I had the pleasure of reading a short series this month and I thought I’d put all three reviews in one post for you. I don’t think the series was listed as a novella but they were on the short side for a novel. I suppose they fell between categories which made for fun quick reads.
Stealing a groom is not for the faint of heart…. or the hapless Adelaide Delaney!
While on a trip to meet her fiance in an arranged marriage, Adelaide Delaney meets Charlotte, a mail order bride who is on her way to marry a rancher. When their bags, along with their train tickets, are accidentally switched, Addie impulsively takes Charlotte’s place.
Simply wanting to avoid the marriage her father has arranged, Addie never imagines the difficulties of being a rancher’s wife, leaving a trail of hilarious catastrophes in her wake.
Will there be any truth beneath the pretense? Or will Addie decide that she is a poor substitute for Josh Harding’s bride?
My Thoughts: I was hooked from the start. Wesley and Tru were a great duo and had crafted a story that I couldn’t put down. I found myself laughing out loud several times. I loved it. In fact, I loved it so much that I searched out the rest of the series and started them right away. My only complaint was that the characters seemed to get over their plight a little too easily at the end. I would have liked to see a bit more emotion from the characters, namely anger. But I still found it delightful and am giving it 5 stars!
When following God’s Will may keep her from following her heart…
Charlotte Mason believes that it’s God’s will for her to be a mail order bride. But while on her way to meet her groom, her bags and tickets are accidentally switched with wealthy heiress, Adelaide Delaney. With the plans for her life hijacked, Charlotte finds herself forced to play the part of a railroad tycoon’s fiancé.
Unfortunately, the role is a tall order for a simple girl from Georgia. Plagued by hilarious mishaps, Charlotte must unravel the mystery of God’s will and find where she belongs.
In the end, Charlotte must choose whether to follow her heart or her mission to be a mail order bride.
My Thoughts: I was so thrilled to see the other half of the story from Bride of Pretense. The portion that I had felt like lacked emotion in the first book was cleared up and handled nicely in this one. I loved that. And like with the first book, Bride by Request was another laugh out loud mail order bride story. Sadly, the romance felt a tad bit one dimensional in this one, but I still found it to be a light and enjoyable read and am giving it 5 stars.
He lost one bride, but now he can’t seem to rid himself of another!
Pete Harding is a man haunted by regret. But when four mail-order brides are stranded at his ranch, he may need to rethink his belief that women don’t belong on ranches.
When her train is derailed, will her heart be as well?
Jo Franklin finds herself stranded on a Texas ranch. She has waited so long to start her life, and after deciding to be a mail-bride bride, she is now on hold yet again before she meets her fiancé. But while she strives to keep her temper amidst a series of humorous episodes with an infuriating cowboy, she also struggles to keep her heart on track toward her would-be husband.
But what if the man waiting for her at the end of the line isn’t who she thinks?
My Thoughts: While I didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as I had the others, it was still a satisfying ending to the series. I liked Pete in the first two books so I was thrilled to read about his happy ending. The plot held lots of promise and certainly delivered on it. I felt like the characters’ interaction together was a bit forced in the front half and it wasn’t near as funny as the first two. At the end of the day, it was an entertaining read. I’m giving it 4.5 stars.
As a whole, I enjoyed the series and recommend it to anyone who likes Christian Historical Romance or Christian Romantic Comedy.
Christian Author: A.M. Heath 