What do you think?
Rate this book
McKettricks #1
High Country Bride
One ranch. Three sons. Only one will inherit...and on one condition.
Tired of waiting for his sons to settle down, Arizona-territory rancher Angus McKettrick announces a competition: the first son to marry and produce a grandchild will inherit Triple M ranch. Now, three distinctly different, equally determined cowboys are searching high and low for brides.
If Emmeline Harding knows one thing, it's that she can't hold her liquor. And though she's not sure how she came to wake up next to a stack of gold coins in a brothel, she fears the worst. Fleeing town as a mail-order bride, she wonders: how will she ever confess her past to her handsome new husband?
Freedom-loving Rafe McKettrick is a man of strong beliefs and stronger passions and he'll do anything to win the Triple M—even marry a stranger. To his surprise, Emmeline's charms beguile him even as the secrets he senses she's hiding ignite jealousy and suspicion. But when a visitor from the past enters the high country, the newlyweds have no choice but to give up on a marriage in name only and seek a union that satisfies them body and soul.
Tired of waiting for his sons to settle down, Arizona-territory rancher Angus McKettrick announces a competition: the first son to marry and produce a grandchild will inherit Triple M ranch. Now, three distinctly different, equally determined cowboys are searching high and low for brides.
If Emmeline Harding knows one thing, it's that she can't hold her liquor. And though she's not sure how she came to wake up next to a stack of gold coins in a brothel, she fears the worst. Fleeing town as a mail-order bride, she wonders: how will she ever confess her past to her handsome new husband?
Freedom-loving Rafe McKettrick is a man of strong beliefs and stronger passions and he'll do anything to win the Triple M—even marry a stranger. To his surprise, Emmeline's charms beguile him even as the secrets he senses she's hiding ignite jealousy and suspicion. But when a visitor from the past enters the high country, the newlyweds have no choice but to give up on a marriage in name only and seek a union that satisfies them body and soul.
435 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
About the author
Linda Lael Miller
487 books3,035 followersThe daughter of a town marshal, Linda Lael Miller is a #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than 100 historical and contemporary novels, most of which reflect her love of the West. Raised in Northport, Washington, Linda pursued her wanderlust, living in London and Arizona and traveling the world before returning to the state of her birth to settle down on a spacious property outside Spokane.
Linda traces the birth of her writing career to the day when a Northport teacher told her that the stories she was writing were good, that she just might have a future in writing. Later, when she decided to write novels, she endured her share of rejection before she sold Fletcher’s Woman in 1983 to Pocket Books. Since then, Linda has successfully published historicals, contemporaries, paranormals, mysteries and thrillers before coming home, in a literal sense, and concentrating on novels with a Western flavor. For her devotion to her craft, the Romance Writers of America awarded her their prestigious Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.
Long a passionate Civil War buff, Linda has studied the era avidly for almost thirty years. She has read literally hundreds of books on the subject, explored numerous battlegrounds and made many visits to her favorite, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where she has witnessed re-enactments of the legendary clash between North and South. Linda explores that turbulent time in The Yankee Widow, a May 7, 2019 MIRA Books hardcover, also available in digital and audiobook formats.
Dedicated to helping others, “The First Lady of the West” personally financed fifteen years of her Linda Lael Miller Scholarships for Women, which she awarded to women 25 years and older who were seeking to improve their lot in life through education. She anticipates that her next charitable endeavors will benefit four-legged critters.
More information about Linda and her novels is available at www.lindalaelmiller.com, on Facebook and from Nancy Berland Public Relations, [email protected], 405-206-4748.
Linda traces the birth of her writing career to the day when a Northport teacher told her that the stories she was writing were good, that she just might have a future in writing. Later, when she decided to write novels, she endured her share of rejection before she sold Fletcher’s Woman in 1983 to Pocket Books. Since then, Linda has successfully published historicals, contemporaries, paranormals, mysteries and thrillers before coming home, in a literal sense, and concentrating on novels with a Western flavor. For her devotion to her craft, the Romance Writers of America awarded her their prestigious Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.
Long a passionate Civil War buff, Linda has studied the era avidly for almost thirty years. She has read literally hundreds of books on the subject, explored numerous battlegrounds and made many visits to her favorite, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where she has witnessed re-enactments of the legendary clash between North and South. Linda explores that turbulent time in The Yankee Widow, a May 7, 2019 MIRA Books hardcover, also available in digital and audiobook formats.
Dedicated to helping others, “The First Lady of the West” personally financed fifteen years of her Linda Lael Miller Scholarships for Women, which she awarded to women 25 years and older who were seeking to improve their lot in life through education. She anticipates that her next charitable endeavors will benefit four-legged critters.
More information about Linda and her novels is available at www.lindalaelmiller.com, on Facebook and from Nancy Berland Public Relations, [email protected], 405-206-4748.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 299 reviews
March 18, 2017
I often wonder, why a writer would go a certain way with a character and if they cannot rescue the characters from said certain way, why insist on going that way at all?
I asked that question about Rafe and Emmaline in this book from the beginning to the end.
Linda Lael Miller decided to make Rafe and his brothers, both heroes in subsequent books I imagine, rascals. We were introduced to Rafe and his brothers through their father's and the housekeeper's eyes: they were wasting their lives away with drinking, whoring, fighting and not taking their lives seriously. They were cast in such unflattering light too. Their father had to blackmail them into finding a wife and having children, whoever did both will be awarded the lion's share of the ranch and practically be "the boss" of the other 2 brothers. And all 3 brothers were thinking: damn I have to find a woman and get her pregnant fast. There was little brotherly affection among the brothers. Everyone of them was thinking how they must be the first to get married and have a child so that they could own the ranch and lord it over the other 2 for the rest of their lives. I disliked the 3 brothers from the onset. How do you like 3 brothers who were basically playboys in the western fashions and also scheming bastards who seemed to hate one another out of spite?
Then there was Emmaline, the mail-order bride for Rafe. So Rafe's solution was to send for a bride, condition: as long as she was willing to have children and could have children. Basically, he was looking for a womb. Emmaline grew up in a brothel with her aunt, who turned out to be more than just an aunt. Her aunt is the "Madam" of the brothel. Emmaline was the "adventurous" kind. God how I hate a bored woman. Bored women do stupid things. They think of no one but themselves, how dull their lives are, and would give an arm for a wild ride. Emmaline wanted adventure. She was a social pariah because of her association with her aunt. She wanted association, wanted to belong somewhere. Her aunt never allowed her to be involved in the prostitution business, but she was "a fallen woman" nonetheless, in society's eyes. Now what would you do if you were Emmaline? Well, not what Emmaline did, I am sure.
Emmaline dressed herself up as a prostitute and actually engaged a "customer" for herself. Afterwards she wasn't even sure what happened but had to assume that her virginity was lost because said customer, a Texan named Holt, left money behind. Emmaline's aunt was outraged. What loving aunt wouldn't be? Emmaline, aka the adventure seeking genius, answered Rafe's ad and voila, there she was: Arizona.
So Rafe and Emmaline met. The first time, Rafe was fighting with someone in a bar. He did not even see Emmaline. Rafe's brother had to drive Emmaline back to the ranch. And he didn't do it out of goodwill. He did it to make Rafe look bad. So we are constantly reminded of the fact that these 3 brothers were nothing more than the losers that they were portrayed in the beginning. Emmaline's character was unremarkable. She ruined herself because she was bored with her life, then married someone hoping the entire time that her past would not catch up with her.
If there was romance between Rafe and Emmaline, I could not tell. I just saw that Rafe and Emmaline appear to have great sex. And everything else just "naturally happened". They were happy in marriage, not exactly in love, but content. I am certain it is not unusual for the old days, but I ask: where is the relationship development? I was just told that this was the case. I didn't necessarily believe it.
Then the coincidence. Oh my God. Miller wrote that Rafe and Emmaline seemed to settle into marriage life, having great sex and all and somehow were content with their lives. No conflict, we need a conflict for the book to be interesting. Can you guess what or who she brought in?
She brought in 2 people. The first one was Emmaline's aunt, aka the prostitute. Emmaline was afraid that her past growing up in a brothel would come out and Rafe would not want her anymore. So said aunt popped up in town one day, dragging Emmaline's past in along with her. And it just happened, on the same day that Emmaline and her aunt met up with each other in the town's hotel, the same day, the same hour, walked in Emmaline's "customer".
Now this is where I quote from Casablanca: "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine." Of all of hotels in all the towns in the wild wild west, our Texan walked into Emmaline's, on the day that she happened to be in town meeting her aunt, no less. Now ain't life quaint? Of course he showed up. How else would we continue with Rafe and Emmaline's story without her stunt as prostitute coming back to bite her in her behind?
Unappealing characters and obviously fabricated plot lines. Sometimes I wonder, is it just me? Or the writers have so little respect for their readers that they cook up such stories and believe that readers would just go with it? I developed a severe headache while reading this book and it got worse as more the story got more unbelievable. If you don't mind the characters, how they are presented, and how convenient everything appeared to be, it might not be a bad read. It wasn't for me.
I asked that question about Rafe and Emmaline in this book from the beginning to the end.
Linda Lael Miller decided to make Rafe and his brothers, both heroes in subsequent books I imagine, rascals. We were introduced to Rafe and his brothers through their father's and the housekeeper's eyes: they were wasting their lives away with drinking, whoring, fighting and not taking their lives seriously. They were cast in such unflattering light too. Their father had to blackmail them into finding a wife and having children, whoever did both will be awarded the lion's share of the ranch and practically be "the boss" of the other 2 brothers. And all 3 brothers were thinking: damn I have to find a woman and get her pregnant fast. There was little brotherly affection among the brothers. Everyone of them was thinking how they must be the first to get married and have a child so that they could own the ranch and lord it over the other 2 for the rest of their lives. I disliked the 3 brothers from the onset. How do you like 3 brothers who were basically playboys in the western fashions and also scheming bastards who seemed to hate one another out of spite?
Then there was Emmaline, the mail-order bride for Rafe. So Rafe's solution was to send for a bride, condition: as long as she was willing to have children and could have children. Basically, he was looking for a womb. Emmaline grew up in a brothel with her aunt, who turned out to be more than just an aunt. Her aunt is the "Madam" of the brothel. Emmaline was the "adventurous" kind. God how I hate a bored woman. Bored women do stupid things. They think of no one but themselves, how dull their lives are, and would give an arm for a wild ride. Emmaline wanted adventure. She was a social pariah because of her association with her aunt. She wanted association, wanted to belong somewhere. Her aunt never allowed her to be involved in the prostitution business, but she was "a fallen woman" nonetheless, in society's eyes. Now what would you do if you were Emmaline? Well, not what Emmaline did, I am sure.
Emmaline dressed herself up as a prostitute and actually engaged a "customer" for herself. Afterwards she wasn't even sure what happened but had to assume that her virginity was lost because said customer, a Texan named Holt, left money behind. Emmaline's aunt was outraged. What loving aunt wouldn't be? Emmaline, aka the adventure seeking genius, answered Rafe's ad and voila, there she was: Arizona.
So Rafe and Emmaline met. The first time, Rafe was fighting with someone in a bar. He did not even see Emmaline. Rafe's brother had to drive Emmaline back to the ranch. And he didn't do it out of goodwill. He did it to make Rafe look bad. So we are constantly reminded of the fact that these 3 brothers were nothing more than the losers that they were portrayed in the beginning. Emmaline's character was unremarkable. She ruined herself because she was bored with her life, then married someone hoping the entire time that her past would not catch up with her.
If there was romance between Rafe and Emmaline, I could not tell. I just saw that Rafe and Emmaline appear to have great sex. And everything else just "naturally happened". They were happy in marriage, not exactly in love, but content. I am certain it is not unusual for the old days, but I ask: where is the relationship development? I was just told that this was the case. I didn't necessarily believe it.
Then the coincidence. Oh my God. Miller wrote that Rafe and Emmaline seemed to settle into marriage life, having great sex and all and somehow were content with their lives. No conflict, we need a conflict for the book to be interesting. Can you guess what or who she brought in?
She brought in 2 people. The first one was Emmaline's aunt, aka the prostitute. Emmaline was afraid that her past growing up in a brothel would come out and Rafe would not want her anymore. So said aunt popped up in town one day, dragging Emmaline's past in along with her. And it just happened, on the same day that Emmaline and her aunt met up with each other in the town's hotel, the same day, the same hour, walked in Emmaline's "customer".
