I Want a Wife: Judy Brady's Legendary Feminist Satire

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I like her character because often, mail-order-bride characters are portrayed as women who will accept all because they are in their last rope. There are at least as many different answers to your question as there are men on this app. It was just an awful situation all around.

If they are a part of her life, they will be a part of our life. I don't know how many years passed between getting out of jail and buying the ranch, but he did mention spending time getting the money together in order to buy it.

I Want a Wife: Judy Brady's Legendary Feminist Satire

Jane Middlebourne needs a way out. In 1891, life in New York is unforgiving for a young woman with no prospects, especially when her family wants nothing to do with her. So when Jane discovers an ad for a mail-order bride needed in Bitter Springs, Wyoming, she responds with a hopeful heart. Rancher Morgan Lo She has nowhere left to turn. Rancher Morgan Longstreet is in want of a wife who will be his partner at Morning Star, someone who will work beside him and stand by him. His first impression of the fair and fragile Jane is that she is not that woman. But when she sets out to prove him wrong, the secrets he cannot share put into jeopardy every happiness they hope to find…. On the point of leaving, Jane turned and gave him her most indulgent smile. Jane Middlebourne's life has been shaped by loveless what i want in a wife and after a particular incident, she gives up hope of having a real future in New York. After discovering an ad for a mail-order bride, she accepts Morgan Longstreet's arrangement who's a rancher in Bitter Springs, Wyoming. Jane starts a long journey, not only to become Logan's wife, but also to prove that she is a strong, reliable, and capable woman what i want in a wife wife. But what about Logan's shady past and secrets. Will they impair their happiness eventually. Morgan bent his head again, this time with gentle intent. He nudged her lips carefully, laying down the kiss like a balm. He had inflicted a wound that needed tending. In Want of a Wife is my second book by this talented author and won't be my last, that's for sure. I do enjoy her character-driven novels and don't what i want in a wife that her storytelling has been established on a level that is mostly quiet and unagitated. In spite of that, her love stories remain compelling and the added wit and humor never fail to put many smiles on my face. And in the era of manwhores, it did appeal very much to me to get acquainted with a quiet thinker of a hero who was almost as inexperienced as the heroine. Seriously, I totally dug that. Jane of the sophisticated and eloquent words. Though if the situation required a sharp-tonguedness and strength, she was ready to deliver also. As an added bonus, two secondary characters did etch themselves in my memory: Finn and Rabbit. Longstreet and his special delivery. Bridger is usually a little late these days on account of her condition is what you call delicate. No villain should have a name that sounds like his man parts. I do have a minor quibble, though. I'm slightly disappointed that the author denied readers to witnessing Jane having riding and shooting lessons. Other than that, In Want of a Wife was a completely enjoyable read who kept me eagerly turning page after page from start to finish. This third installment in the Bitter Springs series can be read as a standalone. The quiet in her settled in his heart. In these moments, the peace that had eluded him all of his life became what she was, his companion. He walked with his past at his side now. With Jane, all things were possible. In want of a wife was a sweet slow burn read. I loved Morgan the quiet ginger hair hero. I also really love Jane the sassy well spoken heroine. I love how great the build up of their relationship was. The only thing I didn't care for was the narrator Talmadge Ragan. She was so stiff and her voice sounded like a robot. She read everything flat with no inflection. Orphaned, and brought up with her rich cousins in Manhattan, Jane has never been considered as part of their family. With better prospects elsewhere, she answers an ad for a mail-order bride. Morgan Longstreet is in want of a wife. After corresponding with Jane, he sends her money for the train trip to Wyoming. Unfortunately, when Morgan lays eyes on the refined and delicately-built Jane, his plans for marriage take a dive. She's what i want in a wife the sturdy woman he was led to believe who would be suitable for the harsh life of a rancher's wife. This is the third novel set in Bitter Springs, but can be read as a standalone. I know a number of readers were disappointed in the previous novel, but In Want of a Wife returns to the high standards and great story-telling of her first book in the series. Like most of Ms Goodman's novels, this is a very character-driven romance. The first half is almost entirely focused on the characters and the budding romance between Morgan and Jane. The second half - while building on the romance and relationship - delivers some great action, and focuses on the unveiling of Morgan's past, with that past now catching up with him. Some previous characters make appearances, particularly sheriff, Cobb Bridger. And those two adorably annoying young boys, Finn and Rabbit, who have some great lines and scenes. There are two relatively small problems, that didn't really detract from the story, but think are still worth mentioning. Or lack of them, in both the narrative and dialogue, gave a sometimes stilted flow to both story and speech. This is more an editing issue, that should have been picked up. The second issue was with some details of Morgan's past with his stepmother you'll know when you read it and I'm not sure why it was necessary or what it actually added. It was certainly interesting and added dimension to his character, but not sure it really impacted his present life, or the plot. But these minor issues aside, In Want of a Wife is an excellent western romance. This book definitely satisfies my Western historical romance craving. While slow-building and with a lot more narrative than action, it was a book that captivated me with lead characters whose stories I wanted to know. It definitely helps that Morgan is a redhead. I have a not-so secret fondness for red-headed heroes. I loved the manner in which Goodman conveys the loving intimacy that a marriage can cultivate between two people. Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazi This book definitely satisfies my Western historical romance craving. Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine in the May 2014 issue. The characters pretty much every one of them were all fantastic, in particular the two leads. If a slow book isn't your thing, what i want in a wife may not be the best because it does take its time. The romance isn't just slowburn, but the story itself is slow going. There's villainy, sure, but that doesn't come to a head until much later in the book. One thing I can say with certainty, though, is that even if you dislike the book for its slowness, the two leads are so amazing that I feel they make up for it. Morgan is honestly one of the best heroes I've read in quite some time, ranking up there with some of my favourite Hs ever. And for those who've read : if you loved Will Parker, I'm pretty certain Morgan Longstreet can win you over. Morgan is pretty introverted, preferring to mind his own business than to be a social butterfly, and very much the strong, silent type. He's quiet, sure, but that's because of who he is, not because he's sitting around being broody all the time. The author never uses Morgan's past in order to get him to purposely hurt others though there is a scene that I'll mention later that might be cause for concern with some. There's a quiet strength to Morgan that the reader sees throughout the book. Morgan wondered if she had gone to see Dr. It had not occurred to him until now that she might have been hiding them from him. When her headaches migraines, I believe. Instead, he wonders if he'd done something dumb that made her not want to share. There's even a point where she's being passive-aggressively angry with him. Instead of being angry or annoyed with her for being angry, and instead of pushing and nagging her for the cause behind it, he lets her bring it up in her own time while preparing apologies in the meantime. When it comes to Jane's reveal about her past, he sits there patiently and listens to her story, not jumping in or being angry and accusatory. Afterwards, he expresses wanting to hurt those who'd hurt her and then comforts her while she cries. And I thought it was great that the author took the time to show us how great Morgan is rather than just telling us, using these small moments and details in order to do so. Morgan's sexual past is mentioned, but it wasn't done in a manner that left a bad taste in my mouth. Morgan, although not a virgin, feels inexperienced when he's with Jane, remarking that there had been no other woman like her in his bed. The only reason why it's even mentioned is because he's thinking of it in response to Jane's comments: It was true he had some experience with women, but that did not mean he knew them. He wondered what Jane would have thought if he told her his opportunities had been limited to a few whores, two of whom he paid for a poke, and one who took him upstairs because she felt sorry for him. There's no mention of specifically when he was with those other women, but there's a point where he says that he had not been with any woman for a long time. He lives in a small town and bought Morning Star ranch three years ago, so I don't think it's likely that he'd skip working on his fledgling ranch to go what i want in a wife the next town over in order to get laid. I don't know how many years passed between getting out of jail and buying the ranch, but he did mention spending time getting the money together in order to buy it. The woman who abused him, his adoptive mother, is mentioned more than once in the story. It should be noted, though, that it's never, ever, done so in a fond remembrance kind of way. He refers to her as a whore, and you know what. I don't like it when men use gendered slurs against women, but in this case. I honestly couldn't give less of a fuck because she's a child abuser. What i want in a wife about half a chapter dedicated to Morgan's past, which includes mentions of his abuse and how it started. There's one graphic scene included of Zetta Lee abusing him when he was twelve, but it only lasts about half a page. During what i want in a wife, Morgan is having a nightmare and Jane what i want in a wife to wake him up. The scene I mentioned above that I felt some may find disturbing is this one. He thinks he's still dreaming so he turns on Jane and starts to choke her which is something that he mentions Zetta Lee made him do during the years of abusebut as soon as he wakes up, he immediately stops and gets out of there. After this is the only time Morgan is ever purposely awful to Jane, being crass as he tells her about his sexual abuse. This entire thing may be objectionable to some, but I didn't have a problem with it. I didn't like that he hurt Jane, but I can overlook it because he'd been in the middle of having a nightmare of his abuse from when he was twelve. I don't blame Jane, either, for trying to wake him up because she was concerned about him. It was just an awful situation all around. The sexual scene with Zetta Lee might also bother some, but I didn't have a problem with that either. He's having a nightmare at the time, not reflecting on it fondly. The abuse can be hard to read, especially when keeping in mind that he's twelve at the time. It's not that I want to read about child abuse, but I was glad that the author actually explored and acknowledged it rather than including it as a barely-there footnote in Morgan's story. I've seen authors take serious issues and just barely graze the surface of it before forgetting its existence. They skirt the issue, only using it as an excuse to make their character detestable--manwhore, asshole, etc--before quickly brushing it aside, never really give it the respect it deserves by delving to the heart of it. I was glad that Goodman was not only unafraid to go there, but also didn't do so in a manner in which I found was gratuitous or used for shock value. And when Morgan is horrible to Jane after awaking from the nightmare, I could understand him lashing out as he did because he's brought back to his past abuse. Jane was understanding and, rather than being upset with him while he's emotionally raw, she remains by him, willing to listen if he wants to talk. The author also uses the scene as a way to show how victims of abuse can often blame themselves for it. Although Morgan was eleven when the abuse started by a woman who had raised him from the age of sixhe still feels it's his fault. He feels he could've told someone, that he should've been stronger and stopped it a lot earlier than he did. In response to this, Jane tells him more than once that it's not his fault and that he was a child. It's not that I expected to read anything else as a response, but I was still glad that the author acknowledged the self-blame victims feel, and then had Jane firmly tell him that it's not his fault and never could be. Jane, in response, gets back at him real good for that. There honestly couldn't have been more satisfying justice dealt to a man assaulting a woman than what Jane does to him. And the author made it even better by making Jane be the one doing it rather than turning her into a damsel-in-distress and having a man come in and rescue her. The author doesn't just tell you how great she is, she actually show you. In other books, this would be the point where I sat back and thought huh. The author shows you time and again how true those words are. She's super sassy with Morgan, giving him lip and putting him in his place and not being afraid to call him out. Early on, she makes it clear that she wants to be included in his decisions. At a point after this, he starts to give her a story instead of the truth. You do not seem to understand that you make me vulnerable when you try to protect me from the truth. She set her hands firmly on the top rail. And if he's not willing to give her the answers, she's smart enough to do it what i want in a wife her own. Jane figured something was up so, when Finn and Rabbit do make it into the house, she plies them with delicious food while casually asking seemingly-innocuous questions, drawing the answers from them easily. I loved that, throughout the book, Jane proves Morgan's thoughts about her wrong at every turn. Morgan had thought he was getting himself a sturdy wife because he got Jane's cousin's photo instead of Jane's. Instead, Jane turned out to be fragile-looking and the complete opposite of what he'd expected. He thinks she's too fancy to live on his ranch, but she shows him time and again that he's underestimating her and she's perfectly capable which the author shows by having Jane walk around Morgan's house and having remedies for every issue. She even lays into Morgan about this later, telling him how wrong he was not only in his initial judgements of her, but also in his request for a twenty-four hour trial period. And as I mentioned before, I loved that she wasn't afraid to speak her mind no matter what. I've come to dislike reading about virgin heroines, but the type I absolutely despise is the surprise. And I was very happy that I did. Before anything sexual even happens between them, Jane has sexual dreams about Morgan. Instead of feeling shameful or guilty about this when she wakes up, she just feels disappointment that Morgan isn't there with her. And I liked that the author included that. At times I thought the book would get preachy and religious because Jane's faith and belief in God is mentioned more than once. She prays and also refers to Morgan as being a Godless man this isn't meant as a judgement, just an observation. However, how much can an author really want to push religion when she has the heroine sitting through Sunday service thinking about sex with her husband instead of concentrating on the sermon itself. And what i want in a wife was also another instance in which Jane didn't shy away from thoughts of sex, as many virgin or virgin-until-recently heroines do. Morgan and Jane together make such a good pairing. He's completely head-over-heels for her, just as she is for him. However, they've got a partnership going rather than an imbalanced relationship with one following the other's marching orders. Although she gets to the heart of things when it counts, she also concedes in situations where she knows Morgan is right. They banter playfully and also have their serious and tender moments. Heck, even the side characters were great. I don't think I met a good character in this book I didn't like, with Jem, Finn and Rabbit being my favourites. Jem is probably my favourite support character because he's such a loveable idiot. He stopped reading and cocked an eyebrow at Jem. And the relationship between Morgan and Jane and Morgan's ranch what i want in a wife was great, too. Morgan picked up his coffee cup. Morgan looked at them over the rim of his cup. The book does have them, but not an awful lot. Sometimes the dialogue between characters came out sounding robotic. Jane, an unwelcome family member to her cousin's household much in the manner of Jane Eyre answers and ad for a wife, and she exchanges letters with Morgan Longstreet until they come to an agreement. She's to ride out to Bitter Springs, Wyoming where they're to be married, sight unseen. Both Jane and Morgan have secrets and things don't go smooth when she first arrives, but I absolutely loved their journey. So much feeling, so passionate, and oh-so-very steamy. I have to say both Jane and Morgan's family were utter crap. Morgan had his own horror story with people that were supposed to care and look out for him growing up as a boy. The last few chapters I was biting my nails with nervous anticipation. Pretty frightening, but both Jane and Morgan prove to be smart and capable. I'm loving Jo Goodman, and I can't wait to dive into her next Western historical. I listened to the audio version, and Talmadge Ragan's performance was excellent. Too bad the rest of the series isn't in audio version. I want to read True to the Law next. Originally posted at What i want in a wife summary Jane Middlebourne needs a way out of New York City. As the ward of a distant cousin, she's destined for a lonely life of servitude. Morgan Longstreet recently bought a ranch in Bitter Springs and needs a wife to help him manage Morning Star. When Jane answers his ad for a bride, he believed he'd found the perfect solution for both of them. The conflict When Morgan sees Jane what i want in a wife person, he doesn't mask his disappointment because he thinks she's not go Originally posted at Quick summary Jane Middlebourne needs a way out of New York City. The conflict When Morgan sees Jane in person, he doesn't mask his disappointment because he thinks she's not going to be tough enough to withstand the rugged life on a ranch in Wyoming. Jane's discouraged as she'd hoped to find a willing partner in Morgan, in time developing affection for one another. The heart of the story I love western historicals and this was one of the most authentic stories I've read in the genre for quite some time. There was no instant love here and ranch life is tough. Morgan's not an easy man and he doesn't mask his feelings around Jane. She's well educated and forthright, which made them surprisingly a good match. He's not educated but extremely bright and savvy, though very reticent. Both had complicated pasts and Morgan's resurfaced to wreak havoc in a major way. Narration Unfortunately, this was the weakest part of my reading experience. The narrator didn't seem to have a sense of the tone of the story or understand the characters. I couldn't tell when Morgan was being clever or caustic because no distinctions were made. Most of the performance sounded rote, almost as if it was computer generated. It just didn't work for me and I had to go back and read the prologue from the sample to understand what turned out to be a critical passage. The bottom line I enjoyed the story in spite of my issues with the narration. I just had to work harder to figure out the nuances provided by the author. I loved how Morgan and Jane's relationship developed and it's the strength of the story. And, the ending was exciting with a strong climax. I'll definitely go back and read the first two books in the series this one stands alone very well as I didn't discover it was part of a series until I'd finished and I'll continue it but not with this narrator. Jane was such a wonderful heroine, completly different from Raine, but in so ma Another wonderful book. Jane was such a wonderful heroine, completly different from Raine, but in so many ways very similar to her. I loved her honesty and her strait-forwardness. Her complete dedication to make a good wife to Morgan. Her thoughts and reasoning were excellent. Her reactions to a very bad situation very clear-headed and very clever. Morgan was interesting in his own way. After a very difficult life, he made a new one for himself. I appreciated his reasoning behind the fact that he accepted Jane at the beginning, and his change what i want in a wife mind was a pleasure to read. Obviously I loved reading about all the secondary characters from The Last Renegade. I especially loved the role Rabbit and Finn had here. I'll be looking forward to read True to the Law and all the other books Ms. Goodman will write in this great, great series. I don't even know how to describe it. I guess some terms that come to mind are: Formal. Overall, I found it hard to feel the connection between Morgan H and Jane for much of the book. The second half was definitely better than the first th 3. The second half was definitely better than the first though. Both Jane and Morgan started to reveal more of their secrets, which allowed the couple to grow closer. Not sure this author's writing style really works for me. It is intelligent and different than the norm, so it may just be that I am not bright enough to keep up. And Morgan was not some confident manwhore. Instead, he had a limited sexual background, and it was not a feel-good one. I thought that Jane and Morgan's romance happened in the right sequence and timing, so by the end of the story you really believed in their romance. I wasn't ready for it to be over or leave Bitter Springs, so I hope that she has other stories lined up as good as this one was. I need more time with Jane and Morgan. Jane Middlebourne had come to Bitter Springs to marry Morgan Longstreet, a rancher, who was in need of a wife. They corresponded by letters, each omitting some secrets that they meant to share with the other when the time was right. Morgan was a quiet man, a thinker as one of his men referred to him. When he spoke, he meant what he said. Jane did a wonderful job matching his earnestness. I never said you were pretty. Well, maybe I did but I didn't mean it. I just couldn't say the other. He shrugged a little diffidently. About you being beautiful and all, I'm saying. Partly I kept my tongue in my head because it hurts a mite to look on you that way, like there's a radiant light coming from you that could blind me if I stare too long. Mostly, though, I didn't say anything because you wouldn't believe me. I thought maybe that had passed some, but I guess not. That family of yours sure did twist the way you see yourself. The reasons I want to take a swing at them just keep piling up. She said quietly, I never know what you are going to say, Morgan Longstreet. I don't know about good but it keeps me on my toes. She came up on them again and kissed him. I found the tension realistic and the witty dialog entertaining. I did, but the author resolved it in a timely manner. I would not recommend reading it by itself. Many of the townspeople returned in various contexts. There were the ever-lovable Finn and Rabbit, the common-sense What i want in a wife Bridger and the rascally Davis brothers whom are now employed as Morgan's ranch-hands. Not the epilogue but the last 15 or so pages. I couldn't read them fast enough. Goodman's romances you might care to read some stories written by Susan Kay Law, Kaki Warner, Caroline Fyffe or Ellen O'Connell. They are primarily known for writing American West romances: some that are part of a series and others that are stand-alones. I will keep my original 4 star rating. But I read this book from beginning to the end as if it was a new story. Morgan and Jane are both quiet characters, nothing theatric. Just 2 people slowly getting to know each other. I imagine some might find it slow or even boring. But I have said this before in a review for anot Review on Oct. But I have said this before in a review for another Jo Goodman's book: it simmers. It doesn't have a dark hero, even though Morgan did have a rather difficult past. It does not have a fiery heroine I imagine anyone who follows my reviews would have noticed how much I dislike a fiery heroineeven though Jane had reasons to be bitter. They are just 2 adults who made the decision to marry and tried to find a way for it to work. There are explicit sex scenes but nothing over the top. I usually do not care for the mystery. I want to read about the relationship and prefer books to focus on that. Jo Goodman's books usually are half and half on romance and mystery and I have said it again and again, when it is on the relationship, I absolutely love it. But this time, I actually sat down with the book. I read through every page, about Morgan's past, about Jane's life in New York, about What i want in a wife brother plotting against Morgan and about Morgan's men on the ranch. I felt that they were all part of the story, and I did not mind reading about them in a romance novel. They were part of Morgan and Jane's story. And they helped me understand Morgan and Jane as characters. This time around I wasn't rushing to find out just how they came to the I love yous. This time around, I waited for them to tell me at the time Jo Goodman deemed appropriate. I have to repeat how I love Jo Goodman's characters. They remind me of Mary Jo Putney's characters: steady and quiet; dignified and elegant, even when they appeared foolish, they seemed calm and collected. Original Review Loved the characters and writing, as always. The plot was again overshadowing the relationship, but I think that's Jo Goodman's style. No conflicts or stupid fights between the lead characters so the conflict has to be external, which usually means a mystery or murder or external threat kind of plot. That means a lot of attention being dedicated to describing that threat. But whenever the attention is on the couple, I absolutely loved it. At this point, I'd expect no less from Ms Goodman. This book deserves a better review than I can provide, I've left it a little too long since I finished reading to provide a proper overview of my thoughts. I know it isn't five stars frankly, if it was I'd have found time to review it. An absolutely stellar, solid read but it didn't send me into the stratosphere. I love a marriage of convenience story. What we have here is a mail order This was very, very good. What we have here is a mail order marriage story, so sort of the same idea. Watching two people come to be better versions of themselves and grow to love one another, what can I say. Jane, who takes control of her life and makes a massive move across country, across class, across culture. Much to the surprise of our hero, she comes up to scratch. I love a heroine with skills who tries hard. As she says herself, she might be delicate, but she isn't weak. The strong, silent type with a tragic history. His unwillingness to give Jane the credit she deserves is grating, but necessary because it powers much of the story. They have great chemistry together and Goodman writes excellent sex. It makes me feel fatigued after a while, particularly when its powered with a large cast of western characters who are often indistinguishable from one another. I could have lived with one or two or three less elements. That sounds like massive criticism, it isn't. This is overwhelmingly a great book and these things did not bother me that much. I am already looking forward to my next Goodman. For me, this book's gift is the slow, yet simmering build up of romance between the hero and heroine. I love that it's not a spark at first sight. Their first meeting isn't promising yet I love that both of them are willing to risk at least a part of themselves on the line while keeping some close at heart. Which made me love the story more. The way they came together is logical yet the longing and fascination towards each other gives romance its way to develop between them. I love books like the For me, this book's gift is the slow, yet simmering build up of romance between the hero and heroine. What i want in a wife love books like these, where the plot is logical and doesn't hurt my eyes from a lot of eye-rolling and the romance develop as both characters opens themselves towards each other. The hero is a picture of 'silent-water-runs-deep' without too much angst. Still you will know his story, your heart will open to him, and will wave and smile to him as he walks towards the sunset with the heroine. I wish he just walks towards that sunset but in true strong men fashion, he will bleed, sweat, and ached towards that sunset. He will really earn that sunset. The heroine, on the other hand is that nurturing woman who is ready for a home. Like any other woman in her time, she will use her intelligence and grow a backbone to conquer the wild west. I love that when her worth was question by the hero, she did not just cower, instead she gracefully asked her due respect. I like her character because often, mail-order-bride characters are portrayed as women who will accept all because they are in their last rope. This woman, though in her last rope, was smart enough to plan for all possible cases and that is why she is not just the perfect match for the strong hero, she will also match the harsh new life she chose for herself. I was so excited to find this book at the library finally. I love mail-order bride stories. Especially with the stoic, gruff hero and the heroine trying to escape from a previous bad home life. The book starts with the hero waiting at the train station for the heroine to arrive. The train station employee kept trying to have conversation with the hero as he waited, but the hero was getting irritated and was coming off as an uncommunicative loner. I was thinking, ok, ok,this is good. But as soon as the train arrives, the heroine disembarks from the train and the two meet. Not a single spark all the way thru to page 158. It came off to me more of a Historical Western book, than a romance. What really frustrated me though, that contributed to me not caring about the characters. I never felt like I understood or knew anything about the hero. As for the heroine, I don't feel her personality fit the situation. Her personality did not match with someone that had been verbally and emotionally abused her whole life. And the whole mystery from the first chapter of 'was she pregnant by her cousin. So I lost interest and just didn't care anymore : Jo Goodman creates a tale that easily compels western historical romance lovers' hearts. It took me about a minute to fall what i want in a wife love with author Jo Goodman's talent. I love westerns and if they're historical westerns with romance, I love them even more, but finding one that mesmerizes is true gold. Jo Goodman understands how to create a setting and then slowly build upon it with three dimensional characters who demand your attention. Do you crave the unlawful Wild West and the men who manage on just this side of the law, along with their strong, supportive women. In 1891, Jane Middlebourne is the poor relation to her cousin Francis who brought orphaned What i want in a wife into her home when her parents died, but not necessarily into her heart. Jane has been given many privileges as someone in a wealthy household but spent most of her time as the hired help. Jane and her cousin, Alexander, concoct what i want in a wife scheme to get Jane out of his mother's control, but not without consequences. Jane escapes with what i want in a wife money to become a mail-order bride in Wyoming but realizes she may have made a huge mistake once she arrives. Rancher Morgan Longstreet believes his life is moving forward in the right direction the day he arrives at the train depot to pick up his sturdy, made for ranching, mail-order bride. Until he realizes the photograph he was sent is not the delicate woman who steps off the train. Dare he send her packing for a lie when his attraction is undeniable. There's nothing new about mail-order bride stories and the many ways they can be told. What's new is when an author can layer a story piece by piece and snag your heart in the process. So, Jane and Morgan are opposites in many ways, then thrown together and dealt personal circumstances to overcome. They're not left alone to their own devices but surrounded what i want in a wife meddled with by Morgan's ranch hands as well as the folks in town. Sterling lends her straightforward advice, without much care whether Morgan wants her say so or not. Or she tells Jane what she thinks without Morgan's permission. Then there's the young brothers Finn and Rabbit who annoy Morgan with their helpfulness, especially when Marshall Cobb Bridger deputizes the youngsters. And, the things they say are some of the best one-liners. Let's not forget the three brothers who work for Morgan at the ranch, when they're not fighting one another, who become quite fond of Jane and rile Morgan every chance they get. And that's just the beginning of the many secondary characters who add to the realism of this story. Jo Goodman is a western historical romance master with her subtle layering that makes her characters spring to life, grabs our hearts and keeps us glued to the pages. Her fine attention to detail lands some of the funniest laugh-out-loud moments between the lead couple and the other characters. The laughter isn't continuous but unexpected and laugh-out-loud worthy, which is the best kind of funny, in my opinion. What i want in a wife, some of the conversations between Jane and Morgan are so endearing and wonderful and so memorable I will forever refer back to them. One such conversation happens in the middle of the book and it's such a great scene that sets the stage for what you hope for their future. I know they're on my to be read list. Review by Dorine, courtesy of. Well, because this is the third book that takes place in Bitter Springs Wyoming and by now, all the secondary characters are old friends. This book can stand on its own but I think it would be much more enjoyable if a person had also read and One of the things I like about Goodman's western romance stories is that the main couple get a chance to get to know each other and become friends as well as lovers. Usually there is some secret in the past of one or more of the characters but its not used a lame device for creating tension. One of the things I liked about this book in particular was the sense of going full circle in the community. Morgan Longstreet manages to undo and change some of the bad memories due to the Burdick family in the first book. As with every book in this series the two Collins boys, Finn and Rabbit, very nearly steal the show. I have a number of What i want in a wife Goodman titles on my To Be Read pile. They are all going straight to the top. I am a sucker for mail order bride stories. I love the circumstances of the couple that make such a marriage necessary and all the couple time we get with a married couple makes for good romance. As the this book opened, I was impressed with the setting of mood and mystery. Once our hero and heroine meet, the wit of both of them jumps off the page. We get a ginger hero as a bonus. Th I have a number of Jo Goodman titles on my To Be Read pile. The book settled into with great secondary characters and a layering of happenings that never tipped into melodrama. I love the bone deep practicality of each couple. I was thinking that this book was good and enjoying it. Then, the book got simply excellent. The secrets unfold without rancor or misunderstandings. The action speeds up and the characters develop is such amazing and engaging ways. I fall in love with both of them. I can't give the book's secrets aways but it is a grand, moving, and witty romances worth your every minute. This was enjoyable, particularly the last quarter or so. The kind of badass cowboy you'd want in real life versus the kind of alph-hole that's only fun to read about. The heroine was likeable as well. It's a nice opposites attract, mail-order-bride type of scenario. Both have had a traumatic family life especially the H. At times I think it was a little too slow. Most of the story took place in dialogu This was enjoyable, particularly the last quarter or so. Also, I thought the lack of contractions was odd. I suppose possibly it was the heroine's strict, rigid upbringing. But, I also noticed that the cowboy hero used precious few as well. I know not everyone is from the South where we make up new contractions every day, but I think the near lack of them made for dialogue that sounded a bit wooden at times. From the book's description I expected this book much more intense and darker or at least something like Ellen O'Connell's books. But I was wrong, while the Hero's past is very dark and sad and the heroine's past only slightly better than his, Ms. Goodman didn't concentrate with those things and made us feeling down too much with the whole situation. Despite the seriousness with the subjects I found this book a lighter read than many western romance out there and Ms. Goodman made me laugh and smile often just by reading dialogue between Morgan and Jane: I love this book, I think I want to read other books from this series too. I actually became intrigued by the book when I read Jill's review a couple of weeks ago she wrote it a bit earlier, but no matterbut decided to give the first two books a shot first. Now that I finally reached the book that made me want to give this series a shot in the first place, I am very glad that I gave the first two a shot as well even if I think the third book this one is the best in the series, because I enjoyed the first two as well. It always bothers me a little when I read a boo I actually became intrigued by the book when I read Jill's review a couple of weeks ago she wrote it a bit earlier, but no matterbut decided to give the first two books a shot first. It always bothers me a little when I read a book where the heroine has the same first name as I do. I don't know why it does, but for some odd reason, it bothers me a bit. But this time round, it didn't bother me as much, because I felt that I could really relate to this sensible and normal woman, who actually uses her head for its main purpose. That would be thinking, not hat wearing, if anyone's wondering. I gave the paperback four stars and I highly recommend it but can't recommend the audiobook version. I loved the characters and the story. However, I can't figure out why Tantor would think it's ok to publish an audiobook where it sounds like the narrator is not only three sheets to the wind but has a mouthful of marbles to boot. It's a real disservice to the author. I will try to find something else with Talmadge Ragan narrating just to see if it was a fluke or if it's a real issue with her. It may have made the already stiff dialogue worse. I just could not get into their relationship. They did not communicate, kept secrets. I know the Hero was sweet, but he did not seem very into the heroine until pretty late in the book. The heroine was way too strange for me. As a fan of old Westerns, I'm always longing for a title by a good author to show up in audio format. And I probably enjoyed In Want of a Wife more than the average listener because I am such a Western fan. It's a good story - I try to avoid using good in a review as it says so much yet so little - but I can't think of a better description for the content. It's a nice, Western story with likable characters. The content gets 4 stars - a B- if I was giving letter grades. The narration gets 3 sta As a fan of old Westerns, I'm always longing for a title by a good author to show up in audio format. Talmadge Ragan has a way of not clearly enunciating words towards the end of a phrase - almost like her mouth is full or she gets a little tongue-tied. She differentiated the characters and that's important to me but she didn't flesh out the characters - almost added a boredom factor to their personalities. The lower grade comes more from her lack of characterization rather than her enunciation. I doubt I'll listen to Talmadge Ragan again. I loved In Want of a Wife by Jo Goodman. The hero orders a mail order bride. There were some very romantic moments in this book. I had not read the previous books in the series and I was fine. Title totally grabbed me on this Western Historical Romance. New to me author, western backdrop, and mail order bride trope were just thick layers of icing on this already tantalizing fictional cake. This was the third book in a series, but I was able to jump right in and read it no problem though after meeting several of the town characters and enjoying the author's writing; I will go back for the rest of the series. The story opens with a prologue describing Jane, the heroine's dismal situation Title totally grabbed me on this Western Historical Romance. The story opens with a prologue describing Jane, the heroine's dismal situation that leads her to take drastic measures with her life. She has been in correspondence with a rancher out west who is looking for a wife. Then the story switches to Morgan Longstreet's perspective where he tries to avoid all the small town's friendly nosiness as he waits at the depot for his mail order bride to appear. Their first encounter is one for the ages as both of them realize that things were getting real and they are not what the other realized they would be. After negotiating the first little bit like the delicate art of dancing with porcupines, they settle into a watchful routine. Morgan and Jane adjust to being married to strangers who both came from really rough circumstances, ranch life as a married couple and feeling their way toward teasing out the painful and prickly secrets that are being kept, communicating about new expectations, and what i want in a wife the stirrings of attraction. All the while Morgan and Jane are coming to terms and then some, someone from Morgan's past plots in the shadows. Morgan will be cornered into doing something he never wanted to do again to protect what is his and what has come to mean so much to him. The plot on this one bore strong resemblance to the old classic, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte when I started reading the Prologue and I cracked up when the author acknowledged this openly a little later. I love the Jane Eyre story so I was all for that. The book took its time as it set up the characters, the slow what i want in a wife build relationship and where the conflicts would come. I enjoyed that the conflicts were internal to the relationship in the form of both having to feel comfortable enough to disclose their pasts and then external as people from Morgan's past plan to interfere in their lives. The author had such a way of writing characters and their circumstances. Jane Middlebourne is a unique heroine that is an echo of Jane Eyre in personality the way she speaks her mind and has decided opinions even though it is only being with Morgan and living at the ranch that allows for her worth to truly shine. At first, I wasn't that taken with her bristling and sharp tongue because she did a fair amount of assuming, but then again Morgan was cranky right back at her so it wasn't all one sided. Jane's story is unveiled first and one feels badly for her, but it is obvious that it gave her inner strength and the backbone she would need to trek across the country on her own and make a life for herself with Morgan. Morgan's story came a bit at a time. His story broke my heart a little. It is amazing that he turned out to be such a noble, caring and tender man who appreciated Jane's qualities and wasn't afraid of a strong woman. The healing they caused in each other was touching to behold. I appreciated the fact that the characters and their romance were developed in such a way that it wasn't easy. There were misunderstandings, disappointments, awkwardness and that all made sense since they were total strangers coming together out of mutual need. He held his hand out, palm up. Jane looked at it, looked at him, and shook her head. I think I might break if I touch you right now. Morgan said, I could tear a strip off of just about anyone who looked at me crossways right now, but its not because I'm angry with you. That's what you need to know, Jane. I don't know what I'm supposed to do with what's inside me except hold onto you, but since you won't-- Jane threw off the blanket and stood. Their passion was so honest and was like romance without words. It was amazing how the author timed it so that the words come right before the tough, dangerous times begin. And dangerous they were indeed. The villains of this piece were definitely that. They are introduced earlier as the reader is made aware of their plottings off scene. While I appreciated the tension this was building, there was a part of me that didn't like seeing them as personable. They joked and told stories about the past so that it made what i want in a wife relate-able and I didn't want to have any sympathies for them after they started doing their worst. They were definitely worthy opponents and put Morgan and Jane along with their Morningstar Ranch people in a tough corner. The backdrop of the western ranch and railroad town of Bitter Springs and its people added some good flavor to this story. I loved the inclusion of the two scamps, Rabbit and Finn, the motherly hotelkeeper, Mrs. Stirling and the brawling trio of brothers that worked out at the ranch. These all brought humor and fun into a story that could have been heavy with what Morgan and Jane were dealing with from their pasts to their present situation. All in all, it exceeded expectations with all those delectable things I enjoy really working for a heartwarming western romance that had heat, humor, endearing characters and gritty action. My thanks to Penguin Group for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. She had a backbone and inner strength that helps her throughout the book. Morgan past was darker than Jane but when Jane explained what her cousin Frances did with her I felt really bad. Despite what happened in what i want in a wife past Morgan grown into an honorable man. I liked how their relationship grows slowly. Both Jane and Morgen past gives them strength to heal each other. The only complaint I have is that internal monologues, sometimes it feels unnecessary and a bit b 3. The only complaint I have is that internal monologues, sometimes it feels unnecessary and a bit boring also. Overall the book is full of western drama hard work, romance, adventure and I enjoyed it. To find characters to illustrate my first family saga, I cut out models from the Sears catalogue. I was in fourth grade, but it was a start. In seventh grade I wrote a melodrama about two orphan sisters, one of whom was pregnant. There was also a story about a runaway girl with the unlikely name of Strawberry and one about mistaken identities and an evil blind date. My supportive, but vaguely conc To find characters to illustrate my first family saga, I cut out models from the Sears catalogue. My supportive, but vaguely concerned parents, sighed with relief when I announced I was going to write children's books. I graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a major in biology and a minor in chemistry and some notion that I would do marine research. Years of competitive swimming didn't help me anticipate seasickness. A career change seemed in order. I began working with adolescents and families, first as a childcare worker and later, after graduating from West Virginia University with a master's degree in counseling, as a therapist. One grounds me in reality and the other offers a break from it.

But whenever the attention is on the couple, I absolutely loved it. The reason why marriages do not work like it used to is because the women have started playing the roles of men which is due to the fact that men are not taking up their responsibilities any longer. I thought maybe that had passed some, but I guess not. A man of God is lead by His Word and His Spirit and domination, intimidation and manipulation are not His ways. We are still happily married 12 years and three kids with one more possibly lol! I love the point to be true to yourself-know your values! What her needs and desires are in the relationship and in the given situation.