BOOK REVIEW- COVETED BRIDE

 
Do arranged marriages still happen? 

For Lindsey Buchannan, yes. Everything was kept in her husband's name, giving him full control of all they owned. And upon his death-bed, he exposed his plan for his family's future. Lindsey has two months to marry Keaton Durham, a man willing to win her heart, or she'll lose her trusts and home to a charity.
Determined to make it on her own, Lindsey rejects the idea immediately. But when a drug-addicted family member threatens her children for the sake of money, the young widow's left with little choice but to turn to Keaton. His steadfast devotion and love for her children weaken her defenses. As she struggles to calm the romantic notions of her heart, suspense builds when drug paraphernalia is found planted in her van. Keaton vows to protect them but even love can't defy logic–no one can be there all of the time.

This christian contemporary novel was written not only to entertain, but to build one's confidence after living under emotional abuse. If you enjoy this bargain book, look for others by Regina Tittel. 
  AMAZON   5 STARS

I loved this story.  As the story unfolds the reader gets a better idea of just how controlled Lindsey's life has been.  What a selfish, judgmental man she was married to.  Mike worked hard but he sure was self-absorbed and when you get to meet his parents, it helps to show where his need to control came from.  He inherited it!
I grew to really like both Lindsey and Keaton a lot.  His parents and his sister Lucy added a lot of warmth to the story.  Of course the kids were delightful, as they were different from each other.  Distinct personalities and a couple of kids coming from a different situation.  I'm not going to say more because I don't to give away too much of the story.  
I started pulling for Keaton pretty early on even though Lindsey's late husband sure made things harder for him.  In more ways than one.  I liked that Keaton did not appreciate being called charming because to him that seemed like a negative.  Something that when used could be manipulative and was the opposite of character.   He definitely was a man of honor and kindness.  He went the extra mile with others. 
Threats come from a family member but it also causes other problems as well.  You could almost feel the weight on Lindsey's shoulders as she tried to figure out what to do about her feelings about Keaton.  She also has to deal with the resentment of her late husband trying to control her from the grave.  If you are looking for twists and turns and an action story, this book has it.  It also is a clean reading story.  
There is some scripture and God influence in the story but please do not let that scare you if you are not a Christian,it was a good story.  One that I thought was done in a way that did NOT cram God down a persons throat and did not take over the whole story.  It did show though that there is help to overcome emotional abuse.  
I see that there is another book in the Series called, "Cherished Stranger".  It caught my attention because it's a story with Lucy in it.
I'll be looking for that book because this book only dipped a toe into her story.  And I'm curious because I liked her in this one. 



I really liked the author's note at the end of the book.