Love on Her Own Terms: A Mail Order Bride Historical Western Romance Book by Carol Colyer

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Title: Love on Her Own Terms: A Mail Order Bride Historical Western Romance Book
Author: Carol Colyer
Published by: Indie
Release Date: August 10, 2018
Format: Kindle Book
Pages: 390
Genres: Western, Romance
Reading Challenges: CC's Goodreads Reading Challenge
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon
My rating:

Blurb:

Kathleen is Boston born and bred, with a degree from the Boston Conservatory of Music. On her 18th birthday, her parents announce that she has been betrothed to a longtime friend--one she has always known as Uncle Elias. She ponders that fate, but not until she finds out that the betrothal was actually a deal struck in order to save her father's ailing business! As a bold response, she answers a Mail-Order Bride ad for one Dan Gallagher, a ranch owner in Tombstone, Arizona Territory, without knowing what future awaits her...

After his late father left it behind, Dan Gallagher struggles to keep the ranch alive, which seems like a difficult feat. His hardships with his brother, and his loneliness lead him to send for a mail order bride, with the expectation to fill his otherwise empty life. He hasn't even seen her, nor has she, which makes it even more difficult for them to meet...

Her adventure begins when she leaves Boston, but as it unfolds, she starts to wonder who was the mysterious gentleman she met on the train station. Was it the real Dan Gallagher? Despite the way they meet and all the duplicity around her, who will save whom and, most importantly, will she find love on her own terms?

My Review:

This was a good romance story but the side story was a bit too detailed and I felt the friendships were too rushed for the sake of the romance.

I liked both of the MC’s on their own. Kathleen was courageous in the fact that she left with only the money she had and didn’t look back.  In that time a woman travelling alone was suspect.  But she just what she felt she had to do in order to live her best life.  It called to my adventurous heart. However, it seemed at odds with how she reacted when she got to the train station and was basically steamrolled into a marriage with Dan’s brother.  It was supposed to be a joke on the brothers part, but I found it to be cruel. Especially considering how she was treated after.  I guess I wasn’t expecting how people thought in that time about woman to be such a big deal.  But it was, and it really affected my enjoyability of the book.

Dan is the strong silent type.  Too silent if you ask me, I felt like we never really got to know him because he never spoke about himself.  Almost everything we knew about him came from other people.  I would have had a hard time putting effort into a relationship when it seems so one sided.  He was a stable man with the means of taking care of someone.  I think that’s what woman looked for the most in those days so when we get to the romantic parts they are a bit choppy and come off as awkward.  It took a long time for me to believe they truly cared for one another and weren’t just lonely.

I liked how they both wanted to take it slow though so that helped in the romance department.  And I loved how the Earps were in the book.  That was a nice twist.  I don’t know if I will read more by this author.