The Soldier's E-Mail Order Bride

By: Cora Seton

Narrated by: Emily Cauldwell

Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

Staff Sergeant Austin Hall has a brilliant record in the Special Forces - except for one disastrous decision that cost his best friend's life. Now he's heading home to Chance Creek, Montana, where he'd like to spend the rest of his days in the obscurity of his family's ranch. Too bad Great Aunt Heloise won't hand the ranch over unless all four of the Hall brothers marry and one of them produces an heir within the year. Austin is too broken to marry for love, so he places an online ad for a fake wife. What could possibly go wrong?

Ella needs to leave Hollywood - fast. It's bad enough another actress stole her fiancé - on national television. Now she's ruined her comeback by decking her ex on a morning talk show. Pursued by paparazzi, Ella needs a new life, a new name, and some place to hide. When she reads Austin's ad for a stand-in wife, she knows she can act this part perfectly. To the rest of the residents of Chance Creek, they'll be a happily married couple. In private, they'll just be roommates. In a year when she's old news and the Hall brothers secure the ranch, she and Austin will quietly divorce and she'll go on her way.

Or will she? Austin's already finding it hard to remember his promise never to love again. Ella's finding it hard to keep her hands to herself. But when they're asked to make a back-up baby, Ella realizes she may have stepped into a lifetime role.

Can this pretend marriage go the distance?

©2014 Cora Seton (P)2014 Audible Inc.

So Good

Austin and Ella are hoyterbthan As on and Reagan. I can't wait to see what is in store for Zane and Colton.Bring on Book 3!

The guilt part was too dragged out.

I was furious at Heather’s insensitivity/cruelty. But I enjoyed other parts.

I enjoyed the relationship, the characters, how they met, and how they acted. But Austin’s guilt was too repetitive and dragged out. In Afghanistan he was unable to save a guy’s life and feels guilty. So he won’t let himself be happy with a wife, child or other good things in life. I was tired of reading about it.

This is a fake marriage for a year. They agree there will be no sex. But within hours of meeting they have sex, and they continue to have sex. But each time they say “That was the last time. We can’t do that again.” But they keep doing it. It made me laugh.

The prenup part was not logical. He asked her to sign a prenup, but she didn’t ask him to sign one. She had a lot more money than he did.

This author is hitting the wrong buttons with me. In the first book (The Navy SEAL’s...”) my anger about Zeke’s debts overpowered the story. In this book I am angry about Heather having a baby and not telling the father for more than 12 years. It’s cruelty to the child and to the father. I don’t mind using Heather as a bad guy. What I mind is there was no emotional satisfaction on that issue. It was not resolved well.

AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR Emily Cauldwell.
She was good at general narration and for some women, but she’s bad with male voices. When she lowers her voice for men she loses the emotional element. Austin’s voice was low, rigid, un-sexy, and like a robot. There was no desire. She made Mason sound like a girl, due to his tones and emotions. The narrator should try for emotional interpretation instead of trying to raise, lower, or tighten her voice.

Narrative mode: 3rd person.
Genre: contemporary romance.

Sgt. Austin Hall adds more steamy romance to Crescent Hall

If you could sum up The Soldier's E-Mail Order Bride in three words, what would they be?

Evolving, longing, & passion

Who was your favorite character and why?

Austin was my favorite character due to the fact that he continued to change and evolve throughout the story. He captivates you from the beginning introduction and continues to grow and change. He must decide whether he is just satisfying Great Aunt Helloise's demands for the ranch by marrying for pretend or if he is able to overcome the trauma and burden he carries from his tours in the Middle East. He lost one of his best friends and he really struggles to figure out is he able to open himself up to love and be loved. Ella must be patient and hope that he is able to slowly come around and deal with Donovan's death. He believes since Donovan lost his life he doesn't deserve to be happy either. His survivors guilt is immense and at times it's difficult to read. I found myself really being able understand how hard it was for Austin as he navigates his way back into civilian life. Also, Ella must decide if she want to renege on their original deal of hiding out to escape Hollywood and the paparazzi to just be roommates and abide by their no sex rule. There are a couple of plot twists that are very unexpected in the book and Austin really steps up to the plate and deals with them well. Ofcourse, Austin is also very masculine, sexy and fiercely athletic. His ability to rise to the occasion and be motivated by his stong family roots and continue family traditions after dealing with all he has gone through is magnificent.

Which scene was your favorite?

I loved the obstacle course scene. I'm not sure how she comes up with some of these ideas...they are wonderful, romantic, mind boggling scenes. You'll have to read it to understand what I mean.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There is quite a bit of pain in this book. I experienced feeling as if I wanted to reach out and help both Ella and Austin come to grips with all the emotional turmoil they were dealing with. I felt like Austin needed all the encouragement he could get for a good portion of the book. There is a wonderful romance that blossoms and ends up flourishing after a long emotional journey for both Ella and Austin.

Any additional comments?

I can't wait to listen to Zane's story!!!

The Plot Thickens...

Book 2 continues the saga of the Hall brothers. Here, we have a broken soldier and a humiliated celebrity who believe they just need to partner up for a bit in order to achieve their goals. Of course, there will be no physical relationship, and they'll part amicably after a year of faking love in their marriage of convenience…yeah, right. Austin has some demons to exorcize, and Ella needs to re-examine her goals in life. There's some family drama/gossip that foreshadows one of the brother's upcoming adventures in the bride hunt, and I can't wait to get there.

Emily Cauldwell does a great job performing this installment. She has a good feel for how to deliver the internal musings and descriptive paragraphs as well as how to perform the various male and female voices in the dialogue. She was awesome.

Worth cash, credit, sale or Whispersynch. This is a totally fun series.

Another fantastic story

For more than one reason this was a great read, or on my case, listen. Excellent story line. I also loved the survivors remorse twist. Too many military men and women come home after seeing insane things and we expect them to not be affected. I wish they all knew how much we appreciate (that's not a strong enough word) what they've done. The fact they are brave enough to serve is remarkable. My hat's off to the author for reminding us how coming home can sometimes be so difficult.

audible was ok

Would you try another book from Cora Seton and/or Emily Cauldwell?

Cora Seton yes....Emily, I don't know.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Austin gets to be a big jerk with his guilt issues. Storyline hangs too long on that...

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

yes

Better then the first book

enjoying this book loving a ranch man , find the ranch man , romance sexy men I was loving this book the next two you have to read, no fun, wish the next 2 books was available on book.

Light fun romance

What made the experience of listening to The Soldier's E-Mail Order Bride the most enjoyable?

not really sure

Who was your favorite character and why?

Not any one

Would you listen to another book narrated by Emily Cauldwell?

yes

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Down home romance

Any additional comments?

light and fun. Not to much sex as previous status.

All the swoony and sexy marriage of convenience fun

I loved loved Austin and Ella’s email order bride marriage of convenience crazy inheritance rules romance. It pack an emotional punch and is filled with all the emotions, the connections and all the big feelings. Austin, a special forces soldier struggling in with survivors guilt and PTSD is about to get out of the military, and needs a wife in order to reclaim his family’s’ ranch. Ella, a famous actress who was just jilted and publicly humiliated, needs a life restart and place to hide. Austin’s marriage of convenience ad seems like the perfect solution. To get to their HEA they have to deal with a lot of personal, professional, and relationship issues it’s a bit of a bumpy ride but the story keeps you hooked in to the very end. Along the way, the story will give you all the feels - laughing, crying, swooning, cringing, teeth gritting, and cheering. This beautifully written story includes sweet moments, steamy scenes, chuckles, supportive friends, messy families, painful pasts, and all the heart squeezing love. I am excited to read the stories of the rest of the brothers as they find their wives.

Emily Cauldwell did a wonderful job narrating the story and breathing life into the characters with enough change of inflection, tone and cadence to voice multiple characters quite convincingly.

romantic

Austin Hall returned home from service only to find out in order to inheirit the farm, each one of his brothers have to get married within a year.
Ella ,a Hollywood star, has been jilted, embarrassed, hounded by paparazzi, wants a change in her life. her manager showed her a web address for an email bride as a joke. Ella took that as her ticket for anonymity, to hide and get away from her past.
Austin is suffering from depression the horrors of war. He couldn't save his best friend.
Both are perfect for each other as they discover their challenges they have in their future.
Emily Cauldwell performance is exemplary.

Wonderful!

Loved this book! Great how characters from book 1 were included too. Cannot wait to listen to rest of series now. Brilliant ideas-loved it! The reader in book 1 was far better though......the person reading this made the male lead sound like a robot! Ruined it in a way.......

I love Cora Seton's style

uplifting, easy reading. love this series. you fall in love with characters and are eager for more.

Control that staff !

Staff Sergeant, fresh out of service, makes dodgy decisions for positive reasons when his lack of staff control in the past arrives to foul up his plan. Failed actress, failed fiance gets into a snit when her insta love getaway plan looks like it will fail too after a wedding breakfast of fast food.

Entertaining ranch life story, all very good until 3hrs 50 before the end when all the stupid arrives. This couple knew each other for a week, are trying for a baby to fulfil each of their agendas. Equally insta love relative butts in with judgements and condemnations............. blah blah blah. Was unable to finish the book which was as unsatisfying as fast food.

Feel sure anyone who's bright enough to make enough money and joins Audible, wants a better class of pitiful insta love nonsense than this, I know I did.

Well narrated bunk.

SKIP THIS ONE