A book of 3 stories written by Tracey V. Bateman.

The first story followed Cassidy and her orphaned niece Emily Responding to an ad by a man looking for a wife and mother for his four children they find themselves headed to Kansas. This was a very interesting story that I found hard to put down. The attraction between Cassidy and Dell was so believable and real. I really liked how patient Cassidy was with her new family and how she was not afraid to speak her mind to her husband. This was my favourite story in the series.

The second story follows Tarah. Cassidy's daughter. While initially dealing with troubles of her own Tarah comes across Laney, a young girl whose father spends all money he gets on drink. One quote that stood out for me was "God has a way of lifting us from our own problems by showing us how much greater need exists in this world" which was true in Tarah's case. There was a lot of comic relief in this story, that had me laughing and reading this story well into the night.

The last story focused on Laney and what I took from the story was forgiveness. I also liked the way the whole family came together to help Laney in her business ventures.

The one thing that didn't sit well with me however was the countless Indian scalping comments that were made. At another time it wouldn't have bothered me as much but probably due to other stories I've read that present what I believe is a fair, unbiased view of happenings at the time, it did. Although the comments were mostly made as comic relief I did not like the way in which it seemed like the Indians ,as they were called, went around thoughtlessly attacking, completely unprovoked. They are often made out to be like savages in many of these stories set in earlier times.

Other than that, I really did enjoy this book and really liked the characters and the strong family bond present in all the stories.

Good stories and characters. Had read these stories in individual paperbacks and enjoyed visiting them again.

Ebook from negalley and publishers with thanks. Opinions are entirely my own.

Stories of love, hard ships, holding on and going forward.

BRIDES OF KANSAS BY TRACEY V. BATEMAN – BOOK REVIEW

Brides of Kansas by Tracey V. Bateman

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Story Notes

Tracey V. Bateman brings the lovely Plains-land of America to life with her three-generation-span stories that will give readers a challenge to their faith and ability to trust, believe and forgive.

Ms. Batemen is an author I have read once before and was very pleased with her ability. In her latest book she shows her talent again by creating stories that span three generations of the St. John family. Beginning with Dell St. John, who is looking for a new mother for his children, Ms. Batemen tells a story of learning to trust God. Dell’s first wife died giving birth to their fourth child and although he knows he needs to find his children a mother, he will not allow his new spouse to become pregnant for fear she will die as well. Cassidy Sinclair was working her way west on a wagon train with her niece but, when problem after problem occurs, they find themselves with little money and a broken wagon. After seeking a paid position in the little town they have stopped and being unsuccessful, Cassidy sees an advertisement for a wife in the general store window. Desperate to care for both herself and her niece Emily, Cassidy makes inquiries and discovers Dell St. John is a kind, if infuriatingly flirtatious, man who offers his home and protection in exchange for caring for his home and family. Agreeing to become his wife, Cassidy and Emily set off for Dell’s home immediately after the ceremony with Cassidy praying she did not make a mistake. Dell is affectionate enough with her but Cassidy can tell he is holding back – wrongly believing it is because he does not find her attractive. But it will be tough for them to grow closer at their home as all Dell’s children and his former mother in law( Ellen) are all upset at his remarriage. And after a telling off by Ellen about the possibility of killing his wife through childbirth, Dell pulls even further away from Cassidy. But they soon discover that Cassidy is already expecting, much to the terror of Dell. Attempting to bargain with God for Cassidy’s life, Dell misses out on the joy of this celebration of new life. It will take Ellen’s forgiving kindness to Cassidy, the eventual acceptance of Dell’s children, and Cassidy’s strong faith as an example to Dell through her pregnancy and delivery that will help Dell learn how to trust God with the lives of those who are precious to him. This story sets up the other two that follow and was very well done. I really enjoyed the writing and was very pleased with the outcome. I’m not sure how I would have done in the same situation but I would like to believe that I could go wherever God directed me to go. The second story was of Dell and Cassidy’s daughter, Tarah, who has become school mistress after her graduation. Dealing with her mischievous brother Luke was putting her patience and teaching abilities to the test enough and then comes the arrival of Josie Raney, a female equivalent of Luke, who will push Tarah to the breaking point. Add to this the return of Josie’s uncle/Tarah’s childhood crush, Anthony Greene, the continual snubbing/derisive attitude of Luisa Thomas – who is hoping to marry Anthony herself – and two abused, very poor children living nearby, and Tarah has almost more than she can handle. But she believes that God has given these two children, Laney and Benjamin Jenkins, into her care and she will do whatever it takes to ensure they are cared for and have a proper home. Anthony Greene is a recently graduated pastor who has returned home to share the Word of God with his hometown. Having several Sundays in which there is little to no response to his “hell-fire” sermons, Anthony begins to question his job and his calling. But God will use both his mother and Tarah to pass along the truth that he is called to share the love of God with people more than to rail at them about hell and damnation. Learning much from his time with Tarah as they seek a better home for Laney and Benjamin, Anthony will discover the amazing power of forgiveness, honest belief and love. This was my least favorite of the three as I didn’t much care for the plot of the story. It was still very well written and developed, I just didn’t like the actual story itself very much. Mainly it was the lack of backbone by Anthony to tell Louisa Thomas off for being a jerk to everyone and insinuating to everyone they were courting. I’m not much for men who are too timid to speak up when it comes to spiteful and rude women being so terrible to the people they love. The third story was probably my favorite as I really loved the character Ms. Bateman created in Laney. A tough, very talented young woman with many facets to her character, Laney reminded me very much of myself in the desire to prove her worth to both her family and others around her. The one she’s out to prove the most to is Luke St. John, whom she has been in love with for several years. I laughed so much as I read the first five pages which had Laney so determined to prove to Luke she was a “real woman” that she just grabbed him and kissed him silly!! Luke is certainly shocked and confused at this unexpected behavior of Laney but after considering for a while he decides she’s just the type of woman he’s looking for in a wife. Though she is not overly feminine, she is logical, thrifty, kind, sweet and a hard worker. And as its his dream to build his own ranch in Oregon, Luke quickly begins a courtship with Laney. But his quest for marriage will be derailed when Laney learns that Luke plans to leave Kansas as she vows she will never leave her hometown. And when tragedy strikes at Dell St. John’s ranch, Luke will take over the management for his father, also derailing his plans to head west. God will use Luke’s family and Laney’s love to convince him that he can be his own man without moving far away or starting a new cattle herd. Laney will be given the chance to see she is lovable in spite of her somewhat “manly” ways and will also be given the chance to forgive the father who sold her and her brother to Tarah for a horse and $10.00. Ms. Bateman did a good job of keeping my attention and anticipation up throughout all three stories. I was most pleased with the contrast of the more advanced vocabulary of the educated persons in the stories versus the “colloquial” vocabulary of those who had very little schooling. The lessons learned by the characters are important and I was glad to see that Ms. Bateman did not make light of the challenges of faith she presented to her characters – rather she had them face and conquer them completely, though not without stumbles along the way. I will recommend this book to others and may reread these stories at a later date as they were most enjoyable.

I received this E-book from Barbour Publishing/Barbour Books via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation from either company for this review.

I really enjoy Tracey Bateman as an author and this book is no exception. It contains three complete, interrelated stories and I liked each one of them. These sweet stories are filled with faith, history, and yes...romance. A winner for sure.

I have read other books in the 50 States of Love series by Barbour and like the others this is a winner! I haven't read a Tracey Bateman book in years but it was enjoyable to see and read 3 of her previously released short stories re released together in a new pretty cover.
Pub Date 01 Aug 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing, Inc. for a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Brides of Kansas by Tracey V. Bateman is actually three stories in one. In the first story, beginning in 1868, Cassidy becomes a mail order bride and the subsequent stories are of the following generations.
Cassidy and her seven-year-old niece are traveling west with a wagon train but now funds have run out and the wagon needs repairs so she needs to find a way to support the two of them. When they arrive in Council Grove, Kansas Cassidy sees a notice for a bride and decides to answer it. She meets Dell and agrees to marry. Th e adventure though is just beginning. His children are not thrilled when he comes home with a new wife and child. Will the family be able to work through the issues and survive or will Cassidy and Emily need to go back to Council Grove?
This book is very well written and the characters are realistic; I was rooting for Dell and Cassidy to find a way to blend their families. There is a lot of action going on and the story moves along at a nice pace to keep the reading along; I did not want to put this one down. The additional stories continue the first one with the focus on family members of the next generations; I really liked this style of writing. I give this book 5 of 5 stars. I recommend it to everyone who enjoys historical romance and especially the “Brides of…” series. Another hit for sure!
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Brides of Kansas is an immerse teaching book - yes I said teaching for us as to how to let GOD lead/direct our lives and if HE does we and our loved ones turn out a - ok. HE shows us things that we need to be made aware of for the safety of others - using ANY means HE sees fit to do It including just telling you. If you give GOD your whole life/will HE has THE best will for you and HE will take you places if you let HIM - or HE will use you and take you places right where you are. GOD also hears every prayer HE just might not answer loud/fast enough for you but HE has HIS perfect timing and perfect answer which could be NO because HE knows something you don't You see these are just a few lessons learnt in this book but this book IS NOT PREACHY - it is fun, touching, acrobatic with your emotions - yeeeeeehaaaaaaaaa - courageous, dazzling, entertaining, exhilarating, gargantuan in gentleness, graceful, heartfelt, impassioned, Jovial, kindhearted, and pighearted. The characters are well defined and each story is better than the other.

I’ve previously read only "A Love So Tender" by Tracey Bateman, to which I gave a rare five star rating. I was happy to try this author again and ultimately enjoyed all three stories!

"Brides of Kansas" (August 2017, Barbour) is about the 10th book in the "50 States of Love series." Each collection in this series is set in a common state, written by a common author. This particular collection was written by Tracey Bateman, and features various members of the same family in the state of Kansas.

Side note: Tracey Bateman can also be found on Goodreads under the names Tracey Victoria Bateman, Victoria Bateman, and Tracey Cross.

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Overall rating: 4 1/2 stars
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Book #1: 4 1/2 stars

"Darling Cassidy" (2000, Heartsong Presents)
First in the "Kansas Home" series by Tracey Bateman
Set in Council Grove & Harper, Kansas in 1868

When 35-year-old Cassidy Sinclair’s brother died a few months ago, she became her seven-year-old niece’s guardian. Cassidy’s brother’s farm was sold to pay off debt, and Cassidy is now desperate to find a way to provide for little Emily. She finds a wanted ad that might be the answer to their needs. “Woman of Marriageable Age and Status: Must Love Children.”

Christian elements:

*“She had to be sure God was behind this. Enough miseries occurred in the world when people jumped into things just because an idea sounded good.”

*“Take your time, and come back when the Lord releases you.”

I think Ms. Bateman does a great job of showing how God can be front and center in our lives.

What I liked:

*The sense of unease that I would expect in a marriage of convenience between two virtual strangers was well portrayed.

*Marital intimacy was an integral part of the plot. I was really surprised to see this in a former Heartsong book. It was done extremely well. There was nothing to “see,” but it was (tastefully) a topic of conversation frequently, so I would not recommend this book for teens. The door does stay firmly shut.

*I was surprised several times with plot twists, and by the fact that some small predictions I made turned out to be untrue. I’m always impressed when an author can throw me for a loop.

What I didn’t like:

***slight SPOILER***
“A strange sense of disappointment filled Cassidy” when she learns that Dell isn’t very interested in getting married. They had barely met at this point, so it it was a bit too soon for a comment like this, in my opinion.
***end SPOILER***

*I object to the phrase “unable to stop herself.” God gives us all free will, and I don’t think Christians (or Christian authors) should use such phrases, even casually.

*There is an act of deception by one of the main characters that was totally unacceptable, and I believe it would be deemed so by any person in any walk of life. I’m not going to mention what it was because it would be quite a spoiler - one of the aforementioned surprises. However, it was brief and dealt with quickly, and as such, it wasn’t a big problem. The deceiver readily accepted that it was ill-judged and apologized.

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Book #2: 4 1/2 stars

"Tarah’s Lessons" (2001, Heartsong Presents),
Second in the "Kansas Home" series by Tracey Bateman,
Set in Harper, Kansas in 1871

***slight SPOILER***
I was a bit hesitant to read this story because the sullen teenage daughter from "Darling Cassidy" is the heroine in the second book.But she has grown up quite a bit (although she still reads like the young lady that she is), and the reader will root for her.
***end SPOILER***

The heroine: Tarah St. John, 19, is teaching at the local school, and unfortunately for her, her rambunctious brother Luke is one of her students.

The hero: Anthony Greene, who Tarah has always admired, is back home, fresh out of seminary. The town is in need of a preacher, and he’s very eager to preach.

Christian elements:

*There’s a lot of scriptural application in this book. The salvation message is included, as well as some other topics. I really think this is one of Ms. Bateman’s strengths as an author.

“‘If you’ve prayed about this and it doesn’t seem as though God is answering, perhaps you should ask Him if there is a lesson He wants you to learn … Often the way we react to pressure teaches us more about our own hearts than we would ever learn if things always worked out smoothly for us.’”

What I liked:

*I really enjoyed reading about Tarah as a schoolteacher and Anthony in his first preaching position. The reader sees how the two handle challenges along the way. I always love a good teacher or governess story, and a preacher point of view gives me a similar feel.

*It is apparent that Bateman has done thorough research for this story.

What I didn’t like:

*The hero frustrated me in his failure to discourage the unwanted attentions from another young lady, presumably out of a misplaced sense of kindness. As the town’s new pastor (even on a trial basis), he should have discouraged the woman out of caution for his reputation, if for no other reason. His hesitancy to do so didn’t feel quite realistic to me. To be fair, I’m sure that there have been real-life examples of similar situations. It does serve a purpose in the plot, but it frustrated me regardless.

*A common type of phrase in romances that drives me crazy: ”She shifted her gaze… to find him studying her mouth.” Why, oh why do so many books have phrases like this? I just think it’s so strange. Do people really study the mouths of others when they wish to kiss them???

*There is a short spoiler, which reveals a plot point from the END of "Darling Cassidy", the previous book. I think authors should bend over backwards to avoid doing this. People read books out of order all the time.

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Novella #3: 4 1/2 stars

"Laney’s Kiss" (2003, Heartsong Presents),
Third in the "Kansas Home" series by Tracey Bateman,
Set in Harper, Kansas, 1879

The heroine: Laney Jenkins is a bit of a tomboy. She wears pants and is never afraid to get into a conflict. The story opens with Laney accompanying her extended family on a cattle drive. At this point, she is already in love with the hero of the story. Tarah, the main character of the previous book, brought Laney up, functioning as Laney’s guardian.

The hero: Luke St. John, Tarah’s younger brother, grew up with Laney, although in not in the same household. Their relationship is somewhat volatile, and they’re always bickering with one another. I was a bit surprised at this type of hero-heroine pairing at first, but given that marrying cousins was acceptable at this time, I quickly became accustomed to the idea. Luke is technically sort of Laney’s uncle. But because their ages are similar and they were brought up in separate households, they function more like cousins. (And remember, they’re not blood relations at all, nor did any adoption take place.)

Luke doesn’t seem interested in Laney. He views her as “a pretty girl,” but an unfeminine one. She can “outride, outshoot, and outtrack most of the men living in and around Harper…. A fellow doesn’t want a wife who’s more of a man than he is.” Laney doesn’t take kindly to the criticism and aims to prove him wrong. Although, not in the way the reader might expect!

Christian elements:

*”God has such a wonderful plan for your life. I only hope you’re not too stubborn to let Him unfold it for you.”

*”I remember Doc Simpson saying once that even doctors can’t control what God ordains.”

*This story directly addressed concern for a sick loved one not knowing Jesus and perhaps dying that way.

What I liked:

*”When you find a man who really loves you, he won’t want to boss you around. You’ll be partners.”

*Luke and Laney figure out that they love each other very early on. However, they soon realize that their individual dreams are in direct conflict. I’ve read MANY romances, and don’t remember seeing this device used before. Even though from my point of view, Luke is totally in the wrong, I can easily see that some readers would disagree with me. I think this is well done by Ms. Bateman, and the eventual resolution was skillfully written and is worthwhile to read.

What I didn’t like:

*Laney’s initial love is stated (in her head) but not shown, and Luke’s is of the I-didn’t-realize-I’ve-loved-you-until-now sort. There is a sweet scene near the beginning of the book, but you have to take it as it is due to what feels like instalove. Additionally, I am unconvinced of the likelihood of two children who bicker all the time eventually falling in love. Especially when there’s no visible transition to strong friendship with some tender feelings. On the plus side, their love does mature and grow stronger during the story (albeit after they are in love).

*There is a slight spoiler for the middle of "Tarah’s Lessons," the previous book in this series. I always think it’s preferable for authors to avoid this.

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The bottom line: I enjoyed all three stories, and recommend this book to fans of Christian historical fiction. I would like to continue to read this author and have my eye on "Emily’s Place," fourth in the "Kansas Home" series. (I presume book four of the original series wasn’t included in this collection because it would have made it too long for the format of the "50 States of Love" series.)

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I discovered quickly that I had read each of the books contained in this volume years ago when they were published individually. I enjoyed them then also. I really have enjoyed this author's work over the years.

very now and again, I encounter a book that I've read a long time ago and it's like being reacquainted with an old friend. Brides of Kansas is a compilation of three books featuring one family in Kansas. Cassidy is raising her niece, Emily, after her brother passed away, and she's going west on a wagon train. She is looking for work and sees an advertisement in the general store for a wife and/or housekeeper for a man and his four children. She decides this might be the answer she's looking for.

Tarah fell in love with Anthony years ago, and now he's back in town, but Louisa Thompson has her claws into him.

Laney wants to be in charge of her life, regardless.

These three women find love unexpectedly and delightfully.

Tracey V Bateman is one talented author who not only develops her characters one by one, but continues their development throughout the collection of novels. She is one of my favorite authors and certainly hits the mark with these three stories. Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a ranch in Kansas.

A great collection of three historical romances. I enjoyed each well written selection.

Always enjoy Ms Bateman's work....another winner!!!

Brides of Kansas (50 States of Love) is a collection of three books by Tracey V Bateman. These books include:
Cassidy - Starts in 1868, Cassidy Sinclair is faced with taking care of her niece alone and having to marry a stranger.
Tarah's Lessons - Starts in 1871, Tarah StJohn finds herself helping two children who have been abused.
Laney's Kiss - Starts in 1879, Laney Jenkins is a strong willed woman who is determined to not have a man change her plans for the future.
I love Tracey V Bateman's books and this collection did not disappoint. Cassidy, Tarah, and Laney's stories are fun, delightful and sweet. I would highly recommend this book for those who love historical fiction, full of faith and inspiration.
5 plus stars.

A good trilogy of stories that follow the St. John family from matriarch Cassidy to her stepdaughter Tarah then leads on to Laney, the child Tarah takes under her wing. A good mix of characteristics that I recognised in myself - stubbornness particularly - and a set of good, headstrong women who readers end up cheering on as they find their way to their beaus, whether they're a mail order bride or rekindling a romance with their childhood crush. I enjoyed the book, I just wish I'd found out what happened to Emily a little more!

I enjoyed reading this bundle but sometimes I thought that the inspirational part was a bit too pronounced. Trusting and having faith are one thing but very often the characters felt punished by god because they hadn't kept their promise or whatever - maybe this is not unusual but somehow I was a bit upset when god and his punishment were used to keep a couple apart and when somebody suffered a lot because he or she thought that she had brought down something horrible on someone because of a prayer for help.

Apart from that I liked these stories that followed several members of a family from the first meeting of the Cassidy and Dell in the first book to the marriages and love stories of their children in the other books.
A wonderful loving family who open their hearts to those around them and who help others no matter what it costs. You just have to love those people and you feel with them und hope that everything turns out just fine because their love for each other and for those in need of love around them is touching.

Love, laughter and hard but honest work are the basis of their lives and it is great to see how everything comes together and everybody ends up with the right partner.