The Blacksmith Brides by 4 Authors

 

Here is the book summary:

Hearts Are Forged by the Flames of Gentle Love in 4 Historical Stories
 
Worth Fighting For (1774—Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) by Pegg Thomas
Talk of war has surrounded Meg McCracken, including her father and four brothers. Alexander Ogilvie doesn’t care about the coming war; his plans are to head west. When Meg comes to his smithy, sparks fly off more than the forge. But can they build anything during unstable times?
 
Forging Forever (1798—Cornwall, England) by Amanda Barratt
When the actions of Elowyn Brody’s father force her into a marriage of convenience with blacksmith Josiah Hendrick, she consigns love to a bygone dream. But as Elowyn comes to know her new husband, her flame of hope begins to burn again. Until heartache threatens to sever the future forged between them.
 
A Tempered Heart (1861—Charlottesville, Virginia) By Angela K. Couch
Buried under a debt that is not his own, Thomas Flynn’s only focus is gaining his freedom. He has learned to keep his head low and not pay attention to the troubles of others, until a peculiar boy and his widowed mother show him how empty his life has become. After years of protecting her son from slights and neglect of the people closest them, Esther Mathews is not sure how to trust the local blacksmith with her child…or her heart.
 
A Malleable Heart (California—1870) by Jennifer Uhlarik
A hard-hearted blacksmith finds acceptance with the town laundress. But when his past comes to call, will he resist love’s softening or allow God to hammer his ruined life into something of worth?

And now, my review:

The Blacksmith Brides includes 4 wonderful historical fiction stories in one.  I didn’t make it through Forging Forever because I found the main plot too disturbing.  This has nothing against the author and I’m sure other will love it.  I found Worth Fighting For a non-stop read of drama and romance.  I found A Tempered Heart to be a wonderful read set in a wonderful time period.  And for Malleable Heart what a great premise for another charming story.  Overall, I enjoyed this book. 

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

https://www.amazon.com/Blacksmith-Brides-4-Historical-Stories-ebook/dp/B081GHZ1XL/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=blacksmith+brides&qid=1609269720&sr=8-2

https://www.christianbook.com/blacksmith-brides-stories-forged-hard-work/amanda-barratt/9781643524221/pd/524223?event=ESRCG

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blacksmith-brides-amanda-barratt/1136010580?ean=9781643524221

Amish Front Porch Stories by Wanda, Jean, and Richelle Brunstetter

Here is the book summary:

Come and sit awhile as you enjoy 18 fictional short stories of love, joy, and the peace found in Amish country.

Amish Country is known for an atmosphere of peace and quiet, perfect for front-porch sitting with a good book. Join New York Times bestselling author Wanda E. Brunstetter, her daughter-in-law, and granddaughter, as they share 18 heartwarming stories from Amish Country. These fictional short stories include journeys we can all relate to as we seek how to live led by love, joy, peace, patience, and other Fruits of the Spirit. Meet Anna, who struggles to show love to a cantankerous neighbor; Laura, who endures infertility; Nora, whose pride threatens to consume her life; and other women who walk in their faith each day.

And now, my review:

I really enjoyed reading Amish Front Porch Stories by all the Brunstetters because each story has challenges to the reader.  The book is broken up into the Fruits of the Spirit and you get a couple stories for each one.  From the get-go with Love – Simple Actions, I was challenged by the significance of simple actions.  The ministering that happens to others and in a person’s soul.  Another one I really liked was Gentleness – A Change Of Heart.  I enjoyed reading how powerful it is when attitudes surrender and perspectives change.  With 18 great glimpses, you’re sure to find some simple yet powerful encouragement.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

https://www.amazon.com/Amish-Front-Porch-Stories-Simple-ebook/dp/B07QHG3PGV/ref=sr_1_2?crid=YLWCS39PKQG3&keywords=amish+front+porch+stories&qid=1574518356&sprefix=Amish+Front+Por%2Caps%2C176&sr=8-2

https://www.christianbook.com/stories-short-tales-simple-faith-wisdom/wanda-brunstetter/9781643521893/pd/521893?product_redirect=1&search_term=Amish%20Front%20&Ntt=521893&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/amish-front-porch-stories-wanda-e-brunstetter/1130647640?ean=9781643521893#/

The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides Collection by Various Authors

Here is the book summary:

Lighthouses have long been the symbol of salvation, warning sailors away from dangerous rocks and shallow waters.

Along the Great Lakes, America’s inland seas, lighthouses played a vital role in the growth of the nation. They shepherded settlers traveling by water to places that had no roads. These beacons of light required constant tending even in remote and often dangerous places. Brave men and women battled the elements and loneliness to keep the lights shining. Their sacrifice kept goods and immigrants moving. Seven romances set between 1883 and 1911 bring hope to these lonely keepers and love to weary hearts.

