Book 2 of 3.

Not necessary to read the books in order.

She is a mail order bride. She is robbed and beaten on the train. He bandages her up. Then they try to wait while her interested groom shows up. ( )

This author is a good story teller. Although at times I felt the book could have ended sooner, I must say that I really appreciated how the author brought this story to a conclusion. Realizing that love sometime involves sacrifice and that God can give you a new dream if you let go of your old dream was very touching.

Eliza Cantrell is a mail-order bride who arrives in in town early and her husband-to-be, Axel, is not there to greet her. But she does find herself needing the assistance of his business partner, William Stanton, when she arrives on the train that was robbed and where she was treated roughly and is in need of medical assistance. Will helps out the hurting, even though he isn't a real medical doctor. He will help Eliza run the business (a store in town) until Axel comes back to town (no one seems to know where he is and when he will return). Sparks will fly for Will and Eliza, but Will never acts upon them as she is his partners intended. When Eliza discovers who Axel truly is, then it gets even more complicated. Will would give up and do anything for Eliza and she will begin to see just how selfish she is and how loving someone means thinking of them more than oneself. A will written story that at times you just wanted to see end, but you had to wait awhile to see these characters grow in their love for each other. ( )

I read the novella to get a feel for Melissa Jagears stile of writing. I enjoyed it very much and could not wait to read more. A Bride In Store is a nice clean wholesome Christian Love Story. In some parts I found it to ramble on a little. Maybe it was the characters. I wanted to give it a "five" like the other books, but couldn't. ( )

In this sweet story, Jagears gives us a fun and interesting view of what a woman in business would have had to deal with in the 1880s.

Lots of conflict. Kept me guessing until the end. Loved all the character details--from the bearded lady (yes, I just did say that) to the outlaws, to William's homemade ring. Even the cranky banker had his good moments. As did the villain.

Looking forward to more of Melissa Jagears' books. ( )

A Bride in Store is a must read for anyone who enjoys historical romance, but it's also much more than a sweet love story. Ms. Jagears weaves an intricate tale of Will, generous to a fault, giving until he has nothing left, then giving some more.But Will has little interest in running his store while his heart yearns to practice medicine. Eliza is headstrong, gifted in business sense, but with the constant twinge in her conscience telling her there is more to life than being a successful retailer. The attraction between Will and Eliza is immediate and hard to ignore, but they both feel they can have no future together as long as their life goals seem to head in opposite directions. What they don't realize is that God's gifts and God's plan work harmoniously together, intertwining their lives in business, medicine and love.
A beautiful sequel to the novella, Love by the Letter and the full length book, A Bride for Keeps, I am now eager to read A Bride at Last. Will God answer Jonesy's prayer to find his wife? Melissa Jagears has my admiration as an inspirational author, always historically accurate, creating loveable characters muddling through real-life circumstances, and wrapping it all together with a strong thread of faith. ( )