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Shotgun Wedding
HISTORICAL NOVEL ABOUT ANNIE MALLOW, A KANSAS PIONEER WOMAN WHO CONSIDERS HERSELF A "NEW MODERN WOMAN" UNTIL SHE DISCOVERS SHE IS PREGNANT - AND THE FATHER OF HER CHILD IS AN OUTLAW. ENTER SHERIFF JESSE HARDEN TO SAVE THE DAY. NICE STORY, MAYBE NOT HER BEST, BUT A GOOD AND UPLIFTING READ!
360 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2003
2 people are currently reading
474 people want to read
About the author
Maggie Osborne
30 books520 followersaka
Margaret St. George
Maggie Osborne is the author of I Do, I Do, I Do and Silver Lining, as well as more than forty contemporary and historical romance novels written as Maggie Osborne and Margaret St. George. She has won numerous awards from Romantic Times, Affaire de Coeur, BookraK, the Colorado Romance Writers, and Coeur du Bois, among others. Osborne won the RITA for long historical from the Romance Writers of America in 1998. Maggie lives in a resort town in the Colorado mountains with her husband, one mule, two horses, one cat, and one dog, all of whom are a lot of aggravation, but she loves them anyway.
Margaret St. George
Maggie Osborne is the author of I Do, I Do, I Do and Silver Lining, as well as more than forty contemporary and historical romance novels written as Maggie Osborne and Margaret St. George. She has won numerous awards from Romantic Times, Affaire de Coeur, BookraK, the Colorado Romance Writers, and Coeur du Bois, among others. Osborne won the RITA for long historical from the Romance Writers of America in 1998. Maggie lives in a resort town in the Colorado mountains with her husband, one mule, two horses, one cat, and one dog, all of whom are a lot of aggravation, but she loves them anyway.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
March 18, 2012
The saddest feeling in the world as a reader is to know that an author whose voice beats any other writes no more. Every time I read a book by Maggie Osborne, this is a loss that I feel profoundly to my very soul. Lately I have been very discontent with the books lining my e-book shelves, something that happens to me every now and then. Finally, I decided to dust off my paperback edition of Shotgun Wedding which I bought from Abe Books a couple of months back, and let Maggie Osborne charm her way into my heart and soul and she did exactly just that with a story that kept me turning the pages even into wee hours of the morning.
Jesse John Harden works as the Sheriff of the small town of Marshall in Kansas. A man who prefers to keep to himself, Jesse might show a laid-back front to people but he is a man who gets the job done earning him more than the gratitude of the people of his now hometown.
25 year old Anne Margaret Malloy (Annie) finds herself in a bit of a fix when she discovers that she pregnant is and that she can’t continue to avoid the fact any longer. Annie is someone who has sworn off marriage a long time back, the independence that her parents give her one that she had taken for granted and landed her in the shitload of trouble she finds herself in. Annie likes to think of herself as a New Modern Woman like those who aren’t afraid to move ahead in a man’s world and show the world their worth. But the unexpected pregnancy brings all her dreams crashing down and forces her to face the consequences of the road that she had taken when she had met the father of her child.
Even though Annie’s beau agrees to marry her and do the right thing, she cannot accept the concept of living with a man who robs banks and trains for a living. The mere thought of feeding herself and her children from the profit reaped off by robbing other people of their hard earned wealth leaves a hollow feeling deep inside of her and that is how Annie finds herself the outcast of the town, living with her parents who refuse to let her take the coward’s way out and stay at home wallowing in self-pity.
Through a chain of events, the townsfolk arrive at the conclusion that Jesse is the father of Annie’s unborn child as Annie continues to hide the identity of the man who had fathered her child. Jesse had always had a soft spot for Annie, her unruly red curls a constant source that fires his libido unlike any other. But his plans of gentle days of courting Annie into his world fly out of the window when he reels with the news of Annie’s pregnancy, until he comes up with a plan that would effectively tie Annie’s life to his, all the while convinced that with time he would make Annie fall in love with him.
Shotgun Wedding was a story that was delivered in the classic wit and style that only Maggie Osborne can pull off. She is an author who can continue to juggle a hundred characters in her stories and never make you feel as if you are floundering around trying to pin down who is who. In Shotgun Wedding, Ms. Osborne manages to bring the whole town to life, exploring those little nuances that makes you feel as if you are part of the story that unfolds rather than a guest passing through.
I loved Jesse and clamored for him with everything female inside of me. He is the least “tortured” hero that I have come across by the author and there was a definite charm about his character because of that. But don’t fool yourself into thinking that Jesse won’t make your heart go aflutter because he definitely does that and more. He has that inner strength and formidability etched onto his character that would make your heart beat a tad faster when he enters into the picture. And he is the type of man you can count on to keep the nightmares at bay, to make you feel loved and cherished in those little ways that counts. I loved how Jesse begins to court his pregnant wife and that slow simmering seduction that he begins that just made me hum deep inside and curl my toes in anticipation.
I had a bit of a problem with Annie like most readers. Annie is not without her faults but I expected her to grow out of them and show me the backbone that would make her a worthy partner for Jesse till death does them apart. At first her selfishness in not thinking about the parents who had done nothing but love her and give her everything she had wanted grated on me. But later on, she did learn her lesson and accepted her faults and showed that she was made of better stuff. The one thing that continued to irk me was how Annie tried to shield the activities of the actual father of her child from her husband, putting Jesse inevitably in danger which is only then Annie realizes the blunder she has made. But I guess once again she does learn from her mistake but I found it a bit hard to forgive her and move on like Jesse did.
The one other problem I had with the story was how Jesse didn’t feature in the story as prominently as I wanted. The story was mostly dominated by Annie and the father of her child and though the anger that he harbors towards Jesse for snatching away something that he considers as rightfully his drives the story, I wanted the burgeoning relationship between Jesse and Annie to come into the spotlight and give me a couple of chapters to sigh over long after I was done.
It is the sheer feeling of magic that surrounds me when I start a Maggie Osborne that would always leave me coming back for more. Recommended for fans of Maggie Osborne and fans of marriage of convenience themed romances.
Rating=4/5
Original review posted on MBR's Realm of Romance
My quotes included below the review.
Jesse John Harden works as the Sheriff of the small town of Marshall in Kansas. A man who prefers to keep to himself, Jesse might show a laid-back front to people but he is a man who gets the job done earning him more than the gratitude of the people of his now hometown.
25 year old Anne Margaret Malloy (Annie) finds herself in a bit of a fix when she discovers that she pregnant is and that she can’t continue to avoid the fact any longer. Annie is someone who has sworn off marriage a long time back, the independence that her parents give her one that she had taken for granted and landed her in the shitload of trouble she finds herself in. Annie likes to think of herself as a New Modern Woman like those who aren’t afraid to move ahead in a man’s world and show the world their worth. But the unexpected pregnancy brings all her dreams crashing down and forces her to face the consequences of the road that she had taken when she had met the father of her child.
Even though Annie’s beau agrees to marry her and do the right thing, she cannot accept the concept of living with a man who robs banks and trains for a living. The mere thought of feeding herself and her children from the profit reaped off by robbing other people of their hard earned wealth leaves a hollow feeling deep inside of her and that is how Annie finds herself the outcast of the town, living with her parents who refuse to let her take the coward’s way out and stay at home wallowing in self-pity.
Through a chain of events, the townsfolk arrive at the conclusion that Jesse is the father of Annie’s unborn child as Annie continues to hide the identity of the man who had fathered her child. Jesse had always had a soft spot for Annie, her unruly red curls a constant source that fires his libido unlike any other. But his plans of gentle days of courting Annie into his world fly out of the window when he reels with the news of Annie’s pregnancy, until he comes up with a plan that would effectively tie Annie’s life to his, all the while convinced that with time he would make Annie fall in love with him.
Shotgun Wedding was a story that was delivered in the classic wit and style that only Maggie Osborne can pull off. She is an author who can continue to juggle a hundred characters in her stories and never make you feel as if you are floundering around trying to pin down who is who. In Shotgun Wedding, Ms. Osborne manages to bring the whole town to life, exploring those little nuances that makes you feel as if you are part of the story that unfolds rather than a guest passing through.
I loved Jesse and clamored for him with everything female inside of me. He is the least “tortured” hero that I have come across by the author and there was a definite charm about his character because of that. But don’t fool yourself into thinking that Jesse won’t make your heart go aflutter because he definitely does that and more. He has that inner strength and formidability etched onto his character that would make your heart beat a tad faster when he enters into the picture. And he is the type of man you can count on to keep the nightmares at bay, to make you feel loved and cherished in those little ways that counts. I loved how Jesse begins to court his pregnant wife and that slow simmering seduction that he begins that just made me hum deep inside and curl my toes in anticipation.
I had a bit of a problem with Annie like most readers. Annie is not without her faults but I expected her to grow out of them and show me the backbone that would make her a worthy partner for Jesse till death does them apart. At first her selfishness in not thinking about the parents who had done nothing but love her and give her everything she had wanted grated on me. But later on, she did learn her lesson and accepted her faults and showed that she was made of better stuff. The one thing that continued to irk me was how Annie tried to shield the activities of the actual father of her child from her husband, putting Jesse inevitably in danger which is only then Annie realizes the blunder she has made. But I guess once again she does learn from her mistake but I found it a bit hard to forgive her and move on like Jesse did.
The one other problem I had with the story was how Jesse didn’t feature in the story as prominently as I wanted. The story was mostly dominated by Annie and the father of her child and though the anger that he harbors towards Jesse for snatching away something that he considers as rightfully his drives the story, I wanted the burgeoning relationship between Jesse and Annie to come into the spotlight and give me a couple of chapters to sigh over long after I was done.
It is the sheer feeling of magic that surrounds me when I start a Maggie Osborne that would always leave me coming back for more. Recommended for fans of Maggie Osborne and fans of marriage of convenience themed romances.
Rating=4/5
Original review posted on MBR's Realm of Romance
My quotes included below the review.
September 27, 2021
4 STARS
One thing I know with almost 100% certainty, is that every time I pick up a Maggie Osborne book, I know I'm going to love it. This one was no exception. It is one of her later books, and not quite as popular as some of her others. The story was also a little more somber in tone than many of her other books.
I usually really love her heroines right from the get-go, however, this one tried my patience nearly until the end. Annie made some really bad decisions, and just kept making them. Thank goodness for Jess Harden. Now this man really was a hero in every sense of the word. The author tried to put a chink in his armor near the end there, but I just wasn't buying it. Loved him through and through.
Be aware, this book is not available as an ebook. I had to buy the old yellowed paperback, from a used books seller on Amazon. Quite a novelty really, and tough to read at night when the lights are low. I needed my super-dee-duper reading glasses to even see the print. And in the end, it was worth the effort. As I knew it would be.
"Do you love me yet?"
One thing I know with almost 100% certainty, is that every time I pick up a Maggie Osborne book, I know I'm going to love it. This one was no exception. It is one of her later books, and not quite as popular as some of her others. The story was also a little more somber in tone than many of her other books.
I usually really love her heroines right from the get-go, however, this one tried my patience nearly until the end. Annie made some really bad decisions, and just kept making them. Thank goodness for Jess Harden. Now this man really was a hero in every sense of the word. The author tried to put a chink in his armor near the end there, but I just wasn't buying it. Loved him through and through.
Be aware, this book is not available as an ebook. I had to buy the old yellowed paperback, from a used books seller on Amazon. Quite a novelty really, and tough to read at night when the lights are low. I needed my super-dee-duper reading glasses to even see the print. And in the end, it was worth the effort. As I knew it would be.
October 30, 2021
Enjoyed this story!
