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teetall4's review against another edition
4.0
A very enjoyable collection of stories! My favorite was “Meeting Her Match.” It was not at all like the others (when it came to the match). Marcus, the poor man. I laughed several times whenever it was his point of view.
rokinjaguar's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Pretty much what you’d expect! I thought some stories were just okay but still enjoyable and some were more engaging and personally interesting to me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence and Pregnancy
farmfreshlisa's review against another edition
4.0
You know you are going to be in for a treat, when the next book you are going to review is a novella collection written by four of the top female inspirational romance authors on the market right now. When the book is a series of short romance stories set in the late 1800's, in a town called Dry Gulch deep in the heart of Texas...well, you better just find a good place to relax, grab your favorite drink and enjoy the next few hours as your travel into the Wild West!
This book was an easy pick from the books to review list, because not only do I love historical fiction, but I also love novellas. The fact that these novellas are each written by 4 of my favorite writers of the Inspiration Fiction genre was just icing on the cake.
A Match Made in Texas focuses on the town of Dry Gulch, TX in the late 1800's. Each novella in this book begins with a mysterious set up of a bachelor with a lovely bachelorette by an "anonymous" source. Through a lot of hilariousness, matching of wits, and setbacks, these four couples find love. In the fourth story, you finally meet the "anonymous" matchmaker--and get to go along for the ride when she finds a love of her own too.
Out of the four novellas included, I think that I enjoyed the second one the most. An Unforseen Match by Regina Jennings is the tale of Grace and Clayton. The heroine Grace is a former schoolteacher forced to leave her much loved job because she's going blind. Thanks to the generosity of the town and with a little help from her friends, she is set up in a recently vacated home on a small farm...but it's definitely a definite fixer-upper. She gets help from a mysterious stranger named Clayton lured by a anonymously written classified ad for a handyman. Clayton intends this to be a temporary stop--only to make enough money to continue on to Oklahoma for the big land rush...but there is something about Grace that just might keep him from moving on.
I felt that of all the stories, it had the best plot. I also think it had the most back-story on each character. I loved Grace's independent spirit in spite of her rapidly onset blindness. I also love Clayton's attentiveness to her need for independence and how he encourages her even when he sees her getting downhearted. I really wanted it to go on and on and I was happy to see a brief mention of Clayton and Grace in the final story.
Of the four stories I think the story that needed the most added to it was probably the final novella about the matchmaker herself. In Meeting Her Match by Mary Connealy we meet our tenderhearted meddler (who I will not name so as not to spoil it for you!!) and learn of her long held crush on the banker's son. When her world is turned upside down, it is our little matchmaker who becomes the beneficiary of a matchmaking scheme! I didn't feel like there was enough background on each of the characters. It was too rushed. I really was hoping for more as this character is the linchpin for all the other stories and I wanted to know a lot more about her. But I guess that's the downside of a novella! It's short!
**I received free product from Baker Publishing Group in exchange for my honest review.I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. I am sharing only my opinions of myself. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC regulations.**
This book was an easy pick from the books to review list, because not only do I love historical fiction, but I also love novellas. The fact that these novellas are each written by 4 of my favorite writers of the Inspiration Fiction genre was just icing on the cake.
A Match Made in Texas focuses on the town of Dry Gulch, TX in the late 1800's. Each novella in this book begins with a mysterious set up of a bachelor with a lovely bachelorette by an "anonymous" source. Through a lot of hilariousness, matching of wits, and setbacks, these four couples find love. In the fourth story, you finally meet the "anonymous" matchmaker--and get to go along for the ride when she finds a love of her own too.
Out of the four novellas included, I think that I enjoyed the second one the most. An Unforseen Match by Regina Jennings is the tale of Grace and Clayton. The heroine Grace is a former schoolteacher forced to leave her much loved job because she's going blind. Thanks to the generosity of the town and with a little help from her friends, she is set up in a recently vacated home on a small farm...but it's definitely a definite fixer-upper. She gets help from a mysterious stranger named Clayton lured by a anonymously written classified ad for a handyman. Clayton intends this to be a temporary stop--only to make enough money to continue on to Oklahoma for the big land rush...but there is something about Grace that just might keep him from moving on.
I felt that of all the stories, it had the best plot. I also think it had the most back-story on each character. I loved Grace's independent spirit in spite of her rapidly onset blindness. I also love Clayton's attentiveness to her need for independence and how he encourages her even when he sees her getting downhearted. I really wanted it to go on and on and I was happy to see a brief mention of Clayton and Grace in the final story.
