Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer

Description: 

No one steps on Archer land. Not if they value their life. But when Meredith Hayes overhears a lethal plot to burn the Archer brothers off their ranch, a twelve-year-old debt compels her to take the risk.

Fourteen years of constant vigilance hardens a man. Yet when Travis Archer confronts a female trespasser with the same vivid blue eyes as the courageous young girl he once aided, he can't bring himself to send her away. And when an act of sacrifice leaves her injured and her reputation in shreds, gratitude and guilt send him riding to her rescue once again.

Four brothers. Four straws. One bride. Despite the fact that Travis is no longer the gallant youth Meredith once dreamed about, she determines to stand by his side against the enemy that threatens them both. But will love ever be hers? Or will Travis always see her merely as a short-straw bride?

My Opinion: 

I absolutely loved reading this book! I enjoyed it every time I picked it up. The characters were great and I loved their commitment to the ones they love. No matter what consequences might be ahead of them they always did what they knew to be right to help out their families. Not only that but Travis and Meri's commitment to each other was nothing less than what they would give to the others, which I thought was great.

I thought it was really cute how Travis saved Meri when she was 10 years old and she ended up with a crush on him. Then 12 years later they meet up again and she still has the same feelings for him, and he still has the overpowering desire to protect her. And that when they are "forced" to marry each other they both secretly are really happy about the situation. 

I liked that even though they both secretly loved each other, they kept the marriage in name only until they knew the other one felt the same way about them. It was really nice watching their relationship grow, and it was funny knowing how much they were attracted to each other and watching them try to control their feelings.

The romance in this book was great. Not only that but I loved how it could be very serious in some parts and then hilarious in others. Also, I liked watching Meri teach Travis to open up to the outside world and to trust in God that everything would be okay. I would definitively recommend this book, and I hope that if you choose to read it you enjoy it as much as I did.

Rating: 5 stars