While reading the blurb of this collection, Prairie Promises intrigued me. It wasn't the usual set up, and I have to say, it was my favourite book in this collection. I found the collection fascinating, I had never heard of the homestead laws before this. Yet another brilliant collection!

The Homestead Brides Collection is nine short stories of women adapting to homesteading lifestyles.
Homestead on the Range by Mary Conneally- Widow Elle Winter meets newcomer Colin Samuelson and there is an attraction. It quickly cools when they realize they have seven children between them. Can they overcome their fear to let love take over?
Priceless Pearl by Darlene Franklin- Rick Eady grew up struggling to make ends meet. America Barton grew up not wanting for anything. She and her family secure land in the Oklahoma land run and meet Rick hos comes to their aid many times. Will an attraction grow between him and America?
Proving Up by Carla Olson Gade- Elsa applies her scientific theories to growing trees; her neighbor uses his experience. What happens when they collide at the property line?
Prairie Promises by Ruth Logan Herne- Jack O’Donnell storms in to take his mother back east after she is widowed. What happens when he learns she is friends with and helping a young pregnant widow and has not intention to move back to the city?
This Land is Our Land by am Hillman- Mollie Jameson is on her way to claim the land her father homesteaded before time runs out. She has her two younger siblings with her when they are caught in a snowstorm. When a stranger gets them to safety in the storm will she trust him to take the deed to the land office, as he can get their by horse or will she end up homeless?
Flaming Starr by DiAnn Mills- Starr Matthews arrives at her Texas homestead only to find it occupied by widower, Aaron Conrad, and his children. Starr has funds and Aaron has skills to run the homestead. Can a deal e worked out to share?
A Palace on the Plains by Erica Vetsch- Julie arrives in Nebraska a hired seamstress for a wedding. Cyrus is a widowed father and doesn’t need any distraction from a fancy city girl. A natural disaster will test the strength of this city girl. Will is also change how Cyrus sees her?
Waiting on a Promise by Becca Whitman- Marta’s fiancé left over a year ago to homestead and promised to send for her. She is tired of his excuses to wait to come. Will her unexpected arrival cause him to lose everything he has been working to build for them?
The Bogus Bride of Creed Creek by Kathleen Y’Barbo- Iz returns home from a long trip to learn he has a pregnant wife. Everyone in Creed Creek loves Cora. Will he throw her out or will they come to an understanding once all the facts are known?
I really enjoyed reading this collection of stories. I believe they will have a wide appeal to anyone who likes to read Christian romance and history. Some are a bit humorous as the situations are not always ideal. I give this book 5 of 5 stars.
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

nine short stories with wonderful characters, you can feel the fear, hope, strenght, thoughts for a better future:
a)Elle widow with 4 children meets in town her new neighbor, colin. nice story,different people handle problems in different way.
b)New start and new life in the claim land in Oklahoma for Bartons family. America is the oldest child,17yo,she has a lot to learn in that wild,farm,isolated land. she'll meet Rick,her neighbor.very sweet story, I like it.
c)Nils claims the land in Nebraska,he has plans and hopes: plant trees and ask her wife to return home.
d)1880,Nebraska.the life is difficult, about all for women, alone, wodows. lovely story.
e)the big family of widow Mollie is in a snow sorm,while Lasso help them to reach an abandoned house. adventurous story.
f)Texas, Starr won a land in the town LastChance,but when she arrives there someone live there with family. She is ready to deal to maintain the land and will she change her lifestyle?
g)Julia left her parents house with a lot of luggages,crate and boxes to start working as dressmaker in Nebraska prairie, at Haskell family. Here she'll learn a different life,full of work, few things,but love, friends.
h)Marta waited that her beau Karl claims her in the new land and home. Some trouble forced Karl to ask Marta more time. Adventure story,patients and liars are different way to live.
i)Cora goes to CreedCreek,at the CircleM house,to claim the land her father lost and now it is propriety of McBride family. Original nice western story.

9 Pioneering Couples Risk All for Love and Land
by Mary Connealy; Darlene Franklin; Ruth Logan Herne; Carla Gade; Pam Hillman; DiAnn Mills; Erica Vetsch; Becca Whitham; Kathleen Y'Barbo
Christian Romance
Nine compelling stories about women who end up as homestead brides. Each story is different and all of them were well written I did enjoy them. I’ve always loved reading about the people who lived years back and were those who built houses some made of sod, lived with almost nothing compared to what we all have today and built lives that were strong in faith and love. These romance stories were all Christian based. There was no strong language or hot love scenes, these are simpler stories that are sweet and easy to read. I enjoyed each of the stories in a different way. I’m not going to rate each story separately. I won’t describe each story as the description is detailed below as found on Netgalley.com

I received the collection through Netgalley.com in the kindle format. I like to read books by new authors, several different genres, and I like to post my opinions on the books to be helpful to the authors, the publishing houses and to Netgalley.com. I do also post reviews on Facebook, my blog and Amazon. #TheHomesteadBridesCollection. #Netgalley.com.
Below are the descriptions of the books included in the collection:
Love Stakes a Claim on the Great Plains

Through nine historical romance adventures, readers will journey along with individuals who are ready to stake a claim and plant their dreams on a piece of the great American plains. While fighting land disputes, helping neighbors, and tackling the challenges of nature the homesteaders are placed in the path of other dreamers with whom romance sparks. And God has His hand in orchestrating each unique meeting.

Homestead on the Range by Mary Conneally
Widower Elle Winter meets new homesteader Colin Samuelson on the Nebraska prairie, but the attraction between them is soon dampened by the discovery that they have seven children between them. Soon their children are working against them to bring the two families together.

Priceless Pearl by Darlene Franklin
Rick Eady grew up knowing how to make do with little, while America Barton grew up having plenty. When they secure claims near each other in the Oklahoma Land Rush, Rick often comes to the aide of the inept Barton family and their pretty daughter.

Proving Up by Carla Olson Gade
Elsa Lindquist applies her scientific theories to growing trees on the Nebraska plains, intruding on a handsome homesteader’s hard work and experience. Will their dreams come to ruin, or will love prove their success?

Prairie Promises by Ruth Logan Herne
Jack O’Donnell storms onto the Nebraska homestead determined to take his widowed mother back East with him. But he finds her fit and determined to stay; plus she has taken a pregnant widow—rumored to be crazy—under her wing who wouldn’t survive without his mother’s help.

This Land Is Our Land by Pam Hillman
Caught in an early blizzard, orphan Mollie Jameson is frantic to make it to Lincoln, Nebraska, to claim land her father homesteaded six months ago. If she can’t get there in time, her family will be homeless. Then in steps a foot-loose and fancy-free cowboy willing to help them along the trail, but can they trust him to race for the land office with their deed?

Flaming Starr by DiAnn Mills
Starr Matthews arrives at her Texas homestead only to find it already claimed by a widower and his children, who have been praying for a mother. Starr has money, but she has no skills; while Aaron Conrad has the homesteading skills, but no money for supplies. Can they work as a team?

A Palace on the Plains by Erica Vetsch
Julie Farrington arrives at a Nebraska homestead as hired seamstress for an upcoming wedding. Cyrus Haskell is content being a widowed father and doesn’t need to be distracted by who he considers a high-falutin’ city girl—until a natural disaster puts her worth to the test.

Waiting on a Promise by Becca Whitham
Marta Vogel’s fiancé left over a year ago to claim land in Oklahoma, and she is tired of his excuses that keep her from joining him. Karl Reinhart is locked in a bitter land dispute. When Marta arrives uninvited and unannounced, her presence is more than a trifling distraction. She just may cause him to lose everything.

The Bogus Bride of Creed Creek by Kathleen Y'Barbo
The last thing Iz McBride expects to find when he returns home to his Texas ranch is a pregnant wife. Apparently, his pregnant wife. Yet everyone in Creed Creek seems to love Cora McBride. The only trouble is, she’s an imposter. Now Iz must decide whether to evict the woman or marry her.

Wonderful collection of stories. Stories that inspire, stories that run you through a gamut of emotions. I had a hard time putting the book down. If you like any of these authors you will love this collection. If you haven't read anything by these authors, give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

I received an advance reader copy for a fair review.

These stories are amazing! I couldn't put the book down! These authors have put their very best in this book! These stories are different and they show how love does really conquer all!

I received a free copy of this book for my honest opinion from the publisher.

The Homestead Brides Collection
By Mary Connealy, Darlene Franklin, Ruth Logan Herne, Carla Gade, Pam Hillman, DiAnne Mills, Erica Vetsch, Becca Whitham, Kathleen Y’Barbo
WOW! This was the never-ending collection until it sadly ended. I honestly enjoyed each of the stories in this collection which is contrary to the odds when compiling a collection such as this. Each story shared the theme of homesteading but was surprisingly different from the last. I was sad to see this collection come to an end. I won’t go through to summarize each story but I will say that each brought a new perspective to homesteading and the challenges for men and women. I imagine it to be exhausting and lonely. This collection provided a more charming tale of this laborious journey for those of the past. I would like to imagine the romance of finding a companion and future in the hardships of life. This collection did just that.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This is a great book. I loved this collection of short stories.
I love that I can take an hour, read a story, take care of responsibilities and come back when I am done.
I love that I can finish a happily ever after and then come back and read another one.
These authors are extremely talented. Their writing styles complement each other, but are each unique.
Priceless Pearl, by Darlene Franklin, and The Bogus Bride of Creed Creek by, Kathleen Y'Barbo, were my two favorite stories.
This was my first experience with these two authors, and I enjoyed every minute of reading their stories.
The way they described the characters made me imagine that I was there with them on the plains as the land rush happened. That I too could have staked my claim and found a new life, one that I could have never imagined.
The sadness in the second story, The Bogus Bride, grabs you, but it does not make you cry. It makes you want to stand up and yell. I wanted to cheer the characters on. I also wanted to help them.
All the stories within this book will hopefully make you smile, the way they did to me.
I received a free copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

A great collection of historical romance stories. I found each selection to be well written and entertaining. A few new authors that. I enjoyed. I recommend to fans of inspirational romance. I received an arc from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

The Homestead Brides Collection: 9 Pioneering Couples Risk All for Love and Land is a collection of nine stories. These stories include: Homestead on the Range by Mary Conneally
Priceless Pearl by Darlene Franklin
Proving Up by Carla Olson Gade
Prairie P:romises by Ruth Logan Herne
This Land Is Our land by Pam Hillman
Flamind Starr by DiAnn Mills
A Palace on the Plains by Erica Vetsch
Waiting on a Promise by Becca Whitham
The Bogus Bride of Creed Creek by Kathleen Y'Barbo
I enjoyed all of these stories. Especially, Mary Conneally's Homestead on the Range, Pam Hillman's This Land Is Our Land, and Erica Vetch's A Palace on the Plains. I give this collection five stars.

In the last post, I said that Bethany House knows how to gather great authors for their novella collections. I also say that Barbour Publishing knows this as well. The Homestead Brides is no exception.



The Homestead Act of 1862 was put into play to encourage western expansion and settlements. The homesteaders were given 160 acres to prove up and live on for five years for a nominal fee. This was one-quarter of a section of land.



Some of these brides were homesteaders after their husbands or fathers passed away trying to prove up the land. Some of the brides were marrying men to help them prove up their land. Some of the brides married the men whose homesteads abutted their own. Some brides also take in children who are not their own, or blend the groom's children with her own.



These books that Barbour puts out are worth reading on an afternoon where you just don't feel like doing anything else. Grab the book, a light blanket, and your drink of choice--coffee, tea, water, and sit down to read awhile.



Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and 160 acres of proved up land.



My thanks to NetGalley.com and Barbour Books for allowing me to read and review this book.

These collections are wonderful for anyone who desires a quick read. You can read one selection and then go back and read another later on. Some seriously good authors here, to name a few: Mary Connealy, Erica Vetsch, Kathleen Y'Barbo. Nice stories. Recommended

*My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book via Net Galley. All opinions here are entirely my own.

This is a wonderful book! All 9 of the novellas are very inspirational and well written. If you like historical christian romances, you love this book. I enjoyed every minute I spent reading this collection. Thank you Barbour Publishing via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Very interesting read. I enjoyed the content and the setting of the stories. I would recommend this book.

This was a great collection of sweet romances. I enjoyed each of the books included in the collection. The characters were well written and the story lines were well thought out.