Mystic Montana Sky by Debra Holland

Mystic Montana Sky by Debra Holland

The Montana Sky Series, Book 6

Publisher: Montlake Romance (June 2016)

290 pages, eBook (provided by the publisher for review)

Book Rating: 5 Stars

Sensuality: White Heart

After an accident on the road to Morgan’s Crossing, Caleb finds that he is left in the middle of nowhere with a newly widowed pregnant woman about to give birth and realizes he must deliver her baby himself.  The urgency of the situation, together with Caleb’s guilt about his part in the accident that killed the woman’s husband, takes him out of his usual stiff-and-starched-self and makes him feel responsible for Maggie and her child. It was very interesting to see Caleb, who had been so concerned with appearances and propriety, in the previous books in this series, to seemingly throw all that to the wind and take on a more human appearance. Loved the transformation, and his blindness to things he would have cared about before, in the face of his love for the baby he delivered and his admiration for the strength and courage of the baby’s mother. Great story!

A Valentine’s Choice by Debra Holland

A Valentine’s Choice by Debra Holland

The Montana Sky Series, Holiday Novella

Publisher: Debra Holland (February 2015)

83 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $2.99)

Book Rating: 5 Stars

Sensuality: White Heart

After experiencing the death of their parents and the loss of their sister, Bridget and Alana leave Ireland and head to Montana, hoping to find a new start with family living in the Sweetwater Springs area. Bridget quickly draws the eye of two men, sweet down-to-earth James and elegant, striking Patrick, and she finds she must decide what she wants in a husband in order to choose between them. Sweet, entertaining little story. I hope to see Alana and Catriona, the other two sisters, stories out soon!

Grace by Debra Holland

Grace by Debra Holland

American Mail-Order Brides Series, Book 41

The Montana Sky Series, Prequel

Publisher: Debra Holland (December 2015)

117 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $2.99)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Sensuality: White Heart

After narrowly escaping losing her innocence to a man who turned out to be a deceitful and scheming married man, instead of the devoted fiancé she thought he was, Grace tries her luck with a mail-order bride match picking a man as far from home as possible. Frey was a sweet man, so full of exuberance and with a light-hearted teasing manner. I couldn’t help but like him immediately. Grace takes a while to come around and realize that she needs to stop comparing Frey to his odious predecessor. Sweet, little tale.

Bertha by Debra Holland

Bertha by Debra Holland

Mail-Order Brides of the West, Book 8

The Montana Sky Series, Prequel

Publisher: Debra Holland (February 2016)

100 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $2.99)

Book Rating: 5 Stars

Sensuality: White Heart

I’ve wanted to read Bertha’s story for so long! I loved her character immediately, when we were introduced to her at the beginning of the series, and hoped she would get her own happy ending as all the other potential brides did. Bertha is a shy, sweet woman with a talent for baking/cooking, but she is also overweight and used to being overshadowed by all her slim, sociable sisters and their many suitors. Great story about two shy people finding happiness together. Howie was such a sweet, protective man and he was perfect for Bertha. Great ending to the series! I look forward to other contributions to the stories of Morgan’s Crossing in the Montana Sky Worlds collection!

Prudence by Debra Holland

Prudence by Debra Holland

Mail-Order Brides of the West, Book 7

The Montana Sky Series, Prequel

Publisher: Debra Holland (August 2015)

218 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $2.99)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Sensuality: White Heart

Prudence was the shrewish nemesis of all the potential brides that came from the Mail-Order Brides of the West Agency, but her difficult personality has left her as one of two unclaimed brides, and now that the Agency will be closing she is left with nowhere to turn—until a tongue-in-cheek recommendation from some of the brides in Sweetwater Springs leads to a proposal from a man in nearby Morgan’s Crossing. I just love when a villain is shown to possess some goodness along with the more difficult side of their personality. I didn’t know it was possible, given her vindictive past behavior, but I actually felt sorry for her through much of this story. In many ways, she is a truly misunderstood person that had always tried to protect herself from the hurts of her past. Michael had just as much to make up for and learn from, in this thing, and it was fun to see them work through that together. Great story! I’m excited to move on to Bertha’s story!

Clingstone by Marti Ziegler

Clingstone by Marti Ziegler

Publisher: Marti Ziegler (February 2016)

383 pages, eBook (provided by the Author for review)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Sensuality: Pink Heart

As the Civil War draws to an end, northern troops round up treasonous southerners intent on sending them to northern prisons, mill workers from the small town of Roswell included, and all the upheaval throws two such workers together repeatedly until Mae and Creighton find the other’s company more of a necessity than a nuisance. I loved both main characters (all three if you count Creighton’s little nephew, Owen), but I found Mae and Creighton endlessly frustrating. They were constantly causing each other heartache, when both had plenty of that from outside sources as it was. They were both very complex characters, that you gradually come to know over the course of the story, but I’m still not quite sure how an ‘outcast’ like Creighton had so much experience with the ladies.  This story could have been very depressing, without the constant lightening affect of humor that was injected with regularity throughout the story, and I really appreciated that. I wished there had been an epilogue or reunion with Owen at the end, but that aside, I found the ending very satisfying. Engaging historical read!