Now this is where I quote from Casablanca: "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine." Of all of hotels in all the towns in the wild wild west, our Texan walked into Emmaline's, on the day that she happened to be in town meeting her aunt, no less. Now ain't life quaint? Of course he showed up. How else would we continue with Rafe and Emmaline's story without her stunt as prostitute coming back to bite her in her behind?
Unappealing characters and obviously fabricated plot lines. Sometimes I wonder, is it just me? Or the writers have so little respect for their readers that they cook up such stories and believe that readers would just go with it? I developed a severe headache while reading this book and it got worse as more the story got more unbelievable. If you don't mind the characters, how they are presented, and how convenient everything appeared to be, it might not be a bad read. It wasn't for me.
June 6, 2013
I didn't feel the love!
Rafe and Emmeline seemed as much like strangers at the end as they did when they first met. There was almost no communication between them and I hardly ever felt like they really even liked each other. They were kind of just co-existing. Sometimes they'd go off alone and talk, but it was pretty boring and I didn't feel like they got to know each other that well. I think Emmeline had more meaningful conversations with Holt and Rafe with Becky.
A lot of times, I felt like they were living separately. She'd stay at home and do stuff, and he'd go out and do his own thing. They were hardly ever together and I just could not see the attraction.
It wasn't until the very end that I finally felt like they were in a relationship. But for like 95% of the book, it felt like they were acquaintances, or booty calls.
Also, what a misleading synopsis! "The brothers are searching high and low for brides" Ha! Yeah, right! Rafe does the mail-order bride thing and forgets about it like a week later. He even said that his own brothers had stopped looking/caring about a week or two after they got the ultimatum. The part about Emmeline not knowing how she was going to explain her past to her new husband? Yeah, she only worried towards the very end. Before that, she wasn't planning on telling anyone.
"Emmeline's charm beguiles him even as the secrets he senses she's hiding ignite jealousy and suspicion." That entire sentence is wrong. Emmeline doesn't have charm. She's a quiet mouse who's too intimidated by her husband to even speak. At times she does get angry and she lashes out, but it's mostly her being quiet. Rafe doesn't sense any secrets. He's completely oblivious to his wife's moods and attitudes that Becky and Emmeline constantly commented on it in their heads. Rafe doesn't suspect Emmeline of anything. He thinks she's a very innocent woman and not once does he think anything suspicious of her. It's like his wife is literally a broodmare to him. He only pays attention to her when he wants to, he disregards her emotions, and he does whatever he wants even when he knows it bothers Emmeline. He doesn't sense anything. And lastly, there is no jealousy. Like I said, he thinks his wife is perfectly innocent and he never gets jealous.
"The newlyweds have no choice but to give up on a marriage in name only"??? When was their marriage in name only!? Rafe planned to take her to bed on the first night, but she was scared. So they did it the next night. Holt's visit has nothing to do with their marriage. The entire last paragraph of the synopsis is ridiculous.
Oh my god, now the story. Ugh, I hated that it kept on going to other people's POV and adding in their own stories like Becky's and Angus'. I don't want to read about them. This isn't their book. Then it was just boring stuff like hotel business, wondering about Concepcion or whatever. In fact, that boring stuff passed over sometimes with Rafe and Emmeline. Rafe would talk about ranching and it was boring. I'd skim over it. Emmeline would talk about fabric and food and I skimmed over it. It's just boring and I don't care to waste my time by reading all of it.
I didn't like how the conflict was at like 88%. That's cutting it too close to the end for me. And it's abrupt too. Like, the whole story is like whatever and then towards that percent mark there starts to be worrying and finally the conflict breaks out. Then, the resolution was so dumb!
The epilogue was also pretty dumb.
Also, the point to this story? For one of the boys to get married and have kids. And that doesn't even happen in this book!
Despite my many qualms, at the end I still liked Angus' talk with his late wife Georgia at the beginning, and the brothers were pretty entertaining. I also kind of liked Holt and Concepcion was pretty cool. But the story was meh. I honestly felt like quitting halfway through.
Rafe and Emmeline seemed as much like strangers at the end as they did when they first met. There was almost no communication between them and I hardly ever felt like they really even liked each other. They were kind of just co-existing. Sometimes they'd go off alone and talk, but it was pretty boring and I didn't feel like they got to know each other that well. I think Emmeline had more meaningful conversations with Holt and Rafe with Becky.
A lot of times, I felt like they were living separately. She'd stay at home and do stuff, and he'd go out and do his own thing. They were hardly ever together and I just could not see the attraction.
It wasn't until the very end that I finally felt like they were in a relationship. But for like 95% of the book, it felt like they were acquaintances, or booty calls.
Also, what a misleading synopsis! "The brothers are searching high and low for brides" Ha! Yeah, right! Rafe does the mail-order bride thing and forgets about it like a week later. He even said that his own brothers had stopped looking/caring about a week or two after they got the ultimatum. The part about Emmeline not knowing how she was going to explain her past to her new husband? Yeah, she only worried towards the very end. Before that, she wasn't planning on telling anyone.
"Emmeline's charm beguiles him even as the secrets he senses she's hiding ignite jealousy and suspicion." That entire sentence is wrong. Emmeline doesn't have charm. She's a quiet mouse who's too intimidated by her husband to even speak. At times she does get angry and she lashes out, but it's mostly her being quiet. Rafe doesn't sense any secrets. He's completely oblivious to his wife's moods and attitudes that Becky and Emmeline constantly commented on it in their heads. Rafe doesn't suspect Emmeline of anything. He thinks she's a very innocent woman and not once does he think anything suspicious of her. It's like his wife is literally a broodmare to him. He only pays attention to her when he wants to, he disregards her emotions, and he does whatever he wants even when he knows it bothers Emmeline. He doesn't sense anything. And lastly, there is no jealousy. Like I said, he thinks his wife is perfectly innocent and he never gets jealous.
"The newlyweds have no choice but to give up on a marriage in name only"??? When was their marriage in name only!? Rafe planned to take her to bed on the first night, but she was scared. So they did it the next night. Holt's visit has nothing to do with their marriage. The entire last paragraph of the synopsis is ridiculous.
