Peasread: The Second Chance Brides Collection

This sweet collection of short stories about second chances for nine women set in history from 1776-1944 was a fun pool side read. Each story moves quickly and at first I felt rushed to get to know the characters and didn't like that things moved so unrealistically fast. Do people really fall in love so quickly? Is that real love or just initial attraction? But I supposed that's the nature of short stories. Once I put that into consideration I enjoyed each story more. I really liked that I could start a story and not feel like I had to devote whole night to it. I could read just one and get to bed, or read a few pool side while the kids swam. I like that the stories were about love and second chances, but also about faith. Both the hope and strength it gives people. Each of these stories is a clean read. Death is mentioned in some of the stories, there is some kissing.

Admittedly I liked some more than others. My favorites were The Widow of St. Charles Street, Fanned Embers, and From a Distance. You can see the summaries from authors below.

Hope for Happy Endings Is Renewed in Nine Historical Romances Meet nine women from history spanning from 1776 to 1944 feel the sting of having lost out on love. Can their hope for experiencing romance again be renewed? 

Love in the Crossfire by Lauralee Bliss - Trenton, New Jersey, 1776Gretchen Hanson watched her beau go off to war and never return. She soon falls for an enemy scout who stumbles upon her farm. If Jake is discovered, it could mean death for them all. Will Gretchen let go of love or stand strong? Daughter of Orion by Ramona K. Cecil - New Bedford, Massachusetts, 1859Whaling widow, Matilda Daggett, vows to never again give her heart to a seaman. But when debt drives her to masquerade as a cabin boy on a whaling ship, a young harpooner threatens both her vow and her heart. The Substitute Husband and the Unexpected Bride by Pamela Griffin - Washington Territory, 1864Cecily McGiver, a mail-order bride, arrives in the rugged Washington Territory shocked to find herself without a husband—that is until Garrett, a widower, offers to take the position. Can the challenges that face them lead to love? The Prickly Pear Bride by Pam Hillman - Little Prickly Pear Creek, Montana Territory, 1884Shepherdess Evelyn Arnold left her intended at the altar so he could marry the woman he really loved. Dubbed Miss Prickly Pear, Evelyn is resigned to a loveless life and the ridicule of her neighbors. When Cole Rawlins sweeps her out of a raging river, she realizes even a prickly pear can find love. The Widow of St. Charles Avenue by Grace Hitchcock - New Orleans, 1895Colette Olivier, a young widow who married out of obligation, finds herself at the end of her mourning period and besieged with suitors out for her inheritance. With her pick of any man, she is drawn to an unlikely choice. Married by Mistake by Laura V. Hilton - Mackinac Island, 1902When a plan to pose for advertising goes awry, Thomas Hale and Bessie O’Hara find themselves legally married. Now Bessie and Thomas must decide whether to continue the charade or walk away. Either choice could ruin them if the truth gets out.  Fanned Embers by Angela Breidenbach - Bitterroot Mountains, Montana/Idaho border, 1910Stranded in the treacherous railroad camp after her husband’s murder, Juliana Hayes has no desire to marry a ruffian like Lukas Filips. Can she release prejudice to love again? Or will they even survive the fiery Pacific Northwest disaster to find out? From a Distance by Amber Stockton - Breckenridge, Colorado, 1925Financial Manager Trevor Fox sets out to find a lady to love him and not his money, then meets and falls for an average girl only to discover she’d deceived him to protect her heart after he unknowingly rejects her. What the Heart Sees by Liz Tolsma - Hartford, Wisconsin, 1944American Miriam Bradford is shocked to see Paul Albrecht, her summer fling from Germany in 1939, escorted into church as a POW. Can they rekindle their romance amid the overwhelming objections of almost everyone in town–including her father?

Would I read it again? Yes
Would I recommend it to adults? Yes
Clean read about love, romance, death, faith.

3 stars

1 star – didn’t like it

2 stars – it was OK

3 stars – liked it

 4 stars – really liked it

5 stars – it was amazing

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  I received this book from NetGalley. I was under no obligation to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.

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