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Western Wives #2
From Darkness to Glory
FROM DARKNESS TO GLORY
A factory girl is desperate to protect her family. She has to accept offers from terrible men or marry a stranger. After marrying her Montana man, she learns he’s a gun slinger.
Lynne McKinney has endured hardship, working three years in a Boston factory to help the family after her father died. But when fever sweeps through the tenements, it claims her mother and threatens the lives of her young sister and brothers. She faces the choice of trading her body for money or watching them die. Instead, she chooses to control her destiny and answers an ad to marry a rancher in Montana if he will send the money she needs to hospitalize the children.
Phillip Gant has lived by the gun. Ready to put his demons behind him, he has land and a house, but is unwilling to settle for the kind of woman who wants to marry a killer. Desperate, he orders a mail order bride, even sending extra money to ensure she arrives in ten days.
He is unprepared for his enchanting young bride or the passionate protectiveness he feels toward her. He struggles to shield her from danger in the harsh Indian territory, fighting off desperate men, marauding Indians, and shadowy figures from their past. Together they must overcome their dark ghosts in order to change their contracted marriage into one of love.
A factory girl is desperate to protect her family. She has to accept offers from terrible men or marry a stranger. After marrying her Montana man, she learns he’s a gun slinger.
Lynne McKinney has endured hardship, working three years in a Boston factory to help the family after her father died. But when fever sweeps through the tenements, it claims her mother and threatens the lives of her young sister and brothers. She faces the choice of trading her body for money or watching them die. Instead, she chooses to control her destiny and answers an ad to marry a rancher in Montana if he will send the money she needs to hospitalize the children.
Phillip Gant has lived by the gun. Ready to put his demons behind him, he has land and a house, but is unwilling to settle for the kind of woman who wants to marry a killer. Desperate, he orders a mail order bride, even sending extra money to ensure she arrives in ten days.
He is unprepared for his enchanting young bride or the passionate protectiveness he feels toward her. He struggles to shield her from danger in the harsh Indian territory, fighting off desperate men, marauding Indians, and shadowy figures from their past. Together they must overcome their dark ghosts in order to change their contracted marriage into one of love.
378 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 30, 2013
99 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
September 1, 2023
I am a sucker for arranged married
This one was good
Read it
She is a strong willed girl in a sea of trouble
Facing a long journey to marry a stranger
He is so tender to her I fall for him instantly
This one was good
Read it
She is a strong willed girl in a sea of trouble
Facing a long journey to marry a stranger
He is so tender to her I fall for him instantly
November 20, 2024
I loved this one.
I could say it was a bit diappointing to wait such a long time for them to meet but it made the book so much better at the same time, it makes the reader have more insight and depth to their lives and the wait just made the time together so much more beautiful.
All in all, a perfect FMC and a possesive/simp for her/grumpy/soft MMC, they made, with all the incredible secondary characters (I’m looking at you, siblings), a perfect western romance story.
But please, can we talk about the author’s covers 🫣 I love the three women as a symbol, but the rest HAS TO GO.
I could say it was a bit diappointing to wait such a long time for them to meet but it made the book so much better at the same time, it makes the reader have more insight and depth to their lives and the wait just made the time together so much more beautiful.
All in all, a perfect FMC and a possesive/simp for her/grumpy/soft MMC, they made, with all the incredible secondary characters (I’m looking at you, siblings), a perfect western romance story.
But please, can we talk about the author’s covers 🫣 I love the three women as a symbol, but the rest HAS TO GO.
January 15, 2024
started off strong and fizzled out after the hero and heroine met at about the 45% mark
August 27, 2015
This is a two part novel really. Demoralizing life deaths of a factory worker's family, the plight of the poor & community in the slums. Then in desperation a dangerous trek west of a pretty, young, unchaperoned mail-ordered bride to a gun-slinger/rancher groom who gets shot at on a regular basis & whose isolated home is prepared for attack.
Lynn is so hardworking, resourceful, practical, great at bartering and has beauty that draws men but she dose not trade on it.
Phillip, the groom, aka 'Dark Prince' has a wide spread, deadly reputation. However, it didn't prevent a thug run off from Lynn's old neighborhood ganging up shooting & beating him, to get a crack at the uppity bride from back home. Phillip was vulnerable & allowed his tattered soul to be tended.
It was unsusual mail-order bride as there is a complete story before the decision to journey west, detailed dangerous trek then adjusting to ranch life & wild frontier small town.
Lynn is so hardworking, resourceful, practical, great at bartering and has beauty that draws men but she dose not trade on it.
Phillip, the groom, aka 'Dark Prince' has a wide spread, deadly reputation. However, it didn't prevent a thug run off from Lynn's old neighborhood ganging up shooting & beating him, to get a crack at the uppity bride from back home. Phillip was vulnerable & allowed his tattered soul to be tended.
It was unsusual mail-order bride as there is a complete story before the decision to journey west, detailed dangerous trek then adjusting to ranch life & wild frontier small town.
April 25, 2021
Disgusting
She is his child bride!!! She’s 17 he’s 27 and the overall feel of their “love story” is super creepy and gross. He literally calls her his child bride and then proceeds to keep referring to her young body, young breasts, young hand, youthful figure, and there’s no apology or reluctance either. This is the second book I’ve read from this author and I am so put off. Sexualizing children is wrong! I understand it is a different time and women often did marry young, but to continually refer to her and her body in such a way is so off putting especially as pretty much explicit sexual times or fantasies followed. I had to stop reading, I thought after they had sex the author would stop with the child bride references, she did not. The main protagonist continues to fetishize her youth and I cannot stomach one more word. The first book in the series has warnings for animal abuse, animal killing, and r*pe, this book should have also had warnings for pediophilia undertones. 🤢
She is his child bride!!! She’s 17 he’s 27 and the overall feel of their “love story” is super creepy and gross. He literally calls her his child bride and then proceeds to keep referring to her young body, young breasts, young hand, youthful figure, and there’s no apology or reluctance either. This is the second book I’ve read from this author and I am so put off. Sexualizing children is wrong! I understand it is a different time and women often did marry young, but to continually refer to her and her body in such a way is so off putting especially as pretty much explicit sexual times or fantasies followed. I had to stop reading, I thought after they had sex the author would stop with the child bride references, she did not. The main protagonist continues to fetishize her youth and I cannot stomach one more word. The first book in the series has warnings for animal abuse, animal killing, and r*pe, this book should have also had warnings for pediophilia undertones. 🤢
April 10, 2018
Loved it! I love the real historical details. Enough to be realistic without being depressing. As usual with this author, nothing is overly dramatic, no one throws hissy fits when there’s misunderstandings.
If you’re someone who loves history and a good romance, I recommend this book. The story does take its time though. Her mother doesn’t die until about the 30 percent mark, and she doesn’t get to her mail order husband until nearly the halfway mark, so this story might be too slow for some people.
Personally I couldn’t stop reading. I love reading about the day to day living of people during this time period, which I’ve mentioned before in reviews for this author. It’s engrossing and enjoyable and helps you understand so much about the characters.
If you’re someone who loves history and a good romance, I recommend this book. The story does take its time though. Her mother doesn’t die until about the 30 percent mark, and she doesn’t get to her mail order husband until nearly the halfway mark, so this story might be too slow for some people.
Personally I couldn’t stop reading. I love reading about the day to day living of people during this time period, which I’ve mentioned before in reviews for this author. It’s engrossing and enjoyable and helps you understand so much about the characters.
March 22, 2015
Really good book
I felt like there were times when the author jumped ahead in the next paragraph and left the previous paragraph unfinished. There is no continued flow. The story line is good. The author could have expanded on the villains in the book.
I felt like there were times when the author jumped ahead in the next paragraph and left the previous paragraph unfinished. There is no continued flow. The story line is good. The author could have expanded on the villains in the book.
June 23, 2020
This was not as good as the Milch bride. The flow was choppy and there were many grammatical errors. Will not continue.
May 30, 2018
This truly is a two-part book, with an interesting and poignant pre-story. It sets up the events which are detailed in the remainder of the story. Aside from CONTINUAL inappropriate apostrophes and a few displaced words, and oodles of sentence fragments, I enjoyed the story. I did find the incorrect plurals distracting, especially when there were no 's where there needed to be haha.
I enjoyed the story, it gave you a feel of being back in time. There were a few modern phrases (macho man) which I found to be jarring. But all in all, it is a good romance, very sexy, not clean thank God, and without giving away any spoilers, some of the parts of the story were very vivid and believable.
The H is gritty with a gentle side, despite being a dark-eyed killer. The h is sweet and is a well-rounded character. She is plucky without being a Mary Sue, and pretty without being vapid.
I enjoyed the story, it gave you a feel of being back in time. There were a few modern phrases (macho man) which I found to be jarring. But all in all, it is a good romance, very sexy, not clean thank God, and without giving away any spoilers, some of the parts of the story were very vivid and believable.
The H is gritty with a gentle side, despite being a dark-eyed killer. The h is sweet and is a well-rounded character. She is plucky without being a Mary Sue, and pretty without being vapid.
February 16, 2022
I enjoyed the first book in this series but this one was just okay. A good part of the story takes place in the tenements of Boston which was an interesting setting but not the Western I was looking for. I also didn't like how the men seemed caricatures, unable to control themselves around Lynne though Phillip was an exception. It was too much of a coincidence to have the one man from Boston show up in Montana.
Also, I never understood why everyone was after Phillip. I get that he's a former gunslinger but there was something else going on in the town with somebody hiring people to kill him that was never explained. The historical details seemed good, but otherwise, I didn't enjoy the story much.
Also, I never understood why everyone was after Phillip. I get that he's a former gunslinger but there was something else going on in the town with somebody hiring people to kill him that was never explained. The historical details seemed good, but otherwise, I didn't enjoy the story much.
December 20, 2023
I really Love slow paced love stories that throw people together who otherwise never would have considered each other. This book checked those boxes.
What I didn’t like:
-WAY too much detail on every little day and activity
-the MCs don’t meet until 45% into the book! I chose this story because of the relationship between the MCs that was promised in the blurb, but I had to read half the book before they ever meet and interact? I skipped chunks and chunks of this story
-the FMC was strong through all that happened to her in Boston, but then she turned into a fainting damsel in Montana. That was super annoying.
What I didn’t like:
-WAY too much detail on every little day and activity
-the MCs don’t meet until 45% into the book! I chose this story because of the relationship between the MCs that was promised in the blurb, but I had to read half the book before they ever meet and interact? I skipped chunks and chunks of this story
-the FMC was strong through all that happened to her in Boston, but then she turned into a fainting damsel in Montana. That was super annoying.
June 24, 2019
Phillip and Lynne
I enjoyed this story a great deal. It started out a little slow but as the book progressed it becomes apparent how important the first part was to explaining the rest of the happenings. Their was great hardship as sorrow to begin with and then Lynne adventures out as a mail order bride began. He Dark Prince was magnificent and exciting. They do go d the love they both desperately need and want aging with their happily ever after. You will really like this story.
I enjoyed this story a great deal. It started out a little slow but as the book progressed it becomes apparent how important the first part was to explaining the rest of the happenings. Their was great hardship as sorrow to begin with and then Lynne adventures out as a mail order bride began. He Dark Prince was magnificent and exciting. They do go d the love they both desperately need and want aging with their happily ever after. You will really like this story.
April 20, 2023
I really enjoyed the first part of this book, Lynne was so strong figuring out how to take care of her family in the tennents. Then it seemed as if she turned into a completely different character once she got to Montana, and the creepy way the hero Phillip called her his child bride and obsessed over her youth was really disturbing. The ending and prologue also felt extremely rushed.
I did not realize this author also wrote The Milch Bride which I enjoyed.
I did not realize this author also wrote The Milch Bride which I enjoyed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2024
Slow start
The book began quite slowly as the main characters individual backgrounds were told, one in Boston and the other in Montana. I was impatient, waiting for Phillip and Lynne to meet, but was nearly half way through the story before they did.
While I did enjoy the story, I didn't think it was as good as the author's previous ones.
The book began quite slowly as the main characters individual backgrounds were told, one in Boston and the other in Montana. I was impatient, waiting for Phillip and Lynne to meet, but was nearly half way through the story before they did.
While I did enjoy the story, I didn't think it was as good as the author's previous ones.
May 12, 2019
Western Women
From Darkness to Glory by J.R. Biery is book two of the series. I loved the characters in this story. It has western drama with gunfights and suspense of the dangers involving the west. The romance between Phillip and Lynne is sweet .
From Darkness to Glory by J.R. Biery is book two of the series. I loved the characters in this story. It has western drama with gunfights and suspense of the dangers involving the west. The romance between Phillip and Lynne is sweet .
May 13, 2021
Better and Better
This story was so good. I could read this author's stories over and over. Keeping them all. The romance and adventure drew me into the story and I felt like I was there with them. Second book I've read by this author and can't wait to read many more.
This story was so good. I could read this author's stories over and over. Keeping them all. The romance and adventure drew me into the story and I felt like I was there with them. Second book I've read by this author and can't wait to read many more.
May 22, 2019
Western Historical Romance
This book is filled with adventure, kindness and love. I hope you will read and enjoy this book as much as I did!!!!!!!
This book is filled with adventure, kindness and love. I hope you will read and enjoy this book as much as I did!!!!!!!
December 13, 2019
Wonderful book
I really love this author. I like that she takes her time with a story. Well written, enjoyable read. Kept my attention.
I really love this author. I like that she takes her time with a story. Well written, enjoyable read. Kept my attention.
October 9, 2023
I enjoy the book
Ms Biery is a great storyteller. The characters were exciting & even though nothing was a surprise, it was interesting.
Ms Biery is a great storyteller. The characters were exciting & even though nothing was a surprise, it was interesting.
October 11, 2023
I’m sorry but to get to 45% in a romance book and the mc’s have even meet yet is a robbery!! Everything before her getting on a train should have been summarised into a page or a chapter at most.
December 11, 2015
A most tender romance
Strange how people think they are one way when there is a completely different side to them. The romance was for the most part implied but with properly placed words and implications, you certainly felt the heat. It was a long book but never boring. An interesting fact that I had not read before was the placement of the Windows. Very interesting. I wonder if other cabins were like that.
Strange how people think they are one way when there is a completely different side to them. The romance was for the most part implied but with properly placed words and implications, you certainly felt the heat. It was a long book but never boring. An interesting fact that I had not read before was the placement of the Windows. Very interesting. I wonder if other cabins were like that.
March 9, 2015
Not your typical mail order bride story.
September 22, 2018
This was a very interesting story. The backgrounds these two have was well put together. I wanted to slap her a few times but hey it all made for a great story.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews