Nebraska Legacy: Four Men Become Husbands of Convenience in the Old West

by DiAnn Mills

Readers will enjoy this beguiling collection of four stories involving American settlers who become husbands in the most unusual of circumstances. Gabe Hunters leaves Philadelphia and his book studies to answer an ad for a husband and father on a Nebraska farm. Riley O'Conner's marriage proposal is a woman's ticket out of jail and into a battle of perspectives. The scout Painted Hands marries a young woman-for propriety's sake-on the Oregon Trail. Caleb Windsor attempts to waylay his twin's outlaw lifestyle by arranging a marriage for his brother. Will these restless men be able to find peace within marriage?

Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Romance, Christian, Christian Romance, Romance, Historical Fiction, Anthologies

477 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who invites readers to expect an adventure—where heart-pounding suspense meets unforgettable romance and faith shines through every challenge. Known for crafting gripping plots and richly layered characters, DiAnn believes every breath we take unfolds a story waiting to be told—so why not make it thrilling?
Her novels have appeared on the CBA, ECPA, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists and have earned numerous honors, including the Christy, Selah, Golden Scroll, Advanced Writers and Speakers 2026 Golden Scrolls Lifetime Achievement Award, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol Awards.
DiAnn is a founding board member of American Christian Fiction Writers and serves as Conference Advisor for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. She is also active in Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, Outliers Writing University, and The Christian Pen. Passionate about helping others succeed, she invests in writers through mentoring, book coaching, editing, and dynamic workshops she teaches across the country.
A self-proclaimed coffee snob who roasts her own beans, DiAnn enjoys diving into good books, experimenting in the kitchen, and unabashedly spoiling her grandchildren—whom she insists are the smartest kids in the universe. She makes her home under the sunny skies of Houston, Texas.



Connect with DiAnn online for behind-the-scenes glimpses, writing tips, and lively discussions on any of the following social media platforms:

Website: https://diannmills.com/
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Reviews

[Sherry Beth Preston · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up because I am from Nebraska...and well, I am a sucker for books about Nebraska. The author starts off by inviting the reader to visit her city, Houston, and enjoy its many splendors. I invite her to visit Nebraska before she writes about it next time. The first book was okay. She named the town in the second one Mesquite. It was by Lincoln. Mesquite does not grow anywhere in Nebraska, and if it did, it would be a couple hundred miles west of Lincoln. That is why we name things Cottonwood and Elm and Pine. Then she had the guy taking the scenic route home from Montana, through South Dakota then Wyoming then Nebraska. She lost some credibility there. I lost it in the third book when she could not get her landmarks on the Oregon Trail straight. If she had been here she would know you can see Scotts Bluff from Chimney Rock, and that you go past Chimney Rock first unless you are headed back east. Then she had a wall around Fort Laramie. None of the prairie forts had walls around them. I left them somewhere in the desert. I presume they lived to see Oregon, but I quit caring.

Clearly I should avoid romance books. It doesn't seem like the authors I have read do much research, and in their defense, maybe the target audience doesn't care. I like a book with a good plot and if I happen learn something in the proces of reading it I expect my new knowledge to be accurate.

[Linae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good to read about the struggles that Christian men go through and how they follow God's will for their lives.

[Suzanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

These 4 stories did not have plots that held my interest. Also, they all ended very abruptly in a most predictable ending.

[Deidre · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Mail Order Husband" 4 Stars **** To sum it up in one word: Heartwarming

[Lis K · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a compilation of four of the author’s previous shorter novels.
MAIL ORDER HUSBAND
Gabe answers a newspaper ad to travel to Nebraska and marry Lena, a widow with two boys. Unfortunately, he didn’t tell Lena the complete truth: he has no idea how to run a farm. I liked that Gabe tries to handle situations in a godly way. He had a bad childhood growing up in a brothel but he really tries to overcome it. He was a good foil for Lena because she could get quite angry and emotional. There were some funny parts between Gabe and Lena’s kids, especially when Gabe uses difficult words because he is so educated.
TEMPORARY HUSBAND
This story was connected to the first one because Nellie and Riley briefly appeared in MAIL ORDER HUSBAND. It took me a while to like Nellie. She was quite judgmental and mean towards Riley because of his past behavior. Even though he changed, she would jump to conclusions about him. They had to marry in order to be released from prison but Riley is very patient with Nellie (to a point). Once I learned more about Nellie’s past, it was easier to understand why she acts the way she does. I really liked the sweet ending.
KIOWA HUSBAND
This was a very touching and emotional story between Sarah Jane and Painted Hands. Their relationship really grew organically as they traverse the difficult trail to Oregon. Sarah Jane was a really strong woman, even though she didn’t feel it to be true. She tries to do what she thinks God wants her to even though it is hard and Painted Hands makes it even harder. I appreciated Painted Hands’ spiritual journey, he really grows emotionally and spiritually throughout the story. The ending was a little convenient but I enjoyed the story’s romance.
RENEGADE HUSBAND
This final story had a unique plot with twin brothers, one good and one with only the appearance of good. I’m glad Audra found out the truth about the brothers and that this plot twist wasn’t dragged out. This had more of a suspense feeling to it as Audra and Caleb try to figure out how to untangle the mess that Caleb's brother has made. The ending was a little pat but I really liked Audra and Caleb.
Overall, this was an easy read for when you want to go back in time for a short spell.

[Kate Norton · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, this book is actually 4 shorter period stories that all revolve around a similar theme of sort of arranged marriages and how the couples find affection and love for one another. The writing and the characters are a little flat, corny, and predictable so that's why I gave it only 3 stars. That said, it is still a book I have read and re-read! It is easy reading, and is fairly uplifting and romantic. It is in the "Christian Romance" genre, so there is no naughtiness! Some of the stories are better than others, my favorite is the 3rd, "Kiowa Husband."

[Rochelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mail Order Husband - 3 stars
See review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Temporary Husband - 2 stars
See review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Kiowa Husband - 4 stars
See review: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Renegade Husband - 3 stars
See review: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

[Jtaylorjp06 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is four short stories with a twist, focusing on the men for a change, and their unusual circumstances which lead to marriage. I enjoyed all the stories, but especially "Temporary Husband" and "Renegade Husband". I didn't care for the endings of the first three stories. They just didn't seem to end at the right spot.

[Melanie Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book although,I did not necessarily like the ending to the last story. there was all this buildup of storyline then the outcome did not finish the story. on the end of each story there is always a Godly happy ending.

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great book! It has four short stories that are set back in the frontier days...it is an amazing read.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the frontier setting...a good quick-read.

[Dara S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like Christian fiction this had some pretty good stories.

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok...Didn't realize that it was actually four mini-books in one, and the plots were fairly cookie-cutter predictable, but that's what I expected. Nice and relaxing read.

[Colleen Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know if I've ever met people with as much faith in God as the characters in this book!

[Captmashpea · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my favorite books

[Melody Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this type of book and this was great. Four stories that were each better than I expected.

DiAnn Mills is a great storyteller and I highly recommend this read.

[Jan Jordan Lokensgard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Refreshing and uplifting. I liked the four different stories in one book. Each one was interesting in a different way.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will always be one of my favorite Novella collections.

[Jennie-Lynn Knox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four short stories; great read. Thoroughly enjoyed all of them!

[Angie Gomez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked a lot. all the stories were wonderful.

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A peak into the lives of four very different marriages in the early pioneer days of Nebraska. Once I got into the first story I found it was Christian Romantic fiction, so you can guess that everything always turns out okay.

[Lauren Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like Christian romance, but this was a bit much. A little too saccharine. The stories were flat and predictable. Not my fave.

[Linda Galway · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first 3 stories were quite good
But the 4th one seemed like it was just quickly imagined and jotted down. Not much thought put into it
.

[Jodi Uplinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

These were all good stories and loved the standards the author held to especially with love stories.

[Emma]

These were fine. I couldn't read the second story and the last story was meh.

[Sara Herring]

okay