Carol Moncado

It all started with an ad in a mail-order bride catalogue . . .

This charming bouquet of novellas introduces you to four Hitching Post Mail-Order Bride Catalogueprospects in the year 1870, all eager for second chances . . . and hungry for happiness. Year in, year out, they’ll learn that love often comes in unexpected packages.

“And then Came Spring” by Margaret Brownley

Mary-Jo has traveled halfway across the country to meet her match, arriving just in time for his funeral. Returning home seems like her only option until her would-be brother-in-law proposes a more daring idea.

“An Ever After Summer” by Debra Clopton

Ellie had no idea she’s not what Matthew ordered. And what’s wrong with being a “Bible thumper” anyway? She’s determined to show him she’s tougher than she looks—and just the girl he needs.

“Autumn’s Angel” by Robin Lee Hatcher

Luvena would be perfect for Clay if she didn’t come with kids. But kids are a deal breaker, especially in a rough-and-trouble mining town. ­ e trouble is, there’s no money to send them back . . .

“Winter Wedding Bells” by Mary Connealy

David’s convinced he’s not long for the world. He needs someone to mother his boys when he’s gone—nothing more. Can plucky Irish Megan convince him to work at living instead of dying?

The biggest problem I have with novella collections like this is the fact that they’re novella collections like this. :/ I LOVE thick books, longer than most publishers put out these days where I can get lost for DAYS in a fictional world. But that’s the problem with being a fast reader. Very few books last that long for me [though the “world” often sticks around longer than I actually spend reading].

I enjoy novellas like these, but I long for them to be full length novels giving more time for the reader [aka: me] to sink into the characters and ache with them, rejoice with them, and so on. So…

The novellas were fast paced and well-written – as one would expect from exceptional authors such as these. The characters are fun and original. The letter-writer and tampering was ingenious.

But in the end, there just wasn’t enough for me to love-LOVE them. I wanted MORE!!!! [Something I tend to be guilty of even after reading a Julie Lessman tome ;).]

I look forward to other, trade length novels by these authors, but these novellas are perfect for someone looking for a light, fun, quick read.

Overall rating: 8 out of 10 stars

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ecopy in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first in MAIL-ORDER BRIDE WEEK!!!! Everyone loves a good mail-order bride story and I’ve got quite the line up for reviews set for the next seven days! [Uh… with Sunday off because it’s God’s day – and because I don’t have another one in my “already read and need to review” stack :D.]

Today: A Bride for Keeps by Melissa Jagears
Saturday: A Bride for All Seasons by Margaret Brownley, Debra Clopton, Mary Connealy, and Robin Lee Hatcher
Monday: Twice Promised by Maggie Brendan
Tuesday: Perfectly Matched by Maggie Brendan
Wednesday: The Anonymous Bride by Vickie McDonough
Thursday: Second Chance Brides by Vickie McDonough
Friday: Finally a Bride by Vickie McDonough

Although Everett Cline can hardly keep up with the demands of his homestead, he won’t humiliate himself by looking for a helpmate ever again–not after being jilted by three mail-order brides. When a well-meaning neighbor goes behind his back to bring yet another mail-order bride to town, he has good reason to doubt it will work, especially after getting a glimpse at the woman in question. She’s the prettiest woman he’s ever seen, and it’s just not possible she’s there to marry a simple homesteader like him.

Julia Lockwood has never been anything more than a pretty pawn for her father or a business acquisition for her former fiance. Having finally worked up the courage to leave her life in Massachusetts, she’s determined to find a place where people will value her for more than her looks. Having run out of all other options, Julia resorts to a mail-order marriage in far-away Kansas.

Everett is skeptical a cultured woman like Julia could be happy in a life on the plains, while Julia, deeply wounded by a past relationship, is skittish at the idea of marriage at all. When, despite their hesitations, they agree to a marriage in name only, neither one is prepared for the feelings that soon arise to complicate their arrangement. Can two people accustomed to keeping their distance let the barricades around their hearts down long enough to fall in love?

I’ve met Melissa several times and she is the BFF of a local friend so I’d heard a bit about this book before it even sold to Bethany House much less had the blurb up on Amazon. I love a good mail-order bride story and this had all of the earmarks of one [even if one part of the plot hit a bit too close to a manuscript I’ve written most of – but have no plans to pursue ;)].

Overall, I enjoyed A Bride for Keeps. It didn’t wow me like I wanted it to, but it was a perfectly lovely read. I liked both Everett and Julia and the rest of the town [except the ones I wasn’t supposed to ;)]. I rooted for the two of them to fall in love and eventually they did. I loved the way he took care of her when she needed it. How hard she tried to learn how to help him survive on a farm in the prairie when it was so far outside her realm of experience.

I look forward to Melissa’s next offering and hope to enjoy it as well.

