Finally His Bride

The trouble with these novellas is that I want more! I really enjoyed this book. I was hoping that Luke's story was going to be good after first meeting his character in Bride By Mistake, but it was great.

My only disappointment was that I wanted to see how Luke and Beckett resolved their issues. I wanted to see the two best friends being best friends again.

Both Luke and Melanie have lived with fear and disappointed and it was this fear holding them back from seeing each other as more than friends. There was nothing forced or unreal about how these two characters finally come together. It is a sweet romance with a lovely ending.

Shorter than I expected. Despite the length, the relationship had time to grow and develop. It helped that the couple had been friends for years. I would seek out other books in the series.

It took me a while to realise this is the continuation (sort of) of Nicole Helm's Bride by Mistake, and that Luke Shuller's story runs concurrently with his sister Kaitin's one. 'Finally His Bride' focuses on Luke's own storm in a teacup as he deals with the fallout from the double whammy of his best friend's supposed betrayal and Kait's pregnancy by the same bad boy. But he further muddies the cesspool he's found himself in by sleeping with his best friend Melanie under the rather delusional rationale of needing to keep her from meaningless hook-ups as she seeks to gain control of her own life and lose her V-card.

Given the brevity of the book, I'm pleasantly surprised at how much depth Maisey Yates manages to squeeze into the pages as she draws you closer into her characters’ backstories and carefully uncovering their thoughts and feelings in a way that’s vivid and revealing. So much so that I thought that Melanie was the star of the show (much more than Luke) when she emerges as a born survivor, and I found her extremely likeable for the sheer grit and awareness she shows in admitting her own flawed thoughts regarding sex and relationships and later, for putting herself out there when all Luke wants to do is remain in denial.

As far as novellas go, 'Finally a Bride' takes the easy way out to its HEA; it isn't particularly revelatory or terribly atypical when it comes to its characters. Yet, I could appreciate the slight subtleties and little nuances that Ms Yates has injected into its pages (or maybe psychoanalysis somehow turns me on) and for that alone, I'd call it an hour (that was all it took to finish it) well spent.

Loved this one! An amazing friends to lovers story that was sweet, sexy, and heartwarming. Great characters make this a book you will definitely want to read!

Melanie has always lived her life a bit timid, fearful, and always trying to stay below the radar. She's decided she needs to change that! When Luke, her best friend, finds her in a bar trying to pick up a man he loses it a little. And when she tells him her plan to change her life he is convinced he is the only one who can help her with that!!

Finally His Bride by Maisey Yates was a really quick read. The story is about Luke Shuller and Melanie Richards. When Luke goes to the bar and catches his best friend Melanie Richards dressed for a night on the town and being pawed at by a drunk cowboy he steps in to save her. However, he soon finds out she doesn’t want to be saved, but rather is out in search of being normal and having a one night stand to lose her virginity.

From this point on things gets complicated between the two best friends and it was interesting to see how the situation of him trying to save her from a drunk leads to a pretend relationship and more. I liked Luke and Melanie’s banter and how they were comfortable around each other. They kind of made me think of Dawson and Joey from Dawson’s creek. I also liked that though Melanie has a hard and rough past, she is brave and strong. The author also lets us know their thoughts, feelings, and even gives us some of their backstory, which really helped me enjoy the characters more especially since the novella was short.

Overall, Finally His Bride was a great novella that I recommend. It’s an enjoyable friends to lovers story.

(Thank you to Maisey Yates, Tule Publishing, and NetGalley for the chance to read Finally His Bride for an honest review.)

Luke has always been something of a knight in shining armour and a control freak determined to protect everyone dear to him. Now his life is turning upside down and inside out as his sister is having a baby with his ex best friend who he believes has stolen money from their business. Going to Grey’s to drown his sorrows he finds his best friend Mel there with a real sleaze trying to make the moves on her. He comes, unasked for, to her rescue only to find she was there determined to lose her virginity! Can he resist his beautiful friend? Can he get his life back under control?

This story continues the saga from Nicole Helm’s ‘Bride by Mistake’ and concerns Melanie and Luke. I really think being aware of the characters and their development throughout this series makes it even more enjoyable. I’m still amazed at how well the authors of all the books in this series seem to portray the mutual characters in the stories, continuing to bring them to life and keeping their attitudes, behaviour and raison d’être consistent throughout their stories. This is a great addition to the series and I look forward to reading more in future!

Books in this series include:
The Fairy Tale Bride by Scarlet Wilson The Blushing Bride by Dani Collins Bride by Mistake by Nicole Helm Finally the Bride by Maisey Yates Kiss the Bride by Rachael Johns Two Nights with His Bride by Kat Latham

Thanks to the author, publishers and NetGalley, too, for letting me read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 - "I'm in the market to be taken advantage of." Stars.

The Montana Born Brides series goes from strength to strength with this contribution from Maisey Yates. Luke Shuller had quite a large part as a secondary character in book three (Bride by Mistake), and came over as a bit of an ass, so it was nice to get his story and understand who the guy really is and what motivates him.

"You're better than normal. You're you."

