No Other Will Do

Written by Karen Witemeyer

Narrated by Johanna Parker

Men are optional. That's the credo Emma Chandler's suffragette aunts preached and why she started a successful women's colony in Harper's Station, Texas. But when an unknown assailant tries repeatedly to drive them out, Emma admits they might need a man after all. A man who can fight--and she knows just the one. Malachi Shaw finally earned the respect he craved by becoming an explosives expert for the railroad. Yet when Emma's plea arrives, he bolts to Harper's Station to repay the girl who once saved his life. Only she's not a girl any longer. She's a woman with a mind of her own and a smile that makes a man imagine a future he doesn't deserve. As the danger intensifies, old feelings grow and deepen, but Emma and Mal will need more than love to survive.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 7, 2016
• ISBN: 9781501920110

Karen Witemeyer

Voted #1 Reader's Favorite Christian Historical Author of 2023 by Family Fiction magazine, bestselling and Carol and Christy Award-winning author Karen Witemeyer offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. She and her husband make their home in Abilene, Texas. Learn more about Karen and her books at KarenWitemeyer.com.

Reviews for No Other Will Do

[Dian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Too long and not that exciting Emma is more trouble than brave I will not brother reading the next in the series

[Florian · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was cute, fun and witty. Not one of those novels where the reader has to shake his head about the stupidity of the characters, because they don't get the obvious clues the author puts in the story. Really loved it. A quick read.

[judyg54 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An interesting story line, where women established "Harper's Station, a women's colony that offers a fresh start to females in need. It is the 1880's and the town is in Texas. Emma Chandler, who is the banker in town and pretty much runs the town of ladies, needs help. Someone is trying to run her ladies out of town and threatens their existence. Who can she trust to help them? Only one man she knows, and that is Malachi Shaw, a young man who lived with Emma and her two aunts briefly. Now Malachi is a explosive expert for the railroad. But when he receives the telegram from Emma, he drops everything and rushes to help the only people who were ever a family to himOf course there is that romantic attraction between Emma and Malachi, but there is also the mystery of who is behind the threats, and the getting to know all the ladies in this town. The characters in this story were heartwarming. The author does a great job of keeping your interest and of writing a warm and delightful romance between Emma and Malachi. Looking forward to more stories in this series.

[gincam · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Author Karen Witemeyer’s inspirational historical romances are told with charm and humor. “No One Else Will Do” also offers adventure, mystery, and suspense. A childhood meeting between Malachi Shaw and Emma Chandler leads to a lifetime friendship. Orphaned Mal had been taken in by young Emma and her family, and he had lived with them until an unjust accusation by a bully had forced him to leave town. He and Emma had kept touch through letters, and Mal had made her promise to contact him if she ever needed him. Through the years, he had built a career and a reputation as an explosives expert for the railroad. Now, a decade since he had last seen Emma, he had received her plea for help, and he headed back to the town and the memories he had left behind. Emma had grown into an intelligent, caring and determined young woman who had founded Harper’s Station, a colony for women who needed hope and a new start in life. Not everyone embraced the women’s fight to have their social rights and equal and fair treatment. Someone was becoming increasingly violent in their goal to drive the women out of Harper’s Station, and Mal was the only man Emma trusted to help her—no other would do. Reunited as adults, will Mal and Emma see each other in a new light? Will friendship and trust lead to love, and will a deep and abiding faith lead them all to a lifetime of happiness? A recommended read from the very talented Karen Witemeyer.Book Copy Gratis Bethany House Books

[mickyfine · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Emma Chandler founded the community of Harper's Station as a place where women can pursue the careers that might be denied them in other male-dominated communities and as a safe haven for women who have left abusive relationships. However, when the community is suddenly threatened in ways Emma can't handle on her own she calls on her old friend, Malachi Shaw, whose life she once saved. As Malachi works with the women to help protect themselves from the increasingly deadly threats, he and Emma discover that their old friendship has the potential to blossom into something more.A historical Christian romance with suffragettes from one of my favourite authors in the genre. It was pretty much a given in advance that I'd like this one and I wasn't disappointed. Strong characters, a compelling suspense plot, and a lovely happy ending. Recommended to those who enjoy the genre.

[lamb521 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Title: No Other Will DoAuthor: Karen WitemeyerPages: 368Year: 2016Publisher: Bethany House PublishersMy rating is 4 stars.This author is one who writes good historical romances that I know I will not have to worry about language, sex or anything I might find offensive, which I really appreciate. This book is no exception. The setting is Texas in the mid-1900s. Emma Chandler is 23 years old and has been raised by her two spinster, suffragette aunts since the death of her parents when she was a young girl. She is now the leader of a settlement of women only. Harper’s Station is a place where a woman can get a fresh start and there are no men allowed. Emma has a compassionate and merciful heart as well as having a good head for banking and investments. She is the town banker and all the establishments are run by women. Each woman shares whatever talent she has with the community and they all help each other when someone is in need. However, recently a series of nasty notes have been left warning the women to leave town or else. As the notes get closer and closer to the center of town, Emma is more ill at ease. She decides to call in the cavalry in the form of her childhood friend, Malachi Shaw.Malachi Shaw is an explosives expert, working for the railroad in Montana. He receives Emma’s telegram, immediately asks for a week of vacation from his job and takes off for Texas to help Emma without knowing what kind of trouble he is walking into. When Malachi arrives, the women take a vote and allow him to stay, but only until the trouble is taken care of and then he must go. Emma and Malachi have stayed in touch with letters, but they haven’t seen each other in ten years. Their attraction to each other is immediate, but they both try to fight it. Malachi does his best to find the culprit who is trying to scare the women into leaving the town permanently, but his time is running out for soon he must return to his job. Can these two survive another parting after the first one hurt so badly? Why does someone want everyone out of Harper’s Station?I enjoyed the romance between these two main characters a lot. Emma’s enthusiasm and impulsiveness added the right amount of spark and feistiness to their relationship. I also liked how Malachi realized he needed to depend on God for solutions and not himself or anyone else. I just loved the two aunts! They added humor, love and compassion to the story. This would be a great book to take on vacation to read beside the pool on a sunny afternoon.

[alekee_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved the concept of the woman only town, but now the town is under attack, whom would want to close this town.Emma Chandler and her spunky aunts have established this colony to help woman and let them earn their freedom and restore their lives. Many come from abusive relationships.When the town is attacked Emma can only think of one person to turn to for help, Malachi Shaw, who she helped along with aunts when he was homeless, cold and starving, of course she was younger than him, but they opened their home to him. Now they need him, and when the telegram comes, Malachi and off as fast as he can!Then comes an ultimatum from Malachi’s boss, come back to work or your done, what will he do? He cannot stay forever in a ladies only town, can he? The threats and violence keep coming, and we need to put faces to who is responsible, how can it all be stopped, and why is this happening?Be ready for a page-turner here, and enjoy as we journey in a woman’s world!I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Bethany House and was not required to give a positive review.

[kaykwilts · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was an enjoyable read that kept me flipping pages and kept me up late at night. I loved the character of Malachi Shaw ever since Emma Chandler found him in his aunt's barn. I loved the compassion she and the aunts showed him. He even stayed with her family for a couple of years until he was forced to leave town and be on his own but he never forgot Emma and she never forgot him. I knew that they were destined to be together even though their lives took different paths, she as a banker managing a women's colony and he as an explosive expert in a different state. Even though many years had passed she knew she could call on him when trouble arose surrounding her colony.The suspense storyline was well-written with colorful characters. I hope the author will continue with Harper Station because there are more stories to be told. Since there is a colony of women there are more love stories to be told and more adventures. At least I hope the author does a Christmas novela because I want to visit Harpers Station again! This story is well deserving of a five star rating.Thanks to Netgalley and Bethany House Publishers for providing me an digital copy of this book to be reviewed. This book will be released on June 7, 2016.