Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Review of Christmas Mail-Order Brides: Four Mail-Order Brides Travel the Transcontinental Railroad in Search of Love (Romancing America)

HeartsongChica avatar reviewed on
Helpful Score: 2


I've always enjoyed mail-order bride stories, because they catch my imagination. What would make a woman travel across the country to marry a man she's never met? Mail order-bride stories set at Christmas, even better! The tie binding these four stories together is Mrs. Mayberry's Matrimonial Society for Christians of Moral Character. In the final story, we meet Mrs. Mayberry herself, and find out what caused her to become a matchmaker.

I enjoyed reading each of the stories, and several of them could have been extended to be intriguing stand-alones, as some of the endings were rushed or jumpy. I was able to finish all four stories in one weekend, and they each drew me in. I found myself rooting for the brides and their grooms to fall in love and figure out their problems. I felt most sorry for Annika, being the innocent pawn in her intendeds family power struggle. I was most relieved for Jolie, since her original groom sounded like a jerk. I wanted to smack Elisabeth and Zane, for each being so secretive - not a good foundation for marriage. And I was curious why Mrs. Mayberry was so darn set on fixing the one match that failed.

If you're looking for good quick reads set in historical times at Christmas, this book is for you! It would also be a great Christmas gift.