Title/Author: Matthew by Emma Lang
Publisher/Year Published: February 2012 by Brava
How I got this book: The Library eBook lending option
Why I read this book: I've been craving a Western romance novel for some time now.
Rating: 3 stars
As a mainly historical romance novel reader, I get caught up in the Regency England period, with sometimes a brief foray into Victorian or Georgian times. Rarely do I take my romantic fantasies to America, but for some reason I have been craving me some cowboy times. Maybe it was my stint seeing bull riding in Phoenix...
Enter Matthew. This is a new series about a group of eight children who live on a ranch in Texas in the 1800s. Their parents were killed and youngest brother abducted, (happy start right?) leaving Matthew as the eldest in charge of the brood and keeping their ranch running.
They have some land that they laid a claim to while their parents were alive, and when claiming it they find out that it is claimed for a family, meaning a man and a wife. Matthew needs a wife, and he needs her to be named Hannah.
Enter Hannah. In the town near the ranch, there is a boarding house run by a nice lady and her granddaughter. Through a series of coincidence and happenstance, Matthew and Hannah end up married. Let the shenanigans ensue.
When I picked up Matthew, I wasn't looking for a heavy book on the dissertation of mass exposition. I was looking for a lighter read with a cowboy. I had heard good things about this book. And you know what? It was fun.
There is that, you know, whole murder of the parents thing and their missing sibling, but I thought it was handled alright. With eight kids, it is clearly going to be a series, so it's always good to have an arc connecting them. I am actually really curious about little Ben.
Was it predictable? Yeah, kind of. Were there issues? Sure. Are they glaring enough for me to not enjoy this book? In this case no. I knew what I was going into, and that is what I wanted to read.
It is interesting right now because in my head I am drawing parallels to some YA books that I have looked at recently and have scoffed for having so many grammatical flaws and nonsensical characters that I can't read it and wonder how anyone can. Well, I guess what it comes down to is this.
We all have our fun books that we read for the story, for the fun, for the break. They may not be the best written or the most solid grammatically, but you still read them. This one was one of mine.
Matthew is a fun book with some drama, a hefty dose of romance and Texas cowboy flare. If that is what you are looking for, this book is for you.
Seriously, y'all. Don't judge me for the cover. I read the eBook. But I bet you didn't notice the horses :)
oh dear! the circle eight banner-y thing looks like it's holding up his man boobs! I'm not judging you for the cover. but judging the cover? yes.
ReplyDeleteLOL. I CAN'T UNSEE IT!!!
DeleteYeah. I was really glad for the eReader in this case!