Bride for Keeps

Bride for Keeps (Big Sky Brides Book 2) by Nicole Helm. This is Sierra McArthur and Carter McArthur's story. Being a McArthur means you have to do everything perfect or follow what his dad and mom expect. Marrying Sierra was the one time that Carter went against his family expectations. Family secrets come out that make Carter question everything he has always known. Now, Carter is not only dealing with the McArthur family secrets but now his pregnant wife, Sierra, is wanting a divorce. This is an emotional read where two people forget how to communicate with each other and what is really important. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

DNF at 52%. When I was reading this book I had the distinct impression that it bore very little resemblance to the blurb. Having re-read the blurb it's so non-specific that I probably inferred the plot I wanted to read! Sierra is the bad girl who married, against the odds, Doctor Carter McArthur, the eldest son of the snobby McArthurs and older man. His brother Cole has been estranged and riding bulls for years but has recently found love and come home. Their parents have landed a family bombshell on Carter, Cole and their sister Lina which has devastated Carter and he has been left floundering, estranged even from Sierra. At first Sierra acts like a good time girl, when she doesn't get attention she makes a scene. When that stops working she tries to fit in with the McArthurs and become a Stepford Wife, when that doesn't work she asks for a divorce. Carter is left bereft AGAIN. Brought up with the heavy expectations that he would be a doctor, marry a nice girl, have 2.5 children an SUV and a dog etc, etc. Basically his parents wanted a perfect automatron. The only thing he ever did for himself was to marry the beautiful, wild child Sierra and now his one shining light is leaving him. In desperation he wrangles an agreement that Sierra will allow him to have a conversation with her for five minutes every day for a month. I had to double-check that this wasn't a re-release because it had such an old-fashioned feel for me. The older husband, the professional man who marries a younger woman with a chequered past. The rigid 1950s style family, even the 'we're getting divorced but I'm pregnant' plot feels like a throw-back. Cole gives Carter advice and Carter genuinely thinks about it AND DOES THE OPPOSITE. Now I get that it's hard to open up and let people see the weaknesses you have, but if someone says, for example, tell the truth and you think about it and decide to tell a lie ... hmmm. Curiouser and curiouser, I knew I had read a book by Nicole Helm before and assumed it was as part of the American Extreme Bull Riders Tour series, in fact it was actually Sierra's good girl sister Kaitlin's story and I loved it! I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one. It has a fresh storyline and characters you just can't imagine not being together. The writing is fabulous and the story moves along nicely. Sierra and Carter may have gotten married quickly but Sierra was certain they could weather anything. Apparently not. After Carter's family drops a bombshell in his lap Sierra tries to be supportive but she finally has to admit that he pulled away from her completely. It takes Sierra leaving him and filing for divorce to snap Carter out of his funk and realize all that he's losing. Now he has his work cut out for him trying to convince Sierra that he's all in and what they have was and is real and will last forever. I highly recommend this one.