REVIEW: The Marriage Charm by Linda Lael Miller

In The Marriage Charm (The Brides of Bliss County #2) by Linda Lael Miller, Jewelry designer Melody Nolan loves her simple life in Mustang Creek, Wyoming, with her triple threat cats Ralph, Waldo, and Emerson. But she and her two best friends Hadleigh and Bex made a pact that they would find their forever love; not just settle for a relationship for the sake of getting married and starting a family. Melody thought she had that once, back in her late teens when she was smitten with Spence Hogan. After he broke her heart, she swore him off and has tried avoiding him in their small hometown at all costs. But Hadleigh’s wedding has forced them to not only be in each other’s company, but to face the fact that their attraction and residual feelings have never gone away. Now the question remains: what do they do about it?

If she hadn’t been so vulnerable and shaken, she might not have whispered into her pillow, “I have no desire to fall in love with you again.”
“It’s okay if you do.” The reassurance was accompanied by the slight tightening of his embrace. “I promise.”

Police chief Spencer Hogan has spent the last nine years comparing every woman he dates–and it’s not as many as people would have you believe–to beautiful Melody Nolan. Needless to say, he is still single and living the bachelor life on his ranch with his horse Reb and comical mutt Harley. Spence is a bit gun-shy when it comes to the “L” word and has tried to avoid thinking of Melody that way. But being so close to her at the wedding and reception fries his brain cells, and before he realizes what he’s doing, Spence has turned into a Neanderthal intent on making Melody his. Only, this time he hopes he won’t make the same mistakes as his younger self did.

‘One kiss had been taking a chance. Two kisses had lit the world on fire. What had happened afterward was proof that they hadn’t moved on, either of them.’

The Marriage Charm is a sweet and fun western-style romance set in picturesque Wyoming where second chances abound.

I am obviously a hopeless romantic who also happens to love a solid reunion story. And The Marriage Charm is just that. The focus was on Melody and Spence as they sorted through their emotions after nine years of denying their connection. Spence knew their attempt at a relationship fresh out of high school wouldn’t end well, so when they broke up it left them both struggling and comparing everyone else they dated to their teenage love. I thought that was so telling about their true feelings for each other. Melody and Spence were just made to be together. Even though they did like to antagonize one another and get riled up. Which was actually quite entertaining.

The other two parts of the story I enjoyed were the quirky animals, and the thread of mystery. First, the critters. I do so love a novel with a few unique and lovable animals written into the storyline. And not only did Spence have his horse Reb and his dog Harley, but Melody had her lookalike cats (the triumvirate, as Bex called them) Ralph, Waldo, and Emerson. Too stinkin’ cute! You can tell author Linda Lael Miller is a person who loves and understands animals with the fun scenes where both protagonists have “conversations” with their pets. One-sided of course, but still. And like I said before, the other part of the plot that kept me interested was finding out who was behind the robberies. All of the clues didn’t really come together until toward the very end, so it was quite well done.

Author Linda Lael Miller has written a charming story filled with humor and with the added bonus of a mystery to solve. Whether you read this as a standalone or as part of the series, I think romance fans will fall for Spence, Melody, and their crazy bunch of critters.

Book Info:

Published February 1st 2015 by HQN Books | (The Brides of Bliss County #2)

The women of Bliss County have a pact–to find husbands. The right husbands.

One already has: Hadleigh Stevens, who married rancher Tripp Galloway a few months ago. Now Melody Nolan thinks it’s her turn. Melody has recently found success as a jewelry designer, and her work is the focus of her life. She’s not exactly unhappy, but she wants more. She’s always been attracted to Spence Hogan, the local chief of police, but she’s convinced that Spence, a notorious charmer, isn’t what you’d call husband material.

Spence is a good cop who isn’t scared of anything–except love. And he’s done everything he can to preserve his reputation as a womanizer–a reputation that keeps marriage-minded women, including Melody, at bay. And yet…there’s something about Melody he can’t forget. Something his heart can’t ignore.