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Mail-Order Mama #5
A Cook for Caleb
Caleb is so lost in grief that he is unaware his children are barely managing to feed themselves and handle basic chores. How can he carry on without the woman he's loved since they were children themselves?
Pearl's comfortable life was turned upside down with the death of her beloved husband. She has three children depending on her and cannot afford the mortgage. Her best friend Mattie shows her the listing in the newspaper: "Looking for a Spinster or Widow of good character who can cook and keep house and be a good mother to the children. Your children would be welcome, too." Have her prayers been answered?
Pearl's comfortable life was turned upside down with the death of her beloved husband. She has three children depending on her and cannot afford the mortgage. Her best friend Mattie shows her the listing in the newspaper: "Looking for a Spinster or Widow of good character who can cook and keep house and be a good mother to the children. Your children would be welcome, too." Have her prayers been answered?
- GenresRomance
123 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 13, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 20, 2021
A Fun Story
This author put together a fun story, one that started with tragedy. When Ma and the new baby dies, and Pa falls apart, someone has to take over and do what is best for the family. Some scenes reminded me of the Little Rascals. Fun characters. A good read.
This author put together a fun story, one that started with tragedy. When Ma and the new baby dies, and Pa falls apart, someone has to take over and do what is best for the family. Some scenes reminded me of the Little Rascals. Fun characters. A good read.
April 15, 2021
The author has penned a sweet and heartwarming story with wonderful characters. This is Pearl and Caleb's story as well as their respective families which included a total of seven children. Caleb had lost his wife and a baby during childbirth and was so laden down with grief he didn't even realize the burden his four children were carrying taking care of themselves. Pearl had lost her husband and had no means to support herself and her three children. All she really knew how to do was be a wife and mother. Caleb's children decided to take matters into their own hands to secure a new mama and sent for a MOB bride unbeknown to their father. Pearl's best friend showed her the MOB ad supposedly placed by Caleb to which she responded and she and her children were soon on their way. Needless to say, when you blend two families totaling seven children, there will never be a dull moment. Will Caleb and Pearl be able to put aside their grief and form a new loving relationship that will grow into a HEA? Will the children fall in love with their respective step parent? Be sure to read this wonderful story to find out. I know you will enjoy it as much as I did.
April 14, 2021
Love can begin in many ways.....
I loved this book, so heartbreaking before becoming so beautiful. The star of the book is undoubtedly Cal....what a star! Please tell me he and Danielle get their book in a series at some point in the future!
Written from multiple points of view this book is in a slightly different format to the other books in the Mail Order Mama's series, but this doesn't detract anything, it is just a different style. This is a really sweet series and the bonus is the books are available on Kindle Unlimited too!
I loved this book, so heartbreaking before becoming so beautiful. The star of the book is undoubtedly Cal....what a star! Please tell me he and Danielle get their book in a series at some point in the future!
Written from multiple points of view this book is in a slightly different format to the other books in the Mail Order Mama's series, but this doesn't detract anything, it is just a different style. This is a really sweet series and the bonus is the books are available on Kindle Unlimited too!
April 15, 2021
Knowledge
When children take it upon themselves to get a new mama, all types of things can happen. This story weaves several lives together, and who would guess the oncoming stage would have so many of them woven together. An excellent read that has drama, and happiness.
When children take it upon themselves to get a new mama, all types of things can happen. This story weaves several lives together, and who would guess the oncoming stage would have so many of them woven together. An excellent read that has drama, and happiness.
April 17, 2021
Wonderful
Yes, yes, yes I liked this story. It had a little of everything. Romance, adventure, intrigue , comedy and just plain fun. I love a story that gives future details. A great storyteller. Thanks for the pleasure.
Yes, yes, yes I liked this story. It had a little of everything. Romance, adventure, intrigue , comedy and just plain fun. I love a story that gives future details. A great storyteller. Thanks for the pleasure.
April 17, 2021
One of the best
Thoroughly enjoyed storyline. Elissa Strati did an excellent job of keeping the action moving. Love that a 10 year old was so mature.
