Lone Star Book Blog Tour: Once Upon a Mail Order Bride by Linda Broday (Review)

“Dancing, like life, was all about learning the steps, making sure to avoid any obstacles, and not stepping in a pile of manure.”

Linda Broday never disappoints and once again presents an excellent romantic western that is sure to delight even the hardest of hearts. Once Upon a Mail Order Bride is Book 4 and the grand finale in the Outlaw Mail Order Brides series. Linda has created a wonderful world in Hope’s Crossing, Texas, inhabited by people who have shady pasts or are still wanted by the law. Hope’s Crossing is a safe haven with limited access, but it is not invisible or impervious from being discovered by bad people looking to collect some bounty on an outlaw or wanting to exact evil revenge for perceived crimes.

Ridge Steele is the latest outlaw in Hope’s Crossing to gain a bride, but Addie brings her own secrets and her own danger to the town. Their relationship starts off on a bit of a silent and rocky note, but they both find comfort and healing in each other’s presence and are soon completely smitten.

As with the previous three books in the series, family plays an important role in Once Upon a Mail Order Bride. While couples continue to get married and have children, many have taken in orphans that have found their way to Hope’s Crossing and have no one to care for them. These families may be unconventional, but they are brimming with plenty of love, acceptance and laughter. A thought-provoking theme in Once Upon a Mail Order Bride is unearthing the courage to find your voice during traumatic situations, both literally and figuratively. Addie is not the only one to experience the struggle of speaking up and speaking out to save herself and others. All the books in this series can be read out of sequence, but please read them in order so that you can see the secluded town of Hope’s Crossing and its residents grow and thrive across all four books.

Word of advice: Don’t be fooled by the “mail order bride” aspect here. All the women are strong, capable, and determined to live their lives on their own terms, but Addie is the latest and the last in the series to discover that patience and kindness wrapped up in a sexy outlaw can go a long way toward finding healing from a troubled past and securing a promising future.

Linda Broday consistently deliveries excellent stories that are eloquently written and filled with main characters that highlight the ineffable truth that love and life always find a way. Once Upon a Mail Order Bride has love and romance aplenty, but it also has enough evildoers and calamities to keep the pace quick and the drama high. Once Upon a Mail Order Bride may be the end of this wonderful series about outlaws, brides, family, atonement, and new beginnings, but Linda Broday has plenty of other romantic historical westerns for you to enjoy, and enjoy them you will. Trust me!

I’m a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thirty historical western romance novels and short stories. I reside in the Texas Panhandle on land the American Indian and early cowboys once roamed, and at times if the breeze is just right, I can hear their voices whispering in the wind. Texas’s rich history is one reason I set all my stories here where cowboys still remain caretakers of the land. I’m inspired every day by their immense dedication and love for the wide-open spaces. I combine those men with the love of family in all my stories and hope to continue to give readers books that entertain and fulfill.