Overall rating: 7.5 out of 10 stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Charlotte Graham is at the center of the most famous kidnapping in Chicago history.

The task force of FBI and local cops found her two abductors, killed them, rescued her, but it took four very long years. The fact she was found less than three miles from her home, had been there the entire time, haunts them. She’s changed her identity, found a profession she loves, and rebuilt her life.

She’s never said a word–to the cops, to her doctors, to family–about those four years.

A family legacy has brought her back to Chicago where a reporter is writing a book about the kidnapping. The cops who worked the case are cooperating with him. Her options are limited: Hope the reporter doesn’t find the full truth, or break her silence about what happened. And her silence is what has protected her family for years.

Bryce Bishop doesn’t know her past, he only knows she has coins to sell from her grandfather’s estate–and that the FBI director for the Chicago office made the introduction. The more he gets to know Charlotte, the more interested he becomes, an interest encouraged by those closest to her. But nothing else is working in his favor–she’s decided she is single for life, she struggles with her faith, and she’s willing to forego a huge inheritance to keep her privacy. She’s not giving him much of an opening to work with.

Charlotte wants to trust him. She needs to tell him what happened. Because a crime cops thought was solved, has only opened another chapter…

I’m still making up my mind about the truths revealed in Dee’s last offering, Full Disclosure (my review). They’re not as prominent here though the people in that greyed out portion of my review are mentioned in passing a few times. The main secondary characters are Ann and Paul from that book.

I still tend to equate Dee with Romantic Suspense in my mind. I’m not quite sure why that is though there is an element of suspense it’s not the page turning, will they die a horrific death by the end of the chapter, type suspense. More mystery still I guess.

I did enjoy Unspoken. I read it in about a day or so – which is about right for me when I sit to read a book and don’t have a whole lot else on my plate. But… it doesn’t hold quite the same… something. Kind of like when you’ve been dreaming of Andy’s Frozen Custard for weeks and weeks and then you get it. It’s GOOD but you’ve built it up a bit TOO much in your mind [I’m not sure if that’s possible for Andy’s but you know what I’m talking about ;)].

I didn’t figure out who the missing guy from her kidnapping was in advance, but unless I missed something we weren’t given enough information to. I did call the twist connecting the two  cases [Charlotte’s kidnapping and the cold case Ann and Paul are looking at]. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say they’re connected somehow because if they weren’t it’s a waste of ink on a plot line that doesn’t mean anything.

And Dee Henderson is way too good for that.

Will I jump at the chance to review her next one? Absolutely. Will I try to lower my expectations just a smidge? Probably. Not much but a bit.

Overall rating: 8.25 out of 10 stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

The red warning light on her car dashboard drove Lainie Davis to seek help in the tiny town of Last Chance, New Mexico. But as she encounters the people who make Last Chance their home, it’s her heart that is flashing bright red warning lights. These people are entirely too nice, too accommodating, and too interested in her personal life for Lainie’s comfort–especially since she’s on the run and hoping to slip away unnoticed.

Yet in spite of herself, Lainie finds that she is increasingly drawn in to the dramas of small town life. An old church lady who always has room for a stranger. A handsome bartender with a secret life. A single mom running her diner and worrying over her teenage son. Could Lainie actually make a life in this little hick town? Or will the past catch up to her even here in the middle of nowhere?

This is my first novel by Cathleen Armstrong. It likely won’t be my last.

It was a quick, fun read. Perfect for when I was laying on the couch after hurting the whole right side of my right leg when I slipped and fell in my in-law’s driveway ;).

My biggest complaint about it was that it felt… too short* and compared to several other recently released contemporaries, it is a fair bit shorter. To go along with the shorter length, there were several secondary stories taking up quite a bit of room. I enjoyed those stories as well, but felt it left Lainie and Ray a bit less room than they may have otherwise enjoyed. I also felt the ending was a bit rushed.

If it sounds like I didn’t enjoy it, that’s not quite right. I did, but would have liked another 50 pages or so focusing more on Ray and Lainie.

I did love Lainie and Ray and the rest of the gang in Last Chance and really loved getting to know them and the town. I would love to read another book – or several – set there. But in the end, I was left feeling a bit… short-changed? I’m not sure what the word is, but looking for a bit… MORE.

Overall rating: 7.5 out of 10 stars

*Print length is 289 pages. Beth Vogt’s Catch a Falling Star is 338, Becky Wade’s Undeniably Yours is 385, and Melissa Tagg’s Made to Last is 369. I’m using only recent contemporary novels as historicals tend to be longer anyway. Of those three, the next shortest is 50 pages longer – which is A LOT.

Thanks to the publisher for a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Five high school friends have one thing in common as they start their sophomore year: none of them have ever been on a “real” date. With homecoming looming, they make a pact and start a secret club they call the DG (Dating Game). They’re sworn to secrecy–and to purity–but the club is their way to set each other up on their first dates so they can report back to the DG. Of course, they all make different choices about how to deal with their parents and how to act on their dates, and they discover that they all have totally different experiences. Still, the things they learn about boys and dating will stick with them throughout high school.

 

 

 

I don’t think this is my first Melody Carlson book and I doubt it will be my last. That said, it took me a while to get into this one. My guess is that is because it followed all of the girls rather than one or two. Each one had several chapters from their POV. While I appreciated getting to know each of the girls, I think I would have liked to get to know a couple of them better. I look forward to getting to know them better in coming books.

Though the dance didn’t quite go as they all planned – some better, some worse – each girl learns something about herself, her friends, boys, dating, life, and God’s place in all of it.

Though I am /cough/ several /cough/ years removed from high school myself, I could “see” just about all of this happening at my [much smaller?] Christian school when I was in attendance [except we didn’t have dances at all]. I’m still a few years from having a high school girl and hope that I can be the mom she needs, not the friend she thinks she wants and that she’ll come to me and my husband when the time comes to decide on things like boys and dating. And that my two other girls [and my son about girls] will as well.

Overall rating: 8 out of 10 stars

Thank you to the publisher for a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Miranda Woodruff has it all. At least, that’s how it looks when she’s starring in her homebuilding television show, From the Ground Up. So when her network begins to talk about making cuts, she’ll do anything to boost ratings and save her show–even if it means pretending to be married to a man who’s definitely not the fiance who ran out on her three years ago.
 
When a handsome reporter starts shadowing Miranda’s every move, all his digging into her personal life brings him a little too close to the truth–and to her. Can the girl whose entire identity is wrapped up in her on-screen persona finally find the nerve to set the record straight? And if she does, will the life she’s built come crashing down just as she’s found a love to last?

 

 

 

Melissa’s debut is a cute, fun frolic through home repair and fake marriages.

From page 1, Melissa grabbed my attention and didn’t let go. [Even though the ACFW conference interrupted my reading time :p.]

With engaging characters and witty dialog, Melissa’s story is one I’ll return to when I have the chance.  The story of faith and forgiveness, lies and truth coming out is one that we can all relate to.

Particularly wonderful is Matthew’s relationship with his niece – and his brother/sister-in-law. Another favorite aspect was Randi’s relationship with a local home for children and her time spent helping the gal up the way from her.

I look forward to Melissa’s next offering that follows another character in this book – one I was so glad to hear would get his own story!!

Overall rating: 8.5 out of 10 stars

Thanks to the publisher and Melissa for an influencer copy in exchange for my review.

Dare Riker is a doctor who saves lives, but someone seems determined to end his. It may have something to do with the traitors he dealt with during the Civil War, or it might be related to the recent incident with Flint Greer and the ranch. Whoever the culprit is, he or she seems really fired up, and Dare can’t let his guard down for a moment, which is a challenge, since right now he’s trying to win the heart of the recently widowed Glynna.

Glynna Greer came west as a mail-order bride and ended up in a bad situation. Now her husband, Flint, is dead, and she’s determined to care for her son and daughter on her own. She wants to believe Dare Riker is as decent as he seems, but she’s terrified to lock herself into another marriage. She plans to support her small family by opening a diner–never mind that cooking is not her greatest talent. The men in Broken Wheel, Texas, are so desperate for home cooking that they seem willing to overlook dried-out beef and blackened biscuits.

Glynna can’t help but notice that danger follows Dare wherever he goes. There’s the avalanche. And then the fire. But things really get out of hand when someone plunges a knife from Glynna’s diner into Dare’s back. Are Flint’s cronies still plotting revenge? Is Glynna’s son engaged in a misguided attempt to protect his mother? Is a shadowy outsider still enraged over past injustices? And can Dare survive long enough to convince Glynna to take another chance on love?

It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that I love Mary Connealy’s books. Even the 5th graders I subbed today know this [as we discussed favorite books and I finally had to settle on a favorite author, but as much as I love Mary, that was a very difficult decision as well].

Fired Up is no exception to my Mary-love. Dare is a doctor with little training and no formal schooling. Glynna is a cook who burns everything she touches. Her cooking will send all of the men to the doctor, but none can help visiting the pretty not-really-a-cook on a daily basis.

As always in Mary-fic, there’s lots of gunfights and even knives get in on the action this go round.

Glynna was married to two awful men and she’s not about to get tied down again – especially not with her son’s distrust of any man. Dare does his best to prove to both of them some men – most men – will do anything in their power [and beyond] to protect the women in their lives rather than abuse them senselessly.

