A Winter's Vow

Aster Ridge Ranch #1

by Kate Condie

A wanted woman. A haunted man. Can a fake marriage save them both, or will their secrets tear them apart?
Della Hampton barely escaped her first marriage with her life. Desperate to outrun the wanted posters proclaiming her a murderess, she answers an advertisement for a mail-order bride in the isolated mining town of Kirwin, Wyoming. Her hasty decision turns desperate when she arrives to find her intended dead. Della is determined to do whatever it takes to remain in Kirwin and find a new name for herself—even if it means a fake marriage to the new foreman.
Before Bastien Graham’s father will allow him to run the family mine in Montana, there is one final job he must tackle here in foreman. When his predecessor dies in a mining collapse, Bastien is promoted and ready to prove himself. Within days of stepping into the position, a mail-order bride is abandoned in town. Bastien, now assigned to take her down the mountain and into town, soon discovers the lady has other plans.
But Bastien chose this lonely mountain for a reason and helping one woman doesn’t change the past. And for Della, a few months of kindness can’t replace a lifetime of hurt. Can they part ways when the winter is over? Or will their lies bind them tighter than they expected?
A Winter’s Vow is first in the Aster Ridge Ranch series. It is a clean romance and can be read as a standalone or check out A Cowboy’s Vow to continue the series.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Westerns, Historical Fiction, Clean Romance, Amazon

254 pages, Paperback

First published April 13, 2021

Reviews

[Junecondie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Della is a young woman fleeing from a dangerous relationship and with the help of her Aunt becomes a mail order bride only to find out her fiancé has died when she arrives at the small mining town in Wyoming. Through her determination and perseverance she finds a solution to keep her safe from the life she is fleeing from. She convinces Bastien, the new foreman at the mine of a fake marriage until she can find a permanent solution to keep her safe. While being snowed in for the winter in the small mining town of Korean, Della finds true friendship, jealousy, kindness and the stirring emotion she has never felt before that leads to love. You can’t help but fall in love with the characters in this book and wonder what you would do if you were Della.

[Christina Monge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a delightful read. It draws you into the characters’ worlds, their thoughts and emotions known to you but not always to each other. The author does a wonderful job in staying true to the character’s experiences and background and how that plays a part in how each deals with the situations at hand. Consistent Misunderstandings and assumptions are true to life when coming from two very different worlds. their hearts are knit together over time in a beautiful way as they both have baggage they’re carrying / trying to atone for, and a true relationship requires forgiveness and honesty to work. I loved how the author weaved in a thread of anticipation and danger throughout, making me eager to find out how it would end! I’m looking forward to the next books of the series:)

[Robyn Echols · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Hero and Heroine

I enjoyed this romance about a woman who is looking for survival, not love. Fortunately, she tricks the right man into helping her. I enjoyed the two main characters as well as some of the secondary characters. Great plot with a healthy dose of suspense. A great read.

[Brenda Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written mail order bride romance with strong characters in Della and Bastien. The author does a wonderful job developing their relationship and pulling you into the story with all the mystery and happenings. She takes you back to the day with her detailed and descriptive writing and delivers a beautiful love story. I enjoyed and would recommend this book.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.

[Dorothey Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Winters Vow

I really enjoyed this story. Della was running for her life. She had agreed to marry a man named James. When she arrived in town, it was snowing and James lived at a mine up the mountain. When she arrived, snowing , she asked forJames. The storekeeper looked at her and told her , he had died the week before. Sella has a difficult time. You will enjoy her finding happiness.

[Ashlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great hook to a new series! I do love a good fake relationship story so this was right up my alley. I absolutely adored Della and Bastien together. The way the last few chapters were written just had me devouring the words because I had to know what happened. I love forward to reading the rest of the series.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Great Read

A Winter’s Vow made the characters and the old west come alive, and beckoned me to continue reading until it was finished! The romance was sweet and the story took unexpected twists that proved delightful! Great job for Kate Condie on her first book!

[Genevieve · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very sweet story that I thoroughly enjoyed! I look forward to more books by this author.

[Dhansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Love the characters and the way the Author pulled you into their lives.

[Sue Condie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read

Interesting characters. Good description, felt the cold and saw the beauty of the country. Looking forward to the next addition. Fine new author!!

[Melissa’s Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed listening to the audiobook version of A Winter’s Vow. I did things backwards and read the last few books in the series before reading the first book! I was thrilled when I had the opportunity to listen to how this fantastic series began.

A Winter’s Vow has it all: a fake marriage, a woman fleeing from a wrongful murder conviction, opposites attract, one bed trope, and an enemies to lovers arc. It immediately drew me in and I couldn’t wait to see how it all would turn out.

Della is running from the law after being accused of murdering her husband. With the help of her aunt, she journeys to a small Wyoming mining town to marry a stranger. Unfortunately, the man she was supposed to marry is dead. Feeling a responsibility towards her, Sebastian takes her in and agrees to a fake marriage. Both are escaping from their pasts. When winter is over though, will they stay together or will Della keep running, especially with a bounty hunter on her trail.

I enjoyed the way these two were at odds at first. Della came from an abusive situation and doesn’t easily trust men. Sebastian has an intended in Chicago, but is also running from his past. As the two share a small cabin, they begin to appreciate and care for one other. They recognize each other’s admirable traits and talents. I was surprised by some of Sebastians secrets, yet Della is able to work through them. Though there is some misunderstanding, I loved the fast paced ending and the way Sebastian proves his love for Della.

Loved the dual narration! Both voice actors did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life. The emotion was just right and made it so hard to put down. Would definitely recommend the audiobook version!

It’s a slow burn, romantic, sweet story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Highly recommend to Western and historical romance fans. I received an advanced listeners copy from the author but also purchased the ebook copy. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided.

CW: clean with only passionate kissing, mentions of physical abuse, prostitutes, mild violence.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I needed a change in what I was reading and a Western sounded good. I got it off of Kindle Unlimited.
I read the beginning and was bored so I quit reading the story for a while. Then I finished some intenses reads and decided to go back to this story, needed a change of time period and maybe some fluff! Pretty much anyone can read this and not be offended. There is some build up of romantic attraction between Della and Bastien. Eventhough there should not be. Lots of lies. I wished Della could have been more honest with Bastien, he really was treating her well and only expected her to bake biscuits. They both have a troubled mysterious past. The romance is PG, they never get past the desire and awareness of attraction and a few wonderful head massages and nice kisses and waking up together. Della was way too worried about her past catching up with her and not willing to tell all and hunker down and do life with the hunky, kind caring guy, who agreed to take her in and pretend to be her husband! I would have loved more from Della at the hot springs, why was she being all shy? Would have been a much better romantic scene.
I was dissaponted we didn't get a wedding night bedding details, emotional scene, but that is for other non-fluffy books! Of course there had to be a climax at the end when her past catches up with her.
Another reviewer mentioned some errors in the editing for time and place. It was glaring a few times. Specifically, if she is being forced to go to Omaha on a wagon, how the the heck does he take a train to and from Omaha while she is heading there, What? I guess it is a way to tie up loose ends!
Anyone new to romance or a teen reader this would be ok, nice read It was good for my jaded romance reading eyes to have some fluff. It was a fairly quick read.

[WyoGal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple romance plot with minimal conflict

This story is rather simple in that the protagonists are stuck in close proximity for a handful of months, told in brief scenes, and fall in love but must decide if they can forgo their past to make a new future together. They both have dark past experiences and must trust each other enough to disclose their worst moments.

The biggest complaint I have with the story is the lack of transitions between time jumps that frequently happen between paragraphs. There needs to be double line spacing.
It reads like a hop skip and jump between scenes over the course of the winter. Will she tell him now? He looks handsome without his shirt. Now they’re dancing. Now they’re at a friend’s cabin. Back to her baking. And so on. There are some very past plot advances toward the end, and the plot lines don’t seem logical. It’s like a bad math problem. She’s in a wagon traveling at x miles per hour. He’s somehow on a train….will they cross paths?

