Review: Married by Mistake

Married by Mistake book cover on blue background

This was such a fun book to read for the May Buddy Read as part of the Clearly Christian Readathon. My Heart Belongs in Ruby City, Idaho - Rebecca's Plight is the original title, but it is also published as Married by Mistake by Susanne Dietze. What a perfect title for the conundrum that the main characters face!

Book Synopsis

Journey Now to Ruby City, Idaho of 1866 where a Marriage Mishap Creates an Awkward Love Triangle

Looking forward to a quiet life and a full stomach, mail-order bride Rebecca Rice is pleased to marry her shopkeeper intended, Mr. Fordham, until the justice of the peace calls him Thaddeus, not Theodore—proceeded by the title Deputy. When the newlyweds realize they’ve married the wrong partners with similar names, an annulment seems in order—and fast, since Rebecca’s true intended is impatient to claim her as his own, not to mention Rebecca would never marry a lawman like her father. But when the legalities take longer than expected, Rebecca wonders if Tad wasn’t the right husband for her all along….

Source: Amazon

Book Thoughts

What an enjoyable visit to Ruby City, Idaho! I appreciate how Susanne Dietze took a very unique, though not impossible, set of circumstances and turned them into a full-fledged story that more than delivered an adventure for the characters involved. It's with this near-comical beginning that she explores what godly relationships can look like while solving a rash of crimes taking place in Idaho at the same time. I love that we got to know Tad better while realizing just why Rebecca faced such a dilemma in rectifying her marital situation.

I appreciate how much Tad and Rebecca respect one another and their commitment to doing the right thing. Add in their hearts for God and the recognition that His ways prevail over ours, and it's a wonderful lesson for them to learn as they seek to right the wrongs committed in this story. The author strikes the right balance between introspection and action, allowing us to dive deeper into the characters’ fears in their own lives and on behalf of their community. Readers looking for a clearly Christian book that provides a romance amid complex circumstances will enjoy Married by Mistake, demonstrating that God's ways are not our ways.

Book Summary

Format of book: 📖
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recommendation: 👍

Comments

Christian Book Review Programs

Over time, I've been on the hunt for Christian book review programs that readers can join. As a result, I've been able to compile the following list which may be of interest if you are seeking review copies of Christian books. This list mostly applies to print and ebooks, although some publishers offer audiobooks as well. If further information is available for any of the publishers below (or any missing publishers), please let me know as I am happy to update this list—thank you! Please note that you can also search for these publishers on NetGalley and other review sites in case there are no review programs available to you or you don't qualify for one 😊 List last updated: September 23, 2026 Christian Publishers 10ofThose Availability: U.S., Canadian, and U.K. residents Format: Only books published by 10ofThose qualify for review requests so as to avoid impeding with other Christian book review programs Genre: Christian non-fiction, children's books Email for availabi...

Reader Identity

The more I share my book thoughts and reviews, the more amazed I am at how many readers there are out there and just how many people enjoy talking about the books they're reading. Quite frankly, I'm blown away by the notion that there are people actively wanting to adopt the persona of being a reader, whereas I remember growing up, it was stigmatized as either boring or 'nerdy'. I used to cringe when I was in a position where I was asked to share about my hobbies as reading seemed to generate a sort of response where others would murmur about how they didn't know that people did that for fun. To be fair, this might have been some of the social circles or settings I've been a part of over the years, but I think reading has generally become more mainstream now. Thankfully, I can let people know that I spend almost all of my free time reading (amongst other things), and others don't seem to bat an eye anymore. While I have seen some content that discourages peo...

Review: Jesus Ate Carbs

It can be easy to think that we just need the right ingredients, meals, and diet plans that will suddenly transform our bodies. However, Jesus Ate Carbs by Abbie Frye probes deeper beyond a physical transformation to a spiritual one that invites God into every aspect of our lives. Obviously not limited to carbs (and acknowledging that allergies exist), this book is one that makes us probe a little deeper about why we eat, what needing to eat says about our relationship with our Creator, and how we can eat in alignment with His original design for it. Many thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Content to be aware of : heavy reliance on Ruth Haley Barton; theology around sentence of “God reveres us and is in awe of us ” (pg. 130); contemplative spirituality practices; direct messages from God to the author, such as “God told me that He has me in the ministry of reconciliation” (pg. 180)...