In Wild Heart Books newest anthology, Christmas Mail-Order Brides, Mrs. Mayberry’s Matrimonial Society for Christians of Moral Character strives to bring couples together in the 1880s. As Mrs. Mayberry prayerfully seeks to bring couples together, sometimes the matches are not what God intended, but the True Matches created are better than anticipated….
A Trusting Heart by Carrie Turansky
A Trusting Heart by Carrie Turansky starts off the Christmas Mail-Order Brides Anthology and introduces Readers to Annika, a young woman from Chicago who travels to the Wyoming Territory after agreeing to marrying a man named Charles who has a young daughter named Mariah. Leaving behind her Twin Sister and Brother-In-Law in Illinois is the hardest thing Annika has ever had to, but she trusting the Lord to guide her steps. Arriving in the Wyoming Territory, things aren’t what they seem. Charles, or Chase, as he’s called, is shocked when he finds out that his father has been writing to find him a mail-order bride, pretending to be Chase—so much so that Chase runs away before Annika arrives. When Annika arrives she immerses herself into Chase’s daily life without Chase being there—taking care of Mariah and helping Chase’s Father and Brother, Daniel, around the Family Ranch. Annika does her best to fit in to make the Ranch become her home, forming a close bond with Daniel and Mariah in the process. When Chase returns, Annika chooses to Trust God regardless.
I’m a fan of Carrie Turansky and I thought that A Trusting Heart was a great way to start off the Christmas Mail-Order Brides Anthology. I loved meeting all of the Characters in the story. I love the Message of Trusting God’s Guidance that was woven through the plot. I love the wide array of lessons that all of the Characters learned in the story and how it made them all better. I loved the Strength that Daniel and Annika showed in the story. I loved what Chase and his Father learned through their mutual mistakes and how they are attempting to make things better. I love how Annika brought her Swedish heritage and traditions to her potential new family. A Trusting Heart by Carrie Turansky is a sweet story that gives you a taste of the Christmas Season.
The Prodigal Groom by Vickie McDonough
The Prodigal Groom by Vickie McDonough tells the story of Jolie who secretly seeks the help of Mrs. Mayberry’s Matrimonial Society for Christians of Moral Character as she ages out of the local orphanage and is being forced to work for an unsavory man. Before she is set to leave the orphanage Jolie becomes a mail-order bride and heads off out West to her future Husband. As Jolie travels West, she shares a Stagecoach with a man named Clay. Clay is returning home a changed man after becoming a Christian and hopes to make amends with his father. All of the sudden, the stagecoach is hijacked by robbers and Clay is shot. As the driver leaves to get help, Clay and Jolie are left alone, with Jolie taking care of Clay’s wounds. When Clay and Jolie finally arrive at their destination, Jolie’s husband-to-be wants nothing to do with Jolie. In order to protect Jolie, Clay marries her. As the newly married couple arrive at Clay’s Father’s Ranch, Clay doesn’t receive a Prodigal Son’s Return. As Jolie and Clay acclimate to married life, they each see one another as a gift from God to help one another and start to see that maybe getting married was part of God’s Plan after all.
I absolutely loved The Prodigal Groom by Vickie McDonough! I thought the plot was very interesting. Parts of The Prodigal Groom reminded me of Kinsley’s Kiss by Joi Copeland. I love the theme of the Prodigal Son that was a thread throughout and how it was shown throughout the storyline. I love how compatible Jolie and Clay are and how seriously they took their vows and were committed to them despite the events surrounding their marriage. I love how equally protective they were of one another and how they took care of one another. I loved how Clay and Jolie’s relationship grew and the lessons they learned from each other. I love how Clay encouraged Jolie to be herself and to not be afraid to try new things. I love how Jolie consistently gave sage and Godly Wisdom to the men of the household. The Prodigal Groom by Vickie McDonough is definitely a fun and spunky read in the middle of Christmas Mail-Order Brides Anthology!
Mrs. Mayberry Meets Her Match by Susan Page Davis
Mrs. Mayberry Meets Her Match by Susan Page Davis gives Amelia Mayberry, owner of Mrs. Mayberry’s Matrimonial Society for Christians of Moral Character her own story in the Christmas Mail-Order Brides Anthology. Amelia started Mrs. Mayberry’s Matrimonial Society for Christians of Moral Character as a way to make ends meet after her husband passed away. For 15 years, Amelia has successfully matched over 100 couples. However, Amelia Mayberry has one last thing to settle before she can retire: Find Lennox Bailey a wife. Lennox Bailey is a friend of Amelia’s Husband and a few years prior he requested that Amelia find him a wife after his wife passed away. On paper the match looked to be successful, but when Lennox met his bride-to-be, things went horribly wrong and the agreement was cancelled, blemishing Amelia’s spotless matchmaking record. Secretly ever since, Amelia has been trying to find Lennox a wife. In a last ditch effort to find Lennox a wife before retirement, Amelia travels to California at Christmas time to help him find a wife. Lennox is excited to see Amelia after all of these years, but after her last matchmaking attempt he no longer wants to get married, despite being lonely. As their friendship gets rekindled, they discover that God has a better Plan than they even imagined.
I absolutely love Mrs. Mayberry Meets Her Match by Susan Page Davis! I thought it was wonderful and lovely that the owner of Mrs. Mayberry’s Matrimonial Society for Christians of Moral Character got her own story. I loved learning how Amelia came to be in the matchmaking business. I thought giving an owner of a mail-order bride service her own story added a unique twist that I don’t always see in the Mail-Order Bride Genre. I love the theme and lesson of pride that was woven into Amelia’s character regarding her matchmaking record (especially since we know from the previous two stories, the matchmaking didn’t go as planned). I loved the character of Lennox and the kind of stand-up man he was—especially when he didn’t hold the failed match against Amelia. I thought that Mrs. Mayberry Meets Her Match by Susan Page Davis was a fantastic way to end the Christmas Mail-Order Brides Anthology!
Christmas Mail-Order Brides Anthology (As A Whole)
I honestly loved the Christmas Mail-Order Brides Anthology from beginning to end! It was nice reading stories from Carrie Turansky, Vickie McDonough, and Susan Page Davis again, especially with each story having a Christmas flair in them. I love how all of the stories flowed from the Mrs. Mayberry’s Matrimonial Society for Christians of Moral Character agency and that each story was not your typical Mail-Order Brides story, giving an uniqueness to them. The stories in the Christmas Mail-Order Brides Anthology reminded me of the Westward Home and Hearts Mail Order-Brides series, which I love! I loved that each of the characters soaked everything in prayer and Trusted God to guide their steps, especially during the Christmas Season. I highly recommend the Christmas Mail-Order Brides Anthology by Carrie Turansky, Susan Page Davis, and Vickie McDonough!
Have you read the Christmas Mail-Order Brides Anthology? What did you think of the book?
I would like to thank the Publisher and Celebrate Lit Blogging Tours for giving me a copy of the Christmas Mail-Order Brides Anthology to review, for letting me be a part of the Christmas Mail-Order Brides Anthology Celebration Tour, and for providing the information needed for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
My review is on Amazon and my blog Leslie's Library Escape.