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Brides of the West: Josie's Wedding Dress / Last Minute Bride / Her Ideal Husband
Josie's Wedding Dress by Victoria BylinDesperate for someone to help her save her ranch, Josie Bright makes a deal with Ty Dormer. Now the man who'd left her waiting at the altar is making her hope for things she had long stopped wishing for.
Last Minute Bride by Janet Dean
Elise Langley was stung to the quick when her would-be suitor suddenly left town. But when David Wellman returns and they are thrown together organizing their friends' wedding, can she open her heart again?
Her Ideal Husband by Pamela Nissen
As a girl, Lydia Townsend hoped to marry Jebediah Gentry—until his rejection spoiled her dreams. When family duty brings her home, it's Jeb's chance to show Lydia that now is the time for her wedding dreams to come true.
Last Minute Bride by Janet Dean
Elise Langley was stung to the quick when her would-be suitor suddenly left town. But when David Wellman returns and they are thrown together organizing their friends' wedding, can she open her heart again?
Her Ideal Husband by Pamela Nissen
As a girl, Lydia Townsend hoped to marry Jebediah Gentry—until his rejection spoiled her dreams. When family duty brings her home, it's Jeb's chance to show Lydia that now is the time for her wedding dreams to come true.
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
12 people are currently reading
266 people want to read
About the author
Victoria Bylin
48 books494 followersIf someone had told me twenty years ago that I'd be the author of 20 books, I'd have fallen off my chair. I’m still amazed to see my novels on Goodreads, Amazon, and occasionally the shelves at Walmart.
More than anything, I delight in telling stories that tackle tough issues with faith and compassion. One my most challenging books, Together With You, won the RWA FHL Readers Choice Award for Best Contemporary Romance. I was equally thrilled when The Two of Us made it to the shelves in Target as part of the "Target Recommends" program.
Before writing contemporaries, I wrote westerns for Harlequin Historical and Love Inspired Historical. The LIHs are clean reads. The Harlequin Historicals (no brown banner like the LIHs) were written for the mainstream market. They have Christian themes but gritty content. Some readers won’t care for the language and love scenes. (If you want to know why I wrote them, the story is on my website.)
My two most recent books are independently published. When He Found Me and A Gift to Cherish are a mix of romance and women’s fiction and part of The Road to Refuge series. These stories are particularly close to my heart.
My husband and I now make our home in Lexington, Kentucky, but I’m a California girl at heart. I hope you enjoy my books! For more information, visit https://www.victoriabylin.com
More than anything, I delight in telling stories that tackle tough issues with faith and compassion. One my most challenging books, Together With You, won the RWA FHL Readers Choice Award for Best Contemporary Romance. I was equally thrilled when The Two of Us made it to the shelves in Target as part of the "Target Recommends" program.
Before writing contemporaries, I wrote westerns for Harlequin Historical and Love Inspired Historical. The LIHs are clean reads. The Harlequin Historicals (no brown banner like the LIHs) were written for the mainstream market. They have Christian themes but gritty content. Some readers won’t care for the language and love scenes. (If you want to know why I wrote them, the story is on my website.)
My two most recent books are independently published. When He Found Me and A Gift to Cherish are a mix of romance and women’s fiction and part of The Road to Refuge series. These stories are particularly close to my heart.
My husband and I now make our home in Lexington, Kentucky, but I’m a California girl at heart. I hope you enjoy my books! For more information, visit https://www.victoriabylin.com
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 6, 2012
Brides of the West
You might want to keep a box of Kleenex handy. These brides may be on the way to the altar but that road isn't always smooth going. Plenty of tears along the way to wipe up. The three authors have done an excellent job in this book. The stories all bring the struggles of the past and joy of the future into them. You might be routing for one to win a horse race while another to knock out his opponent in the ring. Or maybe just hoping they can see past themselves to God's forgiveness and the love waiting for them.
Josie's Wedding Dress by Victoria Bylin
Ty Donner is returning to Rock Creek, Wyoming after five long years. He made a decision back then that cost him everything. Most of all the love of his life, Josie Bright. He wanted to check on how she was doing and prayed she would forgive him and then maybe he could move on in life.
