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American Mail-Order Brides #5

Edwina: Bride of Connecticut

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Edwina: Bride of Connecticut is fifth in the unprecedented 50-book American Mail-Order Brides series.
Joshua was a happy bachelor until his scheming sister lands him with a Mail Order Bride.

Desperate to Escape Boston, Edwina accepts the marriage proposal she believes has come from him.
Can a deceived bride, and a reluctant groom, find happiness together?

177 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 23, 2015

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About the author

Margaret Tanner

228 books88 followers
Margaret Tanner is an award winning, best selling author.

As well as writing historical novels set in frontier Australia she has discovered a love for writing Western Romance.
Her novella, Edwina of Connecticut is one of the 50 novels in the American Mail Order Bride series. Christmas Cowboy is in the Western Christmas Anthology, Silver Belles And Stetsons.

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She has had numerous short stories published over the years, but writing Historical romance novels is her passion.

Her favourite historical period is the 1st World War. Not only has she painstakingly researched this era, but was fortunate enough to make a poignant pilgrimage to the battlefields of Gallipoli (in Turkey), France and Belgium.

She is married with three grown up sons, and two gorgeous grand-daughters. Margaret lives in Australia. She has recently retired from work, and hopes to concentrate on her writing.

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Community Reviews

5 stars
182 (52%)
4 stars
98 (28%)
3 stars
50 (14%)
2 stars
13 (3%)
1 star
7 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
Profile Image for Julie Jobe.
259 reviews
April 12, 2016
While some of the the reviewers of this novella found the meddlesome sister, Amy, to be a funny character, I did not. She was downright hateful in her attitude when she accused Josh of always being selfish and she never seemed to really admit that she had no right to manipulate Josh or Edwina by writing letters under Josh's name. If anyone behaved wrongly in the situation, it was Amy. She was deceptive and acted as though she really did no wrong by behaving so. She accused Josh's former intended of being a manipulative social climber.
Amy may not be a social climber, but she was just as manipulative. No woman should goad a man into a relationship by trying to manipulate him and make him jealous. That's a dangerous game to play and it's messing with multiple people's emotions. I did not like Amy or how she treated her brother at all nor was I impressed with Edwina's haughty attitude when she first arrived or her deceptive behavior at the beginning. To me, neither of them were any better than the so called "manipulative social climber" that left Josh. I was not impressed with this book or any of the characters in it. I was also put off by the behavior and vulgarity of the Nesbitt clan as well as the references to both married men in the book having frequented a saloon before marriage for the purpose of using a prostitute. That is not a quality I find admirable in a man. I thought that the books in this series were going to be sweet and clean and this book just did not come across that way.
Profile Image for Jennifer Guffey.
1,113 reviews41 followers
November 30, 2015
Edwina: Bride of Connecticut (American Mail-Order Bride #5)
By: Margaret Tanner
5/5 stars


Edwina aka Eddy, was desperate to leave Boston as her aunt disliked her immensely and was trying to force her to marry a young man, from a well-to-do Boston family, who was absolutely not who she wanted to be with. But Eddy’s aunt was threatening to throw her out of the house if she didn’t accept the proposal. With no other options, she decided the best course of action would be to become a mail-order bride.

Josh is used to his sister meddling in his life, especially since they are the only blood family left alive. But after being deceived by a woman, he is content to remain a bachelor for the rest of his life. But he soon learns that his sister corresponded to get him a mail-order bride. He’s a gentleman, so he doesn’t send her back immediately, but he’s going to show her just how tough of a life he lives up in the mountains.

I really liked that Eddy was not intimidated and this was the type of life she preferred. I liked that she had useful skills that she learned as a young girl with her dad and continued practicing with her uncle until she left. I also like the drama and how she was able to take care of herself, but was able to see through Josh’s toughness and actually fell in love with him.

As near as I could tell, Eddy had no connection to the Brow Textile Mill like many of the other books in this series. Not that that is a requirement, just a notation.
Profile Image for Leanne ~ Tales From The Heart.
2,565 reviews32 followers
November 6, 2015
I had the pleasure of receiving this ARC for review. Thank you Susan Horsnell for introducing me to another fabulous Aussie author. I look forward to discovering more of her stories.
This story is part of a collaboration between 45 authors to write 50 stories in this Mail Order bride collection.
This potential bride raised in Tennessee (reminded me a bit of a Calamity Jane) and currently living in Boston is off to marry a man she's never met in Connecticut. In an era of railroad, horse and carriage and remote places where men outnumber women, is a time in history that may sound romantic but was hard work.
I loved the connection between the characters, the reluctance from the man who had previously been hurt both physically then emotionally. They overcame obstacles thrown in their way (no spoilers you can read it yourself to find out what) The story was seamless, I felt part of the story, almost smelled the surroundings and cheered them on for their HEA.
Profile Image for Terri Nelson.
123 reviews4 followers
July 27, 2018
edwina was a fun lady to get to know! To see the Tom Boy come out in her character was done real well. A lot of twists in the story, some funny while others were down right scary. She was very brave during the time in the canyon and was able to touch the life of Lizzie along with those she had grown so close to. I love how an unlikely 'midwife' saved the day in more ways than one. And through advesary, true love prevailed!
Profile Image for Melissa.
352 reviews19 followers
December 8, 2015
Great Story

Another great story in this series. Edwina (Eddy) needed a way out of Boston before her Aunt married her off to a no good gambler. Being a mail order bride to Joshua was the answer to dilemma. The problem falls on the fact that he didn't place the ad and doesn't want a wife. It was fun to read their story.
Profile Image for Donna Rogers.
280 reviews4 followers
November 23, 2015
Great read!!!

I wished there was more stars because this book is worth at least 10.. my favorite book of the series so far. Margaret Tanner as set the bar high...
Loved it!!!
5 down 45 to go...
800 reviews6 followers
November 24, 2015
Edwina has a definite drama

I wasn't sure if I was going to get through the story with so much drama. Wow! I was worried that Eddy was not going to make it through to an HEA. Wow! Action packed!
Profile Image for Diana Gable.
79 reviews
December 16, 2015
Scary bits and nice bits.

Its interesting how many different stories they have about the mail order brides.
This particular story has a few harrowing moments in store for Edwina.
Couldn't put it down for long between chapters.
Profile Image for Jeene Hobbs.
558 reviews1 follower
January 26, 2016
Another groom who didn't intend to marry

I like Josh and Eddy, I just didn't like their story much. The descriptions of land and life were very good. And Eddy certainly finds herself in a dangerous situation. I am looking forward to the variety of stories in this series.
15 reviews
December 14, 2015
Excellent

I really enjoyed this book! Laughed n cried sign of an excellent author!! Will be looking for more of her books!
Profile Image for Kathy .
1,308 reviews4 followers
January 27, 2016
This was a compelling read full of surprises and adventure. It offered up so much more than I expected.
Profile Image for Jamie Wagnor.
256 reviews2 followers
August 12, 2025
Not my favorite tale of the series so far

For a book that’s less than 200 pages, I never thought it would end. Eddy started out as such an interesting character. I really liked her even if some of the writing for her was a little tiresome at times. Josh was childish and I quickly got annoyed with him. The two of them didn’t bring out the best of each other either. There were plots that made me think these were young teens and not grown adults. The Nesbitt plot was unneeded and further pulled down the story. The only part I thought might save the story and tie everything together - forcing Eddy and Josh to grow up was the little girl Lizzie- but even that was wasted and her end was sad. This story could have been really cute- it just fell short in so many ways.
871 reviews4 followers
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January 26, 2020
Don't waste your time on this book!!!
As soon as he took her to his isolated cabin to try to convince her to leave, I should have realized this wasn't going to be a good story at all.
The bit with the hill people is DISGUSTING! They are gross and creepy weird. There was no reason at all for this to be included in the story.
Josh's sister, who arranged for Edwina to come marry her brother without his knowledge, is a horrible manipulator. Josh and his brother in law both talk about visiting houses of ill repute in the past, not my kind of hero..
A prime example of why I should've read through all the reviews before trying this story. I won't be reading anything else by this author.
115 reviews
March 31, 2018
I'm addicted to this series.

Enjoying every author, every story about mail order bride. Their various adventures and challenges as these delightfully strong women forge their destiny as brides.
417 reviews
August 6, 2018
Typical Romance with Peril Added

This is a typical mail order bride romance, but has a twist that reveals a subculture that doesn't follow conventional rules of American culture. It's a good story.
Author 1 book69 followers
May 29, 2021
Joshua was a bachelor until his scheming sister lands him with a Mail Order Bride. Desperate to escape Boston, Edwina accepts the marriage proposal she believes has come from him. I enjoyed this book. The characters were engaging, the plot interesting, the story moving.
3,896 reviews19 followers
May 29, 2022
A very good storyline!

I really enjoyed this story! Loved the inline oxen and narrow wagon! Wasn't sure about the Nisbits and their extremely weird ways but it sure gave the story a lot of depth! Very good series!
23 reviews
May 21, 2020
Enjoyed this western romance

I couldn't put this book down. Lovely story. It was a pleasure getting to know these characters! Thanks for writing it.
Profile Image for Liberty.
423 reviews1 follower
February 19, 2023
Creative, engaging story

Edwina's story is very intriguing and brought out strong emotions as I read her story. It addresses some tough topics, but does a great job with them.
Profile Image for Sara.
95 reviews6 followers
May 21, 2016
In the first few chapters of this novella I had such hope for fun little story. The book slowly turned to something disgusting and gross. Not only that but I felt that the characters were not true to their personalities. There where numerous inconsistencies. The story was set in 1890s Connecticut. Be the people spoke and asked like it was either the wild west or some backwoods crazy town. Skip this book is my recommendation.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
697 reviews1 follower
September 25, 2016
I enjoyed "Caity and Tom's story. They both had previous failed relationships, Caity a partner that didn't want commitment and Tom who had to deal with a wife that left him with 3 small children. As they both work at getting over their past difficulties it is the children that in the end bring them together. This story is set in Australia and has some authentic terminology. This is a well written and captivating book.
"I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for a review."
Profile Image for Cindy.
2,010 reviews41 followers
November 6, 2016
This story reminds us that backwoods, inbred, hillbillies live in places other than the south. ;)

Edwina is one of my favorite lead characters so far. She is strong, mentally and physically, and she's definitely able to handle herself and whatever comes her way.
Profile Image for Brittany.
3,682 reviews27 followers
November 17, 2016
I really enjoyed this book in the series. We have Eddy a strong woman that is determined to build a new good life. I enjoyed seeing the couple learn about each other. It was different seeing the woman character as someone strong enough to last in the wild. I liked it!
69 reviews1 follower
December 10, 2015
Amazing

This was first-time reading anything by Margaret Tanner but she captivated me! This book was amazing. It's a must read! I can't wait to read her other books!!
Profile Image for Nancy.
380 reviews1 follower
May 20, 2016
I liked it but didn't love it. The main character was great but how the story unfolded was a little unbelieveable even for me!
Profile Image for Kasey.
278 reviews7 followers
July 23, 2016
This started out really good but then it got really weird. The author took a risk I think with this story. It may work for some people but it was just weird to me...
Profile Image for gary c lehn.
1,724 reviews7 followers
December 20, 2016
Great story..

I enjoyed this story. The author has done a great job telling her story. Margaret did a swell job of mixing adventure, romance, and mystery.
Profile Image for Lila.
477 reviews3 followers
March 23, 2023
Well written but there was more profanity and suggestive descriptions for my taste.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews