Lydia Hathaway’s greatest wish is to become a mother, but not necessarily a wife. Molly, a little orphan, tugs at her heart and Lydia knows this is the child she wants to adopt. Lydia is broken hearted when the orphanage mandates that all prospective parents be married.
Travis Bentley had been conned by two mail order brides, so he decides to stay single and concentrate on his ranch, so when his sister asks him to marry a woman in Denver by proxy so she can adopt a child, he readily agrees. What does he have to lose? He doesn’t even have to meet the woman. Things go well until he decides to marry Myra, and he travels to Denver to get Lydia to sign annulment papers. That’s when his life becomes a convoluted mess!
Barbara Masci Goss is now just Barbara Goss. I live in Western New York State and have three grown sons, two step daughters and 10 grandchildren. I wrote my books in the early '90's and now that I'm retired I have obtained the book rights and am converting them to Kindle. That's exciting for me because I don't read paper books at all anymore. I have designed new covers with a new author name: Barbara Goss. My first two books "Captured Heart" and "Forbidden Legacy" went to a second printing in the mid '90's and the publisher added my name as Barbara Masci-Goss, but I now prefer to keep it short and sweet.
From Author Website:
I'm from Western New York, and I live with my husband and two cats, Mandy and Molly.
I wrote these books in the early 1990's in paperback. My publishers were Fleming Revell and Baker Book House.
Now, I have the rights and have put them out on E-Books so people can still enjoy them.
My goal in writing these books is to provide clean but still romantic and adventurous novels for all ages. I've always felt that we needed more clean, wholesome books. When I wrote these books there were but a handful of Christian romance writers. Now, thankfully there are more. My biggest influence in writing was Grace Livingston Hill. Enjoy.
Lydia wants to adopt a little girl at the orphanage where she works. Unfortunately, the orphanage will only permit married couples to adopt. Lydia’s roommate provides a solution...marry rancher Travis Bentley by proxy...seeing that he doesn’t live in Denver. When Travis’s sister asks him to marry Lydia by proxy so that she can adopt a little girl, he agrees. After all, he’s been conned by two mail order brides so now he just wants to focus on his ranch. That arrangement works well until mail order bride #2, Myra, shows up...a year later. Travis is feeling guilty and decides to marry Myra, and the quickest way for him to dissolve his marriage to Lydia is to go in person. Unfortunately, things don’t go according to plan when Travis arrives in Denver. A great lesson in forgiveness and accepting that God’s plan for our lives may sometimes differ from ours. I accepted a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I listened to the audio version of this book. This is another historical fiction by Barbara Goss that makes you leave your troubles behind and just get lost in the time and the characters. There is always a Christian element to her books that make you want to be a better person by the end. A Bride for Travis deals with honesty, belief in your spouse and honoring your word. Travis is in sort of a pickle as far as the women in the book goes, but he does what he can to do right by both. Lydia got married by proxy so that she can adopt a little girl from the orphanage she works at. She never expects to meet her husband, much less invite him into her home. As the two develop feeling for each other, there is a twist that could easily destroy them. Will Lydia be able to have enough faith in Travis and not fall prey to the lies told about him? A truly enjoyable story.
Lydia and Travis are happy with their proxy marriage and have no intentions of ever meeting each other, but fate steps in and Cupid hits. Travis never expected to fall in love but I am glad he is a man that fights for those he loves and he never tires of telling them just how much he loves them, how can you resist falling for him? Lydia knows just how quickly life can change, happy becomes heartbroken, good becomes bad but she is determined to be brave and grasp her chance at happiness with Travis. Her bravery wavers when she is faced with the first test of their love, but Travis shows her just how strong love is and proves they should be together. A sweet historical romance which I read on Kindle Unlimited.
A Bride for Travis was such a fun story! What is a fellow supposed to do with his proxy wife & her adopted daughter when his mail order bride shows up a year late? Naturally he decides to assess both women and eliminate one, but a stray bullet changes the course of fate. Somehow despite never having met each other, Travis & Lydia realize that God is directing their path, and that some things are worth keeping.
Travis Bently has had a good life... until he decides he needs a wife. 2 Mail Order Bride disasters. Neither showed up. His sister Virginia and her husband go visiting his family in Denver. His Cousin Leah is working at an Orphanage. Her room mate also works there doing the Bible teaching. Lydia Hathaway was brought to the orphanage as an infant and just never was adopted. The arrival of Molly at the orphanage is the event that turns Lydia's life around. She wants to adopt Molly, but the head of the orphanage insists she must be married. Travis's sister Virginia, his cousin Leah and Lydia come up with a proxy marriage idea between Lydia and Travis. After 2 failed mail order bride situations Travis agrees. One stipulation is they don't ever meet and if they wish aanullment after adoption they will be able to. Both agree and are married. Then comes a shocker. The second Mail Order Bride shows up with a long and involved story. Travis leaves for Denver to have the marriage annulled and just upon arrival he is shot and has a serious head injury. With Lydia's name in his pocket she is informed and expected to take care of him. How will they relate and what will happen with the mail order bride? This story is a unexpected twist on the Mail Order and Proxy Bride situation. You will enjoy the twists and turns this romance takes. A little intrigue, some danger and a lot of faith. The couples in this story are based in faith and trust in the Lord, but it isn't over the top and extremely well done. I received an ARC of this book and am choosing to leave an honest review.
A pleasing story! I recently looked up the word 'family' in a dictionary just because I wanted to see how it would be explained and it said something like this in one of the explanations, 'a group of people with two parents and their children'. Well, that is exactly what this book is about. Barbara Goss has managed to capture the very essence of a family unit (and their family extensions) with all their problems and their solving of them. Her characters, Travis, Lydia and Molly as well as their siblings, other family members and friends, all come together in support of each other just the way it should be. I loved the emotions, thought patterns and actions of each character as well as their reasonings and ethical behavior. Lili Dubuque, the narrator, has an unusual voice and was able to give us a good selection of male and female voices, each different from the others. She reads smoothly and entertainingly and it was a pleasure to listen to her interpretation. Great teamwork from two very talented ladies! I am happy to recommend the audiobook having just finished listening to it and my review is given voluntarily and is unbiased.
Lydia grew up at an Orphanage. Now she teaches there but lives in an apartment she shares with a friend. One day, a little girl is brought to the Orphanage and takes to Lydia right away. As she gets to know the little girl, Lydia decides to adopt her. The only hitch is she can't adopt without being married. Her friend suggests a proxy marriage so she won't ever have to meet her husband. Travis is also an Orphan but his sister lives nearby. When she tells him of the woman wanting to adopt a little orphan, he agrees because he always wanted parents himself. He had proposed to a mail order bride last year but she never arrived so he doesn't plan on this marriage causing him any trouble. As soon as the adoption papers are signed, who shows up but the original mail order bride! She's quite pushy that he owes her marriage so Travis figures he'll visit Lydia and get an annulment. What happens when he arrives in town? Will an accident steal his memory? Will Lydia and little Molly steal his heart? What about the girl back home? This is a clean, sweet romance. I really enjoyed this. It was really cute and some unexpected things happened so it kept my interest.
There is something about the way Barbara Goss writes that soothes my soul. I know when I pick up one of her books, I will find a calm, loving story and it will leave me with a warm feeling and good message. Lydia is a Bible School teacher wanting to adopt a child, but is unable to because she is not married. Travis is a man who has been scorned twice by mail order brides. By proxy, these two marry, and Lydia is able to adopt Molly. With no intention of every meeting, life goes on as normal. But when Travis now comes to town, everything is about to change! Will these two hit it off or dislike each other? These two are meant to be together, and I love the plot that surrounds their story. But, I do believe the standout character is Molly! She is adorable, playing with the kittens, settling down with Momma and Poppa and playing with her dolls. With Lili Dubuque's warm voice, she gives the story the elements of the times and wonderful voices for all the characters. Their story left me feeling happy and the cover is absolutely gorgeous!
Travis was a rancher and sent for a mail order bride because he wanted family and he was lonesome. Myra, his mail order bride never showed up and he was unable to find her and he did not get any message from her. Lydia was an orphan and worked at the sa. e orphanage. She met a new orphan, Molly and fell in love with her almost immediately. She inquired into adopting her and was told only married couples were able to adopt. Her friend arranged a proxy marriage for Lydia to Travis so she would be able to adopt Molly. One year later Myra shows up and shortly thereafter he decided to go to where Lydia lives to sign and arrange an annulment. Travis has an accident and looses his memory and then falls in love with his proxy bride, Lydia. Will Travis and Lydia every find their happily ever after, will Travis go back and marry Myra? You will enjoy this story.
Barbara Goss wrote an amazing story with A Bride for Travis. I loved the soothing feeling this book had with its well-meaning and endearing characters of Lydia, Molly, and Travis. I found this clean listen to be original and heartwarming. Historical romance of the last century could not be written any better. The author does great imagery of the American West, and the trials these people faced. A mail-order bride is such a foreign concept in today's age, yet those marriages lasted. I loved the twists the author wrote in this book as well. Lili Dubuque did an amazing job bringing the characters to life. She added the right emotions and had distinguishable voices for the characters. I requested this review copy audiobook and have voluntarily written this review. I will most definitely listen to more books by this author and narrator.
A Bride for Travis (The Proxy Brides Book 10) was another great read by Barbara Goss. Lydia has always wanted to be a mother but not a wife. She meets Molly who is an orphan that she decides she wants to adopt. Travis decides to stay single after being conned by to mail order brides. His sister asks him to marry a woman in Denver by proxy so that she can adopt a child. Things go bad when he decides to marry a mail order bride who turns up. He travels to Denver to have Lydia sign an annulment, but things don't go as planned. I loved reading this book and can't wait to read more by Barbara Goss.