With his Regulator friends assisting them, Glynna and Dare find out who’s trying to kill him while book 3 is set up with one of the other buddies – and the sister of the fourth ;).

As always, Mary doesn’t disappoint – except in the time between releases.

Overall rating: 9 out of 10 stars

Thanks to the publisher for a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Ellie Ballantyne, youngest child of Silas and Eden, has left finishing school. But back at her family home in Pittsburgh, Ellie finds that her parents are away on a long trip and her siblings don’t seem to want her to stay. When she opens a day school for young ladies, she begins tutoring the incorrigible daughter of the enemy Turlock clan. The Turlocks are slaveholders and whiskey magnates, envious of the powerful Ballantynes and suspicious of their abolitionist leanings. As Ellie becomes increasingly tangled with the Turlocks, she finds herself falling in love with an impossible future–and Jack Turlock, a young man striving to free himself from his family’s violent legacy. How can she betray her family and side with the enemy? And will Jack ever allow her into his world?

Masterful storyteller Laura Frantz continues to unfold the stirring saga of the Ballantyne family in this majestic tale of love, loyalty, and the makings of a legacy. With rich descriptions of the people who settled and civilized a wild landscape, Frantz weaves a tapestry of characters and places that stick with the reader long after they turn the last page.

This is the sequel to Laura’s last offering Love’s Reckoning, which made me happy to no end :D. The heroine, Ellie,  is the youngest daughter of Silas and Eden from that book. The hero, Jack,  is a member of the Montagues to Silas and Eden’s Capulets [or vice-versa – I can’t ever keep them straight ;)].

As always, Laura does a fantastic job – her way with words is the envy of many a writer, I’m sure! And her plots are nothing to sneeze at either.

Ellie is home from finishing school and desperate to find her own place in life. A chance encounter giving Jack the chance to be a bit of a hero to her. But when she arrives home, her parents are gone and her siblings seem to have no desire to have her around. They’re keeping a secret – a huge one. One I won’t spoil here but oh my.

Jack unwittingly, and at first unknowingly, gets pulled in to the secret – torn between his family and way of life and protecting the woman he refuses to admit he loves and her family [did you follow that ;)?]. He does his best to keep Ellie out of danger, but time after time, she’s threatened physically, emotionally, and in the livelihood she creates for herself.

Time and again, Jake proves himself to be honorable rather than the cad his reputation says he is.

Laura already knows I’m waiting with bated breath for book 3 [and since book 2 came out less than two weeks ago, I’ll be waiting a while :p].

Overall rating: 9.25 out of 10 stars

Thanks to the publisher for a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Madison’s heart has been closed for years. But one summer can change everything.

In the years since her twin brother’s drowning, Madison McKinley has struggled to put it behind her. Despite the support of her close-knit family and her gratifying job as a veterinarian in their riverside town, the loss still haunts her.

To find closure, Madison sets out to fulfill her brother’s dream of winning the town’s annual regatta. But first she has to learn to sail, and fast.

Beckett O’Reilly knows Madison is out of his league, but someone neglected to tell his heart. Now she needs his help—and he’ll give it, because he owes her far more than she’ll ever know.

Madison will do anything—even work with the infamous Beckett O’Reilly—to reach her goal. And as much as she’d like to deny it, the chemistry between them is electrifying. As summer wanes, her feelings for him grow and a fledgling faith takes root in her heart.

But Beckett harbors a secret that will test the limits of their new love. Can their romance survive summer’s challenges? And will achieving her brother’s dream give Madison the peace she desperately seeks?

I’m a sucker for a good Denise Hunter book and I’m sure a paper copy of this one is going to find it’s way on to my shelves sooner rather than later. Especially given how late in the night I kept flipping through the Kindle pages. Ms. Hunter doesn’t disappoint.

Madison and Beckett are wonderful – wonderfully flawed and perfectly imperfect. Madison struggles with keeping her emotions at bay – after the death of her twin brother, when her sister takes off, when… well, other stuff I can’t mention here because it’d be all spoiler-y.

Beckett is a wonderful hero [Nancy Kimball needs him on her Fiction Hero Features blog]. He’s not perfect but he’s perfect for Madison. Having been told his whole life that he’s from the wrong side of the tracks and not good enough for someone like Madison, even though there was that one day in high school…

Their path to finding their happily ever after isn’t always easy [hey – it’s a romance – that’s not a spoiler ;)], but find it they do. And I gave a big waffy sigh.

I was also glad to see this is a series [YAY! SERIES!] and can’t wait to see where the next book takes us. With several siblings in Madison’s family [one of whom is already perfectly set up for a book] and Beckett’s sister beckoning, I look forward to seeing what happens to them – and Beckett and Madison in the future :D.

Overall rating: 9 out of 10

 Thanks to BookSneeze and the publisher for a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.