Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer
Can you imagine dreaming about your childhood Prince Charming for years, and then marrying him as an adult?
When Meredith Hayes stepped onto the forbidden Archer land as a child, she was only trying to obtain her scattered lunch pail that had been hoisted by a town bully. Dared by other schoolmates, she bravely steps onto the land only to have her leg caught in a steel trap. When handsome Travis Archer comes to her rescue, she discovers that the reclusive Archer brother is not mean and evil as the townsfolk claim. He gets her out of the trap, setting her on her way home.
Now, several years later, Meredith is an adult and she suffers from a gimp leg as a result of the steel-trap accident. Over the years, she’s dreamed about Travis Archer as being her Prince Charming. She’s now devastated that her current guardians, her aunt and uncle, want her to marry terrible Roy Mitchell. Roy only wants to marry Meredith for her land – having control over her land could greatly increase Roy’s wealth. After overhearing Roy give orders to set fire to the Archer property, hoping to force them to sell their land, Meredith feels she can’t sit around and watch the Archers suffer. She sneaks onto the property to warn them of the attack, wanting to return the kindness that Travis showed her several years ago. However, the Archer brothers, especially Travis, are dumbstruck when a woman comes limping onto their property with her warning.
The Archers are recluses, hardly receiving any visitors as they ban others from their property. Meredith’s sudden presence throws a HUGE monkey-wrench into their lives. When she’s kicked by a mule and injured, she’s forced to spend the night on the Archer property. Staying overnight with a houseful of men ruin’s Meredith’s reputation and she’s forced to marry one of the Archer brothers – Travis, of course! 🙂
This book was a real treat for me to read and I loved how the story unfolded. Travis and his brothers have little contact with the outside world due to a promise Travis made to his dying father. Since they live as hermits, their lives are thrown into turmoil when Meredith arrives. Meredith’s kindness, thoughtfulness, and gentle nature reach out to Travis’s wounded spirit, making him see that shutting others out is not always the right thing to do. I also thought the marriage of convenience between Travis and Meredith was touching. I guess I felt that way because I know that Meredith has been dreaming about Travis for years, and Travis is smitten when Meredith shows up on his property again, years later.
The characters in this novel are so well-developed and the plot was excellent. The story moved forward and you were anxious to see what happened to Travis and Meredith once they tied the knot.
Many thanks to Bethany House for sending me a free review copy. I highly appreciated this wonderful novel!
Have you ever had a childhood crush that lasted for years? Leave a comment!
Yup. I had a crush on a guy named Joe. I was like twelve, and he was like sixteen. he was my friend’s brother. I used to get this stupid grin and girlie giggle whenever he was around. In fact, my mom took a photo of me at a birthday party with that stupid grin on my face as I stared at him.
Wow, Deanna! Thanks for sharing that! Do you know how long you had a crush on him? Did the crush continue throughout high school?
yah! married him and been together 43 years. i had a crush on him for 2 years before he ask me out.
Wow, Pat, that’s awesome! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment!
Hi Cecilia: WOW! I have always been bad at “letting go” & getting passionate crushes as pre-teener. Even at age 5-9 I had a crush on a darling boy (who truly had a gothic bkgrnd that incl. a parent alleged & found to be involved in org. crime) He was Frankie Avalon type. Beautiful face, with saphire blue-eyes & black hair. Part Irish-Jewish, when intermarriage was taboo. (back in 1950’s-60’s) At least in his childhood, it was. He was only 1/2 Jewish kid I knew. He had his own chauffer, lived in a h’wood style mansion. His parents did not socialize w/other parents in our suburb, so as I alleged, he was mysterious. He was best in class in all sports; and grew up to work in sporting goods. At age 18, I learned he watched his father, dying of cancer, be taken off to jail on a stretcher. his family had lost everything. (I read about it in news paper, I was thru with crush by then!). Yet, I sometimes wonder. Recently, I was reading about a Broadway Musical being developed for Hugh Jackman about magician, Harry Houdini. I had recently read some local history about Houdini, & it turned out my little crush may have been related. I put out a query to a magician friend who knows us both, but have not yet rec’d answer. I looked crush up on FB, just last wk Cecilia! I have to wonder if these ghost crushes ever leave us! I’ve always liked men with these type of handsome Latin features. No, I truly had not been thinking of juvenile crush-subject for ages, but it’s a hoot your question comes right now, when I feel like such an ass for even looking up subject on FB. I found him, all right. He looks awful, bald & old! But the memory lingers on Cecilia. Men age terrible. We women have learned how to escape some of the ravages, but not the men!
Yes, I regret to say, there have been other crushes. I can only deal with writing about them 1 at a time. . . .and not too close together. At age 65, I think about those fabulous Cole Porter songs Sammy Davis & Frank Sinatra did so well. Those songs knew the angst of crushes. “Too Close for Comfort”, “Night and Day”, “Begin the Beguine”. Yes, “Falling in Love w/Love is FALLING FOR MAKE BELIEVE” and here’s to your next best seller, Cecilia. Thanks for giving us this fun assignment.
Hey, Susanne!
You don’t have to feel bad about looking up old crushes on Facebook! I’ve done it myself, a number of times! It’s funny you mention Harry Houdini. I was reading about him on Wikipedia about a year or so ago. Can’t recall why, though.
I think most women will remember those first childhood crushes, always. Guys? Not so sure if they’d remember their first crushes as much as women do!
As far as aging, yes, when guys age, I’ve noticed that it’ll sometimes affect their faces. Usually, their faces get kinda big, bigger than I recall when they were younger. I guess it’s all about taking care of yourself through the aging process. Some people age really well, others, not so well. I often wonder how I’ll look when I’m old and gray. I know people will usually tell me that they think I’m a lot younger than my age – they’re usually surprised when I tell them how old I really am.
Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving such an insightful comment! I highly appreciate it!
Have a blessed day!
Haha Cecelia, I had too many crushes to count!!! Including one on the bus driver for the summer swim bus. Who was really ancient so I knew it would never work out, lol–he was soooo old (probably 21!) Loved your review!
My goodness, Carrie! The bus driver? Wow! Glad you enjoyed my review!