Loved Jess Harden. He was pretty fantastic. ❤️
It took me a bit to warm up to Annie and in the end she won me over! ❤️
It was nice to sit with a paperback book in hand. 🤓
Loved Jess Harden. He was pretty fantastic. ❤️
It took me a bit to warm up to Annie and in the end she won me over! ❤️
It was nice to sit with a paperback book in hand. 🤓
July 31, 2017
I love Maggie Osborne. I consider her to be one of the best writers of western romances. Her characters are complex and her storylines just flow flawlessly. But for some reason, this one just didn't work for me. As other readers indicate, I struggled with the heroine.. She was too one dimensional with her selfish, foolish, and reckless ways. To boot, her character never really progressed enough to make her worthy of the hero's love and commitment. (He was a man light years ahead of his time.)
This is the only book by Maggie Osborne that I've been lukewarm about. The rest have been stellar.
I read this book sometime ago and realized that I never even bothered to rate it, or write a review.
This is the only book by Maggie Osborne that I've been lukewarm about. The rest have been stellar.
I read this book sometime ago and realized that I never even bothered to rate it, or write a review.
September 24, 2021
4.25 Stars
I honestly thought I read all of Ms Osborne's books but I saw this one pop up on one of my friend's list and knew I had to find it to read.
As always, Ms Osborne's books grab my attention and take me on a wild ride through the western frontier.
I loved Jess and how devoted he was to Annie even through all of their obstacles, he persevered and finally came out the winner.
I honestly thought I read all of Ms Osborne's books but I saw this one pop up on one of my friend's list and knew I had to find it to read.
As always, Ms Osborne's books grab my attention and take me on a wild ride through the western frontier.
I loved Jess and how devoted he was to Annie even through all of their obstacles, he persevered and finally came out the winner.
September 9, 2010
I really liked this book. It was very involved, not a quickie throw away historical. Annie is trying to be a modern woman and not get married and be under a man's thumb. She experiments with sex and gets caught i.e., pregnant. The story is quite involved and realistic about the consequences of that for a 25 year old woman of higher class and good reputation in a small town in the 1870s. Most books have difficulty portraying the severe condemnation she would be subjected to and the terror she would feel about being found out. I guess most people don't want their history so realistic and also our attitudes towards this situation have changed so drastically in the last 30 years that some might find the story unpalatable.
Annie was one of the most well developed characters I've read in a long time. Jesse, the sheriff who marries her anyway, (not his baby) was a very nice man. He was the kind of man that we all hope exists in any time period. He wasn't perfect but tried hard to look beyond the surface.
Well written and the kind of historicals I really like.
Annie was one of the most well developed characters I've read in a long time. Jesse, the sheriff who marries her anyway, (not his baby) was a very nice man. He was the kind of man that we all hope exists in any time period. He wasn't perfect but tried hard to look beyond the surface.
Well written and the kind of historicals I really like.
June 7, 2011
I usually love Maggie Osborne but this story had every trope I hate in a romance. Insipid, spinster heroine who subscribed to the "modern woman" lifestyle until she got pregnant. Baby Daddy is an outlaw she can't/won't marry. Wannabe lover/husband who was blind to her stupidity. Someone tell me again why I read this?
July 18, 2023
While I agree Maggie Osborne writes beautifully, with stories that are so descriptive you can almost see, smell, hear and feel everything described, even imagine the emotions of everyone in the room... Her writing makes you really think, unlike other cookie cutter romance stories.
My problem with this book was the heroine. She was not someone that I could relate to or even felt like supporting or rooting for her HEA. One stupid decision after another. She was an only child that was over indulged by her parents in her freedoms (for that time period) and was raised to become selfish, stubborn and with absolutely no common sense. Her decision of boyfriend #1, really? While trying to be a modern, independent woman of her time, she showed no morals or integrity at all. All of her choices that she made had the potential to ruin her whole family’s comfortable way of life, careers, friendships. To me, she was an adult, she should have known better and it would have been unforgivable.
Her parents reaction to her bad news was written so well. I could totally imagine parents reacting in such a way. What I couldn't understand is what the sheriff saw in her. Even before he knew she was pregnant, he thought she was something special... Yeah, eSPECIALly bitchy to him was all that I saw.
I did read to the half-way point then gave up because I could see there was going to be a huge drawn out misunderstanding of the unknown: baby daddy's identity. I hate intentional misunderstandings or lies like that, grrr.
My problem with this book was the heroine. She was not someone that I could relate to or even felt like supporting or rooting for her HEA. One stupid decision after another. She was an only child that was over indulged by her parents in her freedoms (for that time period) and was raised to become selfish, stubborn and with absolutely no common sense. Her decision of boyfriend #1, really? While trying to be a modern, independent woman of her time, she showed no morals or integrity at all. All of her choices that she made had the potential to ruin her whole family’s comfortable way of life, careers, friendships. To me, she was an adult, she should have known better and it would have been unforgivable.
Her parents reaction to her bad news was written so well. I could totally imagine parents reacting in such a way. What I couldn't understand is what the sheriff saw in her. Even before he knew she was pregnant, he thought she was something special... Yeah, eSPECIALly bitchy to him was all that I saw.
I did read to the half-way point then gave up because I could see there was going to be a huge drawn out misunderstanding of the unknown: baby daddy's identity. I hate intentional misunderstandings or lies like that, grrr.
December 28, 2011
1/5; 1 star; D-epic fail
I normally love Maggie Osborne's books but I've started and stopped this one a few times in the last week and just can't force myself to continue.
Osborne does a good job of painting the picture of disgrace and humiliation and young woman and her entire family would endure in the case of an unwanted pregnancy in earlier days. There is no date on the story but I am assuming its the 1800s since everyone is still getting around on horseback.
The lead female character, Annie, is not the type of heroine I can get behind. Making mistakes in judgement and screwing up are ok, this character takes it to the extreme, into TSTL territory.
My TBR pile is huge and I'm pretty sure there are fabulous books in there. This one will have to go.
I normally love Maggie Osborne's books but I've started and stopped this one a few times in the last week and just can't force myself to continue.
Osborne does a good job of painting the picture of disgrace and humiliation and young woman and her entire family would endure in the case of an unwanted pregnancy in earlier days. There is no date on the story but I am assuming its the 1800s since everyone is still getting around on horseback.
The lead female character, Annie, is not the type of heroine I can get behind. Making mistakes in judgement and screwing up are ok, this character takes it to the extreme, into TSTL territory.
