Review: Sixteen Brides by Stephanie Whitson

Title: Sixteen Brides

Author: Stephanie Grace Whitson

Publisher: Bethany House publishers

Date released: April 1. 2010

ISBN: 978-0-7642-0513-2

Stars: ***3/4

Age rating (out of 5): PG- 12

I don't believe there was anything inappropriate in this book however, there is a scene when one of the women is almost "rapped". Although it wasn't graphic whatsoever and was very brief.

Back cover (from Bethany House):

In 1872, sixteen Civil War widows living in St. Louis respond to a series of meetings conducted by a land speculator who lures them west by promising "prime homesteads" in a "booming community." Unbeknownst to them, the speculator's true motive is to find an excuse to bring women to the fledging community of Plum Grove, Nebraska, in hopes they will accept marriage proposals shortly after their arrival!
Sparks fly when these unsuspecting widows meet the men who are waiting for them. These women are going to need all the courage and faith they can muster to survive these unwanted circumstances--especially when they begin to discover that none of them is exactly who she appears to be.

My Thoughts:

Like a lot of books coming out this year, I'd been waiting for quite sometime to read Sixteen Brides and I was so excited to see Bethany House offering it up for review, I just couldn't resist the chance. The book centers on six women, widowed by the war, going out west to claim their "free land", or so said Mr. Hamilton Drake of Dawson County. What the women didn't know was that the men of Dawson County had plenty of "free" land for these gals.....they'd just have to marry up first ..and to one of them. I like mail-order bride stories and it was different to read basically six-in-one but, I felt that the characters weren't detailed physically enough for me, to really visualize them in my head. However, it was easy to connect to the characters because, their personalities were so genuine and real. The book moves at a good pace but, probably a little slow for me. There just wasn't enough excitement for me and when there was a little, the characters tried making it seem more dramatic then it really was. But, one of the biggest problems for me (and I promise this will me the last) was the fact that I felt as if there were pages, or at least paragraphs, missing. I'd be reading and then BOOM!, the subject would change like the weather in Nebraska!But, besides all that, I LOVED the historical details, the romances that developed between several of the characters, the friendships formed between the six ladies and felt that overall, the book was very well written. This definitely won't be the last time I read a book by Stephanie Whitson and I would recommend this book to anyone who LOVES a good historical novel, with a sweet romance.. er, romances. :D

*Many thanks to Jim Hart @ Bethany House for providing a review copy of Sixteen Brides. This is my honest opinion of this book and is in no way influenced by the author and/or the publisher*

If you would like to learn more about Stephanie Whitson and her books (I know I would!) go to:

Her Website

The Publisher

Goodreads

Love Ya,

Ashley