Cinder’s Bride (Mail Order Brides of Texas Book 1)

Shannon McMurphy travels from a horrible life to Asherville, Texas in hopes of finding a husband that owns a ranch and wants her to be his wife. What she finds when she steps off that stage coach is a bar owner who wants girls to serve his many male customers in any way that they might choose. When Shannon refuses to be his whore he slices her face with a knife so that no man will ever want her. Alone in a strange land with no friends Shannon is forced to find her own way; that is until Cinder comes into town and agrees to marry her to keep her from having to go and work in the saloon. It was to be a marriage of convenience but soon turns into a marriage of acceptance and a shared responsibility for those on Cinder's ranch. Soon love grows between them. Although neither is really prepared for it, they finally come to an understanding that suits them both. 

Kathleen Ball has created a wonderful beginning to what hopes to be a terrific series. Her characters are real and relatable. Some of them are serious, some are scary, some are hateful, some are sweet, and others are stalwart but they are all in their own way characters that readers can compare them to in their own lives. The ending proclamation and wrap-up was a little abrupt and needed a bit more time and sincerity to be completely believed. Still, “Cinder’s Bride” is a top-notch Western that readers can crawl into and enjoy throughout. It is an uplifting read and one that readers will not want to set down - and will most assuredly will look forward to the sequel! 

Mary-Nancy Smith