Josie had lived in bitterness the past five years. She had made her wedding dress stitch by stitch just to be stood up by the altar. Now she was about to lose her ranch, her father and brother were dead and her mom was mostly blind. To top it off, Ty has returned and she needed him to help save her ranch. Could she forgive Ty and ever trust him again and would she turn back to God after turning her back on Him as well?
I enjoyed this story and all of the books Victoria has written. Imperfect characters in need of redemption.
Last Minute Bride by Janet Dean
You may enjoy reading Wanted: A Family before reading this story as it is continued from that book.
Doctor David Wellman was courting Elise Langley until he suddenly left three weeks ago. Oh he left a note on his door referring his patients to his partner, Dr. Lucas, but that was all. Adding his name to the list of men who have abandoned the young mother. First Katie's father and after she found out she was expecting her own father turned his back on her. Now the man she was sure would be Katie's father and her husband has left without a good-bye as well. Not that she felt worthy of being a doctor's wife but David made her feel worthy.
David failed. He failed as a doctor and more. He returned to Peaceful, Indiana a broken and hollow man. He refused to return to work and he had to let Elise and Katie go...he would fail them at some point like he failed elsewhere. He would keep his commitment to help with a reception for Jake and Callie's wedding but then maybe he would leave town in hopes that Elise could find someone who was worthy to love her. David even felt far from God, he had failed him too. Can this couple remember who they are in God's eyes and allow his love and forgiveness to cleanse them so they can begin anew?
Great story, I think my eyes were gleaming with tears through most of the book which shows Janet's ability to get the emotions she writes through to the reader.
Her Ideal Husband by Pamela Nissen
Lydia Townsend's father was the foreman on the Gentry ranch. She grew up as Jeb's shadow. She may have been six years younger then Jeb but she knew at a young age she loved him. Until the day five years ago when he shunned her and she had to move to Chicago with her aunt because her father had died. She was moving back to Copper Creek, Colorado because it was more her home then Chicago was but she was not coming back to Jeb. Only he found her while she was trying to retrieve something from a cabin on his land.
Jeb had missed Lydia. The day she left five years ago he noticed she had become a young woman. Much has changed since she left. His father had died and left him struggling to hang unto the land he loved. Can Jeb give into his heart and tell Lydia how he feels or will his pride of not having anything to offer her keep him from it?
If you enjoyed this story by Pamela Nissen make sure and check out her Rocky Mountain Series of four books about the Drake brothers. It's a great series.
You might want to keep a box of Kleenex handy. These brides may be on the way to the altar but that road isn't always smooth going. Plenty of tears along the way to wipe up. The three authors have done an excellent job in this book. The stories all bring the struggles of the past and joy of the future into them. You might be routing for one to win a horse race while another to knock out his opponent in the ring. Or maybe just hoping they can see past themselves to God's forgiveness and the love waiting for them.
Josie's Wedding Dress by Victoria Bylin
Ty Donner is returning to Rock Creek, Wyoming after five long years. He made a decision back then that cost him everything. Most of all the love of his life, Josie Bright. He wanted to check on how she was doing and prayed she would forgive him and then maybe he could move on in life.
Josie had lived in bitterness the past five years. She had made her wedding dress stitch by stitch just to be stood up by the altar. Now she was about to lose her ranch, her father and brother were dead and her mom was mostly blind. To top it off, Ty has returned and she needed him to help save her ranch. Could she forgive Ty and ever trust him again and would she turn back to God after turning her back on Him as well?
I enjoyed this story and all of the books Victoria has written. Imperfect characters in need of redemption.
Last Minute Bride by Janet Dean
You may enjoy reading Wanted: A Family before reading this story as it is continued from that book.
Doctor David Wellman was courting Elise Langley until he suddenly left three weeks ago. Oh he left a note on his door referring his patients to his partner, Dr. Lucas, but that was all. Adding his name to the list of men who have abandoned the young mother. First Katie's father and after she found out she was expecting her own father turned his back on her. Now the man she was sure would be Katie's father and her husband has left without a good-bye as well. Not that she felt worthy of being a doctor's wife but David made her feel worthy.
David failed. He failed as a doctor and more. He returned to Peaceful, Indiana a broken and hollow man. He refused to return to work and he had to let Elise and Katie go...he would fail them at some point like he failed elsewhere. He would keep his commitment to help with a reception for Jake and Callie's wedding but then maybe he would leave town in hopes that Elise could find someone who was worthy to love her. David even felt far from God, he had failed him too. Can this couple remember who they are in God's eyes and allow his love and forgiveness to cleanse them so they can begin anew?
Great story, I think my eyes were gleaming with tears through most of the book which shows Janet's ability to get the emotions she writes through to the reader.
Her Ideal Husband by Pamela Nissen
Lydia Townsend's father was the foreman on the Gentry ranch. She grew up as Jeb's shadow. She may have been six years younger then Jeb but she knew at a young age she loved him. Until the day five years ago when he shunned her and she had to move to Chicago with her aunt because her father had died. She was moving back to Copper Creek, Colorado because it was more her home then Chicago was but she was not coming back to Jeb. Only he found her while she was trying to retrieve something from a cabin on his land.
Jeb had missed Lydia. The day she left five years ago he noticed she had become a young woman. Much has changed since she left. His father had died and left him struggling to hang unto the land he loved. Can Jeb give into his heart and tell Lydia how he feels or will his pride of not having anything to offer her keep him from it?
If you enjoyed this story by Pamela Nissen make sure and check out her Rocky Mountain Series of four books about the Drake brothers. It's a great series.
March 29, 2012
What is better than one emotion packed tale of lovers reunited? Three stories of rekindled romance by three of my favorite authors: Victoria Bylin, Janet Dean and Pamela Nissen. Talented historical writers who create engaging heroines, intense heroes, and detailed stories set in the late 1880s and early 1900s, Bylin, Dean and Nissen have created a wonderful collection of novellas. Nothing is truncated in these tales, each featuring a heroine who has had her love for the hero thrown back in her face and a hero who must face his love left behind. The themes of rejection, forgiveness, and the meaning of happiness are a part of each story, told in the author’s unique voice. Whether you are someone who loves the shorter read or who prefers a full-length romance, pick up Brides of the West. You will be glad you did.
October 11, 2015
failed to make me care enough to bother continuing
April 17, 2012
3 couples discover that “love is always worth a second chance”.
Josie’s Wedding Dress:
On the day of her Josie Bright was left standing at the altar, her groom nowhere in sight. He was in jail. Instead of letting the law handle the outcome when his horses were stolen, as Josie had begged him to, Ty Donner set off after them himself. He became involved in a gunfight with the gang & killed one of them, ending up in prison for manslaughter. Josie feels that the horses were more important to Ty than she was. She was devastated, then angry...& then the bitterness set in. She wrapped her beloved wedding dress that she had so lovingly & painstakingly sewn, & put it away. With both her father’s & brother’s deaths, Josie is now running the Bright farm & caring for her ailing mother. The farm has had a hard winter, & Josie desperately needs funds to restock the farm. The bank however, won’t do business with a woman. She is told to find a husband to take care of her, have babies & be happy. Oh how Josie wanted those things! But her family needs her, & Ty...well her dreams of marriage had died on their wedding day.
Following his release from prison, Ty Donner heads back to Rock Creek. He needs to see Josie, to check she is all right. When he sees how things are difficult for her he offers to help. Josie struggles...she needs the help, but doesn’t want it from Ty. If he can win the May Day Maze for her though, they could split the money. She would have money for the farm; he would have money for a new start. Ty is astounded to learn she has his old horse Smoke. Ty is determined to win the race for her, & firing her 2 no-good disrespectful farm hands, takes on their jobs himself. His heart has changed, his pride has been humbled & he is walking with the Lord. Now he needs to show Josie that, & prove to her she is important to him...& somehow reach through the wall of her bitterness to show her their love is worth a second chance.
