hero invites them to dinner, or insists they stay on to help out on the ranch! Unbelievable. I lost some sort of respect for the guy, way too nice to dangerous scum buckets.
This book was NOT steamy at all for me. It came across more as an ok Western novel with a few last minute embraces thrown in. Without giving any spoilers, the consummation of their marriage scene was not romantic at all. Between her having to try to convince him to do it and the references to a wolf.... it was not impressive at all.
October 18, 2017
DNF. Because there is only so much I can take.
Widow with 7 year old twins decides she has to marry so her husband can help her save her ranch.
But it has to be a marriage-in-name-only (aka no-sexy-times) and when the ranch is back on good footing they will divorce and he will get 1/2 of El Rancho. Okay...
The boy twin has a withered leg and is wise beyond his years. The girl twin dresses like a boy, never stops talking, and wants to grow up to be a cowboy.
So...Sarah marries Salty. Yeah, you heard me right. The groom's name is Salty. Salty immediately builds Boy Twin a magic crutch so that he can walk for the first time EVAR.
Former hired hand Arnie, who is in love with Sarah, tries to run Salty off by killing a pig and almost laming his horse.
Sarah and Salty (I can't stop giggling every time I type that) fall in twu-wuv.
The insane next door neighbor, who is also a cattle thief, is in love with Sarah. Do you see a theme here? Everyone in the great state of post - Confederacy Texas is in love with beautiful Sarah. So he kidnaps one of the twins. I don't know why, because by this time I was skipping entire chapters.
And the kicker? Sarah's dead husband, who did not like her or their crippled boy baby. The one that went off to fight for the Confederacy and died? Not dead. He shows up wondering why his wife is married to Salty. Surprisingly, he is the only man in Texas who is not in love with Sarah, but he does expect to move back in so she can cook and clean and have sex with him. Ooh, that is a tempting offer.
At which point I threw up my hands and and gave this the prize for Most Ridiculous Thing I Have Tried AND FAILED to Read This Year. No shit, this thing was a train wreck.
Former husband dies trying to rescue one whichever of the kids was kidnapped, leaving Sarah and Salty (hopelessly laughing) free to enjoy a life of ranching with the kids. Happy ending. End of story.
I am not giving myself credit for reading this, because most of it I was skipping and skipping and skipping pages. Not only was the story silly, but the writing was not good.
Widow with 7 year old twins decides she has to marry so her husband can help her save her ranch.
But it has to be a marriage-in-name-only (aka no-sexy-times) and when the ranch is back on good footing they will divorce and he will get 1/2 of El Rancho. Okay...
The boy twin has a withered leg and is wise beyond his years. The girl twin dresses like a boy, never stops talking, and wants to grow up to be a cowboy.
So...Sarah marries Salty. Yeah, you heard me right. The groom's name is Salty. Salty immediately builds Boy Twin a magic crutch so that he can walk for the first time EVAR.
Former hired hand Arnie, who is in love with Sarah, tries to run Salty off by killing a pig and almost laming his horse.
Sarah and Salty (I can't stop giggling every time I type that) fall in twu-wuv.
The insane next door neighbor, who is also a cattle thief, is in love with Sarah. Do you see a theme here? Everyone in the great state of post - Confederacy Texas is in love with beautiful Sarah. So he kidnaps one of the twins. I don't know why, because by this time I was skipping entire chapters.
And the kicker? Sarah's dead husband, who did not like her or their crippled boy baby. The one that went off to fight for the Confederacy and died? Not dead. He shows up wondering why his wife is married to Salty. Surprisingly, he is the only man in Texas who is not in love with Sarah, but he does expect to move back in so she can cook and clean and have sex with him. Ooh, that is a tempting offer.
At which point I threw up my hands and and gave this the prize for Most Ridiculous Thing I Have Tried AND FAILED to Read This Year. No shit, this thing was a train wreck.
Former husband dies trying to rescue one whichever of the kids was kidnapped, leaving Sarah and Salty (hopelessly laughing) free to enjoy a life of ranching with the kids. Happy ending. End of story.
I am not giving myself credit for reading this, because most of it I was skipping and skipping and skipping pages. Not only was the story silly, but the writing was not good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2016
This was an pretty good western romance. The author writes about life on a ranch in Texas. You get a lot of characters that are sometimes funny and appealing. I liked the story line which held my interest.
Sarah Winborne is a widow with two twin children to raise since her husband died during the war.
She is about to loose her ranch if she doesn't come up with a plan to sustain it. Sarah is a strong woman who has had her share of troubles and won't give up. What she needs is a man to marry her so she can keep her ranch intact.
When Salty Benton Wheeler enters her life she's not so thrilled. Sarah wants to marry, but not too sure about the handsome cowboy. She thinks it's best if she wasn't attracted to the man but her heart tells her different. Salty is good with her children and that's a plus with her. She wants to be considered more than just another responsibility for Salty. She feels like her life is out of control and Salty is there to comfort her, if she will just give him a chance.
Life can be hard to women in the West, and Sarah will come to love her man with all her strength to see her through.
I appreciate Net Galley for this ARC title in which I gave an honest review.
Sarah Winborne is a widow with two twin children to raise since her husband died during the war.
She is about to loose her ranch if she doesn't come up with a plan to sustain it. Sarah is a strong woman who has had her share of troubles and won't give up. What she needs is a man to marry her so she can keep her ranch intact.
When Salty Benton Wheeler enters her life she's not so thrilled. Sarah wants to marry, but not too sure about the handsome cowboy. She thinks it's best if she wasn't attracted to the man but her heart tells her different. Salty is good with her children and that's a plus with her. She wants to be considered more than just another responsibility for Salty. She feels like her life is out of control and Salty is there to comfort her, if she will just give him a chance.
Life can be hard to women in the West, and Sarah will come to love her man with all her strength to see her through.
I appreciate Net Galley for this ARC title in which I gave an honest review.
April 28, 2016
I really liked Salty, he knew how to take care of things and how to treat his woman, “Salty says it’s not polite to crowd the cook or drag your feet when it’s time to eat.” Sarah smiled. Here was one more sign that Salty was a cut above other men." I really liked this book I loved Salty I thought he was a great guy.
November 20, 2024
Бентън Уийлър (Солти/Соления) и Сара Уилбърн
"Единствено с теб" в Читанка
Останала вдовица, след като съпругът й заминава да се бие във войната между Севера и Юга, през последните 6 години Сара сама се грижи за ранчото, оставено й от дядо й, и за двете си деца, 7 годишните близнаци Елън и Джаред. През тези 6 години, Сара е опитвала да наема различни мъже, които да се грижат за работата в ранчото й, но така и не попада на свестни, а тя е трябвало да се грижи за сина си, който е роден с недъгаво краче и за дъщеря си. Положението е толкова отчайващо, че Сара е на ръба да изгуби дома им, затова една отчаяна жена трябва да предприеме отчаяни мерки.
Чувала за репутацията на семейство Рандолф и за това колко добри и работливи са, тя решава да посети дома им с молба, която е повече от необичайна. Тя иска съвет от тях, кой от мъжете, които работят за тях е подходящ за това, от което има нужда. Плана й е прост, тя не може да плаща на мъж, но има нужда от някой, който да направи ранчото й отново печелившо. Затова тя ще се омъжи за него, само по име, и когато ранчото се изправи на крака, двамата ще се разведат, а мъжа ще получи половината от земята. Така Сара се запознава с Бентън Уийлър, или както всички го наричат "Солти".
Солти е бивш войник. След войната дома му е унищожен и той се е примирил със съдбата си. Научил се е да бъде доволен от това, че работи за добри хора като братята Рандолф. Когато обаче научава за плана на Сара да се омъжи за някой и после да му даде част от земята си, той вижда в това единствената надежда да има собствена земя. Той е привлечен от Сара и се тревожи от условието й, че няма да имат истински брак, но нуждата да притежава собствена земя го кара да се надява, че тя ще избере именно него. Сара обаче му признава, че не иска него, тъй като също изпитва привличане, но отказва да позволи на някой мъж да я притежава... по тази причина Солти и Сара са исткнски изненадани, когато тя избира именно него.
Книгата е прелестна. Действието се развива 1 година след книгата Роуз, тъй че реално тази книга не е нулева в поредицата, а по-скоро 1.5 Отделно осъзнах, че тази книга се развива и няколко месеца след 1ва книга от поредицата за Каубоите, а именно "Джейк".
Та, Солти беше прекрасен герой
В ранчото на Сара имаше много работа, той трябваше да накупи доста неща, но се справи. Направи патерица за сина ма Сара, и се държеше с децата като свои. Имаха проблеми с бивш работник, после с гневен съсед, всичко беше много интересно. Малко по малко двамата започнаха да се влюбват и бяха супер сладки. Много ми хареса краят и как нещата се подредиха.
Наистина се надявам в следващите книги от поредицата да се срещнем отново с героите в тази книга. Тук видяхме Роуз и Джордж след 1 година, вече бяха построили нова къща, бизнеса им се разрастваше, а Роуз чакаше първото им дете. Толкова е проятно да виждаш какво се случва с предишните двойки, като четеш една книга. Ако искаме да вървим хронологично първо трябва да се прочете "Роуз" след нея "Джейк" след това тази книга, която не е издавана у нас, но в Читанка е под името "Единствено с теб" ,след това "Уорд", после "Фърн", след нея "Бък" след това "Айрис", от тук нататък губя хронологията на поредицата за Каубоите, защото не съм ги чела и трябва да проуча нещата.... като цяло обичам поредиците и като се преплитат така една в друга е още по-яко.
Отплеснах се, тааа много хубава книга, много сладка, много интересна. Има нещо в тези ранно каубойски книги в които героите живеят като в кучешка колиба, в доста голяма бедност и се борят да направят живота си по-добър. Нещо толкова простичко, като нови дрехи, или купуването на пилета и прасета, засяването на градина и събирането на стадото разпилени крави, е така различно от нашето ежедневие, че винаги ми е било адско интересно. Може би затова обичам толкова много книги на Шотландска тематика, и там като тук хората живеят просичко, като на село, и всичко е така интересно. Обичам историческите романи, които ми дават щанс да надника в миналото.
Започвайки тази книга, не осъзнавах, че по хронология преди нея имаме първа от предицата за каубоите, тъй че ще започна сега "Джейк".
"Единствено с теб" в Читанка
Останала вдовица, след като съпругът й заминава да се бие във войната между Севера и Юга, през последните 6 години Сара сама се грижи за ранчото, оставено й от дядо й, и за двете си деца, 7 годишните близнаци Елън и Джаред. През тези 6 години, Сара е опитвала да наема различни мъже, които да се грижат за работата в ранчото й, но така и не попада на свестни, а тя е трябвало да се грижи за сина си, който е роден с недъгаво краче и за дъщеря си. Положението е толкова отчайващо, че Сара е на ръба да изгуби дома им, затова една отчаяна жена трябва да предприеме отчаяни мерки.
Чувала за репутацията на семейство Рандолф и за това колко добри и работливи са, тя решава да посети дома им с молба, която е повече от необичайна. Тя иска съвет от тях, кой от мъжете, които работят за тях е подходящ за това, от което има нужда. Плана й е прост, тя не може да плаща на мъж, но има нужда от някой, който да направи ранчото й отново печелившо. Затова тя ще се омъжи за него, само по име, и когато ранчото се изправи на крака, двамата ще се разведат, а мъжа ще получи половината от земята. Така Сара се запознава с Бентън Уийлър, или както всички го наричат "Солти".
Солти е бивш войник. След войната дома му е унищожен и той се е примирил със съдбата си. Научил се е да бъде доволен от това, че работи за добри хора като братята Рандолф. Когато обаче научава за плана на Сара да се омъжи за някой и после да му даде част от земята си, той вижда в това единствената надежда да има собствена земя. Той е привлечен от Сара и се тревожи от условието й, че няма да имат истински брак, но нуждата да притежава собствена земя го кара да се надява, че тя ще избере именно него. Сара обаче му признава, че не иска него, тъй като също изпитва привличане, но отказва да позволи на някой мъж да я притежава... по тази причина Солти и Сара са исткнски изненадани, когато тя избира именно него.
Книгата е прелестна. Действието се развива 1 година след книгата Роуз, тъй че реално тази книга не е нулева в поредицата, а по-скоро 1.5 Отделно осъзнах, че тази книга се развива и няколко месеца след 1ва книга от поредицата за Каубоите, а именно "Джейк".
Та, Солти беше прекрасен герой
В ранчото на Сара имаше много работа, той трябваше да накупи доста неща, но се справи. Направи патерица за сина ма Сара, и се държеше с децата като свои. Имаха проблеми с бивш работник, после с гневен съсед, всичко беше много интересно. Малко по малко двамата започнаха да се влюбват и бяха супер сладки. Много ми хареса краят и как нещата се подредиха.
Наистина се надявам в следващите книги от поредицата да се срещнем отново с героите в тази книга. Тук видяхме Роуз и Джордж след 1 година, вече бяха построили нова къща, бизнеса им се разрастваше, а Роуз чакаше първото им дете. Толкова е проятно да виждаш какво се случва с предишните двойки, като четеш една книга. Ако искаме да вървим хронологично първо трябва да се прочете "Роуз" след нея "Джейк" след това тази книга, която не е издавана у нас, но в Читанка е под името "Единствено с теб" ,след това "Уорд", после "Фърн", след нея "Бък" след това "Айрис", от тук нататък губя хронологията на поредицата за Каубоите, защото не съм ги чела и трябва да проуча нещата.... като цяло обичам поредиците и като се преплитат така една в друга е още по-яко.
Отплеснах се, тааа много хубава книга, много сладка, много интересна. Има нещо в тези ранно каубойски книги в които героите живеят като в кучешка колиба, в доста голяма бедност и се борят да направят живота си по-добър. Нещо толкова простичко, като нови дрехи, или купуването на пилета и прасета, засяването на градина и събирането на стадото разпилени крави, е така различно от нашето ежедневие, че винаги ми е било адско интересно. Може би затова обичам толкова много книги на Шотландска тематика, и там като тук хората живеят просичко, като на село, и всичко е така интересно. Обичам историческите романи, които ми дават щанс да надника в миналото.
Започвайки тази книга, не осъзнавах, че по хронология преди нея имаме първа от предицата за каубоите, тъй че ще започна сега "Джейк".
July 1, 2016
Though not my usual genre, this reviewer is not a complete stranger to historical western romances. In fact, A Taste of Fire by Hannah Howell is one of my absolute favorite historical reads. With its well-developed, unusual, engaging characters and suspenseful plot, it has stayed with me long after the main couple rode off into their literary proverbial sunset.
Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about what appears to be a re-release of a book in Leigh Greenwood’s Seven Brides series, No One But You. At 30% into it, I found the writing so monotonic I just had to say, “Whoa!” and call it quits. Guilt over receiving an ARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion had me picking it up later the same day and giving it a second try. I got to the 88% mark when I realized, despite the increase in drama/conflict which involved three different interesting but very predictable scenarios, that were obviously meant to be twists and turns, this book still wasn’t winning me over.
The refreshingly romantic book cover and intriguing synopsis lured me in, folks, but the slow as molasses storyline had me skimming page after page looking for something interesting to finally happen or even be said. What I got was a too tall, thin, nothing special to look at good guy hero and a nice, somewhat pretty, but not particularly beautiful widow heroine, looking for a ranch hand to marry who would agree to no hanky panky. In exchange, she’ll give up half her land to him, after a divorce once he has the ranch making a profit. Well, color me crazy, but those descriptions used by the main couple themselves to describe one another and their impending relationship hardly wet my appetite to read more. Both characters seemed as dull and dry as the Texas dust that surrounded them. I think it was knowing this good guy hero would eventually win the heart of this reluctant to love heroine that kept me enduring the overly verbose writing style.
It’s just a shame things didn’t start to heat up between them until around 70% into it. That’s when they had their first kiss. I also need to point out I found the heroine’s mental references to a wolf during their first intimate encounter just plain weird. It just didn’t fit, folks. Heck for a moment, I thought it was going to turn into a wolf shape shifter read.
Once they were married and arrived at the heroine’s ranch, “very” lengthy descriptions/dialog between all the characters regarding what they were doing or needed to do ranch-wise hijacked the storyline for a very long time. It felt more like a “day in the life of a rancher” instead of a romantic read.
Now hold your horses! I mean no offense. Mr. Greenwood’s die-hard fans of this series will likely love it. He obviously has a following or there wouldn’t be so many books. Btw, it appears this book is listed as book 8, but falls more in line if it were written as book 2, right after Rose and George’s HEA. This NetGalley reviewer wishes him continued writing success. I just won’t be joining his posse of fans who read this series. Maybe no one but me feels this way, but I needed more interaction between the main couple and less ranch drama/other men showing up wanting to be with the heroine.
If you're looking for a sweet, mostly innocent/clean historical western themed romance, you will likely rate this one much higher.
Title: No One But You, Series: Seven Brides (Book 8) – a prequel that falls more in line after reading book 1, Author: Leigh Greenwood, Pages: 416, First released: 8/24/10, This version re-released on 7/5/16, stopped at 88%, no cheating, OM drama, not overly steamy, not enough romance portion.
(This review is based on NetGalley ARC issued in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion. No compensation was made to the reviewer, nor is there any affiliation between the reviewer and/or author/publisher.)
Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about what appears to be a re-release of a book in Leigh Greenwood’s Seven Brides series, No One But You. At 30% into it, I found the writing so monotonic I just had to say, “Whoa!” and call it quits. Guilt over receiving an ARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion had me picking it up later the same day and giving it a second try. I got to the 88% mark when I realized, despite the increase in drama/conflict which involved three different interesting but very predictable scenarios, that were obviously meant to be twists and turns, this book still wasn’t winning me over.
The refreshingly romantic book cover and intriguing synopsis lured me in, folks, but the slow as molasses storyline had me skimming page after page looking for something interesting to finally happen or even be said. What I got was a too tall, thin, nothing special to look at good guy hero and a nice, somewhat pretty, but not particularly beautiful widow heroine, looking for a ranch hand to marry who would agree to no hanky panky. In exchange, she’ll give up half her land to him, after a divorce once he has the ranch making a profit. Well, color me crazy, but those descriptions used by the main couple themselves to describe one another and their impending relationship hardly wet my appetite to read more. Both characters seemed as dull and dry as the Texas dust that surrounded them. I think it was knowing this good guy hero would eventually win the heart of this reluctant to love heroine that kept me enduring the overly verbose writing style.
It’s just a shame things didn’t start to heat up between them until around 70% into it. That’s when they had their first kiss. I also need to point out I found the heroine’s mental references to a wolf during their first intimate encounter just plain weird. It just didn’t fit, folks. Heck for a moment, I thought it was going to turn into a wolf shape shifter read.
Once they were married and arrived at the heroine’s ranch, “very” lengthy descriptions/dialog between all the characters regarding what they were doing or needed to do ranch-wise hijacked the storyline for a very long time. It felt more like a “day in the life of a rancher” instead of a romantic read.
Now hold your horses! I mean no offense. Mr. Greenwood’s die-hard fans of this series will likely love it. He obviously has a following or there wouldn’t be so many books. Btw, it appears this book is listed as book 8, but falls more in line if it were written as book 2, right after Rose and George’s HEA. This NetGalley reviewer wishes him continued writing success. I just won’t be joining his posse of fans who read this series. Maybe no one but me feels this way, but I needed more interaction between the main couple and less ranch drama/other men showing up wanting to be with the heroine.
If you're looking for a sweet, mostly innocent/clean historical western themed romance, you will likely rate this one much higher.
Title: No One But You, Series: Seven Brides (Book 8) – a prequel that falls more in line after reading book 1, Author: Leigh Greenwood, Pages: 416, First released: 8/24/10, This version re-released on 7/5/16, stopped at 88%, no cheating, OM drama, not overly steamy, not enough romance portion.
(This review is based on NetGalley ARC issued in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion. No compensation was made to the reviewer, nor is there any affiliation between the reviewer and/or author/publisher.)
June 10, 2011
(This review is for the ARC, courtesy of NetGalley)
No One But You, by Leigh Greenwood, is a nice story about nice people. It follows the usual conventions of the romance genre so the reader will know what to expect, to the point that several plot devices read like items on a check-off list. Nevertheless, it's a story about decent characters with worthy goals.
The plot centers around a Civil War widow in Texas who can no longer manage her rundown ranch and support two young children on her own. She arranges to marry a cowhand from another ranch, offering him half-ownership in the property in exchange for his help and protection. That it is to be a marriage of convenience is one of the main plot points. Others involve cattle rustlers, missing persons, female autonomy in the 19th century, and a crippled child gaining self-respect.
It's not the personalities or the problems that keep this book from being better than just okay, it's the writing itself. There is far too much describing going on of characters' thought processes that could have been conveyed through words and actions. There are likewise far too many repetitions of these explanatory passages; they were tedious. Tighter writing--and the extrication of some anachronistic phrases--would have made this a better book, but it's an amiable story for all that.
No One But You, by Leigh Greenwood, is a nice story about nice people. It follows the usual conventions of the romance genre so the reader will know what to expect, to the point that several plot devices read like items on a check-off list. Nevertheless, it's a story about decent characters with worthy goals.
The plot centers around a Civil War widow in Texas who can no longer manage her rundown ranch and support two young children on her own. She arranges to marry a cowhand from another ranch, offering him half-ownership in the property in exchange for his help and protection. That it is to be a marriage of convenience is one of the main plot points. Others involve cattle rustlers, missing persons, female autonomy in the 19th century, and a crippled child gaining self-respect.
It's not the personalities or the problems that keep this book from being better than just okay, it's the writing itself. There is far too much describing going on of characters' thought processes that could have been conveyed through words and actions. There are likewise far too many repetitions of these explanatory passages; they were tedious. Tighter writing--and the extrication of some anachronistic phrases--would have made this a better book, but it's an amiable story for all that.
May 9, 2016
Great Book, Awesome Characters, Many Laughs and Tears, Exciting...
Over 10 year ago I read all the books in the Seven Brides series and absolutely loved them. Although I don't remember much of those books today, I do remember how much I enjoyed them so when I saw this book and how it was related to that series I couldn't wait to read it. It was a great read.
The story was very interesting and I loved these characters. I had a great time watching watching these characters become a real family and watching the friendship and romance develop between Salty and Sarah. This book had me laughing many times and getting teary eyed just as many. This book was full of action and adventure as well as romance and a bit of mystery.
I loved this book and would highly recommend it.
This book was provided free of charge from NetGalley for an honest and unbiased review.
Over 10 year ago I read all the books in the Seven Brides series and absolutely loved them. Although I don't remember much of those books today, I do remember how much I enjoyed them so when I saw this book and how it was related to that series I couldn't wait to read it. It was a great read.
The story was very interesting and I loved these characters. I had a great time watching watching these characters become a real family and watching the friendship and romance develop between Salty and Sarah. This book had me laughing many times and getting teary eyed just as many. This book was full of action and adventure as well as romance and a bit of mystery.
I loved this book and would highly recommend it.
This book was provided free of charge from NetGalley for an honest and unbiased review.
June 8, 2023
1⭐️ I was soooo excited to read this one because I was in the mood for a „slow life“ / farm lifestyle kinda romance, but the heroine ruined this book for me! She was annoying AF with her victim mentality, guilt and jealousy…so whiny! And I get that she was abused and so on…but he was clearly a good man and instead of being grateful for everything he bought for the ranch and the way he was treating the kids, she felt „excluded“. Such s shrew!!! 🙄 My problem with the hero was that he gave off such beta male vibes…yeah not for me! DNF!!!
I can’t believe I paid for this s*** and didn’t even get to finish it. I should really stick to kindle unlimited if I am not sure I will like a book. But do I learn my lessons? No..I keep making the same mistakes.😒
I can’t believe I paid for this s*** and didn’t even get to finish it. I should really stick to kindle unlimited if I am not sure I will like a book. But do I learn my lessons? No..I keep making the same mistakes.😒
May 25, 2017
Westerns and frontier stories always have a special place in my heart. Life is hard and brutal there, and by right people living then would probably be more interested in the next meal and roof over their head. It is a testiment of human resilience to read about their triumph over inexplicable hardship and overcome the odds to get their hea. Always very gratifying.
Another regular feature in these types of novels is they most likely will be slow burns, with the romance unfurling molass like slow. Makes a lot of sense given it probably is a daily fight to just survive, the couple will need to surpass tons of hardship to really have time to recognise and take care of feelings. Most are thrown together by circumstances that requires acts of courage and grit, and make them really understand this other person is someone special to be relied on and love.
This book is pretty entertaining once the story gets going. It has tons of surprises, a very lovable H, a stubborn but ballsy h that wouldn't give in and a couple of adorable lil ones.
I had a hard time initially warming up to the book. The pace is really slow and instead of dialogues, we are treated to a lot of inner musings which were also pretty repetitive. It also didn't endear our h to me, as she seems to be way off base and is acting up most horribly due to her misconceptions. She actually pissed me off coming across as a control freak, all haughty and hedgehoggy, yet it was also pretty obvious she was pretty ignorant about her ranch and definitely would have been better off with the H's help. While I do understand her fear, I was hoping she would have realised quite soon her mistake and see our H as who he really is. She did see H is different, but while there are tons of monologues reinforcing her resistance to the H, her transition to acceptance was barely mentioned, I was actually as shocked as our H when the declaration happens. As the story progresses and she starts to unbend, you do see a strong woman that isn't afraid of hardship. She is ballsy and once she comes to terms with her feelings, she honestly owns it. I also realise I did judge her harshly as her desire to have a say in things is really what a lot of us now has taken for granted, and it really is no fun to have your wishes ignored or have to do things against your will. I love her interaction with her children, she loves them, but she also is there to guide them and is sensitive to their needs.
Our H is the perfect nice guy next door type. Gotta say though, given his nickname, I initially imagined more a cowhand in his middle ages and is more of a supporting cast type. He abhors senseless violence, has the ability to keep his cool and see humour in most situations, yet when the situation calls for it, he is ready to jump in to save the day. H also isn't a skank and is v much into h early on. He really is a great guy with a gentle heart with a hidden strength people can rely on. His good nature helps this family that has known nothing but hardship enjoy life and learn to be happy. The one thing that sticks out for this H is his even temperament and laid back attitude. It actually speaks of great control and confidence to me.
The lil ones here are really adorable and they are there to show both protagonists in a great light. We get to see our H's patience and caring for them as well as our h's protective and softer side.
Story itself is thoroughly entertaining. It is full of details of a ranch and it really is satisfying seeing the whole family slowly putting it to right. There are a few twists along the way and though it is fun to read, I am still a bit puzzled why the villain did what he did.
Still quite enjoyable once the first part of the boring monologue got out of the way.
Another regular feature in these types of novels is they most likely will be slow burns, with the romance unfurling molass like slow. Makes a lot of sense given it probably is a daily fight to just survive, the couple will need to surpass tons of hardship to really have time to recognise and take care of feelings. Most are thrown together by circumstances that requires acts of courage and grit, and make them really understand this other person is someone special to be relied on and love.
This book is pretty entertaining once the story gets going. It has tons of surprises, a very lovable H, a stubborn but ballsy h that wouldn't give in and a couple of adorable lil ones.
I had a hard time initially warming up to the book. The pace is really slow and instead of dialogues, we are treated to a lot of inner musings which were also pretty repetitive. It also didn't endear our h to me, as she seems to be way off base and is acting up most horribly due to her misconceptions. She actually pissed me off coming across as a control freak, all haughty and hedgehoggy, yet it was also pretty obvious she was pretty ignorant about her ranch and definitely would have been better off with the H's help. While I do understand her fear, I was hoping she would have realised quite soon her mistake and see our H as who he really is. She did see H is different, but while there are tons of monologues reinforcing her resistance to the H, her transition to acceptance was barely mentioned, I was actually as shocked as our H when the declaration happens. As the story progresses and she starts to unbend, you do see a strong woman that isn't afraid of hardship. She is ballsy and once she comes to terms with her feelings, she honestly owns it. I also realise I did judge her harshly as her desire to have a say in things is really what a lot of us now has taken for granted, and it really is no fun to have your wishes ignored or have to do things against your will. I love her interaction with her children, she loves them, but she also is there to guide them and is sensitive to their needs.
Our H is the perfect nice guy next door type. Gotta say though, given his nickname, I initially imagined more a cowhand in his middle ages and is more of a supporting cast type. He abhors senseless violence, has the ability to keep his cool and see humour in most situations, yet when the situation calls for it, he is ready to jump in to save the day. H also isn't a skank and is v much into h early on. He really is a great guy with a gentle heart with a hidden strength people can rely on. His good nature helps this family that has known nothing but hardship enjoy life and learn to be happy. The one thing that sticks out for this H is his even temperament and laid back attitude. It actually speaks of great control and confidence to me.
The lil ones here are really adorable and they are there to show both protagonists in a great light. We get to see our H's patience and caring for them as well as our h's protective and softer side.
Story itself is thoroughly entertaining. It is full of details of a ranch and it really is satisfying seeing the whole family slowly putting it to right. There are a few twists along the way and though it is fun to read, I am still a bit puzzled why the villain did what he did.
Still quite enjoyable once the first part of the boring monologue got out of the way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2024
**Most of my reviews contain detailed Content Notes (including CW/TW) sections, which may include spoilers. I have tried to mark them appropriately, but please use caution.**
4/5
Physical
* Summary: Widowed mother and desperate rancher, Sarah, temporarily marries cowhand, Salty, planning to divorce (and pay) him after they save her ranch - and finds an unexpected partner in parenting and life.
* Stats: HR- Western, M/F, limited open door, part of a series but stands alone.
* Notes: I enjoyed this, although as per usual for physical books, it took me forever and a day to finish. The historical detail is pretty good, the characters are interesting and well developed, and it had some interesting parts with the characters navigating gender roles and disability relating to the FMC’s two children. The plot comes rather off the rails at the end, but I still liked it overall.
OTT and Spoilery Content Notes:
4/5
Physical
* Summary: Widowed mother and desperate rancher, Sarah, temporarily marries cowhand, Salty, planning to divorce (and pay) him after they save her ranch - and finds an unexpected partner in parenting and life.
* Stats: HR- Western, M/F, limited open door, part of a series but stands alone.
* Notes: I enjoyed this, although as per usual for physical books, it took me forever and a day to finish. The historical detail is pretty good, the characters are interesting and well developed, and it had some interesting parts with the characters navigating gender roles and disability relating to the FMC’s two children. The plot comes rather off the rails at the end, but I still liked it overall.
OTT and Spoilery Content Notes:
June 23, 2018
June 2018
2 Stars - It Was Okay
Audiobook
Sugary sweet historical western romance set in 1860's Texas. The hero, Salty (Benton), was pretty great. The heroine, Sarah, grated on my nerves. The story was slow moving and too cutesy for me. With this being written my a male author, I thought there would be less drama and more of a straightforward western, but that wasn't the case.
This story was ok, but I doubt I'll read more from this author.
Notable Spoilers:
Series:
Cheating:
OW/OM:
Sexy Times:
Sex Detail:
Separation:
Push/Pull:
Triggers:
Profanity:
September 17, 2023
EDIT: Well, I actually forced myself to finish this book because I fell in love with Salty. I can’t say that I like Sarah much more than I did originally but she became less annoying enough that I can read until the end. However, the chemistry between the two characters were lukewarm at best and there was too much unnecessary drama. 3/5.
ORIGINAL REVIEW: DNF at 31% and I’m very sad about it. Salty seems like such an amazing character and I really wanted to finish this book because I just love kind, caring heroes. However, Sarah is quite literally unlikeable. I understand that she went through a lot but her “me, me, me” attitude and her wishy-washiness put me off. She was so insecure of everything that she resented Salty for making her look like a bad mother (not her fault but she hated that she felt that way). She was prideful even though she didn’t really have something to stand on to be so proud. She hated herself for choosing somebody she was attracted to. She was jealous of her own children. I have no idea how she survived for 6 years on her own. Once again this book proved that male authors don’t know how to write compelling FMCs.
ORIGINAL REVIEW: DNF at 31% and I’m very sad about it. Salty seems like such an amazing character and I really wanted to finish this book because I just love kind, caring heroes. However, Sarah is quite literally unlikeable. I understand that she went through a lot but her “me, me, me” attitude and her wishy-washiness put me off. She was so insecure of everything that she resented Salty for making her look like a bad mother (not her fault but she hated that she felt that way). She was prideful even though she didn’t really have something to stand on to be so proud. She hated herself for choosing somebody she was attracted to. She was jealous of her own children. I have no idea how she survived for 6 years on her own. Once again this book proved that male authors don’t know how to write compelling FMCs.
December 23, 2025
DNF at 43%
I really wanted to like this one because the premise was strong and I loved seeing the Randolph family from the Seven Brides series again. Seeing them was the highlight, but unfortunately, the rest of the book fell flat for me.
While the setup was promising, the execution felt repetitive and slow. The story gets bogged down in overly descriptive details of everyday chores, and Sarah and Salty’s inner monologues quickly became circular. Additionally, while the children are central to the plot, I found them to be "too perfect" - their constant perceptiveness and Salty's immediate, flawless connection with them felt unrealistic and eventually tiring to read.
I might try to pick it up again later for the sake of the family connection, but for now, it was just too boring to push through.
I really wanted to like this one because the premise was strong and I loved seeing the Randolph family from the Seven Brides series again. Seeing them was the highlight, but unfortunately, the rest of the book fell flat for me.
While the setup was promising, the execution felt repetitive and slow. The story gets bogged down in overly descriptive details of everyday chores, and Sarah and Salty’s inner monologues quickly became circular. Additionally, while the children are central to the plot, I found them to be "too perfect" - their constant perceptiveness and Salty's immediate, flawless connection with them felt unrealistic and eventually tiring to read.
I might try to pick it up again later for the sake of the family connection, but for now, it was just too boring to push through.
April 20, 2022
This book started off fine but near the end there were so many excuses being made and forgiving people when they hadn’t even done anything to earn it.
I didn’t really like Sarah at the beginning but after a while I got used to her.
There wasn’t much about their relationship. They fight their attraction then near the end they suddenly fall in love and immediately lots of problems start happening.
The problems came out of nowhere and it really annoyed me how a person was horrible but the main characters would just forget about it and start getting along with them.
The end really annoyed me so I’m not sure if I want to read any other books in this series. Also, this book should be read as 1.5 in the series as George and Rose are already together.
I didn’t really like Sarah at the beginning but after a while I got used to her.
