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The Kincaids #2
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A woman determined to make a difference; a man determined to secure his family's fortune; and a secret that threatens to destroy them both.
The death of Sarah Kincaid’s mother is a catalyst for her to make a difference in the lives of those around her. She vows she will no longer be a reflection of anyone else, not even her beloved sister. Sarah travels to St. Louis to settle her mother's affairs. What she didn't count on was Nate Bartholomew.
An established gambler and con man, Nate secretly arrives at the funeral of his stepmother ready to claim his portion of the inheritance. When he finds out that he’s been reported as dead and Sarah received and sold the saloon he believed was meant to be his, he determines to follow her to Kincaid Springs.
Along the way when Sarah rescues a trio of orphans from the cold, she turns to Nate for assistance. Nate sees her acceptance of him as an opportunity to swindle both Sarah and the wealthy Kincaid family. What Nate didn’t foresee was his growing feelings for Sarah and the children.
Sarah realizes her feelings for Nate have grown; and Nate realizes he loves being part of a family. When Nate's true motives are known, can Sarah forgive him? Can Nate reform and become a family man, leaving his past behind.
The death of Sarah Kincaid’s mother is a catalyst for her to make a difference in the lives of those around her. She vows she will no longer be a reflection of anyone else, not even her beloved sister. Sarah travels to St. Louis to settle her mother's affairs. What she didn't count on was Nate Bartholomew.
An established gambler and con man, Nate secretly arrives at the funeral of his stepmother ready to claim his portion of the inheritance. When he finds out that he’s been reported as dead and Sarah received and sold the saloon he believed was meant to be his, he determines to follow her to Kincaid Springs.
Along the way when Sarah rescues a trio of orphans from the cold, she turns to Nate for assistance. Nate sees her acceptance of him as an opportunity to swindle both Sarah and the wealthy Kincaid family. What Nate didn’t foresee was his growing feelings for Sarah and the children.
Sarah realizes her feelings for Nate have grown; and Nate realizes he loves being part of a family. When Nate's true motives are known, can Sarah forgive him? Can Nate reform and become a family man, leaving his past behind.
314 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
140 people are currently reading
104 people want to read
About the author
Caroline Clemmons
139 books383 followersThrough a crazy twist of fate, Caroline Clemmons was not born on a Texas ranch. To make up for this tragic error, she writes about handsome cowboys, feisty ranch women, and scheming villains in a small office her family calls her pink cave. She and her Hero live in North Central Texas cowboy country where they ride herd on their rescued cats and dogs. The books she creates there have made her an Amazon bestselling author and won several awards. Find her on her blog, website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Google+, and Pinterest.
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Click on her Amazon Author Page for a complete list of her books and follow her there.
Follow her on BookBub.
Subscribe to Caroline’s newsletter at www.carolineclemmons.com to receive a FREE novella of HAPPY IS THE BRIDE, a humorous historical wedding disaster that ends happily—but you knew it would, didn’t you?
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 23, 2014
3.75 stars. Enjoyable western HR with suspense and violence, smexy times, and heartwarming scenes with children. Themes of redemption, transformation, acceptance, and family love. The synopsis here at GoodReads is misleading.
The setting is about 1885, moving from St Louis and Memphis to Kincaid, Texas via riverboat and private Pullman train car. The POV is 3rd person, shifting from hero to heroine.
If you like romances with children you might enjoy this one. Three homeless street children play major secondary roles: Cindy is about 5, Luke about 7, and Joe about 10. Then there are more children at the Kincaid Ranch in Texas, but they play minor roles. Clemmons penned heartwarming scenes involving the orphans, especially Joe, who is mute because of abuse, and Cindy, sick with pneumonia.
The hero is Nate Barton / Bartholomew. Golden eyes like a wolf, hungry to regain his rightful inheritance, tired of being left out in the cold, he starts off as a bitter con man and gambler. However, love reveals his truer self -- love for Sarah and the distrusting children who adore him. In the end, Sarah realizes he's just a "sheep in wolf's clothing" -- not a wolf at the door. (Sometimes, Nate's characterization didn't quite ring true.)
Fun secondary characters. In addition to the children, I liked Nate's brother Moze, and old Fiona (but she says "dearie" ad nauseum) and Grandpa and Storm. Drake and Pearl from book 1 got several scenes, too. (I do not plan to read book one, since reviews state it has many typos. This book has only one typo.)
Quibbles: Some scenes are rather a stretch -- improbable or unlikely. How much blood can we lose and still keep going? And would the pimping pedophile really go to those lengths? Also, the characterization of Nate (the hero) blurs in and out of focus, as he shifted from sullen and bitter to protective and bighearted. Plus, I doubt Belle would tell anyone, especially Sarah, about the details of a certain intimate experience in her past. Enough to simply admit the basics.
Writing quality (sentence structure, vividness, and dialogue) is decent, but just average. Only one typo.
Contents: About three explicit sex scenes, minimal swearing or profanity, some violence.
The setting is about 1885, moving from St Louis and Memphis to Kincaid, Texas via riverboat and private Pullman train car. The POV is 3rd person, shifting from hero to heroine.
If you like romances with children you might enjoy this one. Three homeless street children play major secondary roles: Cindy is about 5, Luke about 7, and Joe about 10. Then there are more children at the Kincaid Ranch in Texas, but they play minor roles. Clemmons penned heartwarming scenes involving the orphans, especially Joe, who is mute because of abuse, and Cindy, sick with pneumonia.
The hero is Nate Barton / Bartholomew. Golden eyes like a wolf, hungry to regain his rightful inheritance, tired of being left out in the cold, he starts off as a bitter con man and gambler. However, love reveals his truer self -- love for Sarah and the distrusting children who adore him. In the end, Sarah realizes he's just a "sheep in wolf's clothing" -- not a wolf at the door. (Sometimes, Nate's characterization didn't quite ring true.)
Fun secondary characters. In addition to the children, I liked Nate's brother Moze, and old Fiona (but she says "dearie" ad nauseum) and Grandpa and Storm. Drake and Pearl from book 1 got several scenes, too. (I do not plan to read book one, since reviews state it has many typos. This book has only one typo.)
Quibbles: Some scenes are rather a stretch -- improbable or unlikely. How much blood can we lose and still keep going? And would the pimping pedophile really go to those lengths? Also, the characterization of Nate (the hero) blurs in and out of focus, as he shifted from sullen and bitter to protective and bighearted. Plus, I doubt Belle would tell anyone, especially Sarah, about the details of a certain intimate experience in her past. Enough to simply admit the basics.
Writing quality (sentence structure, vividness, and dialogue) is decent, but just average. Only one typo.
Contents: About three explicit sex scenes, minimal swearing or profanity, some violence.
July 30, 2016
The Most Unsuitable Husband was a good book and I did enjoy it, but I just couldn't seem to connect with the main characters. I found it slow in parts because of this I think. The highlights for me was the role Joe, Luke and Cindy, the three orphans adopted by Sarah, played in the book. I thought their characters were well written and added greatly to the story. Don't get me wrong, this is a good book it just fell a little flat for me.
October 25, 2024
Pornography
Other book series from this author have been clean. However this series the Kincaids is filled with pornography very explicit. Just be warned so disheartening to get into reading a good book to only turn the page and realizing you're being sucked into reading trash. Don't waste your time. This author should seriously be ashamed of this series!!! No where in my Christian walk she's the Lord okay sex outside of marriage let alone explicit instructions on the to carry through with your ungodly thoughts. Shame on you for sharing your filthy thoughts!!!
Other book series from this author have been clean. However this series the Kincaids is filled with pornography very explicit. Just be warned so disheartening to get into reading a good book to only turn the page and realizing you're being sucked into reading trash. Don't waste your time. This author should seriously be ashamed of this series!!! No where in my Christian walk she's the Lord okay sex outside of marriage let alone explicit instructions on the to carry through with your ungodly thoughts. Shame on you for sharing your filthy thoughts!!!
May 12, 2017
Frustrated
I love the story and the characters but there are some sex excerpts that are too explicit and a lot of pages have to be skipped to get back to good reading. Please write some good stories for those of us who like a good story with strong characters with out sex.
I love the story and the characters but there are some sex excerpts that are too explicit and a lot of pages have to be skipped to get back to good reading. Please write some good stories for those of us who like a good story with strong characters with out sex.
May 31, 2017
Great western romance
A good second book in the series. I love a good western even though this one was not a ranch setting it was good. I enjoyed catching up with the characters from the first book.
A good second book in the series. I love a good western even though this one was not a ranch setting it was good. I enjoyed catching up with the characters from the first book.
October 20, 2021
Great story
I loved The Most Unsuitable Husband which told Nate and Sarah's story. I couldn't put it down and read until 2:00 a.m. to finish. Caroline Clemons is a very talented author and writes great stories! I highly recommend this book!
I loved The Most Unsuitable Husband which told Nate and Sarah's story. I couldn't put it down and read until 2:00 a.m. to finish. Caroline Clemons is a very talented author and writes great stories! I highly recommend this book!
July 4, 2017
Most Unsuitable Husband
The low rating for this book is because I didn't enjoy the story as well as book 1. Characters were okay but the story itself wasn't for me.
The low rating for this book is because I didn't enjoy the story as well as book 1. Characters were okay but the story itself wasn't for me.
April 7, 2019
Complex story
This is more than a romance novel. There is a complex background and more than anticipated to the story. Must read!
This is more than a romance novel. There is a complex background and more than anticipated to the story. Must read!
April 12, 2020
Good read
This was a very entertaining tale of a hero who doesn’t think he is and yet keeps doing heroic things to protect the people he loves. Enjoy 👍💜
This was a very entertaining tale of a hero who doesn’t think he is and yet keeps doing heroic things to protect the people he loves. Enjoy 👍💜
November 8, 2022
I loved it!!!!
June 16, 2019
This story turns on two 'less than they could be' folks: Sarah Kincaid and Nate Bartholomew. Sarah has always stood in the shadow of her older half-sister, Pearl Parker Kincaid (see THE MOST UNSUITABLE WIFE for Pearl's story). Pearl is very accomplished; Sarah thinks she is just a dowdy spinster-teacher.
The story starts with a burial; our hero Nate has been buried alive. Nate is a gambler and a con artist who has gotten in serious trouble with the law. He decides it is time to die and move on to greener pastures. Unfortunately, Nate's helper, Monk, was too late to save him from the piles of dirt on his pine box.
An aside: It is important to pay attention to the relationships because they are complicated. Sarah goes home to visit her dying mother, a prostitute. They have a few days together before her mother dies. At the funeral, Sarah notices a man she knows she has seen before. When they meet, Nate is very cordial to Sarah even though he is seething because Sarah is wearing his mother's ring. She has also inherited the saloon that Sarah's mom owned with her husband, who was Nate's father. Still with me?
Nate knows that Sarah owes him 1/2 of her inheritance and he wants it. However, Nate is supposed to be dead. Thus it is a bit difficult to just ask Sarah for the money. So Nate is following her while trying not to look like he's stalking her.
Sarah rescues three children from starvation and illness; she asks Nate to help her get the children to her room and get a doctor. Sarah enjoys being with Nate but also finds her emerging self-confidence to be a powerful drug. When Nate realizes he cannot rob Sarah, he forms a threesome to fleece the citizens of Kincaid Springs instead.
Over time, Nate finds that he likes Sarah's eyes looking at him as a hero. He becomes enchanted with the three children, who want him as their papa. Nate has lived a vagabond life usually on the wrong side of the law.
Nate is shocked when Sarah's family accepts him (as Sarah's friend) and eventually offers him a job at the family law office. Nate finds he loves the respect he receives from the children, Sarah and the citizens of the town.
There's just one problem: The scam the three men were going to spring on folks starts to unfold and Nate is caught in the middle. I found this to be an entertaining book that was fun to read. I really cared about the characters. 4.5 stars
Kincaids
1. The Most Unsuitable Wife (2003)
2. The Most Unsuitable Husband (2003)
3. The Most Unsuitable Courtship (2013)
4. Gabe Kincaid (2014)
The story starts with a burial; our hero Nate has been buried alive. Nate is a gambler and a con artist who has gotten in serious trouble with the law. He decides it is time to die and move on to greener pastures. Unfortunately, Nate's helper, Monk, was too late to save him from the piles of dirt on his pine box.
An aside: It is important to pay attention to the relationships because they are complicated. Sarah goes home to visit her dying mother, a prostitute. They have a few days together before her mother dies. At the funeral, Sarah notices a man she knows she has seen before. When they meet, Nate is very cordial to Sarah even though he is seething because Sarah is wearing his mother's ring. She has also inherited the saloon that Sarah's mom owned with her husband, who was Nate's father. Still with me?
Nate knows that Sarah owes him 1/2 of her inheritance and he wants it. However, Nate is supposed to be dead. Thus it is a bit difficult to just ask Sarah for the money. So Nate is following her while trying not to look like he's stalking her.
Sarah rescues three children from starvation and illness; she asks Nate to help her get the children to her room and get a doctor. Sarah enjoys being with Nate but also finds her emerging self-confidence to be a powerful drug. When Nate realizes he cannot rob Sarah, he forms a threesome to fleece the citizens of Kincaid Springs instead.
Over time, Nate finds that he likes Sarah's eyes looking at him as a hero. He becomes enchanted with the three children, who want him as their papa. Nate has lived a vagabond life usually on the wrong side of the law.
Nate is shocked when Sarah's family accepts him (as Sarah's friend) and eventually offers him a job at the family law office. Nate finds he loves the respect he receives from the children, Sarah and the citizens of the town.
There's just one problem: The scam the three men were going to spring on folks starts to unfold and Nate is caught in the middle. I found this to be an entertaining book that was fun to read. I really cared about the characters. 4.5 stars
Kincaids
1. The Most Unsuitable Wife (2003)
2. The Most Unsuitable Husband (2003)
3. The Most Unsuitable Courtship (2013)
4. Gabe Kincaid (2014)
February 13, 2020
An action packed romance
Nate- thought/reported be dead
Sarah- mother recently died left her a saloon/brothel
This is an enjoyable read that is well written with charismatic characters. Their story has a wonderful HEA!
Nate- thought/reported be dead
Sarah- mother recently died left her a saloon/brothel
This is an enjoyable read that is well written with charismatic characters. Their story has a wonderful HEA!
August 2, 2014
This book was very good. I liked Sarah and Nate. The kids were great and it was nice to catch up with everyone from the first book
Both Nate and Sarah change dramatically over the course of this book. Nate goes from an angry, self centered, bitter man to a very loving friend and father. And Sarah finally becomes her own person vs being a copy of Lily and Pearl.
This book had a lot going on - maybe a little bit too much. We have lies, betrayal, secrets (we didn't want to know), orphans, a nasty step father, an evil bad guy, a railroad scam, kidnapping, gun fights, a secondary romance and some hot love scenes. Almost makes your head spin!
In the end everything comes together very neat and tidy and we get a very HEA.
So why not 5 stars? Well for me the story was almost ruined by the connection between Nate and Belle - I felt that the depth of the connection was unnecessary and it hurt me for Sarah. I think the connection could have been less and still served the story well enough to be believable. I also didn't like that Sarah kept the whole truth of her connection with Nate from Lex. That seemed like a betrayal to me. And I could have definitely done without the details she gave to Sarah. OMG - family dinners are with them are going to be awkward!
Other than that - I loved the book and the series. I am looking forward to reading Storm's book as well as Gabe's
I have no reservations about recommending this book!!
Both Nate and Sarah change dramatically over the course of this book. Nate goes from an angry, self centered, bitter man to a very loving friend and father. And Sarah finally becomes her own person vs being a copy of Lily and Pearl.
This book had a lot going on - maybe a little bit too much. We have lies, betrayal, secrets (we didn't want to know), orphans, a nasty step father, an evil bad guy, a railroad scam, kidnapping, gun fights, a secondary romance and some hot love scenes. Almost makes your head spin!
In the end everything comes together very neat and tidy and we get a very HEA.
So why not 5 stars? Well for me the story was almost ruined by the connection between Nate and Belle - I felt that the depth of the connection was unnecessary and it hurt me for Sarah. I think the connection could have been less and still served the story well enough to be believable. I also didn't like that Sarah kept the whole truth of her connection with Nate from Lex. That seemed like a betrayal to me. And I could have definitely done without the details she gave to Sarah. OMG - family dinners are with them are going to be awkward!
Other than that - I loved the book and the series. I am looking forward to reading Storm's book as well as Gabe's
I have no reservations about recommending this book!!
August 30, 2015
Sweet historical!
Sarah and Nate began a beautiful adventure when Nate help her rescue three orphans. He's a gentleman in every since of the word. Nate helps Sarah as any gentleman would, of course the reason he was helping was to steal the inheritance that Sarah received from her mother. A wolf in Sheeps clothing becomes a sheep in wolves clothing in this wonderful romantic historical.
Sarah and Nate began a beautiful adventure when Nate help her rescue three orphans. He's a gentleman in every since of the word. Nate helps Sarah as any gentleman would, of course the reason he was helping was to steal the inheritance that Sarah received from her mother. A wolf in Sheeps clothing becomes a sheep in wolves clothing in this wonderful romantic historical.
February 27, 2011
I wrote it, so of course I love it. It's now available from Kindle Books with a new cover. This is a historical romance with fast paced romance, mayhem, and murder. The new Kindle edition has the Jack (also known as the Knave) of hearts on the cover.
September 5, 2015
Outstanding!
This story was TERRIFIC. It showed that sometimes you don't know the whole story hand you should never judge a book by its cover. And love always finds a way. I really liked the story of Joe and all he endured I guess pedifiles were rampant in all centuries.
This story was TERRIFIC. It showed that sometimes you don't know the whole story hand you should never judge a book by its cover. And love always finds a way. I really liked the story of Joe and all he endured I guess pedifiles were rampant in all centuries.
February 9, 2025
Good but not quite as good as the Unsuitable Wife.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews