So many great stories are housed in this book! Each of the four are unique in their own way and all have a sweet love story. I enjoyed the character development in all of them and was really impressed with the historical information that they included. (It’s nice to know you are learning a little something while reading what you love!) Spoiler Alert: bring a box of tissues for the last story.

"Courting Calamity" is a collection of 4 Christian romance novellas. These stories were quick reads, but the short length made it impossible to really create any complex storylines. My favorite story was "The Secondhand Bride of Polecat Creek" by Kathleen Y'Barbo. I would give that story 4 stars, but the rest only receive 2 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

There 4 cute and sweet stories that with very little work could be turned into full length novels. All 4 of the stories were full of entertainment and the reader did not feel that anything was missing like some novellas. Sometimes, there is one bad story, or only one good story, but I liked all four that were presented here. The heroines were all likeable and some put in difficult situations that had to be overcome. There were a couple of really nasty people and villains to be overcome. The heroes were all solid men, honorable and smart. There were no unbelievable characters or plots. The calamities ranged from dangerous to moderate, but they all made for good story telling. I did have a favorite story, it was the one with the children. This story was enjoyable because the addition of children made sense, they were not an afterthought nor the focus of the story, they were just part of the main plot. The stories were all continuous with definite beginning and end. They were sweet stories, so there was no overtly sexual undertones. It was handled in a mature way. I highly recommend this book. It was a little longer than some Anthologies, but that is not a negative. I give this book 5 stars

In this book we have four novellas written by four great authors. If you like reading Christian historical romance, you will enjoy these. The theme here is Damsels in distress. They are all strong ladies and none of them want to accept help. You will find one of the stories a little more serious with adult content. But for the most part they are a lot of fun and a light read.
I received a copy of this book from Barbour Books through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

When I read the title of this book I assumed it was going to have heroines who would be flibberty-gibbets. Instead, I read a collection of novellas that had natural disasters, or war, or other causes that were out of the control of the characters. Each of the stories engaged me from the very beginning until I finished the whole collection. 😉

This collection is one of the better ones that Barbour Publishing has put out in a while, and I enjoy all of the ones I read from them. Not all of the stories have the ladies marrying to stations above them, not all of them had totally happy endings, not all of them were sweetly tied up in little pink bows, but many of the characters suffer hardships and come out on top with God at their sides.

This is a great collection to read during this time of self-isolating, especially because of the self-isolating. Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a sweet read for those lonely afternoons.

Barbour Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

I love these books and again found a very good read. I am a HEA person. One of the stories, well important and a nice history lesson, isn't a read I enjoy on the way to the HEA ending.

This book is an excellent option for the summer holidays or at night in bed.

Different locations in this book made for a nice change. Being from Lake Wobegon Minnesota I enjoyed the story set not far from home. I love being able to image what the landscape & setting looks like in mind. This entire book happens to be very rich in that type of writing which is one reason why it got a 5 star.

I have been reading more short story collections and novellas, thanks to my school's required reading. But these stories in the 1800s with drama and tender romance in each of the four stories. If you like historical fiction with drama, pistols, great characters, and love, then you will enjoy this book.

A quality collection of historical novellas with adventure, drama and tender romance.
All of them were well written with some gallant gentlemen and courageous women who find themselves in difficult situations. The heroes in the first and the last stories in particular were my favorites. Jake especially stood out in the first tale as he dealt with a train robbery, abandoned children--some needing tough love--and a bunch of outlaws. Lorenzo was a good man too, brave, loyal and faithful in the midst of tragic times. His proposal wins the swoonworthy award! The history of the last story was so sad, but inspiring considering the legacy of what happened as a result of their sacrifice. They accomplished changes that we benefit from still today. Holding onto faith especially through such tough times was encouraging to read.

“I don’t trust because it’s easy. I trust because He’s good.”

I appreciate the research all of the authors put into their writing to add authenticity to the stories. I enjoyed the whole collection. Recommend this book to readers who enjoy clean historical romances with drama.
4.5 stars

If the last story hadn’t been a dud with graphic violence (tragedy by fire) and liberal politics, I’d have probably given this an extra star. Here’s the breakdown of the stories in this collection:

Lady and the Tramps- 4 stars
This one was just a lot of fun. I love stories of orphans getting taken in and the Wild West/outlaws who strike a train and the Wells-Fargo agent who saves the day. But that’s not all that’s going on, as Mattie and the kids quickly discover. It would have been perfect if the epilogue hadn’t felt rushed and surprising (things happen that weren’t clear to happen in the body of the story).

The Secondhand Bride of Polecat Creek- 4.5 stars
This one was just totally sweet and I enjoyed every minute. The hero got himself in a jam by being a little too nice, and now he’s got a lawsuit. He’s happy to pick up and run home to get a bride...but she isn’t there. And maybe she didn’t send him that note after all...this relationship was fun and engaging.

The Bride of Basswood Hill- 3.5 stars
This one needed some more work on setting and a couple more chapters on the relationship’s growth. While the story is sweet and the two leads engaging, the leap to true love and understanding was a bit hasty and I had to take the author’s word for it that they would be okay.

Echoes of the Heart- 1 star
Ouch. I was looking for enjoyable, clean fictional romance. Hardly any romance, lots of socialism, lots of politics, and lots of graphic deaths by fire. And I do mean graphic. This was a bummer of a note to end on and I had to take a few deep breaths to cool off. The author posits that banning free labor in the factory would have prevented the fire altogether. Now, pardon me, but pro-union is NOT the only way a company can be asked to complete basic safety features. And then the three chapters of on and on, blood and guts, people jumping from windows, etc etc. Just nope.

Thanks to the publisher for a free reading copy. A favorable review was not required.

Courting Calamity is a fun book to read, It has four stories in it, each different and interesting to read. Entertaining stories to enjoy again and again.

Courting Calamity is a collection of four captivating, easy-to-read stories penned by four talented writers. These stories set in various locations from California and Texas in the late 1800s to Minnesota and New York City in the early 1900s effectively capture the culture of the times. The characters in each story are engaging and believable.
A train robbery and a kidnapping, a marriage of convenience, a dying man’s request, a union strike and a ravaging factory fire combine with drama, romance, humor, and faith to produce an entertaining, inspiring read. Amanda Barratt’s story about the plight of immigrant factory workers in New York City is especially touching. This collection is exactly the quality I expect from these four gifted storytellers! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

I received a copy of this book in e-book form from the publisher via netgalley but am under no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.