Title: A Bride's Agreement Authors: Elaine Bonner, Ramona K. Cecil, Nancy, Farrier, JoAnn A. Grote & DiAnn Mills Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean Rating: Five Review:

"A Bride's Agreement"

By: Five Authors....
Elaine Bonner, Ramona K. Cecil, Nancy . Farrier, JoAnn A. Grote & DiAnn Mills

My Thoughts..... on these Five Stories......

1. Thanks to a Lonely Heart by Elaine Bonner

What will happen when Steven ask Emily to marry him...Will she? Well this is quite a story that you will just have to pick up this novella to see how well this author will brings out this good read to its readers. It would be a beautiful well written story.

2. A Bride's Sweet Surprise in Saucer, Indiana by Ramona Cecil

What will happen when Regina's father sends for a German[Diedrich Rothhaus] for her to marry? This was another beautiful told story by this author that will stay with you long after the read.

3. Sonoran Secret by Nancy Farrier Will Eduardo Villegas marry Teresa Garcia to forgive the debt owed to him by her father, Diego or would it be another daughter[Fealdad Garcia which meant ugly and stupid] due to trickery....? Why did Eduardo choose to call her Chiquita[which meant tiny]? Diego had duped him once again! What a interesting story that you will only have to pick up to enjoy.

4. Love's Shining Hope by JoAnn A. Grote

Will Pearl accepts Jason’s hasty proposal to help him run his family’s farm?
I loved this ending...quote...
"If we love each other and the Lord, we can handle anything. Love 'beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." "Love never faileth, Never."
Another wonderful read!

5. Kiowa Husband by DiAnn Mills

How will life turn out for Sarah Jane when she marry's Paint Hands [Toby Carlson]? I loved this quote...
from Sarah Jane.to Painted Hands...."Think of what you've done for me. Your Volunteered to help strangers with deadly typhoid. You married me when Preacher Sanders demanded it. You helped me nurse Mama and Papa and spared me the restless, wild one." "I pray you one day discover how blessed I am." Another beautifully told story that will keep your attention from start till the end.

Would I recommend A Bride's Agreement? YES!

Every time I thought I liked this certain novella....I would read another one ...and then I was left saying in the end..... I liked all five stories and I am sure you will too.

I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

http://tamaramorning.com/2015/09/21/a-brides-agreement/

Love love love it! Every story was so interesting and heart warming. I loved Chiquita and Eduardo's story so very much. I cried through a few of them, Especially Diedrich and Regina's story. Although, their story did drag on and on and on. I thought there were too many plot twists in it, That would be my only complaint.

Five very different and interesting stories! Each pretty much only has in common, stories of their Christian faith and their somehow arranged marriage, all of course falling deeply in love by the end and happily ever after. I appreciated most the diverse settings and characters. The Oregon trail, old west in Texas, an Arizona ranch, German farmers, and 1800s Minnesota. All historical settings but each refreshingly different from each different story and the marriage arranged for a different reason. Simple and good stories with some encouraging lessons. I would pleasantly recommend.

I loved how this book had five stories from different authors. Amazing

Five "novellas" in one cover telling stories about arranged marriages or marriages of convenience. Thing is, I don't think these were novellas, I think they were full length novels. I finished this last night, and I must say that it was a long haul to read this whole thing. One of the stories I'd read before--A Bride's Sweet Surprise in Sauers, Indiana.

The novellas were all pretty good stories, but I think my favorite was Love's Shining Hope by JoAnn A Grote. Pearl has decided to help her friend Jase with his responsibilities since his parents were killed in an accident. He has two younger brothers and two younger sisters to care for, a farm, the house; and he's in over his head. Pearl comes to teach the older girl about keeping a home and cooking while Jase and the boys take care of the outdoor chores. When Pearl's parents come home from a trip, they tell her she is endangering her reputation by being at Jase's house unchaperoned. After two weeks with no Pearl, Jase asks her to marry him, in name only. She agrees and he gives her forty-eight hours to get ready for the wedding. Pearl has loved Jase since they were children, but it takes a while for Jase to realize that he does love Pearl and wants her for his wife in all ways.

The olio has a wide variety of stories to please the reader: all of the authors are quite competent in their craft and they have done well with the stories in this anthology, the characters have depth, the settings are well-suited for the plots, and the plots move at a steady pace that keeps the reader involved.

This is a five star, two thumbs up book, and a cooking lesson for an adolescent girl.

Elaine Bonner--Thanks to a Lonely Heart Ramona Cecil--A Bride's Sweet Surprise in Sauers, Indiana Nancy J Farrier--Sonoran Secret JoAnn A Grote--Love's Shining Hope DiAnn Mills--Kiowa Husband

My thanks to Barbour Books for allowing me to read and review this book.

“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.

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").