Sagebrush Knights By Erica Vetsch

Summary

Sagebrush Knights by Erica Vetsch Four-In-One Collection Four sisters travel from Seabury, Massachusetts to Sagebrush, Wyoming Territory to start new lives. The home they lived in belonged to the school their father taught at, when he passed they lost their home. They put an ad out to be mail-order brides as long as they could stay near to each other. Imagine marrying someone within a half hour of meeting them. Barely knowing more about the person than their age and occupation. And considering these girls have an impatient preacher to deal as he delivers each one to the home of their grooms. Here are their stories. Knight and Day Widow Evelyn Gerhard Standford is the oldest of the four. She planned on being near the sisters she had helped raise since she was ten. She didn’t expect that they would go to ranches that weren’t close at all or that she was gaining a wild daughter to tame. Her controlled life was suddenly pulled out from under her. Gareth Kittrick was more nervous about getting married the second time around. Maybe because it happened so fast, maybe because he didn’t know much about the woman besides that she was a widow. He was pleased to find her pleasant to look at and surprised to find out she had a son, a very citified son. Well that would change soon enough. This is an enjoyable story as we watch the struggles of Evelyn trying to let go of her son so he can become a young man and her struggles to turn Mad Dog Maddie into a young lady. And all the while holding onto her heart so she wouldn’t love and be hurt again. Lady-in-Waiting Jane Gerhard is the second oldest sister and the next one to be dropped off at a ranch in the middle of nowhere with a quick ceremony from the grouchy Reverend Cummings. Then left in tears as she watches her two younger sisters depart to start their own lives, without her or Evelyn. Believing she is just a Plain Jane, she’s not surprised when her husband takes off to who knows where for the rest of the day, their wedding day. Can she trust this marriage is God’s leading? Harrison Garvey didn’t want to live under his father’s thumb in Ohio. He wanted his own land and loves his life. He needs to prove to his father he can succeed on his own. And now he has a wife as well, not the socialite his father wanted him to choose but a wife all the same. Did he do right by pulling this woman into his battle against his father? Shining Armor Gwendolyn Gerhard arrived at her new home. She was pleased to see she had a beautiful two story wood home with a picket fence around it as her new home. She couldn’t be happier until she found out her supposed intended had passed on and she was unwanted here. It was finally agreed that she would stay the six weeks until Reverend Cummings returned this way. Matthew Parker was holding a grudge against the woman because of his dad’s second wife who was from the east and had been bad to the bone. Even though the beauty was working hard in the home and taking good care of his young disabled sister, Betsy, he still wouldn’t trust her. How could he want her gone so badly and his heart hurt at the thought of her leaving? On a White Charger Emmeline Gerhard is the last sister to be dropped off at her new home and with her soon to be new husband. She was ready for her adventure to the West. After reading dime novels she knew all about cowboys and round-ups. She was ready to learn to ride, she wasn’t so ready to find out her dreams had been shattered. She didn’t marry a cattle rancher….he was a sheepherder. The most hated creatures by other ranchers. What would she do now? Joseph Barrett was suppose to be having the best day of his life when his new bride arrived. Instead everything was going wrong. Especially when his new bride went on and on how she was excited about cowboys and cattle. If she’d let him get a word in edgewise he could tell her what he was, obviously someone she didn’t really want. Another heartwarming story to add to this collection. Emmeline had to overcome her loss of what she thought she wanted and also facing that her new husband seemed to be a coward. People aren’t always what they seem or there are deeper reasons for the way they react. Erica pulls the four stories together in the epilogue to give a last minute glimpse at the four sisters and their new happiness. Really enjoyable stories that brought the emotions of the characters to the surface and through the pages. **Received through NetGalley for review http://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com/2011/10/barour-publishing-books.html