GRR Reviews Mail Order Bride Delia (Brides Of New Ha by Charity Phillips

I don't know what's inspirational about being duped, but this is another example of what I call "mail order bride abuse" books that really has no plot, the situation made no sense and the resolution not of her doing. She simply accepts whatever comes and it just happens there's a happy ending.

WARNING: THIS SPOILS EVERYTHING

YOU'VE BEEN WARNED

Delia convinced friends to all become mail-order brides, and she picked hers and the letters exchanged were literate and thoughtful and even a photo was exchanged. However, upon arrival, Delia found that she had been tricked, the guy she will be marrying was NOT the guy in the letter, but a disgusting older fellow who threatened violence (to put her in her place). But somehow he's giving her one month and then they'll be wed. In the meanwhile, she's to act as his servant, clean his house and stuff, but she's boarded in a different family's house, where she discovered the young lad in the photo (i.e. the real guy she thought she was corresponding with). They fell in love, and the girl refused to marry the scammer and married the young lad instead. THE END.

She got a month to "think about" marrying? In a lawless part of town with no marshall or sheriff to maintain the law? The guy just "gave up" without another word? She did not have to make any decisions? The story was so contrived it made no logical sense whatsoever, and her attitude flipped from happy (before deception) to despair (after deception) to acceptance (maybe I'll have to marry the wretched oaf), THEN back to happy (here's a man I REALLY intended to marry). She made no decisions WHATSOEVER except to be a mail order bride! And this is NOT the first mail order bride story that I've read that happens like this! These brides are basically doormats... Things just happen to them!

Throwing in 25 extra stories to pad out the book doesn't make the garbage any better.

Category: Historical Western

Primary Plot:  Woman was lured by false info to be mail order bride, ended up happy any way when scammer was thwarted.

Tropes: mail order bride, disguise

Overall Rating:  1/5  (Sorry, that's as low as I can go)