Welcome back to the Bitter Creek -- Mail Order Bride series. This is the third book in the bride's series. Candidly each book is enjoyable on its own merit with easy references to related stories and characters. This reader found those references part of the fun factor of MONTANA BRIDE.

Ah what a tangled web we weave. One lie precipitates the next and so on until it seems impossible to arrive back at some semblance of reality or truth. The fiction of lives built on lies is the stuff stories are made of and Hetty's life is built on a very precarious house of cards or lies. All done with the best of intentions but lies just the same.

Too many people would be affected and hurt if the truth came out so for the better good Hetty was starting a new life for herself and her two charges on quite a whopper. So many things here were odd or out of place that it almost seems preposterous that anyone could ever believe the stories Hetty was telling. Karl Norwood was nobody's fool and his gut kept telling him something just wasn't right.

This woman who came to be his newly acquired mail order bride wasn't at all what he expected. She was much younger and truthfully more beautiful than this man who saw himself as quite ordinary had expected. After all why would such a gorgeous young woman answer an ad for a mail order bride. What was she up to and what or who was she perhaps hiding from. And who were these children who appeared to be too old to be hers. Perhaps she had been very young and found herself in the family way. There was no physical likeness between Hetty, Grace and Griffin. If not for his instant attraction to this lovely woman Karl may have been more inclined to question his good fortune.

Appearances -- we all have learned not to judge by appearances. Once all the cards have been played everyone's life will be forever altered. Hopefully fences will be mended and love will be the cure.

Joan Johnston has an uncanny ability to surprise her reader with a sense of wonder as she so deftly weaves a tale fill with unexpected glimpses into a life so very different than any we could imagine. Johnston paints a vivid picture that allows the reader to share the voyage with her characters that are infused with charisma and charm, flaws and life like qualities. Start out as strangers and end up as new friends. This leads me to another joy associated with being a Johnston fan -- reacquainting you with old friends. Can't resist smiling when out pops a name from the past.

MONTANA BRIDE is a compelling read and definitely a noteworthy addition to a great series.