The Bride Bargain

Title: THE BRIDE BARGAIN
Author: Kelly Eileen Hake
Barbour Books
September 2008
ISBN: 978-1-60260-175-8
Genre: Inspirational/historical


Clara Fields and her aunt Doreen are trying to keep up with the wagon trail headed west to Oregon, but when one of their cantankerous oxen gets lose, they are kicked out of the train. A store-owner in Buttonwood, Nebraska, generously offers Clara and Doreen a place to stay until spring when the next wagon train comes through, and in exchange, he wants them to cook and clean for him. Clara is quick to take him up on the offer.

But the store owner comes up with another plan, marry his son, Saul, and he would give Clara and Doreen his house. After some thought, Clara agrees. She needs a home for Doreen, and how hard would it be to find a wife for a successful, good-looking doctor?

But Saul isn’t cooperative at all. He isn’t interested in any of the local women, and one by one, they are getting taken by the other young men in town. And even worse, the only woman Saul does seem interested in is Clara—and she’s not on the market. How can Clara possibly keep her end of the bargain?

THE BRIDE BARGAIN is book one in the Prairie Promises series by Ms. Hake. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this fun new series and am looking forward to the other books in the series.

There faith message is expertly woven in and isn’t preachy. I loved getting to know Cara, Doreen and Saul, and the cast of secondary characters really filled the story out. The story was laugh out loud funny at times. I loved the different twist to the wagon train story. Don’t miss THE BRIDE BARGAIN. It is a great story with a unique take. $10.97. 288 pages.