Texas Brides Trilogy

Clean Historical Mail Order Husband

By: Kate Whitsby

Narrated by: John E. Rose

Alma’s Mail Order Husband

Book one of The Texas Brides Series unravels the mystery of Jude McCann. Jude travels to the desolate desert flats along the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass, Texas, to marry Alma Goodkind. All of that changes when eldest sister, Alma, decides she wants to get married and orders herself a mail-order husband.

Alma and Jude McCann get married in the little adobe church in Eagle Pass. But the minute they come home to the ranch, their plans for happily ever after run off the rails. Jude joins the sisters on the range, and conflicts develop in their approaches to managing the ranch. Alma’s new marriage puts her loyalty to her sisters to the test. At the same time, her bond with her sisters strains her budding romance with Jude. Can their marriage survive, and can the ranch survive so many competing interests and personalities? Worst of all, the sisters’ father, Clarence, instantly detects that Jude is hiding something, a secret that threatens to push this family to its limits and shatter the peace they’ve worked so hard to build.

Amelia’s Mail Order Husband

In book two of The Texas Brides Series, Amelia Goodkind marries Bruce Manfield from El Paso, Texas. When Amelia first brings Bruce home, Jude and Alma and Allegra laugh at him. He’s a big, gangly hulk of a man, but he’s clumsy and ungainly in his movements, unlike delicate, careful Amelia. Jude especially sees Bruce as an easy target for his pointed sense of humor. The sisters can’t figure out why Bruce doesn’t stand up to his much smaller brother-in-law, when he could put Jude in his place with a flick of his wrist. No amount of encouragement from anyone can prod Bruce into asserting himself. He even seems to go out of his way to bow to Jude’s will. Even Alma finds Jude’s behavior toward Bruce disturbing.

But no one on the Goodkind ranch knows that Bruce is hiding an explosive secret, one which will transform the relationships of this family forever. The introduction of another man into the family brings fresh complications to the fragile peace established after Jude’s arrival. Competing loyalties and affections breed conflicts and misunderstandings, until everyone stands against everyone else. Only Amelia’s unwavering faith in her new husband carries them through to the ultimate climax. In his last battle, Bruce finds a strength he never knew he had in Amelia’s love.

Allegra’s Mail Order Husband

Book three of The Texas Brides Series takes place nine months after Amelia Goodkind marries Bruce Manfield. Eldest sister Alma McCann now has a beautiful baby daughter, Flora, the newest member of the family. Amelia is pregnant and unable to leave her bed for more than a few minutes without feeling sick. Jude McCann and Bruce Manfield, their husbands, work to build their houses down by the river in between tending their duties on the ranch. Of the three range-riding, cattle-busting sisters, only Allegra remains in the saddle, herding the stock to water at the river and protecting them from marauding predators.

Now the moment of Allegra’s destiny is at hand. The decision she made nine months ago, when Bruce Manfield defeated Jude McCann to seal the sisters’ right to run their own ranch, is coming to fruition. The day of her mail-order wedding draws near. But Allegra has different plans for her wedding than her sisters did. She doesn’t plan to wear her mother’s wedding dress or go to the altar with her family in attendance. She plans to run off, meet her groom alone, and get married on her own terms before bringing him home.

©2014 Kate Whitsby (P)2020 Kate Whitsby

Fantastic Beginning Novel

Fantastic, detailed, descriptions of character's moods and views of this period of time. Great representation of how some women on the plains had to do it all without men to do it for them when the roll women played in that period of time was quite the opposite. Your introduction of a more modernize woman slips right in there, easing the reader into a different frame of mind. I can't wait to read the next two novels in the trilogy.

Great series

This is a great series. I really liked the characters and storylines. The relationship of the sisters was great. I loved how they all had the commonality of the responsibility of the ranch.

Hasty Decisions

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Audiobooks Unleashed in exchange for an honest review.
Each book focuses on each sister but all are included throughout the series. The first book featuring Alma was good and held my interest. The last two books were very similar and there were no surprises other than when the youngest sister lets down her hair and decides to follow her two older sisters to the altar. Still, there was romance and a bit of antagonism from husband number one. The narration was good.