Mail Order Mama

Brides of Beckham #2

by Kirsten Osbourne

When Emily’s mother decides to marry, her fiancé says that twenty year old Emily needs to find a new place to live before the wedding. Emily has always been exceedingly shy and has no idea what to do. She runs across an advertisement for mail order brides and responds, hoping to find a good situation. Benjamin lost the love of his life just months before. He and his girls need a new mama in their house. Will Emily be the mama they need?

Genres: Romance, Historical, Historical Romance, Westerns, Historical Fiction, Mail Order Brides, Western Romance

161 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 17, 2012

Reviews

[Jessica's Totally Over The Top Book Obsession · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad I found Kirsten Osbourne's books on Kindle unlimited. I now have another author to go to when I want my western historical romance fix. Especially Mail order brides. Mail Order Mama was a super cute read. I loved every moment of it. I have only read two books by Kirsten Osbourne but I can tell she is going to be one of my go to authors for feel good reads. Her writing style just clicked with me.

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars!

Enjoyed this one more than book one!

The h Emily came along way from the shy quiet girl and even though I thought it was sad the way she was pushed out her home it ended up being the perfect solution for her. Her match with her new husband will came with some drama and the memory of a dead wife, but I thought she handle everything well. Will’s two little girls were the sweetest! My favorite was Abbie she was so reserved but the way she blossomed thanks to Emily’s love was my favorite part, actually seeing her as a mom two little girls she never met melted my heart. And we got an epilogue which I thought was the perfect ending. Can’t to see more brides find their love.♥️

[Cait · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading the first book in this series, Mail Order Mayhem, I wasn't particularly planning on reading many more. It was a fun "guilty pleasure read," but I wasn't particularly impressed with the authors character or plot development. All the potential of a good story is here, just lacking anything truly fleshed out. Still, I read the preview of Mail Order Mama in the back of the book, and was intrigued enough to purchase it off kindle (2.99, with a gift card, so ultimately it was free).

Honestly? This book was an improvement over the last, I will give it that much. I liked the clash of cultures between the two main characters. However, all the problems from the first book remain. The plot hinges on all the characters having, essentially, one character trait. Conflicts are resolved unrealistically and all-to-conveniently. And all in all, the book follows a very similar format to the first- honestly, if I lifted the names and plot conflict from the first book to the second book, they wouldn't be all that much different.

Still, for some reason I keep reading this series and spending 2.99 to download the next volume of the books (I'm on Mail Order Madness right now). I think what has me most intrigued, and why I keep reading, is finding out more about the woman who runs the mail order bride business, Harriet Long. She's a recurring character from story to story, and I want to know her backstory- how she got her limp and her wealth and what drove her to start the business.

In summary: Kirsten Osbourne's Brides of Bekham series has potential, but leaves you wanting for truly good character and plot development. And I have no idea why I keep buying and reading these books.

[Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Mail Order Mama is book 2 in the Brides of Beckham series. I'm starting to think these books are like cookies I just can't have one. In book 2 Emily is a young woman living with her widow mother who is going to marry a man who thinks it's time for Emily to move out and find her way. This leads her to become a Mail Order Bride. Benjamin lost his wife several months ago and is left to care for 2 young daughters who desperately want a mom. It's always hard reading a book where someone loses their love because I always worry the new person will live in the shadow of a ghost. I thought Benjamin moving on was handled well and I loved how his dad helped with his guilt by telling him that he isn't betraying Anna by loving again. Although theses books are predictable and short, I'm really enjoying reading about how woman lived while thanking the stars that I'm a woman of today.

[k · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read but somehow, the dialogues bothered me a lot. They seems out-of-character, and mildly rude at times but hey, welcome to reality, I guess.

The relationship of the heroine with her step-daughters are, indeed, sweet. :)

Overall, to be frank, I felt like I was reading a Wattpad novel.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

yes I have a thing for marriage of convenience and arranged marriage stories.

yes the mail order bride version of these stories tend to be pretty weak and yet I still resort to them when I am tired and just looking for something quick. This one is not really bad when compared to other similar books. That should mean it gets a 3 but it doesn't because there is so little of interest in this story.

I did not really feel Benjamin falling for Emily. Lust sure and of course later we are told he loves her but it never felt that way.

But it was what it was and in my tired state I even read two more with very little expectation for them.

[Willow Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I am so glad I bought it for free. Lol. Anyway this is by far one of the best mail order bride books I've read in quite some time. I loved that there were sooooo much good with a touch of bad which was easy to handle. I was not stressed out reading this, and It didn't even matter that the sex was not in depth the way I like it. Don't get me wrong there is sex and it's decent but I like longer sex scenes. This was just a relaxing, make you smile, feel good kind of book. I'm going to go back and read the first, third and everything else in the series.

[Delta · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet, quick read with a light plot. Bedroom scenes are more explicit than you typically see with this genre (mail order brides), but the story is wholesome.

Free 05-28-15

http://www.amazon.com/Mail-Order-Mama...

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I borrowed Mail Order Mama ~ Brides of Beckham ~ Book 2 from the Kindle Unlimited program.

Twenty year old Emily finds she needs to find a new home and a way to support herself when her mother decides to remarry after being a widow for almost twenty years. She turns to becoming a Mail Order Mama for a man in Minnesota that lost his wife and has two little girls that need a new mother.

The girls are delightful with two entirely different personalities; some of their requirements for a new mama are humorous, some are practical and some are wishful for young children and all are pretty normal. Emily has a big adjustment becoming an instant mother, joining a large extended family and facing the prejudices of not being Norwegian.

Mail Order Mamashows the courage of the main character, her good nature and ability to love and give her new family what they need. Benjamin her new husband is gentle, kind and understands the challenges Emily faces. The second book in the Brides of Beckham Series is interesting and shows how brave women had to be in the settling of our west.

[Peggy Clayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an exciting western for me to read as it was Book #2 in the Brides of Beckham and it is a winner. I love the way this author writes and her books are so good that they are truly page turners. Kirsten hit a home run with this!

[Jeri · Rating 5 out of 5]

sweet mail order bride tale

Emily leaves Massachusetts to travel to Minnesota and marry a widower with two little girls. The Norwegian way of life is a challenge, as is her new mother in law.

[Celestial · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some words and features used doesn't match the era

3.75 stars

[Sally906 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sweet little Historical Romance - cared about many of the characters.

[Carol Burnside · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for mail order bride stories. As others have said, I'm fascinated with the reasons a woman would leave her family and go off to some unknown area and marry an unknown man. For that part, I liked this book so my star rating reflects that.

The characters are likable, the interaction between Emily and her stepdaughters is sweet, the growth of feelings between the husband and wife realistic, but there's just not much conflict here. As others have stated, there are obstacles in the form of the new MIL creating problems for the couple and Ben still has feelings for his deceased wife. Even the lack of serious conflict I'd be willing to overlook because, after all, the couple is already married. We don't have the traditional "will they get together" question in MO bride stories, but more of a "will these married strangers fall in love and be happy together" question.

My problem is with the lack of historical flavor or authenticity, which is the second reason I love reading these stories. It's sorely lacking in these books and I miss it. Without the occasional mention of making a dress from calico, the store being called a mercantile or using a wagon and horses for transportation, the story could be contemporary. Emily taking potato salad and deviled eggs on a picnic sticks out in my mind. It's not that those things didn't exist in the 1880's, but the preparation of them from then to now is vastly different and a mention of Em's preparation might have helped it not seem so modern.

[June · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Brides of Beckham is a nice little short story series about Mail Order brides and the surprises they find when they arrive at their destination. There was sexual content, but otherwise, a fun little set of stories. If you read one, read them all. Simple stories. This bride marries a man who has two daughters who are really happy to get a new mama after theirs died. She has to deal with the issue of the mother-in-law and the man having to choose wether to believe his wife or mother.

This has a different cover than the one I read. The first 3 in the series had old fashioned dressed ladies in the ones I read. Not these modern looking girls.

[Lisa C. · Rating 1 out of 5]

This got one star because it lacked any depth. It was one dimensional, unbelievable, too few descriptions and the plot was weak. The little girls were too perfect, the way they got together was too perfect, her mother was crazy. Basically, the whole plot of the book was them eating or in the bedroom or the husband not believing that his sainted mother didn't like his new wife. Pass on this one and save a couple of hours.

[Meredith Cooper · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a disappointment, this writer just recycles the same book. Slaps a new cover on it, and calls it a new book. Half of the stories are verbatim the previous book. I feel cheated as I bought the entire series.
I did not bother reading the reviews because most of them just complain about sex in books, which annoys me. I wish I had read them though, because I feel like I wasted my money.

[Frannie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. It was really sweet. The widower with his 2 little girls write the letter for a mail order bride, and Emily fits the bill . . . except that she doesn't share the same ethnic heritage, which becomes a conflict with her future mother-in-law. However it does detail the intimacies of marriage in the bedroom.

[Charron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one, it was pretty good for a free book. My only complaint was that I wasn't happy with how things went between Emily and her mother and stepfather. That would have been nice if there had been some acknowledgment of how wrong they were for kicking her out like that. But other than that, great read.

[Beth · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think I might have read this author before, and I must have forgotten how frustrating it is to read an author who doesn't understand the use of a comma, and who doesn't employ an editor. I also found the characters inconsistent, particularly the hero. I did think the insight into Swedish immigrant life was interesting, which is probably the only reason I continued.

[S · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring story. Unfinished read.
Benjamin: 28 y/0, Norwegian, tall, blond, businessman, a widow with 2 young girls.
Emily: 20 y/o, shy, brunette, short, an excellent cook and can manage a household well.

[Manna_Sue · Rating 1 out of 5]

Proofreader, anyone?

Ok for a short story. Feels like a rough draft rather than a polished final copy. Don't recommend this author.

[Marsha Keeper Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed at Historically Romantic

Between discovering that her mother’s new intended groom doesn’t want his adult step-daughter sharing the new couple’s home, and her employer adding more and more unpaid jobs to her daily cooking tasks Emily is completely ready for a change. While at one time she might have turned her nose up at being a mail order bride, now it’s not looking so bad after all. When Emily answers the letter from a young widower with two small daughters her life is about to change. She can only hope and pray that it’s a change for the better.

Mail Order Mama is a light, charming story of one young woman’s daring decision for her future, and one young family’s desire to have a special woman’s touch in their lives once again. I can’t imagine the strength, faith and fearfulness of becoming a mail order bride. To trust your future, your life to a stranger takes such courage. Although I’m fascinated by Harriet Long’s own story, and know that one day all will be revealed, I’m still impressed that she tells these brides that they can come back. They do not have to stay where they are not safe, or if they are being hurt in any manner, she’ll get them back home to safety.

Reading this series is like a little slice of history being served up to the modern day me. How different life and expectations were then. Yet, it seems that prejudice lives on no matter what era we’re talking about. I enjoyed Benjamin and Emily’s story, their struggles are real and that isn’t helped by his mother’s cruelty to her son’s new bride. It’s sad that some things never really change.

If you love Western Historical Romances and haven’t read the Brides of Beckham series yet, then I’d definitely recommend it. I’m going back to the beginning since I did read a few out of order. There is no expiration date on a good book.

I read this title through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.

[SB*needs low angst books* · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet romance with a mild and little heat. No fade to black

The heroine Emily is put in a very bad position when her mom gets engaged and her finance says that a grown daughter around mean the new couple won't have much privacy. Emily is in a bind because the job she has isn't enough to make it on her own. So she sees a article in the paper about mail order brides and goes to the woman running this business. The woman picks one a letter of a potential husband she thinks will fit. It is for Benjamin and his two daughters Abbie and Georgie. They recent lost their wife/mother and need a woman to help look after the girls and being a partner to Benjamin. They all decided that it is a great fit and it is until Benjamin's mother makes trouble.

Now normally this isn't my type of read but I actually liked this one a lot. I liked the Ben, Emily, and the girls. The MIL drama added something without being OTT. I also loved how Emily stood her ground without being mean. I also don't normally like widow books because of all the feeling still there for the lost spouse which is understandable but sometimes it can get in the way and here it did rear but I still liked the book as a whole.

So while it wasn't a blow you away type of read. It was a nice sweet way to pass the time.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emily and Benjamin

Emily can't believe it - her mother Jane and her beau William are to be married. She's so happy for her mother who brought her up all alone after her father died in the war when she was only two. However, there's a downside, William doesn't want her still living there when they marry. So Instead of looking for another job, she rethinks the ad she saw for mail order brides. Harriet Long doesn't live very far so after work Emily goes to see her. What she doesn't expect is to read a letter from a gentleman with two young daughters, who lost his wife just two months prior. She finds she really wishes to go to Minnesota to meet him and his daughters! When she arrives she finds him very handsome with his blond hair and blue eyes and he is very tall. Benjamin can't believe he has written for a mail order bride, but, for his daughter's he will do anything to see them happy. When he first sees Emily he can't believe how pretty she is and small! Just looking at her he can't believe she's 20! His mother has a problem, she wanted him to marry Kristen, who is Norwegian like the rest of them! So will the old saying ring true? That mother and daughters in law can't get along? Will the girls Abbie and Georgie take to Emily? Will Ben believe his wife or mother when trouble comes? Only one way to find out, read this great story by Kristen Osbourne.

[Scarlet Fanning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emily was a shy only child living with her mother and working as a cook for an upper class family. Soon the 20 year old is asked to clean and care for the children besides cook for dinner parties at no increase in salary. Her father died in the Civil War when she was seven. Now, her mother has found love and will marry. However, her new husband doesn’t want Emily under his roof. Desperate, Emily sees Harriet the mail-bride broker. Harriet hands Emily a letter from a widower with two young daughters in Minnesota. Emily loves children so she accepts.

Benjamin is part of a large Norwegian family. His wife was Norwegian and his mother expects him to marry a Norwegian. Benjamin’s daughters told him to find a new mother who could cook anything but the bacon sandwiches he makes. After reading Emily’s letter, they decided Emily is the one.

When Emily gets off the train, he meets a petite woman with brown hair and blue eyes. She is shy and quiet. The opposite of his former wife. Her clothes are thread-bare, but her wedding dress which had been worn by her mother is beautiful.

This is a sweet and emotional novel. Emily easily wins over the daughters and starts teaching them chores and how to sew and read. Benjamin teaches her about the pleasures in bed.

Can he love Emily without betraying his dead wife?
Can his mother accept her, though she isn’t Norwegian?


This is one to enjoy.

[Sarah B White · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Different Path to True Love

When Emily's mother decided to remarry, she and her fiance decided that Emily needed to find a new home so they could their privacy. Emily was working as cook, maid, and babysitter for her employers children, and even though she worked long hours, her pay could not support rent and household expenses. She looked through a newspaper and noticed an advertisement for a Mail Order Bride agency. Emily responded and met with the agent. After looking over information on several open requests, Emily chose a father with two young daughters who needed a mother. She headed to Minnesota to meet her new family.

Emily purchased train tickets and packed her belongings and headed west. Her husband to be met her train and took her to meet his daughters. A wedding was planned for the next day.

Read this book to learn about adjusting to a new family and a new life.

[Laura Levada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emily tem 20 anos e vive com a mãe, até o dia que o futuro marido da sua mãe diz que não tem mais lugar para ela na casa. Desesperada sem saber o que fazer ela encontra um anuncio de noiva por correspondência e resolve aceitar uma proposta.
O noivo em questão é Benjamin, jovem fazendeiro pai de duas meninas pequenas que perdeu sua esposa a pouco tempo.

Minhas considerações, a historia é boa, bem resumida, escrita fluida e gostei de todos os personagens. Tive uma raiva louca da mãe dela, eu nunca trocaria um filho meu por um homem. Depois fiquei brava com o preconceito sofrido pela mocinha por não ser descendente de Norueguês.
No mais, sou uma fã desse estilo de romance, sempre fico imaginando o que leva uma mulher a tomar essa atitude, o medo que elas devem sentir, eu acho que não conseguiria. agradeço que nos livros em geral os finais são sempre felizes, mas imagino como deve ter sido para muitas na vida real. Vou para o próximo, já que essa serie tem um monte de livros.

[Nabanita Dey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn’t connect with the characters…didn’t connect with H or h…h relationship with babies were peculiar…I have no idea if 6 years old should help in cooking or cleaning let alone 4 years old…4 years old still toddler to me and 6 years old a child…even I didn’t understand hero heroine’s chemistry actually there was none…recently read “Abby the mail order bride” same type of plot but what a marvellous writing…I know I should not compare two different stories but plots so much similar could not help comparing…though latter one written earlier

[Kirsten Osbourne]

This book was my first full-length novel, and I will never forget how it felt to write and how shocked I was when it went nuts (sales-wise.) Emily needed to find a new home and a new life, and Benjamin was still in love with his late wife, but his little girls needed a mama. Everything he did was for his girls, and once Emily arrived, she was the same. The little girls became her life. Add in a mean mother-in-law, and you have a genuinely heartfelt read.