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A review by cakt1991
Courting Calamity: 4 Historical Stories by Jennifer Uhlarik, Gabrielle Meyer, Amanda Barratt
4.0
“Lady and the Tramps” by Jennifer Uhlarik
4 stars
This one is a fun Western with the heroine helping orphan children and a thread of suspense that brings Mattie and detective Jake together. Both leads are memorable, and I liked their romance.
“The Secondhand Bride of Polecat Creek” by Katherine Y’ Barbo
4 stars
This one was cute! I liked Lizzie and Zeke’s camaraderie, and I like how, while things didn’t work out how Zeke thought they would with the woman he initially thought he wanted, he found the right woman for him in Lizzie.
“The Bride of Basswood Hill” by Gabrielle Meyer
5 stars
One of the bright stars of the collection, I love how it explores an arranged marriage that was meant to be temporary and the struggles of an immigrant in assimilating into society. It’s a bit idealistic, but given the reality of the issues is often harsh, I needed this dose of sweetness to provide me a sense of optimism.
“Echoes of the Heart” by Amanda Barratt
4.5 stars
I was excited for this one in particular because of one review I read in advance from a so-called “Christian” decrying the “liberal politics” of the book…as if it’s not a basic human desire to have fair working conditions? I liked the focus on this historical workers’ strike, punctuated by tragedy, and I found it poignant in light of many of the real life issues we’ve been dealing with lately. However, I did find the romance to be weaker by comparison, though Lorenzo and Aileen’s relationship is a small bright spot in an otherwise intense story.
***
A fairly solid collection, I love how it captures the gallant tradition of brave heroes and distressed heroines with distinct stories set in fun settings and time periods. And on the whole, it’s one of the better collections I’ve read from Barbour. If you love inspirational/sweet romance, you won’t want to miss this!
4 stars
This one is a fun Western with the heroine helping orphan children and a thread of suspense that brings Mattie and detective Jake together. Both leads are memorable, and I liked their romance.
“The Secondhand Bride of Polecat Creek” by Katherine Y’ Barbo
4 stars
This one was cute! I liked Lizzie and Zeke’s camaraderie, and I like how, while things didn’t work out how Zeke thought they would with the woman he initially thought he wanted, he found the right woman for him in Lizzie.
“The Bride of Basswood Hill” by Gabrielle Meyer
5 stars
One of the bright stars of the collection, I love how it explores an arranged marriage that was meant to be temporary and the struggles of an immigrant in assimilating into society. It’s a bit idealistic, but given the reality of the issues is often harsh, I needed this dose of sweetness to provide me a sense of optimism.
“Echoes of the Heart” by Amanda Barratt
4.5 stars
I was excited for this one in particular because of one review I read in advance from a so-called “Christian” decrying the “liberal politics” of the book…as if it’s not a basic human desire to have fair working conditions? I liked the focus on this historical workers’ strike, punctuated by tragedy, and I found it poignant in light of many of the real life issues we’ve been dealing with lately. However, I did find the romance to be weaker by comparison, though Lorenzo and Aileen’s relationship is a small bright spot in an otherwise intense story.
***
A fairly solid collection, I love how it captures the gallant tradition of brave heroes and distressed heroines with distinct stories set in fun settings and time periods. And on the whole, it’s one of the better collections I’ve read from Barbour. If you love inspirational/sweet romance, you won’t want to miss this!