My TBR pile is huge and I'm pretty sure there are fabulous books in there. This one will have to go.
October 29, 2016
Annie is suuuuch a dumbass. I didn't enjoy reading this book. It was actually frustrating because the heroine was just really dumb. Everyone makes mistakes, which is fine. However, one should also grow from them. I didn't really think she did. She just gets rescued without her having to fix her mistakes. Honestly, what was she going to do if people weren't there to rescue her. She spouts all these modern women ideal but doesn't really apply them. Honestly, I was fine with the naivete in the beginning. It could have been made into a story where she wises up and gets new insight from life. However, to the very bitter end, she doesn't learn her lesson. She was still not wary of Bodie. Her last comment about him was that she would forgive him in time. Are you kidding? He kidnaps her, endangers her child, attempted to kill her husband and was also planning to try again and her remark is that she will forgive him. This only tells me that she doesn't really take into account what happens and that if Bodie somehow managed to live, she will probably get her daughter kidnapped. I can imagine a likely scenario in which Bodie contacts her and urges her to keep their meeting a secret. He will say he wants to see his daughter and she meets with him in secret. Jesse, unaware of her rendezvous, won't be there to protect the girl and Annie. Bodie will then beat her up and take his daughter away. Annie just comes across as that type of character. She makes a mistake and it blows up in a lot of people's faces. She didn't really reflect on what type of person Bodie was. It would take her to be beaten bloody to get it across her thick skull that he is bad news. She had a moment where she reflected on whether she was blind to him but alas, in her last words, she was talking about how she would mourn over what Bodie could have been.
One of the most frustrating moment for me was her rationalizing why she shouldn't tell Jesse about Bodie. It was so frustrating because her reasoning was that she didn't want to see Bodie in jail. Well, he should be. He is a dangerous man. He robs banks and kills people. It really spoke badly about her character that she doesn't take into account the damage he could cause as long as it doesn't happen to her. Bodie was charming to her so she doesn't really mull over the fact that he is a criminal. Of course, she doesn't tell Jesse about the break ins. So, he isn't aware that there is this obsessed criminal going in and out of his house. She doesn't think about giving Jesse a heads up and of course, Bodie ends up shooting an unaware Jesse. There were so many times to tell Jesse. She wasn't expecting to be married anyways so the least she could have done was tell him so he knows what he was getting himself into. They could have started the marriage with no secrets. Instead, she keeps a key information to herself until he gets shot.
Another frustrating thing for me was her spouting off modern woman ideals. I kind of didn't blame the father for slapping her. She was that frustrating. She doesn't take responsibility and she expects people to pick up after her. She doesn't reflect on her actions and she still has the balls to stand by her modern woman ideals. The problem is that she takes the good without putting in the hard work. She wants the independence without earning it herself. She wanted the freedom without thinking about the consequences. It was really irresponsible. She wanted all the good while ignoring the steps to get there. She really sucked as a person. I couldn't really support that type of character. She doesn't grow from it. She gets rescued from her predicament when Jesse stepped in to be her husband and made life better for her. What did she do to earn it? Nothing.
The story revolves around a dumb heroine getting herself pregnant. Mistakes happen but she doesn't learn anything. She becomes a pariah and becomes desperate enough to marry the father of the baby, despite Bodie being a bank robber. Fortunately for her, Bodie was away for some months. Jesse stepped in to save her. He was a child of a single mother and he had first hand experience with being a bastard. He didn't want that to happen with the baby. Also, he was attracted to Annie. He decided to settle down with her and she married him because she was desperate. Unfortunately for her, Bodie returned and wanted to get what he perceived was his. It ended with a gunfight. Bodie attempted to abduct her. Jesse came just in time. Jesse shot Bodie and saved Annie and the unborn baby. The book ended with them finally consummating their marriage.
One of the most frustrating moment for me was her rationalizing why she shouldn't tell Jesse about Bodie. It was so frustrating because her reasoning was that she didn't want to see Bodie in jail. Well, he should be. He is a dangerous man. He robs banks and kills people. It really spoke badly about her character that she doesn't take into account the damage he could cause as long as it doesn't happen to her. Bodie was charming to her so she doesn't really mull over the fact that he is a criminal. Of course, she doesn't tell Jesse about the break ins. So, he isn't aware that there is this obsessed criminal going in and out of his house. She doesn't think about giving Jesse a heads up and of course, Bodie ends up shooting an unaware Jesse. There were so many times to tell Jesse. She wasn't expecting to be married anyways so the least she could have done was tell him so he knows what he was getting himself into. They could have started the marriage with no secrets. Instead, she keeps a key information to herself until he gets shot.
Another frustrating thing for me was her spouting off modern woman ideals. I kind of didn't blame the father for slapping her. She was that frustrating. She doesn't take responsibility and she expects people to pick up after her. She doesn't reflect on her actions and she still has the balls to stand by her modern woman ideals. The problem is that she takes the good without putting in the hard work. She wants the independence without earning it herself. She wanted the freedom without thinking about the consequences. It was really irresponsible. She wanted all the good while ignoring the steps to get there. She really sucked as a person. I couldn't really support that type of character. She doesn't grow from it. She gets rescued from her predicament when Jesse stepped in to be her husband and made life better for her. What did she do to earn it? Nothing.
The story revolves around a dumb heroine getting herself pregnant. Mistakes happen but she doesn't learn anything. She becomes a pariah and becomes desperate enough to marry the father of the baby, despite Bodie being a bank robber. Fortunately for her, Bodie was away for some months. Jesse stepped in to save her. He was a child of a single mother and he had first hand experience with being a bastard. He didn't want that to happen with the baby. Also, he was attracted to Annie. He decided to settle down with her and she married him because she was desperate. Unfortunately for her, Bodie returned and wanted to get what he perceived was his. It ended with a gunfight. Bodie attempted to abduct her. Jesse came just in time. Jesse shot Bodie and saved Annie and the unborn baby. The book ended with them finally consummating their marriage.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2021
I have a special place in my heart for books that are set in America's "old west" when technology and industry were starting to grow in the East but had not full infiltrated the west. So you have the dichotomy of cars, electricity and water closets on the east coast but in the west, you still had cowboys and sheriffs who wore Stetsons and carried guns.
Maggie Osborne is great at these stories and if you were curious to start reading one of her books, I would highly recommend starting with The Promise of Jenny Jones and Silver Lining. They show women who are strong and making a living in the West the only way they know how (and NO, it's not through prostitution). If you want to see women who get into knock down drag out fights where the male hero can't decide whether he needs to jump in and help out because she appears to be winning then definitely, you'll love these books. Ms Osborne also tugs at your heart strings at the hard lives these women live.
While "Shotgun Wedding' is not the best of her books, I found it still a wonderful read. I loved the fact that the MCs Annie and Jesse took the time to get to know each other and adjust to each other domestically. I also loved the whole "Modern Woman" concept that was coming out of the East (the "Modern Woman" was bold, spoke her mind, explored her sexuality, didn't feel shame at having children out of wedlock, etc). Annie embraces this concept but learns that these concepts that may be more acceptable in a big city doesn't hold in a small town in the west where everyone knows each other and the standards are still very much old fashioned. When Annie becomes pregnant out of wedlock, she realized the damage she has done not just to herself (which she could have handled) but to her family and friends. She realizes that just because she was trying to live by the tenets of the new modern woman, she also had to look at the reality of the society in which she lived. I have a feeling alot of people may have issues with how she was shamed and ostracized and was so very sorry for everything. The funny thing is I totally understood it. I grew up in a very religious, traditional southern community. When I went and lived north for several years, my supervisor told me how she had her first child at 16 and her friends threw her a baby shower, etc. I stared at her and said "where I grew up, if you got pregnant in highschool, you had to go to juvie (JD, juvenile detention, etc). That you were not allowed to go to regular school. That I had never seen any of these girls come back to school after the baby was born. Either they went to another school, got a GED or dropped out. They WERE ostracized. And I'm not talking 1800s here. I am talking late 1900s. Yeah. Maybe up until 30 years ago at the least.
I digress. Anyway, Jesse was a wonderful character as he steps up to help Annie out of a difficult situation (while having also harbored a romantic interest in her for a couple of years). I will confess that Annie was annoying in how much she kept from her husband Jess, whom by the way I kept picturing as the Marlboro man. Remember those ads?
The frustration with Annie towards the end as she continued to try and think the best of her baby's biological father (despite the fact that he was a callous outlaw) was almost too much but thankfully the story overall was engrossing enough that I kept reading.
There were also some funny lines that were made funnier by the fact that you weren't sure if you were supposed to laugh.
And I leave it on that note.
Maggie Osborne is great at these stories and if you were curious to start reading one of her books, I would highly recommend starting with The Promise of Jenny Jones and Silver Lining. They show women who are strong and making a living in the West the only way they know how (and NO, it's not through prostitution). If you want to see women who get into knock down drag out fights where the male hero can't decide whether he needs to jump in and help out because she appears to be winning then definitely, you'll love these books. Ms Osborne also tugs at your heart strings at the hard lives these women live.
While "Shotgun Wedding' is not the best of her books, I found it still a wonderful read. I loved the fact that the MCs Annie and Jesse took the time to get to know each other and adjust to each other domestically. I also loved the whole "Modern Woman" concept that was coming out of the East (the "Modern Woman" was bold, spoke her mind, explored her sexuality, didn't feel shame at having children out of wedlock, etc). Annie embraces this concept but learns that these concepts that may be more acceptable in a big city doesn't hold in a small town in the west where everyone knows each other and the standards are still very much old fashioned. When Annie becomes pregnant out of wedlock, she realized the damage she has done not just to herself (which she could have handled) but to her family and friends. She realizes that just because she was trying to live by the tenets of the new modern woman, she also had to look at the reality of the society in which she lived. I have a feeling alot of people may have issues with how she was shamed and ostracized and was so very sorry for everything. The funny thing is I totally understood it. I grew up in a very religious, traditional southern community. When I went and lived north for several years, my supervisor told me how she had her first child at 16 and her friends threw her a baby shower, etc. I stared at her and said "where I grew up, if you got pregnant in highschool, you had to go to juvie (JD, juvenile detention, etc). That you were not allowed to go to regular school. That I had never seen any of these girls come back to school after the baby was born. Either they went to another school, got a GED or dropped out. They WERE ostracized. And I'm not talking 1800s here. I am talking late 1900s. Yeah. Maybe up until 30 years ago at the least.
I digress. Anyway, Jesse was a wonderful character as he steps up to help Annie out of a difficult situation (while having also harbored a romantic interest in her for a couple of years). I will confess that Annie was annoying in how much she kept from her husband Jess, whom by the way I kept picturing as the Marlboro man. Remember those ads?
The frustration with Annie towards the end as she continued to try and think the best of her baby's biological father (despite the fact that he was a callous outlaw) was almost too much but thankfully the story overall was engrossing enough that I kept reading.
There were also some funny lines that were made funnier by the fact that you weren't sure if you were supposed to laugh.
And I leave it on that note.
November 30, 2010
Ever since I read the fabulous The Wives of Bowie Stone (which made me cry), I eagerly searched out everything written by Maggie Osborne (who also writes as Margaret St. George). SHOTGUN WEDDING uses one of my favorite plot devices: the marriage of convenience. I figured that Maggie Osborne was an author who could do this often used plot in a fresh and new way.
But I was disappointed. This historical novel never gives the year, leaving the reader to guess. This is a pet peeve of mine. With all the research that goes into a historical novel, how hard would it be to give a year? Things like gas lights and box socials spanned many decades, so narrowing down the timeline was not really possible, and that was a little annoying, since I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what year it was.
I also felt that the "setting the stage" part of the novel took far too long. The reader knows that Jesse and Annie are going to end up married, but has to wait for half of the novel to go by before that happens. I also felt that the interactions between the hero and heroine were few and far between for the first half of the book. Romance novels are all about "spark" between the hero and heroine. That's hard to accomplish when they are almost never in the same room!
I never really felt like the character of Jesse was fully developed. The author spent more time focusing on Bodie, the father of the child and incidentally the villian. That all well and good, but I wanted to know the hero on more than just a surface level.
Also, the hero would say things that just rubbed me the wrong way. For instance, before the weddding, he tells the heroine that he will make her love him. Uhhh...that's kinda creepy if you ask me, not romantic. You can't force something to love you. (That's what stalkers think, and no one considers them romantic). Every day when he comes home he asks, "Do you love me yet?" Again, creepy, and a little needy and desperate. And once, when Annie is miffed at him, he brushes her off and asks, "Do we have any beer?" How many of us would stand for that from our husbands? What next? Would the hero stop shaving and bathing and start belching and farting? Sorry to be so negative, but I just couldn't see him as a desireable man after that.
I think that perhaps the author was on a time restriction, because she is capable of so much better. This was a good story about what happened to women who got pregnant out of wedlock, but not a particularily good romance. Try The Wives of Bowie Stone or Silver Lining to see what this author is really capable of.
But I was disappointed. This historical novel never gives the year, leaving the reader to guess. This is a pet peeve of mine. With all the research that goes into a historical novel, how hard would it be to give a year? Things like gas lights and box socials spanned many decades, so narrowing down the timeline was not really possible, and that was a little annoying, since I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what year it was.
I also felt that the "setting the stage" part of the novel took far too long. The reader knows that Jesse and Annie are going to end up married, but has to wait for half of the novel to go by before that happens. I also felt that the interactions between the hero and heroine were few and far between for the first half of the book. Romance novels are all about "spark" between the hero and heroine. That's hard to accomplish when they are almost never in the same room!
I never really felt like the character of Jesse was fully developed. The author spent more time focusing on Bodie, the father of the child and incidentally the villian. That all well and good, but I wanted to know the hero on more than just a surface level.
Also, the hero would say things that just rubbed me the wrong way. For instance, before the weddding, he tells the heroine that he will make her love him. Uhhh...that's kinda creepy if you ask me, not romantic. You can't force something to love you. (That's what stalkers think, and no one considers them romantic). Every day when he comes home he asks, "Do you love me yet?" Again, creepy, and a little needy and desperate. And once, when Annie is miffed at him, he brushes her off and asks, "Do we have any beer?" How many of us would stand for that from our husbands? What next? Would the hero stop shaving and bathing and start belching and farting? Sorry to be so negative, but I just couldn't see him as a desireable man after that.
I think that perhaps the author was on a time restriction, because she is capable of so much better. This was a good story about what happened to women who got pregnant out of wedlock, but not a particularily good romance. Try The Wives of Bowie Stone or Silver Lining to see what this author is really capable of.
September 9, 2015
There is lots to enjoy about this engaging western romance where our heroine has decided not not marry but finds herself pregnant and the naivety of her previous points of few on being a modern woman are harshly exposed.
Our hero, because of his own up bringing, is both a realist and a feminist. He is great and I have a lot of compassion for our heroine as well.
The details of pregnancy explored in this book adds depth as does the very true to history response to the heroine's out of wedlock condition.
The growth of the characters is charming as is the love they come to share.
This said I wish we had more couple time and less time spent in her former lovers spaces and that the conflict at the end of the book hadn't been based on a very dumb choice by the heroine and dumb reactions by the hero. It would have been an excellent book instead of just a good one in that case.
Our hero, because of his own up bringing, is both a realist and a feminist. He is great and I have a lot of compassion for our heroine as well.
The details of pregnancy explored in this book adds depth as does the very true to history response to the heroine's out of wedlock condition.
The growth of the characters is charming as is the love they come to share.
This said I wish we had more couple time and less time spent in her former lovers spaces and that the conflict at the end of the book hadn't been based on a very dumb choice by the heroine and dumb reactions by the hero. It would have been an excellent book instead of just a good one in that case.
December 24, 2017
Maggie Osborne is a great writer who is very good with utilization of words and the language. In this book though she wasn't very good with planing and flow of the plot. She spent too much time on development part of the story and supposedly secondary character; Bodie. There was hardly any time left for romance between main characters.
June 25, 2010
I love Maggie Osborne, her Americana romances are always sweet and hit the spot like Southern ice tea. Addie got into a bit of trouble with a sweet talking outlaw. It was going to take the good-looking sheriff to convince Addie he was the one worth the risk.
February 26, 2025
Is Annie an idiot? Yes. Is she also my babygirl? Also yes
June 23, 2023
so hard to rate, the FMC just kept messing up and it was so annoying but it was still an entertaining read, so idk
November 13, 2024
Another book that I knew what the ending would be when I started it, but did end up liking the book. A young woman from the 1800 time period gets pregnant out of wedlock, and she and her family are shunned. It was a nice sweet romance. Glad I finished it.
Read
January 31, 2013I just couldn't get into this one. May go back and try again.
July 7, 2025
I'm a sucker for the marriage of convenience trope, so when I came across this book for $1 at a thrift store I picked it up. However, it ended up being a bit of a disappointment.
For me, the main issue is the characters don't even get married until at least halfway through the book or more. So for the first half we just have to listen to Annie whine and whine about how hard her life is as a well-off, well-educated only child of doting parents who cater to her every whim. Except she's a WOMAN and she can't do fun stuff like have a job or vote so instead she's been secretly meeting with a dude who is actually an outlaw who robs banks and such, and sleeping with him on the sly. And now she's pregnant!!!!!! Who would have seen that coming!!!!!
Now, just to be clear, I think women being able to have jobs and vote is a great thing, and I had no issue with Annie meeting with her fellow suffragettes and trying to come up with ways to improve the lives of women. Except all of them are really just spoiled and whiny and judgy so reading about them got really boring. I realize the author was trying to emphasize what a tight spot Annie was in with being pregnant and single, but I also think most of us already know that that was a big no-no at the time, so I just didn't feel like we needed a hundred pages of her being ostracized and treated badly.
I also really hate it when a big part of the plot is someone lying to someone else, so Annie refusing to tell Jesse about what was going on with the baby's father was incredibly stressful to me and just made her look super stupid. Either you trust the guy or you don't trust the guy. When Jesse DOES (kind of) find out, HIS reaction also seemed completely dumb and not remotely like what he would have done, so that annoyed me, too. Basically, almost all the characters felt inconsistent and kept doing/saying things that surprised me (in a bad way) and felt awkward.
I kept thinking things were going to get better, but they didn't. I stuck it out because it was a quick read and checked off a bunch of prompts for different reading challenges I'm doing, but all in all, despite containing my favorite trope, this one just didn't work for me at all.
For me, the main issue is the characters don't even get married until at least halfway through the book or more. So for the first half we just have to listen to Annie whine and whine about how hard her life is as a well-off, well-educated only child of doting parents who cater to her every whim. Except she's a WOMAN and she can't do fun stuff like have a job or vote so instead she's been secretly meeting with a dude who is actually an outlaw who robs banks and such, and sleeping with him on the sly. And now she's pregnant!!!!!! Who would have seen that coming!!!!!
Now, just to be clear, I think women being able to have jobs and vote is a great thing, and I had no issue with Annie meeting with her fellow suffragettes and trying to come up with ways to improve the lives of women. Except all of them are really just spoiled and whiny and judgy so reading about them got really boring. I realize the author was trying to emphasize what a tight spot Annie was in with being pregnant and single, but I also think most of us already know that that was a big no-no at the time, so I just didn't feel like we needed a hundred pages of her being ostracized and treated badly.
I also really hate it when a big part of the plot is someone lying to someone else, so Annie refusing to tell Jesse about what was going on with the baby's father was incredibly stressful to me and just made her look super stupid. Either you trust the guy or you don't trust the guy. When Jesse DOES (kind of) find out, HIS reaction also seemed completely dumb and not remotely like what he would have done, so that annoyed me, too. Basically, almost all the characters felt inconsistent and kept doing/saying things that surprised me (in a bad way) and felt awkward.
I kept thinking things were going to get better, but they didn't. I stuck it out because it was a quick read and checked off a bunch of prompts for different reading challenges I'm doing, but all in all, despite containing my favorite trope, this one just didn't work for me at all.
August 13, 2021
Ho letto questo libro in un paio di giorni e posso dirmi davvero soddisfatta perché il romanzo anche se non ha misteri da risolvere l’ho trovato scorrevole, elegante e lineare.
Siamo in America in una piccola cittadina dove il pettegolezzo è sovrano, in un periodo in cui i fuorilegge assaltavano i treni e rapinavano le banche e la gente perbene organizza fiere e si riunisce in associazioni. Ed è proprio in questo ambiente che si muovono i nostri protagonisti che in questo romanzo sono principalmente 3:
Annie una ragazza che si crede emancipata (forse troppo per i suoi tempi) si ritrova incinta di un fuorilegge che non ama e che non vuole sposare, questo comporta l’emarginazione.
Jess lo sceriffo è da sempre innamorato di Annie quando scopre il problema dapprima è arrabbiato poi decide di sposarla anche perché lui stesso è stato il frutto di una relazione fuori dal matrimonio e sa cosa significhi.
Bodie, il fuorilegge, scoperto che Annie è incinta decide immediatamente di sposarla ma per farlo deve trovare un lavoro onesto ma alla fine preferisce continuare per la sua strada trasformandosi in un assassino e in un maniaco ossessivo nei confronti di Annie e del bambino arrivando perfino a…
Stupenda la caratterizzazione dei personaggi che risultano decisamente credibili soprattutto nel loro modo di comportarsi di fronte alle avversità. L’esempio è Annie, che al contrario delle eroine di altri romanzi che avrebbero sfidato la società, decide in un primo momento di sposarsi con il fuorilegge pur di essere di nuovo ben accetta dalla società anche perché neppure i genitori sono disposti a renderle le cose sopportabili.
Una storia intensa da leggere tutta d’un fiato...
Siamo in America in una piccola cittadina dove il pettegolezzo è sovrano, in un periodo in cui i fuorilegge assaltavano i treni e rapinavano le banche e la gente perbene organizza fiere e si riunisce in associazioni. Ed è proprio in questo ambiente che si muovono i nostri protagonisti che in questo romanzo sono principalmente 3:
Annie una ragazza che si crede emancipata (forse troppo per i suoi tempi) si ritrova incinta di un fuorilegge che non ama e che non vuole sposare, questo comporta l’emarginazione.
Jess lo sceriffo è da sempre innamorato di Annie quando scopre il problema dapprima è arrabbiato poi decide di sposarla anche perché lui stesso è stato il frutto di una relazione fuori dal matrimonio e sa cosa significhi.
Bodie, il fuorilegge, scoperto che Annie è incinta decide immediatamente di sposarla ma per farlo deve trovare un lavoro onesto ma alla fine preferisce continuare per la sua strada trasformandosi in un assassino e in un maniaco ossessivo nei confronti di Annie e del bambino arrivando perfino a…
Stupenda la caratterizzazione dei personaggi che risultano decisamente credibili soprattutto nel loro modo di comportarsi di fronte alle avversità. L’esempio è Annie, che al contrario delle eroine di altri romanzi che avrebbero sfidato la società, decide in un primo momento di sposarsi con il fuorilegge pur di essere di nuovo ben accetta dalla società anche perché neppure i genitori sono disposti a renderle le cose sopportabili.
Una storia intensa da leggere tutta d’un fiato...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 20, 2024
This is my third Maggie Osborne book. After reading it, I felt bad about giving Prairie Moon only two stars. Prairie Moon was by far a better book than this one.
Liked Jesse Harden and his mother Ione. Didn't like Bodie Miller. And especially didn't like Annie. At 25, I thought she should have been smarter and more mature than she was. Her parents (before finding out she was pregnant) prided themselves on allowing Annie to be an independent "modern woman" even though she was still living with them. I don't believe the definition of being "independent" includes staying with your parents and letting them feed and clothe you. Annie had no job - just a good social standing and reputation that was ripped away after the community learned of her out of wedlock pregnancy.
This is going to sound judgmental and the reason for my one star rating, but I found it extremely hard to believe outlaw Bodie Miller wanted to marry Annie after finding out she was pregnant. I think a man like that would be happy to be let off the responsibility hook for a wife and child. The man already proved he didn't want to work or labor in an honest paying profession. He was lazy and selfish. And the fact that Annie didn't want to divulge his identity to Jesse, gave me another reason not to like her.
The good news is that the story prompted me to look up the "new woman" movement from the late 1800's and find out what a Phaeton carriage looked like. So the historical piece was interesting. Will I recommend this book to others? Probably not. Will I read another Maggie Osborne book? Yes.
Liked Jesse Harden and his mother Ione. Didn't like Bodie Miller. And especially didn't like Annie. At 25, I thought she should have been smarter and more mature than she was. Her parents (before finding out she was pregnant) prided themselves on allowing Annie to be an independent "modern woman" even though she was still living with them. I don't believe the definition of being "independent" includes staying with your parents and letting them feed and clothe you. Annie had no job - just a good social standing and reputation that was ripped away after the community learned of her out of wedlock pregnancy.
This is going to sound judgmental and the reason for my one star rating, but I found it extremely hard to believe outlaw Bodie Miller wanted to marry Annie after finding out she was pregnant. I think a man like that would be happy to be let off the responsibility hook for a wife and child. The man already proved he didn't want to work or labor in an honest paying profession. He was lazy and selfish. And the fact that Annie didn't want to divulge his identity to Jesse, gave me another reason not to like her.
The good news is that the story prompted me to look up the "new woman" movement from the late 1800's and find out what a Phaeton carriage looked like. So the historical piece was interesting. Will I recommend this book to others? Probably not. Will I read another Maggie Osborne book? Yes.
March 14, 2019
You might say this was a historical romance story, as it was before automobiles. It is about Annie Malloy, who has gotten herself in a fine fix. She is pregnant with an outlaws child. She has brought the scandal to her parents. The gossip in the town is all about her immoral ways. The Sheriff, Jesse Harden has always had his eye on Annie and hoped to be able to court her, but when he finds out she is pregnant and the father of the child doesn't seem to be doing the right thing. He asks her to marry him. It will quiet down the gossip and the scandal brought on her family. She finally says yes. But will the secret of who the baby's father is destroy their delicate marriage and happiness? A fast but good read.
June 27, 2022
I am in love with this author! Her heroines are not your typical HR ladies and her heroes are so wonderfully complex! Jess is the poster boy for Frontier cinnamon roll and I'm absolutely smitten with him. There was no s..x until literally the last four pages of the book and I am fine with that, that's how lovely this book was. It's a marriage of necessity with a hero who accepts and loves a baby he didn't father. The heroine (Annie) f...ks up a lot (and I mean a lot) which makes her super annoying but also quite human. There's no cheating.
Now off to find more of Maggie Osborne's backlist.
Now off to find more of Maggie Osborne's backlist.
January 31, 2025
This was an interesting and different concept, but I struggled with the sheer quantity of narration from the outlaw ex's perspective. His characterization felt inconsistent - likely because the early parts were about justifying why Annie would have been attracted to him in the first place while the later parts were about why we shouldn't want her to return to him even though he's her baby's biological father. With so much attention on him, there really wasn't much left for Jess and we never really got to see him fall for Annie because he was already smitten by the time the book started.
March 11, 2025
This author is a good story teller. Silver Lining is still my favourite. The OW drama is excellent.
The h in this book is twenty five and flirting with new ideas about being an independent woman. She has already decided not to marry but she explores an intimate relationship with a charming stranger who turns out to be an outlaw bank robber. When she finds out that she is pregnant, she realizes who little thought she had given to repercussions of such an event. The father is the OM. The H is the sheriff who offers her marriage to help her face the judgement and condemnation of her community.
The h in this book is twenty five and flirting with new ideas about being an independent woman. She has already decided not to marry but she explores an intimate relationship with a charming stranger who turns out to be an outlaw bank robber. When she finds out that she is pregnant, she realizes who little thought she had given to repercussions of such an event. The father is the OM. The H is the sheriff who offers her marriage to help her face the judgement and condemnation of her community.
May 3, 2023
This is the first book that I have read by this author. I plan to read more of her books. I found this book by chance and I am glad that I did. This is a typical story of young woman that becomes pragnent and tries to hide the fact for as long as she can. She does not want to be with the father of the child. Somehow the sheriff of the town appeals to her. The author weaves an interesting story around these facts.
October 5, 2023
Annie believes herself to be a New Modern Woman but when her actions lead her to become pregnant, she struggles to keep that identity. The local Sheriff has been crushing on Annie for a while and when he accused of being the father he rises to the occasion. Annie is torn between her developing feelings for the Sheriff and keeping her identity. Will she learn it's possible to have both?
I loved this book so much! It was so easy to fall for Jesse! His devotion to his mother and to Annie and to her unborn baby makes a person swoon. I also love when you have a strong male character that will take care of his lady but still give her independence and allow her to be a strong confident woman.
Find the full review and find other bookish fun at www.mommyreadstoo.com
I loved this book so much! It was so easy to fall for Jesse! His devotion to his mother and to Annie and to her unborn baby makes a person swoon. I also love when you have a strong male character that will take care of his lady but still give her independence and allow her to be a strong confident woman.
Find the full review and find other bookish fun at www.mommyreadstoo.com
July 22, 2021
3 1/2 stars. This was a well written story about a young woman who finds herself pregnant by a man who’s an outlaw in a small town in Kansas. Her savior is the town’s handsome sheriff who’s always had eyes for Annie. I know the leading female character was young, spoiled and naïve but I wanted to smack her for being so stupid.
February 22, 2022
A good book but not one of my favorites from this author. It was written while and still has that quality of feeling like a truly original story. However it just doesn’t have the “wow” factor that her other books do. I definitely missed the humor that you find in her other books. Plus I found the “villain” to be just a tad over the top at times.
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