Marry Me

Marry Me takes place in 1905 in New York City. Millie Moore is being courted by a man that she really doesn’t like but her family keeps insisting she spend time with him. Millie’s mother keeps telling Millie that she is going to be “on the shelf” soon as she is twenty one and should have already gotten married.

Raymond Wilson sees Millie watching a bunch of protesters on the streets one day and knows this is the girl for him. Only one problem, Raymond has a stutter and is afraid to talk to Millie so he gives her a candy heart to express how he feels.

Marry Me was an OK read, it was a cute old fashioned tale of being courted by admirers when they are interested in you. I really didn’t quite grasp the magic aspect being added into the story though. I suppose a few details would have to have been done differently but with it being a short read you just don’t get enough explanation of how or why the magic takes place or even who can practice magic.

Also, I’ve mentioned in my reviews before I’m not a fan of even a short story not having any kind of chapters or significant breaks to them, this is another that doesn’t which reflects a bit in my rating. It is a short read and perhaps that wouldn’t bother others as it doesn’t take away from the story but it’s just a preference of mine.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is part of the A Candy Hearts romance series and was written by Heidi Wessman Kneale. This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. This book is a short novella that you can read in one sitting. If you are looking for a great book, then you need to read this book. I am looking forward to reading the next book by this great author.
A Review copy was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

Marry Me, A Candy Hearts Romance, is part historical fiction and part magical realism. Millie Moore is a New York City debutante in 1905 who is practically “on the shelf” at the ripe old age of 21. As such, and with a bit of greasy black magic, smarmy and socially unacceptable Guy Elliott is trying to court her. Standing in his way is Raymond Wilson, a handsome young man from a good family who has a bad stutter. His way to communicate is to cast a spell so that candy hearts speak messages for him. As Millie struggles to find her voice, defy her marriage-minded mama, and choose the better man, she must contemplate if a “bad marriage is better than no marriage at all?”

This quirky short story is charming (in both the literal and magical sense), but its brevity results in under-developed characters and a rushed denouement. It’s also a bit disconcerting that so many people seem to have magical powers on display with no one questioning the spells. Despite all, it’s a fun, quick read.


I received a complimentary copy of this book from The Wild Rose Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a novella length story that's set in 1905 New York where a would-be suffragette and a young gentleman with a stutter and a penchant for magic fall in love. They must overcome obstacles of communication and evil rivals to get their happily ever after. I enjoyed the setting of 1905 because this is not an era that is used often in historical romances so that was refreshing. I also thought that having the hero use his magical abilities to overcome his handicap of a stutter was clever because who among us wouldn't love to use a little magic to overcome our own difficulties!
The characters were sweet and likable which made me wish we had been able to get to know more about them and their world and that their journey to love had been a little bit more complex. However, given that this is a short work it is possible that it just wasn't feasible to explore more complexities. This is a very sweet story and would appeal to young adult as well as adult readers.