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The Oregon Trail Romance Collection

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I really enjoyed the stories by Amanda Cabot and Melanie Dobson, but couldn't really get into the rest. I think these collections are a little too large to enjoy.

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This book is a collection of 8 adventurous stories, written by good authors. I enjoyed reading it.
1)The sagebrush bride - Amanda Cabott
Avice, her parent and uncle leave for a new life in Oregon: with a carriage full of their dresses, food, money, will reach Fort Laramie to open a shop in a mercantile.
The journey isn't easy and free of dangers: colera, bad people, tieves, storms,
2) Beckoned hearts - Melanie Dobson
Idaho Territory , year 1856
Molly works in a shop, she would like to leave: to east to return home or to west to her dreams?
3)Shanghailed by the bride - Pam Hillman
Emma travels alone west to search and meet her father, because her mother is very ill.
The caravan boss doesn't allow a woman travel alone. Emma must think a solution and asks families if she can travel together.
she'll meet John and his 2 children..
4) As good as God - Amy Lillard
Trudy and Molly are sisters, but pretend to be mom and daughter to be safe on the wagon to west. This is the first lie during the journey..
5) Daughters of the wind - Diann Mills
"If you think he's demanding, later on you'll see his wisdom (..) We have been hungry, thirsty, bone-tired, and frustated."
6)His frontier family - Anna Schmidt
June 1851, Wyoming. Captain Jason Campbell lives and works in Fort Laramie, helps the trains of emigrants that travel to west and perhaps he'll find love.
7)State of matrimony - Ann Shorey
Diantha is a scrubwoman, her employer asks her to cook during the journey to west, she accepts.
8) Sioux summer - Jennifer Uhlarik
Ellie works in her father-in-law Frank shop, he's very ill. Sometimes some curious Sioux come to the shop..
Thank you to let me read this book to: author, editor, NetGalley

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1800s Christian Historical Romance
Excellent choice for a book to get thoroughly lost in. It's hard to out down. Unique stories of the struggles involved with wagon trains and with relationships. Amazing creativity that brings the journey West alive.
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.
#TheOregonTrailRomanceCollection #NetGalley

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Review of His Frontier Family by Anna Schmidt: An interesting story following a soldier, a widow, and her son. As a quick read before going to sleep.

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The Oregon Trail romance collection is a collection of 9 books focusing on - as the name suggests - The Oregon Trail.
These stories take you along the path to Oregon in a remarkable way. It explores:
- the heartache of losing loved ones along the way due to sickness,
- the forts along the way where traveler's can rest and stock up,
- the beauty of forming a family bond with the rest of the families traveling along the way with you,
- forming relationships of convenience,
- the dangers encountered on a journey to Oregon,
- and most importantly finding love.
These were all beautifully written and I enjoyed each and every one of them. No two books were alike and as soon as I completed one I wanted to carry on to the next. It at no stage became or felt monotonous. This is the first time I took up a challenge of reading a collection of stories and I am extremely happy with the selection.

1. The Sagebrush Bride by Amanda Cabot - read 29 April to 30 April
Never thought I would like a marriage of convenience story, but this book did a great job. This marriage proposal was so obscure, yet exciting and daring at the same time. I pictured myself in that predicament and believe it couldn't have gone any other way. They both needed each other... and never expected love. Beautifully written.

2. Beckoned Hearts by Melanie Dobson - read 30 April to 1 May
Tells the story of losing loved one's on the Oregon Trail and finding the courage to continue living your dreams despite the heartache.

3. Shanghaied by the Bride by Pam Hillman - read 4 May.
Finished this book in one night. It so beautifully captured the dangers of traveling, the rules to abide by and most importantly the bond you form with all the other travelers. This story was a humorous read about stubborn love.

4. Settled Hearts by Myra Johnson - read 6 May.
Read in one go. Another beautiful story. This one tells the story of an uncle who saves his niece and nephew and goes on the trail as an escape route. Emma, needing company to take her along with them (because women we were allowed to travel alone) gets the opportunity to travel with said uncle to help with the children.

5. As Good as Gold by Amy Lillard - read 7 May.
Tells the story of Trudy Johnson and her sister who is looking for a driver for their wagon. Ellis Hardy, whose wagon was just stolen, takes up the job.

6. Daughters of the Wind by DiAnn Mills - read 8 to 9 May.
I cried so much in this book. It tells the story of Deborah and Lane, who after their wagon train perished in a twister, decides to continue their journey to Oregon with seven other surviving girls. After losing their families in the storm, they are forced to be brave enough to learn all the tasks that is required for the journey. All the hardships they have to experience together makes them form a bond tighter than any family. Beautifully written.

7. His Frontier Family by Anna Schmidt - read 9 May.
This story is set at Fort Lamarie, one of the stops along the Oregon Trail. It tells the story of widowed Emma who is trying to raise a troubled son. At fort Laramie, he learns respect and responsibility from the soldiers at the fort and forms a strong fatherly bond with the captain.

8. State of Matrimony by Ann Shorey - read 19 May.
This one tells the story of Diantha, who after losing both her parents, travels to Oregon as a hired cook.

9. Sioux Summer by Jennifer Uhlarik - read 19 May.
Last story in the book. This one added some excitement to end off the collection.

I received a complementary copy of this book from the publisher, Barbour Publishing, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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I enjoyed reading this novella collection from different authors. I enjoyed each of the stories. I found it very well written.

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The Oregon Trail is one of the more well-known tracks that pioneers traveled to get from the eastern United States to the west coast. Many of the travelers died from disease, hunger, accidents, or weather disasters. Those that made it across the prairie and over the mountains had to chose whether to stay the course into the fertile Oregon Valley or head south to search for gold in California.

The Oregon Trail Romance Collection features novellas by authors Melanie Dobson, Pam Hillman, Myra Johnson, Amy Lillard, DiAnn Mills, Anna Schmidt, Ann Shorey, and Jennifer Uhlarik. Some of these stories take place over the entire length of the trail, others over only a section. All of them show strong men and women who have to make difficult choices and hope God will grant them a chance at love during the hardest of times.

Westward expansion is a challenging time in our nation’s history. Those who were here before the Europeans saw the newcomers as a threat and acted to protect their land. The pioneers who packed their entire lives into a rickety wagon they hoped would survive bumpy land, rocky cliffs, and fast moving water, were often seeking a better life. While some admittedly were looking to get rich, others knew their only chance to escape poverty and servitude was the dangerous path west.

The authors of The Oregon Trail Romance Collection do a superb job of holding the tension between those realities. These may be romance stories, but the authors did anything but romanticize an often deadly situation. Yet, out of the hardships, hope and love bloomed.

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I received this book free from NetGalley and Barbour Books in order to provide an honest review. 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.”

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This book is a very sweet and entertaining set of nine stories of hardships and happiness. I have read books from several of the authors and a few were new to me and I enjoyed them all. Very nice and enjoyable book!

I would love to see more of these types of collections!

I received an ebook copy from NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

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This is a wonderful collection of nine historical romances that take place in the mid 1800's. The stories are all inspirational with prayer, God or the family Bible as part of the story. There are wagon trains of families heading out West to Oregon or California and we get to know them as well as the adventures they undertake and the hardships they must endure as the miles pass. Seeing it through each of their eyes made history and their stories come to life. It's my favorite part of history - the settling of the West! Most are new to me authors with the exception of Amy Lillard, who is a favorite go-to author and Anna Schmidt whose only book I've read is the first book in The Cowboys and Harvey Girls series, Trailblazer. This was Jennifer Uhlarik's debut novella. I look forward to reading more of all of the authors' books. The introduction summaries were a nice addition to the book, giving us a flavor of what each story would be about.

The Sagebrush Bride by Amanda Cabot
Avice is traveling with her uncle after the death of her parents on the way west. She doesn't like what she suspects he's up to with his new associate, Matthew Dempsey, who's old enough to be her grandfather. When she meets Raleigh and his motherless son, Jay, at Fort Laramie, he and Avice make a business arrangement, but will it turn into more? Her uncle and Mr. Dempsey don't like what they are hearing but their plotting just might be at an end. Avice is kind, generous and a giver and takes to baby Jay and he to her but what about his father and his first love? There are twists and turns to the story along with a lot of scripture and prayer as well as God's blessings to be thankful for. The happily-ever-after was sweetly portrayed.

Beckoned Hearts by Melanie Dobson
The story initially takes place in Fort Hall and is a sad tale of death on the frontier and Molly trying to figure out whether she should still head to Oregon to fulfill her husband's dreams or head back East. She currently works in a mercantile for a man who charges ridiculous prices for supplies needed by travelers on the trail. When Payton and his sister, Faith, cross her path, none of them knew the importance of that chance happening and what her kindness would mean to them. They're headed to Oregon to meet Faith's husband who went to Oregon earlier to set up a new school. The story meanders nicely and has a happily-ever-after that was months in the making.

Shanghaied by the Bride by Pam Hillman
Blake and Cassidy are unexpectedly traveling together with her mother and sister since she owns a wagon and he owns the mules needed to pull it. Oh, and women can't travel alone in Beecher's wagon train. It was fun getting to know Blake and Cassidy along with many of the other characters. The shanghai stunts gave a little levity but when there's a flash flood emotions get high and true feelings seem to come out, or do they? The happily-ever-after was a nice culmination to the story.

Settled Hearts by Myra Johnson
This story drew me in from the beginning with the heartache felt by many different characters. John is traveling with his niece and nephew who have been instructed to call him Pa. Emma is looking for her father who went to Oregon two years before and no one has heard from him in all that time. She must find him before her mother succumbs to her illness back home. When their paths cross and it's determined they can help one another on their travels west, things get interesting fast. With unexpected turns, some thanks to Emma, we get to know them each a little better, but there's a lot of heartache before happiness prevails. This was definitely one of my favorite stories.

As Good as Gold by Amy Lillard
There are characters that came to life and that had a depth to them. Trudy and Ellis are thrown together when she needs a driver for her wagon and his rig has just been stolen. She's traveling out west and pretending to be a married woman who's to meet up with her husband. Her sister, Molly, is posing as her daughter. Will Trudy and Ellis come to terms about compensation and are they of the same mind of what that compensation should be? As they pass each milestone, she and Ellis tend to get closer, until he seems to avoid her. There are twists and turns and secrets to be told and a wonderful happily-ever-after.

Daughter of the Wind by DiAnn Mills
This was one of my favorite books in the anthology. I loved how Lane considered the orphans his girls along with Deborah who unknowingly saved them from a horribly, devastating storm that took even a worst turn than expected. He was also spared when he took shelter under a rock ledge. The devastation left in the storms wake was demoralizing and tough on all of them. The little girls were such darlings and tried to do everything an adult would - whether man or woman. Watching Deborah regain her faith in God felt right and the story had a nice flow to it. I loved that the end of the story took place five years later and showed us how their lives turned out. It was just the closure I needed.

His Frontier Family by Anna Schmidt
This was a story about matchmaking at its core. The commander of the fort's wife, Ginny, seemed to make it her personal motive to get Jason, one of the officers, married. She's always throwing women from the wagon trains in his path but he has no interest in marrying, or does he? When he and Emma first cross paths there are daggers flying and lots of fireworks but that's because of how he's treated her twelve year old son, or is it? It was nice watching her son Ben take pride in something and also start behaving as he should, all thanks to Jason. It was interesting to watch sparks one minute and attraction the next between Emma and Jason. The shopkeeper, Ezra, was not a likable fellow at all and I got bad vibes from him from the start. Jason's Indian friends played a heartwarming part in the story. The culmination of the story takes place three years later and gave me the closure I look for.

State of Matrimony by Ann Shorey
Mr. Golden, the owner of the mercantile that Diantha works at scrubbing the dirty floors, is front and center in this story. When Mr. Golden invites Diantha to join his wagon train going west as their cook, she has to decide if that's what's best for her but her landlady, Mrs. Wilkie, who was very manipulative, isn't sure that's the right move for her, but is it? Griff signs on as the driver and there are instant sparks between him and Diantha but will Mr. Golden's brother, Michael, who is also traveling with them, muddy the waters? Mrs. Golden's wife, who never wanted to go west, tries to make her life as miserable as possible. With unexpected twists and turns to the story, Diantha seems to get a backbone. I liked the happily-ever-after in the offing but the story ended too abruptly for me.

Sioux Summer by Jennifer Uhlarik
There are more Indians in this story than any of the others and while Ellie said they could be trusted because they traded with her and her father-in-law at their mercantile, others thought differently. Ellie feels like she's let not only her deceased husband down but also her father-in-law, since they never made it to Oregon because of her. When Teagan returns with another wagon train heading west her feelings are mixed. They have a history since he's stopped by their shop for several years. I liked getting to know them as well as his brother, Cody, traveling with him. The story flows smoothly but has twists and turns to it that had me turning the pages to see what would happen next. When bad things happen and seemed like it would get worse, it was nice to see that the Benton brothers came through and helped the situation since always before they seem to try and antagonize others, especially the Sioux. There was some closure with the epilogue that takes place one year later in California but it left me wanting more. The facts given by the author at the end of the story was a nice addition.

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This is an inspiring collection of Christian Romance stories. They were all very good and perfect for an afternoon escape.
Many thanks to Barbour Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

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I received an ARC from Barbour Publishing via NetGalley this review expresses my personal opinion.


These nine authors all of them did a great job while balancing important historical details of the trail, great characters, beautiful descriptions with the unique writing styles. Each one of them takes you in this risky and hard journey that so many courageous people took, filled with faith, drama, family situations and many of them real-life situations. If you want to enjoy and learn more about the Oregon Trail, this collection is a great choice.

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The Oregon Trail is a true story that will live on well beyond today. This book is a great adaptation of real life Oregon Trail stories with the love and heartache that went along with it. If you like historical fiction, this is a great book to read!

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These are some of tje best books out there. Each story is clean, wholesome, amd perfect to share even with your teen. I love the Oregon Trail setting and the characters.

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I completely enjoyed this book. There were several small stories which held my attention well. These stories show us what life was like for our ancestors on the trail westward. The right mix of adventure and romance.

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This anthology is full of wonderful stories. It's full of adventure and danger, struggles and trials and romance. There are different well-written stories This book was a delight to read.

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The Oregon Trail Romance Collection is a collection of nine different stories. Unfortunately, each story is a short story, as you get involved with the characters, suddenly the story reaches its end. Each story is interesting, with excitement woven through, but they are terribly short in length. I enjoyed reading them, but I prefer full length stories. Good writing, fun to read if you want shorter stories to enjoy!

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My favorite storylines are wagon trails etc. I find them so fascinating and the history and when a great storyline is sprinkled in that the the icing on the cake!

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I wasn't really expecting this to be good, but it was decent story lines. I am not a romance novel type person. I wanted to read it for the historical fiction content about the Oregon Trail and in that aspect, It was a bit disappointing. It was still entertaining. 9 separate stories in the Christian Romance genre. It's not really even a genre I like, and to be fair, I really want more history. #TheOregonTrailRomanceCollection #NetGalley

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I love when Barbour puts out collections like this. Especially during this time period. They have a great collection of authors - all of who I have read and love their work. This collection features stories of the hardship and ups and downs that those who braved the Oregon Trail faced. I felt like I was getting a history lesson while I was reading. Each story features original characters and intriguing storylines.

Thank you to Barbour and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book.

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I enjoyed reading each author's take on the danger,struggles,daily life and romance found and grown during the wagon train days.
The characters had to have unending endurance .
I very much enjoyed these novella length stories, perfect for a one sitting reading.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

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