At last, a good selection of Mary Connealy's novellas are under one cover, so when I want to reread the Lassoed in Texas--Montana Marriages--Sophie's Daughters series, I can find all the subsequent novellas without digging through stacks of volumes (or worse, trying to find them in Kindle copies). All had been published elsewhere originally, so a few of these I've already read, but there were some that were new to me that I enjoyed finally getting to read."The Advent Bride" is one that isn't actually connected to any of the author's novels (that I can tell), but it's a sweet story about a teacher finding a way to reach her student--and the student's father--with a puzzle box. You know those kids who can't sit still and make trouble rather than do their work, but you know that it's all a plea for love and attention? Where you know somewhere is a simple key for unlocking the sweet and clever and attentive child you know they can be, if only you can find it? That is Simon. And since I've known a couple Simon's, I could really appreciate this story. "Homestead on the Range" takes place near the same town of Lone Tree, Nebraska as "The Advent Bride," so while they don't have the close connections of the other stories, they do share a setting.
"Sophie's Other Daughter" might just be my favorite, being about the last McClellan girl and the rambunctious Reeves family. Grace and Daniel, as well as Sophie and Clay, all have a larger role in this one than the other related novellas, and it's fun to see them again, especially now that Grace has her girl. It does not surprise me in the least to read about Luke Reeves's success in "Texas Tea"--he always was the wily one. However, I'm glad to see he's far from heartless, and that Libby Cooper can find love!
"A Bride Rides Herd" was a fun addition to the stories about the Reeves and Harden families (with cameos of certain friends and relations from the other books and stories). I loved the humor of this one, as the three small children appear to be trying to kill themselves at every turn, while their two babysitters have the supposedly simple task of keeping them alive. There is a video game based on this precise concept.
Tanner's story in "The Sweetwater Bride" was creative and fun, and quite fitting for the Harden family. I loved the old longhorn bull. Considering how disastrous mail order bride schemes could go, Si really doesn't end up too badly off in "His Surprise Family," though I understand his disappointment and lack of trust, considering his bride's significant lie of omission.
"Hope for Christmas" has pretty much everything to love about one of Connealy's stories--the humor, the cowboys, the strong family ties--but in an updated, modern setting. Modern legalities add a fun (well, fun but also frustrating, given the ease of abuse of the law,) twist to the story. It's quite fitting to the Harden family.
One thing I would have preferred--I wish they were printed in chronological order. It's clear that Sophie's Other Daughter comes first, followed by Texas Tea, A Bride Rides Herd, The Sweetwater Bride, His Surprise Family, and [definitely last] Hope for Christmas. And of course, The Advent Bride and Homestead on the Range go together, so I'd have preferred them next to each other at either the beginning or end, while instead they were all mixed up.
Thank you Barbour and NetGalley for a free ARC. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.
Related novels (all which come before these short stories, and thus highly recommended reading):
Lassoed in Texas
1. Petticoat Ranch
2. Calico Canyon
3. Gingham Mountain
Montana Marriages
1. Montana Rose
2. The Husband Tree
3. Wildflower Bride
Sophie's Daughters
1. Doctor in Petticoats
2. Wrangler in Petticoats
3. Sharpshooter in Petticoats
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