The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

 

CARSON MCCULLERS

How acquired: From another BookCrossing member.

First line: In the town there were two mutes, and they were always together.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: They say "write what you know", and from what I've read about Carson McCullers, she based this book on her own life and experiences. You may wonder how much life she had experienced at the tender age of twenty-three, but then that may be the best time to write a work filled with hardship and suffering, mixed in with hope, amid some gothic overtones. Isn't that the time in our lives when we are filled with angst? I reread some of the poetry and stories I wrote at that time in my life and laugh at how melodramatic they are. But McCullers had real writing skill and I never laughed at her writing. I absorbed it and at times marveled at it. I love a good character study and this was several rolled into one novel. Is it depressing? Yes. Does it end happily? That may be subjective, depending on your own point of view and how the characters, or which character or characters, connect with you. Or for my short answer, not necessarily. But it is beautifully written, and a great introduction to this author.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Carson McCullers’ prodigious first novel was published to instant acclaim when she was just twenty-three. Set in a small town in the middle of the deep South, it is the story of John Singer, a lonely deaf-mute, and a disparate group of people who are drawn towards his kind, sympathetic nature. The owner of the café where Singer eats every day, a young girl desperate to grow up, an angry drunkard, a frustrated black doctor: each pours their heart out to Singer, their silent confidant, and he in turn changes their disenchanted lives in ways they could never imagine.

One More for Christmas

 

SARAH MORGAN

Stats: Trade paperback, HQN, 2020.

How acquired: Library.

First line: When Gayle Mitchell agreed to a live interview in her office, she hadn’t expected her life to fall apart in such a spectacular fashion in front of an audience of millions.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: Sarah Morgan is quickly becoming a favorite author. Like previous books of hers I've read, this was a wonderful character study, or rather, character studies. Samantha and Ella grew up with a tough love mother, Gayle, who single mindedly strove to raise them to be self-sufficient, eschewing anything that was not teachable or did not contribute to their education and betterment, including Christmas and Santa Claus. Five years ago, the last time the three of them were together, hurtful words were said, and the girls haven't spoken to their mother since. But now they are spending Christmas together, in Scotland, a working trip for Samantha to look over a family estate in hopes of recommending it as a vacation destination for her clients.

Samantha and Ella are of course easy to like, and the bond between them was enviable. The more we learn about their childhood, the harder it is to feel sympathy for Gayle. Or it should be. But as Ms. Morgan takes us into Gayle's head, it's easy to have empathy for her.

The plots of Ms. Morgan's books aren't complex, and yet the stories are. Relationships are at the core of this one, the relationship between the sisters, between the sisters and their mother, between Ella and her husband and daughter, Tab, between Gayle and Tab, and even between Gayle and Mary, the owner of the estate where they spend Christmas. And there's also a touch of romance for Samantha and a handsome Scotsman right out of the highland romances Samantha loves to read. Well, almost, with a little effort on his part!

Heartwarming and enjoyable family saga, with lots of lighthearted moments that made me smile.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

For sisters Samantha and Ella Mitchell, Christmas is their most precious time of the year—a time for togetherness, love and celebration. Most of all, it’s about making up for everything their childhood Christmases lacked. But this year, they’ll be buying presents for the most unexpected guest of all—their estranged mother. It’s been five years since they last saw each other. But when their mom calls out of the blue and promises that this Christmas will be different, Samantha and Ella cautiously agree to spend it all together…

Gayle Mitchell is at the top of her career, but her success has come at a price—her relationship with her daughters. She never seemed to say or do the right things. Her tough-love approach was designed to make them stronger, but instead managed to push them away…until a brush with her own mortality forces Gayle to make amends. As the snowflakes fall on their first family celebration in years, the Mitchell women must learn that sometimes facing up to the past is all you need to heal your heart…

Dear Santa

 

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS INFORMATION THAT SOME MAY CONSIDER SPOILERS.

NANCY NAIGLE

Stats: Mass market paperback, St. Martin’s Griffin, 2018

First line: Dear Santa, it’s me, Chrissy, again.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: My least favorite Nancy Naigle. I struggled to feel empathy for Angela. Yes, it was sad that her business was floundering, and I felt sorry for her, but we were told more than once that she had resisted doing anything to bring her Christmas store into the 21st century, eschewing tech that may have helped increase her sales. And I liked Geoff well enough, but while treating his employees well, he was still a corporate man whose bottom line was sales and making more money and opening more stores. It wasn't his fault Angela was going out of business, though certainly his big box Christmas store, that also sold everything else under the sun, opening up in the small town of Pleasant Sands did contribute to Angela's declining sales. But I got really tired of Angela hating on him and blaming him for her problems.

I also became very angry with Geoff's mother. All his life he was angry at the father he never knew, who was never around, who had apparently abandoned Geoff and his mother, who never wanted to talk about him or answer questions about him. Not until she experienced a medical event did his mother confess to him that his father was the love of her life, was going to marry her, would have loved him and been proud of him, but died before he was born. Let me repeat that. His father DIED before he was born! How selfish and dishonorable of Geoff's mother to let him grow up believing his father was just out there in the world somewhere, not caring that he had a son, or maybe not even knowing that he had son. Oh I wanted to slap that bitch!

In the end Geoff made a grand gesture for Angela, but there wasn't necessarily any character growth, other than him realizing that he was ready to settle down in one place rather than move every year to oversee the opening of another chain of his store. Fortunately Angela came to her senses and admitted that it was wrong to blame Geoff for her business closing, and she landed on her feet, though it would have been nice if she did so on her own and not because of Geoff's grand gesture - and abundant money.

This review makes it sound like I hated this book, but I didn't. I did like it, and there were some really good parts. But I did not love it the way I've loved everything else I've read from this author.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Angela Carson wants nothing more than to be the third-generation to run her family’s holiday store, Heart of Christmas, successfully. They’ve weathered over sixty tourist seasons, major hurricanes, and urban sprawl, in their old decommissioned lighthouse. But the national chain that set up shop in their small North Carolina town of Pleasant Sands may be more than Heart of Christmas can survive.

Encouraged by her niece to ask Santa for help, Angela gives in and lets the words fly in a way that, if Santa were real, would no doubt land her on the naughty list. What’s the harm when it’s just a computer-generated response?

Geoff Paisley has been at his mother’s side running the mega-chain Christmas Galore for the last ten years. When his mother falls ill, Geoff promises to answer the town’s Dear Santa letters in her stead. Soon he realizes the woman he’s been corresponding with on Dear Santa is Angela. How could the woman that grates his every last nerve in person have intrigued him so deeply through those letters? 

When Geoff reveals that he’s her Dear Santa, will Angela be able to set aside their very public feud to embrace the magic of the holiday and possibly find true love?

One Big Happy Family

 

SUSAN MALLERY

Stats: Trade paperback, Canary Street Press, 2024

How acquired: Harlequin Reader Service subscription.

First line: “But you’re a woman.”

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I've only previously read one book by Susan Mallery (The Vineyard at Painted Moon), which I very much enjoyed. So when this book arrived as part of my Harlequin Reader Service subscription, and a Christmas book to boot, I was excited to read it. That was in October and it took me until after Christmas to actually get to it, but it was worth the wait. I'd always thought of Ms. Mallery as a romance author (which I have no problem with as I read a lot of romance), but this book was more than that.

There's a large cast of characters, from Julie Parker, the main focus, to her adult children, the 12 years younger man she's been seeing and his young children, and various other partners, exes, friends and family, all coming together for the holiday at Julie's cabin. At it's heart, the story is about relationships. Good ones, bad ones, strained ones, messy ones. One of my favorite characters is Blair, Julie's daughter-in-law, with whom I felt a bit of a kinship.

In her next life she wouldn't know the location of every "safe" bathroom between work and home or home and the grocery store. Her activities wouldn't be defined by whether or not she was going to have a "good" day or if she would be suffering.

Blair has IBS, and if the author's description of that are realistic then it does not sound quite like what I have, but I do have issues for which I'm currently seeing doctors and trying to get a diagnosis and treatment. And if that's TMI for you, I apologize.

A heartwarming read, with lots of great dialogue, lots of moments that made me smile and some that made me laugh, a couple that made me tear up, and of course lots of Christmas spirit. I'm definitely a Susan Mallery fan.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Julie Parker’s kids are her greatest gift. Still, she’s not exactly heartbroken when they ask to skip a big Christmas. Her son, Nick, is taking a belated honeymoon with his bride, Blair, while her daughter, Dana, will purge every reminder of the guy who dumped her. Again. Julie feels practically giddy for one-on-one holiday time with Heath, the (much) younger man she’s secretly dating. 

But her plans go from cozy to chaotic when Nick and Dana plead for Christmas at the family cabin in memory of their late father, Julie’s ex. She can’t refuse, even though she dreads their reactions to her new man when they realize she’s been hiding him for months. 

As the guest list grows in surprising ways, from Blair’s estranged mom to Heath’s precocious children, Julie’s secret is one of many to be unwrapped. Over this delightfully complicated and very funny Christmas, she’ll discover that more really is merrier, and that a big, happy family can become bigger and happier, if they let go of old hurts and open their hearts to love.

Never Fall Again (Gossamer Falls, Book One)

 

LYNN H. BLACKBURN

Stats: Trade paperback, Revell, 2024

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program

First line: Landry Hutton didn’t believe dreams came true anymore.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I have a new favorite author! I was literally laughing out loud at the banter between the characters less than ten pages in, so I knew I was going to enjoy this. Although I will admit that the huge family tree at the front of the book gave me a little trepidation about keeping all the characters straight. However, the main characters are the ones who count, and I didn’t actually have any issues after all.

Landry has isolated herself and her daughter, Eliza, at The Haven, the resort where she lives and works, selling her pottery and giving pottery lessons to the affluent guests. It’s been three years since she was widowed and fled to Gossamer Falls to get away from her inlaws, at the invitation of her best friend, Bronwyn. She’s starting to feel safe and settled, and with the purchase of a small plot of land, ready to have a real home for herself and Eliza. Enter Cal, who runs a construction company with his brothers. When Landry comes to Cal about building her home, he’s intrigued by her, but he’s vowed to never date a single mother due to an issue in his past. And since Landry isn’t interested in a relationship either, they agree that they are going to be good friends. Little do they know!

I liked that they built a solid friendship first, as I do love a slow burn. The author does a wonderful job filling out their characters, letting us inside their heads so we get to know them and understand their actions and motivations. This is a romantic suspense, but other than a major incident and mention of a smaller one, there’s not much suspense or action for the first half of the book. Not that I’m complaining – as much as I love adrenaline rush action I’m drawn in more by character driven stories over plot driven. I really liked Landry, who is brave and strong and determined to give Eliza a happy life. And I absolutely loved Cal, who often made me laugh. Another thing I’m very drawn to is humor in a romance. The narrative breezes along, often with light moments but still touching on some darker ones. Just like real life. And when the suspense portion of the story suddenly accelerated I was glued to the pages.

I loved how Cal’s family and friends kept referring to Landry and Eliza as “your girls”, to which he responded with quick denials. I think my favorite scene in the whole book was when Cal finally admitted it to himself. But truthfully, I loved the whole book. I’m very much looking forward to the next one.

*Received via the Revell Reads Blogger Program and voluntarily reviewed*

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Landry Hutton has spent three years rebuilding her life behind the secure gates of The Haven, an exclusive resort on the outskirts of Gossamer Falls, North Carolina. As the artist-in-residence, and with her pottery prized by The Haven's guests, Landry is finally ready to settle in permanently. She wants to give her daughter, Eliza, a safe home to grow up in and hires former Marine Callum Shaw to handle the construction. 

Cal grew up in Gossamer Falls and always knew he would someday join his family's business. He longs for a family of his own but has almost given up on that ever happening. Landry is funny, gifted, and everything Cal could ever want in a partner, but he vows to keep his distance. Landry has a daughter and a past. Cal has been down that road before and barely survived when the woman he loved left, taking her two sons with her. He can't bear to lose like that again. 

Before construction on the house can begin, Landry's pottery is destroyed in a suspicious fire. It soon becomes clear that Landry and Eliza are in grave danger--but because of whom? But, after losing one relationship, he is hesitant to try again.

He Should Have Told the Bees

 

AMANDA COX

Edition read: Trade paperback, Revell, 8/29/23.

