Miss Bates went back and forth on several category romances for Wendy’s TBR Challenge January “short read” before settling on Christine Rimmer’s The Lawman’s Convenient Bride. No rhyme or reason why, except Rimmer is fast becoming a comfort read. The writing is solid and Rimmer always achieves a balance of humor and sentiment. She also really comes down strong on marriage and fidelity without being smarmy or righteous and The Lawman’s Convenient Bride certainly conveys this.

When the novel opens, sheriff-hero Seth Yancy is trying to stave off the president of the Justice Creek library association’s convincing argument in favour of his participation in a charity bachelor auction. From Seth’s opening thoughts, we learn that he has been celibate since a sad thing happened to him seven years ago. But community-minded, honourable, cannot-tell-a-lie Seth cannot resist the call of the library association cause and agrees, even though he’d do anything “to get out of being raffled like a prize bull.” In the meanwhile, he also learns, from this conversation, that the woman who was his deceased baby stepbrother’s lover is one month away from giving birth to his niece. This revelation brings Seth to heroine Jody Bravo’s flower-shop doorstep. They carry on a wary, if friendly conversation and responsibility-personified Seth convinces Jody to allow him to help her out and be a part of his step-niece’s life.

When Jody goes into labour while sundry brothers, sisters, and their wives and husbands are away, she calls on Seth, who gets her to the hospital and acts as her labour coach. Seth then moves in to help her out in the first few weeks of Marybeth’s life. Except he stays and … stays. Jody and he grow close: Jody recognizes all his caring, reliant ways. She is attracted to him. Seth likes her too. Their attraction, compatibility, genuine affection, and friendship see Seth propose to Jody and Jody accept. They think they have an understanding and everything in hand after they marry (promptly at the end of Marybath’s first month). But the heart will have its way and mess things up big-time. The lovely rhythm of Seth and Jody’s life – work, dinner, caring for Marybeth, sharing house and baby duties, then meeting in wild, scorch love-making – is disturbed by the desire for something more than a “convenient marriage”.

One of the novel’s most attractive aspects is how Jody and Seth’s past relationships come to bear on their future as husband and wife. This is the crux of what causes rifts and conflict in their relationship. Rimmer avoids the romance tendency to make mommy-and-daddy issues the cause of Jody and Seth’s marriage-in-trouble. Instead, she builds a great character in Seth by making him a man whose natural propensity is for the comforts of fidelity and marriage: ” ‘I don’t believe in sex outside of marriage – or without love, at least. Preferably both.’ ” Miss Bates thought Seth’s primness, his probity, was his most attractive aspect. But Rimmer did something interesting when she also made it the source of his betrayal.

Rimmer created a heroine who sees through Seth’s emotional barriers and calls him on each one. Jody is as likeable as Seth. She owns her feelings and needs. She’s forthright with others and honest with herself. Miss Bates likes that Rimmer’s heroes and heroines don’t play games and their relationships, while hurt and loss are present, work out so smoothly and well. At the same time, that is what makes the narrative stall in places, with the very ordinariness of life for two reasonable people who maturely work out their problems! Despite MissB’s quibble, Rimmer is, like Maisey Yates and Kate Hewitt, one of MissB’s comfort reads. The Lawman’s Convenient Bride is, to quote Miss Austen, “real comfort,” Emma.

Christine Rimmer’s The Lawman’s Convenient Bride is published by Harlequin Books. It was released in April 2017 and may be found at your preferred vendors. Miss Bates received an e-ARC from Harlequin Books, via Netgalley.

Wow, what a read. We meet Jody, a woman who owns a flowershop in town. We meet her sisters and cousins and brothers. We meet Seth, the local Sheriff. When he is having lunch one day in a local restaurant, a bombshell is dropped on him. What is it and what does it do to him? Where does he go from there? What does he do? It is so fun watching Seth make a pest out of himself and not take no and I'm fine for an answer. When Seth is roped into doing a bachelor auction at a local town park event to raise money for the library, what happens? There are some real ups and downs in this book. Some parts that made me cry, some parts that made me spitting mad (almost literally), and then other parts that made me cheer and cry in happiness. Definitely a book worth reading to find out what happens! I look forward to reading more books from this author.

RECEIVED THIS BOOK AS A GIFT FOR A FAIR/HONEST REVIEW and REVIEWER FOR Bloggin' With M. Brennan.

It was well written but it lost me because yet again, we have a Hero who is still obsessed/mourning his past love/soulmate and it took so long for him to get past it that when he finally did, it just fell flat for me. He was also pushy and I wish Jody had told him to get lost!

Life is strange – certain events seem to set paths for people and if they don’t take the necessary steps those paths will be set in granite. Kind of like fighting an uphill battle. But for some they seem settled in the path set for them and that’s somewhat sad.

In THE LAWMAN’S CONVENIENT BRIDE Christine Rimmer’s theme seems to be taking control of your life – taking hold of the reins and choosing which path to ride down. Happiness is waiting in the balance. And you never know where love will pop up – wouldn’t it be a shame to travel with blinders on – missing a very special opportunity.

Sheriff Seth Yancy has made his job the centerpiece – focus – of his life. He has long ago decided having a family was not in his future. But that didn’t mean that Seth thought family wasn’t wonderful – it just wasn’t in the cards. It was as if he hadn’t caught anyone’s eye when in fact he had a fan club of local women vying for his attention. But he wasn’t interested – he wouldn’t/couldn’t date any local woman. Just wouldn’t be right and Sheriff Seth was all about right. Which was one of the reasons Seth fought the good fight to avoid getting hooked into being one of the 15 Justice Creek single guys being auctioned off at the local library function.

Are you ready to meet Sheriff Seth Yancy? Seth is absolutely one of the most romantic men you’ll ever meet in literature. Totally sigh worthy.

Jody and Seth deserve a break. Both had basically written off any hope for a real loving family life. Jody and Seth were okay with a wonderful friendship that evolved from being thrown together by the birth of Marybeth. Marybeth is the baby girl created by a very brief hook up between Jody and Nick. Nick – Seth’s deceased younger step brother. Complicated relationships don’t have much luck going for them but somehow you will definitely root for this one.

Christine Rimmer makes me smile and sometimes even laugh out loud I must admit. That’s why I grab up anything written by this talented, entertaining and prolific author. Reading should be entertaining – curling up with a good read, a cup of coffee and comfy throw – well that’s living. Christine Rimmer does it so well and THE LAWMAN’S CONVENIENT BRIDE is just another example of why she is a fan favorite.

Honestly I wasn't into this book. Yancy was pushy and I just didn't like him. Then over time I was okay with him but just didn't like his character. Jody didn't need to deal with his pushy butt, I get that she seems like an independent women but she could've just told him to back off and leave her be at sometimes. Other then that connection between the two was okay. I didn't like how they just jumped the gun when it came to the marrying part. I mean they should've waited and gave it time and why would she even marry a man who wouldn't say that he loves her? I dont know the book was good but I just wasn't into the different situations that occurred.

Unlikely love takes us on a rollercoaster of emotions in Christine Rimmer's latest! Very relatable characters bring this story to life. We are taken into the heart of what it's all about very quickly, and then we get some additional development to the story as we find out more about their past experiences and relationships. I think you'll find yourself rooting for that happily-ever-after right along with me by the time the end rolls around!

Sheriff Seth Yancy is equally shocked and delighted when he finds out that Jody Bravo will soon be giving birth to his step-brother's baby. His little brother was the apple of his eye, and Seth was devastated when he was killed several months back. To hear that a piece of him will live on pleases Seth to no end, and he wants to make sure he's a part of it!

Florist Jody Bravo is a hard-working, self-reliant woman, and she likes to feel like she has everything under control. She wasn't planning on a baby right now, but she's happy enough with the timing and believes she's ready to be a Mom. When Seth comes to see her, she reluctantly agrees to keep him up-to-date with how she's doing until the baby is born ... but as he's a virtual stranger to her, it all feels a bit odd.

Seth eases himself into her inner realm anyway, and she has to admit that he's there for her when she needs him, and she's actually liking having him in her life. When attraction rears it's head, how will they pursue a relationship to go along with this ready-made family? Past secrets live in between them, but will they get all they ever wanted by simply believing?

what a sweet story. I really enjoyed this and how love bloomed between them. I also liked that the story was about them without sub characters sharing the spot light

After burying his half brother Nick, Sheriff Seth Yancy becomes aware that Nick was going to be a dad...with one of the wild Bravo women, Jody to be exact.....just one more problem, after having been dragooned into being a prize in the Bachelor Auction set to raise money for the library.
Seth confronts Jody, only to find out she thought he already knew and didn't want anything to do with them.
Jody is strong and independent, but Seth wants desperately to help and be a part of the child's life. After a rough start they become close and then closer yet, he is there for the babe's birth and moves into her home to help out.
He doesn't want to feel love, because of the pain of loss and she won't accept less after a ;ot of soul searching.
Nicely woven tale of family connections and the power of love to overcome fear.
Part of the Bravos of Justice Creek series.
I requested and received an ARC copy for my honest opinion.