Anna’s Tower by Pegg Thomas
1883—Thunder Bay Island Lighthouse
Anna Wilson's plan to be the next lighthouse keeper is endangered when Maksim Ivanov is shipwrecked on Thunder Bay Island. Handsome and capable, he could steal her dream. Or provide a new one.
 
Beneath a Michigan Moon by Candice Sue Patterson
1885—New Presque Isle Lighthouse
Ava Ryan’s father has passed, leaving her alone, and ill, to tend the light with nowhere else to go. Logging foreman Benjamin Colfax needs the height of the lighthouse to determine the best cutting route, but he senses something amiss in Ava and her determination to remain reclusive. Can he get her to open up, or will she keep herself locked away?
 
Safe Haven by Rebecca Jepson
1892—Old Mission Point Lighthouse
Rose Miller was found on the lighthouse doorstep as an infant, and now she must hide her quest to find the child who left her there from Captain Nathan Perry, the man she loves to hate.
 
Love’s Beacon by Carrie Fancett Pagels
1898—Round Island Lighthouse
Valerie Fillman's best hope for a future lies on the tiny island that holds her worst memories. Can Paul Sholtus, the new lightkeeper, and his daughter help bring healing? And love?
 
The Last Memory by Kathleen Rouser
1899—Mackinac Point Lighthouse 
Natalie Brooks loses her past to amnesia, and Cal Waterson, the lighthouse keeper who rescues her, didn’t bargain on risking his heart—when her past might change everything.
 
The Disappearing Ship by Lena Nelson Dooley
1902—Whitefish Point Lighthouse
Romance and mystery collide at Whitefish Point Lighthouse when unemployed doctor Norma Kimbell and Drake Logan, owner of a steamship line, search for evidence of a supposed shipwreck.
 
The Wrong Survivor by Marilyn Turk
1911—Au Sable Lighthouse
Lydia Palmer's dream for happiness as a lighthouse keeper's wife shatters when her fiancé Nathan Drake drowned in a shipwreck, but his brother Jesse survived. 


And now, my review:
This book of 7 short stories was a great picture to me of the 7 Lighthouses around Michigan that they chose from to write about.  I love Michigan and I love Lighthouses so this drew me right in to reading this one.  I was sure NOT disappointed.  The various authors in this book did a great job researching and relaying the historical side to the Lighthouses as well as penned marvelous romance stories with each one.  All the shipwreck, all the heartache, and the importance of getting that light on to save lives were powerfully displayed.  My heart is still tugged by one about a single woman who has no family and had just lost her father.  She has to figure out how to remain the Lighthouse attendant.  It’s extremely hard work and to top it off she has a medical condition.  Such a fun read!  One of my favorite quotes from this book is “Envy wasn’t a comfortable companion, but it had dogged her steps these last few days.”  You’ll want to check this one out!

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

https://www.amazon.com/Great-Lakes-Lighthouse-Brides-Collection-ebook/dp/B07D8GNHBF/ref=sr_1_1?crid=20KX37NHV965P&keywords=the+great+lakes+lighthouse+brides+collection&qid=1561550900&s=gateway&sprefix=the+Great+lakes+li%2Caps%2C152&sr=8-1

https://www.christianbook.com/lighthouse-collection-historical-romances-beacon-hearts/lena-dooley/9781683227694/pd/227691?product_redirect=1&search_term=the%20great%20lakes%20lighthouse%20b&Ntt=227691&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-great-lakes-lighthouse-brides-collection-lena-nelson-dooley/1128090023?ean=9781683227694

The Mail-Order Brides Collection by Various Authors

Here is the book summary:

What kind of woman would answer an advertisement and marry a stranger?
 
Escape into the history of the American West along with nine couples whose relationships begin with advertisements for mail-order brides. Placing their dreams for new beginnings in the hands of a stranger, will each bride be disappointed, or will some find true love?

Perfect for the Preacher by Megan Besing
1897, Indiana
Fresh from seminary, Amos Lowry believes marriage will prove to his skeptical congregation that he’s mature. If only his mail-order bride wasn’t an ex-saloon girl, and worse, pregnant.
 
The Outlaw’s Inconvenient Bride by Noelle Marchand
1881, Wyoming
After a gang of outlaws uses a mail-order bride advertisement to trick an innocent woman into servitude, an undercover lawman must claim the bride—even if it puts his mission in jeopardy. 
 
