The Outlaw Takes a Bride by Susan Page Davis

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Johnny Paynter flees Denver to escape being hanged for a murder he didn't commit. At his brother's ranch in Texas, where he thought he could take refuge, he finds his brother, Mark—dead. Taking advantage of his strong resemblance to his brother, Johnny assumes Mark's identity. Soon Johnny discovers that Mark had been corresponding with a widow named Sally in St. Louis, and she's en route to be a mail-order bride to Mark. Seeing no other option, Johnny makes a fateful decision to go through with the wedding, posing as his brother. But Sally has secrets she's hiding, too. How will a marriage survive with so much deception?

MY THOUGHTS:
Mail-order bride stories have always fascinated me – I mean, it's hard to believe some woman would just answer an ad and travel for days, or weeks, to marry a man she has never met, even if they did correspond for awhile. I guess it was just a precursor to internet dating?!

Outlaw had a great twist! Of course, no good relationship can be based on lies...and poor Sally unknowingly gets herself mixed up in Johnny's mess. As we all know that one lie can lead to another and then another – oh what a tangled web we weave! – it was almost painful to watch Sally's confusion and Johnny's rejection of her. You just wished you could shake Johnny to 'fess up, but again, another good lesson: peer pressure doesn't go away when you leave your teenage years behind!

Peer pressure, fear, lies, guilt... ouch.

My suspicions of whodunit was right on, but it didn't ruin the story. Instead, I was just waiting to see when the truth would finally come out.

Quite honestly, I wasn't ready for the story to end! I wanted just a few more chapters, as I'd really come to like Sally and Mark/Johnny and I felt their story ended just a bit too abruptly.

If you enjoy mail-order, western type stories, you'll want to pick up The Outlaw Takes a Bride!

Thank you to Susan and Shiloh Run Press through NetGalley for sending me a copy to read and review!

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**DISCLOSURE: I was given a free product in exchange for an honest review. Please read my full disclosure policy HERE.**

A Most Inconvenient Marriage by Regina Jennings

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Abigail Stuart thought she was Jeremiah Calhoun's widow.
But Jeremiah Calhoun is very handsome, very alive, and very perplexed.

Most Inconvenient Indeed.

With few options of her own, nurse Abigail Stuart agrees to marry her patient, a gravely wounded soldier calling himself Jeremiah Calhoun. They arrange a quick ceremony before he dies, giving Abigail the rights to his Ozark farm and giving Jeremiah the peace of knowing someone will care for his ailing sister after he's gone--a practical solution for both of them.

After the war, Abigail fulfills her side of the bargain--until the real Jeremiah Calhoun shows up, injured but definitely alive, and wastes no time in challenging Abigail's story. Abigail is flummoxed. After months of claiming to be his widow, how can she explain that she's never seen this Jeremiah Calhoun before? How can she convince him that she isn't trying to steal his farm? And will she find a way to stay, even though this practical arrangement has turned into a most inconvenient marriage?

MY THOUGHTS:
I've read several of Regina's books, and I really enjoyed A Most Inconvenient Marriage. The twist of marrying the wrong man is not new, but having him die and the right man show up is!

Abigail was strong, but sweet...and Jeremiah was tough, but tender. Great leading characters. The supporting cast was likeable, too. A Most Inconvenient Marriage had all the right ingredients for a great story! If you enjoy mail-order bride type stories, you will want to pick up Regina's latest book!

Thank you to Regina and Bethany House through NetGalley for sending me a copy to read and review!

Did you find my review helpful? Please rate it on Amazon and Christianbook.



**DISCLOSURE: I was given a free product in exchange for an honest review. Please read my full disclosure policy HERE.**

Buttermilk Sky by Jan Watson

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Weary of the expectations imposed on her by her strict upbringing, eighteen-year-old Mazy Pelfrey prepares to leave her home in the Kentucky mountains for the genteel city of Lexington, where she'll attend secretarial school. She knows her life is about to change-and only for the better. Everything will be blue skies from now on.

But business school is harder than she thought it would be and the big city not as friendly, until she meets a charming young man from a wealthy family, Loyal Chambers. When Loyal sets his sights on her, Mazy begins to see that everything she'd ever wished to have is right before her eyes. The only hindrance to her budding romance is a former beau, Chanis Clay, the young sheriff she thought she'd left firmly behind.

MY THOUGHTS:

I decided to pick up Buttermilk Sky after a review in my latest Christianbook Fiction catalog. The editor mentioned the 'Anne of Green Gables' feel and I was immediately interested. I'm glad I chose to read it.

Buttermilk Sky easily read as a standalone, but it made me want to go back and read all of Jan's previous books! I wanted to get to know some of the past characters that are woven throughout the book, and I liked the feel of the Anne-ish time period.

I liked Mazy right away. She brought to mind a little bit of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. A young, unspoiled girl looking for something exciting...then coming to the realization that there's no place like home.

I also liked Mrs. Pearl and Cinnamon (who needs a story of her own!). I did feel like Mazy's story ended too abruptly – or at least, I really wanted the story to continue or have the characters fleshed out a bit more. Didn't think it was long enough. Like I said, Cinnamon needs a story of her own – and I want to know more about Clara! Perhaps we will see them in a future book...?

A sweet story set in simpler times – I liked it and would definitely read another by Jan!

Thank you to Jan and Tyndale House through NetGalley for sending me a copy to read and review!

Did you find my review helpful? Please rate it on Amazon and Christianbook.



**DISCLOSURE: I was given a free product in exchange for an honest review. Please read my full disclosure policy HERE.**

The Secret of Pembrooke Park by Julie Klassen

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Abigail Foster fears she will end up a spinster, especially as she has little dowry to improve her charms and the one man she thought might marry her--a longtime friend--has fallen for her younger, prettier sister.

When financial problems force her family to sell their London home, a strange solicitor arrives with an astounding offer: the use of a distant manor house abandoned for eighteen years. The Fosters journey to imposing Pembrooke Park and are startled to find it entombed as it was abruptly left: tea cups encrusted with dry tea, moth-eaten clothes in wardrobes, a doll's house left mid-play . . .

MY THOUGHTS:
I've said it before, but most of Julie's books make me think I'm reading a movie – watching a book? The Secret of Pembrooke Park gave me that same feeling. The descriptions put you right in the manor or grounds or post chaise, and within the first few sentences I was already captivated with the story of Abigail and her family.

The mysteries surrounding the Pembrooke family and estate definitely kept me guessing. Each character had me wondering about their background and/or motive – from Mac to Polly and Molly to Leah to Mrs. Hayes to Duncan to Mrs. Webb to Miles...yes, just about everyone had something I questioned. I had several different ideas that changed as the book progressed...and I was pleased at the final conclusion.

The Secret of Pembrooke Park will make you want to curl up under a blanket with a warm mug and keep turning the pages until you've discovered the secret(s) for yourself!

If you enjoy Regency romance with a little mystery, you will definitely enjoy The Secret of Pembrooke Park!

Thank you to Julie and Bethany House through NetGalley for sending me a copy to read and review!

Did you find my review helpful? Please rate it on Amazon and Christianbook.



**DISCLOSURE: I was given a free product in exchange for an honest review. Please read my full disclosure policy HERE.**