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Mail Order Brides of Oregon #1
Mail Order Love
Librarian's note: Alternate/new cover edition for ASIN# B00GZANY52.
Dear Reader: This is a sweet, heartwarming, full length mail order bride historical romance novel. Set in western cowboy Oregon in 1886.
Pale, pretty, dark-haired Ellie Bates lost her entire family to typhoid and narrowly escaped death from the sickness herself. Now she finds herself as an unpaid servant for her deceased brother's wife, struggling with dizzy fits that send her spinning. When Ellie finds out she is to be forced into marriage with a vile snake of a man, she knows she must escape now or die a slow living death. On impulse Ellie takes a leap into the unknown and advertises herself as a live-in housekeeper in a national newspaper.
Tall, rugged, handsome cowboy Jared Ford lost his parents in a train crash fourteen years ago. To cope with the pain of his loss he threw himself into managing the vast family ranch, with only his grandmother and a bunch of entertaining comical dogs to keep him company. When Jared's adorable but interfering Irish grandmother decides he needs young female company, she goes ahead and orders him a mail order bride from the newspaper for his birthday. The only problem is, her eyesight fails her and she thinks Ellie's advert is for a mail order bride.
So begins a tale of tender, sweet and true love between an unlikely pair. Ellie finds herself falling headfirst into love with Jared, but how will she cope when Jared's cousin turns up on his doorstep proposing an arranged marriage to his ideal woman? Ellie must decide if she can stand by and watch Jared marry someone else. Jared has to learn that real love means loving a woman's heart, but will he learn his lesson in time to claim Ellie as his own?
Dear Reader: This is a sweet, heartwarming, full length mail order bride historical romance novel. Set in western cowboy Oregon in 1886.
Pale, pretty, dark-haired Ellie Bates lost her entire family to typhoid and narrowly escaped death from the sickness herself. Now she finds herself as an unpaid servant for her deceased brother's wife, struggling with dizzy fits that send her spinning. When Ellie finds out she is to be forced into marriage with a vile snake of a man, she knows she must escape now or die a slow living death. On impulse Ellie takes a leap into the unknown and advertises herself as a live-in housekeeper in a national newspaper.
Tall, rugged, handsome cowboy Jared Ford lost his parents in a train crash fourteen years ago. To cope with the pain of his loss he threw himself into managing the vast family ranch, with only his grandmother and a bunch of entertaining comical dogs to keep him company. When Jared's adorable but interfering Irish grandmother decides he needs young female company, she goes ahead and orders him a mail order bride from the newspaper for his birthday. The only problem is, her eyesight fails her and she thinks Ellie's advert is for a mail order bride.
So begins a tale of tender, sweet and true love between an unlikely pair. Ellie finds herself falling headfirst into love with Jared, but how will she cope when Jared's cousin turns up on his doorstep proposing an arranged marriage to his ideal woman? Ellie must decide if she can stand by and watch Jared marry someone else. Jared has to learn that real love means loving a woman's heart, but will he learn his lesson in time to claim Ellie as his own?
163 pages, ebook
First published December 1, 2013
17 people are currently reading
248 people want to read
About the author
Amy Blakelear
3 books13 followersI'm a committed bookworm who also loves to write sweet, clean historical romances. I am currently writing the Mail Order Brides of Oregon series, set in Oregon cowboy country in the late nineteenth century.
My perfect day involves multiple cups of tea, ample chocolate, and hours free to create an alternate world for my readers to roam around in.
My perfect day involves multiple cups of tea, ample chocolate, and hours free to create an alternate world for my readers to roam around in.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
December 10, 2013
Every now and then it's good to "cleanse the palate" when reading. Ive been reading a lot of mysteries the past few weeks (which I love) but sometimes I feel the need for something really light and fluffy just to break it up a bit.. "Mail Order Love" fit the bill perfectly.
We start off in a sort of cinderella story. Ellie, our heroine is working her fingers to the bone "paying for her keep" at her sister in law, Ursula's home after losing every member of her family to typhoid. Ursula soon tires of her presence, and to pay off some personal debt, she arranges a marriage for Ellie with an greasy, lecherous man named Mr. Gergmins. He is a villain Dickens would be proud of. The man is so amphibiously greasy you expect him to leave a slime trail behind him like a slug.I'm not sure if it was meant to be comical but I found myself chuckling.