Thoroughly enjoyed storyline. Elissa Strati did an excellent job of keeping the action moving. Love that a 10 year old was so mature.
April 13, 2021
A book not to be missed
What a treasure and treat it is to find a book with a storyline and characters that are richly portrayed and a delight to read. I will look forward to more books by this author.
What a treasure and treat it is to find a book with a storyline and characters that are richly portrayed and a delight to read. I will look forward to more books by this author.
April 14, 2021
Good story
The book is well written. It has a lot going on and holds your attention. Tragedy, loss, faith, hope and joy all abound in this story.
The book is well written. It has a lot going on and holds your attention. Tragedy, loss, faith, hope and joy all abound in this story.
October 25, 2021
Two New Families Come Together
I really enjoyed this book very much . A Cook for Caleb Mail Order Mama Series Book 5 By Elissa Strati . I recommend teens and up .
I really enjoyed this book very much . A Cook for Caleb Mail Order Mama Series Book 5 By Elissa Strati . I recommend teens and up .
October 13, 2021
Sweet Historical Romance
It was hard to review this book by stars. Although I enjoyed this comical story, I found most of it premised on false Christian doctrine. The members of the Carter family are seeing visions of their deceased mother and wife and smell her favorite honeysuckle scent when the flower is out of season. Mrs. Smith actually prays to her deceased husband. None of this is Biblical, and there are many other areas of doctrine concern.
But as I said, this story is entertaining, funny and likeable. It is also wholesome or "Sweet" as I categorize romance. Kissing that doesn't get out of hand, and bedroom scenes behind closed doors. Romance that you could share with your teen daughter.
So, even though I can't agree with the author's understanding of the Christian faith, I give this book 4 stars, because it's a really well written story. This book also has lots of vocabulary words to look up, which I like. This is a bonus, because, I want to keep learning.
It was hard to review this book by stars. Although I enjoyed this comical story, I found most of it premised on false Christian doctrine. The members of the Carter family are seeing visions of their deceased mother and wife and smell her favorite honeysuckle scent when the flower is out of season. Mrs. Smith actually prays to her deceased husband. None of this is Biblical, and there are many other areas of doctrine concern.
But as I said, this story is entertaining, funny and likeable. It is also wholesome or "Sweet" as I categorize romance. Kissing that doesn't get out of hand, and bedroom scenes behind closed doors. Romance that you could share with your teen daughter.
So, even though I can't agree with the author's understanding of the Christian faith, I give this book 4 stars, because it's a really well written story. This book also has lots of vocabulary words to look up, which I like. This is a bonus, because, I want to keep learning.
July 19, 2021
Fun series, Fantastic Book!
I am having a great time reading this Mail Order Mama series. It is so fun to see how the kids ‘advertise and shop’ for a new mother and how the dads deal with it.
Ms Strati is a great author. Easy to read and clearly spoken. Very nice!
I’m reading the stories in order but you don’t have to. I do it this way so I don’t miss any stories! (Lol).
I’m finding that reading how the stagecoach system worked is interesting. And the train system. The entire getting to the ‘west’ (I’m in Washington State; I’ve always had a hard time of thinking as Texas as west, lol) seems so daunting. It took very hardy and resilient people to make that trip!
Thank you for a fantastic read, Ms Strati. I look forward to checking out your other works!
I am having a great time reading this Mail Order Mama series. It is so fun to see how the kids ‘advertise and shop’ for a new mother and how the dads deal with it.
Ms Strati is a great author. Easy to read and clearly spoken. Very nice!
I’m reading the stories in order but you don’t have to. I do it this way so I don’t miss any stories! (Lol).
I’m finding that reading how the stagecoach system worked is interesting. And the train system. The entire getting to the ‘west’ (I’m in Washington State; I’ve always had a hard time of thinking as Texas as west, lol) seems so daunting. It took very hardy and resilient people to make that trip!
Thank you for a fantastic read, Ms Strati. I look forward to checking out your other works!
May 12, 2021
Sweet Mail order Bride tale
This is a sweet mail order bride tale, but a totally different one too. This story was written by Elissa Strati and she has done a great job of filling it with lots of adventure and excitement, along with a bit of humor. The story begins with the sadness of families suffering the loss of spouses and children only to find love through their children’s efforts. I think you will enjoy this tale.
This is a sweet mail order bride tale, but a totally different one too. This story was written by Elissa Strati and she has done a great job of filling it with lots of adventure and excitement, along with a bit of humor. The story begins with the sadness of families suffering the loss of spouses and children only to find love through their children’s efforts. I think you will enjoy this tale.
September 17, 2021
Not your typical mail order bride historical romance - as the mail order bride doesn't know that the ad was NOT created by the groom. Pearl is a resilient, resourceful woman with many hidden talents. Caleb's children and their friends have excellent survival skills. This historical story is a delightful page turner with many expected twists of the WILD wild WEST - gun fighting, bank robbery, adventure, comedy, and romance.
March 10, 2023
A Cook for Caleb ( Mail -Order Mama Series Book 5)
Very interesting premise for a story, where the children take over caring for themselves and the household after the mother dies. Since the story links two towns where crimes have been committed and lead to justice. cLove that thehildren wrote and answered the letters for a new mother.
Very interesting premise for a story, where the children take over caring for themselves and the household after the mother dies. Since the story links two towns where crimes have been committed and lead to justice. cLove that thehildren wrote and answered the letters for a new mother.
April 29, 2021
Wonderful story
What a wonderful story! I enjoyed reading Caleb and Pearl’s story very much. Such delightful children. I really enjoyed how the children conspired to get a new mama!
What a wonderful story! I enjoyed reading Caleb and Pearl’s story very much. Such delightful children. I really enjoyed how the children conspired to get a new mama!
July 14, 2021
A cook for Caleb
I really enjoyed this book. All the characters were well defined . Enjoyed the headings within the chapters. Planning to check out other stories about the other characters.
I really enjoyed this book. All the characters were well defined . Enjoyed the headings within the chapters. Planning to check out other stories about the other characters.
May 21, 2021
Good
The first time I've heard of this author. I enjoy the book. Looking for more by this Author to read
The first time I've heard of this author. I enjoy the book. Looking for more by this Author to read
August 10, 2021
Great book
December 5, 2021
This is an OK mail-order bride romance, with likable characters, but I did have a few issues with it. It gets 2.5 stars from me, rounded up to 3 stars.
First, it was just too short to have enough character development. I wanted more backstory on both Pearl and Caleb.
I liked Caleb, but it bothered me that he had gotten so lost in his grief that he was neglecting his children. I get that he had loved his first wife deeply, but his children were grieving too -- and they needed him. He should have worked harder at helping them, instead of just wallowing in his own grief.
I liked that Pearl and Caleb were both good people, and that Pearl was so good with Caleb's kids. But I thought that Pearl was a bit too perfect. She never did/said anything even slightly inappropriate or bad -- which was just too unrealistic for me.
My main problem with this book, though, was that it was incredibly hard to follow. There were so many characters, which were all introduced rapidly, and it was really difficult to keep them all straight. I thought the author should have concentrated on the main couple and their children, and left most of the detail of the minor characters out. For example, I didn't need to know how many children the neighbors had, or exactly how old they were -- I just wanted to know enough about the minor characters to understand their role in the story. The author did provide a character list at the beginning of the book, but I had to refer to it so often that it got really frustrating. I kept wondering why there was so much detail on so many minor characters.
This is a clean romance, with nothing but kisses. If you only want to read romances that do not include sex scenes, this one might work for you.
My rating system is below.
1 star -- Hated it, or did not finish. I usually only give this rating if some of the content is truly objectionable to me, like if one of the main characters does something really awful, and gets away with it.
2 stars -- Didn't like it. This rating usually means that I thought the writing wasn't very good, the editing was terrible, I didn't like the characters, or it had other major flaws.
3 stars -- I liked it, but had some minor issues with it. This rating means that there were minor editing issues, the story needed more character development, it was just too unrealistic, or had some other fairly minor issue. The majority of books I read get this rating – I do not consider it a bad rating.
4 stars -- I liked it a lot. This is a high rating for me, and I rarely give a higher one.
5 stars -- I loved it, and will probably read it again. Very few books are good enough to get this rating from me. The ones that do are usually classics.
First, it was just too short to have enough character development. I wanted more backstory on both Pearl and Caleb.
I liked Caleb, but it bothered me that he had gotten so lost in his grief that he was neglecting his children. I get that he had loved his first wife deeply, but his children were grieving too -- and they needed him. He should have worked harder at helping them, instead of just wallowing in his own grief.
I liked that Pearl and Caleb were both good people, and that Pearl was so good with Caleb's kids. But I thought that Pearl was a bit too perfect. She never did/said anything even slightly inappropriate or bad -- which was just too unrealistic for me.
My main problem with this book, though, was that it was incredibly hard to follow. There were so many characters, which were all introduced rapidly, and it was really difficult to keep them all straight. I thought the author should have concentrated on the main couple and their children, and left most of the detail of the minor characters out. For example, I didn't need to know how many children the neighbors had, or exactly how old they were -- I just wanted to know enough about the minor characters to understand their role in the story. The author did provide a character list at the beginning of the book, but I had to refer to it so often that it got really frustrating. I kept wondering why there was so much detail on so many minor characters.
This is a clean romance, with nothing but kisses. If you only want to read romances that do not include sex scenes, this one might work for you.
My rating system is below.
1 star -- Hated it, or did not finish. I usually only give this rating if some of the content is truly objectionable to me, like if one of the main characters does something really awful, and gets away with it.
2 stars -- Didn't like it. This rating usually means that I thought the writing wasn't very good, the editing was terrible, I didn't like the characters, or it had other major flaws.
3 stars -- I liked it, but had some minor issues with it. This rating means that there were minor editing issues, the story needed more character development, it was just too unrealistic, or had some other fairly minor issue. The majority of books I read get this rating – I do not consider it a bad rating.
4 stars -- I liked it a lot. This is a high rating for me, and I rarely give a higher one.
5 stars -- I loved it, and will probably read it again. Very few books are good enough to get this rating from me. The ones that do are usually classics.
February 16, 2023
I liked most of this book
This book was very interesting and I enjoyed it. However, I wish it had been split into three different books with Caleb being the prominent character of one book, the doctor and his family be in a second book and Jeff and Minerva be in a third book. I'd really like to read more about these other characters.
This book was very interesting and I enjoyed it. However, I wish it had been split into three different books with Caleb being the prominent character of one book, the doctor and his family be in a second book and Jeff and Minerva be in a third book. I'd really like to read more about these other characters.
May 18, 2023
A new Mama!
This has turned out to be one fascinating and exciting story starting with Pearl! I’m curious to see what else goes on in her life, as there could be more stories to of what happened to her Mom and her money! With the children sending for a mama, Caleb has no clue what’s going on in his life. With more action , drama, adventure, bank robberies, and more love.
This has turned out to be one fascinating and exciting story starting with Pearl! I’m curious to see what else goes on in her life, as there could be more stories to of what happened to her Mom and her money! With the children sending for a mama, Caleb has no clue what’s going on in his life. With more action , drama, adventure, bank robberies, and more love.
April 18, 2021
I guess every book is my favorite as it is writing itself (trust me, Cal dictated at least half this story to me! I never knew he could make cheese!) and the children were an absolute delight to work with. I was also meeting earlier versions of folks who had appeared in later-in-time tales (our good Doctor was a mite more mature in "Mail Order Nancy," for instance, but already had a good sense of humor). I only hope you have as much fun with this as I did.
June 21, 2025
The time honored tale of Love
I love ALL of Elissa Strati’s books, but this one was wonderful! I love how she broke it up, almost as if reading a soap opera!
I love ALL of Elissa Strati’s books, but this one was wonderful! I love how she broke it up, almost as if reading a soap opera!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews