An Expectant Bride

Crest Stone Mail-Order Brides #6

by Cat Cahill

The town's blacksmith is in need of a bride--but he didn't expect to also become a father.

Merrick Benton wants a family of his own, but he can't seem to string two words together around the eligible ladies in town. A mail-order bride is the perfect solution to his problem.

Eleanor Stevens and her sister were both widowed when their husbands died in a mine explosion. Desperate for a new beginning, they each answer advertisements from men in Crest Stone, Colorado. Eleanor is certain that a new husband in a faraway place will be exactly what her sister Rebecca and her children need to heal. But once the sisters are on their way, Eleanor discovers she's expecting a child that Merrick knows nothing about.

Accepting a surprise baby isn't difficult at all for Merrick. Relieved, Eleanor settles into Crest Stone, befriending another lady new to town along with Clara and Deirdre who live nearby. But as Eleanor and Merrick grow closer, something keeps Eleanor from fully trusting her new husband. With a baby on the way, will she figure out why before she loses him? Or will their marriage forever be one in name only?

An Expectant Bride is the sixth book in the popular Crest Stone Mail-Order Brides series. You can read it as a standalone, or enjoy it as part of the series.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical

158 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 4, 2024

Reviews

[Serena Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Los sobres estaban doblados y sucios, y uno tenía un gran desgarro en la esquina, pero Eleanor Stevens nunca había visto dos cosas más hermosas en su vida.'




•Mi opinión puede contener Spoilers.
•Esta destinada a ser un descargo personal no para que alguien más lea pero si lo haces y te ofende, me disculpo porque sé lo que es que te guste un libro y otros lo critiquen.




An Expectant Bride de Cat Cahill serie Crest Stone Mail-Order Brides libro 6

Argumento:

El herrero de la ciudad necesita una novia, pero no esperaba convertirse también en padre.

Merrick Benton quiere tener una familia propia, pero parece que no puede articular dos palabras sobre las damas elegibles de la ciudad. Una novia por correo es la solución perfecta a su problema.

Eleanor Stevens y su hermana quedaron viudas cuando sus maridos murieron en la explosión de una mina. Desesperados por un nuevo comienzo, cada una responde a anuncios de hombres en Crest Stone, Colorado. Eleanor está segura de que un nuevo marido en un lugar lejano será exactamente lo que su hermana Rebecca y sus hijos necesitan para sanar. Pero una vez que las hermanas están en camino, Eleanor descubre que está esperando un hijo del que Merrick no sabe nada.

Aceptar un bebé sorpresa no es nada difícil para Merrick. Aliviada, Eleanor se instala en Crest Stone y se hace amiga de otra dama nueva en la ciudad junto con Clara y Deirdre, que viven cerca. Pero a medida que Eleanor y Merrick se acercan, algo impide que Eleanor confíe plenamente en su nuevo marido. Con un bebé en camino, ¿descubrirá por qué antes de perderlo? ¿O su matrimonio será para siempre uno sólo de nombre?



Mi humilde opinión:

Romance Histórico del oeste, novia por correo, bebé inesperado.

La historia de amor de Merrick y Eleanor me mantuvo enganchada desde el comienzo. Tenía un romance ligero (solo hay besos, sin escenas de sexo) todo muy tierno y cálido pero también hubo drama y peligro incluido con un secuestro. Así que tuvo un poco de todo para mantenerlo interesante.

Los personajes eran todos agradables y enseguida empaticé con ellos y su historia personal. Eleanor tenía que superar la pérdida de su marido para seguir adelante y lo hizo con ayuda de Merrick, un hombre comprensivo y paciente. Era un héroe fuerte, solitario y tímido. Adoré que aceptó de inmediato al bebé y lo protector que era con Eleanor. Me gustó cómo estos dos extraños encajaron perfecto juntos y la forma en que de a poco se fueron enamorado.

Sin quejas aquí, disfruté mucho la historia y me gustaría leer la de la hermana Rebecca que viajó con Eleanor al pueblo como novia por correo con cinco niños pequeños.

[Karmen O · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Expectant Bride by Cat Cahill, Crest Stone Mail-Order Brides series- book 6
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Cover: 3/5
Story: 5/5
Steam: No steam.
Ending: HEA
Publication: 2024
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Series or Stand Alone: All novellas in this series can be read as stand alone but characters from other novellas do appear.
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Colorado, Late Reconstruction (1877)
Gruff Nervous Blacksmith
Kind Grieving Woman
Mail-Order Bride
Widowed Heroine
Working Hero
Novella Length
Slow Burn
Small Frontier Town
Christmas Adjacent
American Western
Danger & Peril
Christan Romance
No Steam Romance
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Talk about an interesting plotline- Widowed heroine agrees to become a mail-order bride only to discover she is pregnant on her way to her intended. What could possibly go wrong? Actually, what you think could go wrong isn't at all what goes horribly wrong making this an excellent novella. I'll admit... I don't like this cover and was being super judge-y about it. HOWEVER, the book blurb drew me in, and I am so pleased that I read this one!

Merrick is such an adorable hero. He is so horrifically nervous around women that he decides a mail-order bride is the best way to go about getting a wife so he doesn't have to talk to anyone in town to court them. Except, Merrick seems to have forgotten he is still going to have a woman around, and he is still going to need to talk to her. It's all just so dang adorable. Merrick doesn't think he is worthy of Eleanor, but he is the best thing that has ever happened to her and vice versa. And, yes, Merrick does eventually find his voice with Eleanor.

This novella is so tender and focuses greatly on a variety of types of loss and healing. The climax of this book is SO unexpected. My jaw DROPPED. As mentioned, this is what took the book to a five-star for me. I am looking forward to reading others in the series as I enjoy Cahill's writing style and the town of Crest Stone.

As for steam, this is a zero steam novella. There is some brief kissing, but this is a romantic and passionate read.
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Read as an ebook. Honest reward left voluntarily.
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Content Warning (spoilers likely):
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De*th of spouse
Miscarriage
Severe mental health issues
Kidn*pping
Firearms- not used

[Lana Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a bittersweet story of two sisters who both lost their husbands in a mining accident, along with almost every other man in their town. But, Eleanor couldn’t sit by and watch them lose, not only their homes, but also have to squeeze herself and her sister and her seven children into a two room house with a poor soul willing to take them in! They had to get out of this town and the sooner, the better. It’s not that they didn’t love their husbands, because they loved them very much, but they just could not sit by and watch their children (her nieces and nephews) starve! So, she talked to the matchmaker, who found two single men in Crest Butte, Montana, no relation, and today, two letters were delivered, one to each sister. It was the time of reckoning! Did both men want the sisters or would one be rejected? Eleanor needed to know that her sister and all of her children would have a place to live so they opened her letter first. Inside were enough tickets for the whole family to travel to the man’s farm! Now, would the blacksmith want Eleanor? She opened her letter. There was no ticket. But, wrapped in the second sheet of paper was a lot of money; money to purchase her ticket, money for sundry items, snacks, etc. He said “Yes”! They both experienced a jolt of sadness and at the same time a great sense of relief. They packed and left immediately. On the way there, Eleanor becomes aware that she is in the family way…Oh, no, what will he do? Send her back?? No! He did not! He is actually excited about being a Daddy! Now, I don’t mean to lead you down a rosy path, my friends, because theirs was not one-but, rather a difficult one. Each loved the other, they discovered that pretty quickly, but, Eleanor unfortunately gave off mixed signals, and didn’t even understand why! This book goes on to tell one of the most interesting stories about such precious people and how they come to love each other!! I absolutely adore this book! I hope everyone will buy and enjoy this novel by Cat Cahill! It’s a great book! 📕 ⭐️

[Phyllis Rundell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Book #6 in the Crest Stone Mail Order Brides series and is a sweet and heartwarming story yet one with some human frailties to deal with. This is Eleanor Stevens and Merrick Benton's story, and the character development is outstanding. Eleanor, along with her sister, lost her husband in a mining accident. Merrick wants a wife and family but has difficulty communicating with women and decides sending for a MOB is a perfect solution. Eleanor and her sister immediately after becoming widows in the mining accident are told they must move out of their house so both decide to become a MOB. While traveling West, Eleanor discovers she is expecting a child that Merrick knows nothing about. Will he be willing to accept and love the child? Can Eleanor put her grief and mistrust aside and learn to love and trust Merrick? Is there a HEA in their future? Be sure and read this wonderful story to find out; I know you will enjoy it as much as I did.

[Marie Bourgery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Widow Eleanor was brave to apply to be a mail order bride after she just lost her husband, feeling like she was a burden on those who took her, her sister, and her sister’s children in. Blacksmith Merrick is not a smooth operator, but under his bear like appearance he has a big heart if only he can be patient with Eleanor to allow her to heal and open her heart to him. He was welcoming about her baby who ends up being part of a nail biting moment in the book. I don’t know that I’d be so forgiving.

[Sandra Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an OK mail-order bride romance, with likable characters, but it needed more character development. I needed more backstory on both Eleanor and Merrick. It gets 3 stars from me.

Merrick was likable, but it bothered me that he had such low self-esteem -- he just couldn't quite believe that Eleanor could ever love him, or that he was good enough for her. I was glad when she finally made him understand that he was a good man, and that she loved him.

Eleanor was likable, too, but I wished she would tell Merrick that she was still grieving her first husband. He finally figured that out, but not until after her actions had made him think she couldn't love him.

I would have enjoyed it more if more backstory had been included on both Eleanor and Merrick. I especially wanted to know why Merrick was so shy and unsure of himself around women.

This is a clean romance, with nothing but kisses. If you only want to read romances that do not include sex scenes, this one might work for you.

My rating system is below.
1 star -- Hated it, or did not finish. I usually only give this rating if some of the content is truly objectionable to me, like if one of the main characters does something really awful, and gets away with it.
2 stars -- Didn't like it. This rating usually means that I thought the writing wasn't very good, the editing was terrible, I didn't like the characters, or it had other major flaws.
3 stars -- I liked it, but had some minor issues with it. This rating means that there were minor editing issues, the story needed more character development, it was just too unrealistic, or had some other fairly minor issue. The majority of books I read get this rating – I do not consider it a bad rating.
4 stars -- I liked it a lot. This is a high rating for me, and I rarely give a higher one.
5 stars -- I loved it, and will probably read it again. Very few books are good enough to get this rating from me. The ones that do are usually classics.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet, clean romance about two sisters who lost their husbands in a mining tragedy. Eleanor had been married just two years, and her sister Rebecca had 5 children when their lives were changed. Both lost their homes and needed to make a desperate decision in order to survive, becaming mail-order brides to men in the same town in Colorado. "An Expectant Bride" is about Eleanor and her new husband Merrick, a blacksmith. Several challenges potentially stand in the way of their happily ever after, especially when Eleanor discovers she's pregnant while on the trip to meet Merrick. Will he accept her as well as another man's child? Awkward at first, their relationship begins to come together, except Eleanor hasn't quite gotten over the loss of her first husband. On occasion she looks back with sorrow (and a few tears) on the life she left behind and lost with her husband's death. Can she and Merrick truly find their HEA? I enjoyed the awkward tenderness Eleanor and Merrick demonstrated towards each other as they began a new life together. Eleanor's tender and giving heart was touching. As a crisis drew her and Merrick together, their love blossomed, causing her to focus on looking ahead to the future instead of looking backward to what she had lost. I also enjoyed the Epilogue and am looking forward to Rebecca's and Mr. Whitehead's story.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book and have voluntarily given my honest opinion in this review.

[Sandra Sorola · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Merrick and Eleanor's story. Merrick was a hard worker who had no idea how to even talk to women, but he wanted so much to come from this marriage.
Eleanor had previously been married. She hadn't really had a chance to grieve for the loss of her husband. She jumped into helping her sister and her 5 children grieve for her loss. When some hard decisions had to be made, they chose to become Mail order brides to men in the same town so they could keep the family connection. Was Crest Stone, Colorado the place for them?
After some ups and downs things settle but not without a few bits of excitement. Wonderful story and great addition to the series!

[Janene · Rating 5 out of 5]

My thoughts about this book:

• This western romance had some action which added another dimension to this book.

• I liked Eleanor's determination to make a new life with Derrick in Crest Stone.

• The pacing of this story was very good. It was neither too fast nor too slow and it had a smooth, coherent flow. I liked the writing style of this author.

• This story was a clean read and I appreciated that.

I was given an advance free copy of this book by the author.  My review was voluntary and my opinions were my own. I'm looking forward to reading about Rebecca in the next book by Cat Cahill.

[Rhonda Sledge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful addition to the Crest Stone Mail-Order Brides series. This book gives the reader an inside look at what it would be like to lose your husband in a coal mining accident. Eleanor and Rebecca are hardly given enough time to acknowledge their losses before being told they must give up their homes as well. I can't imagine the desperation they must have felt that would force them to answer ads for mail-order brides a mere month later. As luck would have it, they found two men in the same town but things don't quite turn out like they expected. There are plenty of twists and turns to pull on your heartstrings. I received an ARC copy of this book but this is my honest review.

[Angela Harriman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very lovely and sweet

This is a cute little romance. I love the way he's so hesitant and shy at first. He's just so sweet. And she is so practical and smart. Her determination to make a new life for herself and help her sister through the difficult circumstances they find themselves in is wonderful. I enjoyed the setting and the storyline. It reads exactly like an old-fashioned western movie. I could see everything unfolding with my favorite stars filling each roll. It was lovely.

[Margie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love visiting Crest Stone. Eleanor and Rebecca certainly could have done a lot worse than ending up in Crest Stone, especially with Eleanor being pregnant. It is hard looking at their situation from our time and experiences to understand the pressure both ladies felt to remarry so soon after the loss of their husbands. Having known my husband less than a month with we married I can understand the awkwardness of the beginning of Eleanor and Merrick’s marriage. Cat Cahill has given us a sweet story of understanding and love.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

sweet and deep

Lovely way to go back to the town of Crest Stone. The plot and the characters are beautifully written. Though it’s a sweet little story it deals with issues of grief, miscarriage, and even schizophrenia (if it’s a trigger for someone, please be advised). However, it’s done with all gentleness and compassion. We see how grief steps away, a new love blossoms, and a new hope creates a new life. Beautiful story.

[Tracy Sylvester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Merrick is a blacksmith who gets tongue tied around women and decides to send for a mail order bride to fulfill his wish of having a family of his own. When Eleanor arrives, he's nervous and can't seem to keep it together at her beauty. Eleanor learns on the train trip to marry Merrick that she is pregnant with her late husband's child and worries if that will change things. I think this story was incredibly sweet and inspirational about a growing love and family together.

[Lucia Valenzuela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story. Merrick and Eleanor experience many ups and downs as they navigate their new life together. The story moves quickly and really holds your attention. The characters are well developed and you are drawn to them. I felt so bad for Felicity. An enjoyable read.
I received a free copy of this book and this is my voluntary, honest review.

[Debbie Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book! Eleanor’s husband was killed in a mine explosion. She decided to become a mail order bride. Merrick was a blacksmith who advertised for a mail order bride. On her way to meet Merrick, Eleanor realized that she was pregnant. There was a lot of excitement near the end of the book. I highly recommend reading this book!

[Dorothey Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Expectant Bride

This was a good story. Two sisters had lost their husbands in a mining accident. Rebecca had five children and her sister had none. Their only answers for them were to become mail order brides. They traveled to their new husbands only the one for
Rebecca had died since he agrees to wed . More to come, complications, but would work out.

[Evelyn Derenzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful!

I enjoyed this romantic story. The fact that two mail order brides lost their first loves, their husbands in a mine explosion gave the story substance. Being new brides again allowed the reader to see the grief and the respect they experienced as they moved into new marriages.

[Gwen Hight · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Expectant Bride

A very good story about Eleanor who graves to be a mail order bride after losing her husband When she arrives she revealed she is expecting and he married her but realized she had not grieved her husband Then the son she delivered was kidnapped and they became closer and found happiness together

[Shonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great story, I loved the characters. A sweet romance with trouble that I didn't see coming, kept me thoroughly engrossed in the pages! A cozy town and great neighbors that I enjoyed and contributed to this story.
Was given a complimentary copy, all opinions are my own.

[Viola · Rating 5 out of 5]

nice read

This was a nice read by Cat Cahill in which I enjoyed reading. She has written it very well. A widower finds she is going to have a baby on the way to meeting her groom. Sh had only just lost her husband. Will her new husband want another man’s baby? A need to read.

[Della Veilleux · Rating 5 out of 5]

expectant bride

Hmm! What will I say about this story, I loved it, a page turner for sure and oh well, read it for one’s self. No disappointments to tell you about. Check out this book.

[Mary Guenther · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Cast tells a good story. There are several in this series and none ant disappointing. I hope she continues and I can keep reading about the growing town and its families.

[Melody Tregear · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story

I enjoyed the story even though I am not partial to plots where the main characters issues can be resolved if they would just have an open conversation. Still, there were some interesting moments in the story. Cute ending.

[Irene Pickney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet sweet story. A joy to read!

Loved the storyline and the way the characters felt so real. The heartache of the things the women had to go through just to survive is expressed well and the joy in life is there to make the story very enjoyable.

[Mervin Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Book

This is a clean western romance book. I enjoyed the story line and the characters. I liked that no sexual content was mentioned.
It’s a quick read but holds the readers attention.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love

Love grows as the couple get to know each other. He is a good person with high values of dependablity and honesty. She is good at adapting and consistent in looking for happiness and cl.norms g

[Diane Crepeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a very endearing story. Although it reminded me somewhat of beauty and the beast it was much more involved with a deeper meaning. I would recommend this book and look forward to the next in the series to see the story unfold with her sister.

[Loretta Granatelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different story

It was very enjoyable to read this story it makes you realize how difficult lives were in those days must read

[Rhonda Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love when a book comes alive and I feel like I'm right there. I loved the characters. I recommend this book.