What A Bride Wants

The Great Wedding Giveaway #1

by Kelly Hunter

What a bride wants…

Ella Grace Emerson adores her father, but he keeps trying to marry her off to every eligible rancher in Montana. When he puts an ad in the paper on her behalf – for a docile house-husband – Ella retaliates with one of her own, pinned to the noticeboard of the local saloon. No husband required, housebroken or otherwise. What she wants is the perfect lover.

What a bride needs…

Newcomer Cam Sawyer is perfectly willing to tear up the sheets with Ella and be her partner in chaos. She wants a bad boy and he’s had experience aplenty. But what she really needs is a strong and loving partner, and until Sawyer stops running from his past he can never be that.

Sawyer’s the one Ella wants. But can he be the man she needs?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Novella, Westerns, Chick Lit, Western Romance

158 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Australian born Kelly Hunter is a three time Romance Writers of America Rita finalist, a USA Today Bestselling author and loves writing to the demands of the short category romance form.

Reviews

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so far into my binge at this point that the books are not TOTALLY distinct in my head, but the entire premise of this with dueling ads is great and again, Kelly Hunter's writing just WORKS on my brain.

[Shelagh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book which I appreciated enormously as I hadn't heard of Kelly Hunter before. This is a good story well told, and would make for a fabulous lunchtime read. The trouble is I felt a little cheated as it has lots going for it and could easily have been grown out to twice it's length without losing the storyline. I wanted more character development. I wanted more of the sub plot around Sawyer's family. I just wanted more. Having said that, I enjoyed the book ... Galloped through it in fact, eager to reassure myself about the ending and I'd like to read more by this author.

[Gigi · Rating 5 out of 5]

“MUST HAVE SPARK” and it does
What A Bride Wants, she gets in this book. I loved the story.
When Ella’s meddling father places an ad in the Personal section of local newspaper for a DOCILE HOUSE HUSBAND WANTED Ella takes matters into her own hands and writes an ad for a PERFECT LOVER WANTED and he MUST HAVE SPARK. Then the real action begins.
Ella finds that perfect lover in Aussie, man of mystery Cameron Sawyer. Sawyer has his own secrets that he is hiding for a good reason. This was a fun, fast book to read with even a little danger included, but no need to worry about Ella, she is a woman that can take care of herself.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a breath of fresh air this book was! I enjoyed it immensely. Laughed my butt off numerous times! Ella is a real go get her man kind of girl. Sawyer is a gorgeous bartender who has eyes for Ella. Sparks fly when these two get together, boy do the sparks fly!

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am hooked on these books and can't wait for another one by this author. I think it would be great to see a book written about Mardie. One of the things I like about this author is that you can take a character in her book and then branch off and write another book, you want to learn more about ALL the characters!!

[Jacquie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witty, charming and funny, this book hits all the right emotional cues. Great entertainment, left me smiling page after page.

[Jacqueline J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Generally enjoy Kelly Hunter. This one seemed under done somehow. Maybe it just needed to be longer to help develop the characters.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (5/5/2023)! 🎁

[julianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short, predictable and kinda sweet.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ella Emerson's father thinks she needs a little help to find a husband. He wants to see her settled down before he's gone, and since neither of them had succeeded in finding the right man for Ella, he had the brilliant idea to make a colored ad about his daughter wanting a "docile" husband. No need to say, many folks found it amusing! She wasn't aware until too late, and she decided to make her own ad about wanting the 'Perfect lover', with sparks and experience required.

Sawyer is made from pure male hotness with broad shoulders and has a bedroom voice. He just got into town a few weeks ago. He isn't really looking for marriage, but he liked Ella and her spunk so he volunteered for the 'Perfect lover' position. One thing led to another, we got a sweet and light romance. The sex wasn't the focus of this story so we didn't have a lot of it. Also, I liked to know more about Sawyer's past and his unease to become too close to someone again. Ella could be a little too bossy for my taste, but other than that she was a likeable character.

OK, so the part where she had her entire arm into the cow was just disgusting. Eww, I can't imagine ever doing this. It wasn't sexy at all and if I were her, I would never have done this in front of Sawyer, the guy she's interested in. But well, maybe she wanted to see if he was squimish about her being a cowgirl and all that...

"I know you said you wanted to get down and dirty with me, but this wasn't quite what I had in mind." Me neither!

Overall, What a Bride Wants was a nice read I enjoyed, even if I didn't really love the ending with the 'giveaway', it was a little rushed.

***I received e-copy has been given to me through Netgalley in exchange of an honest review***

[Melinda Garza · Rating 5 out of 5]

What A Bride Wants tells the ever sweet story of Ella and Sawyer. Ella is a cowgirl working on the family ranch and Sawyer is a local bartendar. Ella's father is ready to have Ella married so he puts out an add in the paper to find her a husband. That very night, Ella and her friend go to the bar Sawyer works at when she finds out what her dad did behind her back. Ella fights back and puts up her own add at the bar. She is then talked out of following through with her add but meets Sawyer at the bar instead. He asks her out. What she doesn't know is his background and what family he belongs to. They go on several dates and they are both infatuated with the other. But Sawyer has some hidden family secrets. He decides to tell her and her father about them so that he has no secrets. Sawyers brother comes back into the picture at a Valentines Ball they are attending. Does the brother ruin the night? Do Ella and Sawyer have a life everlasting? Does her Dad approve of Sawyer or not? Do they end up falling for each other?
What A Bride Wants is such a great read. I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next. This story does not dissappoint.

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet quick read that will warm your heart.

What started out as a joke between Ella and her friends takes a turn for the unexpected. After seeing the ad her father has placed looking for a man for Ella, she decides to take action by placing her own ad on the wall of Grey's Saloon. Handsome Australian bartender, Sawyer, sees the ad posted on the bulletin board and decides to take Ella up on it. What could happen besides a little fun? While they get to know each other better, the joke is turned on them. They start to care about each other. But, what happens when Ella finds out who Sawyer really is and why he is always moving from town to town, never staying anyplace for long? Ella is determined to make a rancher out of Sawyer. Will it work out for them both?

[Mojca · Rating 1 out of 5]

***copy provided by publisher through NetGalley***

Well...what to say beside I just didn't like it?

The voice didn't work for me, the characters were bland, the beginning was promising, but didn't deliver...And the subplot about the brother just didn't fit with the rest of the story.
Also, the title didn't exactly fit what with the heroine starting the story determined not to marry.

I simply didn't care for it.

[Li · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually love Kelly Hunter’s writing, but this one was not particularly memorable. Some excellent lines and humour as always, but overall felt a bit lacking to me. Possibly because this was the first book in a shared-world anthology and she needed to lay the groundwork for the upcoming books, and/or word count limitations, but I thought the usual sizzle and spark was missing.

[Bonnie Gonzales · Rating 3 out of 5]

What A Bride Wants is a sweet western romance. Set in the town of Marietta Montana it has some of the real problems of cattle ranching as part of the story line. The book also held a little danger in the plot and that and the romance between Ella and Sawyer kept me turning the pages of this enjoyable read.

[Tiffany Clare]

Such a fun novella. Adorable heroine, fantastic hero.

[Ofelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short romantic comedy

[Cruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author: Kelly Hunter
First published: 2014
Read in: The Great Wedding Giveaway
Length: 1870 kindle locations
Setting: Contemporary. Marietta, Montana.
Hero: Bartender with a secret past
Heroine: Rancher

A good story in a small package. Nice romance. Believeable HEA. Strong heroine. Deep hero. Fun. Happy. Interesting.

Can't ask for much more.

The Great Wedding Giveaway:
Book 0.5 The Tycoon's Kiss by Jane Porter - Taylor Harris and Troy Sheenan
Book 1 What a Bride Wants by Kelly Hunter - Ella Grace Emerson and Cam Sawyer
Book 2 Second Chance Bride by Trish Morey - Scarlett Buck and Mitch Bannister
Book 3 Almost a Bride by Sarah Mayberry - Tara Buck and Reid Dalton
Book 4 The Unexpected Bride by Joanne Walsh - Laurent Fletcher and Emma Peabody
Book 5 The Reluctant Bride by Katherine Garbera - Monty Davison and Risa Grant
Book 6 A Game of Brides by Megan Crane - Emmy Mathis and Griffin Hyatt
Book 7 The Substitute Bride by Kathleen O'Brien - Marly Ackers and Drake Everett
Book 8 Last Year's Bride by Anne McAllister - Cole McCullough and Nell Corbett
Book 9 Make Believe Wedding by Sarah Mayberry - Andie Bennett and Heath McGregor

References:
On Marietta, Montana: https://www.goodreads.com/places/1560...
Author's website: http://www.kellyhunter.net/

[ISBN 9781940296319]

-CR-

[Marsha Keeper Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed at Romance Is Ageless

Take one smart, stubborn and looking for the special spark in a prospective husband woman, add in one mysterious, temporary bartender who is definitely not what he appears, mix in one loving, meddling father who isn’t afraid to follow through on a dare in order to get his little girl settled down before he leaves this earth and you have a fun, sexy and totally enjoyable romance. What A Bride Wants kicked off the Great Wedding Giveaway series with a fun, sexy story with strong characters who were so easy to fall for.

Ella is looking for that special something, a spark of lust, a certainty of love in the man she’ll one day marry. And so far, dear ol’ dad hasn’t tried to fix her up with anyone who comes close to what she wants – and she’ll not settle for less. In an ongoing friendly argument between father and daughter about her prospects for that one day husband, her dad threatens to take out an add for a docile husband willing to let his headstrong daughter take the lead… and then he does just that, unknowingly setting off the perfect for her man to walk into her life. Cam may think it’s all temporary but it doesn’t take Ella long to realize that this is what she’s been searching for, this spark between them is worth fighting for – even if she has to fight Sawyer himself for it.

Cameron Sawyer is far from the drift-about that has stepped into a vacationing bartender’s place for a few weeks. He’s never lied, but he certainly has not elaborated, given details or told the entire story of the why he’s traveling around the country as he is. There is a mystery to Sawyer, and he brings the potential for danger to any woman he gets involved with. He’s tried to consider Ella Grace as simply a fling, a fun time while in Marietta but the truth is… she matters, more than he ever thought possible.

It’s always a treat to return to Marietta, Montana, catch up with old friends and make some new ones. I completely enjoyed my time with Ella and Sawyer. They make a believable couple, even with their seemingly differences they fit together, and those are the couples that grab hold of my reading heart fast. There is one scene toward the ending of the story where we get the real first indication of what the Great Wedding Giveaway is all about (without giving away spoilers) that simply cemented this couple as one that I would happily read their story again. If the desire is there to re-read a book, then it’s truly touched my heart.

This series appeared a few years ago, so if you haven’t read the series or haven’t discovered what a great author Kelly Hunter is, then this is one for the reading list. I believe you’ll be captured enough to want to seek out the rest of the series. Just because a story is a few years old doesn’t mean that it isn’t a fantastic read. Give What A Bride Wants a shot, I think you’ll enjoy it.

[Jennifer Lara · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a Bride Wants is the first book in The Great Wedding Giveaway series by Kelly Hunter. Ella Grace Emerson adores her widowed father, but he keeps hounding her about marriage and sets her up with any and every eligible man. The final straw was when he put an ad in the local paper on her behalf. An ad for a docile house-husband. In retaliation, Ella puts an ad out of her own called for the perfect lover. Cam Sawyer is a newcomer to Marietta, Montana and he is perfectly willing and able to be the lover Ella wants. However, what she needs is a strong and loving partner and Sawyer is running from a past he wants to hide. Will he stop running and be the man she wants and needs?
The title is a little misleading as Ella has no intention of getting married and is doing everything she can to persuade her father to drop the matter. This story is fairly short, a novella really and I felt the story was very rushed. I would have liked more of a slower burn. I didn’t care for Ella and Sawyer was okay but the reason why he was running was a bit of a let down. The “monkey wrench” in their relationship didn’t quite fit either. The Great Wedding Giveaway is an anthology series in which each title is written by a different author. I usually enjoy these types of series; however, What a Bride Wants wasn’t a great start that I am unsure if I will continue this series. Overall, I did not enjoy What a Bride Wants.

