"3 out of 5 stars!! A man and woman find themselves in a unique situation and get into an in-name-only marriage, all to save a shop and protect a little baby. However, will they find love along the way?

This was a sweet romance that made me put on my "genealogist hat" as I kept thinking about ..."

Read more of this review and TWO TEASERS here: https://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2019/07/made-grade-stand-in-brides-se... ( )

Trace Warren is a widower doctor who was unable to save his wife and unborn child from a viral illness. He's moved to a town in Wyoming where he signed a contract saying he'd live with his family for 5 years and run the town's apothecary (and he's hiding that he's a doctor). He thought his widower status would fulfill the contract provisions, but finds out differently, so he makes a deal with Mrs. Howard to enter into a marriage in name only with her and provide for her and her infant son. Unfortunately, Mrs. Howard is very ill and passes away while on the train on her way to Trace's home. She leaves her son in the care of Katherine Fleming.

Katherine delivers the baby to Trace. Together they decide to name him Howard to honor his mother. Trace gives Katherine enough of an explanation of his circumstances to get her to marry him "in name only".

While I do realize this is set in a historical time when unwed mothers are ostracized (so the idea of a legitimate looking marriage would be desirable), I don't really agree with pretending to be married. I also didn't understand how Trace planned to annul his marriage to Katherine and then marry someone else to fulfill the contract without the townspeople talking. Was he planning to tell them Katherine died? Or that she couldn't handle Western life and went back to New York?

There's little meaningful communication between the two. Trace is trying to steel his heart because he's lost faith in himself and his abilities, he doesn't want a situation he can't control, and he doesn't want his heart broken again if he loses someone he cares about. He's got a million excuses why he can't love Katherine (or Howard). Katherine seems to feel that she's already had her one great love in Richard (who was lost at sea before they were married) and maybe she feels loving someone else would be disloyal to him. Instead of talking to each other and admitting that feelings have changed or that there might be some sort of relationship between them, there are just reasons why they can't love the other person (even when it's totally obvious to all us readers that they're just fooling themselves).

In a twist of irony--Trace reveals he is a doctor to the town and the town's founder (the one who wanted the contracts) is so thrilled that a real doctor is willing to live in the town that he negates the family clause of the contract--at the same time that Trace realizes he wants to make his marriage to Katherine a real one.

Another reviewer pointed out that Trace, as a doctor, should have known how many people die even with the best care during the time this is set. True, but he did have a personal stake with his wife dying and I can see where that might shake his confidence a bit. ( )