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The Mail-Order Brides
St. Bride Needed a Wife But the latest candidate was much too pretty to live amid a bunch of sailors on his desolate island. Ever since he'd first set eyes on fragile beauty Dora Sutton, something had gone wrong with his careful plan. The women he'd found for his men weren't working out, his books were a mess and Miss Sutton wasn't paying any attention to his orders.
Dora Needed a New Beginning But the insufferable Grey St. Bride refused to make it easy for her! From the moment she'd staggered off the boat, it was clear the handsome brute wanted her gone. But much more was at stake for Dora than wounded pride.... If Mr. High-and-Mighty St. Bride didn't want her, she'd just have to find someone else on the island who did!
Dora Needed a New Beginning But the insufferable Grey St. Bride refused to make it easy for her! From the moment she'd staggered off the boat, it was clear the handsome brute wanted her gone. But much more was at stake for Dora than wounded pride.... If Mr. High-and-Mighty St. Bride didn't want her, she'd just have to find someone else on the island who did!
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 1, 2001
10 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
About the author
Bronwyn Williams
33 books16 followersDixie Burrus was born on September 09, 1930 in North Carolina's Outer Banks, U.S.A, where her family had lived for generations, to sea captain Dozier Burrus and Achsah Williams. Her father was the professional baseball player Maurice Lennon "Dick" Burrus, she has two sisters, Mary and Sarah Burrus.
Dixie is an artist and romance writer. She began writting contemporany romance novels as Zoe Dozier, now she writes her contemporary romances with her married name, Dixie Browning, and historical romances with her sister, Mary Burrus Williams as Brownwyn Williams, one combination of their married names. She has been awarded a Romance Writers of America RITA Award, and been a five-time RITA finalist. She has also won three Maggies, and numerous awards from the National Federation of Press Women and the NC Press Club.
Dixie is an artist and romance writer. She began writting contemporany romance novels as Zoe Dozier, now she writes her contemporary romances with her married name, Dixie Browning, and historical romances with her sister, Mary Burrus Williams as Brownwyn Williams, one combination of their married names. She has been awarded a Romance Writers of America RITA Award, and been a five-time RITA finalist. She has also won three Maggies, and numerous awards from the National Federation of Press Women and the NC Press Club.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 14, 2009
This was my first novel by Bronwyn Williams (which is actually a pseudonym for a pair of sisters) and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book.
**** Potential spoiler alert ******
This is about Adora "Dora" Sutton who travels to an Outer Banks island owned by Grey St Bride, who has been advertising for mail order brides for his workers. Dora, as she now calls herself, considers herself a fallen woman. Engaged to be married, she made love with her fiancee during the aftermath of her father's suicide, only to have her fiance abandon her, telling her he was just marrying her for her money. Now that dear old daddy is gone, so is the money so he has no further use for her. Horribly, he takes up with her best friend and Dora's reputation is ruined, hence her arrival on the island.
Grey St Bride owns this island and realizes his many workers needs wives and families to keep them there, so he advertises for mail order brides. Upon seeing Dora he immediately decides she is not "right" for the island because, lets face it, a beautiful woman will only cause trouble. (lol) Before he can ship her back to the mainland, he is called away to take care of some urgent business.
In the meantime Dora finds herself taken in by a wonderful elderly (I'm still not sure exactly how old he is, but I'm guessing 60s or so) man named Emmett. They start out as friends with Dora agreeing to give Emmett companionship and cooks his meals in exchange for a place to stay. (Dora has no intention of going back to the mainland) Emmett is a wonderful man who lost his beloved Sally a few years ago and just wants someone to talk to. He takes Dora under his wing and teaches her how to cook (with Sally's cookbook) and in the process Dora comes to understand just how shallow her life on the mainland really was. Eventually Emmett realizes Grey is going to send Dora back so he offers to marry her in name only to allow her to stay, which Dora reluctantly does. Even though its in name only its a wonderful pairing of two people who didn't know they needed each other.
But wait! The story doesn't end there. Emmett is not Dora's ultimate love interest. No, there's no hanky panky or cheating going on. The relationship between Dora and Gray reminds me of those old 40s and 50s movies where the couple bickers back and forth, even though they harbor a secret admiration for the other. Its well done by the author and doesn't come across as snarky or irritating at all.
There's a few things that happen to impede the progress of Dora & Gray but nothing that makes you want to cringe or wallbang the book. Dora eventually owns up to Gray about some things which allow the HEA to happen. And let me just say, the final page is a tear jerker.
There is only one sex scene and its very tame - I'd rate it a C in terms of sensuality. But in keeping with the story it fits.
I'll be looking for more of this author(s) work.
**** Potential spoiler alert ******
This is about Adora "Dora" Sutton who travels to an Outer Banks island owned by Grey St Bride, who has been advertising for mail order brides for his workers. Dora, as she now calls herself, considers herself a fallen woman. Engaged to be married, she made love with her fiancee during the aftermath of her father's suicide, only to have her fiance abandon her, telling her he was just marrying her for her money. Now that dear old daddy is gone, so is the money so he has no further use for her. Horribly, he takes up with her best friend and Dora's reputation is ruined, hence her arrival on the island.
Grey St Bride owns this island and realizes his many workers needs wives and families to keep them there, so he advertises for mail order brides. Upon seeing Dora he immediately decides she is not "right" for the island because, lets face it, a beautiful woman will only cause trouble. (lol) Before he can ship her back to the mainland, he is called away to take care of some urgent business.
In the meantime Dora finds herself taken in by a wonderful elderly (I'm still not sure exactly how old he is, but I'm guessing 60s or so) man named Emmett. They start out as friends with Dora agreeing to give Emmett companionship and cooks his meals in exchange for a place to stay. (Dora has no intention of going back to the mainland) Emmett is a wonderful man who lost his beloved Sally a few years ago and just wants someone to talk to. He takes Dora under his wing and teaches her how to cook (with Sally's cookbook) and in the process Dora comes to understand just how shallow her life on the mainland really was. Eventually Emmett realizes Grey is going to send Dora back so he offers to marry her in name only to allow her to stay, which Dora reluctantly does. Even though its in name only its a wonderful pairing of two people who didn't know they needed each other.
But wait! The story doesn't end there. Emmett is not Dora's ultimate love interest. No, there's no hanky panky or cheating going on. The relationship between Dora and Gray reminds me of those old 40s and 50s movies where the couple bickers back and forth, even though they harbor a secret admiration for the other. Its well done by the author and doesn't come across as snarky or irritating at all.
There's a few things that happen to impede the progress of Dora & Gray but nothing that makes you want to cringe or wallbang the book. Dora eventually owns up to Gray about some things which allow the HEA to happen. And let me just say, the final page is a tear jerker.
There is only one sex scene and its very tame - I'd rate it a C in terms of sensuality. But in keeping with the story it fits.
I'll be looking for more of this author(s) work.
October 30, 2016
A vida de Adora Sutton sofre uma reviravolta e ela se vê sem nada. Da prosperidade à pobreza. E vai em busca de um lugar para morar, aceita ser uma noiva por correspondência e segue para Ilha de Grey Saint Bride. Mas ele não a acha uma noiva conveniente para os habitantes da ilha, e a dispensa. Desesperada sem saber o que fazer, ao ajudar um velho da ilha, encontra abrigo e se casa com ele. Porém, Grey continua a ser um espinho em seu pé. Uma nova reviravolta vai alterar a vida de Dora novamente. No entanto, a chegada de novas noivas por correspondência vai mudar sua trajetória novamente...
Leitura agradável e sensível. Sem grandes arroubos apaixonados...
Três estrelas e meia.
Leitura agradável e sensível. Sem grandes arroubos apaixonados...
Três estrelas e meia.
January 27, 2019
No soy tan fan de los slow burns pero la relación entre Dora y Grey me ha gustado comoquiera. Esta historia ha sido un slow burn con todas sus letras, ambos protagonistas se querían desde que se vieron, pero eran muy tercos como para admitirlo🙄.
Me alegro mucho de que Dora haya conseguido a un buen hombre, al igual que Matty y Lula😄. Había momentos donde las tres señoritas no me caían del todo bien, pero supongo que sus actitudes eran comprensibles, no tenían un lugar donde quedarse y necesitaban atenerse a algo.
•🏝🏝🏝🏝🏝•
“Lo bueno de haberse enamorado locamente de la mujer equivocada, se dijo Grey, era que dejaba al hombre vacunado, y le enseñaba qué cualidades buscar en una esposa y de cuáles huir como de una plaga.”
"—Te lo habría acabado diciendo, al menos, eso creo. Mentir es como llevar zapatos demasiado pequeños. Al principio, no parece tan terrible, mejor que estar descalzo. Pero no tardan en apretarte el pie y no puedes pensar en otra cosa más que en quitártelos. Por muy elegante que sea el resto de tu ropa, o lo bonito que resulte el sombrero, ya no importa. Sabes lo que tienes que hacer, y lo haces."
Me alegro mucho de que Dora haya conseguido a un buen hombre, al igual que Matty y Lula😄. Había momentos donde las tres señoritas no me caían del todo bien, pero supongo que sus actitudes eran comprensibles, no tenían un lugar donde quedarse y necesitaban atenerse a algo.
•🏝🏝🏝🏝🏝•
“Lo bueno de haberse enamorado locamente de la mujer equivocada, se dijo Grey, era que dejaba al hombre vacunado, y le enseñaba qué cualidades buscar en una esposa y de cuáles huir como de una plaga.”
"—Te lo habría acabado diciendo, al menos, eso creo. Mentir es como llevar zapatos demasiado pequeños. Al principio, no parece tan terrible, mejor que estar descalzo. Pero no tardan en apretarte el pie y no puedes pensar en otra cosa más que en quitártelos. Por muy elegante que sea el resto de tu ropa, o lo bonito que resulte el sombrero, ya no importa. Sabes lo que tienes que hacer, y lo haces."
January 5, 2025
Es un tira y afloja entre los protagonistas pero esto a mi parecer esta bien desarrollado, da pie a que poco a poco se vaya creando la tensión, pasión y el amor dentro de la historia, me gusto.
🎄📚🌟
It is a tug-of-war between the protagonists but this in my opinion is well developed, it gives rise to the fact that little by little the tension, passion and love within the story are created, I liked it.
🎄📚🌟
It is a tug-of-war between the protagonists but this in my opinion is well developed, it gives rise to the fact that little by little the tension, passion and love within the story are created, I liked it.
January 30, 2022
A different version of mail order brides - instead of to the wild west to an island off the east coast.
June 15, 2019
This book really spoke to me; the main and secondary characters were well-developed and the location was an added bonus. The story begins in April 1899, in a mainland city not far from St. Brides Island, North Carolina. Dora Sutton's life has unraveled in a matter of a few days.
Her father entered into a risky venture and lost the family fortune; unable to handle the shame, he killed himself. Dora's fiancé dumped her after seducing her and told others she was a loose woman. Lawyers and creditors were crawling over Dora's home and she had to leave; even the citizens were shunning her.
She saw an offer for marriage and received passage to St. Brides Island. Upon arrival, Grey St. Bride told Dora she wasn't good enough. Horrified, Dora doesn't know what to do. As she's walking back to the dock, a man calls her to help him; Emmett Meeks has fallen from his perch (working on his roof) to the ground. With some difficulty, Dora and Emmett struggle to get him inside.
Dora sees that Emmett isn't well enough to care for himself for a few days. Dora stays to cook and take care of him. Unfortunately, Dora has never learned to cook. It was totally charming when Emmett offers her his dead wife's cookbook; he eats and compliments Dora on each of her culinary disasters.
It was so heartrending to hear Emmett admit to Dora that he had several medical problems and did not want to be alone anymore. Eventually, he asks her to marry him as a way to protect her with his property and small bank account. When Grey gets back from visiting his brother, he erupts because he thinks Dora has twisted Emmett to her needs. He starts watching Emmett and Dora and discovers that they laugh, talk and help each other.
When tragedy strikes, I cried along with the characters. This hasn't happened in many years; I was stunned by my reaction and total immersion in the book. I read it from cover to cover in one night; I just could not stop reading. The author has a way with words and writes beautiful scenes.
Her father entered into a risky venture and lost the family fortune; unable to handle the shame, he killed himself. Dora's fiancé dumped her after seducing her and told others she was a loose woman. Lawyers and creditors were crawling over Dora's home and she had to leave; even the citizens were shunning her.
She saw an offer for marriage and received passage to St. Brides Island. Upon arrival, Grey St. Bride told Dora she wasn't good enough. Horrified, Dora doesn't know what to do. As she's walking back to the dock, a man calls her to help him; Emmett Meeks has fallen from his perch (working on his roof) to the ground. With some difficulty, Dora and Emmett struggle to get him inside.
Dora sees that Emmett isn't well enough to care for himself for a few days. Dora stays to cook and take care of him. Unfortunately, Dora has never learned to cook. It was totally charming when Emmett offers her his dead wife's cookbook; he eats and compliments Dora on each of her culinary disasters.
It was so heartrending to hear Emmett admit to Dora that he had several medical problems and did not want to be alone anymore. Eventually, he asks her to marry him as a way to protect her with his property and small bank account. When Grey gets back from visiting his brother, he erupts because he thinks Dora has twisted Emmett to her needs. He starts watching Emmett and Dora and discovers that they laugh, talk and help each other.
When tragedy strikes, I cried along with the characters. This hasn't happened in many years; I was stunned by my reaction and total immersion in the book. I read it from cover to cover in one night; I just could not stop reading. The author has a way with words and writes beautiful scenes.
July 13, 2012
The Mail-Order Brides by Bronwyn Williams
This was a good story.
The description of the book I am listing below is from the back jacket of the book. I'm adding it because I believe the one on the Goodreads page does not depict this story.
St. Bride Needed a Wife
But the latest candidate was much too pretty to live amid a bunch of sailors on his desolate island. Ever since he'd first set eyes on fragile beauty Dora Sutton, something had gone wrong with his careful plan. The women he'd found for his men weren't working out, his books were a mess and Miss Sutton wasn't paying any attention to his orders.
Dora Needed a New Beginning
But the insufferable Grey St. Bride refused to make it easy for her! From the moment she'd staggered off the boat, it was clear the handsome brute wanted her gone. But much more was at stake for Dora than wounded pride.... If Mr. High-and-Mighty St. Bride didn't want her, she'd just have to find someone else on the island who did!
This was a good story.
The description of the book I am listing below is from the back jacket of the book. I'm adding it because I believe the one on the Goodreads page does not depict this story.
St. Bride Needed a Wife
But the latest candidate was much too pretty to live amid a bunch of sailors on his desolate island. Ever since he'd first set eyes on fragile beauty Dora Sutton, something had gone wrong with his careful plan. The women he'd found for his men weren't working out, his books were a mess and Miss Sutton wasn't paying any attention to his orders.
Dora Needed a New Beginning
But the insufferable Grey St. Bride refused to make it easy for her! From the moment she'd staggered off the boat, it was clear the handsome brute wanted her gone. But much more was at stake for Dora than wounded pride.... If Mr. High-and-Mighty St. Bride didn't want her, she'd just have to find someone else on the island who did!
August 29, 2010
A very good book.
Taking a high society lady from high class to needing to learn everything to live an ordinary life.
Taking a high society lady from high class to needing to learn everything to live an ordinary life.
Read
November 25, 2011I tried but this one just wasn't for me. I will try another by this author.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews