Spinster's Folly

The Owen Family Saga #3

by Marsha Ward

Marie Owen yearns for a loving husband, but Colorado Territory is long on rough characters and short on fitting suitors, so a future of spinsterhood seems more likely than wedded bliss. Her best friend says cowboy Bill Henry is a likely candidate, but Marie knows her class-conscious father would not allow such a pairing. When she challenges her father to find her a suitable husband before she becomes a spinster, he arranges a match with a neighbor's son. Then Marie discovers Tom Morgan would be an unloving, abusive mate and his mother holds a grudge against the Owen family. Marie's mounting despair at the prospect of being trapped in such a dismal marriage drives her into the arms of a sweet-talking predator, landing her in unimaginable dangers. This fourth book in the Owen Family saga is infused with potent heart and intense grit.

When Marsha Ward presents the reader with a new book about the Owen family, you can bet it will rivet your interest all the way to the end. You can’t help but become totally immersed in the characters’ lives. Spinster’s Folly features oldest daughter Marie, afraid that at eighteen she’s already on the shelf, and only too eager to be wed. Her trouble, and trouble it is, comes in selecting the right man. Charming and earthy, Spinster’s Folly is a grand addition to the Owen’s saga. ~C.K.Crigger, author of the China Bohannon historical mystery series

If you want accurate time and place, wonderful lexicon of the time, and a touching, compelling read, don't miss Marsha Ward's Spinster's Folly. ~L. J. Martin, author of Nemesis and other western novels

The harrowing experiences in early-day Colorado of 18-year-old spinster, Marie Owen, the result of her simple wish for a husband, held me spellbound from start to finish. I couldn't put the book down. An incredible story, Spinster's Folly is one of the best women's novels of the west I've had the pleasure to read. Ever! ~Irene Bennett Brown, award-winning author of Before the Lark; the Women of Paragon Springs Series and Celia Landrey Mysteries.

Frustrated by her pending arranged marriage to a callous farm boy and confused by feelings for a cowboy in her father’s employ, Marie Owen falls into the arms of a smooth-talking city man whose intentions are anything but honorable. Too late, she realizes her folly and hope fades as the abusive kidnapper she thought she loved drags her far away from home and family. But the cowboy, Bill Henry, follows her cold trail, fighting weariness and weather in a determined effort to save Marie and her reputation. In Spinster’s Folly, author Marsha Ward spins a suspenseful, fast-paced tale of undeclared love, cowardly deception, and gallant heroism. ~Rod Miller, Spur Award-winning author

With a great sense of time and place, crackerjack dialogue and rich characters, Marsha Ward delivers Spinster's Folly, a romance, Western and historical novel rolled into one—and one fun read. ~Johnny D. Boggs, six-time Spur Award-winning author of Camp Ford and Legacy of a Lawman

Book 4: The Owen Family Saga.

Genres: Historical, Historical Fiction

245 pages, ebook

First published November 3, 2012

About the author

Marsha Ward is the author of the American Civil War era novels that make up "The Owen Family Saga:" Gone for a Soldier (which takes place during the Civil War), The Man from Shenandoah, Spinster's Folly, Ride to Raton, and Trail of Storms. Marsha also is an accomplished poet, a mentor, conference presenter, and the founder of American Night Writers Association, Inc. (ANWA). She lives in the heart of the Old West in Arizona.

Reviews

[Katrina]

Spinster's Folly was an amazing book delivering a fast paced, enthralling story of a young woman seeking a husband. She presses her father to find her a suitor only to find the man he chose would never love her. In her despair at the coming wedding, she is seduced by and flees with a dangerous man with ill intentions. As she endures the wicked man she ran off with, she comes to realize what she wanted in a husband was under her nose the whole time.

Once I started reading this book I found myself trapped in the story. I simply could not bring myself to put it down. This book will grab you, pull you in, and keep you begging for more.

[Kathy]

I was hooked by the first couple pages! Historical fiction after the Civil War! Clean reads! Check the rest in this great series.

[Timothy Blankenship]

Awesome book

I have just finished reading the 3rd book in the Owen family saga, The author keeps you so interested you can hardly put it down, I’m going on to the net book now and can only imagine how good it will be.

[Joyce]

“Spinster’s Folly” is another winner of a Western by Marsha Ward! As always, she captures the voice of the west in an authentic but accessible way for the reader. It’s fun to visit old characters from her previous books, while wondering what Marsha might have up her sleeve for characters who will undoubtedly be demanding their own stories in the future. Marie’s story was touching as she wrestled with her impending “spinsterhood” at the advanced age of eighteen. (A valid worry for a woman her age in that day and time, especially one growing up in the relative isolation of the Western frontier.) As a result, Marie makes some rash decisions that are compounded by her honest, hard working, but somewhat clueless father when it comes to his daughters. These decisions thrust Marie into a nightmare that only her own ingenuity and a faithful cowboy can ultimately rescue her from.

While I found the family relationships within the Owen family vividly and realistically drawn, I would have enjoyed the story spending a little more time developing the relationship between Marie and the cowboy, Bill Henry, and a little more time spent showing how a slick gamester temporarily tricked away Marie’s heart. I feel that Marsha Ward is a writer of such high caliber that she could have stretched this book out a little longer to more fully explore these particular crucial relationships. (Though I confess this is simply a quibble from a reader who enjoys somewhat longer books when they’re as well written as this one is!) But quite aside from this personal “wish”, I thoroughly enjoyed “Spinster’s Folly” and continue to look forward to more books by this author.

[Julie]

I was a little hesitant to pick up this book because it's the fourth in a series, (The Owen Family Saga) but I've been reading a lot of historicals lately and this one looked promising. Marsha Ward is known for her attention to detail and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could read this as a stand alone and really get into the characters even though I hadn't read the previous three books in the series.

It's the story of a family in the Colorado territory, trying to make a go of it, The oldest daughter, Marie, is afraid she will never get married because there aren't a whole lot of suitable young men for her to consider. There's a neighboring farmer's son, whom her father chooses, a cowhand who is sweet, but not of her class, and a sophisticated man from town who professes his love. Marie's choice takes her in unexpected directions and down a path of danger. It really is a riveting story that takes you back to the time period.

I think Ms. Ward did a wonderful job on her descriptions and on making the characters come to life. There were a few instances where our heroine seemed a bit naive and I guessed the ending pretty accurately, but I really enjoyed the journey. It was a quick afternoon read and it immersed me in the lives of this family. I wasn't sure I liked westerns per se, but Spinster's Folly showed me that I really can like a western--especially one as well-written as this one.

Originally reviewed on http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com

[Andrea]

I typically like historical novels, and have enjoyed quite a few with similar settings, but Spinster's Folly didn't really catch my attention. It moved too slowly for me. I ended up doing a lot of skimming. It also had several swearwords and physical situations that made me uncomfortable.

[Daron]

Once again, Marsha Ward nails it: A very well written western (the dialogue and old-west vocabulary are perfect) which, without preaching, illustrates the great moral foundations of family, honor, hard work, loyalty, and true love. I highly recommend this series!

[Book Geek Reviews]

Loved her other books. I give this one 3 1/2 stars. I couldn't connect with the main character as much. I'm glad I read it because I'm invested in the series, but it just didn't spark with me.

[Millie]

Story line decent. There were elements I didn't like and a bit of disconnect between main characters. Maybe a 2.