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A Wife for Big John
At first sight, Dani Jones fell in love- not with Big John, but with his stove. It's the latest model and makes her believe her cooking alone will encourage the Boss Man to let her stay until she has enough money to travel to California and be reunited with the man she promised to marry. Big John Thompson returns from the spring river drive to find the man he hired to cook for the lumberjacks is a slip of a girl- Danielle Jones. To make matters worse, Miss Jones decides John needs a wife, and sets out to find him one...
232 pages, Paperback
First published February 8, 2008
145 people are currently reading
212 people want to read
About the author
Lauri Robinson
175 books127 followersLauri Robinson's chosen genre to write is Western historical, and when asked why, she says, "Because I know I wasn't the only girl who wanted to grow up and marry Little Joe Cartwright."
With a degree in early childhood education, Lauri has spent three decades working in the non-profit field for Head Start, Child Abuse Intervention, the March of Dimes, and United Way. She claims the once upon a time and happily ever after premise of romance novels has always been a form of stress relief. When her husband suggested she write one, she took the challenge and has loved every minute of the journey.
Lauri lives in rural Minnesota, where she and her husband spend every spare moment with their three grown sons and their families, which includes three granddaughters, two stepgrandsons and two granddogs. She volunteers for several organizations, including her local library, and spends most fall weekends filling the freezer with homemade foodstuffs from the bountiful harvest of her husband's green thumb. She's a diehard Elvis fan (yes, she's been to Graceland), and loves to spend Sundays watching NASCAR, either live or on TV. However, she says her favorite weekends are spent in the woods of northern Minnesota on the land homesteaded by her great-grandfather.
Most of her childhood was spent in western Kansas, which is the setting for several of her stories. Lauri is a member of RWA, Northern Lights Writers,and Hearts Through History Romance Writers, as well as several online writing groups. She writes for Harlequin, Mills and Boon and The Wild Rose Press.
For updates on her writing please visit www.laurirobinson.blogspot.com
With a degree in early childhood education, Lauri has spent three decades working in the non-profit field for Head Start, Child Abuse Intervention, the March of Dimes, and United Way. She claims the once upon a time and happily ever after premise of romance novels has always been a form of stress relief. When her husband suggested she write one, she took the challenge and has loved every minute of the journey.
Lauri lives in rural Minnesota, where she and her husband spend every spare moment with their three grown sons and their families, which includes three granddaughters, two stepgrandsons and two granddogs. She volunteers for several organizations, including her local library, and spends most fall weekends filling the freezer with homemade foodstuffs from the bountiful harvest of her husband's green thumb. She's a diehard Elvis fan (yes, she's been to Graceland), and loves to spend Sundays watching NASCAR, either live or on TV. However, she says her favorite weekends are spent in the woods of northern Minnesota on the land homesteaded by her great-grandfather.
Most of her childhood was spent in western Kansas, which is the setting for several of her stories. Lauri is a member of RWA, Northern Lights Writers,and Hearts Through History Romance Writers, as well as several online writing groups. She writes for Harlequin, Mills and Boon and The Wild Rose Press.
For updates on her writing please visit www.laurirobinson.blogspot.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
December 28, 2010
I found this book to be really cute! It was an extremely quick to read and so sweet from start to finish. Big John is a strong, silent man who may look intimidating but is a big soft marshmallow deep down inside. Whereas Dani is a little spitfire fighting for what she believes is right and doing what ever it takes for those she loves to be happy.Together these characters make for for great laughs and many "nawwwwwwwwwwwww" moments!
One of my favourite things about this story is how Dani bakes because she honestly loves to make people happy. She uses her cooking as a sign on love and gratitude which is something I tend to relate to and I found to be quite pure and honest! I really enjoyed that.
I was disappointed with the quick resolution of the story. I would of liked to have seen more or at least a better explained ending but the story did end in a good place.
Its a light fluffy read, full of sugary goodness and the perfect book to read during the extremely BUSY holiday days. I really recommend it if you want a quick light and fluffy read!
http://kylie1403.blogspot.com/
One of my favourite things about this story is how Dani bakes because she honestly loves to make people happy. She uses her cooking as a sign on love and gratitude which is something I tend to relate to and I found to be quite pure and honest! I really enjoyed that.
I was disappointed with the quick resolution of the story. I would of liked to have seen more or at least a better explained ending but the story did end in a good place.
Its a light fluffy read, full of sugary goodness and the perfect book to read during the extremely BUSY holiday days. I really recommend it if you want a quick light and fluffy read!
http://kylie1403.blogspot.com/
April 25, 2017
Lumberjacks in Minnesota around the late 1800s. Dani Jones is hired as the cook and decides that Big John needs a wife. A sweet rated G romance with a hunky lumberjack :)
April 9, 2016
I like Dani and John's story. Would have liked an epilogue though.
August 29, 2021
Yeesss! This was a very enjoyable and humorous read. A real page turner. I was able to read the book in less than a day. This is how it is done! Lauri Robinson is such a talented author!
And yeah, I'm hoping for a sequel that will feature Howard and Grandma Wilson, LOL.
And yeah, I'm hoping for a sequel that will feature Howard and Grandma Wilson, LOL.
July 16, 2013
This book was a DNF for me. I was listening to it on audio book and I got through disc 2 (roughly 1/4 through) and decided this book was not for me.
Full review available on my blog:
http://authorjanebnight.wordpress.com...
Let me say first that this author clearly did a lot of historical research and I really respected the historical details of this novel . Especially with things like appliances used. The author’s attention to setting details made it very comfortable to travel to the time of the novel.
My problems with the novel were mostly character related. I didn’t really like the characters nor could I really relate to them. The first scene we meet Danny in she is heroically delivering a baby. But after that she seems very young. Immature maybe. This was especially emphasized in the audio book version.
Big John finds Danny hot. But there doesn’t seem to be much else to him.
The book places a huge emphasis on the differences in size of Danny and Big John and I found that distracting. It was almost like they shouldn’t be together because he was big and she was petite. Never mind the fact that she is engaged or anything like that.
Full review available on my blog:
http://authorjanebnight.wordpress.com...
Let me say first that this author clearly did a lot of historical research and I really respected the historical details of this novel . Especially with things like appliances used. The author’s attention to setting details made it very comfortable to travel to the time of the novel.
My problems with the novel were mostly character related. I didn’t really like the characters nor could I really relate to them. The first scene we meet Danny in she is heroically delivering a baby. But after that she seems very young. Immature maybe. This was especially emphasized in the audio book version.
Big John finds Danny hot. But there doesn’t seem to be much else to him.
The book places a huge emphasis on the differences in size of Danny and Big John and I found that distracting. It was almost like they shouldn’t be together because he was big and she was petite. Never mind the fact that she is engaged or anything like that.
March 7, 2017
Sweet as Apple Pie!
I loved this story! A large bear of a man meets a tiny buzzing woman for the first time as she delivers a baby...in his spare room! Big John, thought he'd hired a male cook for his lumber camp. Instead he is met with a petite curly haired woman who cooks her way into his heart.
The story is rife with unrequited love and misunderstandings. Yet love their does blossom and just when you think it's all wrapped in a pretty bow, there's a plot twist! I enjoyed this refreshingly sweet tale!
I loved this story! A large bear of a man meets a tiny buzzing woman for the first time as she delivers a baby...in his spare room! Big John, thought he'd hired a male cook for his lumber camp. Instead he is met with a petite curly haired woman who cooks her way into his heart.
The story is rife with unrequited love and misunderstandings. Yet love their does blossom and just when you think it's all wrapped in a pretty bow, there's a plot twist! I enjoyed this refreshingly sweet tale!
March 23, 2017
Great story
Great story. It made me laugh pretty much from the beginning. I could clearly picture the scenes in this story which brought me right into the book. Dani and Big John had an instant report and I loved watching it grow. Poor Dani was completely confused when it came to her feelings. Even after it was explained to her, she was still in denial. I loved Big John, except for one part where I feel he went to far and I still want to hit him in the head when I think about it.
Great story. It made me laugh pretty much from the beginning. I could clearly picture the scenes in this story which brought me right into the book. Dani and Big John had an instant report and I loved watching it grow. Poor Dani was completely confused when it came to her feelings. Even after it was explained to her, she was still in denial. I loved Big John, except for one part where I feel he went to far and I still want to hit him in the head when I think about it.
October 27, 2010
Short but sweet romance about a female cook and a man who owns a lumberjack camp in Minnesota at the turn of the 20th century. The story was believable and the hero hunky. Definitely G-rated, nothing more explicit than a few serious kisses and the hero doing a little daydreaming. This isn't marketed as a Christian romance but had a bit of that feel to it. I enjoyed it and it made me smile, which is what's important!