There’s mild peril toward the end, but this is like a PG -rated movie. A lot of danger is hinted at, but nothing comes of it.

There are some nicely nuanced interactions and some believable angsty bits so the relationship seems plausible. They both seem like good folks. It’s a pleasant story.

[Jeanine Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Della was a pearl, created through all she’d endured, yet more beautiful because of her trials. Not just her appearance, but her strength and spunk. She should be hardened, yet she was soft, pliable, like someone who didn’t have everything sorted. ~ Bastien

Della’s plan to escape her abusive father by becoming a mail-order bride hits a dead end, literally. When she arrives in the mining town she finds her intended, James, has been killed in an accident. Bastien, the man who has taken his place at the mine is tasked with returning her to the nearest town, since unmarried women aren’t allowed to stay. Knowing she can never return home, she begs and pleads the whole of the trip for Bastien to marry her instead. When he refuses, she hides in his wagon and he is shocked to find her on the trip back up the mountain. Blizzard setting in, he has no choice, but take her with him and agree to her new proposal of a fake marriage until the spring thaw.

Della vows to earn her keep by cooking and cleaning and we all know the fastest way to man’s heart is through his stomach. Just when she feels she might find happiness, her past catches up to her. She has experienced so much pain and loss, but now she may lose her very life.

My first Kate Condie read. It was quick paced, heart warming, romantic and the ending was full of suspense.

[Reader_for_LifeTLG · Rating 5 out of 5]

An emotional read - Della has suffered under the hands of her father and her husband. Fleeing the injustice system of Oklahoma, she thought to become a mail-order bride. When she finds her fiance deceased she convinces his replacement at work to fake a relationship with her. Like she's now his responsibility! Bastien is intended for another, but can't fight the pull he feels to Della. When trouble threatens their happy home, he'll move heaven and earth to get her back by his side. They're from two vastly different worlds, both trying to make their way in the world.

This story is a delight, but the characters' backstories tore at my heartstrings. Della's ill treatment by the very men who should have protected her is appalling. Sadly, it wasn't uncommon, women treated as nothing more than chattel. Bastien felt shame over youthful indiscretions, so much so he left his family to escape their cynicism and arrogance. He wanted to be a better person and he certainly achieved that. I love that Della felt safe with Bastien, the first time in her life she did so. He was a good man, perfect for the waif who stole his heart. One of several tales I have read by Ms. Condie, certainly not my last.

I listened to the Audible version. The narrators did a phenomenal job.

[Cara Bristol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Della Hampton’s abusive husband dies after a fall, but she’s accused of killing him. On the run from the law, she answers an ad for a mail order bride in a remote Wyoming mining town. But when she gets there, she discovers her intended died in a mining accident. No single women are allowed in town. When she gets snowed in, she convinces the new mining foreman Bastien Graham to agree to a fake marriage until she can get down the mountain in the springtime. He’s engaged to a childhood friend back home in Chicago.

As they get to know each other during the long winter in his tiny cabin, each begins to wonder how they will part company in the spring.

This was an enjoyable clean romance with enough suspense to spice it up. When will the bounty hunter show up? When will Della tell Bastien she’s wanted for murder? When will Della and Bastien realize they're perfect for one another?

The beginning hooked me right away, but the middle dragged a little for me. I felt that the dances & socials were done more to beef up the page count than to drive the plot, but the story picked up again, and I couldn’t put it down.

[Viola · Rating 5 out of 5]

very nice

A very nice read by Kate Condie. A mail order bride wanted for the murder of her husband, Della(Daisy) is wanted for his murder. Bastien is the miner who will help her. Della arrives in the mining town to find out that her intended has died and that Bastien is the new Forman and has been told to return her to town at the bottom of the mountain. No unmarried women aloud there. Della tried to talk him into not taking her there yet the answer was no. Bastien put Della up in a hotel and left her there. Half way back up the Bastien finds Della back in the wagon and hiding from him. Della talks him into pretend to be married as a storm is on there tail coats. This is what happens when travelling in winter on a mountain. Della confesses her sins after Bastien tells her he wants to marry her for real. What happens next. You will need to read this well written book. Enjoy

[Susan Saltos · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet, clean, romance. I found it to be slow and hard to get through. Not much happened. Little excitement and what “excitement/conflict” there was has been done so many times before that I didn’t find it exciting at all. The author went quickly between scenes from paragraph to paragraph rather than breaking scenes into chapters. That’s mainly because she jumped from one scene to the next so quickly!! They were at the house and suddenly they’re at the town dance, now they’re back at the house, and suddenly they’re arriving at the neighbors house. Too many jumping between scenes with very little happening in each scene. While I understand this is a sweet and clean romance, I didn’t find there was much chemistry between the two romantic characters. I felt though they lived together there was not much of them spending time together or getting to know each other. Needs work, but overall not a bad read.

[MK · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love audiobooks and when I saw this book came out on audio I was so excited. I accidentally read the later books in the series first, but maybe that made it more fun, because I loved reading the story of a couple I had already learned to love.

Della is running from the law when she is wrongly accused of murdering her awful husband. She is disappointed when the man who ordered a mail order bride passed away before she could get there. Not able to return home she talks Sebastian into pretending to be her husband for the winter as she waits out the search.

I love forced proximity, especially when combined with a fake relationship. This books adds those two favorite tropes to the Wild West and kept me wanting to know more. I couldn’t stop listening. The narrators were male and female and I thought their voices matched well with the characters. I truly enjoyed it! I will definitely listen to this one again! And of course now I hope the other books come out on audio someday.

[Wanda Compton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Running from the law

Desperate to find a place to hide Della goes to a mining town high in the mountains as a mail order bride only to find the man she was to marry has died. She convinces Bastien to pretend to be married to her and let her stay through the winter. Della was raised by an abusive father and bartered as payment of a debt to an even more evil man. Bastien is from a wealthy family in Chicago but has found he likes his life in the mountains. Despite their differences fondness grows. Trouble waits down the mountain to destroy what they could have together,

I loved the characters including the friends Della makes in the town. The difference in the way they were raised makes for an interesting story.The drama at the end is just the right amount. I don’t usually read books about the west so I am not sure I have read Kate Condie books before but will be looking for them in the future.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mail order bride Della Hampton arrives at the mountain town of Kirwin, Wyoming to learn her fiancé is dead. His job replacement, mining company foreman Bastien Graham, says she can stay with him as a storm is moving in fast and they’ll be frozen in for the winter. Moreover, he’ll pretend they got married in secret since single ladies were not allowed to live there. Della is thrilled to agree. If she ever goes back down the mountain, she’ll be captured and hanged for murder. The only way to survive is to make their ruse work. However, she doesn’t count on falling for the noble mine worker. He hides a secret of his own. He’s from a wealthy family in the east and has pledged his heart to his childhood love. But after meeting Della, he wonders which woman he really wants. A sweet, historical romance.

[Sarah B White · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Sweet Love Story!

Daisy left her hometown, on the run from a man who demanded that she marry him. Eh route, she ran across a wanted poster, accusing her of killing her husband. She went as far as she could and ended up in a mining town. The town had a strict "No Unmarried Women Allowed" policy to discourage prostitution.

Daisy was discovered hiding near the home of Bastien by Bastien himself. She had been dropped off in the town and would be run out of town if discovered. Fortunately, Bastien took her in. It took some time before she gave him the details about the wanted poster being circulated.

Read this book to get all the details. I found this to be an enjoyable book and I hope you enjoy it also.

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW, Absolutely Loved this book !!!!

Daisy was running for her life, because of an abusive husband. Her husband fell and died unexpectedly. She was moving to a small mining town to meet the man that asked for a mail order bride. On arrival she found out the man was dead. She was trying to stay hidden so the bounty hunter wouldn't take her in. Bastien Graham found her instead and offered her protection. Daisy never had a man be as kind to her. But, Daisy never had a man in her life she could trust. I read this book in one night, first time reading this author. The author describes things to make you feel that you are there with Daisy. Great characters. Kate Condie is an author I will be reading often.

[Jennifer Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truth is the best policy

Della had a horrible upbringing, her mother died when Della was seven years ago. She had to quit school and keep house and cook for her dad. He gambled all the time and they went without food often. He traded Della to a man to cover his debt. The man was worse on Della than her dad had been. One day he attacked Della and fell over a stool and hit his head and died. She ran away because she knew the police would blame her for his death. A bounty was placed on her. Her aunt helped Della to get out of town. She became a mail-order bride, but when she got to the town she found out he had died in an accident. Now what was she to do? Read this book to see what happens to Della!

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked Della and Bastien and their story, even if I was disappointed Della wasn’t truthful with him sooner. It was probably more true to life for someone who had experienced the life Della did. But as a romance novel, her continual refusal to be truthful with him was a bummer. It made the story very slow going. I also wish there were more moments showing them falling in love with each other. As that’s the main point of a romance… kinda need those in there.

The writing threw me off several times. There needed to be breaks in between setting changes and maybe italicized font for flash backs. It was hard to keep track sometimes.

Maybe a series I’ll come back to when I need a break from romcoms and regency books.

[Ana Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave 4 stars because I liked the romance, the historic ambiance, the chemistry and characters. I took a 🌟 because :
1.I couldn't picture a small mine town community in the middle of the mountains in winter between snow and blizzards throwing parties on and off, going to have breakfast at the cafe and having such a lively social life(this bothered me to not end).
2.the romance was too slow, She was married before! Nothing more than a kiss and they slept together at some point. Nada.
3.Some parts were unfinished like Bronco Nell. What happened to her and her daughter?, Did Bastien introduced Della to his family?

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting Plot Twists

If it weren't for a few plot points that I didn't expect, I would have given this book a solid three stars. It has the standard romance characters, including the damsel in distress, the knight in buckskin who saves her, the kindly people who befriend them, and the villain who wants to ruin their lives. The highlights are the descriptions of winter in Wyoming and life in the mining camp. The low point was an unrealistic horseback ride that really had nothing to do with the plot. I enjoyed the book, but probably wouldn't go out of my way to read another of Condie's books. But remember, I'm not a romance fan at heart.

[Melody Tregear · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story -3½ stars

This was a clean read, but I recommend you read the short story prequel. It does give context to this story. The book started a bit slow but the pace did pick up and it became very interesting. There are small spots here and there that are not explained, like Bronco's arrest and outcome, why Della's encounter with Bastien's family was humiliating, how her case in Omaha was settled so quickly etc. Just saying the Judge was favourable, doesn't actually tell the reader much. The ending was nice. Overall, enjoyable. I look forward to Ivete's story.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super good.
Running for her life Della has one pretty big road bump to overcome will an unjust past claim her? Bastien is only in Wyoming to prove himself to his family then he is moving on to Montana. This is no sweet mail-order bride tale. Della has a secret that can destroy and an enemy who will take pleasure in doing that. Awesome twists in this critter that made for a very entertaining read. This is a book you really should read it is such a good story with grand characters. I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

It takes true talent to write a clean book with sizzle. Kate has given us fleshed-out characters that have life struggles while giving them clear boundaries. It's a beautiful thing to behold in an age where most writers rely on high heat to sell their writing. Kate has a gift that puts the reader in the character's shoes, placing the reader in the story and actually - giving us a story. For a freshman novel, I didn't have high expectations, but the book pleasantly surprised me by exceeding my expectations and then some. I truly enjoyed it!!