Book Review: “For Richer or Poorer” by Kari Trumbo

Can love soften a vengeful heart? 

“Sticks? You want me to give the man I want to convince to marry me a ball of sticks?” She held her hand back to throw it at him.

“It isn’t just sticks.” He raised up his hands to catch it if she followed through with her threat. “It’s a mistletoe ball. Don’t you know about mistletoe?”

“No. I don’t know why leaves would help me or be a good gift, hence, why I want to throw this at you.”

“Well don’t. It’s pretty fragile. I just made it this morning. A mistletoe ball is placed in a doorway and the woman caught underneath it must be given a kiss.”

Elizabeth considered this. “Kissing sticks?” She laughed inspecting the little green ball with one eyebrow notched dangerously high. “Does Robert know of this nonsense, or am I going to have to explain it?”

“I’m sure Robert knows. I think I even caught him a year or two ago kissing some unsuspecting lass under the mistletoe.”

Elizabeth shot daggers at him with her eyes. “Where can I find him?”

 

The leading lady’s heart is as cold as a Minnesota winter in FOR RICHER OR POORER, book two in Kari Trumbo’s “Western Vows” historical romance series.

Scarlett O’Hara-esque Elizabeth Whitte has traveled from her ranch in Kansas for one reason—to marry the man whose “bride wanted” ad she had answered, and take him back home to claim her father’s ranch. It seems her father has declared that the first of his daughters to marry and produce a male heir will become owner of the ranch.

It’s 1900 and, times being what they are, Elizabeth can’t make the trip unescorted. That’s where Robert, a Canadian Mountie who’s as kind as he is handsome, enters the scene. He has seen Elizabeth safely to the small Minnesota town where she is to meet her intended—a man whose name she doesn’t even know—before returning to his own home across the river in Fort Frances.

But nothing goes as Elizabeth had planned. She winds up in need of a job and a place to stay and, well, who better to come to your rescue in the frigid northern wilderness than a Mountie?

This is a classic fish-out-of-water tale with a turn of the century twist. Elizabeth arrives in Fort Frances a spoiled snob, stranded by the harsh weather and lack of a chaperone to escort her back home. Robert is immediately drawn to her (he apparently finds women with an attitude appealing) but can’t allow himself to fall for someone who isn’t cut out to settle down in the wilds of Canada.

I loved the way this strong pair faces their challenges, allowing a friendship to grow where romance can’t (or can it?). As she continues her quest to find a husband so she can win the ranch, Elizabeth has to look past her self-serving world view. Her goals start to shift, and her character begins to soften like the Canadian snow. But is Robert’s heart hardening toward her?

I found the characters engaging and their relationship fun. I especially enjoyed Elizabeth’s awakening awareness of the pressing needs of the people in this new community, and what she can do to actually help them instead of just focusing on her own vengeful plans.

This book is a fun escape into romance with just the right touch of unexpected danger. Curl up in front of the fire and get ready for a wintry ride!

Where to find the “Western Vows” series: