The Stolen Bride

Hope's Crossing #3

by Cynthia Woolf

Isabella “Bella” Latham's callous father sold her into marriage to settle a gambling debt. Rather than face life with a cruel man more than twice her age, she runs from New York and becomes a mail-order bride. Bella's dreams are simple. All she needs to be happy is a home, children and an honorable man to love her. Alex Hastings lost his wife in a riding accident two years before. Left with two adorable but mischievous twin four-year-old daughters, he's convinced they need a mother to take care of them. Alex knows he must marry, but vows he’ll never love another woman. Bella's tenderness and fire melts Alex's stone cold heart. But when her jilted fiancé from New York sends men to capture Bella, will Alex be able to get back his Stolen Bride?

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Mail Order Brides, Westerns, Western Romance

290 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 29, 2016

About the author

Cynthia Woolf is the USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author of eighty-five works of romance fiction. Comprising sixty-six historical western romances, ten contemporary romance novels, two contemporary romance novellas, one historical western romance novella, and six sci-fi space opera romances, which she calls westerns in space. Along with these books, she has also published twelve boxed sets of her books and two short stories.

Cynthia loves writing and reading romance. Her first western romance, Tame A Wild Heart, was inspired by the story her mother told her of meeting Cynthia's father on a ranch in Creede, Colorado. Although Tame A Wild Heart takes place in Creede, that is the only similarity between the stories. Her father was a cowboy, not a bounty hunter, and her mother was a nursemaid (called a nanny now), not the ranch owner.

Cynthia credits her wonderfully supportive husband, Jim, and her great critique partners for saving her sanity and allowing her to explore her creativity.



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TITLES AVAILABLE (English unless otherwise stated)

COLORADO BILLIONAIRES (sweet contemporary novels)
THE CEO
THE RANCHER
THE MAVERICK
THE TYCOON
THE ARTIST (coming soon)
THE QUARTERBACK (coming soon)


MONTANA BILLIONAIRES SERIES (contemporary sweet western novels)
Her Secret Cowboy Billionaire (Available in German)
Her Mysterious Cowboy Billionaire (Available in German)
Her Royal Cowboy Billionaire (Available in German)
Her Christmas Cowboy Billionaire (Available in German)
Her Bachelor Cowboy Billionaire (Available in German)
Her Wild Cowboy Billionaire (Available in German)
Her Elusive Cowboy Billionaire
Her Disguised Cowboy Billionaire


CHRISTMAS AT THE MISTLETOE INN (contemporary novella)
Cooking Up Christmas


THE BRIDES OF THE KLONDIKE
The Gold Rush Bride (Available in German)
The Gold Mountain Bride


THE PRESCOTT BRIDES (Available in German)
A Bride for Ross
A Bride for Frank
A Bride for Tucker
A Bride for Clay
A Bride for Brodie



THE HEART WISH MAIL-ORDER BRIDES SERIES
Heart of Stone
Heart of Shadow


MARSHALS MAIL ORDER BRIDES
The Carson City Bride (Available in German)
The Virginia City Bride (Available in German)
The Silver City Bride
The Eureka City Bride


ANGEL CREEK CHRISTMAS BRIDES
Adele


BRIDES OF GOLDEN CITY
A Husband for Victoria
A Husband for Cordelia
A Husband for Adeline


BRIDES OF THE OREGON TRAIL (Available in German)
Hannah
Lydia
Bella
Eliza
Rebecca
Charlotte
Amanda
Emma Rose
Nora
Opal


BACHELORS & BABIES
Carter (Book 3)


BRIDES OF SEATTLE (Available in German)
Mail Order Mystery
Mail Order Mayhem
Mail Order Mix-Up
Mail Order Moonlight
Mail Order Melody


CENTRAL CITY BRIDES (Available in German)
The Dancing Bride
The Sapphire Bride
The Irish Bride
The Pretender Bride


HOMESTEAD CANYON SERIES
Thorpe’s Mail-Order Bride
Kissed by a Stranger
A Family for Christmas


HOPE’S CROSSING
The Hunter Bride
The Replacement Bride
The Stolen Bride
The Unexpected Bride


AMERICAN MAIL-ORDER BRIDES
Genevieve, Bride of Nevada


THE SURPRISE BRIDES
Gideon


THE BRIDES OF SAN FRANCISCO
Nellie (Available in German)
Annie (Available in German)
Cora (Available in German)
Sophia (Available in German)
Amelia (Available in German)
Violet


THE BRIDES OF TOMBSTONE (Available in German)
Mail Order Outlaw
Mail Order Doctor
Mail Order Baron


DESTINY IN DEADWOOD (Available in German)
Jake
Liam
Zach


MATCHMAK

Reviews

[Jessica's Totally Over The Top Book Obsession · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Getting over the past Stars



I don't know what it is about Cynthia Woolf but her books just do it for me. All her books seem to follow the same formula (Mail order bride, husband that is awesome but refuses to fall in love with new wife, something bad happens one of the MC is hurt and the husband realizes he loves wife, lots of babies HEA), but they all somehow feel uniquely different and never get boring.



Maybe I love her so much because she always gives me what I want. She is my happy zone. I know that when I pick up her books I will have a nice happy read. Whatever magic Cynthia Woolf weaves she did it again with The Stolen Bride. I loved this book. The start of the book really grabbed me. I loved both the hero and the heroine.



Isabella was great. She was strong willed, but sweet. She was very loving. She knew what she wanted and she went for it. She didn't throw fits and yell she but she didn't give up. I love how she was with her step daughters. But I especially loved how she was when she trouble arises. She was very brave but not stupid. I loved Alex too. He was a widower that loved his late wife and he fought his love for Isabella. He was sweet, and sexy but he did annoy me a little with his constant need to talk about his dead wife to Isabella and or compare the two. I got over my annoyance however when he tells Bella he loves her more and stronger then he ever loved his late wife.



The twin girls Vi and Rose were totally adorable and I loved when the family was together. I also really enjoyed the side love story of Bella's mom and dad. The bad guy in this one was creepier than in other books. I really hated him and was glad that he got his. The epilogue in this book was very sweet and gave me everything I want in a HEA. Their book was a entertaining, quick read that made me smile. I can't wait to pick up another CW book!




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[Sissy's Romance Book Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for an honest review
'The Stolen Bride' by Cynthia Woolf is book three in the "Hope's Crossing" series.
This is another great book by Ms. Woolf. This has been a great series and although you don't need to read each book to enjoy the other I would still say you should so you don't miss these great books.
This is the story of Isabella “Bella” Latham and Alex Hastings. Alex is a widower with two small girls that he feels needs a mother. So he goes with a Mail order Wife because he doesn't want to fall in love with a women/wife.
Bella is running from her father who sold her to a man for marriage and a jilted fiancé. Bella chooses to become a mail order bride to escape them both. But will she be safe with Alex and can he keep from falling in love with her?



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[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0-3.25 RATING-I don’t read a lot of historical romances but every once in a while I like to throw one into the mix. The Stolen Bride appealed to me specifically because I really like mail order bride story lines and I’ve read and enjoyed other books by this author before (although this was the first book in the Hope’s Crossing series I’ve read).

I ended up liking the story but I didn’t love it. The premise was good and while I don’t mind a simplistic story the author seemed to gloss over too many things that could have been fleshed out more. I understand this wasn’t a terribly long book but too many things could have been developed more. It was okay as written but the potential was there for more. I’d definitely consider this more a guilty pleasure read than a well-developed historical. At one point, it reminded me a bit of a soap opera. DRAMA! DRAMA! DRAMA! Still, it was a quick easy read and overall, I liked it.

One note: It didn’t bother me at all but readers that have issues with hero’s being hung up on past loves may want to take into consideration that the hero in this story is a widow and still has strong feelings for his deceased wife throughout a good part of this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is nothing like picking up a book of Ms. Woolf’s being taken back to an earlier time when women traveled many miles to get away from whatever they were trying to or just to start over fresh so they become a mail order bride. Ms. Woolf always gives you a clean read with wonderful characters with a fantastic plot in a small town you wish you could live in. Mostly men are lonely they want someone to share their life with, have a family and enjoy the small things in life. Here we have a man that lost his wife and is left to raise two small darling daughters. Believing they are in need of a mother he sends off for a wife. Bella is trying to outrun her an evil man, her father who cares very little for her who is willing to sale his daughter into marriage to a man much older just to pay off his debts. Bella will have none of this with the help of her mother she takes off to be Alex’s Bride. Anything would be better than to be married to that evil Sydney Rockwell.

You have a man who is upfront in what he believes to be true, he does come off as being a little cruel but he want Bella to know what she is getting into. He has been hurt so much by losing his wife he never wants to feel that way again. He is so much in love with his wife he doesn’t think he can give his heart to another. I understood where Alex was coming from it is never easy to lose someone you love. They say it is better to have loved than never to have loved at all sometimes one has to wonder if that is true when you have so much pain at their lose. When you love deep it leaves you with an empty hole and your soul feels so lost. I could relate to Alex with no trouble. When these two do fall in bed together he feels guilty that he has been unfaithful to his wife, in return he blames her. Alex is going to have to work out his issues before he can even think about having a life that he desires.

Bella is a sweet lady who understands and does her best to make Alex happy doing whatever he wants her to. She tries hard to be the best mother to the children that she can. She really tries to fit in making this new town her home and the people in it her friends. I really loved this characters and my heart went out to her over and over again. It wasn’t easy to do what she did and she tries her best to make the best of it.


My heart really goes out to the women who became mail order brides never knowing if what you are getting is what you have been told. I am sure some where not very lucky and wish they had stayed at home, where other feel they have done the best they can. I also feel this must have been a very exciting time. Reading one of this authors books she makes me want to take the journey so many before have taken

Ms. Woolf always gives a wonderful story that pulls you in why painting a picture that goes straight to your heart. You know the ending is always going to make you smile but you must get through a few tears first. Her books always gives you a touching read that is full of pain and sorrow giving it a touch of humor. These are character you can relate to and at times you feel that they are family. This book is no different Ms. Woolf gives you a wonderful plot with outstanding characters you are so going to love. Come take a journey from long ago as this author gives you a story that will have you holding your breath as Alex find out a little too late that he loves his bride. Will he be able to bring his stolen bride home or will he loose her forever. I know when I pick up one of her books never to start it at night or I am going to lose a lot of sleep. I would recommend this or any of her books.

[Ira · Rating 3 out of 5]

At the moment I read a lot of historical romance so I've already come across some of Cynthia Woolf's books as well. "The Stolen Bride" is a sweet and nice read and I enjoyed reading it but sometimes the heroine and the hero really made me roll my eyes in frustration. The book is well written, the characters are very likeable but sometimes I would have wished for something more. Or a bit less -at least when it comes to predictablity.

Bella, the heroine flees from New York to a small town in Montana as a lai.order-bride in order to avoid marriage to a horrible and cruel man. In Montana, Alex, a widower with two little daughters is waiting for his mail-order-bride or rather for his daughters' mail-order-mother, as he is determined to stay true to his late wife and never fall in love with Bella no matter what happens. Now it's up to Bella to turn their marriage that is supposed to be in name only in something more, something precious.
Unfortunately her former fiancé is not willing to let her go and things get rather tight when he goes after her in order to force her to come back...

I liked Bella and her courage to take on life on a farm with all its hardships but sometimes her naivete frustrated me almost as much as her husband's determination to keep apart from her no matter what.
Alright, in the end Alex earned some brownie points and made up for all his stupid actions at the beginning but...well.

Even though the story was rather predictable, it was a nice and easy read and I liked it.

------------------------

Dank meiner momentanen Historical Romance Phase, bin ich auch den Büchern von Cynthia Woolf schon mehrfach begegnet. „The Stolen Bride“ ist ein nett zu lesendes, unterhaltsames Buch, das ich gerne gelesen habe, auch wenn die beiden Protagonisten mich des Öferen dazu brachten, dass ich frustriert die Augen verdrehte. Das Buch ist gut geschrieben, die Charaktere sehr liebenswert, aber insgesamt hätte ich mir manchmal etwas mehr gewünscht. Oder ein wenig weniger, zumindest, was die Vorhersehbarkeit anbelangt.

Bella, die Protagonistin, flieht als Mail-Order-Bride von New york in einen kleinen Ort in Montana, um der Ehe mit einem sehr unangenehmen und grausamen Mann zu entgehen. In Montana wartet Alex, ein Witwer mit zwei kleinen Töchtern auf seine Mail-Order-Braut, genauer, auf die Mail-Order-Mutter für seine quirligen Töchter, da er unbedingt seiner verstorbenen Frau treu bleiben und sich auf keinen Fall in Bella verlieben will, egal was kommt. Nun ist es an Bella, ihn dazu zu bringen, dass aus ihrer nur auf dem Papier bestehenden Ehe mehr wird.
Leider ist jedoch ihr früherer „Verlobter“ nicht willens, sich damit abzufinden, dass sie ihm entkommen ist und so wird es doch etwas gefährlich und auch recht knapp, als er versucht, sie zurückzuholen.

Ich mochte Bella und die mutige Art und Weise, mit der sie das ungewohnte Farmleben angepackt hat, aber manches Mal frustrierte mich ihre Naivität fast so sehr wie die Entschlossenheit, mit der Alex darauf beharrte, sich von ihr fernhalten zu wollen.
Okay, gen Ende verdiente Alex sich einige Pluspunkte und machte einiges wieder wett, aber...nun ja.

Obwohl die Geschichte als solche durchaus vorhersehbar war, war es ein lockeres und angenehmes Lesevergnügen und ich habe das Buch gerne gelesen.

[Sanderella · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this 3rd book in the Hope's Crossing series, we find another mail order bride running from her past into the arms of a rugged cowboy. This story didn't disappoint me. Bella has been "sold" to an older, ruthless toad of a man in exchange for a debt that her father owes the toad. Bella's mother helps her escape Boston by sending her to Montana to marry rancher/widower/father of twin girls Alex.
Alex needs a mother for his unruly 4 yr old twin daughters. He only wants a bride to mother his girls and has no intention of falling in love again.
Will Bella's past catch up to her and her new family be in danger?? Will Alex let his guard down and fall in love with Bella?? Pick up this romantic and intriguing book and find out.
I really liked this book, couldn't put it down until the end. :)
I received this book from the author for an honest review. And I honestly enjoyed it!!

[Amanda Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

One thing readers can count on from a Cynthia Woolf story is consistency. In some ways, her stories are all very similar. The mail order bride is running away from something (unwanted fiancee, crime, reputation) and is matched with a very handsome, rugged, western man and he refuses to love her. He tells her upfront that he will never love her, he loves another or his dead wife or was hurt in the past, and she is hurt, she falls in love and then he finally does.
There are some passionate scenes in the novella and I did enjoy the story line, but was looking for something a little more passionate and fresher.
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[Lisa Montgomery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I would give it a 4.2 or 4.3 on the 5 star scale. I found it mildly amusing that although Alex says he will not bed Isabella because he still loves his late wife, that he succumbs to Bella's "charms" within 48 hours of making the statement. I do not know what that says about men, but it cannot be something good.
The book takes place in 1874, but when Bella is captured by the man to whom her father sold her, he ties her up using a cravat and the sash from his robe. Cravats in New York in 1874 did not sound correct to me. In Britain, around 1850, Count d’Orsay popularized soft shapes, and he exchanged the white linen neckwear for black or navy, sea green or primrose yellow silk satin cravat. He even dared to skip the neckcloth in the countryside which brought him admiration as well as disdain at the same time. He was also the one who popularized black neckwear with a black coat and white shirt. I might have believed an "ascot," rather than a cravat. The Ascot emerged in the 1870s and took its name from the Royal Ascot horse race. Who or what exactly was responsible for this naming convention remains unclear. However, we do know that the Ascot was initially made out of silk foulard in lively colors that was 50″ long and close to an inch wide in the back, so it fit under a collar, whereas the ends were about 3″ wide, and square which were then sewn closed. https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/evo...

[Joan R. Craven · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a brand new story!

