Finally a Bride by Vickie McDonough

The third and finally book of the Boardinghouse Brides series.  I have reviewed book 1 ( The Anonymous Bride ) and book 2 (Second Chance Brides )

As with the other books in this series, I was hooked immediately and enjoyed every word!  McDonough does a great job of bringing everything together in this final installment.  And one of the things I love best about book 3 is the return of 2 characters who had "fallen from grace" and are restored. While Finally a Bride is a fun romance with some very laughable moments, it also shows how we are NEW creations in Christ. How our past.. no matter how hurtful or wrong.. can be wiped away with our salvation.  It is a story of grace hidden in the midst of this light hearted story.

I cannot say enough about this series.  I read fiction is relax and get away a bit from the pressures and stress of life. So I look for something that is a bit light and fun, but I like there to be a bit of meat.. something to learn or of which to be reminded.  All of that is found in this series.

Second Chance Brides by Vickie McDonough

Book 2 in the Boarding House Brides Trilogy.

Book 1 reviewed here:  The Anonymous Bride

I have been waiting for Second Chance Brides to become available on PaperBack Swap!  And it finally did (and I will be posting this one back there for someone else to enjoy!)

Such a fun series.  There are a number of kinds of books I love.. my 2 favorites are cozy mysteries and historic fiction.  I especially love historic fiction set in pioneer or cowboy times. I guess I am a sucker for the Marlboro Man!  LOL!  This series doesn't let me down... and if you like rugged manly men books, they won't let you down either. But I also prefer my female leads to be strong women... not weak and wimpy damsels in distress.  Again, this series delivers the goods.

In Second Chance Brides, Leah and Shannon are stranded in Lookout, TX not sure where the next step will lead nor even what the next step should be. Neither can return home.. Shannon has no home, no family.. Leah would be forced to marry a man old enough to be her father just to provide security for her family.

So they set out to find either employment or husbands.  Employment isn't easy to find, but candidates for husband are!  The men in Lookout know the story.. that they are "leftover" mail order brides.. and they come calling not to court, but to marry. Sadly most want a housekeeper and cook, not a true wife. Is it too much for these girls to expect love before marriage?

The Anonymous Bride by Vickie McDonough

Yet another new-to-me author and again one I will be reading again! Loved this book. I confess the cover reeled me in.. it is just too cute and I felt sure the story would live up to my expectations.. and it did!

This is book one of the Texas Boardinghouse Brides.

When Rachel jilted him for James, Luke's heart broken and he ran.  Now he is coming home to become the new sheriff, determined to coexist with daily evidence of all he lost and to resist the love he still feels for Rachel. But then he learns that Rachel is now a widow and the towns folks expect the 2 of them to pick up where they left off.

Luke is not willing to forgive much less forget and Rachel is resigned to living life without love.

And then the brides arrive.  Luke's mischievous cousins take it on themselves to find him a woman, placing an ad on his behalf and without his knowledge.  Three women arrive as the mail-order brides of the Sheriff's and much to everyone's dismay they find shelter in Rachel's boardinghouse while things get straightened out.

There is a great deal of competition as each lady is desperate to be married and stay in Texas... and when Rachel decides to secretly toss her hat in the ring, sparks fly and humor abounds!

Wildflower Bride by Mary Connealy

Book 3 of the Montana Marriages Trilogy

The story for this book starts in book 2 (The Husband Tree) and while I have no doubt you could figure things out if you start with this one, it is a much more enjoyable if you read book 1 and 2 first.

Wade Sawyer is a changed man. Years of being bullied and abused by his powerful father took its toil and he was on his way to being as evil as his Pa. That is until God got hold of his heart and made him a new creation.  So now Wade faces a dilemma.  His father has been hurt.. bed ridden.. and he has sent for Wade to come run the ranch while he mends.  Should Wade go or should he avoid the man who has caused him so much pain?

Add to that, Wade is travelling with a white woman who was reared by Native Americas after the death of her parents and is now, once again, alone as her camp has been raided and destroyed.  How will Wade's father react to her, Abby, and she to him.

There is only one way to find out and so Wade and Abby head for home.

What Wade fines there is far from what he expected. His father still as angry and venomous as ever, but also dejected and broken.  Hired hands with no skill in their hands and no good in their minds.  Danger... treachery.. deceit.. and Wade is determined to get to the bottom of it.

As he does, Abby fights to find her way in this strange new world and wrestles with the feelings she has for Wade.

God has done so much in Wade's life... more than he deserved.. dare he ask for a few more miracles to come his way?

The Husband Tree by Mary Connealy

As I have stated before, I love books by Mary Connealy!  Cowboys and feisty women.. you cannot beat it!  LOL!  And Connealy does it right.

The Husband Tree is book 2 in her Montana Marriages series. I strongly recommend reading these in order as they build on each other. (But then I am one who obsesses a bit about reading books in order period.)

Belle Tanner has had her fill of husbands.... 3 to be exact.. and each one got a bit more worthless and lazy. She is thankful to the Good Lord for the 4 children she has as a result of these unions.. and more thankful that they are all girls. What would she do with a boy!?

Now that husband number 3 is buried under the husband tree, Belle is determined to do things on her own.. to not give in to the notion a woman needs a man to survive. She and her girls are as tough and hardworking as any man out there and they are set on a female only ranch.  But when Belle finds she has more cattle than expected and she needs to run 1000 to market, she knows she and the girls cannot do it alone. She sets into town to hire help, only to learn most are already gone with other ranches.

Silas Harden is new to the area and needs a job. He hires on with Belle (not realizing she is a widow) and sets off on the adventure of a lifetime!  1 stubborn woman, a stubborn cowboy, 3 girls and a baby driving 1000 head of cattle across mountains.  How on earth did he get caught up in this and will he ever get out... and does he want to?

The Manning Sisters by Debbie Macomber

This is a 2 for one read... 2 of Macomber's older books republished together in one.

The Cowboy's Lady is a super fun read!  I have a friend who reminds me so much of the leading lady in this story and she is married to a cowboy!  Taylor Manning is running away to find herself... to reinvent her life after a relationship disaster. Her plan... to hold up in a Montana town and teach for 1 year.. isolated from the rest of the world.  What this city girl didn't expect was a man like Russ Palmer. From the first time they meet there is friction and chemistry. These 2 can't decide if they love or hate each other and neither knows how on earth they will survive when Taylor moves back to Seattle.

The Sheriff Takes a Wife is the 2nd book in The Manning Sisters and is set in the same Montana town as The Cowboy's Lady. Christy Manning has come to visit her sister, Taylor, and while there she meets newly elected sheriff, Cody Franklin. Sparks fly and Christy is thrown into a turmoil of confusion. Recently engaged to a long time boyfriend, Christy has to decide where her heart belongs and who determines its fate.

Really fun stories! Macomber never lets me down.