GRR Reviews Emma: (A Sweet Western Historical Roma by Ashley Merrick

Emma is an Historical Western "Mail Order Bride" romance that doesn't really explain the chemistry between Emma and her beau Ethan, but as the start of the series, it was definitely above average.

To recap... Emma Byrne and her friends grew up in an orphanage and they hold odd jobs around Boston to make ends meet. Emma however, was forced out of her job when her employer basically told her that unless she gives in to his unwanted advances, she will lose her job. She chose to resolve her problem by becoming a mail-order bride and went west, only to find that the intended groom did not place the ad! It was placed by his brother! But Ethan does need help with a 3-year old girl... But he's not over the death of his wife when giving birth to a second child (neither made it). As Emma get to know Ethan and his family, Emma found that Ethan has EIGHT brothers... most of whom are single... So as she falls for Ethan, she made plans to match up her friends from Boston with the remaining brothers...

The actual romance itself was merely warm, as while Emma was intrigued, she's not like falling head over heels for Ethan, and Ethan was not quite ready to move on just yet. Obviously that opinion changed over the rest of the short novel.

Category: Historical Western

Primary Plot: Woman needing to escape her circumstances mail order brided herself out West, found it was the groom's brother who placed the ad for the man who lost his wife and unborn child, leaving a 3-year old daughter to raise by himself...

Tropes: mail order bride, widower, single parent, different worlds, matchmaker

Overall Rating:  4/5 (rounded up from 3.5/5)