This RITA® Reader Challenge 2017 review was written by Darbi. This story was nominated for the RITA® in the Romance Novella category.

Here is Darbi's review:

RITA time is the best time of the year. It’s like Oscar season, except better because instead of pretending like I’m going to sit through a black and white silent film, I get introduced to new awesome books. “The Husband Maneuver” is not really one of those awesome books, but nevertheless, I would never have picked it out by myself, and for that I am grateful.

The plot is fairly straightforward: Marietta Hawkins has been in love with her father’s ranch foreman “Dead-Eye” Daniel Barrett for years. When she overhears Daniel giving his notice to buy his own ranch, she maneuvers a situation so that she and him get some quality time alone at the ranch while the rest of the family and staff are away. She hopes to convince Daniel that she would be a good wife for him. Daniel has been in love with Marietta for years as well, but her father forbids any of his ranch hands from making advances on his daughter, so he’s kept quiet.

As an aside, I have three (3!) friends who’ve dated the son/daughter of their boss. It never ends well. Daniel is a wise man.

If I had to put my finger on why I didn’t love this book, it would probably be the character of Marietta. She reads as so very young, even though she’s explicitly stated to be 21. At the beginning of the novella, she brings Daniel a pitcher of lemonade, but she’s so overwhelmed by the sight of his naked torso that she drops everything she’s carrying. Then, she bursts into tears because obviously Daniel would never want a wife who can’t carry things. You know, the rational reaction of an adult woman. “The Husband Maneuver” is set in 1892, in the American West, so I realized that context is everything, etc etc. I still had a really hard time getting over how childish Marietta comes off, which meant I struggled to accept her as a romantic heroine.

All that said, for how contrived the initial plot of the story is, the romance and the conflict is surprisingly reasonable. Marietta knows what she wants, and she goes after it. She uses her words to tell Daniel that she loves him, and wants to be his wife. Daniel is in a tough spot, and doesn’t want to push Marietta away, while also respecting a boss who has been very good to him. They have genuine conversations about what is in their hearts before they reach their happy ending. Nobody has to lie, or hear about things from a third party, or interpret crop circles or anything. It’s honestly so refreshing.

“The Husband Maneuver” is essentially a light trifle of a book. I probably won’t read it again, but I’m not mad that I spent the time or money. Basically nothing happens, but if you’re looking for a low-angst time pass, it’s not a bad option. If you like hail storms, you’re in for an extra treat.