Oh my god, now the story. Ugh, I hated that it kept on going to other people's POV and adding in their own stories like Becky's and Angus'. I don't want to read about them. This isn't their book. Then it was just boring stuff like hotel business, wondering about Concepcion or whatever. In fact, that boring stuff passed over sometimes with Rafe and Emmeline. Rafe would talk about ranching and it was boring. I'd skim over it. Emmeline would talk about fabric and food and I skimmed over it. It's just boring and I don't care to waste my time by reading all of it.
I didn't like how the conflict was at like 88%. That's cutting it too close to the end for me. And it's abrupt too. Like, the whole story is like whatever and then towards that percent mark there starts to be worrying and finally the conflict breaks out. Then, the resolution was so dumb!
The epilogue was also pretty dumb.
Also, the point to this story? For one of the boys to get married and have kids. And that doesn't even happen in this book!
Despite my many qualms, at the end I still liked Angus' talk with his late wife Georgia at the beginning, and the brothers were pretty entertaining. I also kind of liked Holt and Concepcion was pretty cool. But the story was meh. I honestly felt like quitting halfway through.
August 27, 2022
This was really good!
The start was kinda annoying with Emmeline dressing up and talking with a random stranger and then assuming out of nowhere that she’d hooked up with him. That whole setup hadn’t felt strong enough to give her motive to run away. And when Emmeline had left her aunt, she’d seemed vexingly ungrateful. But thankfully her character looked up when she reached Triple M. It was similar with Angus’s decree to his sons to marry quickly or lose their inheritance. There had been no real stakes there to prompt them—though I was happy the brothers had a solid, healthy, and crazy relationship. But eventually that absence of stakes stopped mattering. I really liked Rafe, although I would have preferred if he’d had more POV chapters.
Becky was also a character I loved right from her introduction and I’m glad she got to play a bigger role in the second half of the book. There were too many relationships and sometimes I wished the focus stayed more on Emmeline and Rafe. For instance I didn’t care one whit for Angus and Concepcion’s old people love! Uck! Lol. Besides Angus McKettrick had had two great loves in his life and married them—now in his seventies he was falling in love AGAIN. Like give it a rest old man 😏 . Also the whole plot with Phoebe Ann had neither had head nor tail. I’d been fascinated at first thinking that it would go somewhere with phoebe marrying one of the brothers and healing from her trauma through love. But the plot thread ended abruptly and added nothing to the story.
The humor in the prose was awesome and the writing was so clever, although sometimes the overuse of commas got frustrating. I really liked the end—although there was that issue with motives again. Rafe’s reason for being mad at Emmeline after she confessed hadn’t been solid enough. But I didn’t mind overlooking it. Their hotheaded back and forth before reconciliation had been awesome.
In the end, I really enjoyed reading!
The start was kinda annoying with Emmeline dressing up and talking with a random stranger and then assuming out of nowhere that she’d hooked up with him. That whole setup hadn’t felt strong enough to give her motive to run away. And when Emmeline had left her aunt, she’d seemed vexingly ungrateful. But thankfully her character looked up when she reached Triple M. It was similar with Angus’s decree to his sons to marry quickly or lose their inheritance. There had been no real stakes there to prompt them—though I was happy the brothers had a solid, healthy, and crazy relationship. But eventually that absence of stakes stopped mattering. I really liked Rafe, although I would have preferred if he’d had more POV chapters.
Becky was also a character I loved right from her introduction and I’m glad she got to play a bigger role in the second half of the book. There were too many relationships and sometimes I wished the focus stayed more on Emmeline and Rafe. For instance I didn’t care one whit for Angus and Concepcion’s old people love! Uck! Lol. Besides Angus McKettrick had had two great loves in his life and married them—now in his seventies he was falling in love AGAIN. Like give it a rest old man 😏 . Also the whole plot with Phoebe Ann had neither had head nor tail. I’d been fascinated at first thinking that it would go somewhere with phoebe marrying one of the brothers and healing from her trauma through love. But the plot thread ended abruptly and added nothing to the story.
The humor in the prose was awesome and the writing was so clever, although sometimes the overuse of commas got frustrating. I really liked the end—although there was that issue with motives again. Rafe’s reason for being mad at Emmeline after she confessed hadn’t been solid enough. But I didn’t mind overlooking it. Their hotheaded back and forth before reconciliation had been awesome.
In the end, I really enjoyed reading!
August 12, 2018
I loved this book, I will be reading the next book in the series. Minus one star for a single detail that grated on my nerves but I will not spoil it. Lol
May 12, 2018
Historical Western Romance done right! Loved this book! There's a lot at stake when Rafe McKettrick sends away for a mail-order bride...it's his chance to be the first son to marry & give his father a grandchild, and if he manages to marry & produce an heir before his brothers, his father will give him the massive ranch - his brothers will work for him! Emmeline Harding lives in her aunt's brothel...though she doesn't "work" there. And then one night, she decides to dress up, head downstairs, & see what it's all about. She awakes the next morning with a hangover & no memory of what happened. Humiliated & ruined (she thinks), she answers an ad for a mail-order bride and heads off into the wild west.
Rafe & Emmeline are both strong, stubborn characters toting their own brand of baggage. The chemistry between them is electric though they're both in denial and often butting heads. Great characters, a strong plot line, sizzling romance, and a lot of saucy snark makes this one a Must Read! I looking forward to continuing the series and read each of the brother's stories.
4.5 Sassy Stars
Rafe & Emmeline are both strong, stubborn characters toting their own brand of baggage. The chemistry between them is electric though they're both in denial and often butting heads. Great characters, a strong plot line, sizzling romance, and a lot of saucy snark makes this one a Must Read! I looking forward to continuing the series and read each of the brother's stories.
4.5 Sassy Stars
July 19, 2011
Ok, so I love me some Mckettricks!!! This is the first in the McKettrick series and is the story of Rafe and Emmeline. First off, I totally fell in love with Angus, the dad! He is a hoot! It's a historical romance with not much depth, but it is so stankin' sweet! I have to say there are a few "steamy" parts..so if that's not your thing beware. But, they aren't every other page, so you could skip over it. Rafe is a hard headed piece of work, but Emmeline keeps him in line! It's just a good little romance.
