Customer Reviews

Brides of the West

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BRIDES OF THE WEST is a delightful trio of wonderful stories written by three very talented authors who each based their plot on `mail-order-brides'.

SATIN AND SNAKESKIN by Michele Ann Young - Set in 1867 Texas, Tess Dalton had been dropped off in the middle of no where waiting for her intended husband, Mr. Jake Redmond to arrive and claim her for his bride. Becoming a mail-order bride was not something she'd intended when she'd left London to find her brother but after being robbed in New York, it was her only way to find a way to San Antonio. Unfortunately, for Tess after taking a quick look at the skinny little gal all dressed up in satin, Jake wanted to back out of the contract.

*** Actually this story started off with a big bang that grabs your attention from the very first words and holds on tight till the very joyful ending. For Jake who was expecting a plain motherly looking but robust bride that could hold her own in the inhospitable land, Tess was a big surprise. She may have been skinny, but she had all the right parts in all the right places and she scared the heck out of Jake. Jake's main problem was would she have the strength to adapt to a hard working ranch, or would he be adding more to his own problems by having to look after her! In fashioning Tess, with a gigantic strength of character and a bit of bull-headedness, Ms. Young clearly laid Jake's problems aside. Interspersing periods of humor with honest dialogs coupled with well built secondary characters, this story that started out as blatant rejection turned into a very lovely and sensual romantic courtship. Well done Ms. Young.

GRAY WOLF'S BRIDE by Kimberly Ivey - Gonzales, Texas - 1885 - Gray Wolf McKinnon was shocked when he spied Evangeline's picture in the latest edition of A Bride For All mail order catalog. Rage, love, hate - he couldn't decide what he felt of all the emotions he had from ten years ago when she ran away and he was left half beaten to death.

Finally widowed, Evangeline Payne had suffered enough and didn't mourn the beast she'd been married to. All Evangeline wanted now was safety and security for her son Mac and herself. Correspondence with Mr. Adam Smith seemed the answer to her prayers even though love was a dream she'd given up years ago.

*** This was another fabulous story that author Kimberly Ivey gave life and breath to. Although his ranch was flourishing and he'd Americanized his name to Adam Smith, Gray Wolf could not disguise the fact that he was a half-breed, which was why he looked for a bride in the mail order catalog. Seeing Evangeline after all these years his original motive was revenge in contracting with her to come back to Texas but the fine line that exists between love and hate is always so unpredictable.

Ivey managed in this short story to give the reader a huge dose of sensualness, forgiveness, and suspense. Both Evangeline and Gray Wolf were victims of bigotry and hatred. Evangeline's father had almost succeeded in murdering Gray Wolf and then had sentenced his own daughter to a fate worse than death. Incorporating a villain in this story who did not want to see Evangeline have a second chance at happiness, Ivey packs a wallop into this fast paced story with an exciting finale. The reader should be misty eyed at Gray Wolf and Evangeline's story of survival, love and forgiveness.

THE CHANCES ARE BRIDE by Billie Warren Chai - Shiloh Springs, Texas, 1872 - The mail order bride had arrived and Sheriff Josh Morrow had the disagreeable chore of having to break the bad news to her. Unpleasant was the fact he had to deliver such bad news especially since she was the prettiest little thing Josh ever laid eyes. Even though on one level he did concede that in a way she was lucky she escaped the man she was set to marry as he was certainly not worthy of her.

Annabelle was sorry to find her intended dead, but not ready to grieve for a man she barely knew. Unfortunately she was also in a quandary as what to do next; no husband, and no money to go home. Not that she would want to return home after burning her bridges when she left, but what would happen now?

*** This also was a lively and very entertaining story from the talented pen of up and coming writer, Billie Warren Chai. Annabelle was running away from a slavelike existence caring for a father and five brothers - no chance to wed there. Naively believing her intended was a respectable restaurant and hotel owner Annabel set out on a journey and was fortunate enough that her intended was murdered before she met him. On top of that, the very handsome sheriff of the town became her champion especially after a couple of attempts were made on Annabel's life. Josh had sworn never to love again, but knew deep in his soul that he could not let another woman down especially after he'd not been able to save his former fiancé's life. Ms. Chai's wonderful interpretation of Josh and Annabel's mutual attraction, coupled with the mystery of who would want to kill Annabel made this a fast paced edge of the seat thriller, and sensual laden romance.

Bottom line, is all three of the stories in this wonderful anthology are based on women who gambled their future in blindly accepting complete strangers for husbands. It was a different era when a woman must have a husband to survive and all three of these phenomenal authors wrote exceptional stories featuring fascinating and gutsy heroines and the men who loved them. For an engrossing read with splendid original stories I highly encourage reader's to pick up a copy of this marvelous anthology.

Marilyn Rondeau

All three stories were entertaining. I enjoyed learning how mail order brides chose their way and how it ended up for them.

I always enjoy a happy ending. The romance was heated but not overly obscene.

I bought this book because of Michele Young. I read her No Regrets and was impressed with that book. And she only proved what a strong talent she is with her entry in this 3 story-anthology. However, I was also pleased with the other two authors as well. Sometimes you buy an anthology for one author and then are stuck with two weaker tales. This is not the case with this book. All three are very enjoyable tables that really surprised me with their strength.

If love the Old West and heart-warming stories, then this is a good way to spend a chilly evening.

First, let me say that all these stories are wonderful tales of what happens when a woman travels west to marry a stranger. I was truly impressed with the quality of each story.

Michele Young, a proven Regency author, has outdone herself with her western, Satin and Snakeskin, a marvelous romance. When the hero, Jake Redmond, first spies his beautiful bride-to-be, Tess Dalton, he pulls out his gun and shoots...you'll have to read it yourself to find out why. Ms. Young puts a heart-rending spin on this charming story.

Kimberly Ivy's Grey Wolf's Bride, is a sensual, romantic story of love lost and re-found as the heroine, Evangeline Payne, discovers the man she has contracted to marry is her long, lost love. Grey Wolf McKinnon--who has changed his name to Adam Smith, making him unrecognizable to the unsuspecting mail order bride--is a hero to die for. Poignant and sensual, this story had me totally engrossed.

Billie Warren Chai completed the trio of novella's with a super story entitled, The Chances Are Bride. The heroine, Annabelle, is feisty, the hero, Sheriff Morrow, is sexy and the story is spicy. When she arrives to wed a stranger, Annabelle finds he has died and left her a saloon and brothel. The sheriff, sympathetic to her plight, comes to this Eastern Lady's aid. You'll love this rendition by Ms. Chai, whose prose is always pleasing, no matter the genre.