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The Brides of Chance Collection: The Chance Brothers Journey into Romance in Six Historical Novels by Kelly Eileen Hake
Savor this delightful collection packed with brothers and brides. The Chance brothers enjoy ranch life in California and are not searching for brides – until brides come to them like damsels in distress, pulling at their tender heartstrings. Will any of the rough-around-the-edges brothers stand a chance of barring their hearts from love as they offer a hand of compassion?
Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 2013
61 people are currently reading
433 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Eileen Hake
44 books188 followersKelly Eileen Hake is a reader favorite of Barbour's Heartsong Presents series, where she has released several books. A credentialed Secondary English teacher in California, she is pursing her MA in Writing Popular Fiction. Known for her own style of witty, heartwarming historical romance, Kelly is currently writing the Prairie Promises trilogy, her first full-length novels. She has been writing since she could hold a pen and was first published at the tender age of eighteen.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 55 reviews
December 3, 2013
Brides Of Chance
This is a collection of six full-length-books about six brothers and six ladies that just happen to meet them by chance and give them once-in-a-lifetime chance at true happiness.
Silly me, I thought they were novellas, so when I saw that it was six actual books I got cold feet. But after reading first one, I just couldn’t get enough of it all. These books if read all combined in one are so much more fun than if read separate. From responsible Gideon to grouchy Daniel to smitten Titus and calculating Paul to quiet Bryce and mischievous Logan they all made such a combination that I was eager to see what kind of woman it will take to tame them into marriage. My favorite parts were their Chance votes. Somehow the younger ones always managed to outnumber the older ones. And once Miriam and Alisa got it into their head that women should vote too – it was a plain disaster, and I loved it all.
Out of all though I was most impressed by Daniel, the grief he went through and the healing from it is amazing. In truth you don’t heal unless you start facing grief in the face only then can you really manage to let God touch your wounds and heal them. LoveJoy did phenomenal job of making him face reality of it all. And when you see such a grouchy mountain of a man turn into a smitten teddy bear it makes your heart flutter.
If you are the kind of reader (like me) that after reading a book doesn’t want to see the story end, this book is for you, it just keeps on going perfectly balancing out the previous characters and the future ones.
I really enjoyed this historical, funny and heartwarming collection and I hope you will too.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this collection from Barbour Publisher, through NetGalley, in exchange for my honest opinion.
This is a collection of six full-length-books about six brothers and six ladies that just happen to meet them by chance and give them once-in-a-lifetime chance at true happiness.
Silly me, I thought they were novellas, so when I saw that it was six actual books I got cold feet. But after reading first one, I just couldn’t get enough of it all. These books if read all combined in one are so much more fun than if read separate. From responsible Gideon to grouchy Daniel to smitten Titus and calculating Paul to quiet Bryce and mischievous Logan they all made such a combination that I was eager to see what kind of woman it will take to tame them into marriage. My favorite parts were their Chance votes. Somehow the younger ones always managed to outnumber the older ones. And once Miriam and Alisa got it into their head that women should vote too – it was a plain disaster, and I loved it all.
Out of all though I was most impressed by Daniel, the grief he went through and the healing from it is amazing. In truth you don’t heal unless you start facing grief in the face only then can you really manage to let God touch your wounds and heal them. LoveJoy did phenomenal job of making him face reality of it all. And when you see such a grouchy mountain of a man turn into a smitten teddy bear it makes your heart flutter.
If you are the kind of reader (like me) that after reading a book doesn’t want to see the story end, this book is for you, it just keeps on going perfectly balancing out the previous characters and the future ones.
I really enjoyed this historical, funny and heartwarming collection and I hope you will too.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this collection from Barbour Publisher, through NetGalley, in exchange for my honest opinion.
June 23, 2016
The Chances are one of my absolute favorite fictional families ever! I've re-read their stories so many times!
*My review for the first three stories, here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
>>California Chances: Three Brothers Play the Role of Protector as Romance Develops One of my favorite collections of stories of all time!
*My review for the second three stories, here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
>>Kentucky Chances: Three Brothers Find Romance Far from Home Very good and very bittersweet.
*My review for the first three stories, here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
>>California Chances: Three Brothers Play the Role of Protector as Romance Develops One of my favorite collections of stories of all time!
*My review for the second three stories, here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
>>Kentucky Chances: Three Brothers Find Romance Far from Home Very good and very bittersweet.
October 31, 2014
The Brides of Chance Collection by Kelly Eileen Hake
Six brothers named Chance and stories relating to their growth on the Chance ranch and the women that come and somehow get voted on to stay as brides.
Loved reading each and every story and you will too.
"One chance in a million by Cathy Marie Hake"
"Second Chance by Tracey V Bateman"
"Taking a chance by Kelly Eileen Hake"
" Last Chance by Cathy Marie Hake"
"Chance Adventure by Kelly Eileen Hake"
"Chance of a Lifetime by Kelly Eileen Hake
There is a bonus when "The MacPherson brothers -3" get thrown into the story and find brides from back home that will come and "Marry up" three more brides to read about and healing herbs brought into the mix-what a story.
Thank You Ladies for these wonderful brothers that will win every woman's heart as she reads his story and his bride.
Six brothers named Chance and stories relating to their growth on the Chance ranch and the women that come and somehow get voted on to stay as brides.
Loved reading each and every story and you will too.
"One chance in a million by Cathy Marie Hake"
"Second Chance by Tracey V Bateman"
"Taking a chance by Kelly Eileen Hake"
" Last Chance by Cathy Marie Hake"
"Chance Adventure by Kelly Eileen Hake"
"Chance of a Lifetime by Kelly Eileen Hake
There is a bonus when "The MacPherson brothers -3" get thrown into the story and find brides from back home that will come and "Marry up" three more brides to read about and healing herbs brought into the mix-what a story.
Thank You Ladies for these wonderful brothers that will win every woman's heart as she reads his story and his bride.
September 7, 2020
This collection was okay. The plotlines of most of the stories were interesting. I appreciated that the women and men featured were all different; the storylines didn't feel redundant, nor did the dynamics between each couple. I liked that the authors toward the end of the collection chose to move the two youngest brothers off of the ranch and explore the world where the book is set in. I appreciated how the authors worked together to maintain continuity in character development, particularly for the widowed Chance brother. Each author illustrates his journey from grief to joy quite well. All in all a pleasant collection. I enjoyed the 4th and 5th stories best.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 7, 2024
All 6 stories were good. I enjoyed them all
May 25, 2025
Six novels combined into one big book seemed like a good idea when I bought it, but I did experience a few problems. It's such a big book that at times I needed to stop reading it due to the fact that my arms and wrists were getting sore. I will admit that I am no longer a spring chicken. The second problem is that despite the fact that I read 6 different novels in this one gigantic book, Goodreads only counts it as reading one book!
I thought the stories were interesting although a lot of the writing was a repeat of what I already knew. Most likely a refresher for those who read the books separately, or not in order. I really enjoyed the faith-based plots. The only real disappointment for me was the ending. I would have liked to see an epilogue telling us how the reunion went when Bryce returned to Chance Ranch with his bride, Daisy, and his new son, Jamie.
I thought the stories were interesting although a lot of the writing was a repeat of what I already knew. Most likely a refresher for those who read the books separately, or not in order. I really enjoyed the faith-based plots. The only real disappointment for me was the ending. I would have liked to see an epilogue telling us how the reunion went when Bryce returned to Chance Ranch with his bride, Daisy, and his new son, Jamie.
March 25, 2023
A great collection of short stories by different authors, but the characters are all intertwined. There was one story I didn't care for part of because it had a really bad man in it.
The 6 Chance brothers in California all need a woman in their lives, but they don't know it yet.
Another story I liked was because the heroine was left-handed and that made her artistic creations even more special.
Highly recommend.
#BridesOfChanceCollection #leftys #inspirational #HistoricalChristianFiction #BarbourBooks #California #Kentucky
The 6 Chance brothers in California all need a woman in their lives, but they don't know it yet.
Another story I liked was because the heroine was left-handed and that made her artistic creations even more special.
Highly recommend.
#BridesOfChanceCollection #leftys #inspirational #HistoricalChristianFiction #BarbourBooks #California #Kentucky
April 16, 2018
I think this should count as six books against my reading challenge as it's a collection of stories. ;) The stories, while using the same characters, are written by three different authors with very similar writing styles. I thoroughly enjoyed "meeting" the Chance brothers and how each was unsuspectingly snared by their future wives. I especially enjoyed the peek into the lives of pioneers and how they decided to cross country, with faith, as they pursued their dreams.
May 11, 2018
Similar to most collections, I really enjoyed some of the stories and didn't particularly care for others. What impressed me most about this series was how consistent the stories, characters, and even turns of phrase and dialect were from novella to novella, especially considering there were three authors. It had to have taken a lot of coordination and cross-reading to get everything feeling like it truly belonged together and could have been written by the same person.
December 20, 2022
This is a large book that contains six separate stories of the six Chance brothers and how they found love. It has a strong Christian bent but does not come across as proselytizing. I really enjoyed getting to know all the characters in this historical novel and was sorry when the book was done. Kudos to the different authors for the smooth transition between stories.
July 16, 2017
Those Chance's
From the first brother to the youngest this collection of Chance brothers was a very good read. And the women that they chose were perfect matches made by God. Awesome writing that you can was God lead.
From the first brother to the youngest this collection of Chance brothers was a very good read. And the women that they chose were perfect matches made by God. Awesome writing that you can was God lead.
August 22, 2017
Each book was excellent. I read them before they were incorporated in one column. Each one is different and each one equally well written. If you enjoy clean, western historical romance, you will enjoy the stories of how each brother found his mate.
January 1, 2019
This was a fun read. It is a collection of 6 stories about six brothers and who they marry. I really liked the first 4 stories, but found the last 2 stories dragged a little. I still finished each of the stories and the book.
I have it saved to read again.
I have it saved to read again.
August 29, 2020
Engrossing Series
Great set of books. I’m glad I got to read all the stories at once. The stories of the 6 Chance brothers and the young women who fall in love with them are so engrossing I could nor wait to read the next one. I recommend this book.
Great set of books. I’m glad I got to read all the stories at once. The stories of the 6 Chance brothers and the young women who fall in love with them are so engrossing I could nor wait to read the next one. I recommend this book.
November 20, 2017
Fun stories and I love siblings books where we get to know them and see their stories develop like this!!! Ms. Hake does an excellent job with adventure, fun, faith and romance.
September 5, 2018
Lovely book about 6 brothers who, with God's help and guidance, find 6 unique ladies to become their wives.
October 6, 2019
I really liked the first 3 stories. The 4th was okay, but I couldn't finish the last 2.
January 7, 2014
This book is a collection of six short novels. It tells the story of the Chance brothers. The Chance brothers live on a ranch in California. The oldest Daniel had married but after the birth of their 2nd child his wife died leaving the six brothers to help raise the two little girls. They thought they where doing well until the sister of Daniels late wife shows up. From there the stories continue until all six brothers find love.
What I liked: Sometimes I’m a little hesitant to read collection books that are short novella’s written by different authors but I liked this book a lot. Even though the stories are short they are well written and fun. I liked all the brothers and the woman they came to love. All the stories where good, but I liked the first one the best. I enjoyed how the stories were connected and evolved together. It felt more like one novel then six novellas.
What I didn’t like: Over all I liked this book a lot but its long with so many stories. This is not a bad thing really but by the last two stories I was ready to move on. It took me a few weeks to read this book all together.
This was a good read and a great book for traveling or keeping in the car. Because it’s so long reading it continually might seem like a daunting task. A very enjoyable book. I highly recommend it.
http://abbiesreadingcorner.com/2014/0...
What I liked: Sometimes I’m a little hesitant to read collection books that are short novella’s written by different authors but I liked this book a lot. Even though the stories are short they are well written and fun. I liked all the brothers and the woman they came to love. All the stories where good, but I liked the first one the best. I enjoyed how the stories were connected and evolved together. It felt more like one novel then six novellas.
What I didn’t like: Over all I liked this book a lot but its long with so many stories. This is not a bad thing really but by the last two stories I was ready to move on. It took me a few weeks to read this book all together.
This was a good read and a great book for traveling or keeping in the car. Because it’s so long reading it continually might seem like a daunting task. A very enjoyable book. I highly recommend it.
http://abbiesreadingcorner.com/2014/0...
March 14, 2014
This is a really good read. The six stories in this book is about six orphaned brother who all live in California and even work on the same ranch. Each of the three authors write different stories, with Kelly Hake writing three of the stories, Tracey Bateman writing one, and Cathy Hake writing two of the stories. The neat thing was having all six of the stories about the same brothers. I always love continuing stories, and series, so this was a treat for me.
The six stories in this collection are: One Chance in a Million; Second Chance; Taking a Chance; Last Chance; Chance Adventure and Chance of a Lifetime. Instead of going into each of these, a lot of reviews have them already, I want to just tell you that each of these stories are awesome! Even though the book is pretty large with over 570 pages, and that is for six books! And each one is short, so you don’t have to read the entire book at once. And I love the cover and the ragged edges of the pages. The Brides of Chance makes a wonderful coffee table book because it is so beautiful! I highly recommend this book by these three awesome authors!
I received this book from the Barbour Books to read and review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 55
November 26, 2013
Originally reviewed on These Pretty Words.
Beautiful and faith-filled, The Brides of Collection is a perfect sampling of three authors’ work. Each delivers a story of adventure and romance, hope and perseverance.
Anthologies are always a bit of a toss-up. Sometimes you find a single story that touches you, others you end up disappointed in the overall cohesiveness as multiple authors try to work together on a theme. Each story in The Brides of Chance Collection worked well with the others, characters being introduced and flowing through from story to story. This collection is very much a well-worked melding of different styles and tones.
In the end I discovered two authors I will continue to follow and determined one had a writing style that simply didn’t hold my attention. But running through each story is a wonderful sense of belief and romance that kept me flipping pages. Prepare yourself for a journey through time as each Chance brother finds their love, their hope and their reminder of God and faith.
Beautiful and faith-filled, The Brides of Collection is a perfect sampling of three authors’ work. Each delivers a story of adventure and romance, hope and perseverance.
Anthologies are always a bit of a toss-up. Sometimes you find a single story that touches you, others you end up disappointed in the overall cohesiveness as multiple authors try to work together on a theme. Each story in The Brides of Chance Collection worked well with the others, characters being introduced and flowing through from story to story. This collection is very much a well-worked melding of different styles and tones.
In the end I discovered two authors I will continue to follow and determined one had a writing style that simply didn’t hold my attention. But running through each story is a wonderful sense of belief and romance that kept me flipping pages. Prepare yourself for a journey through time as each Chance brother finds their love, their hope and their reminder of God and faith.
October 31, 2013
Six orphaned brothers all live and work together on a ranch in California. These six books are put together in one large book to tell the story of their lives and romances. Each book is the story of one brother with details about the whole family included.
I had actually read all six of these books before. But I really enjoyed them all together like this. It helps the stories appear more seamless and keeps the details more organized in my mind. Obviously there are some books that I liked better, but I enjoyed all of them. The ladies did a great job of getting the feel for the characters to match up in each book. It's a fun, romantic read that will appeal to fans of historical romance. I will be keeping this book and getting rid of my six individual books.
I received this book free of charge from Barbour Publishing in exchange for my honest review.
I had actually read all six of these books before. But I really enjoyed them all together like this. It helps the stories appear more seamless and keeps the details more organized in my mind. Obviously there are some books that I liked better, but I enjoyed all of them. The ladies did a great job of getting the feel for the characters to match up in each book. It's a fun, romantic read that will appeal to fans of historical romance. I will be keeping this book and getting rid of my six individual books.
I received this book free of charge from Barbour Publishing in exchange for my honest review.
November 23, 2013
The Brides of Chance is a collection of six novellas by Kelly Eileen Hake, Cathy Marie Hake, and Tracey V. Bateman. I really enjoyed the first four stories, but the last two were just okay.
The Chance brothers have been living on their own until women started showing up at the ranch for different reasons. One by one the Chance men fall in love and marry. I enjoyed reading about the different personalities and backstories of the women and how the Chance brothers captured their hearts. I loved having all six books to read one after the other because you could hear about the other characters still!
It was a bonus to read some stories by Cathy Marie Hake again! She's always such a fun read. If you have read any of these authors, you will definitely enjoy these books.
I was given this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Chance brothers have been living on their own until women started showing up at the ranch for different reasons. One by one the Chance men fall in love and marry. I enjoyed reading about the different personalities and backstories of the women and how the Chance brothers captured their hearts. I loved having all six books to read one after the other because you could hear about the other characters still!
It was a bonus to read some stories by Cathy Marie Hake again! She's always such a fun read. If you have read any of these authors, you will definitely enjoy these books.
I was given this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 16, 2013
I really enjoyed this collection. I like the family sagas because once I find characters that I like, I always wonder what happens to them and their families. The stories are all very sweet, and I did like that some of the women had realistic issues with both childbearing and infertility. There were emotional connections between each of the couples and the interactions between brothers and sisters was fun to read. One of my favorite parts, that reoccurred in several stories, was how the rest of the men in the area were rather put out that the Chance brothers were getting all of the women! I would definitely read this author again in the future.
November 10, 2014
Absolutely loved this series. Really good stories about really great characters that by the time you get to Logan's and Bryce's stories (the last 2), you miss the rest of the family because they're really a part of their stories as much as the were for the other stories.
Only issue I had was with Logan's story where a secondary character changed names. His name was originally given as Jack then changed to Frank then changed back and etc... In Bryce's story the character was mentioned again. In the 2 spots where he was mentioned he was called Jack.
Only issue I had was with Logan's story where a secondary character changed names. His name was originally given as Jack then changed to Frank then changed back and etc... In Bryce's story the character was mentioned again. In the 2 spots where he was mentioned he was called Jack.
February 22, 2015
Reading this kind of book is so special, it grabbed me right from the beginning & I just read it any chance I got. The brothers were amazing, and their women a perfect match for them. This is my favorite kind of book. I love to read about a time period and their way of life that I don't know about. These authors made u feel you were present. I also love the way the characters are all included in the following stories. It made me sad to see this end. Great book! Best one I've read in a long time!
January 19, 2014
Thanks NetGalley for the book!
This book reminded me of my of my favorite musicals, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. The Chance brothers live on a ranch, at the beginning of the book, one of the brothers has lost his wife just after the birth of his second child, bitter and lost after losing his wife, Daniel doesn't want to accept help from anyone. He wants to be left alone in his grief and he learns some hard lessons.
This book reminded me of my of my favorite musicals, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. The Chance brothers live on a ranch, at the beginning of the book, one of the brothers has lost his wife just after the birth of his second child, bitter and lost after losing his wife, Daniel doesn't want to accept help from anyone. He wants to be left alone in his grief and he learns some hard lessons.
June 29, 2014
The Brides of Chance Collection The Chance Brothers Journey into Romance in Six Historical Novels
by authors Kelly Eileen Hake, Tracey V. Bateman, Cathy Marie Hake
Stories include:
One Chance in a Million by Cathy Marie Hake
Second Chance by Tracey V. Bateman
Taking a Chance by Kelly Eileen Hake
Last Chance by Cathy Marie Hake
Chance Adventure by Kelly Eileen Hake
Chance of a Lifetime by Kelly Eileen Hake
by authors Kelly Eileen Hake, Tracey V. Bateman, Cathy Marie Hake
Stories include:
One Chance in a Million by Cathy Marie Hake
Second Chance by Tracey V. Bateman
Taking a Chance by Kelly Eileen Hake
Last Chance by Cathy Marie Hake
Chance Adventure by Kelly Eileen Hake
Chance of a Lifetime by Kelly Eileen Hake
June 29, 2014
SECOND TIME AROUND
I purchased each book separately some years ago in paperback form and thoroughly enjoyed the journey I took with each Chance brother. I was so pleased when I came across the single Kindle e-book edition with the entire Chance collection on Amazon. What I appreciate is the true to life struggles and sorrows as well as the triumphs and joys of these strong characters.
I purchased each book separately some years ago in paperback form and thoroughly enjoyed the journey I took with each Chance brother. I was so pleased when I came across the single Kindle e-book edition with the entire Chance collection on Amazon. What I appreciate is the true to life struggles and sorrows as well as the triumphs and joys of these strong characters.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 55 reviews