Mail Order Sweetheart

Boom Town Brides #3

by Christine Johnson

The Husband Hunt

Theater singer Fiona O'Keefe is on a quest to form the perfect family for her orphaned niece. It's a shame handsome and musically talented Sawyer Evans can't support a household on his sawmill-manager wages. Fiona needs a respectable gentleman of means. And if she can't find one in Singapore, Michigan, then she'll just have to look for a husband in the mail-order want ads...

Sawyer doesn't want Fiona to marry a stranger...or anyone other than him. It would be easy to reveal that he's secretly heir to a railroad fortune. But Sawyer's determined to be a self-made man, so he isn't willing to take his father's money. Instead, can he prove to Fiona that the man she needs is already by her side?

Genres: Love Inspired Historical, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Romance, Christian

282 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published June 6, 2017

About the author

Christine Johnson grew up in small-town Michigan, where tales rise taller than old-growth forest. God blessed her with a love of story, which led to publication with Love Inspired Historical and Revell. When not at the computer keyboard, she loves to quilt and explore God’s majestic creation.

Reviews

[Carmen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was very bored by this. And I can't with the two MCs, who are both idiots.

[Jennifer Robb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the two main characters, Fiona and Sawyer. I liked Fiona's desire to keep her promise to her sister to raise her niece (even if I wasn't in agreement with how she decided to go about it--but it was a different time in history when not as many options were available to women.) I liked Sawyer's attempts to work his way up from the ground floor but to keep his gentlemanly manners in the process. I'm glad he didn't follow in his father's footsteps.

In most mail order bride books I've read, there's been an agreement between the mail order bride and a man prior to the bride traveling to marry him. I was surprised that several women travelled to answer a newspaper ad (I think it was anyway) without ever corresponding with the man. Apparently several women showed up in answer to his ad and he picked one of them. Fiona was one of the women who answered that ad, but she wasn't the one picked. She stayed in the town because she'd been fleeing an untrue story that tarnished her reputation.

Fiona seemed to feel that she needed to snag a rich man in order for her to support her niece. I'm not sure why that was. I guess partly because she came from poverty and feared going back to it--and didn't want her niece to have to go through that as well. In fact, given that Fiona seemed to ignore her sisters growing up (she sang louder to drown them out), I'm surprised she even considered raising her niece--but maybe the girl's voice had something to do with it. (Fiona maybe wanted to train her or give her better opportunities than Fiona herself had.)

From the way the back cover was written, I thought Sawyer was going to turn out to be a bit like "Undercover Boss". He was a manager at the mill and for some reason, I thought his family were the mill owners and that he was determined to learn the business from the ground up and didn't want to tell his coworkers that he was the boss's son. Instead, we learn that his father owns a railroad.

I don't understand why Sawyer felt it wasn't the right time to get married (even though he was interested in Fiona). I also didn't understand why it took them both so long to act on their interest in each other. In that aspect, I think the author employed a plot common to this genre.

[Glenda Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Boom Town Brides Series. I really liked this story. This story is well written, entertaining, and heart warming. I'm sure you are going to love it.
Singer Fiona O'Keefe moves from New York City after her reputation was destroyed by a businessman who wanted her for a mistress and refused to take no for an answer. She is now to become the guardian of her niece; she answers a mail order bride ad but when she arrived he picked another. She is now desperate to find a husband so she can give her niece a perfect family. She finds herself in love with a sawmill worker. He could never take good care of them so she seeks another mail order bride ad.
Sawyer Evans falls in love with the beautiful singer. He accompanied her on the piano and performed with her for concerts. Sawyer knows she is looking for a rich husband and even though he could qualify he refused to tell her. He buys the hotel and asked her to help him decorate it in hope of pleasing her. No matter what he tries he can't seem to find a way to reach her.
A journey of two brokenhearted souls searching for love in all the wrong ways. God has a plan for these two; a plan for a hope and a future. God has a plan for you too; a good plan and not for evil. Give God your heart and watch Him change your life.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
Fiona O'Keefe is a singer from New York who fled to Singapore, Michigan to escape her ruined reputation and to build a new life. Her initial hopes of marriage were disappointed when the ad for a mail order bride did not pan out. As her savings dwindle, she urgently needs to find a husband who will be able to support her and the young niece she hopes to raise out of poverty.
Sawyer Evans has a plan for his future. He is working at the mill to raise money to start his own business. He also plays piano for Fiona during her concerts. They have become friends. Sawyer would like to become more than friends, but he cannot consider marriage until his business gets off the ground.
This is an enjoyable inspirational historical romance. There are themes of praying to God for guidance, but it is not too overt. This is book 3 in the Boom Town Brides series, but it can be read as a standalone. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy a clean historical romance.

[A Holland Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to start off by saying that this book is a part of a series but you can read it as a stand alone as I have not read any of the other books and was not at all lost. Both main characters Fiona and Sawyer were people I found likable. You have to respect Sawyer for not taking the easy road and living off his father's money. Instead he wanted to make it on his and prove that he could do it. Fiona was trying to do what she could to make a happy healthy home for her niece. Both people had a lot on their shoulders. I liked the overall theme of this book as well as the time period. I like how this author's books make me feel good after reading them.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet story. It is part of a series, but can be read as a stand alone. I have to admit that I did not connect with Fiona in this book. I really did not like her very much. But, toward the end of the story, I began to understand a little more why she handled things the way she did. I went back and forth about whether I liked Sawyer, the hero of this book, too.

The writing was good and the storyline interesting. I just struggled with not being fond of these particular characters. I am, however, very interested in reading the next book in this series, which will feature Louise, who is a side character in this book.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this clean, interesting Christian historical fiction novel. Mail order bride stories are fun to read, and this one adds an orphaned child, Fiona's intriguing past, and the idea of women going to a remote island to marry someone they have never met. The idea that money is not everything, and that integrity and honesty are important are clearly presented in Sawyer Evan's choices. I highly recommend this one.

[Nancy Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read in this series - and I will go back and read the others. I enjoyed the writing of this author BUT the reason I cannot give more stars to my review is because, personally, I did not like the main female character, Fiona. I found her very hard to like, and personally didn't understand why Sawyer was so enamored of her. But I found the time period and setting quite interesting.

[Britney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mail Order Sweetheart is a charming tale! Christine Johnson cleverly brings this story to life with an unlikely pairing that is both engaging and entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed Fiona’s and Sawyer’s story and look forward to continuing the Boom Town Brides series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. No review was required, and all thoughts expressed are my own.

[Veronica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the last couple chapters overly dramatic and unrealistic.

[Nancy McPherson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third in a series, may see if I can find the others.

[Harlequin Books]

Miniseries: Boom Town Brides

[Harlequin Historical]

Miniseries: Boom Town Brides

[Julie (Let's Read Good Books)]

DNF @ 20%

Fiona was too flaky and concerned about money, and Sawyer was too passive for my tastes. I get that Fiona wanted to snag a rich husband so her young orphaned niece would want for nothing, but a loveless marriage to a jerk (the first guy she has her sights set on), would not equal a happy life. The narrative didn't engage me, even with the calamity with the ship, so I set this aside.