Mail Order Tangle by Caroline Clemmons and Jacquie Rogers

 Mail Order Tangle contains two books by best selling western writers Caroline Clemmons and Jacquie Rogers.Mail-Order Promise by Caroline Clemmons

Ellie Dickerson and her sister are in desperate straits when she contracts to become a mail-order bride to a Texas rancher. After her arduous trip from Virginia, she learns her fiancé has died. His handsome brother has sworn to take care of her and she’s instantly attracted to him, but he seems indifferent toward her. What will happen to her and her sister?

Kage Johanssen, co-owner of a ranch in Idaho with his cousin Matt, is forced to take over his family’s Central Texas ranch on the death of his older brother. Kage is in no hurry to get married, and when his brother’s bride shows up, she’s everything he doesn’t want in a wife—except she’s stunningly beautiful. Despite his deathbed promise to his brother and his attraction to Ellie, he’s convinced she doesn’t have the grit to be a rancher’s wife.

When a greedy, sadistic villain attempts to take over the ranch and kill Kage, can Ellie save her true love? What will it take to prove that she’s the only woman for Kage?

Mail-Order Ruckus by Jacquie Rogers

Matt Johanssen returned to the ranch he and his cousin Kage started in Owyhee County, Idaho Territory, not knowing he took Laura Dickerson's heart with him. Now that her sister no longer needs her, Laura wants a home of her own and a family to put in it. No other man would fill the bill as well as Matt, but he’s not interested. Not wanting to live as a spinster aunt the rest of her life, Laura signs a contract with a marriage broker, choosing to go to Silver City, near Matt’s ranch, in hopes that he might come around. But he’s not on the roster of eligible grooms!

When Matt sees Laura among the brides on display on the balcony of the Idaho Hotel, he feels gutshot. He’s in no position to take a wife, not with a ranch eating up every spare moment and dollar. But if he doesn't step forward, the one woman he wants will be wed at the end of the week—and not to him.

Will Matt walk away from the woman who stole his heart or let go of everything he's worked so hard to build go in exchange for love?

I thought this was a really interesting concept for a book.  Two intertwined stories written by separate authors.  Problems could be inherent in that, but it actually turned out really well.  I enjoyed this book, the characters and the subject matter.

In Mail Order Promise, Ellie Dickerson signs up to be a mail order bride in order to help her sister out of a situation in Virginia.  She and her sister then travel to Texas in order to meet her soon to be husband.  Meanwhile, Kage Johanssen returns to his family home from Idaho only to find that his older brother Eric is dying, and had also sent for a mail order bride that he asks his brother to marry in his stead.  Kage and Ellie meet and sparks fly, but will both of their strong wills let them settle together and be happy?  In the second story, Mail Order Ruckus, is about Kage’s cousin Matt and Ellie’s sister Laura. Matt returns to the Idaho territory with feelings for Laura, but doesn’t think he will have enough to marry for at least two more years, until he can get the ranch off the ground.  Laura has feelings for Matt, and decides to take a chance and signs up to be a mail order bride in the Idaho territory.  When Laura shows up, Matt is confronted with his feelings for her, yet she is to marry another man in a week’s time.  Will Matt take action to make Laura his?

Both of these stories were very funny and had a great plot.  The biggest point for me is that I didn’t feel like they were written by two completely different authors.  The feel of the stories were the same, so that created continuity between them that I felt was really needed in order to make this book flow well and be successful. 

The characters were also very engaging.  It is a must for me to read a book in which the characters pique my interest so that I become invested in their stories.  Otherwise, what’s the point?  I would say that this book delivered in that respect.  I really liked the main characters as well as the secondary characters in this book. 

The only real detractor in this book for me was the plot.  It’s romance, so I can allow a lot of leeway as far as fantasy goes, but at times the whole thing and the way it all worked out just seemed pretty out there to me.  I’m not a mail order bride expert or anything, and while it was intriguing there was just a part of it that felt a little empty. 

Overall, however, I enjoyed the books.  The characters and setting were great and I found myself really rooting for the characters.  I would recommend this book even if you don’t read the Western genre very much.  It’s fun and a good romance.  4 stars.

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Jacquie Rogers grew up on a dairy farm outside of Homedale, Idaho, in Owyhee County and has fond memories of riding horseback all over the hills (where her Hearts of Owyhee series is set) with her sister and neighbors, encountering adventures both real and imagined.  She currently lives in suburbia with her IT Guy (also has a license to sleep with him), daughter, and four grandsons.  Their home is ruled by The Cat Annie, a feral rescue, who enjoys tromping on the keyboard in the midst of action or love scenes. 

Jacquie’s a member of Romance Writers of America and Western Fictioneers, teaches classes in both writing craft and research topics, and is passionate about the western genre. Her Hearts of Owyhee series has garnered acclaim, as has A SLEIGHT OF HEART. She is a frequent contributor to anthologies with Prairie Rose Publications and Western Fictioneers.

            Places to visit with Jacquie: Website, her newsletter Pickle Barrel Gazette, her Facebook group Pickle Barrel Bar & Books, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and blog Romancing The West  

Caroline Clemmons is an Amazon bestselling author of historical and contemporary western romances whose books have garnered numerous awards. Her latest release is GABE KINCAID, book four of her popular Kincaid series. A frequent speaker at conferences and seminars, she has taught workshops on characterization, point of view, and layering a novel.

Caroline is a member of Romance Writers of America and the Romance Writers chapters of Yellow Rose, From The Heart, and Hearts Through History. Her latest publications include the acclaimed historical Men of Stone Mountain series: BRAZOS BRIDE, HIGH STAKES BRIDE, and BLUEBONNET BRIDE and the audio books of BRAZOS BRIDE and HIGH STAKES BRIDE.

Caroline and her husband live in the heart of Texas cowboy country with their menagerie of rescued pets. Prior to writing full time, her jobs included stay-at-home mom (her favorite), secretary, newspaper reporter and featured columnist, assistant to the managing editor of a psychology journal, bookkeeper for the local tax assessor and—for a short and fun time—an  antique dealer. When she’s not indulging her passion for writing, Caroline enjoys reading, travel, antiquing, genealogy, painting, and getting together with family and friends.

Find her on her blog, website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Google+, WattPad, Shelfari, and Pinterest.