Protecting the Colton Bride

Elle James

Sept 2015 · Harlequin

About this eBook

A cowboy's marriage of convenience may lead to a deadly honeymoon in the latest from New York Times bestselling author Elle James 

With his ranch in financial trouble, cowboy Daniel Colton makes the perfect proposal to Megan Talbot—a marriage of convenience to save his business and ensure she receives her inheritance. But spending night after night with the strawberry blonde beauty tests all boundaries of Daniel's self-control. And when a killer targets his new bride, vying for her estate, it sets off all of his protective instincts. Daniel refuses to trade his honeymoon for a funeral. Now it's a race against the clock to track down the culprit and protect the wife who's starting to be so much more to him than just a business partner.

Ratings and reviews

No cliffhanger, can be read as a standalone. This book is #4 in the Colton’s of Oklahoma series but it can be read as a standalone. I haven’t read any of the other books in this mini-series and I wasn’t lost at all reading this story. Daniel is the illegitimate son of Big J Colton and he has been living on the Lucky C Ranch since he was 10, after his mother died. His father and half-brothers have all accepted him as one of the family but his father’s wife has not. He has made his own way on the ranch by setting up a top-notch horse breeding program. Megan comes from a life of privilege but that’s not the life she wants to live. She moved away from her family in California so that she could be free to do what she wants to do. She began working for Daniel a few months ago, helping him with the breeding program. Megan’s father has threatened to sell off her precious horses if she doesn’t come home. She would like to buy them but she doesn’t have the money. She will inherit a trust fund from her grandmother but not until she is 30 or married; whichever comes first. Daniel needs to make a deal with another horse breeder so he can improve his breeding stock. The other breeder is reluctant to sell to him because of his heritage. Daniel and Megan strike a bargain to get married so that she can gain access to her trust fund and so that she can help boost his standing with the breeder he wants to buy from. Everything goes according to plan except that – yes, you guessed it – sparks fly between the two of them but neither will admit it to the other. An added complication is that someone seems to be trying to kill Megan. This story has sexy time (not graphic; it is a Harlequin), suspense and an engaging story. This was a quick read for me and a good way to pass a few hours without having to think too hard about complicated plot lines. Megan and Daniel are enjoyable characters to read about. I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sweet romance meets the realities of life in this intriguing addition to the Coltons of Oklahoma. I love the way that this marriage of convenience evolves, from beginning to where the novel ends. I also enjoyed the way that James doesn’t end the story with a sense of completion. I loved the feeling that these two were going to continue their HEA together. The main characters in this novel had me laughing and cringing in turn. Seeing Daniel come to grips with who he really is, which is more than simply a stereotype, was great. For those who’ve been following the series, it’s like all the pieces of his life are finally falling into place. For Megan, it seems like everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. The sense that these two will always be there for one another, even if they’ve yet to realise it, was a staple throughout the novel. When the rest of the Coltons rallied around them, James had a cast that fully captured my attention. This was a quick, sweet read with enough romance and suspense to keep me hooked. James has definitely created a welcome addition to the series. Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book, it had a nice pace to it so it wasn't too slow but it wasn't so fast that you felt out of breath going through it. The two main characters are really well developed, so much so that you don't have to read the other books in the series first. Usually I'm a stickler for reading books in order, I feel like you lose something if you don't but I'm happy to say in this case it was no hinderance at all. The story line was believable, the characters were great, the setting was beautiful. I love reading a book where you can almost feel like you are right there. Elle James uses very descriptive language that allows you to be right there with the characters. I think one of my favorite parts was the beauty of their flight through the mountains, it was hair raising and thrilling but you really get the majesty of the surroundings. I liked this book and am looking forward to checking out the others in the series.

About the author

Raised an Air Force brat, Elle James got her work ethic from her dad, creativity from mom and inspiration from her sister. As a member of the reserves, she's traveled, managed a career, and raised three children. She and her husband even raised ostriches and emus. Ask her what it's like to go toe-to-toe with a 350-pound bird! Former manager of computer programmers, Elle is happy to write full time in NW Arkansas.