Review: More About the Boys Than the Romance
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 09 23, 2013
This was an entertaining little novella.  But, while it is well written and has a nice plot, it is lacking in the romance department.  IMO, the story got bogged down with Susan's efforts in disciplining the children, and unfortunately, the romance got lost in the shuffle.  Susan is one of twelve children, who are known in their community as the "demon horde!"  Susan, as the eldest at 18, has been has been helping her parents take care of her siblings since she was a very young child.  Susan's parents were strict with their first four children, but then after that they got tired and just kinda gave up.  As a result, the younger eight Miller offspring are little terrors.  Susan has had it with children.  She so badly wants to escape that she answers an ad to become a mail order bride.  Susan's only requirement for a husband is that he not have any children.  She figures if God "curses" her with any children of her own she will raise them with "a long switch!"  Lol. Susan answers Jesse's letter and heads to Texas to marry him. Jesse is 23, has no children, and has never been married.  Unfortunately, before she arrives Jesse is murdered.  Susan is met at the train station by David, the hero and Jesse's older brother, who gives her the bad news.  He asks Susan to marry him instead.  David is in desperate need of a wife. He is a widow with four boys and needs help raising his children.  Unfortunately, David's boys are hellions, and no woman who knows them wants to marry him and take on his boys.  Susan is hesitant about marrying a man with children, but agrees to meet the boys before making a decision.  Susan meets the boys.  They are extremely well behaved, so she decides to marry David.  Unknown to Susan, David had bribed the boys with money so they would be on their best behavior when they met Susan so as not to put her off marrying him.  Within minutes of their getting married all hell breaks loose, and Susan realizes that she has signed on for her worst nightmare.  From there the story develops.  Unfortunately, the focus is more in Susan's efforts to get the boys to behave rather than on the budding relationship between her and David.  Furthermore, I found David to be somewhat of a timid man.  He was easily intimidated by Susan whenever she was angry...which was quite a bit all things considered.  All in all I didn't find him to be the strong, sexy, cowboy type of hero that I enjoy.  This book was an ok read.  Entertaining, but nothing special.