Book Review

Excited about Reading: The Drifter’s Mail-Order Bride by Cassie Hayes

/ Dora Hiers / 2 Comments
Amazon Buy Link

The Cover Story~

He was a drifter, through and through. Could he give up his wanderlust for a mail-order bride he didn’t know was coming? 

Having grown up in the shadow of two beautiful sisters, ‘Scrawny Bonnie’ Blue knows she doesn’t stand a chance at landing a good man in Beckham, Massachusetts. The only way she’ll find a husband is by leaving her family behind to become a mail order bride. But when all three Blue sisters are swept up in a scandal, she has no choice to but to take ‘Gorgeous Gwen’ and ‘Lovely Libby’ with her…kicking and screaming, if she must. 

Bart Dalton would be happy riding the range forever, but his brothers need his help to start a ranch in north Texas. He figures he’ll last a year or so before his feet get itchy again, which his brothers understand. As triplets, they can almost read each others’ minds. Except when his oldest brother ordered three brides for them. It would have been nice to have a little warning about that! 

When Bart’s late to meet the train carrying the Blue sisters, his brothers get first dibs, leaving Bonnie standing alone and dejected once again. It only gets worse when her ‘intended’ finally shows up and balks at the idea of marrying her. The one thing Bonnie has going for her are her wits, and she puts them to good use by proposing a business arrangement that Bart can’t refuse. 

Will Bart go back to his drifter ways, or is the elusive thing he’d searched for all his life sleeping in the next room? 

Sharing my takeaway~

Wow! Where has Cassie Hayes been all my reading life? Lol. I really enjoyed this story, my first by this author. All the characters were unique and well developed, with interesting interactions and dynamics between the Blue and Dalton families from the first page to the last.
Bonnie yearns to find true love, a man who can see past her beautiful sisters. Bart’s not happy with his brother for ordering him a bride. He plans to move on soon and that’s not fair to “Bonnie Blue.” But if he had to pick a bride, he would pick someone just like Bonnie. Petite, feisty, honest, a gal with an adventurous spirit and who’s capable of taking care of herself. And while initially I never would have matched Bonnie up with Bart, Bonnie completes him. And I liked the curveball. 🙂

Great chemistry between the main characters moved this book along at a fast pace. I think it took me a couple hours to finish, and when interrupted, I really looked forward to getting back into it. It’s a sweet, clean read, with a couple overarching themes regarding gossip and life choices. I’ll definitely be reading more by Cassie Hayes.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book while it was offered free on Amazon. I was in no way compensated for my fair and unbiased review. 

Excited about Reading: All the Way to Heaven by Becky Doughty

/ Dora Hiers / 8 Comments
Amazon Buy Link

The Cover Story~
Sometimes help comes from the most unlikely of hands, and sometimes getting lost is the surest way to be found.

Anica Tomlin, business major, has just learned that the man she’s been planning her future around, her Global Finance professor, already has a beautiful wife and family. Ani cashes in her graduation gift to herself a little early–a trip to Tuscany–but from the moment she boards the wrong train in Pisa, her plans for solitude and self-indulgence begin to unravel around her.

When a bicycle accident thrusts Ani into the skilled hands of the dashing Dr. Cosimo Lazzaro, she reluctantly accepts his invitation to recover in his family’s country villa, perched on a hilltop surrounded by the Lazzaro olive groves. But it’s been a black year for olive growers all over Italy, and generations of tradition are being put to the test like never before.

Ani is swept up in the drama of life in Tuscany, the convergence of old and new, and the passions that drive people to pursue the desires of their hearts. Just as Ani begins to get her feet under her again, an unexpected turn of events leaves her doubting the very existence of happily-ever-after, unless she can learn to trust the desires of her own heart.

Sharing My Takeaway~

First off, I almost didn’t download this book because the cover didn’t appeal to me. But, the bulk of the story takes place in Italy, more specifically on an olive tree farm/villa, so I understand the reason for the cover design. It’s just not a typical romance reader cover. But this isn’t a typical romance, either. 🙂
The beginning slogged with a bit too much backstory for my taste, but the story kept calling to me, and I refused to put it down. I’m glad I didn’t because I would’ve missed nuggets like this:

“Lucca is full of light and joy. If you look for it with open eye and open heart and open hand, you will find happy here.”

After discovering the ugly truth about her boyfriend/college professor, Anica “Ani” Tomlin escaped to Italy for an early graduation gift.

“Pain, she is a beautiful woman. You must hold her and comfort her until she is ready to go. Then she will leave some of her beauty with you when she goes.”

Doughty rocks descriptions! I felt like I’d wandered into the book and onto the pages myself, plunked right into the landscape of Italy. The pastry shop in the medieval city. The villa overlooking the olive tree farm. Truthfully, I didn’t want to leave. 
Through an unfortunate accident and the theft of her personal documents, Ani’s plans change. Not only her plans, but she changes. Initially, I sympathized with her humiliating discovery and then the chain of events that left her injured and stranded. But she seemed a bit self-centered, and even with her predicament, I found it hard to likeher, especially her treatment of Paulo. But when she finally realizes who her heart longs for and recognizes that her new friends are experiencing far more devastating issues, she redeems herself.
All the Way to Heavenis geared for New Adult readers, and I believe that’s accurate. But this Old Adult reader enjoyed it too. 🙂 Sweet and clean, awesome descriptions, a very subtle faith thread, and a romance that finally materialized, (did it ever!) I would definitely read another Doughty book.
How do you feel about covers? Would you choose to buy/read a book based on the cover alone? Do you judge a book by its cover?


Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book while it was offered free on Amazon. I was in no way compensated for my fair and unbiased review. 

Excited about Reading: MUST-HAVE HUSBAND by Ginny Baird

/ Dora Hiers / 4 Comments
Amazon Buy Link

The Cover Story~
MUST-HAVE HUSBAND
Fall for Love. Take a Chance…

City girl Connie Oliver has a hard time hanging on to men, grooms in particular. Just nine weeks before her wedding, she’s seen another one slip away. To make matters worse, her ailing grandfather’s eightieth birthday is approaching, and he has one final wish: to see his last granddaughter married in the historic wedding gown that was first worn by his late wife and has been a family tradition for years. When her sister takes Connie on a girls’ getaway in the wild to soothe her latest heartache, she quips that Connie wouldn’t know a decent man if he fell on her. So, when a handsome stranger drops out of the trees, Connie’s got to wonder whether he’s some sort of madman – or an answer to her prayers.

Rugged outdoorsman “Mac” McCormack is down on his luck after having just lost his camping store in a forest fire. So he hits the trail to forget his woes and plot his next move. Little does Mac expect the fates to deliver an angel with a predicament in need of his skills. With Connie desiring a groom and Mac requiring a down payment, their meeting seems fortuitously timed. But how far will Mac be willing to go once he learns play-acting for the Olivers is not such smooth sailing? Despite the mishaps and mayhem that ensue, can Connie and Mac achieve an authentic happy ending? That all depends on whether both of their hearts can take a chance.

Sharing my takeaway~
After her latest fiance dumped her (#3 or 4?), Connie Oliver needs a groom and a wedding to satisfy her beloved grandfather. Mac McCormack needs money to rebuild his camping store after a forest fire destroyed it. Their cute meet in the wilderness extends to Mac masquerading as her fiance in exchange for enough money to begin the rebuilding.

“Sometimes you had to make sacrifices in order to achieve your goals.”


This was the first book that I’ve read by Ginny Baird, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Tagged “A sweet, traditional PG-rated romantic comedy” perhaps I should’ve, but this was laugh-out-loud funny! 

At 113 pages, including previews of other books, Must-Have Husband is a quick read, definitely PG but not in a turn-the-page-quick kinda way, and not heavy or meaty in plot or character development or even romance. I would’ve liked more pages, more time for the romance to develop. But I’ve been in a reading rut lately. Sometimes you just need something different, you know? This short read was the perfect prescription for me.

Because of its petite size and zippy dialog, it’s a light, fun read to while away an hour or so. I’ll definitely look through Baird’s other books for more laugh-out-loud enjoyment!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book while it was offered free on Amazon. I was in no way compensated for my fair and unbiased review.