Synopsis
from Goodreads: “WE'RE
GOING TO HAVE A CHILD. YOU NEED TO COME HOME SO WE CAN GET MARRIED.”
So
wrote Hannah Gustavson to her childhood sweetheart, the father of her
baby. But with no response, she was forced to marry another man ...
her lover's brother.
Tall,
handsome and honorable, Judd Seavers could make any woman's heart
race. Hannah was no exception, and she was awed by the ex-soldier who
gave her his name.
A
forbidden love as grand as the Rockies crested between them. But a
shadow loomed. Would the baby's father come home? And if he did,
would Judd return his borrowed bride?
Stats
for my copy: Mass market paperback, Harlequin Books, 2008.
How
acquired: Unknown. I've had it for a couple of years, but do not
remember where I got it.
First
line: Hannah felt the approaching train before she heard it.
My
thoughts: Quint is
headed off to find adventures in Alaska. He's wanted to do so for
awhile, but with his father dead and his older brother off fighting
in the war, he had to stay home and keep the ranch running. Now Judd
is coming home, and it's Quint's turn to travel, leaving his
childhood sweetheart behind.
Judd
and his best friend signed up together and fought together. But now
Judd is coming home alone, with a broken body, a broken spirit, and
nightmares.
Hannah
is devastated that Quint is leaving. She writes to him every week,
but there are no letters from him. No word from him, to her, or to
his brother and mother. The night before his departure, she gave
herself to him in a hay barn. And she soon realizes that she now
carries a piece of him, growing inside her.
This
was a sweet little story. When I picked it up I was looking for
something light. It wasn't. It was in fact a little bleak at times, a
little sad. Hannah is young and desperately in love with Quint, but
realizing she's pregnant makes her have to grow up quickly. When Judd
learns of her pregnancy, he offers marriage, in order to give her his
family's name, make her child legitimate, protect her from disgrace.
Judd's family is well off, Hannah's is dirt poor. It's to be a
marriage in name only. Judd has divorce papers already drawn up and
ready to signed the minute Quint comes home.
It
was a valiant offer, but I couldn't help wonder what would have
happened if Quint did come home, Hannah and Judd divorced, and Hannah
married Quint. I can just imagine the gossip and speculation that
would cause among the townsfolk.
But
it doesn't matter, because of course as time goes by Hannah and Judd
fall for each other. Hannah was a good character, sweet. But at times
I wanted to shake her and tell her to quit pining for the brother who
just up and left, without a look back, and appreciate the man taking
care of her. Because I really liked Judd. He was a good man, with a
lot of emotional scars, not just from the war, but also revolving
around his father's death many years prior. With Quint gone, we don't
really get to know him, but it's still clear that Quint is a boy, and
Judd is a man.
The ending was satisfying, although part of the resolution felt a bit rushed. Quint does finally come home. His reaction was expected, but then he went from one extreme to another, and I felt like he bounced back unrealistically quick. However, it is Judd and Hannah's story, not Quint's, so I guess I shouldn't actually have expected much dwelling on him. But I do look forward to reading his story in the next book.
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