The 12 Brides of Summer by various authors

This was such a fun book.  I love historical fiction and this had many of my favorite authors.  These historical novellas do stand alone and they are so fun to read.  It was a nice read to relax with for summer reading.    Of course some stories were more interesting than others but as a whole I would recommend this book.  I have read 12 Brides of Christmas and saw connections to the stories which to me makes it fun to re-connect with the previous set of novellas.  I am delighted to have read these.

I was given a ebook copy from NetGalley for my honest review.

The Lassoed by Marriage Romance Collection (Multiple authors)

I am not going to review each of the 9 historical Romances in this collection individually, but will review Amy Lillard's contribution.  First, I really enjoyed the book and I was so happy to add it to my collection.  Each story was unique in it's own way and was about situations causing an unexpected/unwanted matrimony and how they turned out.

I especially enjoyed Amy Lillard's in which the heroine, a woman with some property and only a prospect that wanted that property, decides to take matters into her own hands, as she realized that she can't plow and maintain all as it should be.

Her choice of mates was definitely an unusual one and I won't tell who that was or how it came to be except that it was a first in my reading experience.  I really enjoyed the stories.  And totally loved the collection!

The Advent Bride by Mary Connealy

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The Advent Bride is part 1 of a 12 part series of 12 Brides of  Christmas.   Here is a little about the series itself:

                

Christmas is the time for love. Each week leading up to Christmas, readers will be introduced to a new bride who is on her way to the altar, whether she knows it or not. Across the heartland of America, readers will experience old-fashioned Christmas traditions, sweet romance, and inspiring faith from 12 acclaimed Christian authors, including Mary Connealy, Margaret Brownley, Pam Hillman, Maureen Lang, Michele Ule, Amy Lillard, Miralee Ferrell, Susan Page Davis, Diana Lesire Brandmeyer, Amanda Cabot, Davalynn Spencer, and Vickie McDonough.

My review:

I received this sweet novella and enjoyed the simplicity and happy feelings that it brought to me.  This book takes us back in time to November of 1875.  Melanie is a school “marm” in Nebraska and finds her little cantankerous student huddled outside against the cold.  This student has been a hard one for Melanie but still seeing him outside in the cold waiting for his father who hadn’t come, made her feel concern despite the fact that this was definitely not her favorite student.  

Simon, whose father was a widower, was a real challenge in her life, almost as much as Mrs. Rathbone, in whose home she was staying.  Her room was an unheated attic and Mrs. Rathbone expected her on time for dinner and gave her absolute grief if all her rules were not abided by exactly as she wanted.

She finds out that Simon’s father has a new job as the sheriff and without a wife has no one to care for him after school.   As much as she dreads the thought, she stays with Simon daily until his father arrives to take him home.  And to make matters worse, Simon’s father seems to blame Melanie for his son’s behavior in class. 

In her attic room, Melanie discovers a box.  This small box gives Melanie ideas for a plan and she asks Mrs. Rathbone if she might have the box. 

This is a sweet book with a very happy Christmas Advent tradition wrapped into Melanie’s plan.  I enjoyed how the box helped to develop the Christmas theme and how it helped to bring about answers to Melanie’s prayers.  I think it will brighten anyone’s holiday season with its peacefulness and simplicity.  

I received this ebook from the publisher for my honest review which I have given.

Author Mary Connealy.

You can find a copy here and here .