I received this arc from NetGalley for an honest review. This is the kind of book that you don't need to read straight through. You can sit down with a few short stories each written by a Christian author and then put it down for another time.

This book is a collection of novellas about women who compete in different county fairs throughout the country and during different time periods. The romances are sweet and innocent since these are Christian fiction stories but each tell of nine different women and the men that are attracted to them for different reasons. This gives you a look at how competitive women can be even during times when there were few employment opportunities for women. The county fair was one of the few acceptable ways that women could compete with each other. I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review from Netgalley.

If you enjoy historical fiction novellas and the romance of a state fair, then this collection from Barbour was made for you.  Set from the 1880's to 1930, these nine stories of love found centered around state fairs bring a variety of historical fair competitions to light:

Requilted With Love by Carrie Fancett Pagels
Seven Medals and a Bride by Angela Breidenbach
A Taste of Honey by Darlene Franklin
Altered Hearts by Gina Welborn
Better with Butter by Jennifer AlLee
Driven to Distraction by Becca Whitham
First Comes Pie by Niki Turner
Front Page Love by Tiffany Amber Stockton
Competing Hearts by Cynthia Hickey

Sarah and Grant find healing from the loss of their fiancés in 1880's Michigan, and overcome Sarah's distrust of hot air balloons, as love blooms for this quilter and engineer.  Copper miner Luke has come to the 1893 Columbia Exposition to find a wife, but Bettina just wants to further her career as a botanist until some matchmaking ladies step in.  Meanwhile, in Vermont, Grant finds that his neighbor Edith is no longer such a tomboy as he discovers her harvesting honey for her fair-bound baking, on what he considers his land.

Reba is a modern girl in 1901, determined to leave the farm behind for Sioux City, South Dakota and open a millinery shop with her blue-ribbon winning hats.  In one of the cutest of these novellas, the neighboring farmer's son, Levi, pursues her as she echoes his prayer of "move her or move me, change her or change me."

Moving into the World War I era and beyond, the competition becomes more personal as Ella sculpts with butter to promote her family dairy while her former beau Maxwell works to promote margarine in 1916 Nevada.  Robert returns from the war and heads directly to a 1917 Washington State fair to pursue the woman he almost eloped with, but Jolene has opportunities to consider and their fathers can't seem to move past their feud.  Lorelei is sure that using her neighbor's apples in her pie will win a blue ribbon in 1920, only to find that the orchard has been bought by Emmett, a wandering opportunist who finds his taste for living has been changed by recipe number 23.  From Western Colorado we go to Wyoming where a farm girl, Paige, finds the man of her dreams in Andrew, a reporter, as each helps the other realize a dream - with a little help from Bessie Smith.  In the final story, an Arkansas state fair finds neighbors Annie Mae and Jonathan competing hog to hog and facing adversity together in the Great Depression.

While I read some of these stories quickly, there were others that I ended up skimming through what were probably well-researched scenes related to the specific fairs.  Unfortunately, I've found that state fairs just aren't that magical or romantic to me.  I did, however, enjoy each sweet romance and learning about some of the more surprising exhibits and competitions (butter sculpting and auto polo!).  And as always, I enjoyed the incorporation of the themes of healing, faith, and enduring love.

I do enjoy these novella collections from Barbour and this particular one joins my list of those I would recommend, in particular for those who love state fairs and scones (oh, yes, my Washington State friends, the scones you know and love are in Becca Whitham's Driven to Distraction!).

This review refers to an e-galley copy I requested from the publisher, via NetGalley.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Blue ribbons are a coveted prize at county fairs. I remember competing myself with many exhibits in our Five-County Fair. I entered a sweetheart cake, many clothing items I had sewn, and I modeled an outfit that I had sewn. I did win several blue ribbons as well as some white and green ribbons. Our fair also awarded money for each prize, a delightful gift for one who did not have much if any spending money. The nine women are eager and excited participants in the fair.
I rate this book 5 stars and highly recommend the novella collection written by nine talented authors.
I received a copy of this book from netgalley and Barbour Books. I was not given any monetary compensation for my review.

The Blue Ribbon Brides Collection is, of course, a collection of nine novellas by authors Carrie Fancett Pagels, Angela Breidenbach, Darlene Franklin, Gina Welborn, Jennifer AlLee, Becca Whitham, Niki Turner, Tiffany Amber Stockton and Cynthia Hickey.

These novellas are centered around men and/or women competing in or working for county and state fairs. They are sweet stories and well written. Though being short, as novellas generally are, they grab you from the start and don't let go until the end. These endings do not seem abrupt and unfinished.

They begin in 1889 and end in 1930, spanning many years with many differences in characters. The women, of course, are beautiful and full of spirit and the men are handsome and caring. Just as they should be to make a good story. I could give short descriptions of each novella, but I think you would get so much more out of just getting the book and reading them for yourself. I promise, you will not be disappointed. I give these novellas all fives across the board. Enjoy!

Nine historical novellas set during the late 19th century and early 20th century follow various participants at local and state fairs, along with the adventures surrounding their experiences at the fair. I enjoyed the variety of colorful settings, interesting characters, unique plots, and sweet romances. Many of the inspirational stories deal with overcoming hardships—something anyone can identify with—and fair participants wanted to win a blue ribbon to gain money to help their needy families. Learn historical tidbits too, such as when various things were introduced and about the car polo circuit. Travel from state to state with each author’s contribution. I appreciate all the background research to produce accurate details and their ability to weave these in naturally. Whatever element of the fair you enjoy, and some you may not know about, can probably be found in this collection. So feast your mind on this winning combination of friendly competition, delectable food, farm animals, crafts and quilts, family, and love. I was provided a free copy of this book by Celebrate Lit. All opinions are my own.

Each story in this beautiful collection is well written and takes you back to an era where things were simpler. I loved the description of the late 1800s to early 1930s. I could picture the dresses the women wore that were simple yet practical. They loved to bake and show off their skills . I could smell the pies and cakes as they graced the tables . I instantly felt like I was at the fair and could here the laughter of children, and feel the excitement as blue ribbons were about to be presented. Each story is written with great detail and compliments each other. The authors take us on a journey that is filled with excitement . The energy can be felt with each story that brings hope, forgiveness, joy and faith. It's time to settle back and enjoy the fair and be swept away with characters that come to life.


A Taste Of Honey By Darlene Franklin

Edith is quietly gathering honey from the bee hives when suddenly something or someone disturbs the process. I loved how the author did a great job of describing the stings that Edith got and I could see her hand swelling with each word that made the scene come to life. She had everything figured out about the honey that she was going to use at the state fair. With the honey she was harvesting it was sure to be a great ingredient for her.

Grant is back from the navy and bumps into Edith on his father's land . Guess he didn't realize that Edith was trained in gathering honey or maybe he stopped her for a reason. He sure didn't make a great impression at first. He feels bad for her injuries but tells her that there will be no more honey as he has other plans for the land. After his dad had a stroke, the farm wasn't doing as well like it use to. Why does Grant feel like others in the area have taken advantage of his dad? My heart went out to Grant's dad. Having suffered a stroke was so difficult for him but he had such a giving heart.

Edith's dream to enter the baking contest at the fair Is coming up soon. She has hopes of perfecting the perfect recipe and the key is the honey . What does she want to do with the money if she wins? If Grant decides to plow up the land and get rid of the bees, where will she get her honey? I loved the time Edith spent with her mom as they walked their land. The author made me feel like I was in the open pasture looking at the beautiful land that God had made.

The story is filled with hope and compromise. What will happen when Grant finds out that part of the land he thought was his is owned by Edith's family? . The excitement builds as the fair is in full swing. Who will win the grand prize? Can Grant and Edith find a way to work out their differences over the land? This is a delightful story that shows how faith and working together can bring happiness.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from author Darlene Franklin and Netgalley. The review is my honest opinion.