1. A Sensible Arrangement, Lone Star Brides Series #1
    Tracie Peterson
    Bethany House / 2014 / Trade Paperback
    Our Price$16.88 Retail Price$18.00 Save 6% ($1.12)
    4.3 out of 5 stars for A Sensible Arrangement, Lone Star Brides Series #1. View reviews of this product. 33 Reviews
    Availability: In Stock
    Stock No: WW210587
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Displaying items 21-25 of 33
  1. kingsdaughter1611
    IL
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    4 Stars Out Of 5
    Great Story about a Texas Bride!
    April 28, 2014
    kingsdaughter1611
    IL
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 4
    Meets Expectations: 5
    A Sensible Arrangement is the first book in a new series written by author Tracie Peterson. I found the plot quite interesting and having an arranged marriage with a widow and widower was new for me. Tracie always knows how to capture the attention of the reader and reel them in with a fine story.

    Marty is a widow whose husband was gored to death by a longhorn steer. She has basically given up on God and sees no reason to trust Him with her future, much less her daily life. So she answers an ad for a bride and moves to Colorado, not telling her family what she is doing. That was one of the big problems I had with Marty. She lies constantly throughout the book. And at the end she realizes that lying is just as much a sin as anything else, but it really bothered me reading about her deceit.

    Now Jake was a different story. Very upright and quite dashing. His first wife was dishonest and he can't stand it now so I was waiting to see how it would play out when he realized what Marty was doing. Of course, it was a marriage of convenience anyways so there were no feelings involved, NOT! :)

    I liked how the author put real events and history in the novel. Finding out about the impact silver had on Colorado and the common person made for a good story. Oh, and the servants were so entertaining! I loved Brighton and Samson the most, excluding Alice. My only complaint? I wish the story hadn't ended so abruptly! I felt like I was left hanging with not everything solved. Hopefully that will be taken care of in the next book. There will be another one, right? lol:)

    I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. All thoughts are 100% mine.
  2. Reviews4U
    4 Stars Out Of 5
    April 28, 2014
    Reviews4U
    Marty Olson is a widow who lives in Texas. Her surroundings serve as constant reminders of her past and she desperately wants to run from the pain. She responds to an advertisement placed by Jacob Wythe to marry for appearances only. Jacob lives in Denver so this opportunity will allow Marty to start a new life.

    Jacob is rising quickly in the banking industry but the Morgan Bank board has made it clear that a man in his position should be married. Jacob places an ad for a "Lone Star bride" as his heart is still in Texas. He grew up on a ranch and misses his life there. He plans to save enough money so he can one day return to the life he loves. When Jacob places the ad he is looking for nothing more than a woman who will attend social gatherings with him. In exchange he will take care of her every need.

    When Marty arrives in Denver the two are married. As their lives become more intertwined, they find themselves embarking on an adventure that neither of them planned. Will the pain of Marty's past and her secrets push Jacob away or draw him closer to her? Will Jacob's desire to return to Texas prove to be too much for Marty?

    I really enjoyed this book but I have to say that the ending leaves you with many unanswered questions. The second book called "A Moment in Time" will be released in June so I look forward to seeing how the pieces come together. This book had elements of faith, adventure, romance and mystery. I found myself not wanting to put it down as I wanted to know what happened next. I would definitely recommend this book.

    *Thank you to Bethany House for providing me this book in exchange for my honest review.
  3. Reading Rover
    Midwest
    4 Stars Out Of 5
    Love is the Treasure
    April 25, 2014
    Reading Rover
    Midwest
    Quality: 4
    Value: 3
    Meets Expectations: 4
    A Sensible Arrangement Tracie Peterson

    Texas Widow, Marty can't wait to leave Texas and it's reminders behind!

    A Mail-order Bride to a Banker in Colorado, her quiet entrance is marred by her saving the Stagecoach from Bandits. We off to a hilarious start-but Marty finds her life controlled by the owners of her new Husband's Bank. But it all starts pressing her when she discovers her Husbands desire to return to Texas-ans Ranch, just what she was trying to leave behind forever! Interesting period economic/political information-and there are extreme economic events which cause many changes in their lives. But all is well for the new couple, because, what they have come to value most, is not overcome by the Economy-each other.
  4. Kate
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    4 Stars Out Of 5
    A very enjoyable story!
    April 23, 2014
    Kate
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    I have been a fan of Tracie Peterson for quite some time. She was one of the first authors I read when I jumped into historical, Christian fiction. The characters that are in Tracie's stories always vary in personality and traits and they all mesh well. A Sensible Arrangement isn't any different.

    There is something unique however, about this book, it is Tracie Peterson's 100th book! I just have to say, how awesome is that?! Each story is fresh with a new group of unique characters. That is fantastic talent!

    Back to the review.

    A Sensible Arrangement portrayed what I thought was a very realistic look of a marriage of convenience. Marty is a girl, who had happy marriage, but it was taken from her when husband was killed when he was tending the stock on their ranch. For four years, Marty has taken care of her small spread and watched after by her sister and brother-in-law, who has a ranch next to Marty's. However, since the death of her husband, Marty has grown weary of her ranch...well, really, Texas in general. All that seems to remain is heartache, so when she notices an ad in the paper for a Texas bride, she jumps at the chance. The way that Marty handles it is real too.

    Marty isn't looking for love, just an escape. She worries about how her family will take the news, so instead of telling them that she is going to marry a man she never met, she lies. The questions she has going through her head, her observations all were spot on to how I would be in that situation. And, what I loved about Marty, she doesn't change who she is.

    Jake was a good character and one who I enjoyed seeing again. Jake was originally in another series by Tracie Peterson, Striking the Match, that was also set in Texas. Jake has moved from Texas and is now working as a banker in Colorado. To further his position in the bank, he knows that he needs to show himself as a man who is settled, to the public eye, which means he needs to be married. Which brings us to his ad in the paper in Texas.

    Jake is interesting. He is a man that would love to just live a simple life, but, his boss has taken an interest him. He now has a house on the hill with the people of the upper-crust, which isn't really his cup of tea, but because his boss requires it, he does is. Jake is very dedicated to his job and wants to do his best. However, with the struggling economy, the bank Jake works at has a lot to deal with, along with some mysteries that pop up.

    This is the first book in the Lone Star Brides series and I can't wait to see what happens in book two. A Sensible Arrangement left me with questions and I'm ready to see how things will play out.

    Thank you to Bethany House and Litfuse, I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
  5. Britt98
    Grand Prairie, TX
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    4 Stars Out Of 5
    An Easy and Enjoyable Read
    April 19, 2014
    Britt98
    Grand Prairie, TX
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    A Sensible Arrangement is the first book that I have read by Tracie Peterson. I found it to be an easy and smooth read, with interesting characters.

    Jake and Marty agree to a marriage of convenience early on in the book and Marty travels from Texas to Colorado as a mail-order bride. There's a little bit of tension between the two as they get to know each other, but otherwise, they fall into a fairly easygoing friendship. We follow Marty as she learns her duties in high society and tries to find a way to be useful. We watch Jake as he works as a bank manager in very stressful financial times.

    Marty was a complicated heroine. I liked her, but there things that really bothered me about her, too. She struggles with a very large personality flaw...she lies. She has a real problem understanding that lies and lies by omission are damaging to others. Marty also has big anger problems toward God. The dialogue between Marty and her ladies maid, Alice, is a wonderful explanation of why bad things happen and what role God plays in that. The author handled this so well. There is also some mystery and danger in this book, especially toward the end.

    I have to admit that I expected the book to tie all of the loose ends up, but it didn't. I feel that this must be in preparation for the next book in the series. I definitely plan to read the rest of the series and I still felt satisfied at the end of the story. Even though there are some questions left unanswered, it is not a cliff hanger ending and I appreciate that!

    I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review, which I have given.
Displaying items 21-25 of 33