A Wanton Woman (Mail Order Bride of Slate Springs) Book 1 by Vanessa Vale
Description ……
A marriage based on everything but love should be doomed.
Celia Lawrence can’t show her face in her conservative, small town. First, she discovered her husband in bed with another man’s wife, and then she witnessed both their murders. While she didn’t pull the trigger, small town gossip is not forgiving and everywhere she goes she is chastised for not being woman enough to keep her straying husband at home. Eager to flee her old life, Celia heads to Colorado as a mail-order bride.
As mayor of Slate Springs, Colorado, Luke Tate is expected to set the example. Their small town is hidden away in a remote mountainous region where few women have the courage or desire to tread. As mayor, it falls to him to test out their newly passed law and share a wife with his brother. The truth is, Luke has no interest in a woman of his own, and agrees to a mail-order bride out of duty, not anticipation.
His brother, Walker, is jaded and hard after the death of his first wife. For Walker, loving again is out of the question. But a man has needs, and he’ll eagerly take his pleasure from their new bride while expecting Luke to provide the tenderness and caring a woman expects.
A marriage based on everything but love should be doomed. But Celia, Luke and Walker discover one thing they have in common: desire. Will that be strong enough to survive the danger that follows Celia from Texas? Will desire be strong enough to teach the three that sometimes you have to risk everything for love?
Publication date 31/10/2016
Town Notice:
Passed by unanimous vote of the town council, September 16, 1885, law 642. The Marriage Law. Because of deficient numbers of women in the area, it is now legal within the city of Slate Springs, Colorado and the surrounding areas, for two or more men to legally wed one woman. All ceremonies will be performed by the Justice of the Peace and will be considered valid and legally binding until death upon the bride or both/all husbands.
Signed, Luke Tate Town Mayor
My Review ……
Celia was in a loveless marriage, a marriage of convenience. No children to keep her occupied, she devoted her time and energy in helping her husband with his practise. As a doctor he was competent, as a husband sorely lacking! But she would do her duty, till death do they part, death came for her husband not as old age or an accident, but by gunshot! Caught in the act with his lover! But it’s Celia that has to face the brunt of the accusations and looks! If she’d kept her husband happy and given him children, he would not have looked elsewhere!
So moving to a new town seemed like the only course of action……
Luke is mayor in the town of Slate Springs. In winter is hard going, but he manages his job as miner and mayor well. It’s just this new bill they have passed, men are outnumbering the women, it’s driving the younger men out, searching for companionship, so they’ve passed a law stating that two or more men should marry and care for one wife! And as he’s mayor he needs to lead by example. Joining a mail order bride scheme seems like the only course of action.
The woman stepping off the train and into his life is nothing like he pictured.
He’s floored by his reaction, it seems it won’t be a hardship taking on a bride. If he brother gets on board then it’s going to be a fun winter!
Walker wants a bed warmer, a wife he will leave to his brother. Having already lost a wife, he has no room in his heart.
Agreeing to this new law with his brother seems like the best option.
But when Celia steps off the train and into their lives, Walker is the sure he can keep his distance from this beguiling creature.
Finding their way together is going to be fun, but when Celia’s past comes to find her, can her new husbands keep her safe? And can Walker put aside his fear of commitment? Can he truly want his new wife for more than just a bedwarmer?
So can this threesome work as a team? Or will their pasts pull them in different directions?
This was a fun read. Celia having been literally an appendage for her husband, she longs for love and affection. But does she get it? No, but someone else does! I liked that she knew what she wanted, I liked the way the story progressed, I’m not sure in the 1800’s the endearment “doll” was used. But that was just a minor issue.
The wooden butt plugs were novel (hope there weren’t any splinters 😂)
A little too much sex for a short story, but if you read this authors western books, you’ll know it’s the norm.
🦋
*I am an Amazon affiliate and all the book links are my affiliate links. Using them I do receive a small commission.
BooksBooksandmoreBooks69 