Crumpets and Cowpies (Baker City Brides #1)

WESTERN:  Thane Jordan is forced to go to England after the death of his brother, Henry, in order to settle the estate. Irritated that he can’t just do it by letter and telegram, once he arrives he finds things are more entangled than he could ever have dreamed. Jemma, Henry’s late wife’s sister, has taken care of everything and everyone for years, and is horrified by the uncouth man she sees before her. Henry was a kind, true gentleman; Thane is a heathen. Going home to Eastern Oregon, with people, and things, and a dog, was not something Thane planned on.

Thane and Jemma are a perfectly snarky fit for each other, able to fling era-appropriate zingers with a passion and precision seldom done so well in a historical. Rare for a book of any kind, the children and animals have just as large a part of the story as Thane and Jemma themselves, and that just makes the world in Eastern Oregon come more to life. The only downside is that the middle drags on - for quite some time - and though, yes, it’s a deeper look at the change in their relationship from prickly to love, it doesn’t need to take so long to tell. Covering months of time doesn’t mean walking readers through every piece of multiple days. The setting of the small up-and-coming town, and the surrounding cast of characters have created a rich and vivid world, with more than enough to spin tales about this family and town for years to come. Those tales would be at the top of any readers’ lists!

Julie York