January 13, 2012
I nearly put this aside several times - a girl who was raised in a brothel couldn't be that ignorant, could she?! Even when I was able to accept that premise, the book didn't grab me until over halfway, when other factors - and characters - made it much more interesting. The 2nd half gets 4*, but the first half is a very weak 3*, but that stronger ending made me want to pick up the next in the series.
December 29, 2010
4 1/2 stars. Excellent beginning to the stories of 4 brothers set in 1880's Arizona. Patriarch Angus McKettrick decides his sons need to settle down and tells them that the first to marry and produce a grandchild of either gender will get the lion's share of their ranch. Rafe, the oldest son, immediately sends for a mail order bride, determined to win their father's contest. Meanwhile, in Kansas City Emmeline is bored out of her mind. Raised by her aunt who runs a brothel, Emmeline has been kept out of the "business," but is still shunned by society. She has next to nothing to do with her life and longs for adventure. One evening, she foolishly dresses as a prostitute, drinks with a cowboy and wakes up believing she has been ruined. Her aunt is furious and Emmeline deciding she needs to leave town, applies and is accepted to be a mail order bride for Rafe.
As always, I enjoyed Miller's description of frontier life -- the hardships, challenges and rewards. She does a good job of giving interesting details without overwhelming you with must have been an often grueling existence. The characters are wonderful, drawn with both strengths and flaws. Rafe is not your standard romance hero but instead has his normal share of human flaws. While he can be tender, understanding and patient with Emmeline, especially in the bedroom, he is often gruff, quick-tempered, stubborn, high-handed and insensitive. I loved that Emmeline was every bit as hard headed, opinionated and at times unreasonable as Rafe, refusing to back down when he tried to browbeat her or even threaten her. When he hurt her feelings, she'd rather die than let him know and fought back the way he needed someone to do with him. I also loved how they showed their caring for each other in little, every day ways. They made a great, if tempestuous couple. She matched him for strength of will, courage and ability to cope with the demands of frontier living.
However, they did need to work out their relationship with some give and take. Even more, Emmeline wanted to be free of the secret of growing up in a brothel and the night she pretended to be a prostitute. But she is understandably frightened to test her growing but tenuous bond with Rafe with this kind of information and worries Rafe will reject her if he knows the truth. Other than one huge coincidental aspect of the plot (which knocked off half a star from my rating), I found Rafe and Emmeline's story to be fun, touching, and absorbing. Two very believable characters finding love and beginning to build a life together.
As always, I enjoyed Miller's description of frontier life -- the hardships, challenges and rewards. She does a good job of giving interesting details without overwhelming you with must have been an often grueling existence. The characters are wonderful, drawn with both strengths and flaws. Rafe is not your standard romance hero but instead has his normal share of human flaws. While he can be tender, understanding and patient with Emmeline, especially in the bedroom, he is often gruff, quick-tempered, stubborn, high-handed and insensitive. I loved that Emmeline was every bit as hard headed, opinionated and at times unreasonable as Rafe, refusing to back down when he tried to browbeat her or even threaten her. When he hurt her feelings, she'd rather die than let him know and fought back the way he needed someone to do with him. I also loved how they showed their caring for each other in little, every day ways. They made a great, if tempestuous couple. She matched him for strength of will, courage and ability to cope with the demands of frontier living.
However, they did need to work out their relationship with some give and take. Even more, Emmeline wanted to be free of the secret of growing up in a brothel and the night she pretended to be a prostitute. But she is understandably frightened to test her growing but tenuous bond with Rafe with this kind of information and worries Rafe will reject her if he knows the truth. Other than one huge coincidental aspect of the plot (which knocked off half a star from my rating), I found Rafe and Emmeline's story to be fun, touching, and absorbing. Two very believable characters finding love and beginning to build a life together.
February 15, 2009
A really fun book! I enjoyed this read a lot. Emmiline is a brave young women trying to find her place in the world. When she runs away from home in Kansas City by marrying by proxy through a mail order Bride service, she unwittingly signs on to the McKettrick family. Rafe is a man trying to win the ranch before his brothers do. So sent away for a bride. Neither of the two know what to expect from one another, but are definately drawn to each other. This is a story not only of love found but of family and friendship as well. It warmed my heart.
April 16, 2022
A sweet cowboy romance... first in a series.
May 21, 2020
Hmmm, so you never really know what you're going to get when you pick up a "romance" novel. I was hoping for a clean story, but didn't quite get what I wanted. I actually enjoyed the plot and thought the story was fun. I liked the main characters. However, even though Emmeline and Rafe are married their love scenes are a little too discriptive for my taste. I actually thought they lost a lot of their chemistry after they were together. For me a lot of the fun is the "courting" that goes on, the will-they-wont-they, once thats taken out it kind of fizzles. Before they were together they had good banter and better interactions, after they were together it seemed like it was just one thing on the mind. It took away from the story, for me. This pushed the line for me and I wont be reading the rest of the series.
Content: R
Romance: Very discriptive sex scenes
Content: R
Romance: Very discriptive sex scenes
June 15, 2022
While well-written, I did not feel the romance between the MC’s. Rafe was an unapologetic jerk and Emmaline was an idiot for not listening to her mother and for not talking to Holt to find out what actually happened. She was TSTL, a pet peeve of mine. I found the plot overall to be very improbable.
There could’ve been a lot of angst, rejection, and an emotional reconciliation, but this novel missed those opportunities. Instead we got no apologies or groveling. Supposedly the characters had amazing sexual chemistry, but it was never convincing to me. I did enjoy the secondary characters. Emmaline would’ve been better off with Holt! Especially after Rafe was going to order another bride!
There could’ve been a lot of angst, rejection, and an emotional reconciliation, but this novel missed those opportunities. Instead we got no apologies or groveling. Supposedly the characters had amazing sexual chemistry, but it was never convincing to me. I did enjoy the secondary characters. Emmaline would’ve been better off with Holt! Especially after Rafe was going to order another bride!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2012
So I LOVED this book and have fallen in love with this series! I was lucky enough to get and ARC of one of her other books in this series (review coming closer to release date) but after reading and enjoying it, had to start at the beginning. I'm happy to say, I wasn't disappointed!
High Country Bride is about the McKettrick men Rafe, Kade, and Jeb who live with their father on the Triple M ranch in Indian Rock which is in the middle of the Arizona territory in 1884. Their father, Angus McKettrick is tired of their wild ways and wants them to settle down. He tells his sons that whichever of them gets married and gives him a grandchild first will get the controlling interest in the ranch. His sons, not wanting to answer to one another, grudgingly scramble to find themselves a wife first.
In Kansas City, Emmaline Harding lives with her Aunt Becky in a brothel. Her aunt has sent her to the finest finishing schools and protects her from 'the business.' One night, Emmaline, feeling not herself dresses up as one of the working girls and goes downstairs to have some fun. She meets a Texan who she flirts with and drinks a little too0 much whiskey with. She kisses him in the hallway and stumbles into a room with him. The next morning she wakes up, in a bed wearing her underclothes, with a pile of coins on the night stand. She has no recollection of what happened but when her aunt finds her stripped and sees the money she screams at Emmaline and throws her out. Hurt and shamed, Emmaline signs up to be a mail order bride and is sent to Indian Rock as Mrs. Rafe McKettrick.
Rafe and Emmaline have many struggles in this entertaining western historical romance but eventually find love only to have that one indiscretion from Kansas City follow Emmaline to Indian Rock complicating and threatening to ruin everything she has built between herself and Rafe.
Linda Lael Miller creates an entertaining family in the McKettricks with a wonderful supporting cast of characters in town that add color and humor to the story.
What I liked: The McKettrick men- all gruff and stubborn with no idea how to handle women. And the housekeeper, Conception, doesn't shy away from putting them in their place when they get out of line. Emmaline is a great character with brass and balls.
What I didn't like: I figured out the big secret right away, so there was no aha moment for me when the truth came out, but watching it all play out was very entertaining.
I highly recommend this series if you enjoy western historical romances. I've read the second books and am getting read to crack into the third book and they keep getting better. I've laughed, I've cried and I've thoroughly enjoyed High Country Bride by Linda Lael Miller. I hope you do too.
Thanks for Reading my Mind.
http://readingmymindreviews.blogspot....
High Country Bride is about the McKettrick men Rafe, Kade, and Jeb who live with their father on the Triple M ranch in Indian Rock which is in the middle of the Arizona territory in 1884. Their father, Angus McKettrick is tired of their wild ways and wants them to settle down. He tells his sons that whichever of them gets married and gives him a grandchild first will get the controlling interest in the ranch. His sons, not wanting to answer to one another, grudgingly scramble to find themselves a wife first.
In Kansas City, Emmaline Harding lives with her Aunt Becky in a brothel. Her aunt has sent her to the finest finishing schools and protects her from 'the business.' One night, Emmaline, feeling not herself dresses up as one of the working girls and goes downstairs to have some fun. She meets a Texan who she flirts with and drinks a little too0 much whiskey with. She kisses him in the hallway and stumbles into a room with him. The next morning she wakes up, in a bed wearing her underclothes, with a pile of coins on the night stand. She has no recollection of what happened but when her aunt finds her stripped and sees the money she screams at Emmaline and throws her out. Hurt and shamed, Emmaline signs up to be a mail order bride and is sent to Indian Rock as Mrs. Rafe McKettrick.
Rafe and Emmaline have many struggles in this entertaining western historical romance but eventually find love only to have that one indiscretion from Kansas City follow Emmaline to Indian Rock complicating and threatening to ruin everything she has built between herself and Rafe.
Linda Lael Miller creates an entertaining family in the McKettricks with a wonderful supporting cast of characters in town that add color and humor to the story.
What I liked: The McKettrick men- all gruff and stubborn with no idea how to handle women. And the housekeeper, Conception, doesn't shy away from putting them in their place when they get out of line. Emmaline is a great character with brass and balls.
What I didn't like: I figured out the big secret right away, so there was no aha moment for me when the truth came out, but watching it all play out was very entertaining.
I highly recommend this series if you enjoy western historical romances. I've read the second books and am getting read to crack into the third book and they keep getting better. I've laughed, I've cried and I've thoroughly enjoyed High Country Bride by Linda Lael Miller. I hope you do too.
Thanks for Reading my Mind.
http://readingmymindreviews.blogspot....
January 3, 2012
Read in January, 2012
Read for Fun!
Overall Rating 4.00
Story Rating 4.00
Character Rating 4.00
Challenges: 2012 TBR Challenge, Goodreads Read for Fun
Published in 2002
NOTE: I am so glad that I finally started the McKettricks from the beginning. I am a huge fan of LLM's humor and this book was full of her classic storytelling style!
What I Loved: Holy Hot Cowboy Brothers! These are some smoking hot Cowboys that are hard-headed, hot-tempered, and most off all having to do exactly what Daddy says. I love reading stories where otherwise devil may care guys get stuck doing something they didn't want too. I am really going to enjoy this series that started it all :)
What I Liked: The gals in this series are full of spit-fire and backbone. They are perfect for the McKettrick clan. Emmeline was great and I really enjoyed her toe-to-toe moments with Rafe!
Why I will continue the series: Can't wait to see Rafe's brothers fall as hard as he did :)
Linda Lael Miller
High Country Bride (McKettrick Cowboys, #1) (McKettricks, #1)Secondhand Bride (McKettrick Cowboys, #3) (McKettricks, #3)Shotgun Bride (McKettrick Cowboys #2) (McKettricks #2)McKettrick's Choice (McKettrick Cowboys, #4) (McKettricks, #4)
Read for Fun!
Overall Rating 4.00
Story Rating 4.00
Character Rating 4.00
Challenges: 2012 TBR Challenge, Goodreads Read for Fun
Published in 2002
NOTE: I am so glad that I finally started the McKettricks from the beginning. I am a huge fan of LLM's humor and this book was full of her classic storytelling style!
What I Loved: Holy Hot Cowboy Brothers! These are some smoking hot Cowboys that are hard-headed, hot-tempered, and most off all having to do exactly what Daddy says. I love reading stories where otherwise devil may care guys get stuck doing something they didn't want too. I am really going to enjoy this series that started it all :)
What I Liked: The gals in this series are full of spit-fire and backbone. They are perfect for the McKettrick clan. Emmeline was great and I really enjoyed her toe-to-toe moments with Rafe!
Why I will continue the series: Can't wait to see Rafe's brothers fall as hard as he did :)
Linda Lael Miller
High Country Bride (McKettrick Cowboys, #1) (McKettricks, #1)Secondhand Bride (McKettrick Cowboys, #3) (McKettricks, #3)Shotgun Bride (McKettrick Cowboys #2) (McKettricks #2)McKettrick's Choice (McKettrick Cowboys, #4) (McKettricks, #4)
December 29, 2012
Only one thing to say about this book.......it tries to do too much until the reader becomes annoyed and despondent with the main female character and everyone else.
This book took me a long time to finish. I think since it is the first in the series that every future character needs to be introduced but it takes away from the build up of the story, takes away from the main character.I kept thinking about who the other brothers would end up with and wanting to read their story.
This is going to song cliche but a book is a journey up a hill its a build up in the beginning and then the climax occurs and the conclusion. This story's build up is too long and frustrating and the end was not worth the read.Maybe the other books in the series would be better since this one suffered for them.
This book took me a long time to finish. I think since it is the first in the series that every future character needs to be introduced but it takes away from the build up of the story, takes away from the main character.I kept thinking about who the other brothers would end up with and wanting to read their story.
This is going to song cliche but a book is a journey up a hill its a build up in the beginning and then the climax occurs and the conclusion. This story's build up is too long and frustrating and the end was not worth the read.Maybe the other books in the series would be better since this one suffered for them.
July 14, 2011
This is really 3.5 stars for me. I'm not the biggest fan of the western (very much an east coast girl) but I liked this story. I liked the McKettrick family (even if I kept mixing up the younger brothers for a while - I eventually got it straight). And I liked Rafe and Emmeline. What keeps it from a higher rating is the fact there were some cliches in the writing. I thought most of the dialogue was good so when a cliched description or element sneaked in it took me out of the story for a bit. Still, it was an enjoyable read and I'll probably finish up the series to see how the bothers all end up.
August 17, 2015
I spent my holidays reading the whole McKettrick's series.
This first book was a bit boring. The heroine, Emmeline, was boring. And at the beginning she wasn't so sure about Rafe. She was a mail order bride and the first meeting with her new husband was not so good ;)
But in the end everything was fine!
This first book was a bit boring. The heroine, Emmeline, was boring. And at the beginning she wasn't so sure about Rafe. She was a mail order bride and the first meeting with her new husband was not so good ;)
But in the end everything was fine!
June 25, 2017
Beautifully woven story!
Linda Lael Miller is my favorite author, and this story did not disappoint! I enjoyed the colorful characters woven into the story, so vividly depicted you can almost reach out and touch them!
Linda Lael Miller is my favorite author, and this story did not disappoint! I enjoyed the colorful characters woven into the story, so vividly depicted you can almost reach out and touch them!
April 2, 2012
My first by this author and I loved it! I read it in one day and am very quickly moving on to the next book in the series! :)
August 8, 2021
DNF
Meh! I was bored.
Meh! I was bored.
September 16, 2023
The beginning of this book sets up the trilogy/series. Rafe does not start off remotely likeable. Emmeline's start is a bit silly and very heartbreaking. She really suffers through a lot emotionally. At one point I was in knots not knowing how all this drama was going to play out. Thankfully, Miller handled each conflict pretty well. Except for the end. I don't think Rafe handled it well at all. I think that should have been handled better.
Thankfully, this was not my first book from Miller. I loved the Stone Creek series and a few from her Parable series. So this story will not stop me from reading her other books.
Thankfully, this was not my first book from Miller. I loved the Stone Creek series and a few from her Parable series. So this story will not stop me from reading her other books.
May 26, 2021
Love this series!
I started the series on #4 and loved it so much that I am back tracking to the beginning.
Emmeline was a great character to begin the series. She is the first of several mail order brides to come in search of a Mckettrick man to marry. Rafe is the oldest of three sons that needs to find a bride and have a baby in order to inherit the family ranch. The story has some unexpected events that keep things exciting.
5 hot cowboy stars ⭐️
I started the series on #4 and loved it so much that I am back tracking to the beginning.
Emmeline was a great character to begin the series. She is the first of several mail order brides to come in search of a Mckettrick man to marry. Rafe is the oldest of three sons that needs to find a bride and have a baby in order to inherit the family ranch. The story has some unexpected events that keep things exciting.
5 hot cowboy stars ⭐️
November 27, 2011
Angus McKettrick assessed his life and issued a challenge to his three sons: the first to marry and produce a child would inherit his ranch instead of him splitting it between them. Rafe, the oldest of his sons by his deceased wife, Georgia, takes immediate action by contacting a mail order bride service and gets himself a wife. Emmeline leaves Kansas City, Missouri to join her new husband in the Arizona territory, sight unseen. She is also hoping to leave behind quite a few secrets.
The story starts off really well as the characters are defined pretty quickly and we get a good sense of who they are. Emmeline, while naive and pretty innocent, has an adventurous spirit and strong spine. Rafe is a bit hot-headed with a penchant for getting into physical fights. However, he never seems to really graduate from his immature behavior and I found it tough to see any really admirable qualities in him. He certainly got the better deal in the match. There were times when their relationship seemed to be developing normally in spite of the circumstances, with heartwarming interludes that hinted of it becoming a genuine love match. But, you could count on Rafe doing something insensitive and blowing it.
Angus also leaves a lot to be desired in having abandoned his infant son from his first marriage after his wife died delivering the baby. His sons from his second marriage aren't even aware they have an older brother and they seem to be as immature as Rafe. The women in this book are who make this book interesting. In addition to Emmeline, there is Concepcion, the McKettrick family housekeeper, and Becky, Emmeline's aunt who raised her in her bordello. All are strong-minded and interesting and stand up repeatedly to these fairly clueless men.
It's an interesting story but unlike most in the romance genre, it failed to provide a compelling connection with the supposed heroes in the book. I'm hoping to find a reason to change my opinion in the next book in the series. There were too many unresolved issues for me to stop at this point.