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program.

First line: Callie’s ears filled with the sound of windshield wipers slapping and Momma’s incessant muttering.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: Oh this book is good. So very good.

Beck is mourning the loss of her father, her rock, her constant in a storm. She now lives alone on their farm, taking care of her horse, her mini donkey, her chickens, her goats, and most importantly, her bees. In the apiary, a huge field with fifty beehives, is where she feels the most at home.

Callie is happily looking forward to opening her own store, where she’ll sell her hand made candles, and hold candle making classes. Then her absentee alcoholic mother shows up on her doorstep, admitting for the first time that she needs help and is willing to try rehab. Suddenly Callie is faced with the choice of either selling the building she just bought to pay for her mother’s rehab, or turn her mother away.

Beck and Callie are thrown together when they learn that Beck’s father has put his property into an irrevocable trust, and they are both the beneficiaries. They either keep the farm together, or they sell it and split the proceeds.

I repeat, this book is so very good. Descriptive and beautifully written. So much angst. Justified angst. Both Callie and Beck are beautifully written. Beck’s feelings of grief mixed with anger and betrayal were very understandable as she grapples with worry over whether Callie, a stranger, will want to sell the farm, taking away the only home Beck has ever known. On top of that she suffers from severe anxiety anytime she leaves the farm. I very occasionally have panic attacks, and the description of what Beck goes through when one hits her were very realistic. Beck starts out pretty much feeling all alone in the world now that her dad is gone, and I loved how her circle slowly widened. First there was young “Katya”, who was staying at a neighboring farm for the summer and kept turning up in the aviary when Beck was working with her bees. She was quite adorable, and precocious - the author did a good job of keeping her just this side of over the top. And then Annette, a friend of Beck’s father, who kept stopping by to drop off casseroles or desserts, and who Beck found annoying but began to realize might have been closer to her father than she knew.

Callie’s story, and her feelings, were a little more removed from my own experiences. I couldn’t imagine being in her shoes, knowing that the sale of the farm could solve all her problems, but also knowing what it would do to Beck. This isn’t a romance, but there is a burgeoning one between Callie and Luke, a friend from church who often has a booth at the same events where Callie sells her candles. I very much liked Luke and his steadying presence, he was definitely good for Callie.

And the bees. I’ve never given honeybees much thought, other than to avoid them while remembering the time when I was a kid and I stepped back from a curb and got stung on my heel. The descriptions of the aviary and all the care and maintenance Beck put into her hives was fascinating.

All in all this was a wonderful reading experience, and I look forward to more from this author.

*received from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed*

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Beekeeper Beckett Walsh is living her dream, working alongside her father in their apiary, until his untimely death sends her world into a tailspin. She suddenly finds she must deal with a new part owner of the family business--one who is looking to sell the property. Beck cannot fathom why her father would put her into the position to lose everything they built together.

When Callie Peterson is named in the trust of a man she's never heard of, she's not sure what to do. Her fledgling business has just taken wing and her mother has reentered her life asking for help getting into rehab for her lifelong substance abuse issues, making Callie's financial situation rather . . . precarious. She's sure she has no right to someone else's farm, but the money from the sale could solve her problems and give her the stability she's always craved.

As these two women navigate their present conundrum, they will discover a complex and entangled past full of secrets--and the potential for a brighter future for both of them.

Comfort & Joy

 

KRISTIN HANNAH

Edition read: Hardback, Ballantine Books, 2005

How acquired: Bought.

First line: Christmas parties are the star on the top of my “don’t” list this year.

(Synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I went into this book expecting a typical heartwarming Christmas story. You know the type, a character facing a crossroads, maybe not looking forward to all the Christmas holidaying but eventually, through friends or faith or a new love, finding their Christmas spirit. What I got was an incredible story of a woman at a crossroads, anxious to escape her life and finding…herself, her second chance at happiness…

Ok, so it still sounds like a typical heartwarming Christmas story. But it is so much more than that. And so not typical but completely unexpected.

With Christmas practically upon her, Joy, a high school librarian, is struggling to get into the holiday spirit. She’s recently divorced. She and her sister, who used to be her best friend, are estranged after her sister betrayed her in the worst possible way. On the last day of school before the Christmas break, she’s forced herself to go out and buy a tree, but when she arrives home her sister is waiting for her. Horrified at the news her sister gives her, irrefutable evidence of her betrayal (like she even needed more evidence), Joy feels suffocated and takes off. When she finds herself at the airport, she sees on the departures board a town in Canada called Hope. It turns out to be a small chartered plane, and the counter attendant points out the man who chartered it and says to check with him.

“Excuse me,” I say, trying – without much success – to smile. “I need Hope.”

Since there is one empty seat, he agrees to sell it to her.

But the plane crashes in the Olympic rain forest of Washington state. Up until this point, I was already fairly invested. The narration is in first person POV, and is engaging and lyrical. Joy’s account of the plane crash, which she describes second by second in detail, was mesmerizing and gave me chills. She survives the crash, in incredible pain but relatively unharmed, and manages to flee towards the woods just before the plane explodes, briefly losing consciousness. And then upon waking, seeing ambulances and first responders in the distance, she realizes that nobody knew she was on the plane, nobody will be missing her until school resumes after the holidays, nobody will be looking for her. So instead of walking towards rescue, she turns and walks away. This is apparently the point in the story where a lot of readers were turned off. There are a lot of reviews on Goodreads complaining about the implausibility and having to suspend disbelief. But not me. I was right there with her, hanging on her every word, never doubting her for one minute.

While on the plane she read an article in a magazine about a fishing lodge in Rain Valley, and when she realizes she is close by, she seeks it out, only to find it rundown, with a for sale sign. She doesn’t see the owner anywhere, but his son, Bobby, shows her to a room. In the morning, she meets his father, Daniel, who basically ignores her. He spends all his time making repairs around the lodge in preparation for selling it, and Joy finds herself either spending time alone, exploring and taking pictures, or hanging out with Bobby, an unhappy eight year old who misses his recently deceased mother and is angry at his father for planning to move them away. The bond that grows between Joy and Bobby is indeed heartwarming, while Daniel’s gruffness and vacillating between seeming to welcome her and ignoring her begins to hurt her feelings.

But as Joy is slowly falling for Daniel, and finding happiness and contentment at the lodge, the story suddenly took a severe left turn and went off in a direction I never saw coming. And I spent much of the rest of the book on tenterhooks, not knowing whether to be disappointed or hopeful.

To say this book just completely swept me off my feet is an understatement. I loved it. I loved it so much that when I turned the last page, I almost wanted to go back to page one and start over. In fact I’m still tempted to do so, because with the benefit of hindsight I’m sure I would pick up on things that neither Joy nor I could possibly have understood the first time around.

If I could give this book more than five stars I would.

Synopsis from dust jacket:

Joy Candellaro used to love Christmas more than any other time of the year. Now, as the holiday approaches, she finds herself at loose ends. Recently divorced and estranged from her sister, she can’t summon the old enthusiasm for celebrating. So without telling anyone, she buys a ticket and boards a plane bound for the rural Northwest.

Yet Joy’s best-laid plans go terribly awry. The plane crashes deep in the darkness of a forest. Miraculously, Joy and her fellow passengers walk away from the wrekage as the plane explodes. There, amid the towering trees, Joy makes a bold and desperate decision to leave her ordinary life behind and embark on an adventure...just for the holidays.

Following the death of his ex-wife, Daniel O’Shea has returned to the small town of Rain Valley. Now he is a single father facing his son’s first Christmas without a mother. Eight-year-old Bobby isn’t making it easy – the boy has closed himself off from the world, surrounding himself with imaginary friends.

When Joy and Bobby meet, they form an instnat bond. Thrown together by fate, these wounded souls will be touched by the true spirit of Christmas and remember what it means to be a family.

Then a dramatic turn of events shows Joy the price of starting over. On a magical Christmas Eve she will come face-to-face with a startling truth. Now she must decide: In a time of impossible dreams and unexpected chances, can she find the faith to reach for the love she has found...and the new life only she believes in?

A Cowboy for Keeps (Colorado Cowboys, Book One)

 

JODI HEDLUND

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Bethany House, 2021.

How acquired: Bought.

First line: “Stop or we’ll shoot!”

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I’ve read two books by Jodi Hedlund previously, COME BACK TO ME and NEVER LEAVE ME, both from her Waters of Time series, both featuring time travel, and both of which I loved. So I went searching her back log to see if she had any other time travel stories, but alas, no. However, her Colorado Cowboys series caught my eye, and since I love cowboys as much as I do time travel, I bought this one, the first book. And I think I loved it even more than the other two books.

Set in 1862, Greta and her young half-sister have been orphaned, and rely on other family members to support them. Nine year old Astrid has consumption, and Greta feels she and Astrid are a burden to her sisters-in-law, who get angry and irritated when Astrid can’t stop coughing. Rescue comes in the form of a man in Colorado, who pays the way for Greta and Astrid to travel to Fairplay, Colorado, where Greta will be his mail order bride. But things don’t go as planned. The stagecoach is robbed and she loses all of her savings, and then learns that her fiance has died, leaving her stranded in Fairplay, homeless and penniless. But the mayor has a plan. He wants to make the town more family friendly so his wife will finally be willing to join him with their child. Wyatt McQuaid needs a loan to buy cattle. So he makes a deal with Wyatt. He’ll loan him the money, if Wyatt marries Greta and starts a family.

I adored Wyatt. He’s struggling to get his fledgling ranch up and running. He wants to get to a position where he can send for his ma and his siblings to come live with him, to get them away from his cruel stepfather. He’s tried various other ventures since leaving home, and they have failed. He’s filled with guilt for not being able to protect and provide for his family. His self-esteem is low, he feels like he is a failure at everything. A wife is the last thing he needs or wants right now, but he desperately needs some good cattle. Fairplay is a mining town, and he buys cattle off the new miners when they arrive, whenever he can, but those cows are all skinny and run down, and he’s struggling to come up with money even for them. On top of all that, he has an enemy, a neighboring rancher determined to run Wyatt out of town, because he wants Wyatt’s land. He feels a little bit of guilt for not telling Greta about the deal he made with Steele, but he doesn’t know how to bring it up. She thinks he’s marrying her to be chivalrous and keep her from being homeless, because of his close friendship with her late fiance.

I loved Greta also. She’s strong and determined. She agreed to be a mail order bride and come to Colorado not just to get away from the family who didn’t want her around, but also because she hoped the climate in Colorado would be good for Astrid’s health. She intends to be a good wife and make herself useful in Wyatt’s home, and she’s surprised when he gives her and Astrid the bedroom and he sleeps in the barn. But he doesn’t want to push her into a marital relationship, and tells her he’ll wait three months, and then if she wants to leave, she can. And she agrees to that, because if Astrid’s health is not improved in those three months, she intends to take her to a hospital in Denver, even though she has no idea how she’ll pay her care.

I like the author’s writing, and her descriptions of both the beauty and the desolation of the land is evocative. I had a little trouble connecting with young Astrid at first. She’s very precocious, and if we hadn’t been told early on that she is nine years old I would’ve thought she were eleven or twelve. But eventually she won me over, just like she wins over almost everyone she meets.

But it’s the slow build up of the friendship between Wyatt and Greta that is the heart of the story. As they get to know each other, they come to admire and respect each other, and of course to eventually love each other. They respect each other so much, in fact, that it gets in the way of the relationship growing. Sometimes I wanted to say talk to each other! Share your thoughts and feelings! Don’t let each other go!

Towards the end there’s an unexpected revelation that nearly ruined everything for both of them, but of course it all comes out right in the end, and I can’t wait to find the next book in the series.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Greta Nilsson's trip west to save her ailing little sister, Astrid, could not have gone more wrong. First, bandits hold up her stagecoach, stealing all her money. Then, upon arriving in Fairplay, Colorado, she learns the man she was betrothed to as a mail-order bride has died. Homeless, penniless, and jobless, Greta and her sister are worse off than when they started.

Wyatt McQuaid is struggling to get his new ranch up and running and is in town to purchase cattle when the mayor proposes the most unlikely of bargains. He'll invest in a herd of cattle for Wyatt's ranch if Wyatt agrees to help the town become more respectable by marrying and starting a family with Greta. But when old insecurities and surprising revolutions arise, can a union born out of desperation survive?