What a new twist on a story about a bride that needs to find a husband! Cynthia Woolf brought this story to life. Bella has no other option than to become a mail-order bride. Her father is so far in gambling debts, in order to get out of his debt he decided to give his daughter to an old wealthy horrible man in order to clear his debt! But don't worry, just keep reading and see how Bella can make her dreams come true! It is a really good story!

[Ea_reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

oof, not my cup of tea. new to me author, book on sale on amazon, high ratings. I had high hopes, but this was just ok.

2 stars instead of 1 because the writing was reasonably decent, but the story was totally eh. it was very basic - characters, plot, everything. the relationship could have been nice if some time had been spent on developing a rapport/friendship/trust/feelings between the two. ended up skimming the last third.

[Earlene Click · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alex and Bella

This is an adventurous, exciting mail order bride tale. Bella is a beautiful young woman from a wealthy family. At a gala dinner party her father announces his daughter, Bella is marring a wealthy, but scoundrel oh a man. Bella is determined she will not. Her mother helps her locate a well known marriage broker and she is pared with Alex a handsome rancher in an extremely small town. You will enjoy discovering how they find their happily ever after.

[CI · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing and bland

Very light, fluffy romamce. Bella had an anooying way of talking, both vout loud and to herself in her mind. There was nothing Bella or Alex did to make you interested in their story and the feelings between them was never obvious as more than just physical attraction.

[Inishowen Cailín · Rating 2 out of 5]

A sweet, story but very simple and predictable.

[Jessica (Bestie Book Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story. I really enjoyed it

[Gwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable quick read.

I received this book free from Goodreads First Reads.

[poppy · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a great series i have really enjoyed each book,great easy reads recommended

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a complimentary book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third book in the Hope’s Crossing series. However, even though the past characters have a small part in this book, each book can easily be read as a stand-alone. Ms. Woolf’s books are enjoyable, clean romance books that take place in Montana Territory in the 1870s. At that time, it was not unusual for women to become mail-order brides to men especially those who need help taking care of their children.

Alex Hasting falls into this category. He is a widower with two rambunctious four-year old twins. He needs someone to help him discipline and raise his girls. However he does not wish to marry because he feels he will never fall in love again. However, he finally gives in for the sake of his daughters.

Isabella “Bella” Latham becomes a mail order bride because her father has “sold” her to an old fat evil man in order to cancel out his debt. She and her mother scheme to get Bella out of town before she is forced to marry Sydney Rockwell.

I had a difficult time liking Alex. When he first meets Bella, he tells her right away that he will marry her but he won’t sleep with her. To add insult to injury, he is constantly telling her that he will never love her. And, when they do finally sleep together, he claims that it is her fault that he can’t stay away from her. On the other hand, to be fair, Alex is very gentle and patient with Bella as she learns to adjust to her new environment.

Isabella, on the other hand, is a wonderful heroine. She is more than willing to do whatever Alex asks her to do even though it is all new to her. She works hard to be a mother to his children and makes friends with everyone she meets. I also admire for leaving her parents’ home alone, for the first time ever to travel to the mail order bride company. It also took a lot of courage to travel hundreds of miles by train and stagecoach alone into an unknown territory to marry an unknown man.

I would definitely recommend this book to others. Even though I do not like Alex’s attitude in the beginning of the book, I know there are readers who like their heroes to act like this in the beginning. Also, realistically, with mail order brides, I am sure that there were many women who arrived to worse situations than the one that met Bella. And, of course, we know this bride has a happy ending in the end.

[Eileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little too cute, too perfect. At least it was a fast story and didn't drag too much. Simple characters.

[Romance Between The Sheets · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first ever Romance Western novel and I really enjoyed this, I think I picked well as it is not a long story but it flowed and kept my attention. I could imagine the era (it is set in the 1800's) and the best thing for me was the sense of family and making new beginnings. I actually really enjoyed reading about their day to day activities and I want to make the cookies that are talked about in the book !!

There are some twists and turns, it actually jumps through time at the right moments especially when the Stolen Bride is returned to New York, I did not need to read about the two week return trip on the stage coach & train, so the author got it really right for a novice reader like myself.

Bella was a beautiful character, strong, resilient and probably true to the era of accepting your lot in life. She has such a need for affection and she was just a beautiful soul and immediately reached into my heart and grabbed hold until the last page. I so wanted her to get her Happy Ever After.

It was interesting to follow Alex's struggles with opening his heart to a new woman and his actions I think were in tune with again the era I was reading about - they are real men in cowboy country and I loved it.

We meet characters from books 1 and 2 but it was easy to follow and they did not overtake the story as some returning characters do in other series books I have read. This can be easily read as a standalone.

A great novel if you are wanting to check out Western Romance for the first time!

[Shaddow Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is a romance about a mail order Bride which is one of my favourite stories to read. I have read the first story from this series and I think other books from Cynthia Woolf before. I have not read the second book yet which I do recommend to do as they run off each other with them talking about some of the same people. This book is centered around Alex, Isabella and his twin daughters Rose and Violet. Alex's first wife died her nam was Kate who died in an accident two years ago. His twins have become little devils and do not do what they are told to do. So his housekeeper/friend says why don't you send away for a bride like Sam and Jess from book 1 and 2 their wives are Jo and Clare. Isabella is in New York living with her parents Ernest and Julia Latham they are having a ball and Isabella hears that her father has arranged her engagement to Mr Sydney Rockwell. Bella did not know about the engagement. Her father agreed to because he owes Sydney a lot of money he does not have. That's where I will leave it. I would highly recommend this book and the other two of the series also her other books from this author which I hope there are a lot more still to come in the future like this book.

[Kathy Heare Watts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE YOU. FOREVER AND A DAY

Another wonderful story in the Hope’s Crossing series, with mystery, suspense, angst, extortion, deceit and redemption. Isabella Latham becomes a pawn to be sold to a loan shark, Sydney Rockwell, to pay off gambling debts of her father, Ernst Latham. Helped by her mother, Julia, she flees to Denver, Colorado to Maggie Black and uses her Matchmaker services. Maggie has the perfect groom with Alexander Hastings, a widower with twin daughters, Rose, and Violet. No matter what, Rockwell is determined to have Bella, against her wishes, even if it means having her husband killed, so she becomes his bride.

The pages keep turning as this mystery unfolds with secrets, danger, paid henchmen, and so many people in debt to Rockwell that allows for kidnapping and nefarious deeds. The plot twist kept me in constant suspense, will Bella be saved, is Alex dead and how far will one evil man go to get what he wants? There is a great cast of characters, with just enough angst, mystery and suspense, entertaining dialog and tense moments. Disclosure: I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts, opinions, and ratings are my own.

[Bigedsgirl1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the author for an honest review. I have had the good fortune to read several of Ms. Woolf's historical westerns and I particularly enjoy her mail order bride series. This is the 2nd novel I've read in the Hope's Crossing series and I found it impossible to put down until I finished the story of Bella and Alex. Bella is helped by her mother to escape from New York city to avoid marriage to a corpulent evil man that Bella has been sold to by her father, Ernst, in exchange for his gambling debts. She takes a trip to Golden, CO to be matched in marriage to a man out west, as far from New York city as she can get. I enjoyed the brief meeting of former characters Maggie and Caleb Black from another of Ms. Woolf's series, and the appearance of Sam and Jo, as well as Jesse and Clare from the 1st and 2nd books of the Hope's Crossing series. Come along with Alex and Bella as they parent twins Violet and Rose, learn to love and trust each other, and survive the trauma of a kidnapping. All fans of great stories and characters that stay with you, will enjoy this book.

[Shirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful third book in this series. Bella is a strong woman determined to live her own life and not be sold to a detestable older man by her father. She runs and tries to find love and happiness on her own as a mail order bride far from the life in the east.
Bella's strong willed character is what makes this story so worth reading. Not only is she married to a stranger that feels guilty for his first wife's death and vows never to love again, but Bella has become an instant mother to two four year old twin girls. Can she win their love or will they resent her for trying to be their mom?
Characters from the first two books visit in this story and that makes it all the better to read and see old friends.
Bella has to learn a new way of life quickly and try and earn the love of her husband Alex, who can't keep his eyes off of her. He has a lot of guilt, but needs a mother for his daughters.
The story is a page turner and the last half is so intense and so much a happening you cannot wait to see what happens next.
This was a free book for me and I would gladly pay the asking price now. I cannot wait for another book to come out in this series.

[JoRead · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely story about a couple trying to come to terms with the idea of being married while dealing with their own personal issues. Our heroine Bella just wants to get away from a controlling father and a marriage she doesn’t want and Alex, our hero, wants a mother for his sometimes misbehaved twins but at the same time doesn’t want to fall in love again.

The premise of the story was congruent with the times and that’s something I always appreciate from this author. She’s always accurate in her storytelling and the detailing of the setting made up for the lack of character depth that I thought missed the mark on this one.
Now, I’m not sure how I feel about the romance. There was not much of it but how could there when she was a mail-order bride? They hardly knew each other, they came from different social classes, and they thought they wanted different things. So all in all it was a perfectly accurate story but only with a smidgen of romance. 3 stars.

** I received a copy of this story from the author in exchange for an honest review **

[Patty Nobles · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could travel back in time to one particular town, I would choose Hope Springs, Montana and become a mail-order bride with Cindy Woolf writing my love story. In her latest installment of her Hope Springs series, Isabella Latham is being forced into a marriage with a horrible man by her father to settle a gambling debt, but her mother comes to the rescue and sends her west to find herself a groom. Alex Hastings is a widower with twin daughters and after receiving encouragement from his housekeeper he sends for a mail-order bride. Alex and Isabella like each other on the spot and quickly wed, but Alex has no desire to fall in love with his new bride or truly make Isabella his bride. Isabella wears him down and together they both have a clear vision of their future until a threat from the past attempts to derail their lives, but their love is stronger than a threat and together they endure to create a life that they both desire. I was given this book to read by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Kelly Tyree · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Stolen Bride is book two in the Hope's Crossing series and it captures your attention from page one and keeps it throughout the book. It is full of action, suspense, and romance. Alex is a widow with two young twins he is trying to raise but needs help. Isabel is the daughter or a ruthless man who sells her hand in marriage to a despicable man. Isabel and her mother come up with a plan to get Isabel to become a mail order bride to escape the marriage her "father" has arranged. Isabel becomes Alex's mail order bride. The two have obstacles to overcome to make their marriage work. Isabel becomes a mother to Alex's twins and through that a bond forms between her and Alex. The plot thickens when the man that Isabel was promised to makes a plan to have Alex killed and Isabel returned to him to be his wife. The story keeps you on the edge of your seat. There are some intense romantic scenes but they are between husband and wife and add to the story. The book was well written and I am ready to read book four in the series

[Marcia Montoya · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my opinion, Cynthia Woolf NEVER lets her reader's down. This is the third book in the Hope's Crossing series. I love that you still keep in touch with the characters from previous books in this series. Isabella (Bella) Latham is dealt a raw deal when her father sets up a marriage to a horrible person that she despises. Isabella's mother, who is a wonderful woman, helps her to escape rather than entering into this despicable union, and helps her to set up a marriage far away. This man is widower Alex Hastings. Alex has twin 4 year old daughters in desperate need of a mother's love and guidance. Bella also has to find a way to break through her new husband's fearful, hardened heart. But the vile man her father promised her to won't give his prize (Bella) up quite that easily.
There are twists and turns and surprises and excitement, and in my opinion, Cynthia Woolf has another real winner! I can't wait for her next book.
I received a free copy of this book for my honest review.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Hope's Crossing series but it can easily be read as a stand alone. Almost all of the Cynthia Woolf novels that I have read follow the same general formula. Even so, there is just something about each of her characters that keeps me coming back to her stories. Inevitably, the woman always falls in love with the Hero despite being told by the Hero, he will never love her. In this case, Bella believes she needs to consummate her marriage in order to be safe from the man she was sold to. Alex, on the other hand, is only looking for a mother for his twin girls and definitely not a true wife. And the Hero never wants to admit the truth about love until there is a bit of danger. While formulaic, I still really enjoy the characters and the beautifully descriptive settings that are staples of all of her books. Makes you almost want to be a mail order bride in the old west, almost!

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.