AN UNWILLING HUSBAND by TERA SHANLEY (May 5, 2014 Release)

Margaret Flemming returns to the only place she truly ever felt was a home to her, following the death of her mother. Texas bound from Boston, where she lived under the ruling thumb of her disagreeable, uptight and insulting aunt, Maggie hopes her "father" will be happy to see her after so many years. Not able to live comfortably in the West, Maggie's mother retreats to the comforts of Boston society, taking her daughter away from the kindest man she could ever call father and her best friend, a young Garret Shaw.

Now years later, Maggie is back, but her happiness is short-lived when she comes across a much altered Garret Shaw, who is cynical and angry, he doesn't even recognize Maggie, which cuts her in two. Tragedy strikes when an accident takes Maggie's beloved father away from her almost as soon as she arrives and she is left alone. 

When the cold Garret informs Maggie that they will immediately be married,  he gives her orders on which dress to wear for the wedding ceremony which takes place the day after Maggie's father dies. In defiance, Maggie wears a red dress, because no one is going to tell her what to do, especially after she ran from Boston to get away for that over-bearing aunt. Deep down inside, marriage to Garret is all she ever wanted since she was a little girl. She compared every man she ever came across to him, but when faced with the extremely bossy and ornery Garret, she is taken aback and doesn't know what to do. 

Garret is sure than when the going gets tough, Maggie will get going, much like she did back when they were childhood friends. His mistrust of her intentions causes such a rift, but Maggie is determined to prove Garret wrong, and with the help of her new Indian girlfriend Lenny, who takes Maggie under her wing and shows her what it takes to get Garret to respect her.

AN UNWILLING HUSBAND by Tera Shanley had me rooting for the underdog named Maggie from the first. Garret put the blame on her for leaving him high and dry, like she didn't have a mother who put her on a train back to Boston. Maggie Shaw shows her husband a lesson or two that make him take notice, and when the male townsfolk take even more notice of the saucy redhead, steam starts to flow from Garret. I really enjoyed this story, it was nothing I ever expected with it's twists and turns. This is the first book I have had the pleasure of reading by author, Tera Shanley and it won't be the last.

~KIMBERLY~