Book Review: Crumpets & Cowpies (Baker City Brides - Book 1) by Shanna Hatfield

Title:  Crumpets and Cowpies (Baker City Brides - Book 1)
Author:  Shanna Hatfield
Genre:  Historical Romance
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing
Release Date:  January 12, 2015


From the Back Cover:

Thane Jordan reluctantly travels to England to settle his brother’s estate only to find he’s inherited much more than he could possibly have imagined. 

Lady Jemma Bryan has no desire to spend a single minute in Thane Jordan’s insufferable presence much less live under the same roof with the handsome, arrogant American. Forced to choose between poverty or marriage to the man, she travels across an ocean and America to reach his ranch in Oregon.

Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

My Review:

This was one of the more delightful historical romance novels I have read in a long time.  Shanna Hatfield obviously did her research and got the details of life in the late 1800's down perfectly.  As a matter of fact, bits and pieces of interesting facts are interspersed throughout the book.

When Thane Jordan was required to cross the ocean to England in order to settle his brother's estate, he had no idea that his brother (whom he had lost contact with many years prior) had been married and had two children.  The children's mother had died a few years earlier, leaving these children in the care of their Aunt Jemma.  Thane immediately fell in love with his niece and nephew and wanted to take them home to Oregon with him, but found that he needed to take Jemma as well.  Since it would be inappropriate for her to live with this bachelor, it was agreed that they would marry... in name only.  This was done purely for the sake of the children, and because Thane's brother left absolutely nothing for Jemma in his will.  Seemed strange that he had done that, leaving this lovely lady with nothing after she had spent years of her life raising his children.  But we realize why as the story unfolds.

The banter between Jemma and Thane left me chuckling from time to time as their immediate encounter left them appearing as total opposites.  She was a refined English Lady and he was a rough and rugged rancher.

Yes, it was somewhat predictable that they would fall in love, but the entire story of their journey back to the U.S. and this very proper English Lady settling in to life on a ranch with the dirt, mice, snakes and outhouse, was just so delightful that it made this story quite entertaining.

Shanna Hatfield created characters who were multi-dimensional and extremely likable.  The romance was sweet and clean and gave you tingles.  Yes, TINGLES!  The looks, the longing, the gentle touch... but it was all sweet and clean and left the rest to your imagination.

This was the first book I've read by this author, but I have another already sitting here in front of me.  Yes, I liked it that much! 

My Rating:

About the Author:

Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”

Convinced everyone deserves a happy ending, this hopeless romantic is out to make it happen, one story at a time. When she isn’t writing or indulging in chocolate (dark and decadent, please), Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller.

To learn more about Shanna or the books she writes, visit her blog http://shannahatfield.com or follow her on Facebook.