GRR Reviews Wilhelmina, A Winter Bride by Hildie McQueen

Wilhelmina: A Winter Bride has a great setup, but the rest of the novel is just boring.

Wilhelmina was falsely accused of inappropriate behavior at a society ball (he groped her) leading to her being blackballed and would be sent to live with a horrible aunt. With nowhere else to turn, she accepted a mail-order bride proposal and went out West... Except her groom seems to be a brute who not only left her at the station fending for herself, but also brawled in the saloon... // Marcus did not ask for a bride, but his mother and sister has other ideas. And Wilhelmina was obviously used to the finer things on the east coast... and very beautiful. Can she, who obviously hadn't worked a day in her life, learn how to be a housewife in the harsh winter out West? Or will she be running from her brutish groom first chance? Will Marcus have a chance to prove himself to her?

The first few chapters explained the circumstances in the East, how a man trapped her and got her blackballed for "embarrassing the family". But the setup proved to be the best part of the book. What was meant fish out of water MOB vs. reluctant groom turned out to be boring as heck. Mina had lots of help getting acclimated, and Marcus flipped way too fast.

Category: Historical Western

Primary Plot: Woman no longer wanted in the East went out West as mail-order bride, but can a "society lady" learn to be a frontier wife?

Overall Rating: 2/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.