I honestly only picked this up because I wanted to read Michelle Griep's story so I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the other stories I read in the collection! I like how the stories were very different from each other with themes like baseball, horses, safe houses, smallpox, and even a marriage of convenience. This collection is definitely a worthwhile purchase!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley.

Barbour Books publishes excellent collections of historical novellas from wonderful authors and this collection is a great example. I have followed almost all of the authors in this particular collection and their creative talents shine, even when restricted to a shorter novella format. The book spans the latter half of 1800s in the US and takes you all over the country on exciting adventures that include railroads being built out west, an all-female baseball team, a marriage of convenience in the world of shipping business, the life of an immigrant desperately seeking a wealthy husband, righting social injustice, horse-riding lessons and shows, fly-fishing, libraries and academia, and car racing. It's a fun journey into America's Gilded Age that you won't want to miss.

This review will focus on Jennifer Uhlarik's Union Pacific Princess. Set in 1867 Dakota Territory, the daughter of a railroad executive Dara must brave the unfamiliar when she goes out west to reconnect with her estranged father. She meets Gage, a former Confederate soldier, who is a friend of the Cheyenne and working secretly to derail the plans of the railroad company's expansion into native territory. Dara is young, sweet, and compassionate but also impulsive and fiery. Gage has a tragic past that he's been working through and serves well in his role as the protective, loyal, justice-seeking hero. There is plenty of action and drama in the plot and the author addresses the social injustice that the minorities endured during this time with sensitivity and grace.

If you enjoy historical romance, you will absolutely love this novella collection. I received a copy of the book from Barbour Publishing via JustRead Publicity Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

I am not an avid romance reader, so reading through a collection of romance novellas...let's just say I've had my fill of romance. ;) That being said, I did enjoy the stories. There was amazing diversity. Most of the stories were very well-written and historically accurate (I cringed at a few too-modern lingoes but that's the historian in me). Overall, I enjoyed this collection and would like to read more by these authors.

Following are my individual story reviews and ratings (you'll notice I got less specific as I read through the collection; my apologies).

Union Pacific Princess -- Dara joins her father out west after being separated for seven years. As he continually pushed her away, she finds herself falling in love with the handsome stranger, Gage. If this seems like a romance story, you bet it is. There was a small subplot about the railroad and Cheyenne which I thoroughly enjoyed. And for a novella, these characters had great backstory. It was an easy read and never lacked in excitement (which makes me think of the romanticized "old west" due to how much happened, rather than what I have learned is historical west). I enjoyed this story besides the "lost in her eyes" parts. 4 stars.

The Perfect Pitch - Winnie is the leader of the girls' baseball team, practicing to win for a charity event when Beck comes on scene as the ideal coach. There was a lot packed into this story -- the Liberty Belle's practices, Beck's past hurts, and society events to name a few. It felt very authentic to the time period. There was a slight message on forgiveness but it didn't stand out super strong. That would be the main Christian theme (besides a few prayers). There was less romance in this story than in "Union Pacific Princess." The characters were interested in each other and battling their emotional feelings but there seemed a decent balance between the romance and real-life issues. I really liked this one. 4 stars.

A Gift in Secret - Oh I liked this story! Maybe it was that it was set in my birth-state, Louisiana, or maybe it was because there was a hint of mystery as well as a decent Christian message. I will confess that a couple times it was a little unclear all of the details of the will and I never quite was satisfied with the reasoning behind it. But beyond that, it was a marriage-of-convenience tinted story. There was a nice flavor of humor as well. I think one of the reasons I liked it was it appealed to my less-romantic tastes. Sure there were a couple of kisses but they were just stated, "And then he kissed her," not going into paragraphs of all of the tingles and thrills they felt. That is just my personal preference. As I mentioned, this one does have a decidedly Christian element, though it seems as if May changed her stance from questioning God's love to suddenly having lived a life where she was seeking to please God. I don't disagree with the messages portrayed, just the way the character seemed inconsistent. But, like I said, I really liked this story. 5 stars.

For Richer or Poorer - this story tugged at my heart strings because of the street orphans. Woody's involvement with them and Ella's jumping in was just wonderful. I appreciate the clear salvation message and the theme of trusting God and following him. The romance was sweet overall, though the epilogue definitely had in depth kissing. 4.5 stars.

A House of Secrets - I found this story to be well-plotted and intriguing. Yes, a brothel is the backbone of the story, but it is because Joseph is fighting to shut it down. It did not go into explicit detail, but there were some mentions of questionable behavior and such. The romance had some feels to it, but it seemed more plot-driven than romance driven (or by this time, my non-romantic self has figured out how to skim for these stories ;) ). The spiritual message...God was definitely mentioned and prayed to, but apart from the characters seeking His direction it didn't really stand out to me. 4 stars.

Win, Place, or Show - I enjoy reading stories where I feel like I've learned a lot. In this one, there were a lot of horse facts and terms. It was fascinating to read. The end seemed to culminate quickly, but you only have so many words in a novella, I understand. From the very beginning, both characters had thoughts of infatuation with each other, some of which was quite...more than I prefer. Now that I think about the spiritual content...it didn't seem very Christian. They prayed in trouble, asked God for direction, but as for daily Christian living, I forgot I was reading a Christian novella (and I know that appears harsh; I'm sorry). 4.5 stars.

The Fisherman's Nymph - this one was different in that it took me just as long to like the Charles as it took Abby to like him. He was a well-shaped annoying fellow, but with great internal growth as well. However, Jonathon was my absolute favorite character! He and Abby's papa were the main, strong-Christian characters. Unfortunately they each only had one main scene in which they shared solid truths (and even then, it was more just encouragement than pointing to God and His Word). The romance...Charles was an insufferable flirt and Abby viewed him properly as such. There seemed to be a little more story than just romance in this one, which I liked (of course). There were a couple of kisses and feelings. I enjoyed learning about fly fishing. And Harold the squirrel was a neat illustration throughout the story. 4.0 stars.

The Gardener's Daughter - And this one would be the sweetest of the novellas, in my opinion. Of course, Maggie being a librarian lured me. But there wasn't all of the drama about relationships and the convulsions of feelings and getting lost in someone's eyes. It was just a sweet tale of two people who enjoyed each others' company and whose enjoyment grew to sincere love, not mere infatuation. A lot about "faith" was mentioned, even though it was not exactly expounded. Trust in God was the most apparent theme. This was just too sweet. 5 stars.

A Tale of Two Hearts - Another enjoyable read with an interesting plot. I liked both stories. The romance was friendship level with several mentions of noticing others. Now that I'm thinking back, the only reference of God/Christianity was prayers for safety. I didn't notice a strong Christian theme. 4 stars.

*I received an eBook from NetGalley and happily provided my honest review*

This substantial collection contains stories of romance and faith in God in the midst of hard circumstances, often times involving finances. The novellas span the years of 1867 to 1899. As with all romance collections, many of the stories follow the storyline of man and woman meeting and falling in love. The uniqueness of each plot makes these different. A couple of the stories have more of a suspense element as in Uhlarik's "Union Pacific Princess" and the possible shady dealings against Cheyenne Indians. Similarly, Griep's "A House of Secrets" involves the secrets of a home with a dishonorable past and whether it will come between an engaged couple.
The gentlemen are swoon-worthy in the stories and most of them are honorable to their female counterparts. The collection is not without a roguish exception, as can be found in Wright's "The Fisherman's Nymph" . Fishing guru, Abby, has to deal with a flirty customer who has signed up for her father's excursion trips while she denies her own feelings. A few of the novellas cover issues of class and how love and admirable character are foundations for marriage over finances or lineage. Vetsch's " Win, Place, or Show " is a romantic tale of an uncommon socialite and her riding instructor as they bond over horses and their mutual attraction. Switching the class levels, "The Gardener's Daughter" is an impoverished library assistant who reluctantly falls for a scholar from an esteemed family in the selection by Love.
Playing a part or not revealing your true self from the beginning are key to two stories. Sam in Y'Barbo's "A Gift in Secret" introduces himself on the docks to May and from her point of view, is quite infuriating. But he turns out to have a very different side of his persona.... Likewise, in " For Richer or Poorer" by Monk, Woody uses a different name and pursuit to escape his past. But eventually Ella, an immigrant from Poland, discovers the truth while falling for him.
One of the elements I enjoyed in several tales was the talents or interests of many of the female protagonists. In "The Right Pitch", Dietze has written about a female baseball player whose love of the game helps her find love with an injured former soldier, who is also a factory owner. One of my favorites in the collection and the last story is by Meyer and has a" Downton Abbey" quality. "A Tale of Two Hearts" pairs up Lucy, the lady's maid and Eli, a footman/chauffeur as they work in a mansion during 1899. The salvation element is not central in every story as many of the main characters are already believers. Often times, the characters are reminded to trust God's Plan in their life despite dire circumstances or possible rejection. This bundle of short stories can be enjoyed by inspirational and historical fiction readers alike.

I was given an ebook copy of this collection by the publisher. Thank you

My posts and reviews are my own.

Journey along in nine historical romances with those who lives are transformed by the opulence, growth, and great changes taking place in America’s Gilded Age. Nine couples meet during these exhilarating times and work to build a future together through fighting for social reform, celebrating new opportunities for leisure activities, taking advantage of economic growth and new inventions, and more. Watch as these romances develop and legacies of faith and love are formed.
This is an anthology full of women and men in different financial circumstances sprinkled all around the new United States taking place in the late 1800s. Each story is inspiring with a underlying Christian theme and very well written. I highly recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

Overall, an enjoyable collection, earning 4 stars from me. A breakdown of each novella is below.

Union Pacific Princess: This novella had moments of intrigue, violence, and betrayal. It also touched on the sad history of how native Americans were treated when they stood in the way, just by existing. Gage was a very likable character, but the others didn't pull me in. 3 stars for this portion of the collection.

The Right Pitch: I enjoyed this novella very much. As a big Phillies and Philadelphia fan, I loved those aspects of the story. I could just imagine myself in Winnie's place, being the first female pitcher on the Athletic's well-tended field. Winnie has moxie and insight into herself and others. Beck struggled to feel complete, but brought his strengths to the field. Very good story. 5 stars for this part of the collection.

A Gift in Secret: Excellent novella with endearing characters. A complicated will results in a reunion, but not like the reader expects. I'm a sucker for good looking, gentlemanly "pirates". Nice wrap up with the scar and Maribelle. 5 stars.

For Richer or Poorer: Another wonderful story in this collection. Woody and Ella have such caring hearts. I love the orphans' names, like someone nicknamed them to remember. It would have been enjoyable to see Musty's reaction to a bath. Maybe the antagonists were over the top, with a typical explanation for Mrs. Harris' behavior, but I was so caught up with Woody and Ella that I can forgive that. I imagine a Polish speaker would very much enjoy that aspect. 5 stars

A House of Secrets: I had a difficult time with this novella. I had to re-read parts several times to understand what was happening, and the ending came too quickly. Several story lines of significance were left unresolved. I didn't find the characters very compelling, and Maggie was completely one dimensional. 1 star

Win, Place, or Show: I learned a lot about horses from this one. The pace was just right, and the characters seemed real. Although the love came more slowly, it seems like that would be more the way it would happen in real life. Enjoyable read. 5 stars

The Fisherman's Nymph: This one taught me a lot about fly fishing. Again, the pace was just right, and the characters' pain vivid. The animosity in the beginning seemed like it was to much to overcome in such a short time, but I enjoyed the ending. 3 stars

The Gardener's Daughter: The premise of this one was intriguing, but I felt like it was a story that has already been told several times. It was cute, and I really wanted to like it, but I couldn't get into it for some reason. Sometimes the backstory twists don't help. 2 stars

A Tale of Two Hearts... This novella was interesting and fast-paced (pardon the pun). I very much liked Eli and Lucy, and their struggles to do well outside of their elements. The wrap up was very quick, but that can be forgiven in a good short story. Title didn't really go with the story for me. 4 stars

A lovely collection of romance stories!

Novella collections are so fun to read, and the uniting theme of this nine-author book is especially tempting with its Cinderella-like glimpses into the glamorous life of the late 1800's to early 1900's. (Yes, I like a touch of glitz.)

Win, Place, or Show, by Erica Vetsch, has interesting details about horsemanship.

The wording used in For Richer or Poorer, by Natalie Monk, put me right in the setting of the story with a sweet immigrant woman trying to help her family and a handsome hero trying to help homeless orphans.

With the twist of a female fishing guide...I'm sure this was unusual for the 1900's, The Fisherman's Nymph, by Jamie Jo Wright, is a good story of reversed expectations and of wilderness experiences, which I love.

All these novellas offer sweet romance with a touch of faith. A lovely, varied set of romance mini-books!

*I received a copy of this book through NetGalley. This review is my honest opinion.

This is a book for people who enjoy reading Historical fiction, and rags to riches romances. The nine different novellas were interesting, but didn't hold my attention the whole time, and I would read a few and then switch to another book or activity. It was a fun adventure traveling with the different characters to different places such as New York and Wisconsin, and to different social classes. This book was good and the writing styles of the authors was refreshing.

A book of stories with a common theme of rags and riches... be it rags to riches or even riches to rags or at least the threat of it happening. A wide range of stories from various authors. My Personal Favourites were: A Gift in Secret by Kathleen Y’Barbo, For Richer or Poorer by Natalie Monk and Win, Place, or Show by Erica Vetsch. I love these kind of books because you get introduced to many new authors that you may never have known.

What a great group of historical Christian fiction books. All of these authors combined write a great book at a time in history that’s exciting to see penned about. It starts with a great story about a woman who has not really had a present father in her life but now she faces time with him, a great story premise to start it all off. There’s another story about a man who tries to save women from lifestyles that were unfortunate because he watched his sister go through it. All together I would have to say that my favorite of all 9 was the Gardener’s Daughter by Anne Love because it’s set in Michigan and as I was reading I could picture its beauty. It’s a story about seeing a person for who they truly are, with no pretense and loving them. Check it out for yourself with the links below.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

9 pretty good historical romances.

A nice collection of 9 novellas. Each story of the Gilded Age was very enjoyable., admittedly, some were more to my liking than others. Some of the authors were familiar to me and I found some new to me authors.

This wasn’t a book that was a page turner for me. It was one where I could read a couple of the novellas and put it aside for a few days and then get back to it. I didn’t have a favorite story in this collection and that’s because all of them were well written.
I received a copy from Netgalley and have given my honest opinion.

Lovely collection of romantic stories. Great to put on an end table for a quick afternoon read. I love how each of the stories offers so much depth and gives the reader just enough for a quick read but doesn't feel like they missed anything by reading a short story. The detail is impeccable. I didn't feel like any of the authors had to hurry up and finish their story. Each was perfectly planned to not have a quick run through ending that I've seen so often in short story collections. Loved that the stories were clean but sweet.
I received a digital copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I like these romances because they are like a cozy romance. The individual stories are short and easy to follow. This makes it easy to read when you are busy or short on time. They are a comforting read and I like the little stories.

Of Rags and Riches Romance Collection is a delightful set of nine novellas chronicling the lives of nine couples from a variety of socio-economic stations in life. The stories are set between the years 1867 and 1899, during a time in US history known as the Gilded Age (The term was coined from a satirical Mark Twain novel, The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today).

I enjoyed each of the stories in the compilation-some, of course, more than others, but each had its own endearing qualities. I learned a few new words (which, by the way, I love to do when reading). For example: faille, a word defined by Wiktionary as a fabric woven from silk, cotton, or rayon with slight ribs.

I was so engrossed in the story of the all-female baseball team in Susanne Dietze’s The Right Pitch that I was startled when members of the team were transported by carriage. The story is such a captivating and timeless saga that I forgot it was set in the 1800s!

Debut author Natalie Monk does an extraordinary job with her novella, For Richer or Poorer. I was drawn to Marcella Lipski and her plight in wanting to find a way to bring her family to America.

Each novella has a sweet story with messages of faith, hope and love; some have stronger messages than others, but all complement their stories well.

If you want a quick read or would rather spend more time lost in history, Of Rags and Riches is the perfect book to curl up with and get lost in the Gilded Age.

I received this book from NetGalley. However, I was under no obligation to post a review.

Of Rags and Riches is a vagabond bag full of 9 Novellas. The stories have race cars, gentlemen, competitions, railroad, newspapers, native Americans, orphanages, adventures, Suspense, danger, baseball, forced marriage, mystery, righting wrongs, horses, mishaps, turmoil, College Romance and believe it or not there is a ton more. This book was abounding in mystery intrigue, fun, romance and love. Some of these stories can be very plausible today if you added modern day conveniences to things. These authors made a monumental feet - they blew me out of the water with each and every story being so intrinsically. These stories are stark and also lighthearted as well you cannot beat all that.

Author Review: It is an honor to be able to take part in a collection like this. Working with the other authors in this anthology was a dream come true. They put together a collection I was not only excited about writing, but reading their works as well!

In this book I found I liked some of the novellas better than others. Some were well written and had depth while some...not so much. It's not that I didn't like some of the stories, they just weren't my favorite. I'm not sure I would purchase another book by these particular authors. The story lines were ok in most of the novellas. I just like a little more depth to my story. If you like a lighter, easier read then you would definitely like this book.

This collection is the perfect fit for readers seeking a variety of bite size yet satisfying stories. As an added bonus, there's also an excellent chance of meeting a new author (which opens the door to MORE satisfying stories... YAY!). 

 While I won't take time to comment on each individual story (there are NINE of them after all), I especially enjoyed learning little tidbits about baseball, horses, and fly fishing and my heart melted over homeless orphan children, a secret safe house, academic pursuits (library dates? yes, please!), and a sibling in need. Every story within this book is graced with a swoon-worthy, strong, and heroic male lead.

It's no surprise that we as readers enjoy rags to riches stories and tales of love rising above all circumstances, think of The Prince and the Pauper, Cinderella, Ruth and Boaz, Esther, and a whole host of modern movies I won't bother to list here! This collection is a delightful smorgasbord of Gilded Age romance and heartwarming entertainment. 

I requested the opportunity to read this book through the publisher. The opinions expressed are my own.

She's rich and he's poor or he's rich and she's poor but the love bug bites these couples and turns their life around and these really are rags to riches stories for all these couples. Barbour Books has done it again by bringing together 9 authors who write encouraging and faith filled stories that show personal developmental growth in the characters.I am continually impressed with the beautiful covers Barbour Books have as well. I recommend this for all lovers of historial fiction because you will get a real treat reading stories by not one but 9 authors.
Pub Date 01 Jul 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing, Inc. for a review copy in exchange for my honest review.