The Mail-Order Standoff features four novellas about mail-order brides who get cold feet. Since I have a soft spot for marriage of convenience stories, mail-order bride stories are some of my favorite. So I was a little excited to get the chance to check out this collection.
I know I say this every time I review a novella collection, but I feel it’s important to point out each time that I have a love-hate relationship with novella collections because there’s always at least one or two stories that I don’t like as well as the others. But even though I didn’t like every story in The Mail-Order Standoff, I still would recommend the collection.
My Thoughts on Each Story
Right on Time by Angela Breidenbach
Right on Time was hilarious. Timothy gets quite the surprise when he shows up to marry Tara and work her ranch. I enjoyed their interactions, especially the banter over his formal clothing, English saddle, and preconceived notions.
I appreciated the author spacing out the timeline. To me, the relationship was more realistic because they had plenty of time to get to know each other. But sometimes jumping ahead a month or so made the novella feel a bit disjointed. I would’ve liked to have this premise in a novel so I could spend more time with the characters and have a much smoother timeline.
Pistol-Packin’ Bride by Margaret Brownley
This one was my favorite. The way Brownley took the premise and turned it into an entertaining read is incredible. Ben and Elizabeth’s romance is entertaining. But my favorite part was how Ben’s six parents (Yes, I said six) would insert themselves into a situation. Having them together created a hilarious kind of chaos.
And Ben and Elizabeth were phenomenal characters. Brownley managed to flesh them out in a short time. Great read that I hated to end.
The Bride Who Declined by Susan Page Davis
This story has plenty in its favor. Rachel’s character was interesting, especially since she was a city-bred woman trying to acclimate to life on a ranch. Davis developed Rachel’s character very well, but I felt like I didn’t get enough time with Jack. Maybe it’s because I liked him so much as a hero.
Twice the Trouble by Vickie McDonough
The premise of this story was interesting, although I was a bit annoyed that Keeley and Katie went to great lengths to hide their names. And having four POV characters felt like a little much. It made it hard for me to really connect with the characters. I think if this had been a full-length novel, I wouldn’t have minded so much because there would have been more time with each character. Overall, though, it was an entertaining read.
Overall, some stories were definitely better than others. But they were still nice, light reads for a lazy afternoon.
To grab your own copy of The Mail-Order Standoff, click the book image to order it on Amazon or go to your favorite bookstore.
If you love novella collections, check out my review for Sew in Love, Crinoline Cowboys, or Homefront Heroines.
Note: I received a complimentary copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