Last Minute Bride:
Elise Langley is deeply hurt when Dr. David Wellman, the man who had been courting her, suddenly leaves town with no word to her. As an unmarried single mother, Elise is very aware that she is not suitable wife material, & certainly not a doctor’s wife. As God had been showing her He forgave her, she had begun to believe that David loved her & her daughter Katie. Now abandoned for the second time, Elise decides she is not going to get married. Men cannot be depended upon, or at least her judgement in choosing the right man cannot be depended upon. Elise has managed fine with just herself & God to rely on. She would be fine now.
Dr. David Wellman returns to town, grief ridden & a failure. What kind of doctor was he? How can he have responsibility not only for the patients in town, but of the 2 most precious people to him, Elise & Katie? He isn’t fit to take care of them. He is back in town for his friend Jake’s wedding, where he will be groomsman & Elise will be bridesmaid. As he & Elise work on the surprise reception for their best friends Jake & Callie, the two hurting hearts, each feeling unworthy of the other, discover that they need to take the risk to love or miss out on the gift God has given them.
You can read Jake & Callie’s story, which precedes this one, in Wanted: A Family. However if like me you haven’t read it, you don’t need to have read it before reading David & Elise’s story.
Her Ideal Husband:
As a child Lydia Townsend would follow Jeb Gentry around the ranch as his shadow. She was convinced she would marry him some day & even wrote letters to him, which she kept hidden in a safe place – one day she would show him & he would realise how much she loved him. At the age of 16 her father, the Gentry’s foreman died, & she was being sent to live with her aunt in Chicago. Desperate to stay she rushed out to the corral where Jeb was handling an unbroken stallion, & poured out her love for him. Yelling at her, he told her to go. Heartbroken, she left for Chicago. Looking back she wondered exactly what she had expected him to do – take her in his arms & declare his undying love? Her aunt was determined to marry Lydia off to some rich young man, & Lydia was tired of the parties & constant calling of men. So she left, & returned to Copper Creek, the only place she knows as home. She has a job lined up at the hotel restaurant, but first she needs to stop by the cabin on the Gentry ranch & retrieve those silly letters from their hiding place before anyone discovers them – if they haven’t already!
When Jeb Gentry sees a figure by the cabin, he presumes it’s the thief that’s been prowling the area. Tackling the “thief” to the ground, he’s horrified to discover that instead it’s Lydia. The girl he hasn’t got out of his mind for the last 5 years, ever since she came running out to the corral that day, a vision in a blue dress – he was more used to seeing her in work britches trailing him around the ranch. Trying to manage an unbroken stallion, not only was she a distraction (a beautiful one though) he was scared that she would get hurt & yells for her to leave. The next thing he knew was the stallion’s hoof grazing his head, knocking him out & leaving a cut on his forehead.
Lydia is surprised to see that the ranch has fallen on hard times, & is concerned when Jeb disappears one evening & returns battered & bruised – What is he up to?...Is this the reason the ranch is doing so poorly?
Jeb is struggling to make ends meet as the legacy his father left him winds tighter around him. He doesn’t have a thing to offer Lydia, except his love. He hopes that will be enough, because he can’t bear to let Lydia leave again.
I enjoyed all 3 faith filled reunion romances, but “Her Ideal Husband” was definitely my favourite.
Josie’s Wedding Dress:
On the day of her Josie Bright was left standing at the altar, her groom nowhere in sight. He was in jail. Instead of letting the law handle the outcome when his horses were stolen, as Josie had begged him to, Ty Donner set off after them himself. He became involved in a gunfight with the gang & killed one of them, ending up in prison for manslaughter. Josie feels that the horses were more important to Ty than she was. She was devastated, then angry...& then the bitterness set in. She wrapped her beloved wedding dress that she had so lovingly & painstakingly sewn, & put it away. With both her father’s & brother’s deaths, Josie is now running the Bright farm & caring for her ailing mother. The farm has had a hard winter, & Josie desperately needs funds to restock the farm. The bank however, won’t do business with a woman. She is told to find a husband to take care of her, have babies & be happy. Oh how Josie wanted those things! But her family needs her, & Ty...well her dreams of marriage had died on their wedding day.
