A Bride For All Seasons

This is a compilation of four novellas from well-known Christian authors of western romances. Each follows a mail-order bride in 1870, as she meets the man she has been introduced to through the Hitching Post Mail-Order Bride Catalogue. Things don't go quite as planned, as each couple find out that Melvin Hitchcock has altered their letters. . . \\r\\n\\r\\nThe stories were a pleasant, easy read, although each had a completely different setting and no characters in common except for reference to Mr Hitchcock. They are romance novellas, which means the ending is pretty predictable and there's no space to introduce or resolve more than the central conflict: two seemingly-incompatible people joined in marriage through the machinations of a less-than-honest publisher of a mail-order bride catalogue. \\r\\n\\r\\nIt appears that the authors are planning another compilation, Four Weddings and a Kiss. If so, I hope they won't be using The Hitching Post. While this was an amusing collection, I found myself getting tired of the central plot device by the last story. I wouldn't be interested in reading more, even from authors such as these who I usually enjoy. I'd much rather read their full-length novels where I can see more character development and revisit favourite characters in later stories. \\r\\n\\r\\nThanks to Thomas Nelson and Booksneeze for providing a free ebook for review. \\r\\n

Sometimes a short story is just what is needed. Investing in a full book complete with characters and their ups and downs can be tiring at times - not for bad reasons. For a book junkie like me, short stories provided a gentler hit, a respite if you like. Often they prep me for the longer books still calling my name. Then along comes a book of short stories that just fills the ticket for romance without the massive emotional investment. This is a good thing for me. I was really in the mood for short, sweet romances and I got just that!\\r\\n\\r\\nMy favourite of the four stories is tied. An Ever-After Summer by Debra Clopton and Winter Wedding Bells by Mary Connealy won my heart. \\r\\n\\r\\nRead if you like me, need a gentle, sweet hit of historical romance, that left me wondering about the future of these lovely characters. \\r\\n