Of the four stories I think the story that needed the most added to it was probably the final novella about the matchmaker herself. In Meeting Her Match by Mary Connealy we meet our tenderhearted meddler (who I will not name so as not to spoil it for you!!) and learn of her long held crush on the banker's son. When her world is turned upside down, it is our little matchmaker who becomes the beneficiary of a matchmaking scheme! I didn't feel like there was enough background on each of the characters. It was too rushed. I really was hoping for more as this character is the linchpin for all the other stories and I wanted to know a lot more about her. But I guess that's the downside of a novella! It's short!
**I received free product from Baker Publishing Group in exchange for my honest review.I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. I am sharing only my opinions of myself. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC regulations.**
lifeand100books's review against another edition
4.0
Originally Appeared on Reflections of a Book Addict: http://wp.me/p18lIL-2sc
Several months ago I read a book entitled Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer, the second book in her Archer Brothers series. (The first book was entitled Short-Straw Bride). I chatted back and forth via email with Witemeyer about how much I loved the Archer Brothers and that I hoped she had ideas for future stories about them. Imagine my glee when she responded that a short story about one of the brothers would be appearing in the anthology A Match Made in Texas.
From Goodreads:
I initially read this anthology JUST for Karen Witemeyer's short story. In the end I was pleasantly introduced to three authors I've since added to my to-read list.
My favorite kind of anthology is one where all the stories are connected somehow. It creates the feeling that you're reading a larger story, rather than several disconnected short stories. In the case of A Match Made in Texas, each author wrote about a character living in Dry Gulch, Texas. One of the four characters is a matchmaker who attempts to bring joy, happiness, and love to several of the women living in Dry Gulch. One woman is a pregnant widow who is being threatened by her former father-in-law over who will be raising her child. Another is a newly blind woman, struggling to face her new future. The final woman whom the matchmaker helps is a woman who is tricked into being the caretaker of an older woman many believe is going crazy in her old age. And our matchmaker? She longs for a man who is too shy to make a move.
The writing across the four authors is flawless; the stories flow effortlessly together while remaining individualized just enough to allow each author her moment in the spotlight. While I was initially drawn to this anthology to read Karen Witemeyer's story A Cowboy Unmatched, I have to say it was Regina Jennings' An Unforeseen Match that wound up being my favorite. A curmudgeonly hero and blind (!!!!!) heroine? Love it. If you've read any of my reviews of Tessa Dare's books, you'll know that flawed heroines are my absolute favorite because they are the types of women who don't usually get a voice. How many romances are written around the flawless beauty? The smart successful woman who uses her hot body to get any man she wants? Where are the overweight women? The women that struggle to make ends meet? The women who most men would look past? Regina Jennings gets a huge high-five from me for writing Grace's story, AND for writing a hero who was man enough to choose to love a blind woman. That cannot be an easy road for a sighted person to walk down.
The last two stories in the anthology, No Match for Love & Meeting Her Match, were a bit off the wall plot wise and definitely could have used a bit more story. Their plots could have worked (I think) if they were full length novels rather than novellas. In all, even though half of the stories were amazing and half were mediocre, I'd still recommend reading the entire book.
Fun characters, awesome authors, and intense loves make A Match Made in Texas an anthology you won't want to miss.
Several months ago I read a book entitled Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer, the second book in her Archer Brothers series. (The first book was entitled Short-Straw Bride). I chatted back and forth via email with Witemeyer about how much I loved the Archer Brothers and that I hoped she had ideas for future stories about them. Imagine my glee when she responded that a short story about one of the brothers would be appearing in the anthology A Match Made in Texas.
From Goodreads:
In the small town of Dry Gulch, Texas, a good-hearted busybody just can't keep herself from surreptitiously trying to match up women in dire straits with men of good character she hopes can help them. How is she to know she's also giving each couple a little nudge toward love?
A Cowboy Unmatched
Neill isn't sure who hired him to repair Clara's roof--he only knows Clara desperately needs his help. Can he convince this stubborn widow to let down her guard and take another chance on love?
An Unforeseen Match
Hoping to earn an honest wage on his way to the land rush, Clayton ends up on Grace's doorstep, lured by a classified ad. He may have signed on for more than he expected though--and he may have found the one woman who can keep him from moving on.
No Match for Love
Andrew can't fathom how refined Lucy ended up as the caretaker to his dotty aunt, and somehow her arrival has prompted even more bizarre occurrences around the ranch. When they join forces to unearth the truth, will the attraction between Andrew and Lucy develop into more?
Meeting Her Match
When the tables are turned and a tender-hearted meddler becomes the beneficiary of a matchmaking scheme, her world is turned upside down. As her entire life changes, will she finally be able to tell the banker's son how much she cares for him?
I initially read this anthology JUST for Karen Witemeyer's short story. In the end I was pleasantly introduced to three authors I've since added to my to-read list.
My favorite kind of anthology is one where all the stories are connected somehow. It creates the feeling that you're reading a larger story, rather than several disconnected short stories. In the case of A Match Made in Texas, each author wrote about a character living in Dry Gulch, Texas. One of the four characters is a matchmaker who attempts to bring joy, happiness, and love to several of the women living in Dry Gulch. One woman is a pregnant widow who is being threatened by her former father-in-law over who will be raising her child. Another is a newly blind woman, struggling to face her new future. The final woman whom the matchmaker helps is a woman who is tricked into being the caretaker of an older woman many believe is going crazy in her old age. And our matchmaker? She longs for a man who is too shy to make a move.
The writing across the four authors is flawless; the stories flow effortlessly together while remaining individualized just enough to allow each author her moment in the spotlight. While I was initially drawn to this anthology to read Karen Witemeyer's story A Cowboy Unmatched, I have to say it was Regina Jennings' An Unforeseen Match that wound up being my favorite. A curmudgeonly hero and blind (!!!!!) heroine? Love it. If you've read any of my reviews of Tessa Dare's books, you'll know that flawed heroines are my absolute favorite because they are the types of women who don't usually get a voice. How many romances are written around the flawless beauty? The smart successful woman who uses her hot body to get any man she wants? Where are the overweight women? The women that struggle to make ends meet? The women who most men would look past? Regina Jennings gets a huge high-five from me for writing Grace's story, AND for writing a hero who was man enough to choose to love a blind woman. That cannot be an easy road for a sighted person to walk down.
The last two stories in the anthology, No Match for Love & Meeting Her Match, were a bit off the wall plot wise and definitely could have used a bit more story. Their plots could have worked (I think) if they were full length novels rather than novellas. In all, even though half of the stories were amazing and half were mediocre, I'd still recommend reading the entire book.
Fun characters, awesome authors, and intense loves make A Match Made in Texas an anthology you won't want to miss.
digitlchic's review against another edition
4.0
Not a big fan of novellas but each of these was sweet in its own way. The first 2 were 5-star quality. The other 2 were enjoyable but I didn't connect with them in the same way.
The first novella is the story for Neill Archer - so for Karen Witemeyer fans that read Short-Straw Bride and Stealing the Preacher - you won't want to miss this :)
The first novella is the story for Neill Archer - so for Karen Witemeyer fans that read Short-Straw Bride and Stealing the Preacher - you won't want to miss this :)
hephzibah's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
annie26's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. A really good example of how a compilation of different authors can go right.
melissasbookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this! The book consisted of four novellas, about 100 pages each, each beginning in Dry Gultch, Texas in 1893. Each story builds from the first. I was amazed at how well the stories fit together seamlessly. Each story is told by a different author. While each author is unique, the stories really complimented each other. There is something for everyone in these stories, couples overcoming great difficulties, humor, and mystery. Two of the authors I hadn't read before, and now I'll definitely give their books a try.
lmbartelt's review against another edition
4.0
I'll be honest here. My expectations for this novella collection were pretty low. (And I received a free digital copy of the book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my review.) I've not read many novellas or novella collections, so I really wasn't sure what to expect. I KNEW I would love Karen Witemeyer's story because it involved one of the Archer brothers, who have starred in two other of her books, but the others I wasn't sure about.
SO, I'm glad to report that I loved this! A Match Made in Texas is four stories by four authors centered around a frontier Texas town. In each of the first three stories, a woman or man in need of help is given an anonymous push toward a potential romantic partner. We don't know who the matchmaker is until the fourth story when the tables turn and she finds herself the object of the town's matchmaking efforts.
Two of these authors--Regina Jennings and Mary Connealy--were new to me, while Witemeyer and Carol Cox were familiar. I thought the stories blended well together, and I loved the unique situations each pair found themselves in.
My only complaint is that because they're novellas, the stories are SO short and the action happens quickly.
What I'm learning to love about novella collections like this one is that they're a good way to find new authors, especially when paired with authors I already know. I don't know if I would have agreed to read this one if Witemeyer's story wasn't in it, but now I'm glad I did.
SO, I'm glad to report that I loved this! A Match Made in Texas is four stories by four authors centered around a frontier Texas town. In each of the first three stories, a woman or man in need of help is given an anonymous push toward a potential romantic partner. We don't know who the matchmaker is until the fourth story when the tables turn and she finds herself the object of the town's matchmaking efforts.
Two of these authors--Regina Jennings and Mary Connealy--were new to me, while Witemeyer and Carol Cox were familiar. I thought the stories blended well together, and I loved the unique situations each pair found themselves in.
My only complaint is that because they're novellas, the stories are SO short and the action happens quickly.
What I'm learning to love about novella collections like this one is that they're a good way to find new authors, especially when paired with authors I already know. I don't know if I would have agreed to read this one if Witemeyer's story wasn't in it, but now I'm glad I did.