Following his release from prison, Ty Donner heads back to Rock Creek. He needs to see Josie, to check she is all right. When he sees how things are difficult for her he offers to help. Josie struggles...she needs the help, but doesn’t want it from Ty. If he can win the May Day Maze for her though, they could split the money. She would have money for the farm; he would have money for a new start. Ty is astounded to learn she has his old horse Smoke. Ty is determined to win the race for her, & firing her 2 no-good disrespectful farm hands, takes on their jobs himself. His heart has changed, his pride has been humbled & he is walking with the Lord. Now he needs to show Josie that, & prove to her she is important to him...& somehow reach through the wall of her bitterness to show her their love is worth a second chance.
Last Minute Bride:
Elise Langley is deeply hurt when Dr. David Wellman, the man who had been courting her, suddenly leaves town with no word to her. As an unmarried single mother, Elise is very aware that she is not suitable wife material, & certainly not a doctor’s wife. As God had been showing her He forgave her, she had begun to believe that David loved her & her daughter Katie. Now abandoned for the second time, Elise decides she is not going to get married. Men cannot be depended upon, or at least her judgement in choosing the right man cannot be depended upon. Elise has managed fine with just herself & God to rely on. She would be fine now.
Dr. David Wellman returns to town, grief ridden & a failure. What kind of doctor was he? How can he have responsibility not only for the patients in town, but of the 2 most precious people to him, Elise & Katie? He isn’t fit to take care of them. He is back in town for his friend Jake’s wedding, where he will be groomsman & Elise will be bridesmaid. As he & Elise work on the surprise reception for their best friends Jake & Callie, the two hurting hearts, each feeling unworthy of the other, discover that they need to take the risk to love or miss out on the gift God has given them.
You can read Jake & Callie’s story, which precedes this one, in Wanted: A Family. However if like me you haven’t read it, you don’t need to have read it before reading David & Elise’s story.
Her Ideal Husband:
As a child Lydia Townsend would follow Jeb Gentry around the ranch as his shadow. She was convinced she would marry him some day & even wrote letters to him, which she kept hidden in a safe place – one day she would show him & he would realise how much she loved him. At the age of 16 her father, the Gentry’s foreman died, & she was being sent to live with her aunt in Chicago. Desperate to stay she rushed out to the corral where Jeb was handling an unbroken stallion, & poured out her love for him. Yelling at her, he told her to go. Heartbroken, she left for Chicago. Looking back she wondered exactly what she had expected him to do – take her in his arms & declare his undying love? Her aunt was determined to marry Lydia off to some rich young man, & Lydia was tired of the parties & constant calling of men. So she left, & returned to Copper Creek, the only place she knows as home. She has a job lined up at the hotel restaurant, but first she needs to stop by the cabin on the Gentry ranch & retrieve those silly letters from their hiding place before anyone discovers them – if they haven’t already!
When Jeb Gentry sees a figure by the cabin, he presumes it’s the thief that’s been prowling the area. Tackling the “thief” to the ground, he’s horrified to discover that instead it’s Lydia. The girl he hasn’t got out of his mind for the last 5 years, ever since she came running out to the corral that day, a vision in a blue dress – he was more used to seeing her in work britches trailing him around the ranch. Trying to manage an unbroken stallion, not only was she a distraction (a beautiful one though) he was scared that she would get hurt & yells for her to leave. The next thing he knew was the stallion’s hoof grazing his head, knocking him out & leaving a cut on his forehead.
Lydia is surprised to see that the ranch has fallen on hard times, & is concerned when Jeb disappears one evening & returns battered & bruised – What is he up to?...Is this the reason the ranch is doing so poorly?
Jeb is struggling to make ends meet as the legacy his father left him winds tighter around him. He doesn’t have a thing to offer Lydia, except his love. He hopes that will be enough, because he can’t bear to let Lydia leave again.
I enjoyed all 3 faith filled reunion romances, but “Her Ideal Husband” was definitely my favourite.