The 'Best Friends to Lovers' is a trope I always enjoy, and Maisey gave Luke and Melanie's story the perfect amount of sweet, sexy and drama. Luke to be honest is still a bit of an ass in Finally His Bride and the story that began between between his Sister Kaitlin and his best friend Beckett in book three still isn't really resolved, at the end of this book. I loved his over-protectiveness for the people he cared about, and as the book developed you understand why he is so bull headed about certain things.

Melanie was a great strong character too, and although she has a few lows in her past, she is moving on and going after the things she wants in her life.

"This is becoming a really bad habit."
"Yeah, but I've also discovered its really effective. So I'll probably keep doing it."

Only a couple of books left in the series now, as a whole it is creeping up my list of favourites with each addition to its numbers.

ARC generously provided via Netgalley, it was a pleasure to provide the above honest review.

Finally His Bride, written by bestselling author Maisey Yates, is the fourth book in the multi-authored Montana Born Brides and takes place around the same time as the events in the third book, Bride by Mistake by Nicole Helm. The two books are connected so I recommend that they be read in order so that the situation with Kaitlin Shuller and Beckett Larson, Luke Shuller's younger sister and his best friend, respectively, makes sense and can be put into proper context with what's going on with Luke here.

I'm going to be honest and admit that I did NOT like Luke in the third book because he came off as an absolute jerk when it came to Beckett. My opinion of him does improve a bit in this fourth book because now there's back story, but I still wish there was more of an effort to make amends with Beckett and that there was an actual apology for his terrible behavior. But okay, he wasn't such an evil guy, after all, and I'm glad he had someone like Melanie to help him see it was time to get his head out of his you-know-where.

This was a pretty fast read but it didn't feel overly rushed, especially since the events surrounding Luke and Melanie stemmed from the fact that they appeared to have feelings for one another for quite some time now, though Melanie was more aware of her own than Luke was of his for her. The author deserves kudos because she actually got me to not hate a character I had very negative feelings for before. If you're looking for a quickie this weekend, give Finally His Bride a whirl. I'm giving this fourth book four stars. ♥

Luke was certainly living in hell right now. His ex-best friend, ex-business partner Beckett knocked up his sister Kaitlin – and she seemed just fine with the entire situation! How Beckett felt after Luke’s fist punched his face might be another story. Luke just didn’t get any of it. And for tonight, he just wanted to get roaring drunk and pass out back in the motel. He was tired of trying to fix other people’s troubles. Except there was trouble in the flesh on the far side of Grey’s bar. Melanie, his friend, the lady he always cared about, protected… on the receiving end of some drunken cowboy’s advances. No way in hell was that going to happen. So Luke stepped in once again to “fix” things.

Melanie was tired of the virgin thing. She was a successful baker, known around the country for her fabulous wedding cakes. She had her own business and she was content with it if not truly happy. Mel was tired of being the scared little girl who’d been abused. She was tired of being protected, tired of looking in on relationships from the outside – but mostly tired of waiting for Luke to see her for the woman she now was. So if Luke wouldn’t pay attention then she’d find someone else to rid her of this pesky virginity and get on with living not waiting any longer. That was the plan until Luke showed up, scared away her cowboy and walked out of Grey’s with her on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Oh, he was in a heap of trouble now.

I was so happy to finally have Luke and Melanie’s story told. Admittedly, Luke came off as a hardass in Bride by Mistake (my review link), and I certainly wasn’t a huge fan of his – although I could tell he was in a lot of hurt himself and hoped his story would be told next. Not sure then if I felt he deserved his own happy ever after, but I felt for the guy on some level.

And I was right, in that there was a lot more to Luke than meets the eyes. I adored Melanie, she was tired of being afraid and took her bravery firmly in hand and went for what she’d always wanted – Luke. It took Luke a frustratingly long time to finally admit that he was being a jerk. Oh, he’d build walls and had reasons (read excuses) for how he behaved, but it took being hit full face with Mel’s love before he started to even begin to think he might need to give up some control over other people and start working on himself.

Finally His Bride is a story of coming face to face with yourself and being brave enough to change in order to get the absolute best out of your life. I’d recommend this one for long time love story readers, anyone who appreciates a happy ending for someone who up until the very last moment you aren’t sure if they deserve the happiness they are about to get. (maybe that’s a bit mean, but Luke was a first class ass for the majority of two novels – he only gets so much slack from me *grin*). Pick this one up and sit back and enjoy the journey. I sure did.

*I received an e-ARC of Finally His Bride from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*

~Any review is just one person’s opinion. You might feel the same or totally different. The only way to know for certain is for you to read it. This was my opinion of this particular book.~

Finally a Bride by Maisey Yates is a fun and sexy friends to lovers story!

I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Luke and Melanie have been best friends since childhood. Then one night Luke takes control of a situation and “rescues” Melanie, except Mel doesn’t see Luke as her rescuer but as a meddling jerk. Thus begins the not always smooth journey from best friends to lovers. The way to a happy ending is not always smooth for these two damaged souls, but it is poignant and realistic. And don’t forget the fun and sexy part, too. I understand Finally a Bride is book #4 in the Montana Brides series, but it is a stand-alone story and the first one I have read in the series. Something I tend to remedy!

Don’t miss Finally a Bride from the talented Maisey Yates.

In this short novella we are taken back to Marietta. The characters have been best friends for a long time. Melanie has always had feelings for Luke, but just as she is trying to move on he takes an interest. Can these two come together and make it work? I really loved this book and the whole series about these brides of Montana.

I was given a copy by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This story sort of started in Bride By Mistake, where we were introduced to Luke for the first time. I didn't like him then, I think he was acting really pompous and judgmental, when his sister and best friend were trying to find their way to happily ever after.
Well, at first, in this story Luke just went all out with his overbearing and chauvinistic behavior. But there was so much angst, disappointments, and fear behind that behavior. Because of his dyslexia, he had lived his life feeling like he doesn't measure up to his parents, he is constantly afraid to fail. And that causes him to act out, trying to control, protect and fix everything he could, he is afraid of change, ready to run out if things get difficult, because of the fear of failure. And with Mel, he has the opportunity to have it all. The connection between them is so open, honest, electric, and hot. The chemistry just off the charts. And it broke my heart a bit, the difficult road they had to take, the obstacles they had to face, the turmoil they had to go through, to be able to have it all, for Mel to be able to be finally his bride
~ Four Spoons

Loved this one! An amazing friends to lovers story that was sweet, sexy, and heartwarming. Great characters make this a book you will definitely want to read!

Melanie has always lived her life a bit timid, fearful, and always trying to stay below the radar. She's decided she needs to change that! When Luke, her best friend, finds her in a bar trying to pick up a man he loses it a little. And when she tells him her plan to change her life he is convinced he is the only one who can help her with that!!

3.5 stars!

Very cute, very sweet, and somewhat steamy friends-to-lovers romance. I thought the story was adorable and the chemistry between Luke and Melanie is palpable throughout the book. Their transition from friends to lovers wasn't contrived at all.

I wish this was longer though. I would have loved to get more depth out of the story and more fleshed out characters. But other than that, this was a good read overall.

Finally His Bride is the fourth book in the Montana Born Brides book and I absolutely loved it. Mel and Luke made a great couple and had been friends for years before they finally got together. One thing that also made this story so great was it went on at the same time as the previous book in this series, so it filled in a couple of gaps that weren't explained in Bride by Mistake. I found myself rooting for Mel and Luke from the beginning and was happy with the way everything turned out. It gets a must read from me along with 4.5 stars.

I enjoyed Finally His Bride (Montana Born Brides Book 4) by Maisey Yates, I really did, while finding that it hitting close to home. The males in my family behave exactly like Luke. He avoids his problems or at least his perception of problems while trying to fix his sister, Kaitlin and Melanie. More than one time I wanted to take him by the chin, look him in the eye and tell him that they were not broken. Thankful, Melanie did before it was too late or Luke would not have had a believable happily ever after.

A stubborn male and a long suffering female, sounds like real life. Melanie decides to take her destiny into her own hands. Maybe she doesn’t go about it the best way but at least she has a goal in mind. Luke is more drifting along so he needs to be shaken up. It was easy to become emotionally involved in their story, look back at wanting to take him by the chin. Long time author, Maisey Yates has taken a common enough bull headed male, and a female who refuses to live in victim mode and told a fabulous story.

One last note, this story fits so well with Montana Born Brides Book 3, Bride by Mistake. While the others in the series have the connection of the celebrity wedding that is supposed to happen in Marietta this one has the added connection of siblings. Two stories, two different authors but in perfect sync. Loved that.

4.5 stars

This is the fourth book in the series and I have read all of them. This is Luke and Melanie's story. I found it enjoyable but I really think you need to read book three in the series to fully appreciate this one. If you are looking for a quick enjoyable read then I recommend this book as well as the others in the series.

3.25 Standing Up to Your Fears Stars * * * 1/4

Finally His Bride felt more like an adjacent or extra novella to the third book, Bride by Mistake. This due to a couple of factors...

It carried over Luke who had a serious role in the third book.

Part of the storyline had the same scenes from that book, only from Luke's point of view with our added benefit of his additional story arc.
It was only 63 pages long.

However, what it did give was some very cute, funny moments and a love story of Friends to Lovers which worked.

The basic premise is these two best friends since childhood find themselves noticing they are attracted to each other BUT do not acknowledge it for different reasons, as well, as the main one- fear they will lose their friendship if they risk love.

Luke has always been protective of Melissa; she came from a very abusive family causing her to hide and retreat. She learned to stay in her careful environment developing her own cake business. She has become successful on her terms. She finally realizes 28 with no dating experience at all is not normal. She is on a quest to get laid at Grey's and is close to having a drunken Cowboy help her with her goal. Luke comes in, sees what she is wearing and doing. He flips out and quickly gets rid of the Cowboy. Frustrated by Luke blowing up her scheme, she lets the cat out of the bag... her desire to get laid...as she still has her VCard.

Side note- Marietta, Montana has a lot of older gals with VCards.....

As you figured out, Luke does not want to hear all of this or talk about it...But he does comeback to see Melissa after the booze has settled and offers up to be her "try out guy"...In his heart, he cannot let her be with someone who doesn't care for her. This way he can control the experience for her.

Once these two do get together, there is no stopping them except Asshat Luke. He just has so many issues of not believing in himself. His history makes it understandable to a degree... but there are times you want to just smack him.

Melissa was wonderful with Luke when they were in friend mode and she grew as a person realizing it was time to let fear go. She was quick witted and I enjoyed their banter.

The humor was strong in select moments used to defuse the tension and some of the best lines in the book came from these exchanges:

"I do not need protection from penises!"

"It's a penis, Luke, not a poisonous snake."

"Are you....saying you tried to give the lady softserve, Shuller?"

As you can see there were some fun moments for a shorty.There is one more of these stories coming with all the loose ends tying up perfectly in that Marietta, Montana Born way.

A gifted copy was provided by Tule Publishing via NetGalley for an honest review.

A sweet story with drama and heat mixed in that has readers tangled from start to finish.
3.5stars
*ARC received from the publisher

Luke's ex-best friend and business partner Becket Larson had made Luke's little sister Kaitlin pregnant. Luke had spent his entire life protecting her. Also Luke had accused Becket of theft. He was the only one with access to all the stuff in Shuller Automotive. Luke felt like a fool for trusting him. Melanie Richards was 28 and was the only friend Luke felt he had in the whole world. Melanie was damaged as she'd had an abusive father. He found Melanie in a bar, threw her over his shoulder, and took her out of the bar. Melanie had deep feelings for Luke and wanted to finally move on. Luke had told his parents he and Melanie were dating. Luke was the only man that made Melanie feel safe. Luke could be intense and single-minded. He tried to control everything since he had no control over his brain. He grew in this story and I enjoyed his journey. Melanie was a kind, caring, loyal and sweet person. She had some issues from her childhood but overcame them. She loved her grandmother and Luke. She also grew as the story progressed. This was a great plot and story. I highly recommend it.

I read this book merely days after finishing Bride by Mistake, which I really liked. I already wrote that I planned to read the other in the Montana Born Brides series and I was really happy to be approved for an ARC for the next one. Luke was a secondary character in Bride by Mistake and while he acts like an asshole, you feel there is so much more to him than that.

Luke is a control freak. He needs to control as much things, persons he cares about, events as he can. He's determined to fix every problems the people he cares about have and he's sure he has The way to go. He's not so keen on fixing his own problems. Melanie is his best friend, the equivalent of a little sister he needs to protect, even from himself. The problem is Melanie is tired of living life halfway, protecting herself and being protected. Luke has to deal with the fact that maybe, just maybe, he's the least likely to hurt her.

The MCs have a lot of bagages. Melanie comes from an abusing family. Luke has stupid - my word - parents who measure a person worth by the diplomas hung on the wall, something he doesn't have. The story is told in a way that you want to cuddle them and slap them behind the head to wake them up. It's like seeing your little sister and your little brother acting weird. You love them and want them to finally find the way to get it right. This story is sweet, sexy, great AND a friend-to-lover story, what's better than that?

Maisey Yates and Nicole Helm did a great job together in the multi-autor series. It's not my first foray in this kind of series, I'm actually addicted to them, but it's the first time I feel like there is a real desire to get it right. Some scenes feature in both Bride by Mistake and Finally His Bride and they are the same - not in the feeling and the pov but the dialogue is exatly the same. You feel like you finally get to see those moments from the pov of Luke, which is beyond great. I have to be up-front : I gave this book 5 stars, but it wouldn't be the case without the third book of the series. Nevertheless, as a stand-alone, it's still a 4 stars book, so don't worry. It wouldn't be as enjoyable, but still a fantastic book.

Melanie and Luke – friends forever, but destined for more? Luke befriends Melanie when she is a young girl and clearly living in a difficult home environment. He is her protector, confidant, and best friend, not to mention her long-time crush. He has only recently noticed Melanie as the beautiful, desirable woman she is. The thought of her spending intimate time with another man drives him crazy, but he knows that he isn’t even close to being good enough for her. As their chemistry together sizzles, he knows that he can’t give her forever, but what’s the harm in enjoying right now?

This book was enjoyable to read. Some humor plus some heat equals a nice way to escape for a few hours to that amazing place known as Marietta,

Thank you to the author and publisher for an ARC, from which this review is based, in exchange for an honest review.

'Finally His Bride' was a sweet, romantic and sometimes steamy story, I really enjoyed reading this one. Melanie and Luke have great chemistry and I loved all the moments where Luke decided to step in and make decisions for Melanie by simply throwing her over his shoulder : ) Although not a long book, I felt that the characters still had time to develop nicely. The storyline with Luke's friend Beckett and his sister Kaitlin is still unresolved, so I look forward to reading the next book in the series to see where that relationship came from and where the author will take it.

I think this was my favourite book so far it's nice to read about a rocky romance and a couple to stubborn to admit there feelings

Another great read by Maisey Yates!

Luke was a great hero. Strong, good looking, and just tortured enough to make him a be a bit brooding and in denial about what he wants :) thankfully, Mel pulled on her big girl panties and admitted she wanted more than friendship. I was so proud of her for telling him she would rather have nothing than not have it all! One day I hope to be that brave

ARC received for review

Very quick, cute, sweet romance about two best friends that become lovers. This one takes place at the same time as Bride by Mistake in which Luke's sister and his guy best friend, Beckett, hook-up. There's still no real resolution to Luke and Beckett's fight and that's what I was hoping for.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for a honest review.

I always enjoy reading friends to lovers stories, and this one totally hit the mark, it was a charming little romance story brimming with passion, desire, playful banter and plenty of blush worthy moments! The story line captivated my attention right away and had me flipping the pages just as quick as I could read through them. The chemistry between Luke and Melanie was off the charts, and I really appreciated the fact that the author created such a strong female character in Melanie, to go toe to toe against Luke's alpha male personality, I think it definitely made the story line more exciting. This was my first encounter with this authors work and I can tell you with complete certainty that it won't be my last! I highly recommend you make time to read this book, it will definitely satisfy all your reading needs... and then some!

Perfect mix of humor and heart!
This book had me cracking up! Yates perfectly captures the comfortable banter between two lifelong best friends who are trying to navigate the changes in their lives.
Poor Luke's life is spinning completely out of his control and he is not liking it one bit. His sister is pregnant with his ex-best friend's baby who happens to be the man he believes stole from him. The one thing he can count on is Melanie. Or so he thinks.
Melanie has decided she is sick of being the scared victim and has decided to put herself out there and move on with her life. Step 1: Losing her virginity. Things start going haywire when Luke interrupts her first attempt at doing just that.

The romance in this book was so sexy and sweet. The characters and relationships were believable and relatable. There were some super sweet moments and plenty of laugh out loud ones too. I can't wait to see what Yates brings next.

This is a truly wonderful sizzling hot friends to lovers story set in the small town of Marietta, Georgia and part of the Montana Born Brides series. Melanie and Luke have been friends ever since they were kids whose past have always played a part in how their present has been lived. But Melanie has always known that Luke will always be more than her best friend but he doesn't seem to want anything more than that. So deciding to finally lose her V card and truly liberate herself from her past she goes all out sexy and tries to pick up someone for a one night stand. Instead she picks up the last man she expects to take her up on her offer, Luke. Luke has always known that Melanie will always be his bestfriend, the one who will always be his constant. But when she starts letting it be known that she was ready to have a no strings attached relationship he suddenly finds himself offering to take her up on it. But he can't really afford to lose her and with his track record that's were its all headed. This is a great relationship story about two friends wanting to take their relationship a step further but is being held back by their perceptions formed when they were children. Luke feels like he will always be a failure because of his learning disability and that Melanie deserves way more than him. While Mel, surprisingly, doesn't believe in love or romantic love per se. These two just positively combusted in the bedroom and their friendship and closeness was so well written you suddenly wonder what's the hold up, why can't it possibly work. The way Ms. Yates tackles their emotional and psychological obstacles was so good that in the end you really can't blame either one on their very rocky road to happily ever after (and it is HEA since wedding is definitely the theme). Definitely worth reading.

What a whirlwind of a mess Luke is in. His friend and business partner betrayed him and now his sister is pregnant with his baby. And to make matters worse his best friend is trying to lose her virginity like yesterday's trash. Everything is out of his control but he can at least rein her in and stop her from making a mistake that she will regret. So he volunteers to be her "warm up guy". And then things really get out of control, their chemistry is off the charts and soon feelings rise to new temperatures. That is when he realizes that he is her biggest mistake, because she loves him but he is going to break her heart.

Melanie has two things on her mind one is her best friend and the other is "hooking up". She is ready to move on from her long time crush who doesn't even know she exists, or so she thinks. Luke is really pissed off at his best friend Beckett and his sister and he knows the only one he can turn to is his best friend he's just not ready to have that conversation with her or anyone but when he walks into Grey's he get a surprise he was not expecting and he's right to loose it. SO I think this book has to be my least out of this series the whole book seemed to be about nothing but sex and a little about relationships. There where so good parts with the storyline and over all it was not to bad but if your looking for a fun read with not a lot of sex this is probably not the book for you. This book does take you back to Marietta Montana and the fun characters there.

OMG!!!!!! How this book made me laugh.
It took Luke long enough to wake to Melanie's charms - good for Mel!

A quick and funny read about change and the surprises of falling in love. Luke is frustrated. Blindsided at every turn, he wants things to stay the same. Melanie striving to become more independent has made the biggest change of all. A makeover. Luke and Melanie have tiptoeing around an attraction for years. Will they finally make the biggest change and become more than friends? Received a copy of Finally his Bride for an honest review.

I licencing. Kept me interested

I loved this book and the whole series! I would recommend this book and the whole series!

These books keep getting better and better. Finally His Bride was filled with humor and heart.

Luke’s the type that focuses on fixing other people’s problems. He knows his own life is screwed up, so it’s easy to save other people from their mistakes than face/work on his own. So, when he finds his best friend who happens to be the woman he’s vowed to protect trying to hook up in a Grey’s bar, he willingly to allow Melanie to practice on him.

Melanie’s life hasn’t been easy. Her father was abusive and her mother never loved her, so she has tried to steer clear of love. Although she’s always had her eye on Luke. She thought she had her chance at his youngest sister’s wedding but her advances went unnoticed. When he takes her home from Grey’s, she knows it’s not the wisest decision that she’s made, but she finds herself unable to resist what Luke is offering, even if it is a fake relationship.

Although fake relationships often have a way of turning real if only Melanie can convince Luke that he’s not as broken as he thinks he is.

Finally His Bride is Luke’s story and fills in most of the gaps left by Kaitlin and Beckett’s story (Bride by Mistake). I’m really glad that I finally got to read Luke’s story. I had so many questions about the way he was acting, I’m glad I was able to figure out his issues.

I felt a bit bad for Luke. There was so much going on in Luke’s head, it’s no wonder his mission in life was to fix other people’s problems and try to keep them safe. The poor guy was a complete and utter wreck. And it was nice to see a hero who doesn’t have it all together. He knew that it wasn’t going to be easy to have a fake relationship with Melanie because he had these feelings for her he had to tamp down but he was willing to offer her a glimpse of what a normal relationship could be, even if it killed him.

I really liked Melanie. She’s trying to overcome the problems she’s had in the past and trying to acclimate to this new friends-during-the-day-lovers-at-night relationship she now has with Luke. She has no one to talk to about her feelings, because Luke was the one she always turned to so she’s trying to fix both of them on her own. She’s also not going to be Luke’s doormat, and I liked that about her.

Overall, I really liked Finally His Bride. The characters were amazing, the dialogue and plot flowed, and the romance was intense. It was so close to being a 5-cup read, but I was waiting to see how Luke and Beckett resolved their problem and it never came.

Finally His Bride was a quick, fun novella. I really enjoyed the relationship between Melanie and Luke. Melanie had issues to deal with resulting from abuse she suffered as a child but she seemed to be a really tough woman. Luke, who tried to appear to be strong and stable, seemed to have more issues than Melanie. But - they clearly loved each other and were there for each other. I loved the chemistry between the two! Also - I haven't read the previous book (Beckett and Kaitlin's story) in the series that this coincides with, but I will definitely read it now.

This fourth entry in the Montana Born Brides series is the story of Luke (previously introduced in book 3, Bride by Mistake, as the heroine's brother) and Melanie. They've been best friends for years, but Luke can't help her with the one thing she wants to do - get rid of her virginity. Only Luke finds himself unwilling to let a stranger be the man for Melanie and steps in. Now that they've crossed that line, can they go back to being friends or even better, can they acknowledge their true feelings for each other and commit to a future together?

I really enjoyed these two characters and I thought they made a great couple. Luke is a pretty solid, dependable, stable guy, though he has his problems, including struggling with dyslexia and negative feelings of self-worth. He is devastated when he believes that his friend Beckett betrayed him. Melanie is the one light in his life, the one he can count on to always be there for him, just like he's always going to be there for her. But he sees her now differently- no longer as the shy child he first met, or sweet teenage friend, but now very much an attractive woman. Finding himself looking at her in a new way and discovering she has feelings for him scares him to pieces. But now that's he's found that chemistry with Melanie he is unable to back away. Melanie too was an engaging character, friendly and likeable. She's finally willing to take a chance on men after experiencing a physically abusive childhood and though she doesn't appreciate Luke's highhanded ways, she's not going to turn down this chance to be intimate with him. Their love scenes are steamy and emotional. I liked how Melanie challenged Luke to really see her and give their relationship a chance at a future. It was a lovely, sexy read. 4 stars.

Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1284758523

Melanie Richards has decided to stop pining for the man she can’t have and let go of the hurts of the past by losing her virginity. It’s been far too long in coming, and she sees it as the perfect way to get over her tragic past and embrace normal life. Her best friend, Luke Shuller, is already raging mad when he sees Mel in Grey’s trying to pick up a drunk cowboy. He yanks her out and takes her to his hotel to sober up. When Mel insists on going through with her cockamamie plan to lose her virginity to be normal, Luke offers to let her practice her feminine wiles on him. Being temporarily coupled up with Mel helps him with a family problem and allows him to keep Mel safe at the same time. Both soon realize that they’ve rung a bell that can’t be unrung. As the line between friends with benefits and a real relationshp begins to blur, will they be able to part as friends, or will Luke finally make Mel’s closest held dream come true and make her his bride?

I love Maisey Yates’ writing style. Her voice is at turns funny and saucy as well as heavy with weighty emotional baggage. Ms. Yates has a way with angst that most writers don’t. She neither downplays nor belabors the real emotional gravity of a story. I found both Melanie and Luke to be complex characters with emotional resonance that I truly felt invested in. I wanted their relationship to work even though they were both messed up and coming at it all wrong. Most writers can’t do both humor and angst without ending up campy or a caricature of the genre, but somehow Ms. Yates manages to strike just the right balance. The black moments are black, and the emotional work requires some heavy lifting, but the HEA is all the more satisfying for it. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a strong heroine who knows how to be vulnerable, a complex hero you want to strangle and snuggle at the same time, gratuitous use of cake, sizzling sexy times, and an HEA that is happy sigh inducing.

A+/5* for snappy dialogue, fun sexy times, more angst than an emo teen, and a hero and heroine who are all jacked up and just right at the same time.

The 'Best Friends to Lovers' is a trope I always enjoy, and Maisey gave Luke and Melanie's story the perfect amount of sweet, sexy and drama. Luke is a genius ,and drives a car worth a small country Like is not made of money .Instead our hero is a poor working man who owns an automotive garage, is dysexic,did not graduate from high school and has his GED. He is gorgeous and sexy,.The heroine is a baker and has a history of physical abuse from her father which you don't see a lot in stroies.Life long friends with the heroine crushing on the hero ,Matters come to a head for the heroine at the hero's sister's wedding when she attempted to attract him and he was oblivious,so she thinks he has no intrest in her After a while ,heroine decided to go to a bar and pick up a guy to have sex with and there for ridding herself of her virginity. Enter the hero, he sees her and a guy in the corner attempting to kiss her, he goes over and takes the heroine away and takes her out of the bar slung over his shoulder.. Does he rid her of her Virginity does he open his eyes. its a happy story

***This ebook was provided by Tule Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

Finally His Bride is book 43 in the Montana Born Bride and I enjoyed reading it.

Melanie Richards is on a mission- lose her virginity but when her best friend Lick Shuler sees her at Grey's trying to pick up a cowboy he step up and take her away from the bar to his motel room.

When he find out that Melanie is looking for a man he offer to be her first lover since he can't think about her with some random man that she picked up in a bar.

Luke and Melanie agree to hook up and pretend they are dating to help Luke with a family crisis.

But when pretend gets real, Melanie can’t tell where the charade ends and reality begins. When the dust settles, will she get thrown back into the friend zone, or will she finally get the man of her dreams?

We first met Luke in Bride by Mistake and I was happy he got his own book.

I love reading books about friends becoming lovers- it was hard for Luke to start seeing Melanie has a woman but for Melanie it wasn't as hard since she was attracted to Luke for many years but she just didn't want to risk their close friendship.

Melanie finds it very hard to trust people, especially men since her dad abused her and her mother when she was younger until she end u living with her grandma but she could always trust Luke to protect her but can they have a real relationshipp?

Finally His Bride was another good book in the Montana Born series and I enjoyed reading it.

Humor,love and ups and downs,,what more do you need for a love story. A very quick read.

I received this book as an ARC from Net Galley for my honest review.

Luke Shuller feels like his life is out of control; his sister has run off with his best friend, and someone stole money from his company. Then when he feels like he wants to go to his favorite bar and relax his only other friend in the world, Melanie Richards, is getting drunk and trying to pick up guys!

Melanie Richards is tired of being the good girl, waiting around for Luke to notice her. After one last attempt she gives up and hits a bar to give up the one thing she holds dear....her V card!

Luke refuses to let Melanie do what she has planned; Melanie refuses to follow Luke's orders. So what does any red blooded male do... he offers to help her get rid of her V-card! Because hey...what could go wrong?

I love everything about the Montana Born Bride series, I love that they keep things fresh by switching the Authors up and I love what each author brings to the table. After completing one of Maisey Yates other books in this series, she has become one of my favorites. Maisey Yates did a great job keeping this book short and sweet with the right amount of heat and fun to keep you intrigued.

I take my hat off to you Maisey for touching on a serious subject in this book without making it heavy. Luke is sexy but is not perfect and has doubts about himself that rang true. His flaws made him beautiful in a very masculine way. It was great to see how a woman like Melanie who is used to being in the shadows, can make a man like Luke who is loved by everyone..but himself..see the truth of who he is, what he has done, and what he could be.

This book right now is selling for $2.99 and I would gladly pay 5.99 for it. Great book, great price, fantabulous job!

Another fun story about the people in Marietta, Montana. I have not read a bad one yet, and they can all easily be read alone. The only thing I didn't like as well, although it wasn't bad either, was that the ending felt a little rushed. I also would have liked a bit more about the sister and her man too. However, neither of these was a strong selling point, and I would highly reccommend this book. A fun and easy read for summer.

Luke's day can't get any worse so he thought his best friend has stolen from their business and to top it off Beckett has knocked up his sister too he need a drink. Melanie has decided tonight is the night it was a crash and burn last time she tried to get Luke's attention she's giving up on the dream and is going to sleep with the first Randy cowboy she can find at least that's her plan. Unfortunately Luke's not down with the plan and decides to stop her in her tracks by carrying her over his shoulder out of the bar to sleep it off. Melanie is furious with Luke for interfering but on the plus side Luke is finally realising that Mel is not just one for the boys could Melanie's wishes finally come true and a relationship between her and Luke be on the cards. Stranger things have happened and this is Marietta the wedding capital of the world. A must read for lovers of the Marietta series and anyone who enjoys a sweet romance between bestfriends.

Finally His Bride was a good read. Luke, who feels he has not measured up to the expectations of what his parents wanted for him. He is angry believing that his partner and best friend, Beckett strolled from him and their business. Finding out his sister is pregnant by his best friend. He decides that he needs a drink and ends up at Grey's where he notices a young beautiful woman with a drunk cowboy. He realizes that it is his best friend, Melanie. Without, going into detail about the full story, Luke has to figure what he wants and who he wants to be with. It was a good read!!

Luke Shuller has had a bad week, his sister is pregnant by his former best friend, whom he believes stole from their company. Instead of enjoying his drink, he finds his childhood Best Friend dressed to kill with some drunk cowboy hanging all over her. Having spent his life protecting Melanie, he intervenes and ends up carrying her out when she doesn't leave when he asks.
Melanie Richardson is tired of waiting for Luke to see her as a woman, not a victim. In an effort to break out of her safe zone and move forward to a future with a family of her own, she decides to start with a stranger. What she didn't expect was for Luke to show up and interfere. When he offers to help her lose her virginity, she takes him up on it. Surely, two close friends can keep sex and friendship separate, can't they?
A very sweet, sexy friends to lovers story with two strong but flawed characters. Both have their insecurities that they have to work through to be open to a relationship together. The story is part of the Montana Brides series, and directly connected to Bride by Mistake (Luke's sister, Kaitlin) but can be read as a stand alone. A short, enjoyable novella with two fun characters that returns the reader to Marietta, MT.

