I tried with this series but think the setting is just not right for me. It just doesn’t capture my attention and feels patronizing at times.

The emotional side of this book is deep and beautiful. I cried once and got teary 3-4 times. Especially the ending oh it tugged at my heartstrings! And not to mention the absolutely amazing ending! Loved reading it.

This one was an interesting one. It's a historical western, and now I want to go back and read the first one. Morgan McBride was burdened by responsibility younger than he wanted, but stayed home rather than on the trail like he had been.
Pip is someone who doesn't see her worth. She has had a string of narrow minded people who made her feel small despite her tall, curvy figure.
These two were the perfect storm of needing each other, and wanting each other. They have a combative kind of chemistry, because they are both stubborn.
The writing was amazing, and I absolutely enjoyed myself here.

Title: "Marrying Off Morgan McBride" by Amy Barry - A Genre Mismatch

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

I had the chance to read an advanced reader copy of "Marrying Off Morgan McBride" by Amy Barry, but regrettably, I was not the right audience for this particular genre.

The novel explores the world of romance and relationships, delving into the life of the protagonist, Morgan McBride, as she navigates the complexities of love and marriage. However, as someone who doesn't typically gravitate towards this genre, I found it challenging to engage with the story.

While I appreciate the appeal of romance novels for many readers, I struggled to connect with the characters and the plot. The themes and tropes common in the genre were not to my personal taste, and this influenced my reading experience.

I believe that fans of romantic fiction will likely find "Marrying Off Morgan McBride" more to their liking, as it follows the conventions of the genre. Nevertheless, it was not a suitable match for my reading preferences.

I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to access this advanced reader copy, even though the genre was not a suitable fit for me.

I freaking love every book in this series. The banter, the family relationships and the slow burn of the romance. The western background is a different kind of setting for me and after binging yellowstone this is exactly what I needed. It takes out the seriousness but keeps the charming setting and the grumpy homesteaders.

I love this series! Such unique storytelling for historical romance, especially with Junebug's hilarious narration. The western setting is very atmospheric.

The strength and determination of both Pip and Morgan are great. The raw grieving and conflict in Morgan is incredibly well done. And his relationship with Junebug is so heartfelt. It was fantastic to see Pip grow to believe in herself and be her own advocate - it made the romance so much better.

I'm really hoping to see more of this series!

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Junebug strikes again - this time finding Epiphany (Pip) for her oldest brother Morgan. However, Morgan has no intentions of being a husband and intends to leave town immediately. Refusing to go home a spinster, she enlists the help of her grandmother and Junebug to find Morgan McBride.

I liked Pip more than I liked Maddy, so I liked this better than the first one. I liked this one, and I’m definitely excited to read about the future McBride mail-order brides.

This series is legit a pure blast. I couldn’t wait for Morgan’s story and it did not disappoint. Junebug is once again meddling in the love life of her brothers. This time it’s Morgan’s turn.
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Epiphany is on the brink of spinsterhood until she answers the mail order bride call. She leaves with her grandmother in tow to set out to Buck’s Creek where once again a brother has no clue a wife is on the way. I loved these two together and I adored her grandmother. Junebug may be the ultimate meddler but one things for sure she does get it right sometimes.
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This is a historical fiction that is seriously just plain fun and I cannot wait for the series to continue.
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Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Junebug McBride is at it again in advertising for a mail order bride for her oldest brother Morgan. It was such a fun book to read and enjoy. Marrying off Morgan McBride is the second book in the McBrides of Montana series and I have to hand it to her talent at using the same trope and making it fresh and entertaining. Junebug is tired of being the cook and housekeeper for her brothers and places an ad for Morgan’s bride who will keep him home in Bucks Creek, Montana. Morgan came home 6 years ago and has been raising his younger brothers and sister after their mother died. He is seeing the end in sight of his responsibility now that his one brother is married and there is a woman around to help raise Junebug. When Epiphany ‘Pip’ Hopgood answers the ad, she packs up horse and chickens to leave Nebraska and hopes Morgan is the answer to her prayers. Pip has been unlucky with arranged marriages and she feels this is her last chance to get married, and jumps at the chance to get to Montana with her Granny Colfax in tow.

This was an action-packed story from beginning to end, and the hijinks that Morgan and Junebug put their family through was funny and a definite page turner. Morgan was surprised that Junebug once again ordered a bride for him but he wasn’t counting on his attraction to Pip. Pip felt she be a good fit for Morgan if only given a chance. When it pushes her to the brink she finds the gumption to follow him before he gets on the cattle trail. The whole cast of characters, especially Granny Colfax, are deeply involved in this marriage position and even a surprise that makes it even better. I loved this story and the emotional letters written were heartfelt and teary-eyed. Marrying off Morgan McBride is one of the best books I’ve read this year and I’m looking forward to the competition heating up with brother Beau.

Thank you @berkleyromance @berkleypub & @prhaudio for my gifted digital and audio copies. My thoughts are my own.
#penguinrandomhousepartner

A year ago I read and thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series, KIT MCBRIDE GETS A WIFE, so when book 2 came out, I knew I had to read it!

MARRYING OFF MORGAN MCBRIDE is a historical romance that takes place in the Wild West. It is full of laughs, truly lovable characters, and a unique storyline. Told primarily from the perspectives of Junebug and Pip, this one will leave you wanting to read the stories of the other brothers.

BRIEF SUMMARY:
Junebug is at it again! Overwhelmed by taking care of her big brothers, she knows she needs to marry them off so someone else can take care of them. She successfully found a mail-order bride for her brother Kit, now it’s time to work on Morgan. Of course, Morgan is unaware that Junebug is wife-finding again! Junebug places another ad:

“Wife for a bullheaded backwoodsman with a surfeit of family. A secretly gumptious woman with a mind of her own and bit of backbone is required for wifely duties. Must be able to soothe a fractious temper and not expect cosseting. But he will mend your boots and give you unwanted advice. And he has it in him to make you laugh—mostly not on purpose. Bad cooks need not apply.”

Who would answer such an ad? Pip (short for Epiphany) is low on self-esteem and desperate to marry. When she shows up to answer the ad, she REFUSES to be turned away! And the fireworks begin!

Read (or listen to) this if you enjoy:
*Unique and lovable characters
*A fun storyline
*Lots of laughs

Junebug is at it again but now the mail-order bride is for her oldest brother Morgan who has no idea what is in store for him. As a continuing book, I enjoyed Morgan and his roller coaster ride. I did think there was a little more swearing and not enough build up between Morgan and his new bride. The grandmother was great though. Needless to say I am looking forward to the next part of this series.

I LOVE THIS SERIES, I LOVE AMY BARRY, I LOVE THIS WORLD YEE HAW 🤠 perfection, this was so funny, charming & that touch of spice?!?! I see you Amy 👀🫠

I NEED other books to be announced in this series ASAP, please?!?!?! I AM OBSESSED

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC of this title.

Overall, this was a fun romance, and a nice continuation of the series. Nothing outstanding, but enjoyable.

I did a special feature on this series last summer and at that time thought it sounded like such a fun series. I am not normally one for western romances, but I loved that the author had a promising modern voice and I thought she might add that as a special twist to western historical romances. The first book had a lot of positive feedback and fans so when this one came up for review, I knew I had to somehow fit it into my summer review schedule.

I have to say, I think the show Yellowstone has brought out a little bit of cowboy lover in all of us which is one of the reasons this book appealed to me—-even if this book is a historical romance, the rugged cowboys are in abundance in this book so I feel like it ticked a lot of boxes for reader appeal. I also liked that it promised some humor, I love romances that are light hearted and make me laugh, so to say I was excited for this one was an understatement.

I was so certain that I would love this book that I ordered the first one in the series so I could have it on standby. Since I hadn’t read the first book, I went into this one blind, I would say no need to read the other book before this one but there are some characters that make a reappearance from the first book. I will go back and read the first book a little later this summer so I will be sure to update this review if that does not hold true.

Summary

The McBride brothers are in for a matrimonial surprise when an enterprising woman answers their little sister’s mail order bride advertisement in this laugh-out-loud historical romance.

As the oldest of the McBride siblings, Morgan had to be protector and shepherd since Ma died and Pa ran off. It hasn’t always been easy, especially when his heart longs to roam on the trail. But now that his brother Kit is married and settled, the time is right for Morgan to leave Buck’s Creek. Little does he know that his hellcat of a little sister Junebug is dead set on keeping him at home and getting more help around the house – all with one honest advertisement in The Matrimonial News.

Epiphany Hopgood has always had a gift for doing the exact wrong thing. She’s too tall, too loud, too opinionated, and too contrary for her family and community. Staring down the barrel of spinsterhood, she and her grandmother answer a seemingly straightforward ad for a bride.

But when Pip shows up to Buck’s Creek, she finds that Morgan McBride is not the husband she expected. In fact, he doesn’t even want to be a husband. But maybe there’s a way to make everyone happy out on the Montana frontier… (summary from Goodreads)

Review

If you are looking for a book that is heavy on the historical element or more serious in nature, then keep looking. But if you like a cute, comical romance with fun characters and a western flair then you want to check this one out! I went into this one with little expectations other than reading a fun HEA and romance. I didn’t expect to learn much about history—-which was the case—-but that wasn’t a deal breaker for me. This book is meant to be relaxing fluff which was exactly what I was hoping for, for my early summer reading. That’s not to say this book is just pure fluff and nothing else—it did have some heart and well developed characters, it just wasn’t heavy on the history. Overall though this book was lighthearted and had a nice mix of romance and characters.

In this book I felt like Junebug kind of stole the show as a character. The main couple was supposed to be Morgan and Epiphany “Pip” but for me Junebug was the one who stood out as the breakout character. The book focuses quite a bit on Junebug as a character which was surprising considering she is supposed to be a supporting character, but it was fun getting to know her and seeing her evolve as a character in her own right. Personally though I would have liked to have seen the focus on Morgan and Pip more than on Junebug. This book did have some spice to it. I know some readers of the first book said that the first book was more ‘clean’ while this one had a lot more innuendo and sex. It personally didn’t bother me but I know that some might not be expecting that. I thought it was fine and for me, it wasn’t ‘raunchy’ but fit well within the steam rating of traditional romances.

The only thing I will say about the emphasis on the sexual part is that Morgan and Pip felt more of a physical attraction to me rather than an emotional attraction. Stylistically, I felt like this was more of a preference thing, I like my romances to have more emotional attachments than physical but overall I didn’t feel like there was NO emotional connection, just not as much as I was expecting. Overall though this is a fun book and I am eager to read the other book in the series and see where the books go moving forward. I think this is going to be a really fun series of frontier or ‘cowboy’ romance and it was a great read for summer!

Book Info and Rating

Format 336 pages, Paperback

Published May 30, 2023 by Berkley Books

ISBN 9780593335598 (ISBN10: 0593335597)

Free review copy provided by publisher, Berkley Books, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Genre: historical romance, romance, western

It's kind of tricky to review this book. I loved Kit McBride Gets a Wife, the first book in this series, so much. The outrageous characters, the setting, the premise, it was all so fun and unique.
This time, we have Junebug up to her antics again, trying to marry off her oldest brother, Morgan. Although that premise is identical to the first book, the characters are still fresh and new and Junebug is spunky than ever, perhaps moreso as she swears much more strongly and more often than she ever did in the first book..
Epiphany Hopgood and her Granny are vivacious, lovable characters. Morgan is a broody, stubborn, grump who is still lovable despite his best efforts to be gruff and standoffish.
The story moved quicker than the first book, so I felt like the author had hit her stride in pacing the story.
The only thing that kept me from making this an easy 5 star read was that the abrupt change in spice level from the first book to this is intense.
If sex scenes aren't your thing, hold on to your hats, as this book gives readers lots of hard nipples, swirling tongues, various plunging body parts, swollen breasts, and oral sex. (Amongst other things!) An increase in heat is one thing, but this series went from zero to sixty, which I think will be a turnoff to readers who enjoy clean, quirky, romance like the first book.
Although it was a jarring juxtaposition within the series, it's still a fun book with more outrageous characters in a vivid setting. Just be prepared that book 1 did not set the overall tone for the whole series.

Sandy M’s review of Marrying Off Morgan McBride, McBrides of Montana, Book 2) by Amy Barry
Historical Romance published by Berkley 30 May 23

This is my first book by Amy Berry, and I have to say, I had one riproarin’ time in Buck’s Creek, Montana with Junebug McBride and all her brothers.


This is the second time Junebug has bitten off a little more than she can chew when it comes to finding wives for her two older brothers. Kit, who is now happily married, is the first in the series to have to deal with his younger sister’s antics. This time around, it’s Morgan, who is going to be looking down the barrel of a shotgun as soon as Junebug learns he has decided to go back to his wandering ways of yore that he enjoyed so much before the death of their parents. He’s given his all to raise his siblings all these years, so now it’s his turn to do what he wishes.

Epiphany Hopgood is having a time of it. Finding a husband has been more difficult than it should be, even when she’s settling for a man she wouldn’t normally look at twice, because no one else wants her contrary self in matrimony. She and her grandmother, who is a hoot all of her own, answer an ad for a mail-order bride and make their way to Montana and Pip’s new life.

Only thing is, Pip’s supposed frontier husband wants nothing to do with a wife. Chuckling and outright laughter ensues as Pip learns exactly how she has been bamboozled by an overworked sister, who now enjoys the fact Pip is a great cook. Thus, Junebug won’t be the one having to tackle that chore any longer.

Just when you think Morgan is truly on the path he wants his life to take and Epiphany is reanalyzing her life back home, everything comes together just so between them. I enjoyed getting to know these characters and will probably visit Buck’s Creek once again in the future.

Grade: B+

This book was absolutely lovely! I so enjoyed getting to head back to Buck’s Creek and visit the McBride family again. I truly loved Kit’s book, but I loved Morgan’s even more. The cast is delightful, and I I loved every minute of getting to see where they are a few months after the events of book one. I absolutely cannot wait to read Beau’s story!

Read if you love:
- a quirky cast
- laugh out loud moments
- small town setting
- historical romance
- great steam
- truly lovable characters

Yeah this series is just not for me. I don’t know what it is but I just can’t get into it and at some point I completely lose interest, which is a bummer because I was hoping to love it. But I’m glad I tried it out!

Marrying Off Morgan McBride is a great addition to The McBrides of Montana series! Morgan is such a loveable grump and I truly enjoyed seeing him get his happy ending. The romance was adorable, Junebug is hilarious as always, and the overall story is heartwarming and swoon-worthy. I really hope we get more in this series because it's just so much fun!

You are going to fall in love with the McBrides of Montana!

My favorite McBride is Junebug, the sassy and precocious younger sister of the four McBride brothers. After ordering up a bride for her brother Kit in the first installment of the series, she is at it again for her brother Morgan.

Morgan’s potential bride is Epiphany (Pip), which is the best character name I have read in a long time! Pip arrives at the McBride Montana ranch with her granny; Junebug and granny provide some of the most hilarious dialogue. The plot did lag a little bit in spots and it left me wanting a little more Morgan and Pip content. I am glad that this book is a little steamier than the first book–give me all the steam!

I recommend you give this western historical romcom a try!