FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. A positive review was not required. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

This collection was mostly wonderful. I rather enjoyed it.

Thanks to a Lonely Heart by Elaine Bonner
Cute story about a hurting family needing lots of TLC, but sometimes it slipped into a strange presentation that put distance between the story and reader. Perhaps it was the occasional juvenile wording or batches of telling (rather than showing) that spurted up now and again. Mostly, it was a charming tale of hope and perseverance. Overall, I enjoyed this story.

A Bride's Sweet Surprise in Sauers, Indiana by Ramona Cecil
What an endearing tale! This story of an arranged marriage-to-be was filled with shocking twists and bold characters. I did grow tired of the on/off/on/off aspect of the storyline, but Regina and Diedrich were so charming that I could not let this dampen my reading of their love story. Eli and Sophie were so annoying and very cliched characters that I really found their subplots entirely predictable, so I may only grant four stars. Overall, this is a sweet story and a wonderful introduction to Mrs. Cecil's writing.

Sonoran Secret by Nancy J. Farrier
This one was a charmer yet deep and heartfelt too. I loved that it featured a person who couldn't speak. Muteness is challenging to write, yet Mrs. Farrier handled it masterfully. This story was fully engaging from the beginning. I would gladly read another of her books.

Love's Shining Hope by JoAnn A. Grote
Another delightful story! I fully enjoyed getting to know the characters and problems in this one. The twists kept coming, much to my delight. This was yet another wonderful introduction to a new-to-me author.

Kiowa Husband by DiAnn Mills
The Oregon Trail has fascinated me since childhood, so when I realized this story featured it, I settled in to soak in the awesomeness and history. It's a good, meaty tale with only one thing I didn't appreciate (the lead thought mythological stories were the "best stories," a claim I cannot agree with). The adventure was realistic and held many twists and turns, literally and literarily (if I may coin a new derivative of "literary").

“A Bride’s Agreement” by multiple authors was a very relaxing novel for an afternoon. There are five novelettes in this book and each one has a little different spin on brides marrying for one agreement or another. I thought each was well written, with interesting storylines. Given the few words that each author could use for this anthology, I did not find that I was shorted in any way.

I enjoyed the book as a relaxing get-a-way and would recommend it just for that.

I received a complimentary print copy of this book from NetGalley.com. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.