Mail-Order Marriages: Brides for Brothers / Marriage Risk

Midnight Sons #1-2

by Debbie Macomber

The mostly male population of Hard Luck, Alaska, is about to swell--because the O'Halloran brothers, who run a bush-plane charter service called Midnight Sons, have launched a campaign to bring women to their hometown.

Brides for Brothers: Sawyer O'Halloran is not entirely in favor of his brothers' scheme. He considers himself immune to the charms of any woman--until Abbey Sutherland shows up in Hard Luck, anxious to start over, and with two adorable kids in two!

The Marriage Risk: Charles O'Halloran falls hard for Lanni Caldwell. Though he's not the marrying kind, she might just convince him to risk taking the leap. Then he discovers she's the granddaughter of the woman who destroyed his parents' marriage.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Audiobook, Adult Fiction, Christmas

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Debbie Macomber is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of today’s most popular writers with more than 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide. In her novels, Macomber brings to life compelling relationships that embrace family and enduring friendships, uplifting her readers with stories of connection and hope. Macomber’s novels have spent over 1,000 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Fifteen of these novels hit the number one spot.

In 2023, Macomber’s all-new hardcover publication includes Must Love Flowers (July). In addition to fiction, Macomber has also published three bestselling cookbooks, three adult coloring books, numerous inspirational and nonfiction works, and two acclaimed children’s books.

Celebrated as “the official storyteller of Christmas”, Macomber’s annual Christmas books are beloved and six have been crafted into original Hallmark Channel movies. Macomber is also the author of the bestselling Cedar Cove Series which the Hallmark Channel chose as the basis for its first dramatic scripted television series. Debuting in 2013, Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove was a ratings favorite for three seasons.

She serves on the Guideposts National Advisory Cabinet, is a YFC National Ambassador, and is World Vision’s international spokesperson for their Knit for Kids charity initiative. A devoted grandmother, Debbie and Wayne live in Port Orchard, Washington, the town which inspired the Cedar Cove series.

Reviews

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

BRIDES FOR BROTHERS is a pair of novels from Debbie Macomber’s backlist in a series about a family of brothers living in a tiny Alaskan town up in the bush country past the Arctic Circle. “Hard Luck” Alaska has 150 residents and almost no women, so they put an ad in the paper offering jobs and free housing to try to keep the town from turning into a ghost town. Abby, a librarian, answers, with her two kids. An enemies to lovers romance ensues with Sawyer, one of the brothers. Cute kids and an adorable dog with lots of quirky Alaskan men to keep things entertaining!

[Tyra Voll · Rating 1 out of 5]

Seriously lacking in character and story development. But I guess if you are not a reader then this might be a place to start. It could have used some realism to help make the story seem somewhat plausible and draw the reader in.

[Linda (NOT RECEIVING NOTIFICATIONS) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alaska Skies: Brides for Brothers\The Marriage Risk was a reissue of two romances published in the 1990s. It seems as though the O'Halloran men had never married because of their parents' unhappy marriage.

I made the mistake of reading The Marriage Risk first (I had a stand-alone copy) and found out why their parents' marriage was not a success. So when I went back and read Brides for Brothers, some of the tension I might have felt if I read it Sawyer's story first was not there.

The Marriage Risk literally follows Brides for Brothers. I can only assume that is one reason Alaska Skies: Brides for Brothers\The Marriage Risk was a two-fer. If you are enjoying Abbie and Sawyer's story, you will want to have Charles' unlikely romance on hand.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic romance stories... Nothing amazing, but I did appreciate that the author kept all sexual relationships in the bounds of marriage and only hinted at, no explicit detail.

[Katie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I guess light is the best why to describe this book or rather books since its more of a two in one deal goody...

Well to tell it as I see it some people will like this book some might even love it but I am not one of them I mean reading the preview it sounds like it could be good lonely men 150 people town flying in attractive woman sounds interesting right? First off no matter how bad off you are if your moving to the middle of no were are you really going to leave with out even seeing the place your staying at?No asking to see a photo no sq footed asked just oh grate a "house" of my very own yay.


As far as characters go I'm sure what the author had in mind was nice but it goes by so fast you don't get a feeling for any of them.



The only way this story could have been saved is if they had thrown in some decent sex scenes.


So if your looking for a PG no surprises romance read this is the book for you enjoy

[Courtney LaSalle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Midnight Sons Volume: 1
Debbie Macomber
Brides for Brothers book 1 ☆★☆
The Marriage Risk book 2 ☆★☆★

Im rating the books together. For
quick romance reads, I loved both stories.
Oh my gosh book 2 had me crying my eyes out. Books one made me frustrated with Sawyer. I love when a book can bring out so many different emotions at once.

I love that it was a good romance even without any sex going on. These books were more emotional. You could almost feel what these two couples were going through. Ellen and davids story is so tragic and sad, but also realistic for their tome period. There wasnt anything to farfetched and I like that.

These are fun cozy up next to your fireplace in the winter reads!

[Jacob · Rating 1 out of 5]

I started off really enjoying this book, but it went south quick and was so cheesy and predictable I couldn't take it.

[Silver James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, light-hearted old school romance. By old school, there are no cell phones, wifi, and most personal electronic devices. Set above the arctic circle in Alaska, brothers with a flying service "entice" women, who are in short supply, to Hard Luck, Alaska. The books are sweet and nostalgic and made for an interesting change of pace from my usual reading fare.

Warning: Love at first sight, curmudgeonly heroes, feisty heroines, including one with kids and the other a Romeo/Juliet trope. Still fun time, though.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick read! It was nice and fluffy! Abbey is a librarian with two kids and Sawyer is a pilot in Alaska. Sawyer and his brother Christian decide to make jobs for women and bring them to their small town that's mostly men. Since they can't keep men in their small town because there are no women to marry. So Abbey applies for the librarian position and gets it. She falls in love with Sawyer and she stays in Hard Luck.
For the parental review; no bad words and no sexuality. There are a few kisses but no make out scenes.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my introduction to Debbie Macomber and let me tell you... two pages and I was HOOKED! I could close my eyes and see every detail of every character and building. Very well written and it actually makes me sad that I hadn't read any of Debbie's work sooner... but... I've been having a great time catching up!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume 1 of Macomber's Midnight Sons series, 2 short reads in one. Heartwarming, feel-good and great escapism. I really enjoyed the small town Alaska setting. Looking forward to reading the other 2 volumes.

[Karyn Bowman · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing on this was OK, I felt like the kids' voices were true but the rest felt too predictable. I had the audio version and didn't even make it halfway through the second book before I gave up.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alaska Skies: Midnight Sons Volume 1 is by Debbie Macomber. It is set in Alaska and is a return of the idea of mail order brides. It is two books in one dealing with the O’Halloran brothers.
Brides for Brothers is the first book. It is the story of how Sebastian O’Halloran and his brother Christian decided on hiring women to come to Hard Luck, Alaska. The idea came about because they were losing pilots because they could not find girlfriends or even girls to talk to in Hard Luck. Those who were there were either very young or very old or married. Christian thought this idea would be great and talked Sebastian into it. Christian would go to Seattle to interview women for the jobs of secretary, nurse, and librarian. They didn’t consult their brother Charles as he was out on a job. All Sebastian wanted was for the bush plane charter service to succeed. He wanted nothing to do with women or love. He was still very upset over his parents’ marriage. Abby Sutherland had just lost her job as assistant librarian and didn’t know what she was going to do to make a life for her two children. When she saw the ad for Hard Luck, she took a chance and interviewed. Christian was so involved with the woman he had hired for secretary and with whom he was going to dinner that his interview of Abby was not in depth. She didn’t have a chance to tell him that she had two children who would be going with her. So it was a surprise to Sebastian to find he was picking up not one lady with a lady with two children in Anchorage. He knew the housing they had provided for the women was too primitive for Abby and her children to stay in. He began taking an interest in the three of them. Could it be love?
The Marriage Risk is the second book. It is the story of Charles O’Halloran. Charles was upset with his brothers over their scheme and tried to send Abby home; but Sebastian proposed to her and Abby was marrying Sebastian. Charles was against marriage on principal and against love as he had seen first-hand what that had done to his parents’ marriage. He and the other O’Hallorans blamed Catherine Fletcher for her part in breaking up his parents’ marriage. When Lanni Caldwell, Catherine’s granddaughter, came to Hard Luck to pack up her grandmother’s house, she was mistaken for the new secretary and Charles was smitten with her. She tried several times to tell him who she was but she was interrupted each time and didn’t tell him. Sebastian knew but was so interested in seeing his brother sweat through his attraction to Lanni that he didn’t tell him either. What will happen when Charles finds out who Lanni is?
This leaves only Christian unmarried of the three O’Halloran brothers. However, there are also the pilots and Ben, who runs the café, to be dealt with in future books. I can’t wait to read them.

[Arlena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Midnight Sons Volume # 1
Author: Debbie Macomber
Published: Mira
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 5
Series: Midnight Sons Volume # 1: Brides for Brothers and The Marriage Risk
Review:

"Midnight Sons Volume # 1" by Debbie Macomber was a wonderful romantic contemporary read. I thought this was a well written story that kept me turning the pages until the end. Would bringing women to Hard Luck, Alaska in the hopes of matchmaking with the various men that lived there was really something that I thought this author did well with. This novel was mainly Abby, Sawyer, Charles and Lenny story.

How will this turn out? This was a town of '150 people, no main roads, mostly men, bears and cold freezing weather. Now, who would want to come here? What could this Arctic Circle offer in the way of jobs and living conditions in this area? When a single mom decides to live Seattle and moves to Hard Luck...well I will say that it get pretty interesting. What will or could go wrong for her? This is where I will say you will have to pick up this good read to see how and what all will come to this story from this author. Be ready for a very interesting read. You will find yourself even laughing as you read through "The Midnight Son" novel. This author gives the reader a descriptions of 'magnificence, vastness, and small town friendliness.' I found the characters very rich, well developed and well portrayed giving the reader some good read.

If you are looking for a well written read that will keep your attention until the end, you have come to the right place. For "Midnight Sons" is a cute delightful romantic read that I would recommend to you as a good read.

[Kasey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had never read anything by Debbie Macomber before and thought I would expand my reading to stuff that is popular with the patrons.

This one was fine. It was actually two books in one, and both were filled with insta-love and were, for lack of a better word, sweet. These were written in the mid-nineties and were very dated, but it was fine.

The reader of this book made it challenging to get through because it was a man, and his woman voices were pretty insulting.

2017 PopSugar Reading Challenge: First book in a series that you haven't read before

[Jodi A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Debbie Macomber is always a guaranteed winner for something to read. Her characters always feel like someone you want to sit down with and spend hours chatting over coffee. Loved that the publisher decided to re-release this series. I'd read only one of the books of the series, so it was nice to be able to get everyone's story, all in one shot.

[Ayny · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first two stories in a series of 6. I read the last two and thought I'd go back to the beginning as I like books that take place in cold climates. The premise of this book was good, but the story became too predictable. Mostly characters who seem either dense or stubborn or both. Recommend if you are looking for "fluff". I didn't read the second half.~

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loved these books, I did the audiobook version and loved them. I love that Debbie Macomber does not make sex before marriage look like a positive thing. great shot romance stories. It made me want to move to hard luck!

[Jodi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I generally like this author for the blossom street books. I made it thru this book, but won't be reading anymore in this series. Yuck!

[Lisa Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Light enjoyable read. I kept it in my beach bag and could easily get lost in the book.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love This Series

[Dawn Lutz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice book about falling in love in a small town. A feel good book.

[Leanne Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the stories. I couldn't book the down.

[Gayle]

I loved this series and have read them all. I LOVE Debbies writing. The characters become friends and I loved following all their stories and how they all intertwined.

[Jan Mayszak · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sweet book. Not a complicated plot. Easy to pick up here and there and not be lost. I enjoy Debbie's stories. Love without porn.

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of Macomber's stories, I was excited to pick up this new edition. Both stories revolve around Hard Luck, Alaska, a small town looking to attract residents (predominately, women). At first glance, this idea seems archaic and rather dangerous (even with the promise of housing and land). However, once you are witness to the small community, you realized that Hard Luck is a tight-knit town where the residents support and protect one another. The first story, Brides for Brothers, reminded me of classic movies of days past. It was an enjoyable quick read. Abbey and her kids are a blast - strong and independent (and love dogs). Sawyer, the brother of focus in this story, was simple and a charmer with envelopes.

The second story, The Marriage Risk, was less about the rugged nature of Hard Luck and more focused on Lassi and Charles. This story was a modern twist of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in many respects. Two families, bitter enemies, their kids fall in love.

[Melissa Cunning · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm going to actually give this a 3.5 stars. And not because I didn't like it. I liked this story very much, and will look forward to reading more about Christian, Sawyer, and Charles O'Halloran. These boys are comedic if nothing else. It was a light and fun read. You could get more different personalities. The characters were very well written. I just can't help but feel there were holes in the plot line. As soon as there was a moment of "ooh, what happens next?" that moment would pass within the span of a few pages! It always seems to drift off just as it's getting good and in the next paragraph, time had passed! It's frustrating to miss all the information that could have been included in that span of time.

As this is my first book by Ms. Macomber, I don't know if this is just her style or not, but I'll find out when I read volume 2, as I would still like to know what happens throughout the rest of the Midnight Sons books.

[Jessica Chambers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Both books are very fast paced. As in man meet woman falls in love and gets married with a month of meeting each other. Pretty much the men take out a Women wanted to move to Alaska for work and there is basically just men living in the little town. Enter in Abbey the first book who is hired to be the librarian. Falls in love with Sawyer. She has two kids who also fall in love with him. They only know each other a few week and they get married. Nice story just very fast paced. Book two same concept expect Charles falls for Lanni who is the grand daughter of the woman who he blames for the failure of his parents marriage. The end of the book though..like what the what. But all in all good books to read if you like fast paced love stories!

[Vera Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has 2 stories, this is a review of the 1st one Brides for brothers. Alaska is a very lonely place, and Hard Luck is losing some of their best guys. The brothers come up with a way to get women to come live there. Offer them a job, place to stay and land.

But seems like just wants them to come and stay to help keep the women there (looking for brides). But this not mentioned when offering jobs. Well first 2 that comes, looks like they will be going back home.

Can Sawyer save the day? Alaska sounds like s beautiful place, and enjoyed the book very much.

Will review the other story in this book when have a chance to read it The Marriage Risk

[Pinkglassgrrl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two and a half stars, mostly because it's a romance novel of its time (mid-90s) featuring a beautiful Alaskan setting, a mail-order-bride plot (in 1995!), some very chaste kissing, and what passed for "enlightened" men 30 years ago. This book comprised two stories about two brothers, each of them a standard-issue, somewhat grumpy, "I'll-never-get-married" type of guy falling instantly (though very reluctantly) in love with two of the newly-arrived women who had been recruited to live and work in their remote Alaskan town. Super light and predictable, but still an enjoyable read from the past, and I'm glad I gave it a shot. I wish I'd liked it better.