What a conundrum these two are in! It's kind of a hopeless case of being forced into a situation because of a mystery and the reverend not standing up to gossip. I liked how Heather and Sterling made the best of it, and a true friendship grew. I thought the romance could have been stronger, and I missed the development of that aspect of their relationship. The plot is steady, although the narrative was a bit disjointed, but I was invested in the outcome of the mystery of where baby Gracie came from and who she really belonged to. The author dropped some hints as to the person stirring up trouble, and it was a sad reveal for the family to realize the betrayal. Baggage from the past woven in with faithful friends in the present gave Heather and Sterling plenty to figure out yet a strong support system while they did.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Mail-Order Christmas Baby was another great read from this author. I've enjoyed several of her previous stories, so I was looking forward to this one. The story line was unique -- instead of a mail-order bride someone received a <i>baby</i> in the mail...and the birth certificate said the parents were the main characters!

I found the characters delightful and the romance was sweet. I loved how there were a few mysteries in the book and the ending was great.

All in all, Mail-Order Christmas Baby was a lovely read and I recommend it.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

The premise of this book appealed to me, a baby sent in the mail, by train, no return address. Hmm... where can the author take this I wondered?



What she did was create a delightful book. I was left wondering why someone would send a precious baby girl to an unmarried couple, listing them as the parents? Strange. It was beyond the realm of comprehension, but given the time period, had a bit of realism.



Sterling and Heather were a fun couple. They had interest in each other without anyone else knowing about it. They are unexpectedly thrown together in a scandal and have a quick wedding. Through it all, they showed grace and fortitude. The baby, Grace, was absolutely adorable.



The book has an element of intrigue that takes a while to be revealed. I didn't realize the full scale of the deception until the end. Sherri Shackelford does a great job at keeping part of her plot a secret and surprising the reader.



If you are looking for a cute, quick book to read. This would be a great one to pick up. It is a clean romance with some kissing and Christian themes.



Source: I requested a copy of the book from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

DNF'd around 35% - the pacing was incredbly slow, and the characters where two-dimensional. I'll re-read the author's holiday story from last year again instead.

When 2 year old Gracie is sent through the mail, with a letter naming Sterling Blackwell and Heather O'Connor her parents, it send the whole town into a tizzy. They are both shocked, and it throws them into a lot of speculations, even Sterling thinks that the child must be Heather's because they share the same color of red hair, but he thinks that the father is his brother Dillon who went out with Heather a few times before he left for the Calvary.

Sterling and Heather agree to marry for Gracie's sake, and to quiet the talk in the town, but will they find real love together?

Heather doesn't want Gracie to feel unwanted, like she did when she was little, her mother died and her father dumped her with some relatives. She puts Gracie's needs before her own comfort, and cares for her and comes to love her, despite the town's talking.

Sterling feels guilty for Dillon leaving for the Calvary, and feels that Dillon and Heather might have married if not for Sterling's interference. Sterling stays busy with his property, but he makes sure that Heather and Gracie are well cared for, even though he doesn't see them often. But when Heather get's sick he has to care for Gracie and finds that he really likes her. He realizes that he doesn't want things the way they were and makes an effort to get to know Gracie and Heather better. When Sterling and Heather find missing money in the bookkeeping, they work together to find out what happened when Sterling's father was alive, and where the money went.

As they get to know and care for each other Sterling worries about what will happen when Dillon returns, and Heather worries that Sterling feels trapped in their marriage. I like the way that the hard times bring Sterling and Heather together, they are both people of strong faith, strengths, as well as faults and fears. Fantastic read from beginning to end with everything from romance, a marriage of convenience and mystery! Highly recommend!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."

Sterling was more then surprised to find a baby sent to him through Wells Fargo but even more stranger was that the lovely Heather was claimed to be the mother while he the father when they had never had such a connection. Now to save their reputation they decide to marry and give little Gracie a home that is until the true parents come to claim the child.

So I'm not sure how I came upon requesting this book through Netgalley. I think the cover drew me in and that was all I knew that it was gonna be a Christmasy kind of book. While ready I quickly came to realize that this was a historical romance and I'm not a fan of historical romance. For me this was a pretty slow read, it was still a good book but just not for me. The story line was interesting, the characters were pretty good. Overall it was a pretty good story just not the type of book that I'm usually drawn to.

Sterling Blackwell was making a delivery for Wells Fargo Bank. Heather O’Connor was a teacher from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania who had just moved to Montana. Dillon Blackwell had fetched her from the train depot. She was infatuated with him. He had just signed up for the Calvary. A two-year-old girl was just delivered at the train station for Sterling Blackwell. She had been sent from Butte, Montana. However, Sterling couldn’t find out who sent the child.

Join Sterling and Heather as they find out where this Christmas baby came from. I liked seeing a marriage of convenience bloom and it was entertaining to see the interaction between Heather and Sterling. Enjoy this good Christmas read from Harlequin romance.

I love it when a book leaves me in good spirits and smiling, and Ms. Shackelford manages to do that with her stories each and every time!
Mail-Order Christmas Baby does deal with rather serious issues of family dysfunctions and baby abandonment and it definitely isn't all feel-good light fluff, yet it leaves the reader with hope for the better days to come and that message lifted my spirits.
Sterling Blackwell and Heather O'Connor find themselves in a predicament many couldn't handle well. I admired their patience, perseverance, and goodwill to look after the precious baby-girl and sacrifices they made for her wellbeing.
Heather is a character I easily connected with. She loves order and numbers, enjoys baking and crafts, she is smart, capable, with an independent spirit, she has a kind heart and she is careful to guard it against hurt and pain.
Sterling is an alpha male, in charge and commanding, yet his good heart, his kindness, and his generosity are obvious to anyone around him. He is not afraid to take a stand for what he believes is right, he joyfully takes care of the baby and plays with her, and even play the nurse when the need arises. His nightmarish childhood and the verbal abuse from his father still plays a part in his life, both Sterling and Heather need healing from the past pain and wounds to be able to move on.
The shyness Sterling and Heather process around each other is endearing, but the connection between them is palpable, their feelings obvious to all around them. I enjoyed the complicated courtship between them, as they try to get to know each other and take care of the baby and the ranch in an all-around difficult situation.
Historically, the timeframe of the story is an interesting period, as the country is trying to get back on its feet after the war and trying to build for a better future. The development of technology and the new challenges the people face are well embedded into the tale as it smoothly flows off the pages while paining clear images in the reader's mind of the events occurring.
An entertaining and uplifting tale of overcoming obstacles, learning to trust and forgive, opening your heart to the new possibilities offered to you, and daring to face them head-on. A story that will touch your emotions yet will leave you with a smile and faith for the better tomorrows to come
~ Four Spoons with a teaspoon on the side

This is book one in the Montana Courtships series, so what a great place to start. If you like marriage of convenience type books you will love this one. It is not your typical mail-order type book, for this one involves a baby and not wife or groom on the train. There is humor, love, friendship, mystery and more in this novel, I look forward to reading more from this series.

Sterling Blackwell is a handsome rancher living in this small town, when he finds his name on a birth certificate along with the pretty school teacher he is not sure what to think. Sterling and Heather must find common ground and make some serious decisions.

Heather O'Connor has never really felt loved or pretty. When Gracie is claimed to be her child an overwhelming love surrounds her. But will she be able to face all the gossip this small town has to give?

Another new to me author and definitely one I won't be missing! I loved the characters and the plot line in this page turning book. With inspirational messages woven throughout this book definitely gives the reader a heartwarming experience.

This was an interesting book to read. I did have a very strong suspension about who was the bad guy but it did not change my enjoyment as I read. Sterling Blackwell does not know what to do with the baby that was mailed to him. Heather O'Connor steps in. She knows what it feels like to be unwanted as a child and will not let that happen to this child. That leads to a wedding between the two and the start of a mystery. Who mailed the child and how and who named Heather and Sterling the parents?
At the heart of the mystery is not only the baby but the ranch that Sterling is working hard to save. Seems someone does not want that to happen. This is a very well crafted story with great characters. Seeing Sterling and Heather get their HEA left me with a very warm feeling. This is book one in a new series and there were plenty of new characters who need their HEA. Don't know who will be next but I will watch and then read the next book in the series.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

If you’re like me and are creeped out by covers with only a baby (or babies) or a toddler on them, don’t worry: there’s much more to this book!

I actually skipped over Mail-Order Christmas Baby the first time I was picking a review book – that kid-cover! – but then I went back, realised the author was one whose work I really enjoy, and decided to be brave.

I am glad I did. This is one of the more mature (not in age, but in character behaviour and author skill) Love Inspired books I’ve read, and I really enjoyed both hero and heroine.

The story has twists and turns and never drags. In fact, I might have enjoyed this book more than any other Love Inspired Historical I’ve read – and I’ve read quite a few!

All the characters came across as regular people, all with their own personalities and flaws. Yes, even the cherubic child on the cover isn’t perfect! A nice surprise for a Christmas/Christian/child-themed book.

For me, the mark of a good Christian book is that you don’t remember it IS a “Christian” book, but just enjoy it as a good story. This is definitely the case here. Sure, these characters go to church a couple of times, but #1 it’s Christmas and #2 it’s the 1800s – people did that!

Other than that, this is simply a nice little (sex-free) romance that has some kissing etc., but gives our characters time to fall in love.

A side note: I was really surprised to see the American word “diaper” was absent from the story, so I did a little research. It turns out that term has only been used since the 1950s.

I would definitely recommend Mail-Order Christmas Baby for anyone who likes historical romance set in the American wilderness. It’s not too cheesy, but it’s perfect for Christmas.


(Oh, and you SHEAR a sheep, but they SHEER the sheep in this book. I’m Australian; we have sheep everywhere. It’s a bit hard to overlook that one!)

Somehow I missed that this was an historical romance. It was very cute, and edgy in a way. Unfortunately, it was just not my cup of tea.

A very sweet historical story that is a must for any reader interested in this period! Sterling, Heather and baby Grace will wrap your heart ans squeeze it. I loved it!

I've read several Christmas novels recently and this one had many aspects I adored. First of all a baby and then a historical romance that takes place in the Old West. There was also the mystery of where the baby came from. I didn't figure that out but did figure out early on who was behind the ranch's frequent accidents. I love seeing a marriage of convenience blossom and it was entertaining seeing the interaction of Sterling and Heather. So pull up a comfy chair and enjoy this and many other Christmas reads from Harlequin this Christmas season.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book. It started out with a lot of potential. I love stories where both the hero and heroine think for one reason or another they wouldn't be "good enough" for each other. Maybe it's because I grew up very poor and with that mindset myself, or maybe it's because it's so reminiscent of God and His great mercy that we could never deserve. Whatever the reason, I am drawn to those situations and this one worked out well. Sherri Shackelford is a solid writer.

My only complaint about the Love Inspired Historical line is that it is being discontinued by Harlequin :(