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Adeline: Strong-willed Bride for Her Lonely Farmer
It's 1870, California, and in this series love flourishes in the simple town of Goldrush when three fraught sisters flee New York, desperate to start new lives.
What will happen in a marriage when two hearts committed to a strict-no-love policy?
Tall and graceful Adeline Archer is twenty-five and she is DESPERATE!
She needs to run from the luxury she's known in New York.
It's either her or one of her younger sisters commanded to marry the awful man who makes her skin crawl. Their grand New York house is to be sold and their affluent lifestyle is at an abrupt end now her father has taken his own life and left Adeline as payment for his gambling debts to the man she hated most!
Resourceful Adeline has six months to get them far away from the clutches of Lex Baxter, so she answers a Mail Order Bride advertisement with a strict no-love policy. Perfect! She has plans for her mother and sisters to follow later.
Travel with her to the town of Goldrush, in rural California, and meet the robust and handsome James Blair who has a frozen heart, heart-breaking secrets, and is on the verge of being forced off his land.
Will two bruised and battered souls become one in the healing light of love
and faith?
Should they go through with the annulment they think they want?
What will happen in a marriage when two hearts committed to a strict-no-love policy?
Tall and graceful Adeline Archer is twenty-five and she is DESPERATE!
She needs to run from the luxury she's known in New York.
It's either her or one of her younger sisters commanded to marry the awful man who makes her skin crawl. Their grand New York house is to be sold and their affluent lifestyle is at an abrupt end now her father has taken his own life and left Adeline as payment for his gambling debts to the man she hated most!
Resourceful Adeline has six months to get them far away from the clutches of Lex Baxter, so she answers a Mail Order Bride advertisement with a strict no-love policy. Perfect! She has plans for her mother and sisters to follow later.
Travel with her to the town of Goldrush, in rural California, and meet the robust and handsome James Blair who has a frozen heart, heart-breaking secrets, and is on the verge of being forced off his land.
Will two bruised and battered souls become one in the healing light of love
and faith?
Should they go through with the annulment they think they want?
116 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 20, 2015
304 people are currently reading
234 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
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September 14, 2016This book is driving my poor daughter nuts. She can't stand reading something that is clearly physically impossible (she has OCD). No way could one woman peel and cut up enough apples for 100 pies besides adding the other ingredients and rolling out pie crust and and baking them (even 10 at a time) and having them ready each morning to sell. She is telling me for regular size pies that's peeling at least 400 apples per night and it would take a few minutes to stir in the spice and sugar and several more to mix up and roll out the crust and at least 45 minutes of baking time. Since she only had 10 pie pans, the pies would have to be cooled and cleaned before they could be reused. Even if the pie pans and the resulting pies were of a smaller size it would be impossible to complete in the time frame.
July 2, 2016
Either the Kindle version was missing sections, or it's just an incredibly short and fickle book without much continuity or believability.
November 26, 2018
Adeline is the first book in the The Archer Sisters of Goldrush series. Adeline Archer, the eldest of three sisters, has lived in luxury all her life in New York. But when her father, an inveterate gambler, kills himself, his widow and daughters discover that he has left behind him a huge amount of debt—and has supposedly, according to the lecherous and evil Lex Baxter, promised Baxter (who also asserts that Mr Archer owed him ‘millions’) one of his daughters.
Adeline decides to spike Lex’s guns by quietly leaving New York—and does so by answering an ad for a mail-order bride. James Blair, a farmer, lives in a California town named Goldrush, and doesn’t want love, just a working partnership of mutual benefit. Adeline doesn’t want love either, just escape from Baxter.
Of course this marriage of convenience ends up in true love, but I found it very weak in the believability department. Everything is very rushed (this is a novella, not a novel, and the author tries to pack too much into too little space). There is the main story of Adeline and James, there are the much-hated Chinese immigrants, there are Adeline’s dreams of being a businesswoman. Because of the paucity of space, lots of elements which should’ve been given more space get scrunched together. For example, Adeline arrives in Goldrush, marries James the same day, goes to his farm, helps him save it from a thunderstorm… and flash-forward to a month later, when Adeline (who had come to Goldrush a dud at cooking) has learned how to make pies and has a brisk business making and selling them. She doesn’t love James, and he doesn’t love her either, but just as suddenly, out of the blue, they do.
For me, the biggest disappointment in a romance is when we get no idea of how and when the hero and heroine fall in love. I agree that it doesn’t need sex (this is a ‘clean’ romance), but I certainly expect something beyond a combined effort to save a farm over a few hours. Where are the conversations, where is the gradual shift from being friends to people in love? How does a woman who’s convinced she doesn’t love a man suddenly realize she does, just because someone holds a gun to her head?
What this needed was a much larger framework . A greater word count, so that a more detailed story could be fitted in. And stronger editing (words and phrases like ego and out of my league were not, as far as I know, in common usage in 1870). As it is, it doesn’t tempt me to read the rest of the books in the series.
P.S. The Chinese immigrant angle could’ve been an interesting and informative element, but is poorly executed. They come across as caricatures, and are dealt with in an irritatingly patronizing way.
P.P.S. And how, how does someone who owns only ten pie dishes churn out hundred pies a night? Forget about preparing the pastry and filling—not an easy task for a novice baker—but the dishes themselves? What, every pie gets baked in five minutes, turned out (without being cooled?) and more pastry and filling put in? I know a thing or two about baking, and this strikes me as someone who doesn’t know what they’re talking about.
Adeline decides to spike Lex’s guns by quietly leaving New York—and does so by answering an ad for a mail-order bride. James Blair, a farmer, lives in a California town named Goldrush, and doesn’t want love, just a working partnership of mutual benefit. Adeline doesn’t want love either, just escape from Baxter.
Of course this marriage of convenience ends up in true love, but I found it very weak in the believability department. Everything is very rushed (this is a novella, not a novel, and the author tries to pack too much into too little space). There is the main story of Adeline and James, there are the much-hated Chinese immigrants, there are Adeline’s dreams of being a businesswoman. Because of the paucity of space, lots of elements which should’ve been given more space get scrunched together. For example, Adeline arrives in Goldrush, marries James the same day, goes to his farm, helps him save it from a thunderstorm… and flash-forward to a month later, when Adeline (who had come to Goldrush a dud at cooking) has learned how to make pies and has a brisk business making and selling them. She doesn’t love James, and he doesn’t love her either, but just as suddenly, out of the blue, they do.
For me, the biggest disappointment in a romance is when we get no idea of how and when the hero and heroine fall in love. I agree that it doesn’t need sex (this is a ‘clean’ romance), but I certainly expect something beyond a combined effort to save a farm over a few hours. Where are the conversations, where is the gradual shift from being friends to people in love? How does a woman who’s convinced she doesn’t love a man suddenly realize she does, just because someone holds a gun to her head?
What this needed was a much larger framework . A greater word count, so that a more detailed story could be fitted in. And stronger editing (words and phrases like ego and out of my league were not, as far as I know, in common usage in 1870). As it is, it doesn’t tempt me to read the rest of the books in the series.
P.S. The Chinese immigrant angle could’ve been an interesting and informative element, but is poorly executed. They come across as caricatures, and are dealt with in an irritatingly patronizing way.
P.P.S. And how, how does someone who owns only ten pie dishes churn out hundred pies a night? Forget about preparing the pastry and filling—not an easy task for a novice baker—but the dishes themselves? What, every pie gets baked in five minutes, turned out (without being cooled?) and more pastry and filling put in? I know a thing or two about baking, and this strikes me as someone who doesn’t know what they’re talking about.
July 17, 2020
What could have been a great book was a disappointment. The story was great, but it needed more. More depth and character development. It was choppy and didn’t feel sincere. It needed more framework and frankly, more pages and words to make this a better story.
January 3, 2021
Wonderful main characters
A young woman with a good business head travels west to be a mail order bride to a farmer. She escapes a distasteful marriage and he gains a help-mate. Can their arrangement progress to love? Read and find out!
A young woman with a good business head travels west to be a mail order bride to a farmer. She escapes a distasteful marriage and he gains a help-mate. Can their arrangement progress to love? Read and find out!
September 10, 2021
Pretty good romance story.
I just wish it was a little longer to flesh out the characters more and provide a little more detail about events in the story. However, I did enjoy it. It is perfect for a light read.
I just wish it was a little longer to flesh out the characters more and provide a little more detail about events in the story. However, I did enjoy it. It is perfect for a light read.
August 17, 2018
Great romantic story. The first in the series. Looking forward to seeing what happens to the characters in the future books.
July 22, 2021
It’s ok
A ok story. Short and resolves very very fast. Would have been better with more build up and more interaction between the two. Ends HEA but hard to care that it does.
A ok story. Short and resolves very very fast. Would have been better with more build up and more interaction between the two. Ends HEA but hard to care that it does.
February 14, 2023
Loved the book
Would like to read the other two, but can't find them anywhere!
Please let me know where I can get those two!
Thank you.
Would like to read the other two, but can't find them anywhere!
Please let me know where I can get those two!
Thank you.
April 24, 2025
I enjoyed reading James and Adeline's story
Read
January 2, 2026DNF
March 13, 2017
Go Adeline!
September 4, 2015
Book One of this sister trilogy
Another series based on young women of Society who lose everything and must flee an unsuitable suitor...rushing off to the West as Mail-Order Brides. I hope this didn't really happen all the time...it's heartbreaking!
In this book, the eldest sister (of course!) decides to be the first to attempt to thwart the evil man who insists her father signed the papers giving her to him as partial payment for a huge gambling debt...before he killed himself. Poor Adeline must find a sneaky way to save herself and her mother and two sisters.
Sneaking away and heading out to meet the man she has been writing to to solve her dilemma, she finds herself married to a man who refuses to ever love or have children. She has agreed to this and they enter a business partnership disguised as marriage.
With so many hardships to fight together, will this work? Will they be able to hold love at bay?
Another series based on young women of Society who lose everything and must flee an unsuitable suitor...rushing off to the West as Mail-Order Brides. I hope this didn't really happen all the time...it's heartbreaking!
In this book, the eldest sister (of course!) decides to be the first to attempt to thwart the evil man who insists her father signed the papers giving her to him as partial payment for a huge gambling debt...before he killed himself. Poor Adeline must find a sneaky way to save herself and her mother and two sisters.
Sneaking away and heading out to meet the man she has been writing to to solve her dilemma, she finds herself married to a man who refuses to ever love or have children. She has agreed to this and they enter a business partnership disguised as marriage.
With so many hardships to fight together, will this work? Will they be able to hold love at bay?
February 2, 2016
Great book
I really liked how this book turned out. There was a little bit of suspense and a whole lot of two people having to learn trust.
Cindy was running from an ex who wanted to hurt her. She left her young daughter with her parents thinking she would be safer there.
Then you got a good-looking grizzly shifter who's brother had found their mates. He thought he won't after being burned by a female 5 yrs before.
This story is worth reading. Would I recommend it? Yes even bought a copy for my daughter after reading the ARC I was gifted for an honest review. Faye Sonja did good with this series.
I really liked how this book turned out. There was a little bit of suspense and a whole lot of two people having to learn trust.
Cindy was running from an ex who wanted to hurt her. She left her young daughter with her parents thinking she would be safer there.
Then you got a good-looking grizzly shifter who's brother had found their mates. He thought he won't after being burned by a female 5 yrs before.
This story is worth reading. Would I recommend it? Yes even bought a copy for my daughter after reading the ARC I was gifted for an honest review. Faye Sonja did good with this series.
April 3, 2016
Adeline is headstrong and determined to find a solution to the problem that their deceased father left to them. Apparently one of his gambling debts was that one of his daughters was to marry the collector of the debt. Adeline came up with a plan to sneak away and become a mail order bride. Adeline’s plan is to marry for security and not for love and children. What Adeline didn’t plan on is the heart wanting what it wants.
This is a short story of a typical mail order bride. It was a good read if you like a good love story. It was an enjoyable quick read however I wish it was a little longer with some additional detail.
This is a short story of a typical mail order bride. It was a good read if you like a good love story. It was an enjoyable quick read however I wish it was a little longer with some additional detail.
February 3, 2016
Love comes as a surprise.
This was a wonderful story of how love can find you even if you think it's not needed. Loved how they learned to love each other and took on the world together. If you like a good love story, this is for you.
This was a wonderful story of how love can find you even if you think it's not needed. Loved how they learned to love each other and took on the world together. If you like a good love story, this is for you.
February 7, 2016
A good short story
This story moved pretty fast, some areas could have been filled in a little more, it just seemed the end came about too quickly. Y
The story it's self was good.
This story moved pretty fast, some areas could have been filled in a little more, it just seemed the end came about too quickly. Y
The story it's self was good.
February 22, 2016
Easy read
Good story. Easy fast read. Only wish it had been longer. Could have easily flushed out the story a little more. Gone in to more detail if farm life and life between the admission of love and the ending.
Good story. Easy fast read. Only wish it had been longer. Could have easily flushed out the story a little more. Gone in to more detail if farm life and life between the admission of love and the ending.
July 17, 2016
Short, sweet, clean living romance. Adeline is a great female lead, she is strong, beautiful, independent and sassy in a time when these things are not the norm. She finds her own solutions to problems and is willing to work to solve any thing.
September 10, 2016
Enjoyable predictable mind candy on mail order bride that falls in love with her husband despite the fact they both agreed on a companionate marriage as more of a business arrangement. Takes place in 1870s starting in NYC and ending in California.
February 25, 2016
This was kind of a "I'm sitting in this waiting room, so I might as well read something..." kind of read. Short, easy, predictable, time passer...
December 17, 2015
Great story
Good romance, very engaging and hard to put down . I want to read them all now. There are a few more describing the remaining sisters' romances.
Good romance, very engaging and hard to put down . I want to read them all now. There are a few more describing the remaining sisters' romances.
December 30, 2015
A nice, short romance. More depth could have been added with further exploration of the main characters' developing relationship.
March 11, 2016
Great for a short one!
I enjoyed this quickie read. Appreciated the Christian flavor!! Interesting character and reasonable plot. Fleshed out more could have made it more enjoyable.
I enjoyed this quickie read. Appreciated the Christian flavor!! Interesting character and reasonable plot. Fleshed out more could have made it more enjoyable.
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March 13, 2018DNF @ 60% - A free kindle read that has so much to dislike about it.
If you would like to read a story with a *frighteningly* hypocritical religious heroine than this is the book for you.
If you would like to read a story with a *frighteningly* hypocritical religious heroine than this is the book for you.
February 15, 2016
Great Book!
This is a Great Book. It's a must read. I normally don't read a book in two days, but I couldn't put it down. I love this book.
This is a Great Book. It's a must read. I normally don't read a book in two days, but I couldn't put it down. I love this book.
April 20, 2016
I enjoyed the book I have always enjoyed books like this one and I look forward to reading the books about her sisters and the outcome of her bold plan.
February 20, 2016
Great story line, but wished it went a little deeper an into mode details! Great for a quick clean read!!
February 23, 2016
Strong female lead
Quick read with a smart and strong female lead. Some errors in text. Did not like it enough to finish series.
Quick read with a smart and strong female lead. Some errors in text. Did not like it enough to finish series.
March 29, 2016
Very good reading
A clean romance but not without intrigue and adventure. A Page turner. You'll want more to the story. Interested in reading more from this author.
A clean romance but not without intrigue and adventure. A Page turner. You'll want more to the story. Interested in reading more from this author.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews