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The Erie Canal Brides Collection

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Seven romance stories take you back to the building of the Erie Canal and the opening of the Midwest to greater development.

Completed in 1825, the Erie Canal connected the Great Lakes to the Hudson River, and soon other states like Ohio created canals linking Lake Erie to the Ohio River. Suddenly the Midwest was open to migration, the harvesting of resources, and even tourism. Join seven couples who live through the rise of the canals and the problems the waterways brought to each community, including land grabs, disease, tourists, racism, and competition. Can these couples hang on to their faith and develop love during times of intense change?

The Way of a Child by Lauralee Bliss
Little Falls, New York 1817
Widower David Marshall has no interest in selling his farm to the Erie Canal project presented by agent Ray O’Neil and his daughter Melanie. But his sons Matthew and Luke have taken a peculiar liking to Melanie. What the children reveal paves the way to a surprising future.

Wedding of the Waters by Rita Gerlach
Goshen Creek, New York. 1819
Charlotte Verger, a physician’s niece, is unexpectedly reunited with her first and only love, Blaine McKenna. When word comes that the Erie Canal builders at the Montezuma Swamp, where Blaine is working as a surveyor, are stricken with malaria, Charlotte risks a journey to reach him.

Digging for Love by Ramona K. Cecil
Rochester, New York 1822
For budding artist Emily Nichols, the coming Erie Canal brings dreams of leaving Rochester for the art markets of New York City. As he builds the canal, Irish laborer Seamus O’Grady is building his American dream in Rochester. When hearts meld, divergent dreams and old prejudices threaten burgeoning love.

Return to Sweetwater Cove by Christina Miller
Sweetwater Cove, New York, 1825
Reverend Josiah Wells travels to his hometown to pastor the church and make restitution for his youthful sins. Betsy Bennett wants to honor her late husband’s memory and make sure Sweetwater Cove never discovers the secret she shares with Josiah. Can they leave behind the past and find love beside still waters?

Journey of the Heart by Johnnie Alexander
Circleville, Ohio, early 1852
Charity Sinclair secretly writes abolitionist pamphlets while thwarting architect Tavish Dunbar’s effort to redesign her father’s post office, a hidden stop on the Underground Railroad. When a slave-hunter captures a runaway, Charity vows to rescue the fugitive. But can she trust Tavish with her secret. . .and with her heart?

Pressing On by Rose Allen McCauley
Zoar, Ohio, 1856
As a child, Amanda Mack loved her life in Zoar, Ohio, where she was born to Separatists. Now an adult, she starts to chafe at its many restrictions. After meeting riverboat captain Daniel Jeremiah, they both must make decisions about their futures. Can she leave or will he convert or…?

The Bridge Between Us by Sherri Wilson Johnson
Albion, New York, 1859
John Hawkins steps back into Susannah Higley’s life just in time to save it. Despite her father’s longstanding disdain for John’s family, can Susannah and John settle the family feud and save her father’s struggling sawmill—and their chance for love? Or will the feud continue?

635 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2019

22 people are currently reading
139 people want to read

About the author

Johnnie Alexander

49 books400 followers
Johnnie Alexander is a wannabe vagabond with a heart for making memories. As a bestselling, award-winning novelist, she has written more than thirty works of fiction in a variety of genres.

She is a Mosaic Collection author, co-hosts a weekly online show called Writers Chat, serves on the Mid-South Christian Writers Conference Executive Board, and is a regular contributor to the HHHistory.com blog.

A fan of classic movies, stacks of books, and road trips, Johnnie shares a life of quiet adventure with Rugby, her raccoon-treeing papillon. Connect with her at JohnnieAlexander.com.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
Profile Image for Deanne Patterson.
2,407 reviews119 followers
March 8, 2019
I enjoyed reading about the building on the Erie Canal during the different stages of development. Also I enjoyed reading about the different towns the canal went through and how it brought goods to their town and how they were able to travel by water way. Reading this reminds me of the trip I took last Summer to Cumberland, Maryland to visit the Cumberland Visitor Center which houses the C&O Canal National Historical Park. Inside the museum are many pictures of digging the canal and water travel. I was absolutely fascinated and could fully enjoy this book more because of the visuals I had while reading it. I highly recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction looking to learn something.
Publish date March 1,2019.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Books through NetGalley. Thank you. All opinions expressed are my own.
Profile Image for Anna.
1,090 reviews7 followers
December 13, 2018
Thanks to the author for providing a copy of this book via Netgalley
All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Very clean, Christian stories. Cute main y second characters. Well developed. If you looking for some nice and clean romance books, this book is for you!
Profile Image for Sunnie.
1,002 reviews46 followers
December 27, 2018
Sweet, clean stories written by seven great authors. I love the area and the historical settings. I love all the various series of these collections. I enjoy the Christian themes. There is even a bit of suspense and action along with the romance, of course! It's very easy to be able to recommend this book to you!

I received an ebook copy from NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.
Profile Image for Jypsy .
1,524 reviews72 followers
January 25, 2019
The Erie Canal Brides Collection includes seven novellas. The stories are varied in social status, culture and location, but they share the commonality of the Erie Canal. All by different authors and all entertaining. This collection is a fun read for fans of historical romance fiction. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Laura.
148 reviews
January 21, 2019
This collection of stories was written entirely by authors I was unfamiliar with. I enjoy reading these collections because of all the new-to-me authors that I discover:-) The Erie Canal Brides Collection takes you from Ohio to New York, from wealth to poverty, & from farm fields to city dwellings. Each story is unique, yet they are all tied together by the Erie Canal. As someone who has visited many of these places, I was impressed by the through research that the authors had done so they could accurately describe the countryside, & attitudes towards the workers during that portion of history.
Profile Image for Emily Yager.
Author 10 books88 followers
February 15, 2019
A sweet, clean collection of historical romances. Each of the seven stories had there on unique POV around the Erie Canal. Each story was a relative quick read and they were all enjoyable. Well worth the read.

I received an ARC copy from the publisher via NetGalley. A review was not required but appreciated. The review above is my own honest opinion.
505 reviews8 followers
January 20, 2019
As far as novella collections go, this was pretty decent. Of course the stories are short, and the romance often unbelievably quick, but they are still entertaining. I don't know if any of these will stick with me, but they were worth the time to read!
2,021 reviews3 followers
January 1, 2019
A fantastic collection of historical romances. I found each selection to be well written and enjoyed reading each one. Fans of historical romance will enjoy this book. I received an arc from Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.
Profile Image for Ann.
2,635 reviews3 followers
December 21, 2018
If you like good,clean christian fiction, you will love this book. All of the stories are very well written and are by different authors. This book has action, suspense and romance. All the stories are different and set at different times along the Erie Canal. Thank you Barbour Books via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. This is my honest opinion and I highly recommend this book.
6,155 reviews
February 13, 2019
The Erie Canal Brides Collection: 7 Romances Develop Along Manmade Waterways of New York and Ohio is a collection of seven stories. These stories include:
The Way of a Child by Lauralee Bliss
Wedding of the Waters by Rita Gerlach
Digging for Love by Ramona Cecil
Return to Sweetwater Cove by Christina Miller
Journey of the Heart by Johnnie Alexander
Pressing On by Rose Allen McCauley
The Bridge Between Us by Sherri Wilson Johnson
This collection is great and I highly recommend it.
Five stars.
Profile Image for Kailey.
794 reviews94 followers
March 2, 2019
I absolutely love these collections! They are so unique! I love how they showcase the different authors and their writing styles. I really enjoyed all of the different stories! This makes me want to check out books by all of the authors listed here!




I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Profile Image for Perrianne.
506 reviews
March 23, 2019
The Erie Canal era was an interesting time, and the canal was built in order to bring more commerce to the immediate area of New York and Ohio in the early to mid 1800’s. I would say that it was successful, as it saw the growth of smaller towns and was a pathway to New York City and Rochester. The focus of the stories is the canal and its effect on the communities and individuals. Construction and commence on the canal draw more people into the area, which makes more love interests possible.
There are seven different authors with stories of the Erie Canal from pre-construction to completion. Each story has its own interesting twists, from land grabbers during construction to a bridge that topples into the canal. The construction itself was fraught with danger, including fatal cave-ins as well as construction workers sickened by Malaria. Some Irish immigrants were used in the building process, so there is a story about the mistrust of these individuals. The Underground Railroad is a hidden stop along the canal in a post office. And if you thought communes were only popular in the 70’s, then think again. The Separatists are part of a story along the canal where their communal living begins to weigh on a young lady with her eye on a canal boat operator. Then, the tale about the young man whose family had been run out of town years ago, after his father and grandfather had stolen from the lumber mill. One young woman hopes to see her wax flowers win a blue ribbon at the State Fair, but her father doesn’t care for her to travel. At least two young women are left in the lurch by their fiancées.
I enjoyed this novella collection, and each story is quite unique to the area and time frame. It was especially interesting to learn a little bit more about the canal, since I didn’t really know much about it. All of the characters were engaging, and you really find yourself rooting for the underdog. There is plenty of danger, a fire, and a rescue or two. Since this is a book about brides, each couple finds that they need to do some soul searching to understand in their own heart as to whether this love interest is best for their life and family. The love matches are not immediately accepted by family members, and some of the tension of a novella is simply because a family disapproves of the beau.
I always find an unfamiliar author in these collections, so you are sure to find one that grabs your attention. It’s a great way to sample several authors work at once which is quite a value. Each story is shorter than a novel, so these may be read fairly quickly. The shortness is the only downfall, as I find the story ends a bit quickly for my taste. Be aware though, that this is a big book at 444 pages! I was also a bit surprised at how quickly some of them marry, although it was a different era and I don’t think weddings were the big production that they are today. You will enjoy the vintage look of the cover that folds over to a canal boat and bridge scene with ragged paper edges. Barbour always does a wonderful job on these covers, so you will be proud to display this collection on your shelf.
I received a complimentary copy of the novella collection from one of the authors. I am in no way required to give a positive review and am not swayed by the free copy of the book. All opinions are completely my own.
Profile Image for Mechthild.
389 reviews7 followers
December 20, 2019
Live by the Erie Canal
Barbour Publishing presents stories by different authors in "The Erie Canal Brides Collection. 7 Romances Develop Along Manmade Waterways of New York and Ohio". "The way of a Child" by Lauralee Bliss starts out with Melanie O'Neill being left behind by her fiancé in Little Falls, New York in 1817 when he moves to Ohio. On a drive through the country side she encounters Matthew and Like, sons of David Marshall. Will the Erie Canal project keep Melanie and David together or keep them apart? Rita Gerlach's story "Wedding at the waters" talks about Charlotte Summer who travels with her uncle to Goshen Creek in August 1819 where her uncle takes a job as a doctor and how she risks everything to attend to her first love.
The other stories are similar: men and women meeting, trying to live their lives with the challenges, opportunities, and joys they face while trying to decide if they have a future together as a couple, as a family. Ramona K. Cecil writes in "Digging for Love" about the fact how misconceptions about social classes and judging people based on their nationality causes harm and this not only when the heart is involved. "Return to Sweetwater Cove" by Christina Miller warms the heart. "Journey of the Heart" by Johnnie Alexander deals with the Underground Railroad. Charity Sinclair is a great character, shows the strength of her beliefs, and is an example for others. The Separatists and their beliefs and lifestyle are the center of "Pressing On" by Rose Allen McCauley, and Sherri Wilson Johnson presents a romantic mystery that treats the topic of forgiveness in "The Bridge Between Us".
Most of the stories take place after 1825 when the Erie Canal was opened and brought opportunities but also challenges to the people in these stories. I highly recommend this collection with its believable and wholesome characters to everyone who is looking for an historical, inspirational, and relaxing read. I appreciated the different writing style of the authors of those who were known to me previously as well as of those who were new to me.
The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#TheErieCanalBridesCollection #NetGalley
Profile Image for Robin Willson.
683 reviews25 followers
March 4, 2019
1820's history comes alive in Upstate NY & Ohio

You can feel the surge of excitement around the building of the canal and the changes it brought to the area and the people.

