Short-Straw Bride

 Title: Short-Straw Bride

Series: Archer Brothers #1

Author: Karen Witemeyer

Narrator: Pilar Witherspoon

Publisher: Recorded Books Inspirational

Genre: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Romance

Source: Hoopla

My Review:

 Turn back time to 1882 in Palestine, Texas. Do a good deed and end up at the end of a shot-gun, with a "marry her or else" warning hanging in the air.

Witemeyer's story is filled with strong characters, engaging dialogue, doses of humor, and a strong thread of faith. I was captivated and kept looking for chores that I could do to continue listening to the story. The narrator does a great job and does not distract from the storyline. There is a balance between the action and romance, and the romance is not rushed. I truly enjoyed this laugh out loud story and would recommend it to anyone who loves romance stories, westerns (which I normally wouldn't read), marriages of convenience, and stubborn characters.

★★★★/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads): 

No one steps on Archer land. Not if they value their life. But when Meredith Hayes overhears a lethal plot to burn the Archer brothers off their ranch, a twelve-year-old debt compels her to take the risk.

Fourteen years of constant vigilance hardens a man. Yet when Travis Archer confronts a female trespasser with the same vivid blue eyes as the courageous young girl he once aided, he can't bring himself to send her away. And when an act of sacrifice leaves her injured and her reputation in shreds, gratitude and guilt send him riding to her rescue once again.

Four brothers. Four straws. One bride. Despite the fact that Travis is no longer the gallant youth Meredith once dreamed about, she determines to stand by his side against the enemy that threatens them both. But will love ever be hers? Or will Travis always see her merely as a short-straw bride?