"Twice Promised" by Maggie Brendan: Book Review

ISBN: 978-0-8007-3463-3

About the book: Two beautiful brides. One unsuspecting groom. Three weeks to figure it all out.

Greta Olsen arrives in Central City, Colorado, as a mail-order bride, expecting to marry Jess Gifford, the man she’s come to know through his tender letters. But when she meets Cora Johnson, she discovers she’s not the only bride waiting at the train station for Jess.

Already shocked to find they must compete for Jess’s affection, the young women can hardly believe it when not Jess but his brother Zach picks them up from the station—and reveals that Jess knows nothing about any mail-order bride, let alone two. Will either bride make the match she hopes for?

Filled with surprises, misunderstandings, and tender romance, Twice Promised is the story of how two unlikely women become twice blessed.

My thoughts: This is a  first read for me of a book by Maggie Brendan; and I found that she writes a delightful story, although somewhat unbelievable at times, that is both sweet, humorous, insightful, and has a touch of history.

The mail order bride market flourished during the settlement of the west because men were the settlers, adventurers, and gold miners and they were lonely.  There was also a plethora of women who had immigrated to the United States and had no where else to go.  Many had no family.  Some had family but were either virtually no more than slaves to the family or unwanted by their family.  There were a few adventurous souls who simply wanted something new and a different life.

Enter that scene our two ladies - Greta with her Swedish blond looks, strength, and challenging manner and Cora a dark haired beauty that is fragile and a real "lady" who is obviously from a cultured, well-to-do background. What they have found is that they are both waiting at the station after their journey for the same gentleman and that he is not expecting them since his brother was the writer of the letters contracting with the ladies to make the journey as potential mail order brides.

The story evolves and the personalities of each of the brothers and the two ladies brings together two couples and two love stories. Their story is somewhat predictable but nonetheless very enjoyable.

I enjoyed the two mens' grandmother and her wisdom and also the young "orphan" that blustered his way into the lives of all of them and found forgiveness and redemption.  Altogether a good read and I look forward to another Maggie Brendan read in the future.

 “Available October 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell,
a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

About the author: Maggie Brendan is the author of the Heart of the West series and Deeply Devoted, which was a 2012 ICRA Award finalist. A member of the Authors Guild, Romance Writers of America, and Georgia Romance Writers, Maggie lives in Georgia. Visit her at www.MaggieBrendan.com.

DISCLOSURE: I was provided a complimentary copy of Twice Promised by Revell in order to provide a review and my honest opinion. All opinions are solely my own.  Book information is provided by the publisher.