GRR Reviews An Unwilling Husband by Tera Shanley

An Unwilling Husband is a historical "western" romance that felt very angst-y at times, between two very damaged people who had forgotten how to love, against the world who are out to get them somehow.

Margaret "Maggie" Flemming used to live in a small town in Texas, until her mother, one day, dragged her off onto a train and headed back East. Now her mother's gone, she's grown, trained in the society ways that she felt she never belonged. Her aunt Margaret had nothing but cruel words to her for months. Maggie finally had enough and left for her hometown, to her father whom she hadn't seen for a decade, and to Garret Shaw, the boy she thought she'd spend eternity with. But Garret was a changed man. Years of abuse by his father had taken a toll, and the loan Garret had taken out from the Jennings family is coming due, and Jennings will not negotiate. The easygoing boy is now a hardened rough young man, who had no affection to give, esp. not a girl who was used to high society. Only one day after Maggie's arrival, Maggie's father passed away in a field accident. Her father forced Garret to make a deathbed promise: marry Maggie, even though Garret was supposed to be marrying Anna Jenning, and the dowry would cover the loan. Garret did as promised: married Maggie that same day, but refused to consummate the marriage. As Maggie learned ranch life from the foreman and the two Native Americans on the ranch, the Jennings started making overt threats... About how Anna's honor was besmirched, how Maggie should just go away or perhaps... "went away", and how eventually the farm will be theirs. Garret cannot allow himself to love Maggie, as he knew she'd head back East when she got tired of the rough life, but he will protect her with his life if need be...

Frankly, the push-pull between the two and the world were great. but the ending was too... "neat"? It's as if EVERYTHING was being resolved, at a finger-snap. It's not just HEA, but "Everything is <bleep>ing Fantastic Ever After". It's just too... long!

Category: historical western

Primary Plot: High Society Girl Went Back to Small Town in Texas; Got Married to an Unwilling Husband; Learned to Live and Love

Tropes: scars, orphan, evil parents, arranged marriage, triangle

Overall Rating: 4/5