This is a unique take on the mail order bride trope. This was a delightful and heartfelt romance. (

I recieved an ARC via netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review. (And I apologize to the author since I've had this a long time.)

Beneath a Prairie Moon is a warm and endearing read. I have been a fan of Kim Vogel Sawyer for many years and this novel didn't disappoint me. I found the character charming and relatable. The plot flows easily and the kept my attention. I really enjoyed on of the main characters Mack. He's one of the few men in this little town who didn't sign up and sent off a letter for a mail order bride, yet he finds himself in the very center of this drama in such an endearing way you can't help but love his personality and unique charm! The way some of these "bachelors" are written in a hilariously real to life and relatable way. From the owner of the matchmaking service, to her uppity assistant forced into this adventure, I found myself cheering for them and hoping for their success. This is a wonderfully told story of love, hope and expectation with a dash of harsh reality.

It's been so long since I read this book.
I love this authors books a lot so when I seen this one it was no exception for me to pick it up.
This book did not disappoint me. I found the story rather exciting!
She always fascinates me with each and every story she writes along with lovable characters and great plots along the way.
I love her life lessons for her characters along the way and yes some are even easy to make friends with and some even get what they deserve. ( Sorry I couldn't think of a nicer word at 2: 50 a.m. ).
This is an author at her best and she's a pro at drawing you into her stories before you know it.
This book is no exception. It has a charm all its own!!
And the cover? It's absolutely gorgeous!!
I highly recommend this book.
My thanks to Netgalley for a complimentary copy of this book. NO compensations were received. All opinions are my own

Beneath a Prairie Moon by Kim Vogel Sawyer was a delightful historical Christian romance.

Abigail Brantley loses not only her social standing, but her friends and fiancé due to her father being convicted of stealing from his business partners. She finds herself in a desperate situation and decides to become a mail order bride. Only trouble is, each groom she is matched with, sends her back.

The town of Spiveyville had 16 bachelors, each one sent away to Bingham's Bevy of Brides for a bride. Mrs. Bringham is sending Abigail to Spiveyville to tutor the men and turn them into suitable grooms.

I loved watching Mack, the one and only man who did not order a bride. and watching him interact with Abigail and fight his true feelings.

There was a clear presentation of the gospel, which was woven in beautifully. I have always enjoyed Kim Vogel Sawyers books, but the only thing I found hesitancy about in this one was the slow pacing. However the characters were brought up to open themselves to show their vulnerability and strength.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley.com. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

(4.5 stars) - a wonderful story of God's healing mediated through human charity

Abigail is struggling with the loss of her life as she knew it & is trying to at least hold onto the form of it in the structure of upper societal norms. This serves only to make her increasingly critical & bitter in her current lowered situation.

Mack has an idea of what that's like because of circumstances in his own past & does his best to help her even though she's kinda prickly initially.

Mrs Helena Bingham and the townsfolk of Spiveyville are engaging secondary characters that round out the story in a most entertaining, as well as touching, way.

The ending has a few strands that tie up a little too conveniently to be believable, but it's such a happy happily-ever-after that it feels ungenerous to deny any of the characters from being able to partake.

Clean romance level: sweet kisses
Religion: overtly Christian with Bible verse quotes, but fits in with the story rather than preachy

From the first page, Sawyers’ latest book has you hooked with lifelike characters and memorable scenes. I enjoyed how the perspective of the plot changed up two to three times each chapter as the point of view alternated between characters within a scene. That was a really nice difference that sets it apart from other historicals right now. I appreciate how the main characters changed and adapted to their surroundings and circumstances as the story progressed, though I don’t want to give anything away. God deals with each of them through their trials and, as they draw from Him, they are able to change and grow in their relationship with Christ and others.
I was given a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was well written and the characters were described well. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. It is a three star read for me. But it was still a good book. I can't wait to read more by this author.

What a special little town where everyone is good hearted and watches out for then others. Oh that's not to say that they aren't a little rough around the edges, but each is endearing. Founded by mostly single men, a bunch if them decide to send to a matchmaker for brides.

Helena wants to be sure that her brides are well cared for before she sends them out. Usually she can correspond to make this determination, but with this many men it is easier to pay a visit with her assistant. Neither of them expect the experience to be as it ends up! Wonderful read to get totally lost in for awhile.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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.”

Very enjoyable book! I loved that the matchmaker, Mrs. Bingham was so sincere about her mail order brides being matched to the right men. Abigail was so proper and uptight that at times it was humorous. The setting of a small town in Kansas was so believable. Abigail trying to teach the men, who were a little rough around the edges manners and decorum was amusing. I think readers will love this sweet story. Highly recommended!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.Characters were interesting and because of them the book was easy to understand. I will definitely look out for more books by this author to read.

Beneath a Praire Moon was not one of my favorites from Kim Vogel Sawyer. The main character wasn't enduring and I had a hard time connecting with her. By the end of the book, was beginning to connect with her but it took too long for me to really enjoy the book. I liked the supporting characters more in the story though.

I really enjoyed this story about a matchmakers assistant. The story is cute and entertaining and keeps you reading wanting to know who is up to what next. Nice storyline and a good clean read. It was fun seeing the young lady evolve from a hoity toity to a very sweet down to earth young lady. I would definitely recommend this book as a great and fun to read story.

I had heard of this book from a good friend, so when I got the opportunity to review it, I was overjoyed!

I have come to enjoy Kim Vogel Sawyer for her homey stories, with great character lessons and this one was no exception, such a sweet and lovely story. Honestly, the best thing about this book (and it was all great!) is the characters! Mrs. Sawyer did a great job of portraying each of them in a well rounded way, and made me feel like I actually knew them personally. I don’t just mean the main characters either. Other than the 4 or so main characters, there were about 10 or so secondary characters and each one was special and endearing.

This is the funny part though, for about half the story, the main female character is almost my least favorite. She had such a hoity-toity attitude about things, but ultimately that was what made her change of heart so much more meaningful.

I really enjoyed the matchmaker element, and getting to know all the bachelors (as I mentioned above, secondary characters). Honestly though, the most admirable of all, was Mack and his determination not to just put an advertisement in the mail, but the wait for the Lord to send a young lady across his path in His timing. Loved that!

Reading about the ‘courtship lessons’ put me very much in mind of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. So cute!

Spiritual content was really good! Seeing the spiritual growth and character development of each one was so wonderful.

All in all, this was such a fun, warm, and cozy story, and I highly recommend it! 5 out of 5 stars!

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book! Perfect for when you want a clean romance that gives you all the feels!!!
Thank you for the ARC!!

It was bad enough that Abigail Grant has been forced from her rightful position in society due to her father’s criminal actions. Worse that she has been forced to offer herself as a mail order bride through Mrs Helena Bingham’s matchmaker agency. But she’s now had six matches, and rejected them all … or they’ve rejected her.

She’s down to her last chance when Mrs Bingham offers her a different role. She has sixteen prospective grooms from a small town in Kansas. Unfortunately, their introductory letters show they are lacking in “social niceties”. But Mrs Bingham has a plan.

She is sending Abigail to Spiveyville to tutor the men and turn them into suitable grooms. And Mrs Bingham is coming to supervise. Unfortunately, the sixteen wife-seeking bachelors of Spiveyville are not well pleased when their brides don’t arrive—only two women who aren’t part of the bridal pool.

It’s a setup ripe with opportunities for humour, and Kim Vogel Sawyer does not disappoint. The humour is more understated than obvious, but it’s there. There is also a little romance, a little suspense, and a little Christian preaching (although it’s not preachy. It’s just Mrs Bingham sometimes can’t help herself).

Mrs Bingham was a pleasant surprise as a character. My first impression of her was a benevolent dictator with a backbone of steel. She has an element of steel—I expect widowed women needed a healthy sense of their own abilities to run a successful business. But I was impressed by her compassion for the girls she matched, and her genuine desire to make good marriages for her clients.

One thing confused me a little. I’m used to romance novels where the story is told from the points of view of the heroine and hero (and usually in that order). Under a Prairie Moon had four different points of view, which made me think it was going to be a secondary romance plot. There kind of was, but it didn’t go the way I was expecting (which isn’t bad). But it did leave me wondering why we had the extra points of view.

Overall, I enjoyed Under a Prairie Moon. I’m sure fans of western romances, especially mail order bride stories, will enjoy it. Thanks to WaterBrook Press and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

This book was absolutely AMAZING!! Great, quirky characters! Funny and sweet, my new favorite book!!

The town of Spiveyville Kansas is the setting for this 1880 tale. Abigail was part of the high society until her father's dealing destroyed her family's reputation. Abigail was forced to try and be a mail order bride. The problem was her standards were too high and Helena the owner of the mail order company has resorted in using Abigail to use her to teach 16 men in rural Kansas town how to treat a lady in order for them to be paired with Helena's girl. Abigail finds a few rough situations but has Mac the declared bachelor to help her out and a budding friendship ensues.

This offering by Kim Vogel Sawyer is an enjoyable quick read. There is humor throughout the book that keeps the reader entertained in this historical fiction reading. The reader will enjoy the slow romance for the two ladies and find themselves rooting for all of the men in this small Kansas town. Ms. Sawyer paints a picture of this town with all of their variety of bachelors that the reader can quickly begin to root for the men to find their perfect match. The characters are memorable and are equally as enjoyable as the main characters of Abigail, Helena, Mac and Bill. Fans of Ms. Sawyer will not be disappointed and readers of Tracie Peterson will find this an enjoyable read. 

I received an ARC ebook from Netgalley  and the publisher, Waterbrook and Multnomah Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Abigail Brantley hasn’t found her match yet, even though she has been sent out a handful of times as a mail order bride. Her father’s imprisonment overshadows her sense of self and her mother’s death put her adrift.

Mack Cleveland is the Kansas hardware store owner/operator. Due to a family member’s bad experience with a mail order bride, Mack is not interested in the newest bevy of brides headed to their small Kansas town.

Bride organizer, Helena, accompanies Abigail to Kansas with a special purpose. Since so many brides were ordered by one two, Helena wants Abigail to teach the men some basic manners and Helena wants time to assess the prospective grooms in order to pair them most effectively with brides.

This prairie life story had heart and I enjoyed it.

Beneath a Prairie Moon by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Story Notes

Kim Vogel Sawyer’s latest story is one that will teach lessons of grace, kindness and acceptance while also including a little suspense to keep the story interesting.

There is so much more to this story than the description provided by the publisher allows, which is both good and bad. Good in that the best parts of the story are kept within the pages but bad because the description is somewhat misleading, given the lack of full disclosure. Ms. Sawyer does a wonderful job of drawing readers in with her first chapter – the men of Spiveyville Kansas have banded together to request mail order brides for all interested unmarried men in town. With so few visitors it has become clear that if they are to each build a family they will have to send off for wives willing to come to them. Mack Cleveland, however, is firmly against the idea as his uncle was fully taken advantage of by a woman who came to town claiming to be his mail order bride. But with everyone so determined, Mack sees there is little he can do to sway them. He only agrees to help with the transporting of the brides to the town, but after that the men will be on their own. Helena Bingham is the proprietor and administrator of Bingham’s Bevy of Brides, a mail order bride service in Newton, Massachusetts,which matches willing ladies with appropriate seeking husbands. When she receives the large request of brides from the men of Spiveyville she has much to consider before she decides to send anyone to the requesters. While she is pondering what is needed, Abigail Brantley returns to her home with tales of woe from her latest placement. Abigail is Helena’s hardest client to date and seems to have an over inflated sense of self. Helena knows Abigail has the ability to be kind, sweet and charming but she cannot seem to bring herself to marry a poor, if hardworking, man. Given the amount of money Helena has spent trying to place Abigail, she will not place her again until Abigail reimburses Helena or agrees to help with the Spiveyville bachelors. Helena decides the best way to handle the situation is to travel to Spiveyville and help the men prepare for their wives. Given the letters she received it is clear they lack much when it comes to social graces and she will not sent her prospective brides to a man who will make them miserable. Abigail sees no other choice than to accompany Helena but determines she will not allow this “backwards” town to remove all her learned manners and decorum. Helena and Abigail’s arrival in Spiveyville without the brides causes an uproar that is quickly quieted by the Sheriff and Paster Doan. The men grudgingly agree to Helena’s proposed “lessons” to teach them how to behave around a lady, but are determined to start as soon as possible. What follows will be an exercise in patience for Helena and Abigail, but will be extremely helpful to the men who have never considered the correct ways to behave. And even though Mack was against the idea of mail order brides, he’s fully supportive of helping the men develop manners and social graces. As the lessons progress, both Abigail and Mack will come to appreciate each other for the impact they each make on the “students”. Mack begins to soften to the idea that women from big cities are not all looking to steal from others and further will see that in spite of Abigail’s initial prickliness, she is a very kind person. Abigail will have her life and mindset changed dramatically by the people of Spiveyville who teach her that just because someone is “poor” that doesn’t make them a lesser person. God will reach inside her heart and make it new, thanks to the faith challenges she faces on a daily basis in Spiveyville. And both Mack and Abigail will need all the knowledge they’ve acquired when Helena is kidnapped by a man determined to find a new wife – and it will be during this time that they both see how very much they’ve come to depend on the other for strength and spiritual encouragement. The end of the story brings about all necessary conclusions with a few joyful surprises thrown in for good measure. Ms. Sawyer did such a good job of making her characters come alive in the pages of the story. I could very easily imagine what each person described looked like as well as the actions they employed. I loved how strongly adverse to those who are poor Ms. Sawyer made Abigail, not that Abigail was right in her beliefs but that it gave an eye-opening view of what it looks like when we think we are better than others because of what we have. I truly disliked Abigail as much as Mack did when she first came to town, she was honestly rude and demeaning to everyone she deemed “beneath” her. But she was a perfect foil for Mack, who accepted all around him with grace and kindness and despite his dislike for Abigail’s snottiness, he sought to be her friend and protector. Ms. Sawyer gave plenty of page time to each of her prominent characters and thus allowed me to see how each of them grew and changed based on the situations they encountered. I could also see her faith in Jesus was evident in the way that she filled the pages with quiet reminders of how grace and mercy are extended to all regardless of social status. This wasn’t a truly daring book when it came to the action but there was enough to keep me reading the pages fairly quickly and wanting to know the ending. I will most certainly recommend this book to others as an enjoyable read, perfect for a trip or weekend at the beach. I look forward to Ms. Sawyer’s next book as I’m sure it will be just as wonderful.

I received this E-Book free of charge from Waterbrook and Multnomah Publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation from either company for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

Sweet and sassy, Beneath a Prairie Moon is a fantastic summer read. If you enjoy clean Christian romances set in the Hallmark version of the Wild West, pick this up.

Sawyer transports us to the prairies of Kansas where the good, but highly uneducated men of a small town reside. While set as a Mail-Order-Bride romance, there is a twist. Abagail isn't a bride, instead, she is sent as a tutor to prepare the men of Kansas for the brides being sent to them. She is pompous and proud because those are the last things remaining from her shattered life in high society. Mack is just a dear. So much so, that I honestly wasn't sure I wanted the obvious pairing to happen.

But Sawyer worked her magic, and I came away loving each character and the arch they were given. The big baddie didn't really seem like the right villain, and he came a bit out of left field, but it still added the traditional danger and drama we've come to expect from Westerns.

Overall, while a bit too long for the story it wanted to tell, this novel is as sassy as manners allow and as sweet as any love story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kim Vogel Sawyer, and WaterBrook & Multnomah for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.