Isabella Bride of Ohio: American Mail-Order Brides Series by Debra Parmley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An enjoyable and engaging historical romance, which had me hooked from start to finish. Although becoming a mail-order bride can be a dangerous thing for a woman to do, it’s the only option left for Isabella. Who having arrived in America from Sweden, suffers the death of her parents and then looses her job when the factory burns down. Isabella starts to communicate by letter with Donald Jenks, a wealthy man from Yellow Springs Ohio who wants a wife. Donald describes Isabella’s dream home, and he appears to be a perfect husband for her. However, she has to reach Ohio safely before she can even meet Donald, and with white slavers abducting females from the train this puts her in danger. On the train she meets ‘Tom’, a Pinkerton agent, who is on the case of the disappearing women, and he’s Isabella’s only hope when she’s selected to be the next victim.
Even if Isabella is saved by Tom, it’s not guaranteed that she will get her HEA with Donald, as Isabella starts to wonder why such a successful and handsome businessman would need a mail-order bride. After all, he could have had his pick of the young ladies near Yellow Springs. This is a romance with plenty of drama and suspense, and the plot had many twists in it that kept me both gripped and guessing as to Isabella’s outcome. The descriptive narrative and added historical details brought both the setting and era vividly to life, making me feel immersed in the storyline. The characters were well described and I felt engaged with Isabella and her plight, and was hoping that she would get her HEA. An entertaining read and one which I definitely recommend.

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