Maisey Yates' Finally His Bride is the fourth in the Montana Born Brides series and is the perfect story to follow Nicole Helm's Bride by Mistake. This is Luke Shuller's story. I love friends to lovers romance and loved that Luke has met his match in Melanie Richards. Yates delivers characters that feel real and have you rooting for their happily ever after.

Maisey Yates' Finally His Bride is the fourth in the Montana Born Brides series and is the perfect story to follow Nicole Helm's Bride by Mistake. This is Luke Shuller's story. I love friends to lovers romance and loved that Luke has met his match in Melanie Richards. Yates delivers characters that feel real and have you rooting for their happily ever after.

Maisey Yates has done it again in a sweet romance that brings two people so opposite from each other see the love that has always been there. I loved that Melanie is a woman who knows what she wants determined to get it no matter the consequences. Problem is that Luke won`t let her get her needs satisfied unless with him. What started of as a training in satisfying a man and getting her pesky v-card out of the way is becoming more than they expected. I loved how easy these two were with each other it`s hard to see them separate. Love begins with friendship and Maisey Yates shows us how good passion and love can be with your best friend. Loved it and can`t wait for more from this talented author.

Melanie and Luke's story is so fun! I love the Montana Born Brides series, and Maisey Yates is a fabulous author. You will definitely not be disappointed by this sweet romance. Tule Publishing is fantastic also!

A quick sexy fun read of friends to lovers. Melanie and Luke have been friends since childhood. Melanie wants to loose the big V, Luke does not want to help with her until he sees her all dressed up at Grey's picking up a stranger. Luke steps in as the protector. Melanie has always had feelings for Luke, but has been timid due to her abusive upbringing. Luke is also hiding a secret of dyslexia.

I really enjoyed watching this couple grow together and overcome their obstacles. This is book four of Montana Born Brides, but can be read as a stand alone. I received this book from netgalley for an honest review.

Finally His Bride is the fourth novella in the Montana Born Brides series. It is an adequately written contemporary romance.

The Hero and heroine are best friends, but when the H finds her drinking in a bar hoping to hook up with a man, the H decides that he's the man she should be with. Theirs is a rocky romance which finally ends with a HEA.

This is a cute story, but much of FHB is the h and H's inner dialogue of insecurities, and it became redundant.

If you are looking for a short, cute, not too deep read then this may be the book for you.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

loved it...

While it's not necessary to have read the previous books in this series, having done so will increase your enjoyment of this one as we return to Marietta and it's inhabitants. This is short, cute read about Luke and Melanie, friends since forever, both with baggage but a resilience that keeps you turning the page. The interactions are both steamy and believable. A page-turner. Good for a rainy afternoon.

Huge Fan of Maisey Yates for a few years now she has always given us something magically sweet and romantic, she draws us in to her story that we truly think we are a part of it.

Everyone is getting married in Marietta except Melanie. Melanie is baking all the cakes for all the weddings in Marietta except her own. She doesn't even have someone special. . One night, she was looking for a hook up in Grey's saloon, but she meets her best friend Luke Shuller. She was ready to go have fun when Luke stops her and it frustrates her even more. Since Marietta is a small town, when Luke drops off Melanie, rumor is going around the town. To make things worst, Luke tells his parents Luke is seeing Melanie even though he is in Marietta to take care of Beckett and his sister Kaitlin. Melanie and Luke were best friends since they were in middle school and he was always protecting her. Melanie feels she had enough of protection from everybody and she wants to be normal like everyone else. Both agrees to become Friends with Benefits but that didn't last long. Melanie wants more and Luke feels he wasn't enough for her. Will both find each other and be happy???? Will Luke man up???
I read this one right after the 3rd one and it did make more sense between characters. I did enjoy reading both books.

Ok read. At first, I enjoyed this book but lost interest when h repeatedly analysed herself and H. I'd rather learned those things from storyline than her words. Felt no connection with both H or h, too. Sorry that I always had higher expectation of friends-to-lovers stories.

Finally His Bride - Maisey Yates
This book tells the story of Luke Schuller and his best friend Melanie. Mel has always been at least a little bit in love with Luke while for him she's that really special best friend you'll do anything to protect, so when he spots her in Greys Saloon dressed to kill he does what any red blooded best friend would do and throws her over his shoulder, rescuing her from throwing away her virginity on a stranger. Mel is not impressed and so begins their journey.
The Fourth book in the Montana born brides series Finally his Bride by Maisey Yates is a sweet romance. I thinks that every book with theme LONG friendship-love is a bingo.
I liked the funny part: „That I wanted you for myself. And then, the picnic. The spaghetti. The romantic garlic bread. In hindsight, garlic isn’t that romantic.
Shut your mouth. Butter is always romantic. Almost especially when in combination with garlic.”

Unfortunately, I will not be reviewing this book due to time constraints. Thank you for the opportunity.