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"Short-Straw Bride" by Karen Witemeyer
Aug. 9th, 2012 10:33 amI really wanted to like this book. I was drawn to it because it looked like a fun western, and because I'm a sucker for marriage of convenience or mistakenly-needed shotgun marriage storylines, as you know in fiction they will always turn out well! But as much as I wanted to, this book put me off early and gave me no reason to invest my time or emotions in it.
The book opened with the young heroine, Meredith, acting on a schoolmate's dare to go onto the property of the reclusive Archer brothers. The Archers, though youngsters themselves, are orphans who are fiercely protective of their land and each other. In fact, they never leave their property! Meredith has an accident and is helped by Travis, the oldest Archer brother. Fast-forward twelve years, and we find out that Meredith has had a crush on Travis ever since then, though their paths have never again crossed. When she overhears a plot to take over the Archer ranch, she races to warn her childhood hero, but meets with another accident which leaves her stranded in their home for several days, necessitating a marriage to save her honor. The four brothers draw straws to see who will marry her, and of course Travis wins.
My first beef with the book was that Meredith behaved in an extremely modern fashion. Her thoughts and the actions she took were way past strong-willed and independent and not realistic at all. I like strong women, but when you are that set on your own way, you become foolish, heedless, and a liability rather than what a strong woman should be: an asset in every situation.
I found the actions of the Archer brothers to be unrealistic. If Travis really was the recognized leader, as he was presented, it isn't logical that they would "fight" over who would marry Meredith. And while I have no problems that he had protective feelings towards Meredith, I cringed every time the word 'possessive' was used in how he looked or acted. Women are not possessions, and men who view them that way are not the kind you want to be around. I understand that the author wanted to transform Travis from needing to control every situation to being free in Christ, but this behavior is one that should be seen as a warning sign, one that no woman should ignore.
Another problem was that the plot was immensely predictable all the way through. Even little twists in the plot were visible pages in advance, while the bigger turns were telegraphed from early in the story. It gives me no pleasure to ever write a negative review, because I love reading and supporting authors for the art they bring to us, but this one left me with no favorable impressions toward any of the main characters. I did think the author did a good job with having the characters learn spiritual lessons, and showed how they turned to the Bible in helping them make some decisions, which was the best example in the book.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are my own.
The book opened with the young heroine, Meredith, acting on a schoolmate's dare to go onto the property of the reclusive Archer brothers. The Archers, though youngsters themselves, are orphans who are fiercely protective of their land and each other. In fact, they never leave their property! Meredith has an accident and is helped by Travis, the oldest Archer brother. Fast-forward twelve years, and we find out that Meredith has had a crush on Travis ever since then, though their paths have never again crossed. When she overhears a plot to take over the Archer ranch, she races to warn her childhood hero, but meets with another accident which leaves her stranded in their home for several days, necessitating a marriage to save her honor. The four brothers draw straws to see who will marry her, and of course Travis wins.
My first beef with the book was that Meredith behaved in an extremely modern fashion. Her thoughts and the actions she took were way past strong-willed and independent and not realistic at all. I like strong women, but when you are that set on your own way, you become foolish, heedless, and a liability rather than what a strong woman should be: an asset in every situation.
I found the actions of the Archer brothers to be unrealistic. If Travis really was the recognized leader, as he was presented, it isn't logical that they would "fight" over who would marry Meredith. And while I have no problems that he had protective feelings towards Meredith, I cringed every time the word 'possessive' was used in how he looked or acted. Women are not possessions, and men who view them that way are not the kind you want to be around. I understand that the author wanted to transform Travis from needing to control every situation to being free in Christ, but this behavior is one that should be seen as a warning sign, one that no woman should ignore.
Another problem was that the plot was immensely predictable all the way through. Even little twists in the plot were visible pages in advance, while the bigger turns were telegraphed from early in the story. It gives me no pleasure to ever write a negative review, because I love reading and supporting authors for the art they bring to us, but this one left me with no favorable impressions toward any of the main characters. I did think the author did a good job with having the characters learn spiritual lessons, and showed how they turned to the Bible in helping them make some decisions, which was the best example in the book.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are my own.
