Book Review: A Bride for All Seasons by Margaret Brownley, Robin Lee Hatcher, Mary Connealy, Debra Clopton

ISBN: 1401688535
Published: June 18th, 2013
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Read from August 6th to 25th, 2013
Synopsis from publisher:

It All Started with an Ad in a Mail Order Bride Catalogue…Melvin Hitchcock of the Hitching Post Mail Order Bride Catalog isn’t dishonest—not exactly. If he tweaks his clients’ applications a bit, it’s because he’s looking out for their best interests.
This charming bouquet of novellas introduces four Hitching Post prospects in the year 1870, each one 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 been unlucky all her life. But who would guess she’d travel halfway across the country to meet her match . . . only to find him dead!
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. The 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?

Review:

This is a collection of four different novellas that tell the experiences of four different mail order brides. In each story, the letters sent between the couple before they meet have been changed, and this leads to a misunderstanding between them. These misunderstandings range from one woman being portrayed as less religious than she is to one woman not knowing that the man she agreed to marry is apparently dying.

Overall, I did enjoy all four of these novellas. I'd never read a story about mail order brides before, although I'd always found the idea intriguing, and that was primarily what drew me to the book. The stories were each incredibly predictable, especially once you made it to the third and fourth stories. All four novellas are really the same situation just with different tweaks. They were still fun to read, but you know exactly what's going to happen. There really aren't any surprises.

I do think that the entire idea of mail order brides can be interesting to us today because it's a bit unbelievable in our society. However, it also led to some slightly unbelievable stuff in the stories. It felt to me like everything happened too fast, but I guess that's to be expected when you agree to marry each other before even meeting in person.

I would recommend this book if you are interested in historical romances, but not really for anyone else. The four novellas are predictable, but they're still fun and enjoyable.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com® <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”