Book Review Monday: A Bride For All Seasons, Part Two

Last week you may have read my review of the first half of A Bride For All Seasons, which is a wonderful book filled with four novellas written by Margaret Brownley, Debra Clopton, Robin Lee Hatcher, and Mary Connealy.

Here's from the back cover of the book on amazon: 

"It all started with an ad in a mail-order bride catalogue . . .This charming bouquet of novellas introduces you to four Hitching Post Mail-Order Bride Catalogue prospects in the year 1870, all eager for second chances . . . and hungry for happiness. Year in, year out, they’ll learn that love often comes in unexpected packages."

“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?

Okay, here's what I thought of "Autumn's Angel" by Robin Lee Hatcher.

This is another case where the people at the "Hitching Post" magazine have good intentions--of course, they switch letters up again.

Clay specifically asked for a woman with no kids. He wants someone to help him establish his opera house and probably wants more of a business partner than a wife. 

Luvena doesn't exactly have kids of her own--they are her deceased sister's kids. But, nonetheless, they come with her. 

Clay lets Luvena and the kids stay with him until they can sort everything out, and Luvena writes to the people at the Hitching Post, complaining of their misunderstanding. 

However, Luvena and her family grow to love the city they moved to and Luvena helps with the opera house. Clay loves the kids, but isn't confident he can be a good father to them. Can they change their minds and decide the good people at the Hitching Post knew what they were doing?

I loved this.

And, here are my thoughts on "Winter Wedding Bells" by Mary Connealy.

I absolutely loved this. Every single novella in this collection was amazing, but this may have been my favorite.

David isn't really looking for a wife. He is looking for a woman to be a mother to his two young boys when he dies. And he thinks he is going to die within the next year.

Megan is looking for a husband and David's add seems good to her. The nice people at the Hitching Post "forgot" to send her part of David's letter, though. The part that says he is going to die soon.

However, when Megan finds out, she doesn't care. They marry anyway and head back home. Megan notices that David still has life in his eyes and doesn't believe the fancy doctor in Chicago who told him he was done living. 

Megan learns how to care for the ranch and the children just as David wanted as David's pneumonia worsens.  

Will David believe Megan and learn that God is the only One who knows when people will die? 

Wonderful, wonderful story. (with a happy ending!)

What do you think of this series of novellas all tied together by the same mail-order bride catalogue?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Thanks for reading today's post!