Loved this series. This was a new author to me, but I have been reading more historical/western romances and ran across this series. Great plots and characters, and I liked how most of them were in all 3 books.

I'm not so much into Christian romance, but this one was not so bad and I love mail ordered bride, even if the heroine of this book was not technically one of them. The story was good enough but I didn't appreciate too much the way Silas was acting towards Kate.

Non é che i romance cristiani siano proprio il mio pane quotidiano, probabilmente sto espiando il fatto di dover leggere Gray prima o poi, comunque ho anche una segreta passione per i libri dove si parla delle mogli ordinate per posta, anche se tecnicamente la protagonista di questo romanzo non era una di quelle. La storia non era male ma alla fine l'atteggiamento di Silas nei confronti di Kate mi ha proprio innervosito.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND BETHANY HOUSE FOR THE PREVIEW!

I found this story captivating; it held my attention all the way through. Silas, Kate, and Anthony are all likeable characters, who each must learn to overcome past hurts, and learn to trust. Coming from a family of teachers, I especially liked Kate. I'd definitely recommend this book, if you enjoy historical fiction.

So funny enough, I may have looked at the cover on this one and VERY quickly skimmed the summary when making my decision to review this book. So when I received the book and realized that it was actually a historical fiction, and the third in a series I was really annoyed at myself and not looking forward to delving into this one. BUT I am glad that I did! This book can easily stand alone, and was a good quick read! I absolutely LOVED the storyline, and all it's fabulous twists and turns. It kept me guessing as to how it was all going to play out, and I am so glad that I gave it a chance!

Such a good book! I've been fighting a bit of a reading slump lately but I had this book finished in about twelve hours, it was that good!
Since I knew that Silas was going to be the hero of this book I payed extra attention to him in A Bride in Store, and while he had some changes to make I just knew that he would become a man to be proud of. And boy was I right! I loved how real the author made him, he overcame his addiction but the temptation was still there and it was inspiring to watch him fight to maintain what he'd worked so hard for. I loved how much he was willing to sacrifice for Anthony, and how hard he worked at being the best father he could be. Kate was fantastic too. I loved her selfless love and care for others, especially Anthony. Both Silas and Kate had painful pasts that made them scared about surrendering to love and it was beautiful to watch them both overcome their hurt and find healing with God and each other.
So in closing, this book (well this whole series) is amazing and I heartily recommend it!
I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

This is my favorite book in the series!

A Bride at Last had me sucked in until the very last page. I’ve stayed up well past when I should’ve gone to bed to finish it. The book focuses on Silas Jonesy. Will’s friend from the previous book. It also introduces us to Kate Dawson a school teacher who has a tendency to run from relationships. Both have a common interest in making sure a motherless boy named Anthony is taken care of. I loved all the twists and turns this book had. Between paternity, almost kidnapping, and running away it was enough to keep me on the edge of my seat (bed). Mrs. Jagears did a great job of writing a character that deals with sobriety. She shows the character struggle with it at a point. One of my favorite parts was when Kate comes to the realization that she’s been running but never asked God where he wanted her. In a way it made me think about how God knows where we’re needed even if we don’t. The best part though was the ending. It wrapped up the series brilliantly! It’s honestly part of the reason why I loved this book. In all the Unexpected Brides series was fantastic. I will definitely be reading more books by Mrs. Jagears.

I recommend checking out this series in general. It’s great Christian fiction and worth the read.

Melissa Jagears is one of those authors who takes a common trope (in this case mail-order brides or marriages-of-convenience) and puts her own spin on it, giving the theme a refreshing twist and making it stand out above the rest. Her characters are full of passion and humor and kindness and life – and so are her stories!

We learned some of Silas’ history in the previous book, A Bride in Store, but in A Bride At Last he is the main character and as such the details of his painful past come fully to light. Abandoned by his mother to an abusive orphanage as a child, then abandoned by the first family who adopted him, then abandoned by his wife … it’s no wonder Silas struggles with fears and has sometimes turned to alcohol to numb the pain. In the course of fighting for the son he only just discovered was his, he meets Kate – a young teacher with a history of running away when the going gets tough. To top it off, Kate suffered abuse at the hands of her drunk brother-in-law and is understandably leery of Silas’ past history of drinking. How in the world could two people with this much baggage ever see the way clear to trust each other? That, my friends, is the making of a beautiful story, and Melissa Jagears delivers one in spades! The crate scene? Be still my heart! Your own heart will ache for them and smile for them – and then repeat – as you make your way through the story, probably in one sitting due to the twists that will keep you riveted to the pages.

Emily Dickinson wrote, “Success is counted sweetest by those who ne’er succeed.” I think in A Bride At Last, we could say that love is counted sweetest by those who have never really known love. And oh my, how sweet is this love story. And the kissing? Unlike Fred Savage in The Princess Bride, I adore “kissing books” and this one does not disappoint :) Sparks aplenty! Even more than the romance, though, there is the love of family – even the kind of family we piece together ourselves. Family found, family created, family restored. Not without its difficulties or hurts, but family nonetheless for people who have long been without.

Speaking of family, the epilogue at the end ties the whole series together so poignantly. My fangirl heart grinned happily and yes I even got a little misty-eyed. Loved seeing Dex & Rachel and Everett & Julia and Will & Eliza (from previous books) and their families some years down the road. And of course Silas and his family :) Also, there were some minor characters that popped up earlier in the book who I’m hoping we get to know more about in future books/series.

Bottom Line: A Bride At Last is a book which will draw you in by its characters and keep you there by its many captivating layers of twists and turns. With tender honesty, Melissa Jagears pens a story of people torn by addiction, abandonment, and anxiety – and the beautiful healing that can come when they lay these wounds at Jesus’ feet. Recommended for anyone who enjoys marriage-of-convenience stories or who struggles with trust issues… And people who like “kissing books” :)

(I received a copy from Bethany House Publishers via Litfuse and Netgalley in exchange for only my honest review.)

Enjoyed this third book in Melissa Jagear's Unexpected Bride series. What I like about this series is that each book can be a stand alone, but for those who have read the other books in the series, we get to see previous characters we have grown to like. This story focuses on two flawed people who each have things in their past that they are trying to overcome. It's full of romance, some evil villains, and a feel good message.

A Bride at Last is the third novel in Melissa Jagears' Unexpected Bride series, which takes the mail order bride trope and turns it on its head. In A Bride at Last, Silas had a mail order bride who ran away, and Kate planned to be a mail order bride until her intended turned out to be the town drunk. Both moved on from their pasts, but those pasts come back to haunt them when they're thrown together in a quest to help Kate's student Anthony—who just might also be Silas's son.

Overall, I really enjoyed A Bride at Last. Kate and Silas are both likeable characters, and I wanted them to be together. I did feel like Silas's reaction to Kate's past was a bit too extreme—or perhaps just too drawn out. That said, I loved the way Jagears brought about their reconciliation.

If the novel had been about 50 pages shorter with the time that Kate and Silas spent apart in Silas's hometown Salt Flatts greatly reduced, the novel would have been just about perfect. As it is, it's still a very solid historical romance.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

As a book blogger I often have the opportunity to request books. Sometimes I like the books, sometimes I do not and sometimes I find new authors and new books to love. This is, I'm happy to say, such an occasion. I really enjoyed A Bride at Last in spite of not having a whole bunch of time to sit and savor the story. I forgot that today was my day to review this book for a blog tour! Ooops!

Even though I'm pretty sure I tore a few pages flipping through this story, it was very enjoyable. Jagears has a knack for penning couples with fabulous chemistry -- at least as far as I can tell from having just read this one book. At first, I was a little worried that the pacing of the story was a little "off". It almost felt as if I had jumped into the middle of a continuing story, but as the setting moved from the town to Silas's homestead, their story became more interesting and more evenly paced. That said, Kate and Silas had a few rough patches from their pasts that needed smoothing over, but in the end their story sizzled (well, as much as Christian fiction can). I'm the world's biggest sucker for a mail-order bride story. Even though this deviated a bit from that type of romance, the same themes were basically there and made for a nice little western-set romance.

Fans of sweet romance, rejoice! A Bride at Last is a cute story even with its flaws.


*I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.*