A mail order bride. A scarred settler. Will love stake its claim or send them packing? Angela Frank is tired of teaching other people’s children. Her job is a constant reminder that she has no family of her own and no prospects for a hometown husband. When she spies a mail order bride advertisement, she dreams of a life where her deformities are overlooked by a strapping Omaha frontiersman. She decides to risk everything for her last chance at a family… Sep Wilson carries scars from a troubled past. And while he’s not the marrying type, when he hears that an unscrupulous local is running a shady mail order bride scheme, he can’t help but intervene. But he never expected his good deed to end with him married to the mysterious Angela… The two outcasts may have finally found someone who can help them heal their past. But in uncharted territory, the chance for love may not be enough to keep them safe… The Bride Price is the first book in a series of high-spirited mail order bride Western romances. If you like fiery chemistry with a tender touch, gritty frontier settings, and unconventional heroes, then you’ll love Ruth Ann Nordin’s tale of love. DON'T MISS ALL THE BOOKS IN THIS SERIES The Bride Price (Book 1) The Rejected Groom (Book 2) The Perfect Wife (Book 3)
What's to say? I write a lot. I read often. I sleep little. Once in awhile, I've been known to clean the house. A number of kids live in my house and there's this guy they call dad and I call husband. All in all, it's a pretty good life. :-)
Nordin is my "go to" author when I need a comfortable, no trigger read. She writes stories and heroes as if I were to write them myself!
Angela and Sep (and Fred, his dog) are perfect together. Sep was so honorable. He really helped Angela overcome her insecurities over the scars on her face. He was able to easily see past them to the beautiful woman she really is. Sep has scars of his own, from abuse suffered in childhood from his drunken brother-in law (now deceased) so they truly matched perfectly.
I usually don't care for romance reads about unattractive heroines, but Angela was NOT unattractive. Sep, and others, found her beautiful, and her scars, to them, were hardly noticeable.
The use of Fred the dog, really added to the sweetness of the characters. Who doesn't love a hero who loves dogs?
The reasons I lowered a half star was due to the lack of serious conflict. I never really felt the characters were in any serious danger, even when . The antagonists, were too mild. I felt like Nordin has a hard time making her characters "bad," like each one is a child (of her creation), and is unable to hurt them too deeply.
I would have liked the romance to have been developed more slowly, showing more intimate moments of secret glances, and such, but it was a novella, so it seems time was limited. Considering the length of the book, she made the best of that build up as she could.
It also occurred to me that some romantic mystery could have helped. Not necessarily secrets, but, I felt as a reader I knew too much. If that makes sense.
More showing and less telling would have been nice too. It would have been nice to see more memories of Angela's time as a teacher, actually, more background information about all the characters would have made them a little more 3-D. (Being shown then told).
On a good note, the love-making scenes were improved 100 times! I'm
A tame, sweet enough story as far as they go, but I felt that the conflict in the last third was rather forced. Granted, the story needed some kind of conflict, since the hero and heroine got alone just dandy and no one else was raining on their parade, but...
Well, I guess that what I really object to was the fact that the hero was being so secretive in trying to "figure things out on his own" in dealing with the threat that arose. I was especially peeved at his initial attitude of not telling the police what was happening, even though the threat(?) seemed real enough to him. Granted though, this is a plot device that has been used maybe 90% of the time with people not telling the police anything and getting help. In fact, the only time someone DID get help was in this film called "Experiment in Terror" from 1962, where the poor woman who was being threatened to help rob a bank IMMEDIATELY called the cops and informed them what was happening once she got away from the person threatening her. I remember being so, SO proud of this character in this movie, and up to this day I haven't found the equivalent satisfaction in any heroes or heroines I've come across elsewhere.
But, then again, is a Ruth Ann Nordin book really the place to look for high stakes adventure?
Nope, just a cozy romance over in this corner, folks!
Ruth Ann Nordin has become the author I always reach for when I want a relaxing, sweet read. This book definitely fit the bill, but overall it felt undeveloped, both in plot and in characterization. I would give more stars if the story felt more complete. Stars for a good man H, no OP drama whatsoever, and a gentle and lovely, albiet short story.
The Larson is back or in this case association by marriage. I have to search for the Larson's family tree to remember all the names. The conversation between husband and wife could be silly at best if an outsider care to listen. They could talk about one topic that could be considered trivial such as pie. At first I found it unbelievably boring but reading it for the second time, it's silly and yet funny. It was a decent read for me. But I couldn't denied that it was not as exciting as the other historical romance written by Miss Ruth.
I don't know how to rate this one. It was cute, a lot of things happened here, the end was funny but you know when something is missing? I guess that even thought it was a nice and cute short story it was at the same time meh. I didn't really connect with anybody except Fred, the dog hehehe I guess 3.5⭐ would be a good rating.
I chose this for a sweet, low-angst read and that’s exactly what I got. That being said, this had basically no conflict to drive the plot so it did end up being just a little bit boring for me. Even when conflict would arise, the characters were so steady that their emotions wouldn’t even fluctuate with the situation all that much.
My only other issue with this was the ridiculous way the final conflict with the villain was handled… there was no fuss made, just BAM, you shouldn’t have done this and we might have to slap you on this wrist for it! They weren’t even all that angry at them! They weren’t even arrested!! I expected at least some kind of reaction from them.
I did mostly enjoy this, and loved the lack of ow or om drama.
Well gosh, darn, golly, gee! This book is so gall-darn sweet it almost makes you sick. I don't believe I've ever read a more sappy, syrupy piece of fiction!
Twenty-three-year-old September "Sep" Wilson just wanted to do the right thing and wound up married! Obviously, life was simpler back in the day, and marriages seemed to last even if the bride and groom had to learn to love each other. Sep and his best friend Fred, the dog, are enjoying the simple life on the farm. With the occasional visit to town to visit his sister April and her husband Joel, Sep is a bonafide country boy.
Former school teacher Angela Frank has left Indiana in pursuit of her happy ever after. The only catch is that she signed up to be a mail-order bride, not auctioned for sale. Imagine her surprise when she is chloroformed and wakes up with two other victims, Velma Murdoch and Natalie Harper. Unfortunately for this trio of brides to be, there is no groom. Enter the hero farmer Sep who spoils the intentions of the man Angela thought to marry. Angela wants to get married so badly she's willing to go along with the auction, fearing she will never marry if she returns to Indiana.
To avoid further inconvenience, kind-hearted sheriff Owen Russell suggests Sep chose one of the three women as a bride, and the remaining two can marry his cousins. Although Velma and Natalie are beautiful and have no scars, Sep chooses Angela after catching a sneak peek under the veil she is wearing. Close to midnight, the couple arrives at Judge Rick Johnson's house and get hitched. The rest of the story moves along at a snail's pace with little intrigue, just daily farm life.
The story is sweet but bored me to death! If you're like me, you may need caffeine to get through it.
A new look at mail order weddings---explicit intimacy
Most of this type of book gives a happy ending. This one begins with three brides discovering they'd been duped into coming to the Midwest to marry the same man. He planned to auction the off to the highest bidder, but plans changed rapidly, and suddenly there were three women with no place to go and no one to marry. One honorable man came to the rescue of the first bride. He reasoned that she was coming to marry an unknown and since that didn't work out, she might as well marry him. Part of the problem was that she had emotional issues due to burn scars on her face and body that she felt would prevent anyone from wanting her. Wearing a mask was a temporary solution, but what if a man couldn't bear to look at her disfigurement??? A compassionate man was definitely needed here. Great read...new approach to the idea of marrying a stranger. Looking forward to the next in series.
I love this author and I (obviously) read this book in one sitting.
I usually love when there isn't a lot of angst... Because well : I'm here for the love 😂 However a little bit of angst is still necessary to get the story going. Otherwise it's just : they get married, figured out quite quickly how the live together, the end. Nothing wrong with that but that only makes a very short novella. Anyway this book had a REALLY low amont of angst. Which I'm fine with, but maybe I was in a mood for a plot a bit more complex 🤔
I still loved it of course!! I'll recommend this book for anyone wanting to read something very safe, cute, and with a HEA.
Themes (there might be some mild SPOILERS) :
Insecure h H with some trauma (not much details) Scars Sex - yes (one scene) Virgin - yes, both of them Pregnancy/children - h pregnant at the end (not very detailed) Angst - very low, but keeps the story going
KIDNAPPING BY LYING, SCARS, PERCEPTIONS OF BEAUTY, GOOD MEN
5 STARS for this Old West Era Drama for the series of (Misled Mail Order Brides Book 1) a wonderful start for the series of just to read on its on. September is a good man of 23, he had been living in his own since he was 16 & he knew about scars. He was shy & didn't judge people harshly on things like that & Angela's scars that had kept her a spinster of 24 where she used to live his hers with a veil. 3 woman had been duped by the same man to come marry him as mail order brides, but thanks to September they didn't make any money but September gained a wife to go with his dog. Haha! Both innocents. It shows a tenderness from Sep to his new bride that is awesome. His sister's family actions & the other relatives fantastic, wish I knew them. Gotta Read.
Angela is on her way to be married. She is wearing a vale covering her face, she was burned as a child and has a scar on her face that goes down her neck over her shoulder and one on her lower leg. For this reason no man wants to marry her.
Sep lives alone with his dog. His sister was in an abusing relationship with her husband and Sep took the brunt of the pain. After her husband dies Sep holds a gun to the town doctor and forced him to marry his sister.