The Erie Canal was dug, by hand, across Upstate New York state and Ohio in the early 1800s. It brought a lot of people together, in many ways, because of the way it was made and the communities it went through. These 7 stories are an interesting and diverse look at the people whose lives were impacted by it. I live close to part of the canal, so it makes it a little more personal to me. Of course my favorite one is about the Irishman who worked digging the canal, my second favorite about the German village, since my heritage is both Irish and German. All the stories include interesting historical information about this vast area and the early days of the canal. It's easy to become thoroughly engrossed in each story. They're written with great depth. You can easily envision the characters and feel as keenly as they do what they are going through. Never a boring moment! Each also has a message of deep Christian faith which I feel competes any story.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
#TheErieCanalBridesCollection #NetGalley #ChristianHistorical #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout
Profile Image for Lucy.
1,159 reviews117 followers
March 5, 2019
I really enjoyed reading about this time in history that we don’t hear a lot about. Interesting facts amidst the fiction that is brought to life in seven unique ways. Most of these authors were new to me and I enjoyed reading the different view points and writing styles. I enjoyed each novella but I must say Journey of the Heart by Johnnie Alexander was my favorite as I love reading about the Underground Railroad when it is well done. Charity Sinclair was an impressive heroine and her strength in her beliefs is an example for everyone. Well done and believable. Pressing On by Rose Allen McCauley is enlightening about the Separatists and their beliefs and lifestyle. The Bridge Between Us by Sherri Wilson Johnson has mystery woven into the romance . A great story of forgiveness. Return to Sweetwater Cove by Christina Miller is heartwarming and brought tears to my eyes. Digging for Love by Ramona K. Cecil shows how misconceptions about social classes and judging someone by their nationality causes harm when hearts are involved. Wedding of the Waters by Rita Gerlach shows that love knows no boundaries. Charlotte risks everything to attend to her first love. The Love Of a Child by Lauralee Bliss has you falling for the children. All in all this is an enjoyable collection that provides quick reads that you can read each in one setting. Don’t pass this one up.
I received a complimentary copy. The honest review and opinions are my own and were not required.
Profile Image for Andrea Stoeckel.
3,140 reviews132 followers
March 13, 2019
It’s unusual that I don’t start a review without a quote, but I was so captivated by these wonderful stories I simply cannot find one single quote to unite them all.

There are eight stories in this collection united under the banner of the Ere and Ohio canals. Each story is unique to it’s author. All are entertaining and believable. They span almost a 50 year window in New York and Ohio. My own family has a history of immigration to work on the Indiana Canal System and I live near the present Erie Canal so I was fascinated with the breadth of understanding these authors have or have found.

Romance novels of this genre are not my usual reading, nor have I read much by this cadre of writers. However, this will not be the last time I seek out these authors and I highly recommend this lovely book that I received in a giveaway and chose to review.5/5
Profile Image for Kathleen Friesen.
Author 7 books40 followers
April 5, 2019
I don’t always read historical novels, but when I do, I truly enjoy ones that teach me something. This collection, with seven stories of different sections of the Erie Canal, from its beginning to after completion, taught me a great deal. From the work of agents hired to convince their neighbors to sell their land for the canal, to the dangerous health hazards for those building it, and the prejudices stirred up by the arrival of builders and returnees, this collection holds a wealth of real history. I appreciated learning about the Separatists, a sect I hadn’t heard of before, and I cheered for brave Abolitionists, especially in the face of the dangers brought by the despicable Bloodhound Law, as well as heroes who returned to a home where they’d experienced heartbreak.
The Erie Canal Brides Collection taught and entertained me, and it earns five stars. Recommended.
4,816 reviews16 followers
July 14, 2019
Completed in 1825, the Erie Canal connected the Great Lakes to the Hudson River, and soon other states like Ohio created canals linking Lake Erie to the Ohio River. Suddenly the Midwest was open to migration, the harvesting of resources, and even tourism. Join seven couples who live through the rise of the canals and the problems the waterways brought to each community, including land grabs, disease, tourists, racism, and competition. Can these couples hang on to their faith and develop love during times of intense change?
This was a pretty good anthology. I liked each of the stories by the different authors. I highly recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book
Profile Image for Kimmie.
530 reviews27 followers
September 5, 2019
A very inspiring set of books !
I loved all these stories, of course I did have my favorites. I read this book over the course of a couple days picking a different story to read each day. I quite looked forward to having a different take on the Erie Brides every night :) and now I have some new authors to follow and find more books. I think that these authors did a great job describing the characters and their surroundings. I sincerely recommend you read this book.
I volunteered to read this book from Barbour Publishing in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed with in are my own.
Profile Image for Paula Shreckhise.
1,530 reviews137 followers
May 14, 2019
The Erie Canal Brides Collection by Barbour is a glimpse into another time.
I enjoy these collections. I loved learning about the history surrounding the building of the Erie Canal. My favorite of the novellas was Johnnie Alexander ‘s Journey of the Heart. It had just the right touches of danger, intrigue, romance and accurate description of scenery, with a bold heroine and protective hero. This was a satisfying read.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from one of the authors. I was not required to give a favorable review. All opinions are my own. *
123 reviews
June 6, 2019
Barbour Publishing's Bride collections are favorites of mine, especially when I need something lighter to read. This one centers around the building of the Erie Canal in the early 1800s. There is a lot to be learned about that endeavor, with seven short romance stories to accompany the gaining of that knowledge. For anyone looking to learn more about the canal's history and seeking a fun romance, look out for this one! My thanks to the publisher and for providing me with an ARC, for this my honest review.
372 reviews2 followers
April 28, 2019
Summary: The Erie Canal Brides Collection contains seven short story romances. Each story is set in the early 1800s with an underlying theme of the construction of the Erie Canal.
My Thoughts: A few of the stories seemed very short to me. So short, there wasn’t even much room for a plot/problem/romance.
My favorites were definitely Digging for Love, and Journey of the Heart. Journey of the Heart-I would have loved for that one to have been a full novel-such a fascinating storyline, and lots of great suspense.
Overall, I felt some stories were good, some OK, and there were a few really great ones. So, kind of a mixed bag on this one.
Mainly, if the stories had been a bit longer, there might have been room for more development of the plot lines, and I might have enjoyed them more.
I realize there isn’t much room in a collection for longer stories, but perhaps had there been less stories, they could have been longer?
Anyway, just my thoughts-nothing against anyone’s writing styles-more of just a length issue I think.
As always, I would like to thank Barbour Publishing, Inc. for providing me with a free digital copy of this collection in exchange for my honest review. Thank you!
45 reviews
March 21, 2019
This is an excellent book! Living near the Erie Canal made the stories even more interesting. The stories are all long enough to be interesting and short enough for when you want a quick read. The stories gave me an appreciation for how different life was then and for how the Canal changed lives. It was clear the authors researched their subjects. Highly recommend this book
Profile Image for Lindsey.
301 reviews5 followers
April 11, 2019
If you’re a fan of historical American Christian romance, you’ll enjoy The Erie Canal Brides Collection. Touted as “7 Romances Develop Along Man-Made Waterways of New York and Ohio”, it’s written by a talented group of various authors. Each book feels complete and wasn’t a one-night read for me – it may require an investment of time. I perused a digital version so I can’t speak to the heft of the actual print edition, but there was a lot to consume in this one!

With so many choices, I was exposed to authors I had never read before and dug into an aspect of history that I’ve never really thought about. Some stories were a little deeper, some a little more emotional, some more preach-y than others, but there is definitely a title for everyone who is a fan of this genre included in the pack.

I was provided with a copy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Full review shared on my blog: https://lifelovelaughterlinds.home.bl...
938 reviews23 followers
March 4, 2019
A delightful book! Not having ever seen the Erie Canal, the novellas in this book make it come alive. Several new to me authors now make me want to read more of their writings. I highly recommend this book!
Profile Image for Lauralee Bliss.
Author 48 books178 followers
May 28, 2019
Find love along this famous waterway that stretches from New York to the Ohio valley.
Profile Image for Becky haxton.
123 reviews15 followers
September 2, 2019
Really great book. Pulled me in from the beginning. I grew up near the Erie Canal so I knew alit of the towns they talked about. Would definitely recommend it.
Profile Image for Mary Reed.
1,031 reviews4 followers
October 27, 2022
Seven short stories about the building and working of the Erie Canal with love thrown in for good measure.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews

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