In a booming frontier town, a heavenly match may be in store for mail-order brides seeking a fresh start . . . women of strength and spirit who embrace the challenges of life and love in the wild Montana Territory. Determined to save her father and siblings from a crumbling Chicago tenement, Emilia Stanek becomes the long-distance bride of a Montana rancher. But when she arrives in Helena, a … she arrives in Helena, a rugged lawman shatters her plans with the news that her husband is dead—and deeply in debt.
County sheriff Mac McCall can’t afford to be distracted by the pretty young widow, not with scandalous secrets emerging as he investigates his friend’s suspicious death. Mac’s gruff order that she leave town at once only spurs Emilia’s resolve to take ownership of her late husband’s ranch and face his debtors. But as her defenses soften, Emilia begins to accept Mac’s help, feel compassion for his own wounded heart—and learns that trust means taking a leap of faith . . .
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This is the second book I have read by Gina Welborn and Becca Whitham and the second in this series, the first being the prequel, Come Fly With Me. I truly enjoyed both books and look forward to reading the next full-length book in the series, The Kitchen Marriage. I like reading series, because you can get a glimpse into the lives of the characters in the previous books. Kinda like an extended Epilogue. Anyway, on to this book, The Promise Bride.
This book is about Emilia Stanek and her family trying to get out of the Chicago tenements. Emilia decides to become a mail-order bride and sets up a correspondence with Finn Collins from Helena, Montana. They agree to get married by proxy so Emilia can prepare her family for the trip to Helena.
Once Emilia and her siblings, her Da had to stay in Chicago for a little while longer, get to Helena, they are met by the local Sheriff Mac McCall who tells them that Finn is dead and they needed to return to Chicago for their own safety. Since Finn also owed people money, Emilia insists on staying to work the ranch and pay her late husband’s debts. What ensues is an adventure most don’t get to have.
Emilia and Mac bump heads many times about her and her siblings leaving Helena, but she is a determined woman. She makes a deal with her husband’s creditors to work off the debts, but things aren’t always what they seem. If you like adventure, compassion, intrigue and especially a clean romance, you will love this book. Check it out for yourself. Enjoy!
I borrowed this book from my local library.
I enjoyed this book. It was well written and had a good plot. I enjoyed the characters and the setting. The authors writing style was very enjoyable. Im very excited to read the next book in this series. I recieved this book from the author for free. A positive review was not required. All opinions are my own.
Emilia promises herself to Finn as a mail order bride and travels from Chicago to Montana with her family to start a new life with him. Upon arrival she learns of his untimely death and decides to stay in the small town to pay off his debts and made a new life by herself.
I loved the main character Emilia and her wit, determination, honesty, and hard working attitude. Nothing seemed to discourage her or deter her from improving her life for her family and working the ranch. I also liked Sheriff Mac and how he helped the new family and townspeople through out the book. This story had lots of laughs with some clean romance and drama set in the late 1880s.
I really enjoyed it! I read it cover to cover and can’t wait to read the next book in this series to find out more about the town people’s stories!
I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.
3.5 stars
“Mac, I have the utmost respect for you . . . . But . . . Since when did you turn into such a dunderhead?”
When did Sheriff Mac McCall turn into such a dunderhead? Was it somewhere in between bellowing and bewilderment . . . for it seems that Emilia Stanek provokes both responses; any time, any place any how. Her loveliness, he is discovering, just sugarcoats an iron will with unlimited amounts of stubbornness and independence, and why is he even debating the topic with himself? She is the mail-order widow of his best friend, who was unfortunately dead upon her arrival.
Emilia Stanek arrives in Montana, from Chicago, ready to assume the role of a rancher’s wife so that she can provide a safe place for her younger siblings to grow up. Stunned to learn of her groom’s murder and enormous amount of debt, and against all advice from the grumpy sheriff, Emilia decides to remain in Helena, living on the property that she has subsequently inherited. Fighting off rumors and innuendos becomes increasingly difficult when her deceased husband’s business motives become murky and Mac McCall’s intentions become more personal. Who can she trust?
“Perhaps that was the highest level of trust, when you gave it because of who was asking, not because of what was asked.”
An excellent story; surprisingly layered and more than enjoyable to read! Actually, it was difficult to put down!
I was provided a copy of this book from JustRead Blind Tours. The opinions stated above are entirely my own.
Ending could have been more conclusive.
If one likes fiction with historical western American settings, this one is somewhat different from some others, easy to read on a quiet evening or two. Nonviolence is a plus also.
I loved this book. The story was captivating, I was wondering how it would all work out. It definitely had a plot twist that was unexpected. Great writing!
I loved this book. I did not want to put it down.
Story line is good. There are places where it drags and I prefer a book that keeps moving
I liked the historical context of the book. I learned a lot about ranching in the West and enjoyed the romance aspects of the novel. I loved the self-confident female lead character.
I have been waiting for The. Promise Bride for over two years! I first discovered Becca Whitham when I read her novella Letters to Santa ( if you have not read it yet, put it on your TBR list). I was so sad for the novella to come to an end as I loved the story and the characters. I loved them so much I vowed to read anything ever written by Becca Whitham and hoped she would one day write a full length novel.
The Promise Bride is the novel I have been waiting for and it delivered all I could want in a story. I had cleared my calendar for the day to sit and just savor the story with coffee and pastries. What a wonderful way to spend my time. The characters were warm, engaging and relatable. I laughed and cried as the story played out. How Mac would get with our Emilia was one of the things I could not wait to discover. The younger brother who was trying so hard to fill the man shoes and look after his sister when he still needed looking after himself had me rooting for him. The story had my feelings tied up in each character. It compelled me to both read as quickly as possible to find out what was going to happen and take my time reading so I could savor every page. The Promise Bride left me feeling satisfied while at the same time looking forward to the next book in the series!
I love the author and I love this book! I cannot recommend it more than to say I have preordered it as gifts for my MIL and my sisters! Buy this book, you will not be disappointed.
I received an ARC for my honest opinion.