I very much enjoy reading these novella collections.
I live in a Fort town myself in Pennsylvania so I knew this would be a perfect read for me.
4 novella length stories taking place in the 1800's . Read along as you learn about the bravery of these women making their home at Old West Forts.


Published August 1st 2020 by Barbour Books
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you
All opinions expressed are my own.

This was an entertaining collection of four novellas, each of a young woman contemplating marriage to a soldier.  It spanned from the 1828 to the late 1870s and each was set in a different fort during US expansion.  I enjoyed the time progression between the stories and the various backstories of the four brides and their intended husbands.  One particularly interesting feature was the "subscription" school teacher who was hired by the mothers of the fort children, even though the Army didn't provide schooling for its children.

I really enjoyed the short novella like stories put together in this book. They give you ideas into the lives of women during these times of war. This is a great book for those  who like historical fiction and especially stories during times of war. The way each woman met the solider was very sweet. Overall an enjoyable read.

This is a very nice collection of stories by some talented authors with entertaining stories and great characters.  These stories aren’t full length books, but they flow very nicely and the endings aren’t rushed.  Great inspirational reading for those times when you need something shorter to read. Once you read this collection, you’ll want to read more from these authors.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.  All opinions are my own.

This book was cute, although not a perfect read for me.  The third story was definitely my favorite couple of the four, I feel like their relationship had the most development.  As with all short story collections, there were some rushed pacing issues in terms of falling in love and resolving conflicts.  However, I did overall enjoy this read and would recommend it to those who are looking for a little more Christian romance in their lives!

The Soldier’s Lady is a compilation of four novellas that take place in the 1800s, set on the forts of America. These are tales of military men and the women who cross their path. What I appreciate most about these stories is the well rounded characters that the authors craft, and the depth of the conflict in each of the stories. 

They were all great, but my favorite is the first story, with all it’s heart wrenching decisions. I appreciated that the characters found their trust in God and learned to plant their feet firmly on 5eir foundation of faith in the struggles that they face. Prayer wasn’t presented as an afterthought or a last resort, but rather as an integrated part of their faith and life. It was an encouragement t and reminder to me.

I’d recommend this book! Clean, easy reads. 

Thank you to Netgally and Barbour Publishing for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

This delightful novella collection is comprised of four individual and unique Historical Fiction stories set in the 1820's- to the 1870's, during the time period when America was expanding its boarders Westward. 

The stories span settings from Fort Snelling in the Michigan Territory, Fort Humboldt in California, Fort Riley in Kansas, and Fort Garland in Colorado. 
Each story is centered around a young lady coming to one of the aforementioned forts for one reason or another.

I enjoyed these short novellas and only wished they were longer.
Each of authors wrote her story in an engaging and beautiful way.

If you like well-written, Faith-Based historical fiction, I encourage you to check out this collection!

***Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the digital ARC of this book. All views and opinions expressed in this review are my own.***

The Colonel’s Daughter by Gabrielle Meyer

Minnesota, 1828—Fort Snelling
Major Nathaniel Ward is tasked with guarding his commanding officer’s daughter, Ally Benson, from the amorous soldiers at Fort Snelling, but he finds the hardest person to keep in line is himself.
 
Frontier of Her Heart by Susanne Dietze
California, 1854—Fort Humboldt
All is fair in love and war, but the contest of wills between fort cook Emily Sweet and assistant surgeon Boyd Braxton is all about pride, not romance. . .until they must work together to stop an epidemic.
 
Save the Last Word for Me by Lorna Seilstad
Kansas, 1864—Fort Riley
Determined schoolteacher Adelina Dante believes every man, woman, and child deserves the opportunity to read and write, but when she approaches Colonel Isaac Scott about why he should allow his illiterate soldiers to attend special classes, she’s the one who gets educated in matters of the heart.
 
Forever Fort Garland by Janette Foreman
Colorado, 1879—Fort Garland
Annie Moreau arrives at Fort Garland to marry her soldier pen pal, Martin, but encounters two surprises—Martin has died in battle and she’s been corresponding with dashing Captain Jefferson Gray all along.

I found this book very easy to read. This would be good to set in front of the fireplace and read.  They were all pretty predictable.  But I enjoyed reading them.  I would recommend them to any one who wants a light read.

I was given this book by Barbour Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any way.

The Soldier's Lady is a collection of four stories. These stories include: 
The Colonel’s Daughter by Gabrielle Meyer
Frontier of Her Heart by Susanne Dietze
Save the Last Word for Me by Lorna Seilstad
Forever Fort Garland by Janette Foreman
I enjoyed each of these stories and am giving it four stars.

This book is 4 different Historical Fiction Romance stories. All of them take place from the late 1820's- to the late 1870's, when America was expanding West. 
Book 1- The Colonel's Daughter by Gabrielle Meyer takes place at Fort Snelling in the Michigan Territory
Book 2- Frontier of Her Heart by 
Susanne Dietze takes place in Fort Humboldt in California.
Book 3- Save the Last Word by Lorna Seilstad takes place in Fort Riley in Kansas
Book 4- Winning the Ladies Heart by Janette Foreman takes place in Fort Garland in Colorado.
Each story is a short story about a woman coming to a fort for some reason or another. Whether it's because a relative is there, there's a job available, or because a man they decided to marry because of letters they've written to each other, 
All are Christian Romances, they are nice clean romances and each are well written. They're a little predictable but they're a good read. I love reading books that are a nice easy read and can be read quickly. But you still get involved in the stories. I wish a couple of them would be a little longer. I really enjoyed were Frontier of Her Heart and Winning the Ladies Heart. I did enjoy Save the Last Word as well, and the development of the characters. The way Adelina, who was the teacher, was able to change Colonel Scott's heart through her teaching and everything she did for the soldiers who couldn't read. My favorite part of that book was a verse by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It helped open everyone's hearts. 
Also thank you to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for the advanced ARC. This is my honest opinion and that was all that was asked in return. 

“Kind hearts are gardens. Kind thoughts are roots. Kind words are flowers. Kind deeds are the fruits. Take care of your garden and keep out the weeds, Fill it with sunshine, kind words, and kind deeds.” - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I had just finished reading the Love’s Pure Light collection with a story by Susanne Dietze. I enjoyed it and quickly signed up for her newsletter and discovered this newly released collection with a story by her as well. So, of course, I grabbed a copy of The Soldier’s Lady.

The authors here were all new to me. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them through this collection and will be watching for more from them in the future. Each story was equally enjoyable. What fun to read the varied situations and locations in these sweetly romantic tales.

I enjoyed the surprise ending of The Colonel’s Daughter. I was expecting a different outcome!

The surprise in Frontier of Her Heart was the appearance of Ulysses S. Grant – as a Quartermaster! I was unfamiliar with his earlier life and this glimpse was a real treat. Of course, he was a secondary character along with a few other historical figures (that I don’t recall ever learning about!). The main story was fun as Boyd and Emily vied with one another and learned a bit more about themselves – and love.

I loved the feisty Adelina in Save the Last Word for Me, and the way she so confounded the rule-following Colonel, Issac!

And Annie’s desire to marry for love and not pity in Forever Fort Garland made Captain Jefferson’s life pretty miserable for a while. Is it terrible of me to have enjoyed that?

If you enjoy historical fiction with a touch of faith, The Soldier’s Lady is a good collection to consider.

A collection of four simple yet engaging stories about love on the frontier. A great on-the-road read for those who love both historical and war fiction, written in the Christian worldview. Although some of the stories were either too slow overall, or too rushed at the end, I think that each individual story would have done better if the authors had just been given a larger word count. 

All in all, each author tried their best to engage the reader into the plot and scenery, and in many instances throughout the collection, they were successful.

I had only heard of one of these authors before reading this collection. I liked that we were able to sample works from different authors. I always enjoy these collections!

A Soldier’s Lady is a collection of four historical novellas about four different women who found true love with a solider.

Susanne Dietze, Janette Foreman, Gabrielle Meyer, and Lorna Seilstad take us back in time to the North American Frontier. When Native Americans were undecided (and sometimes battled each other over) whether to accept those settling on their land or drive them out. When fort life was primarily male and the task was protecting those who fell within their sphere. When women had little worth beyond their ability to cook and do laundry, teach children or host a social function. A challenging time in our nation’s history.

And for the four women in these stories, a challenging time in their lives. As independent as each were, they lived in a time in history when their survival depended on a man in their life. And the need to be married warred with the desire to be loved. For these four women, they have a chance at both.

I enjoyed these stories. Each one was unique even while the men in the stories was a soldier of some fashion. The women faced different life situations that put them in great need. All of them fought for what mattered most to them.

If you’re looking for a small collection of historical romance stories, try this book. I hope you’ll like it as much as I did.

---
I received this book free from NetGalley and Barbour Publishing 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.”

This is a terrific collection to read if you're looking for a sweet getaway. I like the idea of the settings, historical frontier forts, and the cover really tugged me in. Each story was it's own bit of sweet and sassy. I think I liked the first one best. Novellas, in all honesty, are not my favorite thing because of the ground they have to cover in such a short reading span. Sometimes that can make characters feel a little out of their depth. However, if you love a good, quick read, you'll find these to be engaging stories.

The Soldier's Lady 
A bundle of short stories about frontiers ladies that come to a fort and change the hearts of those around them. A good autumn/winter collection. For those evenings that need a blanket and a hot chocolate.
You will find humour, romance, suspense and compelling stories.
My favourite story is by Susanne Dietze.
I received this ebook from NetGalley for review. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

I just reviewed The Soldier's Lady by Susanne Dietze, Janette Foreman, Gabrielle Meyer, Lorna Seilstad. #TheSoldiersLady #NetGalley

This was a great historical fiction read. All of the stories took place in western forts set in the 19th century. I enjoyed this very much. I wished that some of the stories would not have been so short.

Yet another fantastic novella collection from Barbour Publishing! 

The Soldier's Lady tells the stories of four women and the soldiers who fall in love with them. I enjoyed the historic 1800's setting as well as the glimpse of what life may have looked at on a military fort in the untamed west. 

The first two novellas, The Colonel's Heart and Frontier of the Heart, were my favourites in this collection. I loved watching these unexpected romances develop into beautiful love stories. Save the Last Word and Forever Fort Garland were my least favourites, as I didn't find the plots and relationships to be as well-developed as the first two were. However, they were still enjoyable and fun to read. 

All in all, The Soldier's Lady is a sweet and enjoyable book. If you've enjoyed previous novella collections or just enjoy historical fiction, you won't want to miss this one!

*I received a copy of this book through the publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. My positive review is not required.

The Soldiers Lady by Susanne Dietze, et al. 

Rating: overall 3 out of 5 stars

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Story Notes

The Colonel's Daughter by Gabrielle Meyer

I liked this story quite a lot as it seemed complete in itself and realistic. The young Major had little experience with women and yet found himself drawn to one who has set her heart on living at the fort. I loved the quiet romance between Nathan and Ally. They both had the same values and desires and they were willing to sacrifice what they wanted for each other's happiness. While it was a bit short, the story was well written and ended satisfactorily.    4 out of 5 stars

Frontier of Her Heart by Susanne Dietze

This was my favorite story out of all four. The contests between Emily and Boyd were hilarious and fun to read. I loved how they started as "enemies" and fell in love in a beautiful way. And how they each saw the value in the work that they each did was a nice inclusion too. Their solution to finding a way to be together was brilliant and a perfect compromise for each of them. I was so pleased with the ending of the story.  5 out of 5 stars

Save the Last Word for Me by Lorna Seilstad

This story was nice but should have been a longer book. There was not enough time given to the story for the characters to really develop from adversaries into lovers. I did like the characters themselves and could appreciate their stances when it came to their actions but felt like it was too rushed to allow them the time to prove their worth to the other. Issac is definitely a man's man and one I could appreciate for his appearance and bravery but his staunch disapproval of Adelina changes too quickly to be realistic. Adelina has a bit too much of a carefree nature for me and it seemed like she looked for ways to test her given boundaries. If it had been a longer book, I think I would have liked it better.     3 out of 5 stars

Winning the Lady's Heart by Jannette Foreman

I didn't care for this story much at all. I loved the plot idea of a sort of "mail-order bride" but the fleshing out of the rest of the story just didn't engage me. The prejudices of the two characters seemed to melt away too fast to be realistic and they didn't seem to be a good fit as a couple. The story was also too short to really give them time to develop a relationship and the ending was very rushed. Definitely my least favorite of the set of stories. 1 out of 5 stars

I received this temporary complimentary E-book from Barbour Publishing via NetGalley in order to provide a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

This was a collection of four very good stories of women on the frontier. I loved the historical aspect of these stories and  learned about daily fort life. 
Many thanks to Barbour Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.