Courting Calamity is a novella collection with four stories about four independent women who need a bit of help. Overall, it’s a nice collection. Some stories were better than others, but they’re nice stories to read when you don’t have much time for a full novel.

I’ve included my thoughts on each individual story below.

Lady and the Tramps by Jennifer Uhlarik
This was a good story, although I felt like it could’ve been developed a bit more. I liked the characters, not only Mattie and Jake but also the children. The plot was interesting, but the romance could’ve been developed more. The ending wrapped up really quickly and seemed a bit rushed. But overall, this was a good story and I was sad to leave the characters. It would've made a great novel.

The Secondhand Bride of Polecat Creek by Kathleen Y’Barbo
The premise here was interesting, but I wish Zeke and Lizzie’s relationship had been developed more. I found the ending to be a bit cheesy, but I did appreciate the fact that all loose ends were tied up.

The Bride of Basswood Hill by Gabrielle Meyer
I wish this story had been longer. I enjoyed Alex and Sofia and wanted to stay with them a bit longer.

Echoes of the Heart by Amanda Barratt
This story was graphic and puts more emphasis on the plight of workers at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory than the romance. I would’ve like to see this as a novel so the characters could be more fleshed out and to accommodate the timeline. I understood that she wanted the reader to understand the experiences of those involved in the strikes and the fire, but the ending had a lot of description of death and destruction I was not prepared for. However, I did like that she tried to accurately portray the plight of factory workers and the reason we’ve seen many labor laws go into affect to protect people.

Note: I received a free copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review.

Courting Calamity
4 Historical Stories
by Amanda Barratt, Gabrielle Meyer, Jennifer Uhlarik, Kathleen Y'Barbo
Despite determination to be strong and independent, four women of bygone days are in need of a hero.
Lady and the Tramps by Jennifer Uhlarik
California, 1874
When outlaws steal a deed from Mattie Welling, her dreams for her eight orphan charges from New York City are dashed. Can Wells Fargo detective Jake Hickens be trusted to pick up the pieces?
The Secondhand Bride of Polecat Creek by Kathleen Y’Barbo
Texas, 1890
When Zeke Wyatt returns home to Polecat Creek intent on making good on his promise to marry his childhood sweetheart, he finds she’s run off in his absence, leaving her kid sister to care for her aging parents and the mercantile. Can Zeke finally settle down, or will he leave another sister with a broken heart?
The Bride of Basswood Hill by Gabrielle Meyer
Minnesota, 1900
When wealthy lumber baron, Charles Alexander, unexpectedly finds himself married to an Italian immigrant, Sofia Bellini, he must do all he can to protect her from the society she’s ill-prepared to navigate. But when he falls in love with his pretty bride, he will have to make a difficult choice: will he go through with the annulment they had planned?
Echoes of the Heart by Amanda Barratt
New York City, 1909
Irish immigrant Aileen O’Connor is willing to work to make a life in America. But even the land of opportunity is paved with hardship, as she discovers firsthand the injustices faced by factory workers. When she meets Lorenzo Favero at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, her heart is stirred by the kindness he shows her. When tragedy engulfs the city, will their newfound love survive the flames?
Impressions: This was an enjoyable collection of novellas. The stories were short enough to read in an evening (for me) but did not lack the quality of a full novel.
Liked: My favorite novella in this collection was Echoes of the Heart. It was perfectly executed with romance, hardship and historical ties.
Didn’t like: I didn’t care for the novella, The Bride of Basswood Hill. I found it to be syrupy sweet and lacking realistic depth. The hardships the characters faced were dealt with idealistically and without the consequences that are likely.
Learned: Some thoughts on life are below with the quotes.
Quotes: “I cannot abide being useless.”” You’re far from useless, Sofia. Your roles have just shifted. You’ll need to use your energy for different things now.”- For any stay at home moms out there I will take this quote out of story context and say that this is how I felt leaving the work force and taking on motherhood. I constantly still need to be reminded that my roles have shifted, my purpose has shifted but I am still being used.
“God help me to show her, “I don’t’ trust because it’s easy. I trust because He’s good.”” – I have learned through life that my belief in God started out as my parent’s beliefs but grew with challenge and strife into my own. This quote is right on concerning my faith. It is not easy but I have trust in a good God.
“By becoming informed consumers, choosing to boycott companies known for unethical treatment of workers, by researching the facts and speaking the truth, we can make a difference. “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy. Proverbs 31:8-9”” – I struggle with being frugal and balancing being informed. The fast-changing trends lead to outsourced items from countries were regulations and pay are vastly different then in USA. Finding Fair Trade options, buying staples that will last longer for our family, and reusing items are different ways I’ve tried to be a conscience buyer. I have to say finding a good deal at a consignment shop is always a good day.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review shared here.

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.

I generally enjoy these collections but these were all just okay for me. The first 3 stories were okay, but I got through them. The final story was awful and horrific.

1. Firstly, it must have changed significantly since the blurb/description was written because the story did not at all match the description. The hero was not a policeman who helped them and his name was not Sean..
2. It was a very slow start, but never really became interesting. I never really got into it. It was more of a documentary style with fictional characters about the factory worker’s strike. The romance, and even the characters were a very distant side plot.
3. The last couple of chapters were HORRIFIC!!! There is a very detailed and graphic description of workers experiencing and killed in the triangle fire (google it. I knew about it before this but had no idea the story would be about it because of the incorrect description). I am very appalled and disappointed at being sucker punched with this when I was expecting the usual somewhat lighthearted Barbour romance, and had no reason to expect anything else.

If you prefer lighthearted romance, or do not have the constitution to enjoy graphic horror or violence death, I would strongly warn against this last story. I wish I’d had a warning. I wish I had allowed myself to quit after the first couple of chapters but it was for review so I forced myself to finish.

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.