Train Ride to Heartbreak by Donna Schlachter
1895, Train to California
John Stewart needs a wife. Mary Johannson needs a home. On her way west, Mary falls in love with another. Now both must choose between commitment and true love.
 
Mail-Order Proxy by Sherri Shackelford
1885, Montana
A mail-order marriage by proxy goes wrong when a clerical error leads to the proxies actually being married instead of the siblings they were standing in for. In their quest to correct the mistake, the two discover outlaws, adventure, and even love.
 
To Heal Thy Heart by Michelle Shocklee
1866, New Mexico
When Phoebe Wagner answers a mail-order bride ad that states Confederate widows need not apply, she worries what Dr. Luke Preston will do when he learns her fiancé died wearing gray.
 
Miss-Delivered Mail by Ann Shorey
1884, Washington
Helena Erickson impulsively decides to take advantage of her brother’s deception and travels to Washington Territory in response to a proposal of marriage intended for someone else. How will Daniel McNabb respond when Helena is nothing like he expected?
 
A Fairy-Tale Bride by Liz Tolsma
1867, Texas
Nora Green doesn’t feel much like Cinderella when her mail-order groom stands her up. But could the mysterious jester from the town’s play be her Prince Charming?
 
The Brigand and the Bride by Jennifer Uhlarik
1876, Arizona 
Jolie Hilliard weds a stranger to flee her outlaw family but discovers her groom is an escaped prisoner. Will she ever find happiness on the right side of the law?
 
The Mail-Order Mistake by Kathleen Y’Barbo
1855, Texas
Pinkerton detective Jeremiah Bingham is investigating a mail-order bride scam bankrupting potential grooms. When unsuspecting orphan May Conrad answers his false ad, she becomes the prime suspect in the case.
 

And now, my review:

From the beautiful cover to the premise of the book, it got me hooked from the start.  There are 9 historical romance short stories in this book and each one holds its own unique intrigue.  I just love when I’m reading and I can tell that the author, in this case, the authors, are putting their heart into it.  This is a historical romance and with it comes wild west adventures.  There are hills and valleys, romance, laughing-out-loud moments, and it kept me reading.  Check it out.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

https://www.amazon.com/Mail-Order-Brides-Collection-Historical-Marriage-ebook/dp/B074TXDL65/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1537398277&sr=8-4&keywords=the+mail+order+bride+collection#customerReviews

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mail-order-brides-collection-megan-besing/1126627885?ean=9781683224440

https://www.christianbook.com/brides-collection-historical-stories-marriage-precedes/kathleen-ybarbo/9781683224440/pd/224442?event=ESRCG

A Bouquet of Brides Collection by Various Authors

Here is the book summary:

A bouquet of brides is picked for love.
Meet seven American women who were named for various flowers but struggle to bloom where God planted them. Can love help them grow to their full potential?
 
Holly and Ivy by Mary Davis (1890, Washington State)
At Christmastime, Holly Harrison accompanies her impetuous younger sister on her trip across the country to be a mail-order bride. But even as she tries to persuade her sister that loving a stranger is foolhardy, Holly loses her own heart to a fellow traveler.
 
Periwinkle in the Park by Kathleen Kovach (1910, Colorado)
Periwinkle Winfield is a hiking guide helping to commission a national park. But a run-in with a mountain man who is determined to keep the government off his land may place her in great danger.
 
At Home with Daffodils by Paula Moldenhauer (1909, Oklahoma)
When her childhood sweetheart returns to town, will Dilly Douglas accept the worthy heart he offers, or will the old wound he opens keep them apart?
 
A Song for Rose by Suzanne Norquist (1882, Rockledge, Colorado)
Can Patrick O’Donnell, a tenor disillusioned by the performance industry, convince Rose Miller that there is more to music than her dream of joining an opera company?
 
Beauty in a Tansy? by Donita K. Paul (1918, South Dakota)
Tansy Terrell was named after a weed. When she opens shop next door, Arthur Blake recognizes Tansy's need to be valued as a beautiful flower but fails to see his own worth as a maker of instruments and music.
 
A Prickly Affair by Donna Schlachter (1885, Arizona)
A rough-and-tumble cowgirl, “Cactus” Lil Duncan longs for true love, but is afraid to let down her prickly exterior when a city slicker from New York City, with less-than-honorable intentions, tries to win her heart and her hand.
 
In Sheep’s Clothing by Pegg Thomas (1702, Connecticut)
Peter Maltby might be all good looks and charm, working in the new mill fulling wool, but Yarrow Fenn fears he is the Crown’s agent in disguise who will destroy the only livelihood she has.
 

And now, my review:

This book interested me because the premise was about 7 women struggling to bloom where God has planted them and I was looking forward to the encouragement I would receive about that in my own life and those God has placed around me as I read about these American women.  One of the stories brings out the reflection from one of the ladies as she looks out over a vast expanse and reflects on what in her life needs to change and what needs to stay.  Another is breathing a silent prayer for favor.  Another moment in the book is the truth of salvation.  That Jesus keeps on saving over and over, every minute.  This is just a few of the inspiring treats in this one.  There were funny moments as well and of course, there was romance in the bringing together of lives before God.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

https://www.amazon.com/Bouquet-Brides-Romance-Collection-Bachelors-ebook/dp/B074TXGSWD/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535636814&sr=8-1&keywords=a+bouquet+of+brides+collection

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-bouquet-of-brides-romance-collection-mary-davis/1127049002?ean=9781683223818#/

https://www.christianbook.com/bouquet-brides-collection-bachelors-happily-after/mary-davis/9781683223818/pd/223811?product_redirect=1&Ntt=223811&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP

Of Rags and Riches Romance Collection by various authors

Here is the book summary:

Love Flourishes during America’s Gilded Age
 
Journey along in nine historical romances with those whose lives are transformed by the opulence, growth, and great changes taking place in America’s Gilded Age. Nine couples meet during these exhilarating times and work to build a future together through fighting for social reform, celebrating new opportunities for leisure activities, taking advantage of economic growth and new inventions, and more. Watch as these romances develop and legacies of faith and love are formed.
 
Union Pacific Princess by Jennifer Uhlarik - Cheyenne, Dakota Territory, 1867
In the hell-on-wheels rail town of Cheyenne, grieving Boston socialite Dara Forsythe must choose between her estranged father; Connor, a bigwig with the Union Pacific Railroad; and Gage Wells, a former Confederate sharpshooter bent on derailing the Transcontinental Railroad’s progress.
 
The Right Pitch by Susanne Dietze - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1876
Guarded industrialist Beck Emerson agrees to sponsor his sister’s all-female baseball team. But when pretty pitcher Winnie Myles throws a curveball that makes him team manager, it challenges his plan to play it safe in life and love.
 
A Gift in Secret by Kathleen Y’Barbo - New Orleans, Louisiana, 1871
May Bolen offers Sam Austin a marriage of convenience. He will get to run the company that drove his into bankruptcy, and she will be free from her father’s rule to travel the world. But when Sam meets May, he knows the offer is too good to be true—or convenient—when hearts become tangled.
 
For Richer or Poorer by Natalie Monk - Newark, New Jersey, 1885
In order to bring her starving family to New Jersey, Polish immigrant Marcella Lipski must marry wealth. So she takes Americanization lessons from the poor-but-mysterious cart driver teaching her English—and loses her heart in the process.
 
A House of Secrets by Michelle Griep - St. Paul, MN 1890
Ladies Aide Chairman, Amanda Carston resolves to clean up St. Paul’s ramshackle housing, starting with the worst of the worst: a “haunted” house that’s secretly owned by her beau—a home that’s his only means of helping brothel girls escape from the hands of the city’s most infamous madam.
 
Win, Place, or Show by Erica Vetsch - New York City, 1890
Beryl Valentine, a socialite with a passion for horses, finds herself falling in love with her riding instructor, a man her parents will never accept. Will she follow her parents’ wishes, or let Gard Kennedy ride away with her heart? 
 
The Fisherman’s Nymph by Jaime Jo Wright - Flambeau River, Wisconsin, 1890
The reclusive daughter of a fly-fisherman guide must read the waters for a wealthy gentleman’s sport and send him back where he belongs before he hooks her heart and takes her away from the river she was born to love.
 
The Gardener’s Daughter by Anne Love - Bay View, Michigan, 1895
When the nephew of a prestigious Chautauqua resort founder sets his eye on the new library assistant believing her an academy student, it will take more than reciting poetry for love to bloom when he learns she’s the humble gardener’s daughter.
 
A Tale of Two Hearts by Gabrielle Meyer - Little Falls, Minnesota, June 1899
Reputations and jobs are on the line when lady’s maid, Lucy Taylor, and neighboring footman, Elijah Boyer, compete against each other for a place of honor during the annual community appreciation event hosted by their wealthy employers.

And now, my review:

What a great group of historical Christian fiction books.  All of these authors combined write a great book at a time in history that’s exciting to see penned about.  It starts with a great story about a woman who has not really had a present father in her life but now she faces time with him, a great story premise to start it all off.  There’s another story about a man who tries to save women from lifestyles that were unfortunate because he watched his sister go through it.  All together I would have to say that my favorite of all 9 was the Gardener’s Daughter by Anne Love because it’s set in Michigan and as I was reading I could picture its beauty.  It’s a story about seeing a person for who they truly are, with no pretense and loving them.   Check it out for yourself with the links below.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

https://www.amazon.com/Rags-Riches-Romance-Collection-Opulence-ebook/dp/B072KM4ZND/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1515169043&sr=8-1&keywords=of+rags+and+riches+romance+collection

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/of-rags-and-riches-romance-collection-susanne-dietze/1125051944?ean=9781683222637#/

https://www.christianbook.com/romance-collection-stories-poverty-opulence-gilded/susanne-dietze/9781683222637/pd/3222637?product_redirect=1&Ntt=3222637&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP

The American Heiress Brides Collection by Various Authors, Barbour Publishing

Here is the book Summary:

Nine wealthy women seek men trustworthy of their greatest treasure—their hearts.

Meet nine young women in America between 1866 and 1905 who have been blessed by fortunes made in gold, silver, industry, ranching, and banking. But when it comes to love, each woman struggles to find true love within a society where “first comes money, second comes marriage.” What kind of man can they trust with their greatest treasure—their hearts?

The Heiress and the Homesteader by Lisa Carter
1880 – Montana
Running from the suitor of her father’s choosing, haughty silver heiress Eugenia falls for a most unsuitable, proud but poor, homesteader as she tends to his ailing grandmother during harvest. From separate worlds, can they find a place for love to flourish?

The Reluctant Heiress by Mary Davis
1905 – Boston, MA
Victoria must decide whether to accept her inheritance with its proviso of a forced marriage or walk away from a fortune. Her attorney, Graham, finds it difficult not to cross the line from business to love with the enchanting heiress.

In for a Penny by Susanne Dietze
1894 – Philadelphia, PA
Banking heiress Penelope Beale is pushed by her status-conscious parents to marry a lofty English lord, but she’s drawn instead to a lowly art historian who shares her passion for service—Emmett Retford, the lord’s younger brother.

Sweet Love Grows by Anita Mae Draper
1890 – McLeod County, MN
Amelia Cord never doubted her father’s love—despite her illegitimacy. When he dies without a will, handsome by-the-books attorney Jeremy Moore produces a vindictive legal heir who demands her eviction without an inheritance. Can sweet love grow in spite of the odds?

Hometown Heiress by Patty Smith Hall
1895 – Mills of South Georgia
Journalist Matthew Langley strives to make a difference in the world through his writing, but it’s not until he meets textile heiress Dania Eison that he learns that changing people’s lives starts at home.

Savannah’s Trial by Cynthia Hickey
1866 – Ozark Mountains
The fate of the ranch rests on Savannah Worthington’s shoulders. Can she trust the handsome stranger her mother hired to help her, or is he one of many who wants what Savannah has struggled to save?

A Family Inheritance by Lisa Karon Richardson
1883 – San Francisco, CA
Anne Shepherd has made her own fortune in the California gold fields, but what she’s always wanted was a family. When the aunt she’s invited to live with her arrives with Jack Wilberforce in tow, Anne may have gone bust or she just might have hit pay dirt.

Maggie’s Newport Caper by Lynette Sowell
1895 – Newport, RI and New York City
A Gilded Age heiress throws caution to the wind during the Newport summer season to hunt down a jewelry thief targeting the wealthy after her family is robbed.

All That Glitters by Kimberley Woodhouse
1895 – Juneau, AK and Denver, CO
Investing in Alaska gold mines, a Denver heiress and her father enjoy the reprieve from money-hungry relatives back in Colorado when disaster strikes. A trusted employee agrees to escort the heiress home, but keeping her alive proves almost as difficult as preventing himself from falling in love with her.

And now, my review:

This book is compiled of 9 wonderful, historical stories of life all over the United States.  The premise is intriguing.  I found these stories to be believable and each one has its own flavor of a story line.  It’s interesting how money can make some people go to some great lengths to keep it, even if it’s not really theirs…  And for the honest, it’s hard to keep what is yours when people try to take it for themselves, just for spite.  I highly recommend this read to you from Barbour Publishing.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

https://www.amazon.com/American-Heiress-Brides-Collection-Struggle-ebook/dp/B01MU5O25Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499788265&sr=8-1&keywords=the+american+heiress+brides+collection

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-american-heiress-brides-collection-kimberley-woodhouse/1125479663?ean=9781634099974

https://www.christianbook.com/the-american-heiress-brides-collection/lisa-carter/9781634099974/pd/099974?product_redirect=1&Ntt=099974&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP