NEW RELEASE
The Marriage Charm - Linda Lael Miller (2015)
Melody Nolan works as a jewelry designer in the small town of Mustang Creek in Wyoming. When she was younger, Melody was madly in love with Spence Hogan; so in love, she even proposed to him. However, he declined and that was also the end of their romance. Now, nine years later, Spence is the town's chief of police and he still makes Melody's heart beat faster whenever she sees him. Yet, Spence has a reputation as quite the womaniser and Melody made a pact with her two best friends, Hadleigh and Bex, to start looking for their future husbands. Spence Hogan is not exactly husband material... Or is he? The Marriage Charm is the second part of The Brides of Bliss County series, which focuses on three best friends who have made a marriage pact in order to help each other find suitable husbands with whom they can start a family. This book focuses on Melody and her quest for love. I already knew the characters from the first book and it was great to learn more about Melody, her background story and her search for love. I personally really enjoyed that the story was told from both a male and female perspective, so we as readers get to see what both Melody and Spence think and feel. It's not just the romance that is focused on, though; there are also other aspects to the story, such as a number of mysterious thefts in the town, which kept my attention until the very end. The author's writing style is so easy to get into and combined with a fascinating group of characters and a captivating storyline, her books are really enjoyable reads. I do think it's best to read this as a sequel, so you know the background story and the different characters, but it can also be read as a standalone. If you're a fan of western romances, and you're not yet familiar with Linda Lael Miller, you definitely need to pick up one of her books because you're missing out on something! The Marriage Charm is exactly what a fast-paced and fun romance read is supposed to be like; nothing too complicated, thoroughly enjoyable and with a happy ending. (JoH)
The Marriage Pact - Linda Lael Miller (2014)
Hadleigh Stevens and her two best friends, Melody and Becca, are still looking for the perfect man in their lives. Together, they decide to make a marriage pact, vowing they will help each other to find a suitable husband. When Hadleigh was just 18, she was about to marry but her wedding was ruined by Tripp Galloway, her brother's best friend, who ran into the church and carried her out over his shoulder, without a word. Hadleigh knows Tripp prevented her from making the biggest mistake of her life but she still holds a grudge against him. Now, 10 years later, a divorced Tripp is back in town to help his stepfather run the family ranch. It doesn't take long before Hadleigh and Tripp bump into another, and even though Hadleigh just wants to stay as far away as possible from him, she can't ignore their chemistry. The Marriage Pact is the first part of the Bliss County Brides series and a great start. The book is set in the small town of Mustang Creek in Bliss County, Wyoming, where Hadleigh has her own quilt shop. Throw in a marriage pact with her best friends, and a handsome leading man who returns to the town after a decade, and you've got yourself the set-up for a great romance story. I immediately liked Hadleigh and her friends, and the chemistry between Hadleigh and Tripp was impossible to ignore. I personally wouldn't have minded if the book had been a bit longer and the story had focused on some more details, mainly because I loved the plotline and the characters. However, this book is what it promises to be: a laidback and sweet romance read. (JoH)
