Mail Order Bride
Diana BoldHistorical erotic romance
Available from Cobblestone Press
ISBN: 978-1-60088-075-9
November 2006
| When Sarah Montgomery knocked on Luke Chandler’s door, she was already nervous and feeling a bit scared. Luke finally answered her knock, but seeing his drunken state, his unshaven condition and the filth and stench surrounding him, Sarah was more unsure of herself than even she had expected. Luke explained that he did not write for a mail order bride and did not want one. It quickly became obvious that his brother, Matthew, had written to her and now that she was here, Sarah had no money to return to Georgia, no family to return to, and no prospects. What would she do now? When he returned her to town the next day, she refused to allow him to see her despondency.
For several days he ignored the fact that he missed her and felt partially responsible for her situation. Matthew and his wife Becky came from Denver to check on him; they were furious that he had treated her so poorly that she was working at the local saloon. Luke went into town and, seeing how she was treated by others because she had spent the night at his place; he took her back home with him. Ms. Bold has extensive storytelling ability. She shows widespread knowledge of her characters and enables the reader to fall in love with both of the main characters while acknowledging their flaws. The lovemaking is heated, but not stifling. It was used as an integral part of the story, not the main element. I was very impressed with this book; I love historical westerns, especially mail order bride subjects. This is one of the best I have ever read. Sarah, while vulnerable as a mail order bride, is still a strong character. I especially liked the fact that Ms. Bold did not create a simpering woman just biding her time until someone took control of her. She allowed the couple to expose their weaknesses without appearing helpless. Allowing two wounded people to work around their limitations and still flourish shows her gift of authorship. Kudos to Ms. Bold! This book is a winner.
Overall rating:
Reviewer: Brenda Talley |
