Matthew by Emma Lang ~ review

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Brava (January 31, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758269048
• ISBN-13: 978-0758269041

Book Description from Amazon.com:

Publication Date: January 31, 2012 | Series: Circle Eight

In the wake of his parents' murder, Matthew Graham must take the reins at the Circle Eight - a vast spread in the eastern wilds of the newly independent Republic of Texas. He also needs to find a wife in just thirty days, or risk losing it all. Plain but practical, Hannah Foley seems the perfect bride for him...until after the wedding night. Their marriage may make all the sense in the world, but neither one anticipates the jealousies that will result, the treacherous danger they're walking into, or the wildfire of attraction that will sweep over them, changing their lives forever...

My take on this book:

Twenty-five year old Matthew Graham's life has just been turned upside down. After the murder of his parents and the kidnapping of his baby brother Benji, he is left to take care of his six brothers and sisters as well as the Circle Eight the family ranch in the Republic of Texas. Before his parents were murdered his father had intended to claim four thousand more acres that the Republic of Texas was offering. When Matthew decides to go ahead with his father's plans he learns that he needs a wife so Matthew tells the land agent that he already has a wife named Hannah, but the lie backfires when the agent gives Matthew thirty days to bring Hannah in to sign the papers.It seems as if fate has intervened when Matthew runs into Hannah Foley, a twenty-three year old girl who often dreams of a husband but because of her looks and size believes she will never find one. So when Matthew proposes she gladly accepts. Will their marriage of convenience eventually turn into something more, and how will Hannah fit in with the Graham clan?

Once I started reading this book I just couldn't put it down. The author had a way of pulling me back in time, making me feel as if the story was unfolding right before my eyes. She easily brought the characters to life. Who wouldn't marry a man like Matthew, a handsome young man who was taking care of his family. The sexual attraction between him and Hannah was electric, and as they slowly got to know each other love started to bloom.  Matt was determined to maintain control over his feelings because he was afraid it would make him appear weak. Little did he realize he was already falling head over boot spurs for Hannah! I thought Hannah was just what the Graham family needed especially after the death of their parents and the worry over their missing sibling, although the oldest sister Olivia really gave Hannah a rough time.I loved that Hannah wasn't described as beautiful, or dainty instead she was sturdy and strong, and in the beginning Matt didn't really think she was pretty but over time he saw Hannah's beauty.The author also throws in a nice little mystery of who killed Matthew's parents and what happened to Benji. 

The ending was a twist that I didn't see coming, and since the author leaves a few questions unanswered I can only hope that she is going to give us a sequel. If you enjoy reading historical romance with real characters and a nice mystery then your certainly going to enjoy this one. I would warn that there are some sexual situations written into the story, but overall they were very well done. I for one enjoyed this book so much that I intend to check out Ms. Lang's other works! On a scale of one to five I would give this book a six because it was just that good!

About the author:

Emma Lang tends to be a dreamer, the girl who spent her time staring out at the clouds imagining the stories she puts on paper today. She loves the color pink, romance novels, movies and shopping. She has a weakness for shoes and purses, as well as bookstores. Her path in life has taken several right turns, but she's been with the man of her dreams for 20 years. Life might be chaotic, as life usually is, but Emma always keeps a smile on her face, a song in her heart, and a cowboy on her mind.

Emma is the alter ego of novelist Beth Williamson.

This book was reviewed for Readersfavorite.com