There wasn’t much about their relationship. They fight their attraction then near the end they suddenly fall in love and immediately lots of problems start happening.
The problems came out of nowhere and it really annoyed me how a person was horrible but the main characters would just forget about it and start getting along with them.
The end really annoyed me so I’m not sure if I want to read any other books in this series. Also, this book should be read as 1.5 in the series as George and Rose are already together.
August 14, 2023
Sarah Winborne is a widow with two children. Her young son was crippled, so her young daughter took on the chores and ranching he couldn't. But Sarah needed help. She only needed a husband in name to help get her ranch and order. After it ran smoothly, she'd divorce the man and give him half of her land. That was the plan.
Benton Wheeler, known as Salty to most, worked for the Randolphs and loved it. They were good people. When Sarah came knocking, and he heard her plan, he could finally see his dream come true about having land of his own. Only, she didn't seem too keen on choosing him. Little did he realize that her reason was that she could see herself falling in love with him, which would ruin her plans.
An exciting page-turner with wonderful characters.
Benton Wheeler, known as Salty to most, worked for the Randolphs and loved it. They were good people. When Sarah came knocking, and he heard her plan, he could finally see his dream come true about having land of his own. Only, she didn't seem too keen on choosing him. Little did he realize that her reason was that she could see herself falling in love with him, which would ruin her plans.
An exciting page-turner with wonderful characters.
June 20, 2017
From the first page of this engrossing historical western by Leigh Greenwood, I was transported to the rugged terrain of post civil war Texas and emotionally captivated by widow Sarah Winborne , along with her 7yr old twins, Ellen and Jared. The pacing of the story manages to accommodate heart pounding action surrounding Sarah's problems with a neighboring rancher and her former ranch hand, along with the steady building of love and trust between her and her husband of convenience, Benton (Salty) Wheeler. I truly hated to see the story end, and I'm sure I'll revisit these characters and enjoy their story again and again!
April 9, 2022
2.5 stars
not nearly romantic enough i fear :(( and the ending just got a little convoluted. i would rather have more scene btwn Sarah and Salty than some thievery/rustling subplot – that was v boring. i did like the children, but at the same time there were so many scenes of them together than just Sarah and Salty, so i didn't really feel the progression of their relationship.
and there's this one scene where they talk a little too much about cleaning a hog r whatever the fuck you call it. that was unnecessary and a little horrifying i really hated that omg
other than that, it was okay-ish. you might like it more if you're into domestic scenes.
not nearly romantic enough i fear :(( and the ending just got a little convoluted. i would rather have more scene btwn Sarah and Salty than some thievery/rustling subplot – that was v boring. i did like the children, but at the same time there were so many scenes of them together than just Sarah and Salty, so i didn't really feel the progression of their relationship.
and there's this one scene where they talk a little too much about cleaning a hog r whatever the fuck you call it. that was unnecessary and a little horrifying i really hated that omg
other than that, it was okay-ish. you might like it more if you're into domestic scenes.
September 24, 2017
Good historical romance, somewhat surprisingly written by a man! I really liked the main characters, including a war widow doing whatever she could to raise her children and save her ranch, her twins, and the fellow she chooses as a new husband. I really ate up the details of everything they had to do to restore and build up the ranch, even including butchering a pig. It was also well edited. My only criticisms are that I felt there were too many villains. Also, I felt the love scene was more graphic than needed for this type of novel.
April 14, 2018
I’ve seen this author’s works on Audible for years and (upon learning that ‘Leigh’ Greenwood was actually ‘Lee’), I’ve always passed. Lesson learned. The concept of gender equality works both ways. It turns out that men are equally capable of spinning a great historical western romance ... or at least this one is.
December 24, 2022
Dnf at 53% which is a lot farther than I thought I'd make it.
I tried; I really did.
I couldn't deal with how the author kept mentioning "the war" while avoiding the fact that these men were Southerners fighting in the Civil War.
The word "female" was used far too often for my comfort.
Other small things just threw me off but I was recommended this so I tried.
I tried; I really did.
I couldn't deal with how the author kept mentioning "the war" while avoiding the fact that these men were Southerners fighting in the Civil War.
The word "female" was used far too often for my comfort.
Other small things just threw me off but I was recommended this so I tried.
May 16, 2024
I mostly didn't like it, but it wasn't awful. I found it to be depressing somewhat. I felt like at times they were just too nice to people that, in my opinion, did not deserve it. Maybe in real life you can show that much grace, but in a book I prefer my characters to not be door mats. I also would prefer to Never Ever have a main male character named Salty ever again.
December 6, 2016
Two frightened hearts merge. Rebuilding a ranch while discovering a growing attraction to each other. .ri
is complicated by the return of the widows husband. Enjoyable read, compelling characters. Son with limitations given hope and strength.
is complicated by the return of the widows husband. Enjoyable read, compelling characters. Son with limitations given hope and strength.
October 7, 2020
Gave this 3.5*. Really enjoyable story of George and Rose Randolph's friend and Cowboy Hired hand and Civil War survivor Salty and Sarah widow Winborne and her 2 children. An add on from the Seven Brides Series.
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