The story starts off really well as the characters are defined pretty quickly and we get a good sense of who they are. Emmeline, while naive and pretty innocent, has an adventurous spirit and strong spine. Rafe is a bit hot-headed with a penchant for getting into physical fights. However, he never seems to really graduate from his immature behavior and I found it tough to see any really admirable qualities in him. He certainly got the better deal in the match. There were times when their relationship seemed to be developing normally in spite of the circumstances, with heartwarming interludes that hinted of it becoming a genuine love match. But, you could count on Rafe doing something insensitive and blowing it.
Angus also leaves a lot to be desired in having abandoned his infant son from his first marriage after his wife died delivering the baby. His sons from his second marriage aren't even aware they have an older brother and they seem to be as immature as Rafe. The women in this book are who make this book interesting. In addition to Emmeline, there is Concepcion, the McKettrick family housekeeper, and Becky, Emmeline's aunt who raised her in her bordello. All are strong-minded and interesting and stand up repeatedly to these fairly clueless men.
It's an interesting story but unlike most in the romance genre, it failed to provide a compelling connection with the supposed heroes in the book. I'm hoping to find a reason to change my opinion in the next book in the series. There were too many unresolved issues for me to stop at this point.
April 30, 2008
Every now and again, I really enjoy reading Western Historicals. As the first story in the McKettrick series, High Country Bride introduces an entire cast of characters and the series-length plot which can only be defined as 'epic.'
My only wish for this story would be that the hero, Rafe, were more likeable. He's capable of being kind and considerate, but sometimes he's such a jerk, you almost want to see him get his come-uppance. All his brothers are much more appealing and I couldn't help but think that it would serve him right if Emmeline threw him over in favor of one of the others.
Our heroine, Emmeline, is not wimpy/wussy/whiny, which is good. She stands up to the arrogant, self-righteous Rafe when he most deserves it. One can only conclude that it was the social mores of the late 19th century that kept her coming back for more. In that, Miller stayed true to the time period.
The only thing that made me crazy was Miller's inability to do simple math. At the beginning of the story, the year is 1884 and Rafe is almost 30 years old. But he tells Emmeline about his mother's family losing everything in the war between the states and making her way west where she met and married his father. Hello? Rafe was already 10 years old when the Civil War ended... Oh well. It's always the little things that distract me from otherwise good stories.
My only wish for this story would be that the hero, Rafe, were more likeable. He's capable of being kind and considerate, but sometimes he's such a jerk, you almost want to see him get his come-uppance. All his brothers are much more appealing and I couldn't help but think that it would serve him right if Emmeline threw him over in favor of one of the others.
Our heroine, Emmeline, is not wimpy/wussy/whiny, which is good. She stands up to the arrogant, self-righteous Rafe when he most deserves it. One can only conclude that it was the social mores of the late 19th century that kept her coming back for more. In that, Miller stayed true to the time period.
The only thing that made me crazy was Miller's inability to do simple math. At the beginning of the story, the year is 1884 and Rafe is almost 30 years old. But he tells Emmeline about his mother's family losing everything in the war between the states and making her way west where she met and married his father. Hello? Rafe was already 10 years old when the Civil War ended... Oh well. It's always the little things that distract me from otherwise good stories.
June 27, 2012
This was good as a starter to their series 3.25 stars I'd say, but several important elements were missing. Not enough angst, a little long in the description and not enough drama to make me absolute curse the pair (Considering the size of the novel that's a little ridiculous). I found the author manufacturing "incidents" to many times and those "incidents" were often ho-hum. Her baseline plot had plenty of material to use, creating those were distracting and definitely annoying filler material (A good edittor would have helped here). This is a very popular series so I'll definitely give another book a try, sometimes that happens that as the writer progresses their work improves. On the positive side, this series is really set. Great baseline which include town and ranch life, built in drama with strong minded men and equally strong women.
June 21, 2017
I met LLM at the Historical Romance Retreat in Spokane and bought the first book in the series. FINALLY got to it and boy I am glad I did. It is everything I want in a western romance story. Danger, intrigue, family, ranching, and mail order brides. Angus McKettrick has laid down the law and he wants a grandchild. The oldest Rafe sends off for a bride and gets Emmaline almost 2 months later. Emmaline answers the advertisement because she sees no recourse after the 'night' she had.
I love her writing and the setting she has created. Times are precarious and there is danger even in the elements being out in the Arizona territory. Following the McKettrick family is also going to be interesting because she has 4 different sons making their way in the world and have the ranch that they all love.
I love her writing and the setting she has created. Times are precarious and there is danger even in the elements being out in the Arizona territory. Following the McKettrick family is also going to be interesting because she has 4 different sons making their way in the world and have the ranch that they all love.
November 1, 2012
You can't help but fall head over heels for all the McKettrick men and envy the women that steal their hearts. Although I have to admit that there was more than one instance that I wanted to climb into the story and knock some sense into Rafe but he had his moments. I found it hard at first to get accustomed to how the ways are back then. Mainly how women stand in the relationships but I understood that it was a different way back then and if she had wrote differently it wouldn't feel as real. Definately going on my to read again list!
February 3, 2014
It the very start of a series and fight from brothers to when their right of to take over their land but a father thinks they need to grow up and that how it all begins just a telegram and mail order bride to start and some twist along the way but the are def love Emmeline and rafe are made for each other angus their father is going to all length to get his some to grow up and what better way then but their home and all leadership on the line and it great when u do d love along the way when u least expect it
August 14, 2010
I was up for a good western romance and this one delivered. Rafe is that rugged cowboy that can't sweet talk you but will win you over with his pure honest charm. Emmeline is a sweet sheltered girl (though she grew up in a brothel) that isn't afraid to speak her mind. But together they have wound a wonderful love story. I'm anxious to start the next in the series.
April 6, 2016
3.5 stars, great but sometimes the writing confuses me.
I'm not sure if it's because of the historical theme or Linda Lael Miller's writing, but there are parts that somehow hard to understand but other than that, I definitely enjoyed this book!
Thanks to this book, now I'm sort of addicted to mail bride themed books. Haha. Can't wait to read the next installment of this series!
I'm not sure if it's because of the historical theme or Linda Lael Miller's writing, but there are parts that somehow hard to understand but other than that, I definitely enjoyed this book!
Thanks to this book, now I'm sort of addicted to mail bride themed books. Haha. Can't wait to read the next installment of this series!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 299 reviews