4 stars
4 stars
March 3, 2017
WHAT A HEARTWARMING, FEEL GOOD OLD FASHIONED LOVE STORY. THIS READ IKE A MOVIE ON THE HALLMARK MOVIE CHANNEL . . . MAYBE IT WAS. I REALLY ENJOYED, I LOVED THE CHARACTERS, THEY WERE WELL DEVELOPED COMBINED WITH THE SWEETEST STORYLINE. AMAZING, SORRY WHEN IT ENDED! TRULY LIKE A ONCE UPON A TIME. WITH THE TIMES WE LIVE IN NOW, IT SORT OF MAKES ME SAD TO READ ABOUT HOW NICE IT USED TO BE. WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED, HOW THE F*CK DID WE COME TO THIS, AFTER SUCH A GREAT START. WHAT WENT WRONG? ;D
March 22, 2013
This was something a student asked me to read because she said it was her favorite book. I did. And it's your standard, basic, cliched Christian-like romance. No real conflict and no real angst, just sweet, solid characters who plod through life and fall in love. Some of the language is 21st C, which sounds odd coming from characters in the backwoods of the Great Lakes region in the 1800s.
May 31, 2017
A good ,clean romance book
This is a great book, its a really interesting the author keeps you wanting more. I am a big fan of Nora Roberts, so this was a big difference from what I usually read. But, I am sure that I will be reading a lot more books from this author. You won't be disappointed, I promise, you won't want to put it down. 😅
This is a great book, its a really interesting the author keeps you wanting more. I am a big fan of Nora Roberts, so this was a big difference from what I usually read. But, I am sure that I will be reading a lot more books from this author. You won't be disappointed, I promise, you won't want to put it down. 😅
January 25, 2019
This book is adorable. The characters all have the perfect amount of sass and sweetness. The book also has the amazing reminder that God’s love story for you is always better than your own. I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a happy, quick read.
February 25, 2013
Sweet read.
August 25, 2015
Very sweet!
August 21, 2023
This was such a cute and heartwarming read. I love the gentle giant hero and adore how heads over heels he was for the heroine. The pace of the book was slow but not too slow and the vibes were very comforting. My only complaint is that because there's no drama, the author was forced to muck up something and she did it by making the heroine conflicted over Still a good comfort book. This is also my first ever Western historical so a very pleasant read and change of scene.
November 14, 2016
A sweet rated PG romance. But it should be noted that this romance has VERY SIGNIFICANT religious bias and focus, though it is not mentioned in its reviews. Believable historical accuracy and plotline.
June 17, 2017
Great story
I loved this book. It is a good clean story, but it is also realistic. The emotions described in the story are believable and not to out there that they sound fake. I will read more from this author.
I loved this book. It is a good clean story, but it is also realistic. The emotions described in the story are believable and not to out there that they sound fake. I will read more from this author.
June 26, 2017
I didn't like this book. It was poorly written and stupid at times. There were lengthy descriptions of food and her everyday tasks. I thought the characters were poorly developed and it desperately could have used a proofreader.
August 14, 2018
Exceptional love story
Thank you for writing such a warm loving book.beautiful story line,very heart warming.able to picture place,time,events.loved it all.cannot wait to read more.
Thank you for writing such a warm loving book.beautiful story line,very heart warming.able to picture place,time,events.loved it all.cannot wait to read more.
February 8, 2017
Fantastic
Love the time of the story and you understand about how women were more restricted in letting their feelings show.
Love the time of the story and you understand about how women were more restricted in letting their feelings show.
February 23, 2017
Down home reading
I'm from northern Minnesota and this book re minds me so much of the stories that have been told. Very good reading.
I'm from northern Minnesota and this book re minds me so much of the stories that have been told. Very good reading.
June 6, 2017
What a fun read! It made chuckle more then once. Read it for a fun read. The occupation of logging was interesting to read about too!
April 14, 2018
The female lead in this book is what I like to call The Cinderella. One-dimensional, picture perfect, sticky sweet, and never does anything wrong type of girl. AKA boring.
January 10, 2019
Pleasant reading
I love a book that is an easy read. Good characters and good story. Look forward to reading more works by this author.
I love a book that is an easy read. Good characters and good story. Look forward to reading more works by this author.
May 8, 2019
3.5 stars.
August 2, 2019
Little House on the Prairie with some romance and few surprising instances of salty language.
November 30, 2019
Good little romance story right when I wanted to escape.
February 18, 2020
I enjoyed the engaging characters and the plot is great. The narrator is very good. Happy reading/listening!
April 9, 2021
It was cute.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews