Seven Brides for Seven Mail Order Husbands was an interesting collection of novellas that kept enthralled throughout. I liked how all the novellas were tied to the same town and same group of characters, even though each one was written by a different author. I enjoyed seeing the different characters explored by specific authors, but that you could also see the same characters in the background in another novella. I enjoyed the romances between the different couples, and I was very intrigued by their idea of mail order husbands to audition to potentially court the ladies of the town. I liked the different characteristics and life stories of each couple. Overall, it was a very well crafted collection of novellas.

What a terrific collection of novellas by seven terrific authors. The novellas had a twist on the mail order bride plot. Each novella was well written. I loved each selection in the collection.

Seven Brides For Seven Mail Order Husbands is a wonderful set of seven delightful Historical tales by seven different authors. All the stories are set in Turtle Springs, in the aftermath of the American Civil War, and have the same core. It was wonderful to read seven unique tales about the same event.
The stories all had similar themes of recovering from war, trusting God, facing fears, new beginnings and more. The characters were all warm and welcoming.
Did I have a favourite story? No. Each one was a wonderful offering and I could not possibly choose.
A perfectly delightful book.
Abigail's Proposal by Cynthia Hickey is a most delightful tale to kick off the collection. It sets the scene for the tales to follow. It had a light hearted feel to it with wonderful warm and welcoming characters. It warmed my heart.
The Kidnapped Groom by Susan Page Davis is another wonderful tale. It had themes of family, love and hard work. A wonderful feeling of community which I loved.
A Clean Slate by Susanne Dietz is a delightful offering. The American Civil War divided not only the country but families. The end of the war left heartache and anger. Families felt loss but also needed to extend forgiveness. Faith and forgiveness go hand in hand because we are all sinners in need of a Saviour. There were some wonderful moments involving the children. A real heart warming tale.
Sunshine Of My Heart by Darlene Franklin is another delightful offering with a warm family feel to it. The war robbed people of so much and this story focuses on new beginnings. The past is gone but the future awaits. A wonderful read about the faithfulness of God. "Wherever we are, God is there - He doesn't change."
Come What May by Patty Smith Hall is a tale showing how God is the God of restoration. We need to trust that His plans are so much greater than ours. We do not need to shoulder our burdens alone. There is a wonderful family feel to this tale and I adored it.
Dime Novel Suitor by Carrie Fancett Pagels is a delightful offering about following God's plans. It has a real fairy story element to it with the arrival of an Englishman in Turtle Springs. There is a mix up in communication which is obvious to the reader but oblivious to the characters. A delightful tale that will warm your heart.
Louder Than Words by Gina Welborn is another wonderful tale which I found had Jane Eyre and Mr Rochester undertones at times. The story has many godly themes including those of trust, grace and fear. "You've limited God's grace to man-size proportions... and allowed your fear to grow into God-size proportions." We need to take our eyes off our fear and put our trust in God. Faith and fear cannot exist side by side. There was a wonderful warm community feel and this was a perfect end to a fabulous set of stories.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley!

This collection presents an alternative to the often-told story of mail-order brides. The twist of having mail-order husbands caught my eye. Why would upstanding women make such a request? What would it do to their reputations? The reason... men killed during the Civil War and a decimation of the town's balance. Although it is clear that the women are doing a commendable job, they want someone to partner and help meet with. Each novella is critiqued below.

Abigail's Proposal -- Mayor Abigail Melton is the instigator of the mail-order husband advertisement. She is a likable character dealing with men who are looking to marry her and claim her position of power. Josiah is also a likable character, especially as he expresses his frustration over constantly being trailed by eligible women in town. However, it seemed to me that his getting the job of sheriff without a real interview was unfortunate and didn't bode well for the husband "auditions". Perhaps, if he had had some experience as a lawman previously, I would have found it more believable. Nevertheless, he did his job well and I liked this pairing. 3 stars

The Kidnapped Groom was a fun story with great characters. I loved the two boys and found our main characters well-suited for each other. They clearly needed a man in their lives. 5 stars

A Clean Slate - I liked this story, especially with the possibility that Drew could end up with the girls' ma instead of the teacher. I liked the depth of the story regarding hard feelings between families and communities in the aftermath of the Civil War. The references to Shakespeare were sprinkled throughout and not overdone. Loved Drew's giving nature in helping around town. 4.5 stars

Sunshine of My Heart was a nice story with a twist regarding two transplanted New Englanders. I liked the characters, but found the situation too unbelievable. Would you let an unmarried man, interested in your daughter, sleep in a one-room soddy with you before they were even engaged, much less married? 2 stars

Come What May is a story about well-written characters struggling to deal with physical and emotional injuries caused by war. This novella felt full and authentic and hopeful, without shying away from the pain survivors must deal with. Truly a worthwhile read. 5 stars

Dime Novel Suitor -- I could not engage with this novella. The characters were not particularly compelling, and the whole story was based on a misunderstanding. The English aristocrat/minister aspect felt forced and borrowed too heavily from Mansfield Park. Do many characters, I was getting confused between them as the novella went on. This one dragged for me. 1 star

Louder Than Words was an enjoyable story about two people who don't quite feel like they fit in. I enjoyed all of the overlaps with the other novellas and felt that this one tied them together. I didn't care for the 65 family member approval (especially because Jane doesn't like big scenes) and didn't see how the recipe at the end fits in. Didn't much care for the poetry either, but did like the characters and Mrs Kassel. 3 stars

Cute novellas! The twist on this is fun. Typically you have men advertising for wives. But when many of the women in Turtle Springs, Kansas, are left widows the tables are turned. Each author brings very well written light heartedness to the subject. And always there’s a touch of intrigue in these stories where the ladies aren’t necessarily looking for love, and the men are sometimes looking for something else, too. I enjoyed these stories and if you like the mail-order bride era, then you will too!

I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to post a review.

This book is a variety of authors who all wrote about the concept of a mail-order bride, but with a twist, mail-order husbands. Set in a small town of Kansas, there is a passel of women who are wanting to bring men into their town after the Civil War took most of their men.
The first story in the book is Dime Novel Suitor, in which a British man arrives in the area on a holiday, to live out his dream of being as cowboy. The adventures of being a cowboy sounded intriguing. He arrives the same day as "auditions" that are being set for husband hunting, making Caroline Kane think that he's there for the chance to be a husband, not the employee he thought he was.

For me, this first story in this book needed to be a story that set the precedent of the rest of the stories. But this story had me confused. There were references to other individuals to whom I had no idea who they were talking about. It felt like I was plopped down into a town where there was story going on that I was eavesdropping on. Things that I was supposed to know about, such as the "auditions". It took awhile reading to finally figure out what the audition was, which is where the men came to auditions for a wife. But that's merely a guess.

Sadly, after this first story I didn't have an interest in reading the rest of the stories and just closed the book and moved on. :( It could have been that the stories were out of order with my copy of the book. I will give it another try, maybe starting with the story about the sheriff and Abigail.

Seven Brides for Seven Mail-Order Husbands Romance Collection
1866...Turtle Springs, Kansas....Since most of the men didn't return after the War Between the States the women decided to advertise for husbands to revive their small town.....Ad: “Wanted: Men to audition as husbands. Turtle Springs, Kansas. Auditions held May 25, 1866. Only Godly, upstanding men need apply. Check at Mayor's Office.”
-1..Abigail's Proposal by Cynthia Hickey
One of the first things Abigail Melton did as the town's new mayor was to encourage the ladies to place an advertisement for mail-order husbands. However, she needs to hire a sheriff first before those potential grooms arrive and so she hires a drifter, Josiah Ingram...single Josiah. Josiah is adamant he is not looking for a wife. Fun story watching Josiah as he “runs” from all the eligible ladies after him and Abigail as she searches for the right groom. Who will she choose and will Josiah really remain single and move on?

-2..The Kidnapped Groom by Susan Page Davis
This story brought lots of chuckles. Who would have thought two very young boys capable of kidnapping a cowboy—Sam Cayford—at gun point and taking him home to marry their mother? What a surprise for, not only Sam, but for their mother, Maggie Piner as well. Of course, this happens right at the start of the mail-order husband interviews and Maggie had decided to participate in. A fun, heartwarming story.

-3..A Clean Slate by Susanne Dietze
Schoolmarm Roberta Green is not taking part in the mail-order husbands interviews. She gives her heart to her students. However, a new “student”, Drew Cooper, just may win her heart—and far more. It was fun watching as Drew became Roberta's star pupil.