What a Bride Wants is available in paperback and eBook.

[Rebecca A. Bamford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sawyer and Ella

These two were made for each other. He is loyal and trustworthy. She is strong and fierce. Ella’s father wants Ella to find a man and get married. To have a life. So her father puts an ad in the paper looking for a match for Ella. But she turned the tables on him and placed her own ad which bartender Cameron Sawyer answers. From the first moment they were together there was a spark, chemistry, FIRE!! They each have vulnerabilities , insecurities, and fears. And yet, they can’t stop the strong feelings of being drawn to each other. Sawyer has some dark things in his family that could threaten any relationship he might try to have. He decides to come clean and tell Ella about his family history, will she still want a life with him? Thus was a sweet, wonderful, engaging story. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

[Ronnae Stately · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ella Grace Emerson is the spoiled daughter of a rich Montana land owner. He wants her married and happy she wants a man that will understand that he might not come first in her priorities when it comes to her families properties. In walks Cameron Sawyer who just happens to be a rich boy himself playing bartender at the local saloon. They find themselves slowly getting attached to each other as he courts her in a most auspicious way. But things go south in his own families business and he tells her of his past with his brother and another woman he called himself in love with. Things come to a head when his brother shows up in Montana albeit leaving his own country illegally and threatening Sawyer and Ella. This brings the two of them closer and finally puts the marriage question up in the air.

[Fedora · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a Bride Wants by Kelly Hunter is the first in the Great Wedding Giveaway multi-author continuity series from Tule Publishing.

Ella Grace Emerson wants to find a relationship, but on her own timeline, not her loving but slightly overbearing father’s. Cameron Sawyer is moonlighting as a bartender in Marietta while the regular guy is on vacation.

Ella and Sawyer definitely share sparks and opt to pursue them, despite the watchful eyes of the friends and family who can’t help but meddle.

An entertaining read by Kelly Hunter, it stands well alone and sets up the Great Wedding Giveaway for the series to come.

[Maggie the Muskoka Library Mouse · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quick story, this ebook was fluffy fun.

Favourite Quotes:
"I'm impulsive, in case you hadn't noticed. Backtracking is part of the deal. It happens every time common sense takes hold."

"...I needed direction and you gave it. Doesn't make you bossy. It makes you strategically resourceful..."

"Spread a business out on paper and it's all too easy to forget that we're playing with people's lives."

[Philippa Lythall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ella’s dad has said she needs to find a husband to live but she wants lust. Sawyer catches her attention with his dimples.

Got to love Marietta, I feel like you know the characters and that you can relate to them. This book has a good storyline and thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

I love romance and this was a perfect read, I would definitely recommend this book and I can’t wait to read others in the series.

[Conna N Condon · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a ‘rich in Marietta’ story. I do like the mythical town of Marietta! Ok, very little had to do with Marietta, but it was still ranching and Grey’s saloon. The ‘owns 3 ranches’ daughter was a delightful character. The drifter new bartender was oh so much more than first identified. I really enjoyed the story. It truly stuck to the romance with his family drama being pivotal but not deeply detailed distracting. Lots of sex.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little story

I read this story somewhere in the past..although it doesn't show up as having purchased before! Sawyer is just the type of man she has been looking for...someone she can feel real attraction toward. He has a troubled family including s psychotic brother. Internet characters.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, cute and funny

I found this delightful, with a kick a** heroine and a strong silent hero with a troubled past. Banter, deep conversations, and good times.
I did find the insta love a bit odd, but they built on it more and more.

Standalone. 3rd person dual pov. No violence other than a few stage punches. Steamy.

[Felicia Seay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet read

This is a sweet little country insta-love small town romance. It's funny and sweet and sexy and interesting, with a h.e.a. that is told second hand. The ending seemed to be too rushed through, and in my opinion could have been done better. But overall, it's a good quick read.