When Lydia wants to adopt Molly she discovers she needs to get married. Travis has sent for a mail order bride twice but they didn’t show up. When he was asked to marry Lydia so she could adopt Molly he agreed. What could be wrong about that, they were just be married in name and would never even meet each other? Now a lot.....but you have to read it yourself. I really enjoyed this story, it has love, family, disappointment, heartache and forgiveness. Again a recommending read in this great series.
When Lydia's husband by proxy shows up and can't remember her or their daughter Lydia is forced to care for him. She never expected him to show up. After all she only marries him so she could adopt Molly. Their feelings change and she goes to his home where his memory is coming back. But there is a woman there claiming she is his mail order brides and tries to manipulate them. Through challenges and their love for one another Travis and Lydia will fight for their newfound live. I received a complimentary audio and this review is voluntary.
All of author Barbara Goss' novels are clean, sweet, and Christian, with the message fully integrated within the story, but in this one the sister-in-law delivers quite a homily directed at a self-centered, spiteful character. As always, the tale is well-researched and intriguing with a strong heroine and caring hero, and wonderful descriptions of trains and hotels in the "wild west," plus a plot with some startling twists, all well-read by narrator Lili Dubuque. And the cuteness factor is bolstered with children and kittens!
Reading A Bride for Travis was a pleasure. Lydia was an orphan growing up and now taught at the orphanage. When Molly, the newest little girl to arrive touched Lydia’s heart. She wanted to adopt her, but had to be married to do so. Lydia married Travis by proxy and was able to be on a mother finally. Life changes quickly when Travis comes to town to end the marriage, but gets hurt before he can. Now as he recovers, their love grows. They leave to go back to his ranch and more trouble awaits them there. Follow their journey to an everlasting love.
Four stars, too cute!. Yes,it's a Christian storyline and very obvious how it goes. Lydia marries Travis by proxy in order to adopt her daughter Molly. But Travis mail order bride Myra finally shows up. But Travis had been shot and has very little memory. But having met Lydia and Molly, Travis thinks their marriage is real. It does get sorted out at the end.
This story is certainly one of the most amazing Christian stories I have ever heard. A very romantic, heartfelt and inspiring story with a moral lesson of forgiveness. If you want to read or hear a good Christian romance I would totally recommend A Bride for Travis.
The narration by Lili Dubuque is fairly okay but not at all dashing however still recommendable.
Twists and turns that keep you reading. Another winner by Barbara Goss.
Lydia has such a kind heart. An orphan that grew up and still worked at the orphanage connects with a young girl and wants to adopt her. She can only adopt her if married. Enter Travis. Never wants to be married but will marry a woman to help her adopt a child. Couldn't put it down.
Loved A Bride for Travis! This is a stand alone book even though it is a part of this series and it does not have a cliff hanger. This one gets a bit complicated with two Mail Order Brides and a bit of amnesia but the right happily ever after happens. I love the Proxy Brides series and can’t wait to move on to the next one!
What an enjoyable story! I loved the relationship between Lydia and Travis. Thank the Lord, he didn’t marry Myra 😳
This was a truly romantic story, which also included a few bumps in the road. But thankfully, no real conflict taking up most of it as is typical in some books.
This was a heartwarming book, that I really enjoyed. Travis agrees to a proxy marriage with Lydia, in order for her to adopt a young orphan. He never plans on meeting her, but sometimes plans change. I enjoyed the numerous twists this book takes. It's a well written book that I think you will like, if you like historical western romance.
Wow was wondering how Travis was going to introduce his family to the other women lol absolutely loved this book highly recommend this book it's a really great story have not been disappointed in any of Barbra Goss that I've read.
A very different book, almost a comedy of errors. Travis goes from not wanting to be married, to having a wife and child and a mail order bride. See how it works out in the end.
A lot of circumstances lead to an orphan finding a forever family in an entertaining read with a few twists and a lot of biblical studies to lead the right direction of family and love.
Christian forgiveness then forgetting is the theme. Lydia wanted to adopt a daughter from the orphan home so had a proxy marriage with Travis until his mail order bride from a year before demands he annuals it. - Babs
What an interesting plot. You marry by proxy, till you meet someone you want to marry. What happens when you meet your proxy wife. Given audio which added to this story. For my voluntary review and my honest opinion.
I have enjoyed this series. Lydia wanted to adopt Molly. Travis had given up on the idea of marriage after 2 bad attempts of sending for a mail order bride. But God had different plans for them. Lili Dubuque did a great job narrating this story.
This book was written so poorly. There truly was no plot. It was simplistically written. I hate forcing myself to complete a book, and I found myself doing just that.