July 5, 2018
The only problem I had with this trio of novellas was that they did not have a unity of location or character. "Josie's Wedding Dress" had beautiful themes of redemption. "Last Minute Bride" really showcases forgiveness. "Her Ideal Husband" concentrates on devotion. The religion and morals of all three are excellently represented; I'm just not sure why these stories were grouped together.
May 27, 2020
Three of my favorite authors in one FANTASTIC book! Each story had me cheering and smiling but also a bit sad. Each book had its own struggle and they were easy to see in my own life, I only wish the solutions were as easy to find too.
October 9, 2017
Heart touching, fast reading stories. They were a delight to read.
August 8, 2012
Short stories are really starting to grow on me. While a part of me always wished they were longer, sometimes I’m just in the mood to read something quick. I thought this was a great collection and loved that each story had the whole lost-love theme going on, which I’m a sucker for.
Josie’s Wedding
I liked this one. I thought the reason for Josie and Ty to be apart was original, I hadn’t heard of that one before. I could understand Josie’s feelings and felt so bad for her. I also could relate to Ty and you could really see how much he had changed and how he regretted his past choices. I thought the story was well written and moved along well. It would make a great full-length novel.
Last Minute Bride
I didn’t enjoy this one as much. I could understand Elise being upset with David, but at times I thought she should have pushed a little more. The whole time I kind of felt like I was missing something, and when I finished I realized that there had been a book before this one. If I had read that first maybe I would have had a better understanding of the characters. There is a lot more preaching in this one, for me it was distracting and more than I usually care for.
Her Ideal Husband
I loved this one. Why isn’t this a full-length novel??? I loved Lydia and Jeb, they had great chemistry and a fun story. Again, I would love this one as a full-length novel. Such a cute story and one I’d reread for sure.
Content: Clean.
Josie’s Wedding
I liked this one. I thought the reason for Josie and Ty to be apart was original, I hadn’t heard of that one before. I could understand Josie’s feelings and felt so bad for her. I also could relate to Ty and you could really see how much he had changed and how he regretted his past choices. I thought the story was well written and moved along well. It would make a great full-length novel.
Last Minute Bride
I didn’t enjoy this one as much. I could understand Elise being upset with David, but at times I thought she should have pushed a little more. The whole time I kind of felt like I was missing something, and when I finished I realized that there had been a book before this one. If I had read that first maybe I would have had a better understanding of the characters. There is a lot more preaching in this one, for me it was distracting and more than I usually care for.
Her Ideal Husband
I loved this one. Why isn’t this a full-length novel??? I loved Lydia and Jeb, they had great chemistry and a fun story. Again, I would love this one as a full-length novel. Such a cute story and one I’d reread for sure.
Content: Clean.
March 12, 2012
Three stories. Three women. Three weddings. Three talented authors. In "Josie's Wedding Dress" by Victoria Bylin, Josie is shocked to see Ty Donner back in town after leaving her at the altar. To save her ranch, she enlists his help. As she sees how much time has changed Ty, she finds that her heart's at risk of being stolen by the only man whose ever had it. In "Last Minute Bride" by Janet Dean, Elsie Langley and David Wellham team up to provide a special wedding reception for their close friends. Having loved David for a long time, Elsie's hurt and confused by his sudden distance. But in the midst of planning the wedding, they somehow manage to find each other again. In "Her Ideal Husband" by Pamela Nissen, Lydia returns to Colorado to start fresh and finds the man that she once loved still living on his family's ranch and trying to save it. Jeb's been trying to save the ranch and isn't sure how to do it. As he and Lydia begin spending time together, he finds that he loves her. Will an expected gift from Lydia's late father be enough for the two of them?
I enjoyed these three sweet novellas. They're quick and easy to read. I'll admit that when they finished, I wanted them to keep on.
I enjoyed these three sweet novellas. They're quick and easy to read. I'll admit that when they finished, I wanted them to keep on.
April 22, 2012
Three reunion stories by three wonderful authors-Victoria Bylin, Janet Dean, and Pamela Nissen. I enjoyed each story and was left longing for more. A definite keeper!
July 23, 2012
Fantastic romances!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews