Review: 'The Marriage Pact' by Linda Lael Miller (2014)

Ten years ago, Hadleigh Stevens was eighteen and this close to saying "I do," when Tripp Galloway interrupted her walk down the aisle. Now that she's recovered from her youthful mistake and Tripp's interference, Hadleigh and her single friends form a marriage pact. She doesn't expect Tripp to meddle with her new plan to find Mr. Right—or to discover that she's more attracted to him than ever! 
Divorced and eager to reconnect with his cowboy roots, Tripp returns to Bliss County to save his ailing father's ranch. He's not looking for another wife—certainly not his best friend's little sister. But he's never been able to forget Hadleigh. And this time, if she ends up in his arms, he won't be walking away!
As part of the review team over at Chick Lit Club, I received the chance to read and review the first part of Linda Lael Miller’s new book series ‘The Bliss County Brides’, ‘The Marriage Pact.’ I have to admit, I hadn’t heard of Linda Lael Miller before and after doing some research on the Internet, I’m quite surprised about that. She’s a best-selling author who has written over 100 books (wow!), mainly contemporary and historical romances, and is widely known for her western romances. I was delighted to get the chance to be introduced to Linda Lael Miller’ work, and looked forward to checking out ‘The Marriage Pact’!
Hadleigh Stevens and her two best friends Melody and Becca are all three still looking for the perfect man in their lives. Together, they decide to make a marriage pact, vowing they will help each other to find a suitable husband. When Hadleigh was just 18, she was about to marry but her wedding was ruined by Tripp Galloway, her brother’s best friend, who ran into the church and carried her out over his shoulder, without a word. Hadleigh knows Tripp prevented her from making the biggest mistake of her life, but she still holds a grudge against him. Now, ten years later, a divorced Tripp is back in town to help his stepfather to run the family ranch. It doesn’t take long before Hadleigh and Tripp bump into another, and even though Hadleigh just wants to stay as far away as possible from Tripp, she can’t ignore the chemistry that’s still there between the two of them...
‘The Marriage Pact’ is the first part of the Bliss County Brides series and a great start which only made me more curious about the other books that are still to come. I loved the scene setting and the cast of characters. The book is set in the small town of Mustang Creek in Bliss County, Wyoming, where main character Hadleigh Stevens has her own quilt shop. Throw in a marriage pact with her best friends, and a handsome leading man who returns to the town after a decade, and you’ve got yourself the set-up for a great romance story. I immediately liked Hadleigh and her friends, and the chemistry between Hadleigh and Tripp was impossible to ignore, resulting in me crossing my fingers for them to get together from the first few pages of the book.
I personally wouldn’t have minded if the book had been a bit longer and the story had focused on some more details, mainly because I loved the plotline and the characters. However, this book is what it promises to be: a laid-back and sweet romance read. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole atmosphere created in the novel and I definitely look forward to the next part in the series. ‘The Marriage Pact’ is an easy-to-pick-up and fun romance read which I thoroughly enjoyed. I’m glad I was introduced to Linda Lael Miller this way and look forward to reading more of her work in the future! Rating:

8,0/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.