-4..Sunshine of My Heart by Darlene Franklin
Debbie Barker and her family live on the prairie not far from the small town of Turtle Springs. Debbie has chosen Zack Gage as her potential mail-order husband and he has come to see if he will like a life on the ranch. They both have much to learn when it comes to ranching and even love. Will love bloom and grow? A fun, heartwarming story.

-5..Come What May by Patty Smith Hall
Chardy Stevens certainly has her hands full caring for her four rambunctious younger brothers and running her deceased father's store. What she needs is a husband to help her, but she doesn't have time to look for one. Besides, she is still in love with her childhood friend, Luke Collins. Disabled veteran Luke doesn't see himself as a whole man and certainly not a man Chardy needs to marry. How would he provide for her and her brothers? Circumstances bring about a chance for Luke to help Chardy with her brothers that just may also open his eyes to other options for himself—and possibly Chardy. Great story of healing, second-chances and love.

-6..Dime Novel Suitor by Carrie Fancett Pagels
Widow Caroline Kane has no plans in participating in interviewing for a husband, she has enough to do running the restaurant/inn and caring for her siblings. When Britisher Barden Granville shows up and asks for a job she suspects him to be a potential mail-order groom her sister has set her up with. When in fact, he is in America on a “cowboy holiday”. There is far more to Barden than his adorable British accent as Caroline soon discovers—and some yet to be discovered. I loved watching the interactions between Caroline and Barden. Could it be that God has plans for Barden to stay in Kansas as the new vicar after all? Fun, heartwarming story.

-7..Louder Than Words by Gina Marie Welborn
J.R. Lockhart arrives in Turtle Springs to write about the men and women participating in the mail-order husband interviews. What he finds may be more than a story. Jane Ransome ends up helping J.R. meeting those around town for his article. Could he be the husband she is waiting for? But he is not one of the mail-order grooms and he is not staying in Turtle Springs. Then he surprises her in an unexpected way and...well, not telling. Cute, heartwarming story.

~I received an e-book copy from one of the authors via Netgalley, (no monetary gain were exchanged), this is my honest review~

What a wonderful mix of authors and stories. I really liked this book and all the stories in it. I think it is funny how the mail-order husbands auditions were pretty much like modern-day speed dating. I found many funny aspects in these stories and many sad ones as well. One character I wasn't very fond of was one of the brides whose name happens to be the same as mine, Debbie. She seemed childish and a bit spoiled to me, but she "grew" in the end in many ways.

This is a book about a town of mostly single/widowed women who are tired of being lonely and though they have run the town successfully since the beginning and end of the Civil War when so many of their husbands, sons, brothers, and sweethearts never returned or returned missing some parts of their bodies and their confidence in their abilities as men.

The acting mayor convinces the ladies that putting an ad in several newspapers around the country and holding auditions for husbands is the quickest and easiest way to get men into town for potential husbands. Many nice gentlemen arrived along with several not so nice gentlemen and the fun begins, right down to a cat-fight between two elderly ladies over one gentleman. Comical!

If you enjoy clean, historical, western romance, then this book is for you. I recommend it to everyone. Enjoy!

I always have loved books like this and use to have a huge collection of them. I like that they are quick and to the point. I always fall in love with the characters and wonder about them later about how their lives went on.

What a great collection of stories set in Turtle Springs, Kansas. After the war, so many of the men were lost and never returned to Turtle Springs, that the businesses are failing, women are on the brink of losing their homes..... Seven different authors wrote seven stories about a different woman set in this city where the female mayor decides to advertise for mail order husbands! They are to come to Turtle Springs and spend a few minutes with each woman until each agree to a man/woman and the courting can begin. Of course they have all sorts of men, some are not there just for the women some are their for their farms, money if they have any, etc. Each of these women are desperate for the help of a man in their life and choose a man to court them. I received this book of novellas in kindle format in exchange for an honest review through netgalley.com. I thoroughly enjoyed each of the stories and had fun envisioning each story as it played out. Each of the stories complemented the others as they often had characters from other stories that were active in the next. Reading about mail order brides is something I enjoy doing, this was a fun twist and I believe they were well written!

Description as found on Good Reads: Meet seven of Turtle Springs, Kansas, finest women who are determined to revive their small town after the War Between the States took most of its men. . .and didn't return them. The ladies decide to advertise for husbands and devise a plan for weeding out the riff raff. But how can they make the best practical choices when their hearts cry out to be loved?

I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter
and make believe it came from you. I'm gonna write words oh so sweet, they'll knock me off my feet.

Seven ladies in Turtle Springs, Kansas, have pooled their money together to post an ad in several newspapers nationwide in order to find a husband. The Civil War has decimated the male portion of the population, leaving many young maidens without prospects for a spouse. The men are to show up to audition for their prospective wives. Each woman gets to choose whether or not to pursue a relationship with the man whose eye she catches.

This olio of stories has only seven novellas which gives the author a bit more time and space to work with her characters and since all of the stories are set in the same place, the settings were not hard to work with, and the plot development could still be personalized by each individual author. This is one of the best collections Barbour Books has put out. Because the novellas get more space, the authors are able to refine their books with a bit fewer constraints.

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a letter from your mancrush.

My thanks to Barbour Books for allowing me to read and review this book.

Seven women seek husbands to help them rebuild a Kansas town.

Meet seven of Turtle Springs, Kansas’, finest women who are determined to revive their small town after the War Between the States took most of its men. . .and didn’t return them. The ladies decide to advertise for husbands and devise a plan for weeding out the riff raff. But how can they make the best practical choices when their hearts cry out to be loved?

Abigail’s Proposal by Cynthia Hickey
When her father never returned from the war, Abigail Melton stepped into his role as town mayor. The town needs men, and she needs a husband—and she has a big idea how to find both—but her first duty is to hire a sheriff. And drifter Josiah Ingram will do just fine.

The Kidnapped Groom by Susan Page Davis
Riding through the Flint Hills on his way to Dodge City, cowboy Sam Cayford finds himself the kidnapping victim of two children. When he meets their lovely mother, Maggie Piner—whom the kids insist he should marry—Sam starts to question God’s plans versus his own.

A Clean Slate by Susanne Dietze
Schoolmarm Roberta “Birdy” Green won’t marry any of the prospective grooms flocking to town. After losing her fiancé in the war, the only love her broken heart can bear is for her students. But then she takes on a new pupil—Drew Cooper, one of the gentlemen drawn to Kansas by the advertisement for grooms.

Sunshine of My Heart by Darlene Franklin
Debbie Barker longs to bring beauty to her new home on the prairie, where her family moved after the war, and seeks a husband to help her father run the ranch. Zack Gage returned home from the war to a life in ruins—family dead and business bankrupted. He answers the mail-order husband ad to seek a fresh start. But neither Debbie nor Zeke know what they are doing when it comes to ranching. . .or love.

Come What May by Patty Smith Hall
Chardy Stevens is at the end of her rope. Between running her late father’s store and tending to her four younger brothers, she barely has time to breathe, much less look for a husband to help her. The boys scare off most of her prospects and throw Chardy together with her childhood friend Luke, a disabled veteran who seeks her happiness above his own.

Dime Novel Suitor by Carrie Fancett Pagels
Widow Caroline Kane is the proprietor of a restaurant and inn—and responsible for her five teenaged siblings. But she has no plans of finding a mail-order groom. Britisher Barden Granville IV is on a “cowboy holiday” when he finds himself flat broke in Kansas. When he answers an old “help wanted” ad, Caroline misconstrues Barden is there as a potential husband. Will the beautiful and fiesty widow cause the new vicar to make Kansas his home?

Louder than Words by Gina Welborn
After years of writing abolitionist pamphlets and chronicling soldier life during the war, J.R. Lockhart is bored and jumps at the opportunity to investigate an advertisement for husbands for an article in Godey’s Lady’s Book. Jane Ransome would like to help the charming-but-oblivious-to-life-out-West man chronicle the courtships developing in town, but she has her own husband to find—one who will fit perfectly in her picket-fenced Kansas home.

I'm always torn with short novellas because I don't get a lot of information in them. This was just meh for me and I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either. Some might really be gung ho for it but for me...it just wasn't for me. I thought that it would be different and I love storylines like these but in the end...meh.

I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's.

Truly an amazing collection of novellas. Each one introduces someone else from Turtle Springs and what is happening in their lives as well as their place in the community. Excellent stories bringing a closer look at the aftermath of the Civil War and its effects on a town of women left alone. Highly recommend.

Another great edition to the short story collections! An interesting concept of having men audition and there was a good variation in the types of the women as well as background stories being diverse too. My only issue was the way the stories all took place within the time frame hence making it a little repetitive when we had conversations happening twice throughout the book..

I enjoyed reading this lighthearted collection of stories. Journey to Turtle Springs, Kansas where men are in short supply and the women of the town have decided to take matters into their own hands by sending out advertisements to newspapers across the country.

“Wanted: Men to Audition as Husbands. Only Godly, Upstanding Men Need Apply.”

I loved the laughter and unexpected surprises along the way. A fun collection of short stories that will bring a ray of sunshine to your day! Each unique story involves one of the ladies from the community of Turtle Springs, Kansas and her adventure or misadventure to find a husband. Each of the stories builds upon the others, and you’ll enjoy seeing glimpses of friends from previous stories. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the antics. This is a lighthearted collection of stories that will leave a smile on your face.

*I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have are my own

When the lady mayor of Turtle Springs, Kansas sets out to help the female population of her community all kinds of things happen. What's the plan? It's to have auditions for husbands for the single or widowed women in her town. As the War between the States has taken the lives of many of the men of Turtle Springs, an advertisement goes out and brings in many candidates and possible choices for the many women left in town.

I liked these seven stories which all were woven together as one to show the events in the lives of the people of Turtles Springs. Each story seems to build into the other. These were all sweet romances during the historical time period of the mid 1800's when life was a bit more rugged.

The stories, although with a common thread, were each different and unique which keeps your interest going throughout the book. I enjoyed the Christian themes throughout and was glad that I had an opportunity to read this delightful series of novellas.

Disclosure; I received a complimentary e-book copy of this book from NetGalley for my honest review which I have given. All thoughts are my own

Seven Brides for Seven Mail-Order Husbands by Cynthia Hickey, Susan Page Davis, Susanne Dietze, Darlene Franklin, Patty Smith Hall, Carrie Fancett Pagels and Gina Welborn, is a collection of novellas by seven authors who provide the "voices" in our story. The Civil War was a brutal war in our nation's history, creating widows and orphan of untold numbers. It is spring in the year 1865 and in Turtle Springs Kansas, the women left behind are tired eking out a living and barely getting by. They band together to solve the shortage of men by placing an ad for mail-order husbands. Men travel from far and wide for the chance to be interviewed for the honor of courting the husband hunting women. Imagine a little town of 223 with so many bachelors converging at once that a tent city is constructed near town. Every man had a different reason for answering the ad but none so sweet as the ones who were featured in this collection.

I liked having the continuity of the story crossing each novella. Each author built on the main story yet added her own rich style to the mix. Each story had a different aspect that made each couple unique. Reluctant grooms and grooms who still felt the wounds of war each shared a deep love for the woman they married.

Historical elements like the one used by Carrie Fancett
Pagels in The Dime Novel by adding soldiers traveling to real life Fort Mackinac through Turtle Springs during that era add an interesting element to the stories. Little extras added to the story kept me hooked and drove me to search for more history online.

While this collection is fiction it is indeed true that the hardships of war can be felt long after men come home to their families to pick up their lives. For the many women and children left behind it was such a devastating loss to run the farm, run businesses and keep the family going when their man didn't make it home.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy to review this book. I enjoy American fiction and this book gave me new insight to the Civil War. While the book is definitely entertaining, I can't help but think of the untold stories of women who lived through the years after the war ended.

I liked how the stories were all linked. Each was the story of one of the ladies in the town of Turtle Springs and the advertisement for men to come and "audition" to be husbands to all the unmarried or widowed ladies in the town after the Civil War. I thought each short story was well done. I liked most all the characters and the couples that were united. One of my hang ups was the fact that the stories were all taking place at about the same time. People were mentioned from previous stories but I couldn't keep everyone straight and had to go back to remember their story. The mayor and the Sheriff were the only ones I could really remember well. This was a fun set of stories to read and they certainly paint a lovely picture of a small town after the Civil War and the struggles they had during that time. It was an interesting premise.

A nice collection of stories. What happens when women decide various ways to find husbands? Posting ads could be the way to happiness. Each author tells a different story and brings all the characters to life in unique ways. I enjoyed these stories. I received a copy of this collection from Net Galley and this is my personal honest opinion.