{Review} Train Station Bride by Holly Bush

ASIN #: B007RHF8RY

File Size: 314 KB

Page Count: 175

Copyright: March 14, 2012

Publisher: BookBaby

Book Summary:

(Taken from Amazon)

1887 Debutante, Julia Crawford endures a lifetime of subtle ridicule as the plump, silly daughter of a premiere Boston family. Julia strikes out on her own to gain independence, traveling to the Midwest to marry an aging shopkeeper and care for his mother. Julia finds her new home rough and uncivilized after the sophistication of a big city, while closely held secrets threaten to ruin Julia's one chance at love.

Jake Shelling was sixteen and grew up quick when his parents died from influenza on the North Dakota prairie. Left with a half-cleared farm and two younger sisters, he spent little time on his own needs ... till now. At thirty-five, he figured it was high time to have some sons and a mail order bride would suit him just fine. No expectations of love, just a helpmate from sturdy stock, ready for farm life.

Mandy's Review:

Every now and then, I love to read a good old-fashioned romance that you don't have to analyze to death. You can just read enjoy it. That's what I did with Holly Bush's Train Station Bride.

Julia is a 27 year-old woman who is the embarrassment of her Boston blue-blood family. She has no husband and a past indiscretion is still not forgotten by her overbearing mother. The suitors Julia's mother and older sister try to set her up with are unattractive, poorly mannered, or just old. Julia's had enough. She decides to answer an ad written by a lonely Westerner searching for a bride. When she leaves home, her family is under the impression it is to go see an Aunt. They won't know about her escape to the West until a week later when the maid, and Julia's close friend, gives Julia's letters to her family.

Jake is 35 year-old man who hasn't taken the time for himself since his parents died and he had to raise his two younger sisters. This is a hard-working man, ladies. He was bound and determined to pay off the land he and his sisters lived on and he did just that. He took a horrible situation and made himself, and his family, a rousing success. He is faithful to his family. Once you become a part of the Shelling family, you're a Shelling until the day you die.

Jake, now that his two sisters are married, is ready to get married and have sons. He's not interested in love, so he pays for a mail-order bride from Sweden. On the day she's to arrive, he appears at the train station with the reverend. Talk about being serious about marriage! This woman doesn't have a chance to become acclimated to her surroundings before she's up and married.

I enjoyed reading this story. Julia's parents were unbelievable and I felt sorry for her. They treated her like she was still a child. I could've just slapped her mother silly. Jake was endearing and lovable. The characters were well-rounded and very relatable. The story was a romantic one, but it also had moments of surprises. I think any person who enjoys a romance story and likes to get lost in a simpler time would enjoy this novel.


*An ecopy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.