Anyway, to secure her escape, Ellie places an ad as a housekeeper in a newspaper. An old woman answers the ad, sends her a ticket and then informs her grandson (who looks after her and the ranch) that she ordered him a mail order bride as a present and could he go pick her up at the train station...
I won't give away the rest of the story but it is a very sweet, very clean read, enjoyable and suitable for all audiences. I saw nothing in it that would offend even the most sensitive of readers.
I appreciated the fact that the heroine was someone we could relate to. She wasn't drop dead gorgeous, nor ugly. Just normal. She had a sweet personality and was easy to like. The romance was not instant but developed slowly which was realistic.
Why 4 stars and not 5? I would like to feel just a bit more UMPH. My guts wanted to be twisted juuuust a bit more. But that is personal preference, not a reflection of the writer's skill. The story was well written and refreshing to read.
CONTENT:
SEX: None
VIOLENCE: None
PROFANITY: None
MY RATING G
By the way, this cover is different from the cover in Amazon's shop. This cover is for the sample. The full length version has a woman's face. (Just so you're not confused in thinking you have the wrong book.) For the record, I like the cowboy picture better.
We start off in a sort of cinderella story. Ellie, our heroine is working her fingers to the bone "paying for her keep" at her sister in law, Ursula's home after losing every member of her family to typhoid. Ursula soon tires of her presence, and to pay off some personal debt, she arranges a marriage for Ellie with an greasy, lecherous man named Mr. Gergmins. He is a villain Dickens would be proud of. The man is so amphibiously greasy you expect him to leave a slime trail behind him like a slug.I'm not sure if it was meant to be comical but I found myself chuckling.
Anyway, to secure her escape, Ellie places an ad as a housekeeper in a newspaper. An old woman answers the ad, sends her a ticket and then informs her grandson (who looks after her and the ranch) that she ordered him a mail order bride as a present and could he go pick her up at the train station...
I won't give away the rest of the story but it is a very sweet, very clean read, enjoyable and suitable for all audiences. I saw nothing in it that would offend even the most sensitive of readers.
I appreciated the fact that the heroine was someone we could relate to. She wasn't drop dead gorgeous, nor ugly. Just normal. She had a sweet personality and was easy to like. The romance was not instant but developed slowly which was realistic.
Why 4 stars and not 5? I would like to feel just a bit more UMPH. My guts wanted to be twisted juuuust a bit more. But that is personal preference, not a reflection of the writer's skill. The story was well written and refreshing to read.
CONTENT:
SEX: None
VIOLENCE: None
PROFANITY: None
MY RATING G
By the way, this cover is different from the cover in Amazon's shop. This cover is for the sample. The full length version has a woman's face. (Just so you're not confused in thinking you have the wrong book.) For the record, I like the cowboy picture better.
March 20, 2015
This was a sweet, funny and clean West meets Cinderella kind of story.
Ellie was a likable Heroine, and so was the hero. Hosever, the character that stood out the most would have to be the man Ellie was supposed to marry. He was greasy, oily and even the cake he ate was sweating. Nice picture right? Can't say I would want to marry a man like that. So Ellie jumps at the first housekeeper job she can get.
Unfortunately, the family who ordered her didn't want a housekeeper… They wanted a mail-order-bride.
And so begins the adventure! I can honestly say that I liked it and will recommend this to others. Sure, there was some unrealistic happenings, but this is Fiction and it's a sweet story well worth the two hours it took me to read it. I look forward to this authors next book.
Ellie was a likable Heroine, and so was the hero. Hosever, the character that stood out the most would have to be the man Ellie was supposed to marry. He was greasy, oily and even the cake he ate was sweating. Nice picture right? Can't say I would want to marry a man like that. So Ellie jumps at the first housekeeper job she can get.
Unfortunately, the family who ordered her didn't want a housekeeper… They wanted a mail-order-bride.
And so begins the adventure! I can honestly say that I liked it and will recommend this to others. Sure, there was some unrealistic happenings, but this is Fiction and it's a sweet story well worth the two hours it took me to read it. I look forward to this authors next book.
December 7, 2013
This is a sweet, awkward romance. She is quiet and insecure; he is goofy and clueless. Thank goodness Grammy sees what they can't. This story made me laugh out loud and my heart twinge at their romance. I found it fun to test my vocabulary with all the less used verbiage in this book and the occasional typo's did not hamper my reading. I only wish there had been some closure with her past, a little nose thumbing at her ex-sister-in-law, a reunion with Briggs, maybe even a good punch in the nose for the eager fiancé... I guess I'll just dream it. A very sweet romance.
December 24, 2013
This was a short, sweet mail-order romance. I enjoyed all of the characters but I do wish there had been more detail about the romance and less about Ellie's chores. I would have liked to see more interaction between H/H so you could actually be a part of them falling in love. The timeline was a bit rushed also. I'm not sure why the author felt the need to make everything happen in just one month. Not only did the romance seem a bit unbelievable but also the way Ellie was supposed to have cleaned the entire place from top to bottom including the tools and do her everyday chores made her seem like a superhero! Also, I only want to read clean romances and always appreciate when I don't have to worry about coming upon a surprise sex scene but I was very disappointed when there wasn't even a real kiss in the book....you gotta at least have one in there :0) I hope this doesn't sound too negative because I did enjoy the story and will read another book by this author in the future.
February 27, 2014
This is the first book I have read by Amy Blakelear but it will not be the last one of her books I read.
This book was an historical romance set mostly in Oregon. It is the story of Ellie, who had lost all of her family to typhoid and was now an unpaid servant for her deceased brother’s wife in Boston. Ellie's sister-in-law is not a very nice person and was forcing Ellie into a marriage with a very unsavory character. To avoid the marriage Ellie places an advertisement in a national newspaper as a live-in housekeeper.
Ellie’s advertisement is answered by the Grandmother of Jared, a rancher in Oregon. Jared’s Grammy’s eyesight is failing and she thought she was ordering a mail order bride for her grandson for his birthday.
So as not to spoil it for anyone else I will refrain from saying anything more about the story but I will say it was one of the most enjoyable books I have read in a long time and I had a very hard time putting it down.
This book was an historical romance set mostly in Oregon. It is the story of Ellie, who had lost all of her family to typhoid and was now an unpaid servant for her deceased brother’s wife in Boston. Ellie's sister-in-law is not a very nice person and was forcing Ellie into a marriage with a very unsavory character. To avoid the marriage Ellie places an advertisement in a national newspaper as a live-in housekeeper.
Ellie’s advertisement is answered by the Grandmother of Jared, a rancher in Oregon. Jared’s Grammy’s eyesight is failing and she thought she was ordering a mail order bride for her grandson for his birthday.
So as not to spoil it for anyone else I will refrain from saying anything more about the story but I will say it was one of the most enjoyable books I have read in a long time and I had a very hard time putting it down.
March 14, 2014
I had high hopes for this story that unfortunately fell a bit flat. The concept of the storyline was wonderful, but I felt like there wasn't enough to hold it up. Much of the story was slow with little action or events to move it along and help the reader get to know the characters. The dialogue was kept at an overly and almost false level of levity that it just became unbelievable and almost silly. What I did know of them, I liked. Jared was a young, but hard working man who was overly polite. Ellie was another hard worker who stood up for herself when the moment counted. Grammy was sweet in her own way as well. I had hoped for a few more loose ends to be tied with characters that were introduced and then lost, but perhaps they will come into play in other books in the series. Several poor writing mistakes were distracting, but the idea had potential.
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www.cleanromancereviews.com
June 14, 2014
Clean, heart warming book...
What I look for in a book is a CLEAN romance, entertaining, and enjoyable... that is what a found in Mail order Love.
I have been sucked into this book since the time Ellie posted the advert; I was waiting to see a romance develop between Jared and Ellie.
I enjoyed how Ellie found her voice. She became the girl she was meant to be. She finally received what she deserved.
It was a n enjoyable book. I would definitely recommend it to anyone. In fact I already told my friend about it!;) Furthermore, right when I finished, I went and bough Book 2!
What I look for in a book is a CLEAN romance, entertaining, and enjoyable... that is what a found in Mail order Love.
I have been sucked into this book since the time Ellie posted the advert; I was waiting to see a romance develop between Jared and Ellie.
I enjoyed how Ellie found her voice. She became the girl she was meant to be. She finally received what she deserved.
It was a n enjoyable book. I would definitely recommend it to anyone. In fact I already told my friend about it!;) Furthermore, right when I finished, I went and bough Book 2!
August 30, 2014
This book was a short, easy read. Long on detailed descriptions, short on character development. The writing was short and choppy. We learned a lot about Ellie's chores and that even though she was recovering from a potential deadly illness was able to clean the entire giant ranch house in several weeks. Including the sheds and fixing the tools. Not believable in that sense.
Could have used more interaction of the main characters to at least make them falling in love plausible. She and Jared realized they loved each other but hadn't even shared a kiss. The very enjoyable Grammy really made the book bearable. There were quite a few slips of modern language, too.
Could have used more interaction of the main characters to at least make them falling in love plausible. She and Jared realized they loved each other but hadn't even shared a kiss. The very enjoyable Grammy really made the book bearable. There were quite a few slips of modern language, too.
April 11, 2014
What sweet characters!! I loved Grammy and her quirky outspoken self. Ellie was so brave and strong, despite what she thought of her own weaknesses. Jared was a strong and lonely man wearing blinders so common to hardworking men.
The story was well written and I loved it being in 'old' Oregon! Will go now to see if I can get the 2nd book, which was supposed to come out in March...Try this one - if you like old Western Romances, you'll enjoy it like I did!
The story was well written and I loved it being in 'old' Oregon! Will go now to see if I can get the 2nd book, which was supposed to come out in March...Try this one - if you like old Western Romances, you'll enjoy it like I did!
June 27, 2014
Mail Order Love is such a sweet love story. In order to escape marriage to a despicable man arranged by an evil sister in law Ellie takes matters into her own hands. She places an ad in the newspaper hoping to find a job as a housekeeper. Things don't turn out the way she had planned and she finds herself in a peculiar situation. I found this book delightful. It is a quick read that I finished in a few hours but they were very entertaining hours. A very sweet and innocent love story.
January 13, 2014
I enjoyed this book and story for the most part. Well written, sweet story. I didn't like that the grandmother bred dogs. Perhaps back then there was not an over abundance of animals and pets weren't being put to sleep every day by the thousands, but that part of the story turned me off. And had I known that was part of the story I wouldn't have paid for the book.
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January 15, 2014Bland
this book was mildly interesting. while it was a very quick and easy read, its main problem is poor grammar. from its beginning, this book was rife with grammatical errors, which makes me sad.
this book was mildly interesting. while it was a very quick and easy read, its main problem is poor grammar. from its beginning, this book was rife with grammatical errors, which makes me sad.
February 10, 2014
I liked this book. It's written just a little different than I normally am used to but it's a cute story and I'm interested to see where this series goes next. It's a nice clean entertaining read and it swept me right in.
December 9, 2025
This book was a cute read! I really enjoyed it. Sometimes the characters spoke in super simple sentences, but for the most part it was well written. I really enjoyed the world that was created and the characters.
August 11, 2016
You can see my full review at My Book Addiction Reviews.
January 21, 2014
Cute
Clean
Review to come
Clean
Review to come
Read
February 8, 2014A real sweet story
This is a sweet, very believable story and an easy read. I wish we could have seen a little deeper into Jared's thoughts.
This is a sweet, very believable story and an easy read. I wish we could have seen a little deeper into Jared's thoughts.
February 9, 2014
Sweet story and a quick read.
February 13, 2014
This is a different era of book than I'm use to but I can say I enjoyed the light heart love story. It was a nice change in my reading
May 19, 2014
Very pleasant tale. Not unexpected in plot and storyline. In fact, I was expecting some other problem to arise but was pleased nonetheless. Good story!
June 10, 2016
An easy read - couldn't put it down - if you are into Mail Order Brides, you will love this book
April 28, 2016
I scan-read this book from almost the first page. That qualifies this as two stars because I did finish it. I do not think this author is for me.
July 15, 2017
This is a short sweet contemporary romance safe for all ages to read. I thought the premise was adorable.. almost a Cinderella vibe. I presumed there would be a plot twist or a dun dun dun moment but it never happened. it was just a lovely little story that takes place over 2 months. it could easily be a 4 star read but nothing really was extremely memorable for me.
May 20, 2017
This is the first book I have read by this author, but it definitely won't be the last. I was immediately drawn to her characters and story. Her descriptive writing had me visualizing every scene. Great read.
July 2, 2014
I want to read book 2!!
February 13, 2014
Loved it.
September 10, 2016
An easy and pleasant read. Well done.
September 23, 2018
This was a sweet story. I loved it from start to finish. Cannot wait to read the second part in book two
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews