Review: A Sensible Arrangement by Tracie Peterson

My rating: 3 stars / I liked it

Synopsis from goodreads.com

Marty Dandridge Olson is a widow looking for a way out of Texas. Widower Jake Wythe has secured a job as a bank manager in Denver, only to discover that the bank board wants him to be a married man. With Texas in his roots, he advertises for a Lone Star bride, and Marty answers the call. They both agree they are done with romance and love and will make this nothing more than a marriage of convenience.
Marty works to carve out a new life in high-society Denver as Jake works to guide the bank through a collapsing economy. But when money goes missing at the bank and accounting discrepancies point to Jake, he must find a way to prove his innocence. Yet all he wants to do is go back to Texas and own his own ranch. Marty, on the other hand, owns a ranch–one she’s never told her husband about. She hates Texas because it represents the losses in her life. But as the couple grows closer and love begins to bloom, Marty realizes she needs to tell Jake the truth. Can she come to terms with the past and her anger toward God in order to make room for love?

My Review

I enjoy reading marriage of convenience stories. It puts the main characters in close quarters and unusual situations while they get to know each other and figure out how to do life together. This novel was a bit different in that Marty and Jake instantly get along well and are attracted to each other, but don't communicate or act on their feelings for a long time. They also don't spend much time together since Jake is so busy at work. The history of Colorado with the silver mining and financial collapse was interesting and highly focused on with Jake's involvement in the banking industry, but the book ended while that storyline was at a peak and felt like there was no resolution for their future plans. Since this is the first book in a series perhaps the author plans to continue where she left off.

(ARC provided via Netgalley for unbiased review)