Then Came You (Second Chance Brides 2) by Wendy Lindstrom #review

Pages -  276
Publisher -  Rustic Studio Publishing
Published -  March 9, 2015 (1st ed.)
Sold by -  Amazon
Series -  Grayson Brothers series

Genre -   Historical Romance, Victorian

Language -  irrelevant
Sexual Content -  0/5

A Marriage Of Convenience... And Undeniable Romance.
The last thing Amelia wants is to marry her father's business competitor, Kyle Grayson, the man who rejected her youthful flirtation, especially when she’s still smitten with him. But dire circumstances force her to marry Kyle, a man she knows little about. She senses he has been wounded and keeps his emotions locked inside. Can she break through Kyle’s staunch business demeanor and show him that laughter and love are possible?

Yes, that is a 5-star review, but to be honest, I almost wanted to give it 4.5 because I can't find the Unclean (lol) version anywhere.

But, I know that would be wrong and unfair to the author and her potential fans, so I'm leaving it as is and rightly so.

This was a fantastic, interesting, and flawless read start to finish.

FINALLY, I can agree with her being an award-winning Author, because she deserves it and any other praise that comes her way.

Fully developed characters, an interesting plot that took its time coming to life and light, but that never flipped or strayed off course.

This is the way every aspiring author hopes to end up writing, including me.

I was immediately sucked into this story and had to page-turn in order to find out what happens next.

I was skeptical about its being a 'wholesome' story because, to me, this equates to religious, preachy prattle with a 'message' inserted somewhere between the dialogue and actions.

That wasn't the case with Then Came You, thankfully.

Yes, they attended church on Sundays, but that was it!

This is simply the 'clean' version with zero graphic or vulgarly worded sexual situations.

Amelia is unhappy in her current life as a secluded school teacher in a small town with too many religious do-gooders hawking over her.

Kyle is a hard-working first-born running the family's Lumber Mill while also watching over his three other brothers and little sister, all of whom have made their own lives, but Kyle still feels obligated as the eldest.

He's been burned a few times, and once by one of his brother, so is wary about things like love, relationships, and anything of lasting value other than his business.

Amelia is an only child whose father also runs a lumber mill and is also Kyle's business partner and family friend, but young Amelia's crush on handsome Kyle ended in humiliation.

From there, Amelia let herself be humiliated a few more times before ending up as a teacher and not liking herself or her future even more.

Sadness occurs at her father's lumber yard, forcing Kyle to confront Amelia at the tiny apartment above the school house, which is closely watched over by a Puritan couple on the grounds.

Oops.

The awkward that ensues between these two mismatched people is as endearing as it is comical, but in no way was this a story that forced humor on its readers.

Amelia didn't come off as being stupid, ill-bred, or in any way modern in 1871 Fredonia, New York.

Kyle pictured clearly in my mind as the tall, well-built, and very handsome first-born with too much ambition and not enough inner monologue to get out of his own way, and I found him to be a charming man who just needed a swift kick in the ass (by Amelia) to wake him up and allow himself to enjoy.

He very much deserved Amelia in the same way Amelia deserved someone like Kyle, who wasn't of a mind to hold her back, keep her down, or stifle the inner wildness longing to break free and run like the wind.

Their inevitable relationship worked its way toward the HEA in a believable manner and in a timely fashion as well.

No modern ideals being injected into 19th century characters, thank you very much.

This is labeled as a stand-alone, but a few aside characters inserted into their romance made me confused about who was whom and how they were related.

Kyle had too many women in his life besides Amelia and Amelia's mother (who also seemed to be simmering in a budding romance of her own).

These were people from the first novel in the series, Twice Loved, which obviously detailed Kyle's relationship with Evelyn, but there was also a Catherine, the sister of Kyle's best friend, a Nancy, his mother, a Rebecca, his sister, and a Mattie (a little girl adopted in the first novel).

I guess Kyle can't help it if he's so handsome, somewhat wealthy, and available, can he?

I'm pleased to have found this offering at Amazon and highly recommend these novels to anyone wanting to read true romance in its purest and most professional form.

Yes, I'll be reading every other novel in this series and anything else Wendy Lindstrom has written.

Second Chance Brides series

Book One: Meet Evelyn Tucker in RITA Award-winning TWICE LOVED (the SWEET edition of SHADES OF HONOR). She planned to marry her best friend—then his brother returned home and complicated everything.

Book Two: Continue the series with Amelia Drake in THEN CAME YOU—a Romantic Times 4 1/2 star Top Pick! A marriage of convenience...and unexpected romance. Can she break through her husband’s staunch business demeanor and show him that laughter and love are possible?

Book Three: Meet Claire Ashier in ONLY YOU. He was everything she didn’t want—but was everything she needed. Is the risk too high for Claire to trust a saloon owner and open her heart to love again?

Book Four: MY HEART’S DESIRE. Faith Wilkins is a woman in danger with a hidden past. Sheriff Grayson is the only man who can protect her—and the one who can hurt her the most.

Book Five: A CHRISTMAS PROMISE is a heartwarming novella about Adam Dearborn and Rebecca Grayson. A boy learns about love, the spirit of giving, and what it means to become a man of integrity. (Prequel to MY FOREVER LOVE)

Book Six: MY FOREVER LOVE. How could she have forgotten Adam Dearborn, the boy she has loved since her teens? After a tragic accident that steals her memory, Rebecca wonders if she can find her way back to the boy who promised her forever.

Book Seven: ALWAYS AND FOREVER is Hal and Nancy Grayson’s love story. Find out how the Grayson legacy began in this story of love, forgiveness and second chances.

Book Eight: CHANCES ARE Nancy Grayson has never stopped loving her deceased husband Hal. A chance encounter with the reclusive millionaire, Dawson Crane reawakens her spirit and her need for love. Can the heartbroken widow forget her past and embrace a second chance at love?