Short-Straw Bride

Boring

Simple read.Boring.Little passion.Also, too religious for me. I want to read a passionate romance, not attend a Bible study.

3 out of 8 people found this review helpful.

ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL CHRISTIAN ROMANCE! This story just got bum

ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL CHRISTIAN ROMANCE! This story just got bumped to the #1 spot on my personal list of favorite books. I recently discovered Karen Witemeyer's books and quickly read through the first three. Then I anxiously waited for Short-Straw Bride to be released. Merideth not only gets rescued by her prince multiple times but is able to rescue him in return. Travis is definitely the hero we want him to be as a protector of his brothers and then a protector of Merideth, the woman who wins his heart. Merideth and Travis take us on a funny and loving adventure that makes us all wish we could be the short-straw bride. These books just keep getting better and better. My only complaint is that now I'm all caught up on her titles and I desperately need something to read. I hope Karen is not on a 1-book-a-year schedule because I simply can't wait that long. I have already re-read all four books at least once and am enjoying them as much as the first time. But, if these first four stories are evidence of what's to come, I'm going to be very impatient as I wait for book #5. Karen, I'm begging you, PLEASE WRITE QUICKLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

I heard Karen say that the musical Seven Brides For Seven Brothe

I heard Karen say that the musical Seven Brides For Seven Brothers inspired the idea for this story. As it happens, I was charmed by the movie and likewise very much charmed by Karen's take on the premise.

In Short-Straw Bride, four brawny cowboy brothers all live sequestered away on their ranch. None have left its boundaries for years and years. Then a woman is dropped into their midst and their carefully ordered lives are turned upside down. (Which is lots of fun to watch). :)

Karen is such a talented author! Her books are regularly nominated for industry awards and she recently snagged the Holt medallion. After reading Short-Straw Bride I can clearly see why. This novel is well written and carefully crafted by an author with a gift for story telling.

Oh, and I'm a sucker -- SUCKER! -- for stories where the hero and heroine first meet as kids. Loved the prologue!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Karen Witemeyer has done it again with a brilliant tale of shot

Karen Witemeyer has done it again with a brilliant tale of shot gun weddings and good ole fashioned romance! I've yet to find a book by this author that I could just take my time and read at a leisurely pace. Ms. Witemeyer ropes readers in before a page can be turned and then saddles them down until the last word is said!

Meredith (Meri) Hayes is a young woman who is in a Cinderella state. She is at the mercy of her Aunt (wicked step-mother) Noreen and Uncle Everett after the death of her parents many years ago. When money is tight for the family, the only logical thing to do is to marry Meri off while she has her land inheritance, youth, and beauty. The only problem is, Meri is not attracted to Roy at all and just doesn't see happiness with him. She's always been "in love" with Travis Archer since that fateful day ten years earlier when she had trespassed on her land and become injured. He was just the prince that would never come though. After overhearing some information, Meri finds herself reaching out to help the Archer boys. Once again, she trespasses on their land. That decision would forever change her life.

Travis Archer and his brothers, Crockett, Neill, and Jim, have lived on their own since their parents died so many years ago. They are protectors of their land and never leave. No one is allowed on their land without finding a bullet in them. However, when a young girl becomes trapped on their land, Travis cannot help but to take care of her and take her home. Little does he know, that girl will one day return to save his land. When things get a bit heated on the property, Meri is forced to stay. Uncle Everett then lays down an ultimatum, which leads to big decisions amongst the Archers. Who's gonna marry this girl and save her reputation? What about Roy?

I absolutely had a hard time putting this book down once I started!! I've felt that way about all of Karen Witemeyer's books! The adventures the characters face make me (at times) wish I could have lived back in the 1800's! I am enamored with the dresses the women of the time wore and the descriptions were spot on. The tender romance that had to blossom and grow was also one that most girls dream of happening. Who wouldn't want to be fought over?? :)

I highly recommend this book!

Many thanks to Bethany House Publishers and Ms. Witemeyer for providing this book for review.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Warning - Reading this book in public can lead to mild embarrass

Warning - Reading this book in public can lead to mild embarrassment.

I had a doctor appointment recently and was excited to finally have some quiet time to read "Short-Straw Bride". Unfortunately, the waiting room was too quiet.

When young Meredith steals onto Archer land and Travis - the misunderstood and feared hero - comes to her rescue, I was hooked. I was completely engrossed in the story when Meredith, under the impression that she's dreaming, tells the scary Mr. Archer what she really thinks of him...and I snorted...snorted loudly earning concerned glances from my waiting-room friends.

But I couldn't stop thinking about the story and when I got back to my car I gave into temptation and decided to sit there and read at least one more chapter - after all, the kids were okay without me for just a bit more. One chapter stretched into another...and another. When would Travis figure out that Meredith didn't want him to be SO gentlemanly? Would Crockett, Jim and Neill find brides of their own? (Love their names, by the way.) I was quite engrossed when one of my new waiting room acquaintances knocked on the car window to see if I was having car trouble. Busted.

Short-Straw Bride is a wonderful story. Travis's confused handling of his bride is endearing. Meredith's hero worship transforms seamlessly into a mature understanding of her husband, without costing him any shine. I don't know if there are subsequent books planned for these entertaining brothers, but sign me up for the petition drive.

Well done and highly recommended. Just don't read it with an audience.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Cute one night read!

Cute one night read!

A stellar read from Witemeyer! From page one my heart adored Wi

A stellar read from Witemeyer!

From page one my heart adored Witemeyer's endearing character, Meredith, and her handsome hero, Travis. I knew I was up for some heart-string pulling and guessed I wouldn't easily be setting the book down. To say the least, I was right. This is my first novel from Witemeyer and I am very pleased. It makes me look forward to Stealing the Preacher all the more. (Especially because it's about Crockett! :D)

Meredith Hayes is a feisty, stubborn, young woman almost engaged to a businessman she doesn't love. When she overhears this almost-fiancée talking about committing a crime against a childhood hero, she knows she must do something about it. So she does. A dangerous trait Meri possesses is impulsiveness. She is very spur of the moment and doesn't seem to think things all the way through before she acts. This gets her into trouble more often than others would prefer. But I find it hard to criticize Meri when I know I would probably do the same thing, under her circumstances.

Since I don't want to spoil much, I'll end the review with this: Short Straw Bride is set in the late 1800s, Texas this is a cute Christian romance to brighten your day; with a well-rounded cast, a strong hero and heroine, and some humor this is a very pleasant read. :-)

My grandmother bought this book for me, no review required. Thanks, Grandma!

I absolutely loved reading this book! I enjoyed it every time I

I absolutely loved reading this book! I enjoyed it every time I picked it up. The characters were great and I loved their commitment to the ones they love. No matter what consequences might be ahead of them they always did what they knew to be right to help out their families. Not only that but Travis and Meri's commitment to each other was nothing less than what they would give to the others, which I thought was great.

I thought it was really cute how Travis saved Meri when she was 10 years old and she ended up with a crush on him. Then 12 years later they meet up again and she still has the same feelings for him, and he still has the overpowering desire to protect her. And that when they are "forced" to marry each other they both secretly are really happy about the situation.

I liked that even though they both secretly loved each other, they kept the marriage in name only until they knew the other one felt the same way about them. It was really nice watching their relationship grow, and it was funny knowing how much they were attracted to each other and watching them try to control their feelings.

The romance in this book was great. Not only that but I loved how it could be very serious in some parts and then hilarious in others. Also, I liked watching Meri teach Travis to open up to the outside world and to trust in God that everything would be okay. I would definitively recommend this book, and I hope that if you choose to read it you enjoy it as much as I did.

Loved it!

I loved it! Great story and chacters! I can see myself reading it again! Just wonderful!

Charming

Yet another good read. She and Deeanne Gist are really good authors. Having enjoyed the author's other books, I wasn't sure about this. I was excited about it at first then put it aside for some reason. Finally read this and loved it. The interactions with Meredith and the Archers was good. Charming is how I describe these books.

A fantastic read

Short straw bride is an excellent read. The charectors are well developed and real with both strengths and weaknesses. Although I often read the end before going back and reading a novel (to make sure it is worth the time), I was far too engrossed in the story to skim to the end. One of the best novels I have read recently. I will definately be reading more from this author.

I think I can definitely say that Karen Witemeyer is a favorite

I think I can definitely say that Karen Witemeyer is a favorite author of mine! You may remember that I read Head in the Clouds some time ago and simply loved it. This was the next book that I read, and I hoped it would be as good, but wasn’t sure since I’d been younger then. It did not disappoint. The story was super sweet and absolutely impossible to put down. There wasn’t as much humor as HC (though it is true I read HC back in 2011, so my memory may be failing). But one big thing in its favor? The cover. The characters are EXACTLY like they should be. They look JUST like they sound in the book. It’s not often one finds a cover that matches the book as perfectly as this one matches its book!

Annoymous

Great Christian Romance, enjoyable book.

A MUST READ BOOK

So romantic, I loved this book

recommend

This was a good book.

Enjoyed it a lot!

Liked so much I got another book browse Karen. Would recommend to a friend.

nice

nice clean easy read...enjoyed the book.

I loved this book! It was a wonderful story!!! :-) Can't wait

I loved this book! It was a wonderful story!!! :-) Can't wait to read more by Karen Witemeyer. Love and a little religion make for a great book.

Can a short straw bride ever find love? This story had me instan

Can a short straw bride ever find love?
This story had me instantly hooked. It started out with a good deed that set a precedent for the rest of the story. The theme throughout the book was about loving not only your family, but your neighbors as well. A life without friends and loved ones is really no life at all and Travis learns this the hard way. This was a story filled with courage, hope, and most of all love.
The writing style was captivating and filled with wisdom that really spoke to me. I was hesitant to read this at first because it isn’t the type of book I normally read, but I was so glad that I gave it a chance. It is simply a beautiful story that I would recommend to everyone even if they don’t care for romances because it is so much more than that.
Travis is no storybook hero. He is simply a man that has had to grow up way too fast and does his best to protect those he loves. He is very honorable and though he makes mistakes he does his best to live his life the only way he knows how. He was a memorable character and seeing him grow into an even greater man throughout the book was a really enjoyable experience. Through faith, hardships, and his love for his family and Meredith he learns that opening his heart to others is a blessing not a burden.
Meredith was a sweet and strong hearted woman who was no stranger to heartache. She had been bullied from a young age first for her beliefs and then for her unfortunate injury. I admired her greatly for her courage in facing these problems with her chin up and a smile. She did not wallow in despair when tragedy struck instead she fought for what she believed in and stayed strong. She is not perfect however and goes through some moments of weakness, but with help from friends and loves ones she doesn’t stay that way for long. She is a beautiful soul both inside and out. Meredith is a character that will stay in my heart for years to come.
A beautiful story that I highly recommend!

Five Stars

Cute story enjoyed throughly