Before the war, Belle Ainsworth led a life of pleasure and privilege in the deep South. Five years after losing her fiancé at the Battle of Gettysburg, she is still alone, with no prospects for marriage among the remaining men of her acquaintance. But out west, there are possibilities. And when Belle answers an ad for a mail-order bride and boards a train to San Francisco to meet wealthy … restaurateur Robert Romano, it’s with the hope of at last making her dreams of family come true.
When the train is robbed, Yancy McLeish, a disillusioned Union Army hero, rescues Belle from her attackers—and lays claim to her heart. But Belle has pledged her troth to Romano and intends to honor that commitment. It’s a decision she soon regrets, for her groom-to-be is nothing like his letters. As she plots a course to escape Romano, Belle prays that road can lead her back to the safety of Yancy’s arms, where she believes she was always destined to be…
Praise for Shirley Kennedy and her novels
“The historical details are vivid and realistic and should appeal to fans of the historical romance genre. The characters are interesting, the story is engaging, and the romance is slow-building and sweet. River Queen Rose is a great start in what looks to be a promising historical series by Kennedy.”
—RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars
“Shirley Kennedy spins a tale sure to pull at the heartstrings of her readers.”
—RT Book Reviews on Three Wishes for Miss Winthrop, 4 stars
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In truth, I would give the tale a 3.7 or there abouts. I thought the book was just too “busy” with so many story lines, that I sometimes had to look back to see what had happened previously. The tale between Yancy and Belle and the divide of the Civil War should have been enough without all the other distractions.
Bay City Belle by Shirley Kennedy is book Two In Old California series. This is the series of Belle Ainsworth and Yancy McLeish. I haven’t yet read the previous book, so for me this was a standalone book.
Belle was to marry but fiancé but he died and now five years later she is still alone. Belle goes forward to become a mail order bride and travels to him. Along the way an attack happens where Yancy steps in to save her. Although they both have an attraction to each other she knows she has committed herself to her new fiancé. But, Belle soon learns the man she promised her self too isn’t who he portray through his letters. Now her journey is leading her to the safe arms of Yancy.
Sweet Romance.
Shirley Kennedy is another new author to me. I love historical romances, and this one sounded interesting, so I requested it. It was a PG13 book! There were lots of kids! Both things I don’t care for in the romances I read; however, this turned out to be a fun, fast-paced read that I found hard to put down.
Belle lived in Savannah with her sister and her family, plus her brother Bridger. The Civil War had ended five years earlier, and Belle was haunted by the past. She lost family members and her fiance while they were fighting for the South, and Bridger was not doing well at all. She loved her sister’s kids and was happy to be with them. However, she overheard her sister one evening…..oh, dear. Belle thought about becoming a mail-order bride, as an acquaintance of hers had done. Bridger convinced her to take a leap and move on with her life. In the meantime, former Yankee officer Yancy lived by himself in the wilds of Maine, trying to avoid memories of the War. His brother from San Francisco arrived, bearing the news that their mother was dying. He convinced Yancy to return with him to say goodbye to his mother.
Belle and Yancy meet on the train. I don’t want to give away any major plot points. Let’s just say things get dicey and Yancy saves the day, though he suffers heartbreak. Sparks fly between the two. But Belle is to be married, and Yancy plans to return home soon. When they arrive in San Francisco, Belle meets her intended. Uh-oh. And things are not well at Yancy’s brother’s house. Once again, I don’t want to give away any of the plot. What follows is a lovely, apparently doomed romance. Could love overcome that Yancy fought against the South in the War, and it tore Belle apart?
There was almost insta-love here, which is always a bit annoying. And near the end I thought Belle was so incredibly stupid to do what she ends up doing. However, the story was a lot of fun and very entertaining. Isn’t that just what books should be? An extremely pleasurable way to spend time!
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.