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Nov 06, 2011

The Sweet Bookshelf rated it:

I read another book by this author the other day, The Kissing Tree, and loved it so much I sought out if she had written anything else. The Widower's Wife is what I found. I was just as good, if not better! This time period has always fascinated me. The Wild West. What must it have been like for women in those days? The hardships they had to bare and what was life like?

I was immediately drawn to Jillian and I fell head over heels for Dalton during his first scene. All that was More...

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Sep 21, 2010

Kathryn rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Jul 13, 2010

Michellerogers rated it:

I am just an average woman who doesn’t normally read romance/love stories. I heard about this book and thought “what could I lose by reading it.” I read this book in two days because I just couldn’t put it down. I would have had it read in one day but I am a Mom and I had to care for my children. Ha ha.
You should not condemn a book because you do not like the author or you are jealous of the author.
I found myself unable to put this book down. It pulls you into the story and truly op More...

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Jul 12, 2010

Marcilee rated it:

Yea for this new author trying to write! I really liked the story idea, even if it did remind me a lot of Sarah, Plain and Tall. The arranged marriage is such a fascinating thing to me. I love seeing how strong one can be.
The weaknesses in the book I felt were repetitive information and lack of specifics. I felt like I learned everything twice. It annoyed me at first, but as I got further into the book, I got used to it. About the lack of detail...Upon purchasing the book, I was able More...

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Aug 13, 2010

Jewles rated it:

This was a good, sweet love story that kept my interest through the entire novel. I love historical romance and I especially liked the characters in this book. I laughed, I cried, I even felt like ringing Nathan's(the ex-fiance's)neck a time or two. I have noticed in reading other reviews that a few people have compared it to the movie Sarah Plain and Tall. If they mean because she hails from the east cost and marries a widower, that's true. However, most of the women did come from the east and More...

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Feb 20, 2012

Shellie rated it:

His wife died shortly after the birth of their 3rd child. He sends for a mail order bride after some correspondence through letters with her. She is fleeing after a disastrous betrothal, and wants nothing to do with loving another man. She simply wants to be safe, secure, and care for his children. They agree that it will be platonic. His eldest daughter hates her at first, but is won over along with the other children and his first wife's aunt and uncle (ned, and betty).

Her e More...

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Sep 15, 2010

Brenda rated it:

Oh how I love a mail order bride story! This was a sweet little historical/romance that kept me entertained throughout. I think there must be a special place in heaven for second wives. The difficulties in loving someone who is still in love with someone else must be extraordinarily difficult. My least favorite parts of the book were the flashbacks to the previous wife- they made me uncomfortable with Dalton starting to love someone else. (as Dalton also felt uncomfortable- I guess that is More...

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Aug 25, 2010

Loveshappyendings rated it:

WELL DONE!!! With the exception of some editing errors, this book was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I was completely drawn into the story and felt well rewarded for my time spent reading it. It was refreshingly wholesome and was captivating from beginning to end. I have several friends that bought it on my recommendation and read it in one sitting. They ALL loved it! One friend said she wished she could mail-order a man just like Dalton! I felt that all of the characters were well thought out and More...

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Aug 10, 2010

Kay rated it:

I have never read a romance novel, but I assume, after reading this book, that they contain lots of internal emotion and very little communication? If my assumption is correct, then this book is clean romance novel meets "Sarah, Plain and Tall" Dalton, a farmer in Wisconsin, loses his wife in childbirth. So, he orders a new one. Jillian, a young girl with a broken heart responds, hops on a train, and the fun begins. It really is similar in plot to "Sarah, Plain and Tall" More...

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Oct 21, 2010

Annika rated it:

I enjoy romance, and this was a quick and easy read. I love the mail order bride story and the little bit of mystery added to it in the form of Jillian's mysterious heartbreak. I found it fairly well written and was drawn into the story at the beginning. My only complaint, however, was the way the flashbacks were done. I felt when switching view points, Bice gave to much repetative detail. It felt redundant and was a bit distracting to the flow of the story. I would still recommend reading More...

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Sep 06, 2010

Hallie rated it:

A "chick-flick" in print, is a good description of this book. And who doesn't love a good chick-flick? While the story reminded me of other stories I have read, The Widower's Wife pulled me in where the others didn't. I started reading it in the bathtub one morning and before I realized it, I was halfway through the book and my water was cold. I have not been pulled that deeply into a book in a long time. I even stayed up late to finish it. I would definitely recommend this book to More...

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Feb 20, 2011

Nanci rated it:

This is a cute tale and for a Christian book, very non-preachy which I really liked. I liked the characters and it was a quick fun read. Her writing reminds me of Marcia McClure if you have ever read any of her books. The one thing I really didn't like is that much of the story is told through a series of flashbacks. This way of storytelling really bugs me. He or she sees a situation and then it reminds them about a previous experience and then it goes into that memory so you understand mor More...

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Jul 19, 2010

Heidi rated it:

I really liked the story of this book. I found myself getting lost in the world that was presented. Though I must say, it did lack in detail. and maybe a little more period information would have been nice. The thing that bothered me most about this novel was the use of flashbacks. For me the idea of flashbacks made the flow of the story a bit disruptive. I didn't think that the story really required that many flashbacks. It almost seemed that the author couldn't find any other way to tell More...

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Oct 08, 2010

Jenifer rated it:

Prudence is a great romance novelist. I really enjoyed the story. I couldn't imagine being a mail-order bride. Could you imagine never meeting the man you were to marry until you arrived on a train into his town and getting married on that same day? With only several letters and correspondence by mail and telegram. Luckily they both relied heavily on prayer & faith and there marriage was meant to be. I actually couldn't put it down and stayed up until 2 am to finish it in one night. I'm a More...

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Dec 05, 2010

Lisa rated it:

I enjoyed reading this book. It's about a girl who had her heart broken and she becomes a mail-order bride to a man who is looking for a mother to his 3 young children. It would be a marriage in name only...little did they know their feelings for each other grow and that's the story. The ending was a bit dorky if you ask me but not too shabby. Nice clean romance by and LDS author, but no mention of LDS religion at all. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone if they like early America More...

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Mar 15, 2011

Annalisa rated it:

I always enjoy a good period piece and this is a nice western. The flashbacks were a little strange to me but overall it was an enjoyable read.

Amazon Product Description:
When Jillian Grey answers Dalton McCullough s newspaper advertisement requesting a mail-order bride to take care of his three young children, they both agree that their marriage is one of convenience and nothing more. But when they realize their growing attraction for each other, they must decide if giving in to t More...

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Oct 22, 2010

Diane rated it:

I bought this book from the author. It's not my usual choice. If you are into historical romances, I'm sure you will enjoy this one. It's a lovely story and I enjoyed it despite the fact that it was very predictable. The whole lack of communication that sparks these romance novels has always bothered me, but without it I guess there wouldn't be the necessary conflict. It was a clean read that she infused with just the right amount of passion.

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Aug 07, 2010

Jessica rated it:

This was a really sweet (and clean, quite refreshingly!) romance written by a local Utah gal--I actually got a signed copy from her last time I was at Costco and she seemed really nice.

I liked the sweet love story about a mail-order bride who comes to help heal a family who has lost their wife & mother--and how she and her new husband fall in love. A quick read, although it almost lost me in the first couple of chapters because there were back-stories all over the place. Plus the l More...

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May 01, 2011

Sandy rated it:

Trying to escape the crippling heartbreak of her fiance's betrayal, Jillian Grey answers a newspaper advertisement requesting a mail-order bride to care for the newly widowed Dalton McCullough's three young children. Jillian and Dalton agree that theirs is a marriage of convenience-and nothing more. But when they realize their growing attraction for each other, blah blah blah.

I didn't finish this very wordy slow moving predictable story.

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Jul 13, 2010

Carol rated it:

I never thought I would read a romance novel, but I have to say this one
has got me hooked. It was well written, and I found myself getting lost in
the characters world. I even enjoyed the suspense that it offered. This is
one of those books that you hate to finish because the world of the characters captures your interest so much you want it to continue on.
I hope to be seeing more novels from this writer, she definitely has a
new fan.

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Mar 20, 2011

Linda rated it:

First off, I don't usually read romance novels. I should have stuck with that, but this looked interesting from the historical fiction aspect, but there wasn't any historical fiction really in it. The writing came off as PG Harlequin Romance that turned me off somewhat. The ending was almost contrived and I found it unsatisfying. I should have just read "Sarah Plain and Tall". It is the same premise, much, much better written.

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Sep 29, 2010

Brenda rated it:

I was in Costco and saw the title and thought how odd the title was. If he is a widower, he has now wife. So I picked the book up, flipped it over and read the info. He remarries. A few weeks later I'm back in the same store and the author was there doing a signing. We talked for about 20 minutes or so and I bought the book. It's an easy read and I enjoyed the story. And the bad guy got what he deserved.

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Jul 24, 2010

Joan rated it:

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I love books from past time periods and this is a delightful story of a widower and his mail-order bride. It kept my interest and I think it would make a great Hallmark movie. It is a book I would let my children and grandchildren read because of it's moral content.

I think Prudence has done herself proud with her first book and I look forward to reading more from her.

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Aug 10, 2010

Claire rated it:

I won this book from Goodreads. The minute I looked through the book, I knew I would really like it, and I was right.
Jillian Grey is a mail-order bride from Boston who travels to Wisconsin to marry a widow with three children. She is leaving to marry a man she has never met, and also leaving another man she has known all her life.
While the premise is simple, the characters are not. I really enjoyed each and every character in this book. They have depth and real life feelings. The bo More...

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Oct 11, 2010

Busy rated it:

I loved this book. It is so nice to read an uplifting enjoyable story that you don't have to worry about what may be in it. It was clean but kept me reading to see what happens next. It was a nice escape.

I don't make the time to read much but some books just are an enjoyable retreat from the usual daily chores and troubles. It left me feeling uplifted and glad that I spent the time to enjoy!

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Jun 29, 2011

Charlynn rated it:

More like 3.5 stars. I read this romance after I stopped reading a different romance, out of disgust. This book was a welcome relief to the garbage that was in the other book. Romantic, but not explicit. It was a fun, quick read. Fairly predictable, but again, I really appreciated the author's ability to make the characters' relationship interesting without resorting to salaciousness.

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Oct 18, 2010

Tanya rated it:

I sweet little romance. I didn't particularly enjoy all the jumping back in time reliving memory. Normally it works okay for me, not this time. Still not a bad read if you want something quick and light. Closed door romance, so you could give it to your teenage daughter to read or your mother. ;)

It shows faith in God and inspiration to find one's path in life and answer to prayers.

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Jul 04, 2011

Elaine rated it:

The first time author really struggled to pull this story together. Not sure how alot of the author's difficulties in writing made it past the editor's desk. I almost quit several times in the first 50-75 pages. But the actual story was good and I wanted to know how things turned out. There were times that really tugged at my emotions, hence my rating of 'liked it'.

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Sep 14, 2010

Cassandra rated it:

I really wanted to love this book. I really enjoyed the set up to this story, but I had a really hard time with how much this book jumped around between characters and between past and present day. I felt like I was reading a rough draft of what couldeventually be a really good book. I also felt like the book needed more details. The characters seemed to fall in love way to easily, and if the book had given more details/time for them to fall in love, it would have been a much better read.

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Feb 06, 2012

Spiltmilk rated it:

I really enjoyed this book. Loved the way it was written and it captured my attention throughout. At times I found myself talking to the book and the characters. I usually only have time to read at night and towards the end of the book I couldn't put it down staying up until 2am. Good thing the next day was Saturday. Cant wait to see the next book!

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