When the train pulls into town she is expecting some to meet her only she is kidnapped along with two other women.
Great story I enjoyed reading this book. I’m sure you will also.
This is a fine story, extremely low angst, insta love, the 2 MCs get along very well and talk about their feelings a lot. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for something very light and pleasant.
I’m giving it two stars though because although it wasn’t bad, it wasn’t good either. To me it was extremely boring. How anyone could meet a complete stranger and just get along so well living together is beyond belief. Even though the characters are in their 20s and have lived through traumatic events in their past, they read like inexperienced high schoolers with a first crush. It’s too cutesy for me, gave me second hand embarrassment.
Wonderful romantic story of two young people with scars. They were definitely meant to be together. The story starts with three mail order brides who have been tricked into coming to meet their husband to be, but it turns out they are to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Ruth Ann Nordin weaves her story to keep your attention to see what will happen next. It was very difficult to put down this book. I loved this book, and I am sure you will also. Happy reading!
This was a very good book written by Ruth Ann Nordin and I enjoyed reading it. A fire, a child scarred for life, a mail order bride, a veil a abused boy, a sister, abusive brother-in-law, death, saving mail order bride's, arrest them all, marriage, farmer, having feelings, scars don't matter, loving her new extended family, blackmailed, setting a trap, will there be a happy ever after? I would recommend this book to everyone. Buy the book and enjoy reading it as much as I did. Enjoy.
I read this book after reading Nordin's Eye of the Beholder, but this one didn't quite sweep me away like the other story did.
This one did have good characters, Sep and Angela, who both bear scars and insecurities, but the plot just seemed simpler and more contrived at times to me than the events of her other book I read recently. It's a fine easy read, for sure, and it's nice to have cameos from characters from the other book, but I still like Dave and Mary most.
Anyway, a good read if you like Nordin's western universe.
it was nyaah.. ok, but nothing special. Its always a gamble with Ruth Ann Nordin for me. Sometimes I pick up a book I really like "The Bargain Mail Order Bride" with Carl & Juliet and sometimes it's an ok read like this one. It's just that RAN doesn't paint the characters well enough to really make me believe what is happening. September marries Angela for a reason I can't fathom, nor makes anything sense afterwards.
This is a fun romance for passing time. Angela was in a fire when she was a child. She becomes a mail order bride because she thinks she will never find someone in her hometown who will marry he, scars and all. When she gets to Omaha, she finds she is the victim of a scam. She will be auctioned to the highest bidder. She is rescued by Sep. Sep agrees to marry her that same night. What follows is a sweet love story.
This is the start of what I’m sure will be a great series if this book is any measure of how good it will be.I loved the characters in this first book and how things worked out for the best.The addition of the dog named Fred made me so happy because we had a dog named Fred for 18 years.Boy I miss that dog .
So-so. The romance was extremely straightforward and not that interesting. They met, married, immediately fell into love and perfect harmony. The rest of the book is Seb foiling the secret plans of some mysterious blackmailer while the heroine watches from the kitchen window. It was all a bit boring because when I read a romance I need something *more* than 'they fall in love, the end'.
I am a huge fan of romance books and also a fan of romances set during classical eras which gives the true original feel and vibe of romance through meet ups, letters and more, compared to this era of mobile phones, social media and more....hats off to Ruth Ann Nordin for this wonderful romance and hope to read more of her books....
I find it ridiculous that April (Sep's sister) was walking around the house while carrying her newborn after less than 12 hours of giving birth. Shouldn't she be lying down and resting? She just gave birth!
Hero: Sep Heroine: Angela Reading Enjoyment:4.5* - I enjoyed reading this is a heart warming story. I love the simplicity of the plot, characters and emotions you feel when reading this book. This story has a very happy and satisfying HEA !!
This story is a sweet romance with a little bit of dangerous intrigue. I've read the first book and enjoyed seeing those characters again. The children are a hoot, especially that Hannah. Lol! Great characters. I enjoyed it. I hope you will too! 😺
A good read for people who are in to the series recommend highly can't wait for the next one of the series a really enjoyable read but quick shaping up to be a enjoyable series must read the next one of the series
Seth save the women from being sold. Angela goes west to be an mail order bride. Seth saves the day and married Angela who has scars on her face. Beautiful storyline it makes you laugh and cry for joy.
It's a sweet little story. The characters are fairly well rounded and the settings well defined. But the flow was a little jerky. I find it was also lacked depth. Everything seemed a little flat. There was very little emotion. Not really up to my expectations.
Being a mail order bride is risky. You're going from the known to the unknown in hopes of something better. I marvel at that era when men and women did this. I don't know if I'd be brave enough to do this.
I really liked the characters and idea of a twist in the book with one of the characters. I don't care much for sexual content in books. If a story is really good you don't need bad language or explicit sexual content.