Spouse for Hire: The Cowboy Takes a Wife / Compliments of the Groom / Sutter's Wife

by Joan Johnston, Kasey Michaels, Lee Magner

A marriage of convenience? — If You're Not Too Sure About True Love... — And You Need A Spouse For A Limited Time... — And If You Know Exactly The Type Of Man You Want...
WHY NOT HIRE YOURSELF A HUSBAND?

THE COWBOY TAKES A WIFE by Joan Johnston

I, Desiree, take thee, Carter, for my foreman -- and my husband. In exchange for your protection, I'll give you half my ranch. I'll need your strong, rugged body to work our land...and your vow to keep me safe all night long...

COMPLIMENTS OF THE GROOM by Kasey Michaels

I, Amanda, take thee, Joe, as my unwedded husband -- at least until we receive the newlywed prize from the radio station contest. By the way, would you mind telling me your real name?

SUTTER'S WIFE by Lee Magner
(Heart of Danger, #1)

I, Sarah, take thee, Alex, for my pretend husband. If you use your expertise in espionage to help free my kidnapped sister, I'll do whatever you want. But don't think you're going to leave me behind on this mission!

Genres: Romance

635 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 1, 1999

About the author

Joan Johnston (born Little Rock, Arkansas) is a best-selling American author of over forty contemporary and historical romance novels.

Johnston was the third of seven children born to an Air Force sergeant and his music-teacher wife. She received a B.A. in theatre arts from Jacksonville University in 1970, then earning an M.A. in theatre from the University of Illinois, Urbana in 1971. She received a law degree (with honors) at the University of Texas at Austin in 1980. For the next five years, Johnston worked as an attorney, serving with the Hunton & Williams firm in Richmond, Virginia, and with Squire, Sanders, & Dempsey in Miami. She has also worked as a newspaper editor and drama critic in San Antonio, Texas, and as a college professor at Southwest Texas Junior College, Barry University, and the University of Miami.

Johnston is a member of the Authors Guild, Novelists, Inc., Romance Writers of America, and Florida Romance Writers. She has two children and one grandchild, and divides her time between two homes, in Colorado and Florida.

Awards

* Paperbook Book Club of America's Book Rak Award (twice)
* Romantic Times' Best Western Historical Series Award (twice)
* Romantic Times' Best New Western Writer
* Romantic Times' Best Historical Series Award (twice)
* The Maggie (twice)
* Romance Writers of America RITA Award finalist for The Disobedient Bride

Reviews

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three novellas by Joan Johnston, Kasey Michaels, and Lee Magner, with a theme of being in a situation in which the two protagonists have to pretend to be married or get married for odd reasons. The first story was reasonable, the second was a bit silly at first, and the last was suspenseful even if it did drag a bit from time to time.

[Rebecca Pruitt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first story, hated the second, and tolerated the third. Overall, blah...

[Sylvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Modern

[Janet]

Anthology includes:

The Cowboy Takes a Wife by Joan Johnston = 3 stars
Compliments of the Groom by Kasey Michaels = 3.5 stars
Sutter's Wife by Lee Magner = 5 stars