"Beneath a Prairie Moon" is a Christian romance set in 1888 in Kansas. A group of men from a small, rough town in the West send money to a matchmaker agency in the East since there are no available local women. The matchmaker, an older widow, decides to travel to the town to assess the men to best match them up.

She brings along a younger woman who has been rejected by several matches. This gal uses manners as a shield to prevent people from accusing her of any wrongdoing and longs to retake her place in high society which was lost when her father committed a crime. She is tasked with teaching the potential grooms some basic etiquette.

The sheriff of the town is initially worried that the women are pulling a scam. The men of the town are impatient for their brides and don't see the point of learning etiquette. The sheriff and a respected shopkeeper keep an eye on the women to prevent the eager men from bothering them. The shopkeeper befriends the young woman when he learns of her past because he knows what it's like to be accused by society when you've done nothing wrong.

The story was told from the viewpoints of these four characters. It was a light-hearted story with funny moments. While etiquette played a large role in the story, the focus of the story was on how the main characters reacted to events and grew as people. The romance developed over time as people got to know each other and became friends. The main characters learned to more deeply trust in God. There was no bad language or sex. Overall, I'd highly recommend this enjoyable romance.

Beneath a Prairie Moon by Kim Vogel Sawyer is a historical romance novel that takes readers back to 1888. Mrs. Helena Bingham owns Bingham’s Bevy of Brides in Newton, Massachusetts. She is not surprised to find that Abigail Grant has returned once again. Abigail was raised to be a lady with a genteel education and refined manners. After the downfall of her father from his illegal dealings, Abigail found herself without a home and a fiancé. Helena knew Abigail would be a challenge, but she took her on anyway. The last gentleman (I use the term loosely) found her too “hoity toity”. Mrs. Bingham agrees to give Abigail one more opportunity. She has had a request from sixteen men in Spiveyville, Kansas who are looking for brides. Mrs. Bingham wants Abigail to give the men lessons in manners, table etiquette, how to court a woman, teach them to dance and proper decorum. They are met at the station by Mack Cleveland, the hardware store owner. Mack did not request a bride because he believes that only God can make a heart match. The enthusiastic grooms are not happy with the delay of their brides nor with the required lessons, but they will do what it takes to get wives. Events keep throwing Abigail and Mack together, but Abigail’s attitude makes it hard for him to get close. As time passes, Mack begins to see a different side of Abigail. Is there a chance for these two different individuals? Will Abigail realize that perfection will not bring her love and happiness?

Beneath a Prairie Moon is a delightfully entertaining novel. The book is well-written and has a steady pace. I enjoyed the mail order bride angle that the author used in this story. It was unique (hooray). There are a wide variety of characters from the oh so proper Abigail to Athol Patterson who ran the restaurant (and did not appreciate anyone else cooking in his kitchen) to the evil Elmer Nance. It was nice to see the townspeople work together to help each other in times of turmoil (a bad storm and a kidnapping). I like how humor was interlaced throughout the story. Abigail and her sunburn (ouch) provided me with some laugh out loud moments (you would have to read it to understand). Beneath a Prairie Moon is a Christian novel and the author handles it beautifully. There are good lessons woven into the story about forgiveness, pride, the power of prayer, having faith, and following the path God has laid out for you. The story has a villain in Elmer Nance and a hero with Sheriff Bill Thorn. I kept hoping Sheriff Thorn would end up with a certain lady, but it did not happen. The ending will leave you with a smile on your face and a good feeling in your heart. My rating for Beneath a Prairie Moon is 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it).

Kim Vogel Sawyer writes very well and I enjoy her books. “Beneath a Prairie Moon” is no exception. This is another mail-order bride novel, but with a twist.

Helena Bingham has a business matching eligible men with women of marriageable status, for a price. Abigail Grant has been sent to four different men for marriage, but either has returned of her own free will or has BEEN returned. She was raised in wealth, and when her father brought shame to their family by committing fraud, if she wanted to be married, since she was shunned by her former friends, she needed to become a mail-order bride.

Bachelors in Spiveyville, Kansas wanted wives, for comfort and for help on their farms and in their businesses. Since there were no single women in their town or surrounding parts, they collectively wrote letters to Mrs. Bingham seeking brides. When their letters arrive, Mrs. Bingham was appalled by their crudeness and illiteracy, not to mention lack of societal manners. In order to make sure she was not sending her girls into a bad situation, she decided that she and Abigail would travel to Kansas to provide classes for the men to teach them how to be husband material.

Although these marriage broker novels are mostly the same, this one in particular, is a joy to read. I found it so interesting because of the various characters and their mannerisms and also I found it very humorous which kept me reading. Ms. Sawyer has produced a good novel and I recommend it.

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

I really enjoyed the storyline. I loved the way Abigail slowly transitioned, it was done so naturally. Great story from start to finish.

Summary:

Estelle Brantley grew up in affluence and knows exactly how to behave in high society. But when she is cast from the social registers due to her father's illegal dealings, she finds herself forced into a role she never imagined: tutoring rough Kansas ranchers in the subjects of manners and morals so they can "marry up" with their mail-order brides. Mack Cleveland, whose father was swindled by a mail-order bride, wants no part of the scheme to bring Eastern women to Spiveyville, Kansas, and he's put off by the snooty airs and fastidious behavior of the "little city gal" in their midst. But as time goes by, his heart goes out to the teacher who tries so diligently to smooth the rough edges from the down-to-earth men. How can he teach her that perfection won't bring happiness?

Review:
From the first page to the last page this story keeps the reading wanting more. When it’s finished you still wish there was more to the book. The characters are very believable. The flow and development of the story is perfect. The editing is well done as I didn’t run into any errors which to me changes the flow of the book.

Conclusion:

Would I recommend this book to others? YES

Would I read more books from this author? YES

Is this book a Novel or Novella? Novel

After thoroughly enjoying Song of My Heart, Echoes of Mercy, and several others by Kim Vogel Sawyer, I was thrilled to have the chance to read an pre-release copy of Beneath a Prairie Moon. I was absolutely not disappointed.
Though I've really gotten a bit tired with the multitude of mail-order bride stories out there, Sawyer truly updated and altered the idea into a story I really enjoyed. It centers around Abigail Grant, who has been coerced into becoming the assistant to Helene, the owner and manager of the mail-order bride service "Bingham's Bevy of Brides". The two refined ladies make a long trek into the west to meet no less than 16 prospective grooms, intent on smoothing their rough edges before the brides arrive. As always, not everything goes as planned. But in this case, it ends up being better than either woman could've imagined.
I fell in love with this cast of characters. While Sawyer has a great style and provides a detailed story, it is the characters that truly drew me in and kept me reading. Though motley, they are lovable, relatable, and make the reader long for their happiness. I was honestly sad to see this one end, and would be thrilled to read a sequel.
I don't feel like there's much else that needs saying, really. This was a sweet read, and I highly recommend it for anyone who is a fan of Christian romance, particularly of the Western variety.