The Farmer Takes a Wife: A Sweet Romance That Outshines Reality TV
About the Book
Librarian Gemma Breckenridge hates the spotlight. She’s content in her small town, living alone with books for company and caring for her once famous sister, Cammie, who’s now suffering from a degenerative brain disease. But Cammie’s care is expensive, and when the grant Gemma was counting on is denied, she’s forced to take desperate measures and applies to be a contestant on a reality television show where a wealthy farmer is looking for a love connection. What better place to keep her sister’s identity incognito than a thousand-acre farm in the middle of nowhere, South Dakota?
Colby Graham will do anything to save his almost bankrupt farm, even if it means that all of primetime will think he’s incapable of finding a wife on his own. The sponsorships alone should carry his business out of the red, and royalties from the producer will help to keep it there. But choosing a bride from among eight gorgeous strangers is tougher than Colby bargained for. Especially when the one woman he wants isn’t a contestant.
With a cast of vivid characters, join the crew in this witty romance filled with drama, heartache, elimination challenges, and fancy luggage full of secrets. Amid the beautiful setting of the Midwest, this tale unravels the tightly bound threads of sacrificial love.
My Thoughts
I genuinely LOVE Candice Sue Patterson’s books and after this past year, I also confess that I love the TV show, Farmer Wants a Wife. There is something about that show that is different from all the other whirlwind romance shows (not much difference, but work with me). 😉 The country/farm environment just automatically provides that slow lifestyle, working with your hands, living off the land, and seeing a romance blossom there just oozes sweetness and warm fuzzy feelings.
So, when I heard that Candice would be releasing a book that had almost an identical title as the show, I instantly added it to my wish list! If it was anything like the TV show, I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed!
And you know what? I wasn’t! In fact, I preferred The Farmer Takes a Wife so much more than the TV show because I felt like I got to know her characters beyond what an actual director wants to reveal through a show. In this case, it was a love triangle between Gemma, Stone, and Colby, and there were moments that I truly didn’t know how the right two people would end up together while also satisfying the terms of their TV contract. It was just as gripping as what you’d expect from watching a new episode every week – but better!
There’s only so much I can say without revealing too much of the plot, but I will mention that the cast of 8 women was about as different as you’d expect, but all having the same cloying tendencies that you see on shows like The Bachelor. Each women wants to hang onto the guy every chance they get, batting their eyelashes, and saying, “Can I steal you away for a minute?” Only in this case, Colby was able to see through a lot of those charades and weed out the worst, thankfully ending with what I thought were the best two choices of the lot.
At this point, I’ve now read both historical and contemporary fiction by this mega-talented author, and the fact that this story continues into one more book just makes my bookish heart sing! The Farmer and Adele is sure to be a satisfying conclusion!
5 Stars
