A Suitable Wife (Sweetwater Springs #1)

Carol
Burnside
Genre: 
Contemporary

Sam Moreland is a good man, and he needs a wife. Going home to Sweetwater Springs is a good place to find one. If he doesn’t, the courts will give his little girl to the abusive, limelight-seeking Medusa who gave birth to her. Sam won’t let that happen. He knows falling in love is for romance novels - all he needs is a willing partner, a contract, and a little time. He finds it in Rosie Baxter.

 

Readers will coo over this re-telling of a familiar plot that never gets old.  Solidly written characters with doubts and foibles to overcome, Sam and Rosie have a bit of a challenge when love begins to spark. It’s refreshing to read a tale of a devoted father. Jasmine is a believable antagonist but she doesn’t show up enough to create over-the-top angst. Instead of telling the reader the end of the marriage contract is drawing near, it could have been shown with actions, which would compel the reader to hope for the characters. Claire is a good supporting character, but readers rarely get a break from Rosie and Sam. A tip?  Give them a chance to come up for air and then shock them again!  Drop crumbs, making the reader long for Claire's story, instead of tossing it in as a last paragraph.

 

The arc aims for trust and whether or not the challenges of life can be overcome, eventually joining two lovely characters in marriage and love. Fans of sweet and sensual contemporary romance will look forward to more from Ms. Burnside.

 

Natasza Waters