About the Book:

thekitchenmarriage
Book: The Kitchen Marriage
Author: Gina Welborn & Beccan Whitham
Publisher: Kensington Publishers
Genre: Inspirational romance/Historical America set in the old west
Release Date: September 25, 2018
A bright future awaits the women of courage and faith who boldly chase their dreams across the wide-open Montana Territory, prepared to embrace adventure and forge their own destinies . . .
When French immigrant Zoe de Fleur is forced out of her position as household cook for a high society New Yorker, the pretty and talented chef seizes an unexpected chance to head west for a new beginning. She pursues what she thinks is a prestigious job in the frontier’s “finest kitchen,” but instead finds herself in a matchmaker’s agency . . .

Isaak Gunderson is one of Helena, Montana’s most eligible bachelors, but he’s too focused on running for mayor and his family’s business to think about a wife and family. His twin brother, Jakob, is supposed to be too busy as well, yet sends for a mail-order bride anyway. Isaak doesn’t want to fuel an ongoing rivalry with his twin, but this tempting newcomer can’t be ignored. If only she’d come to Helena a different way and loving her wasn’t a betrayal . . .

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My Thoughts:

Zoe de Fleur is a chef…uh I mean, home cook, in a time when women could not be chefs no matter how brilliant their cooking expertise. At the recommendation of a grumpy old chef, Zoe loses her job and the only home she’s known for many years. Zoe speaks English, but cannot read or write it, and is therefore tricked by the young boy she’s befriended into uprooting herself and heading for Denver to a chef’s position that doesn’t exist. Here’s where the fun begins.

This mail-order bride romance becomes a love-triangle as two brothers begin pursuing the same woman! The story has some quirky and fascinating characters. Since I love cooking, I could relate well to this character. She is sweet and gullible and quickly endeared herself to me.

I loved how this story brought out the importance of marrying the right person. It’s better that feelings are hurt, and hearts are broken before the knot is tied and before ending up in a mix-matched marriage.

Although, the brothers names are Isaak and Jakob, I loved the parallel to the Biblical story of Jacob and Esau. I’ll let you determine which brother is which.

The overall theme is humility, a lesson one of the characters desperately needs to learn. It reminds us that there is a substantial difference in being responsible, loyal, and trust-worthy verses believing that the world would fall apart if we weren’t in charge and in control. Sometimes, we just have to let go and let others make mistakes. Neither nations nor the small town of Helena, Montana would fall apart if time is taken to enjoy life every now and again.

The only negative I saw was all the Ze’s in Zoe’s dialogue. I realize the authors were trying to emphasize her French accent, but after a while it became overwhelming.

There are references to brothel’s and prostitution as this is part of the overall plot of the series itself.

Although, The Kitchen Marriage works as a stand-alone, I did feel like I was piecing a piece of the puzzle by not having read book one of the Montana Brides series. This book did make frequent references to events from book one and it ends with a bit of a cliff-hanger and surprise twist leading into book 3 of the series.

I enjoyed this book very much and recommend The Kitchen Marriage for those who love mail-order bride romances and love-triangles.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

About the Author:

Gina and Becca
GINA WELBORN is the bestselling author of sixteen inspirational romances. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America and American Christian Fiction Writers, and serves on the ACFW Foundation Board. Sharing her husband’s passion for the premier American sports car, she is a lifetime member of the National Corvette Museum and a founding member of the Southwest Oklahoma Corvette Club. Gina lives with her husband, three of their five children, several rabbits and guinea pigs, and a dog that doesn’t realize rabbits and pigs are edible. Visit her online at GinaWelborn.com.
BECCA WHITHAM (WIT-um) Multi-published author, paper crafter, and Chai tea lover, Becca and her twelve-foot-long craft cabinet follow her husband of more than thirty years to wherever the army currently needs a chaplain. In between moves from one part of the country to the other, she writes stories of faith that touch the heart. She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and a Genesis Contest finalist. Connect with her online at BeccaWhitham.com.

Guest post from Gina & Becca

Dear Reader,
What’s better than fulfilling a dream? Why…taking the journey with a friend, of course. And we have the army to thank for it. Gina, whose father spent most of his army career at Fort Sill, had just moved back to Lawton, Oklahoma when Becca’s husband received orders to Sill. We were both looking for friendship and found a kindred spirit.
When we first conceived the Montana Brides series over Frappuccinos (Gina) and Chai Tea Lattes (Becca) at our local Starbucks, we set out to make our make our mail-order bride stories different.
The first thing we decided on was setting our series in Helena, Montana because, in 1888, the city boasted the most millionaires per capita in the United States. We liked the idea of a former mining town grown into a cultured city and that it wasn’t the usual isolated ranch setting for a Western.
We also wanted to create stories of mail-order bride romances gone wrong. In fact, our original series title was Mail (Dis) Order Brides. We brainstormed all the ways a mail-order bride story could go sideways and settled on our top three: a widow before a wife; two brothers, one bride; and a deceitful—though well-meaning—matchmaker. The Kitchen Marriage is the second book in this series and puts our heroine, Zoe de Fleur, between twin brothers, Isaak and Jakob Gunderson. Like our first bride, Emilia Stanek (The Promise Bride), Zoe shows up in town knowing no one. Does that sound familiar? As a former military kid and current military wife, we are very familiar with needing to start over, forge new friendships, and make strangers into family.
Thank you for taking a journey into the past with us. We pray you find our stories filled with hope, humor, and happily-ever-afters.
Sincerely,
Gina Welborn and Becca Whitham