The Tenderfoot Bride

Couldn’t put the book down! A sweet story and loving characters

I can't write a review since I never received it. If does ever show up, I'll revise my comments

Having started this at 10 pm I ended up reading till almost 4 am just to finish it. It was very good. Instead of the usual sexual tension then climax of most romance novels, with this story its more of a developing attraction and two people learning about themselves. The heroine is learning for the fist time in her life about self worth, and the hero is coming to realize that he comes across harshly toward people, (though those who know him also know that it's all "bluster"), which has resulted in him being in the background more often then not. She's living in constant fear of losing her job by angering him or not measuring up, and he's hurt that she obviously fears him and shies away from him. All she's known in her life is a rough hand, first by her father, then her deceased husband. The relationship develops at a nice pace, but we never see the couple make love or get married. (It is obvious at the end that they will). And for the first time, instead of feeling "cheated" by that fact, I was enthralled with this couple and totally fulfilled by their outcome. All of the characters were endearing. I'm glad that I read this one, but I've not decided if it's a keeper or not.

If you want a romance novel that's full of mindless lust, gorgeous bodies and gratuitous sex, this isn't it. Linnea and Will are two desperately lonely people. Will owns a ranch, and though he's respected by his workers, he can't bond with them; he understands animals better. Linnea has, as you will see, led an absolutely wretched life, and hasn't known anything but abuse from men. At a first glance she's scrawny, fidgety, quiet and fearful, and when she first arrives to work at Will's ranch as the new cook and housekeeper, he comes so close to sending her back. Yes, Will has a muscular figure and strong features, but it's his character that comes out strongly; you see that he has great capacity for kindness and good, but often masks it with a bad temper. Linnea is a wonderful heroine - she's been kicked down so many times but just keeps on coming back, resolute, hard-working, wanting only to improve herself... and yet she has to struggle past her feelings of inadequacy, which have been reinforced in her by a brutish father and former husband. Though she and Will eventually fall in love, it's trust that they have to work on. The supporting characters were well-drawn and really contributed to the story. There's the gold-hearted ranchhand, Cimarron, who teaches Linnea to read (her illiteracy is one secret, though not the biggest one, that she keeps from Will); Cimarron, as well as all of the ranchhands, are all good men who treat Linnea warmly and respectfully, even when Will initially grumbles. There's also Aggie, Will's stepmother, a sharp, crotchety woman who takes a liking to Linnea from the start. The relationship between the two main characters unfolds plausibly, and as the novel progresses, the scenes between them are filled with tenderness, but also restraint and the possibility of loss. It takes a while for Will to trust his heart. As for Linnea, once she realizes that Will's bark has no bite (and that he is a thoroughly decent man), she has to learn to accept herself and accept the fact that she is worthy of a good man's love.

Linnea McConaughy came to the Colorado ranch with several secrets -- the most benign is that she doesn't have any schoolin'.Will Tucker just about exploded when Cimarron shows up with the gal that his sister sent from St. Louis. "Will Tucker was an intimidating bear of a man, with hands the size of dinner plates, a loud voice and a thunderous expression."Cimarron's comment that "I've never seen him hit no one who didn't deserve it." didn't reassure Linnea very much. And couldn't keep her from flinching.After the abuse she has suffered she didn't want to call Will's attention to herself. You just can't trust men.The story unfolds with the wary circling of two people who don't know how to react to their own emotions.And we can't forget Roy Johjack, Will's foreman of the Double T ranch and the part he plays in helping Linnea or what eventually happens when Corinne shows up with her children.The eventual telling of Aggie's place in Will's life proves to meld and hold together a wonderful story of the lives of the characters involved. A wonderful character.Definitely HIGHLY RECOMMENDED -- a keeper for any library that loves the frontier.

The Tenderfoot Bride is one of my favorite romance books I have ever read. Will Tucker is the gruff owner of a ranch and realizes that his cooking just won't do. He asks his city-living sister to get him a cook, expecting his sister to choose a stout, middle-aged widow for the job. Instead, his sister sends Linnea, a small, fragile woman who looks like a strong wind will knock her over. Will is determined to send her back to the city, but Linnea is equally determined to prove that she will be a good cook and companion to Will's step-mother, who lives with him. Linnea, however, is hiding some secrets from her employer - secrets he is bound to find out sooner or later!I enjoyed this book. I took it with me on a trip and finished it in one day. I even stayed up late at night so I could finish it! Will and Linnea's romance was incredibly tender and believable, I have been in a situation like she had been in (sans "the big secret"), and I could surely sympathize with her. Will, despite his gruff exterior, turns out to be a big softy. The secondary characters, particularly Cimarron, were equally charming. The book seemed neither hurried or lagging when it came to the plot, things meshed together quite well. This is on my shelf of keepers!

I've been a Cheryl St. John fan ever since reading "Joe's Wife." The reason? She writes with such deep emotion. In TENDERFOOT BRIDE Linnea and Will are both tough and tender. She's small and he's tall. He owns a ranch, and she has nothing. Both characters charmed me with their vulnerability and impressed me with their courage. What can I say? I love heroes with tough exteriors and soft hearts. Add a woman with a strength of her own, and I'm hooked. This is a keeper!