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Wife to Order
Carey had always enjoyed life in the outback with her father and her Uncle Tam, but when her father died, her uncle took her to Two creeks, where the executor of her father’s will Oliver Reddin, lived in luxury. Carey was very young, and quite unused to the sophisticated life the Reddins led. When Oliver unexpectedly married her, she wondered why he had chosen her for his bride – especially when he didn’t treat her as one.
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1971
About the author
Lucy Walker
105 books27 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Lucy Walker (1907–1987) was the most famous of a few pseudonyms used by Dorothy Lucie Sanders (née McClemans). She was born in Boulder, Western Australia, on 4 May 1907. Her father was of Irish stock, a minister of the Church of England. Her mother was from New Zealand. Dorothy began writing at an early age, despite her father’s scepticism about her ability.
A qualified teacher from Perth College (1928), she taught in state schools in Western Australia until 1936. She continued teaching later in London while her husband, a fellow school teacher whom she married in 1936, completed his doctorate in education.
They returned to Perth, Australia in 1938 but Dorothy Lucie Sanders only began her writing in 1945, producing articles, short stories, and later novels. In 1948 her first novel, Fairies on the Doorstep, was published.
As Lucy Walker, she wrote about 39 romance books:
Fairies On the Doorstep (1948)
Who Leaves the Crowd (1952)
The One Who Kisses (1954)
Sweet and Faraway (1955)
Come Home Dear (1956)
Heaven is Here (1957)
Master of Ransome (1958)
Kingdom of the heart (1959)
The Stranger from the North (1959)
Love in a Cloud (1960)
The Loving Heart (1960)
The Moonshiner (1961)
Wife to Order (1961)
The Distant Hills (1962)
Down in the Forest (1962)
The Call of the Pines (1963)
Follow Your Star (1963)
The Man from Outback (1964)
Reaching for the Stars (1964)
A Man Called Masters (1965)
The Other Girl (1965)
The Ranger in the Hills (1966)
The River Is Down (1967)
Home at Sundown (1968)
The Gone-Away Man (1969)
Shining River (1969)
Six for Heaven (1969)
Joyday for Jodi (1971)
The Bell Branch (1971)
The Mountain That Went to the Sea (1971)
Ribbons In Her Hair (1972)
Pepper Tree Bay (1972)
Pool of Dreams (1973)
Girl Alone (1973)
Monday in Summer (1973)
Runaway Girl (1975)
Gamma's Girl (1977)
So Much Love (1977)
These romance novels were very successful in Australia and overseas. The stories were meticulously researched; the writer travelled extensively in the Western Australian outback, recording details of scenery, personalities and social customs in her notebooks and diaries.
Other pseudonyms used by this author: Shelley Dean, Dorothy Lucie Sanders, and Lucy Walker.
Dorothy Lucie Sanders was widowed in 1986 and died the following year. Her daughter and two sons survived her.
Lucy Walker (1907–1987) was the most famous of a few pseudonyms used by Dorothy Lucie Sanders (née McClemans). She was born in Boulder, Western Australia, on 4 May 1907. Her father was of Irish stock, a minister of the Church of England. Her mother was from New Zealand. Dorothy began writing at an early age, despite her father’s scepticism about her ability.
A qualified teacher from Perth College (1928), she taught in state schools in Western Australia until 1936. She continued teaching later in London while her husband, a fellow school teacher whom she married in 1936, completed his doctorate in education.
They returned to Perth, Australia in 1938 but Dorothy Lucie Sanders only began her writing in 1945, producing articles, short stories, and later novels. In 1948 her first novel, Fairies on the Doorstep, was published.
As Lucy Walker, she wrote about 39 romance books:
Fairies On the Doorstep (1948)
Who Leaves the Crowd (1952)
The One Who Kisses (1954)
Sweet and Faraway (1955)
Come Home Dear (1956)
Heaven is Here (1957)
Master of Ransome (1958)
Kingdom of the heart (1959)
The Stranger from the North (1959)
Love in a Cloud (1960)
The Loving Heart (1960)
The Moonshiner (1961)
Wife to Order (1961)
The Distant Hills (1962)
Down in the Forest (1962)
The Call of the Pines (1963)
Follow Your Star (1963)
The Man from Outback (1964)
Reaching for the Stars (1964)
A Man Called Masters (1965)
The Other Girl (1965)
The Ranger in the Hills (1966)
The River Is Down (1967)
Home at Sundown (1968)
The Gone-Away Man (1969)
Shining River (1969)
Six for Heaven (1969)
Joyday for Jodi (1971)
The Bell Branch (1971)
The Mountain That Went to the Sea (1971)
Ribbons In Her Hair (1972)
Pepper Tree Bay (1972)
Pool of Dreams (1973)
Girl Alone (1973)
Monday in Summer (1973)
Runaway Girl (1975)
Gamma's Girl (1977)
So Much Love (1977)
These romance novels were very successful in Australia and overseas. The stories were meticulously researched; the writer travelled extensively in the Western Australian outback, recording details of scenery, personalities and social customs in her notebooks and diaries.
Other pseudonyms used by this author: Shelley Dean, Dorothy Lucie Sanders, and Lucy Walker.
Dorothy Lucie Sanders was widowed in 1986 and died the following year. Her daughter and two sons survived her.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
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December 12, 2018explanation of OW was not satisfactory, but whatever, not worth rating it.
February 5, 2022
Marriage of convenience story set in wealthy horse country outside of Melbourne.
This read more like a Regency novel rather than an Outback novel. There are no natural disasters or ways for the teenage heroine to prove herself. The injuries inflicted occur in the drawing room from the catty women (family and OW) in the hero's life.
There is some delicious angst at the H/h's wedding as the cold fish hero completely shuts down in the face of all these women he doesn't understand. He hurts the heroine's feelings and that sadness lingers for the rest of the narrative.
LM shows, not tells, that the hero has been running from his emotions his entire life. It's quite satisfying to see him drop his pride and run after the heroine at the end. I'm also happy his spinster sister got her HEA while the OW is pushing 30-alone.
This story is very dated. Beware.
This read more like a Regency novel rather than an Outback novel. There are no natural disasters or ways for the teenage heroine to prove herself. The injuries inflicted occur in the drawing room from the catty women (family and OW) in the hero's life.
There is some delicious angst at the H/h's wedding as the cold fish hero completely shuts down in the face of all these women he doesn't understand. He hurts the heroine's feelings and that sadness lingers for the rest of the narrative.
LM shows, not tells, that the hero has been running from his emotions his entire life. It's quite satisfying to see him drop his pride and run after the heroine at the end. I'm also happy his spinster sister got her HEA while the OW is pushing 30-alone.
This story is very dated. Beware.
June 8, 2018
Saint Margaret's review has reminded me that I have been meaning to review this book for quite a while quite a while but found it challenging for the reasons that Saint Margaret mentions in her excellent review. In modern novels this marriage would be a complete and ridiculous contrivance, and the H is such a cold fish that there appears to be little connection between them.
It is a great moment when the h finally leaves and the H spends about 2 minutes alone and goes chasing after her. When he sees her in this new context, he realizes what he almost lost. He doesn't grovel exactly but he was so icy before that his lowering himself to pursue her is the equivalent of a mega-grovel.
The OW is one of those particularly odious ones you see in vintage Outback romances where simply because she is exceptionally good-looking everyone seems to think that it is only right for her to be predatory, cruel, and demanding of every man's (in particular, the H's) admiration. To the h, the OW is a terrible specter, but to all the people who know her and have lived with her, she's simply someone who is easier to indulge than deal with because they are stuck with her.
It is a great moment when the h finally leaves and the H spends about 2 minutes alone and goes chasing after her. When he sees her in this new context, he realizes what he almost lost. He doesn't grovel exactly but he was so icy before that his lowering himself to pursue her is the equivalent of a mega-grovel.
The OW is one of those particularly odious ones you see in vintage Outback romances where simply because she is exceptionally good-looking everyone seems to think that it is only right for her to be predatory, cruel, and demanding of every man's (in particular, the H's) admiration. To the h, the OW is a terrible specter, but to all the people who know her and have lived with her, she's simply someone who is easier to indulge than deal with because they are stuck with her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 14, 2016
Lucy Walker - Wife to Order (1961)
Carey had always enjoyed life in the outback with her father and her Uncle Tom, but when her father died, her uncle took her to Two Creeks, where the executor of her father’s will Oliver Reddin, lived in luxury. Carey was very young, and quite unused to the sophisticated life the Reddins led. When Oliver unexpectedly married her, she wondered why he had chosen her for his bride - especially when he didn’t treat her as one.
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Sweet tale as seen from the eyes of the young but by no means a push over - Carey. Her father dies and leaves her in the guardianship of a stranger Oliver Reddin. Oliver as a young boy had learnt a lot from Carey's dad during his ranching days at Carey's father's estate. Now of course he is a distinguished society man with an estate of his own.
Carey comes to him looking like a timid, unpolished little adolescent. But something that he sees in her quiet fortitude, makes him take her as a wife , instead of merely a ward. Carey is bewildered but consents because her first impression of Oliver is "he is super !"
She is sent for "grooming" classes before the wedding. One grooming lesson for all you young ladies out there , which I have picked up from this book. Its not decent to cross your legs at the knees. Cross at the ankles !! Cool info huh !!
Wedding over, husband finds it awkward to make husbandly advances towards the girl because of the massive age difference. His doubts fuelled further by his sister, mother, and a pain-in-the-back side ex.
In comes Carey's benefactor from her home town, in the midst of all the tension between husband and wife. And Carey is a completely different person with the flamboyant 'friend' from her native town! And Oliver starts to show signs of possessiveness, insecurity, jealousy over the ease of his wife's relationship with her friend.
But only after a small dressing down given by the friend does Oliver realize that he needs to seize the treasure he already owns, quite by fortune - Carey !!
So Oliver comes looking for Carey to her native town. And discovers she is not a feeble little urchin as he mistook her for. She is a big do-gooder and fairly influential and a well loved hero of her town ! Young by age, but not by worldly knowledge. Oh, he is proud of his little wife by now.
There is only one thing left to do. Grab the girl, kiss her tight and right all the wrongs ! So that's exactly what he does. And she loves it, chides him for not doing it much earlier. And all is well ...
Wonderfully written book. Reveals prejudices big city people have about small town folks and their worthiness. Carey the small town girl is adorable, and Oliver is not bad himself. The breezy guest appearance of Carey's 'friend' is a treat :)
4 stars.
Carey had always enjoyed life in the outback with her father and her Uncle Tom, but when her father died, her uncle took her to Two Creeks, where the executor of her father’s will Oliver Reddin, lived in luxury. Carey was very young, and quite unused to the sophisticated life the Reddins led. When Oliver unexpectedly married her, she wondered why he had chosen her for his bride - especially when he didn’t treat her as one.
----------
Sweet tale as seen from the eyes of the young but by no means a push over - Carey. Her father dies and leaves her in the guardianship of a stranger Oliver Reddin. Oliver as a young boy had learnt a lot from Carey's dad during his ranching days at Carey's father's estate. Now of course he is a distinguished society man with an estate of his own.
Carey comes to him looking like a timid, unpolished little adolescent. But something that he sees in her quiet fortitude, makes him take her as a wife , instead of merely a ward. Carey is bewildered but consents because her first impression of Oliver is "he is super !"
She is sent for "grooming" classes before the wedding. One grooming lesson for all you young ladies out there , which I have picked up from this book. Its not decent to cross your legs at the knees. Cross at the ankles !! Cool info huh !!
Wedding over, husband finds it awkward to make husbandly advances towards the girl because of the massive age difference. His doubts fuelled further by his sister, mother, and a pain-in-the-back side ex.
In comes Carey's benefactor from her home town, in the midst of all the tension between husband and wife. And Carey is a completely different person with the flamboyant 'friend' from her native town! And Oliver starts to show signs of possessiveness, insecurity, jealousy over the ease of his wife's relationship with her friend.
But only after a small dressing down given by the friend does Oliver realize that he needs to seize the treasure he already owns, quite by fortune - Carey !!
So Oliver comes looking for Carey to her native town. And discovers she is not a feeble little urchin as he mistook her for. She is a big do-gooder and fairly influential and a well loved hero of her town ! Young by age, but not by worldly knowledge. Oh, he is proud of his little wife by now.
There is only one thing left to do. Grab the girl, kiss her tight and right all the wrongs ! So that's exactly what he does. And she loves it, chides him for not doing it much earlier. And all is well ...
Wonderfully written book. Reveals prejudices big city people have about small town folks and their worthiness. Carey the small town girl is adorable, and Oliver is not bad himself. The breezy guest appearance of Carey's 'friend' is a treat :)
4 stars.
September 8, 2022
19 year age gap was too much and icky for me. She was 18, H was 37. I had to put it out of my mind to enjoy the book. Ending was rushed and I don't think he explained enough about the OW.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2021
Ugh, the heroine is eighteen and the hero is thirty-seven and while there’s a twenty-nine-year-old Other Woman whom the hero’s sister wanted him to marry… we also have it confirmed that the hero was in love with her. It’s distinctly ick, particularly since the hero basically treats the heroine like a dimwitted child and is pleased, repeatedly, that she’s “docile.” He has a crisis of conscience after having a giant wedding because he’s still in love with the OW and the heroine is, as everyone has repeatedly told him, a child. Like, yes. That’s correct, dude.
Bizarrely, this managed to be vaguely endearing despite that, I suppose because the hero ends up groveling fairly thoroughly and the heroine ends up In Charge; it's pretty clear that Oliver knows that marrying a teenager is gross and it's only that Carey is actually not a meek docile child that makes their marriage workable. All the same... I'm glad ye olden days are over.
Bizarrely, this managed to be vaguely endearing despite that, I suppose because the hero ends up groveling fairly thoroughly and the heroine ends up In Charge; it's pretty clear that Oliver knows that marrying a teenager is gross and it's only that Carey is actually not a meek docile child that makes their marriage workable. All the same... I'm glad ye olden days are over.
April 16, 2023
FEBRUARY 2024 REVIEW
Re-read this pretty nice love story for the 2nd time. The stars stay the same although I think Lucy Walker let her female protagonist, Carey, be far too childish when she was in truth a very accomplished young lady. Also why was Walker's male protagonist, Oliver, so much older: he is 37 to her 18. Such a combination can't be good--but it does happen. I can recommend this very sweet love story.
April 15 2023 review:
Not a bad love story. Carey Fraser is brought to the executor of her father's will, Oliver Reddin, as an innocent young girl by her Uncle Tam. He claims he can no longer be responsible for her, she has no other family and suggests she stay with Reddin. Reluctantly Reddin, a cold, smart manager of a well known prosperous horse breeding station agrees to take her on. So begins all the lies...
Re-read this pretty nice love story for the 2nd time. The stars stay the same although I think Lucy Walker let her female protagonist, Carey, be far too childish when she was in truth a very accomplished young lady. Also why was Walker's male protagonist, Oliver, so much older: he is 37 to her 18. Such a combination can't be good--but it does happen. I can recommend this very sweet love story.
April 15 2023 review:
Not a bad love story. Carey Fraser is brought to the executor of her father's will, Oliver Reddin, as an innocent young girl by her Uncle Tam. He claims he can no longer be responsible for her, she has no other family and suggests she stay with Reddin. Reluctantly Reddin, a cold, smart manager of a well known prosperous horse breeding station agrees to take her on. So begins all the lies...
January 19, 2023
The trouble with this one for me was Oliver was just too cold, too distant, too unbending and too prejudiced to even give his new wife a fricking chance. There is the good old fashioned 'cold and broody' hero and then there is this.
So, he forced her to marry him, decided she was too young, and dropped her on their wedding night without even giving her a kiss. Up until the 90% mark he completely ignores her, doesn't ask her single thing about herself, seems slightly disgusted by her youth, sneers at her mannerisms (threatens to slap her for her habit of looking down to think) and as an added bonus treats the little boy living with him like complete dog-shit.
I spent the entirety of this book feeling miserable as I had to drag myself around after our poor love starved, homesick and utterly ignored heroine. Not once did I get a feel-good romance moment because the whole book was him shutting her out and seeming to hate her. If that is your bag then this is the book for you, for myself, I want to believe at the very end the HEA is actually built on something and not just magically arrived at because it's the end of the book.
So, he forced her to marry him, decided she was too young, and dropped her on their wedding night without even giving her a kiss. Up until the 90% mark he completely ignores her, doesn't ask her single thing about herself, seems slightly disgusted by her youth, sneers at her mannerisms (threatens to slap her for her habit of looking down to think) and as an added bonus treats the little boy living with him like complete dog-shit.
I spent the entirety of this book feeling miserable as I had to drag myself around after our poor love starved, homesick and utterly ignored heroine. Not once did I get a feel-good romance moment because the whole book was him shutting her out and seeming to hate her. If that is your bag then this is the book for you, for myself, I want to believe at the very end the HEA is actually built on something and not just magically arrived at because it's the end of the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2023
I'm not sure how to rate this. I went into this knowing it was going to be dated and it is. But I've read some older romances before and its OK I think this just felt a little identity confused. It wasn't set or meant to be set as a regency and theees some references to it not being victorian times but the way they were going on felt a little like that.
Having read many a mills & boon novel I was sort of expecting it to go like that but it didn't and I was a little disappointed in it.
Like someone else said, its very dated.
Having read many a mills & boon novel I was sort of expecting it to go like that but it didn't and I was a little disappointed in it.
Like someone else said, its very dated.
July 7, 2021
An old fashioned love story!!
Such a totally different story compared to others by Lucy Walker! Filled with all the essential ingredients: inerestingly unique characters; descriptive Australian countryside, idiosyncrasies and culture; and of course a great lead up to keep you guessing. I enjoyed this book so very much, despite and inspite of it's laid back, but proper pace!💕
Such a totally different story compared to others by Lucy Walker! Filled with all the essential ingredients: inerestingly unique characters; descriptive Australian countryside, idiosyncrasies and culture; and of course a great lead up to keep you guessing. I enjoyed this book so very much, despite and inspite of it's laid back, but proper pace!💕
Did Not Finish
August 18, 2024The new cover led me astray. This is a rebrand of a 1970 (or older) work, and a lot of the tropes and scenes did not age well.
I do not expect the male love interest to tell a heroine to stop lowering her eyes or he will slap her.
So, by halfway when the manufactured conflict got to me, I stopped reading.
Did not finish at 50%
So far this year my library saved me $2123.87
I do not expect the male love interest to tell a heroine to stop lowering her eyes or he will slap her.
So, by halfway when the manufactured conflict got to me, I stopped reading.
Did not finish at 50%
So far this year my library saved me $2123.87
August 4, 2025
There is zero romance in this story.
The Hero is cold, arrogant and abrupt. I felt bad for the heroine who was charming, lively and everyone loved her back home. The Hero never even knew what her real personality was like and it took the people in her old town to point out to him all her wonderful qualities 🤦🏻♀️
The Hero is cold, arrogant and abrupt. I felt bad for the heroine who was charming, lively and everyone loved her back home. The Hero never even knew what her real personality was like and it took the people in her old town to point out to him all her wonderful qualities 🤦🏻♀️
December 25, 2020
3.5
Always enjoyed Lucy walker
Always enjoyed Lucy walker
June 6, 2021
Nice story but it sagged in the middle.
November 2, 2022
Good ending
I was surprised by the last quarter of the book. It took an unexpected turn. Creative thinking Lucy Walker.
Thanks
I was surprised by the last quarter of the book. It took an unexpected turn. Creative thinking Lucy Walker.
Thanks
August 29, 2024
9.5/10 beautifully written. One of her best. 19 year age gap is a bit of a turn-off but the writing overcomes that.
October 6, 2021
This was disappointing! It started strong with so much potential, but it nosedived for me in the second half. I like the other book author wrote "The Distant Hills". 😞
July 5, 2017
I really love the ending. I can just see him putting his arm out and grabbing her as she runs past the tree. :)
October 14, 2021
I'm revisiting Lucy Walker after about 30 years. This book like her others is really well written. Her characters are clearly portrayed and she gives a great sense of location. Obviously they're very much set in the the 60's era but give insight into the role of women back then. Plot is basic but it's an enjoyable read.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews