Book Review: Pretending to Wed by Melissa Jagears

It’s a match made in heaven, as long as they don’t fall in love!

The ranch Nolan Key has spent decades working for, even lost a leg for, is now his—or at least it should be. But an absurd clause in his father’s will means he’s in danger of losing the place to his lazy, undeserving cousin. Nolan finds himself scrambling to save his home—by proposing marriage to the town laundress.

Corinne Stillwater’s hands have betrayed her. Numb from hours of doing the same work over and over, her hands will only heal, according to the town doctor, if she gives up the laundry and marries. But she’s been stung repeatedly by love before, so that is one remedy she can’t swallow.

When Nolan offers Corinne a marriage in name only, how can she refuse? Such a partnership could give them the security they seek, but what if the ranch isn’t as secure as they believe, and their lives—and dreams—aren’t quite as compatible as they thought?

Pretending to Wed is the second book in the Frontier Vows Series by award-winning Christian romance author Melissa Jagears. If you like marriage-of-convenience stories that deal with the nitty-gritty of making a relationship work, you’ll love this authentic romance set in a time gone by that tackles issues still relevant for today.

My Thoughts: I LOVED slipping away into Pretending to Wed. Corinne and Nolan were easy characters to love, even more so because they were physically flawed. I’m a sucker for a marriage of convenience story, so I was thrilled from the get-go. And Corrine’s “unusual” hobby of inventing and tinkering was a really nice touch that helped to set this novel apart from other westerns.
I will give a word of warning to more sensitive or younger readers. Jagears does touch upon a very personal topic concerning the marriage bed. Everything was treated respectfully and in a “fade to black” method, so I felt like it was handled very well, BUT it is a topic that we don’t see much in Christian fiction so it was surprising for me. With that being said, once Jagears attached the spiritual development to the sensitive topic, I was VERY grateful and I’m certain this will minister to many women. Sometimes, we find shocking content in fiction that appears to be there only to unnerve the reader, but this wasn’t one of those times.
Jagears combines a thrilling western setting, a sweet romance, and a couple of villains that you’ll want to slap around a bit for an amazing treat to your summer reading bag!

Rating and Recommendation: I’m giving Pretending to Wed 5 stars and recommending it to those who enjoy Christian Historical Fiction or Christian Western.

I received a copy from the author. All thoughts are my own. I was not compensated for this review or required to give a favorable one.