Wife For Hire is a pre-Plum novel by popular American author, Janet Evanovich. It is the third book in the Elsie Hawkins series, on whom, Evanovich says, Grandma Mazur was modelled. Fans of the Plum series will be interested to know that in this book, Grandma Mazur’s famous big gun in the handbag has its prototype.

Maggie Toone needs to get away from Riverside, away from her mom and Aunt Marvina: she needs somewhere quiet to write her novel. Her Aunt Kitty was once a madam in a brothel, and she left Maggie her diaries. Hank Mallone’s job offer sounds just the ticket: pretend to be his wife for six months while she writes her book.

Hank Mallone needs to seem respectable: everyone in Skogen, Vermont knows about his rogue reputation, but he’s serious about his apple orchard and the cider press, bottling plant and apple pie bakery he wants to build. But the President of the bank (Hank’s dad) won’t approve his loan. With Maggie Toone as his wife he will look stable and settled.

This is a cute romance with plenty of zany characters. Instant attraction between hero and heroine, a bit of sexy action and a real marriage proposal make this a fun tale which, unfortunately, drags on just a bit too long.