Book Review: The Perfect Mail-Order Bride by Regina Scott

THE PERFECT MAIL-ORDER BRIDE by Regina Scott
SERIES: Frontier Matches #1
GENRE: Historical/Western Romance (Clean & Wholesome)
PUBLISHER: Edwards and Williams
RELEASE DATE: April 18, 2022
PAGES: 211

Close to perfection

Ada Williamson lived her whole life in the shadow of her charismatic, capricious sister. But when the beautiful Melinda decides to jilt her mail-order groom on the way to meet him in Seattle, Washington Territory, Ada’s conscience demands that she continue the journey and tell Thomas Rankin the truth. After all, she wrote most of the letters the couple exchanged, and she’s already halfway in love with the man herself. Yet somehow, one look at Thomas and the future he offers, and the truth never comes out. Suddenly, Ada finds herself not only out of the shadows, but living the life meant for her sister.

After making his fortune on the goldfields, Thomas “Scout” Rankin found he could buy almost anything he wanted, including the perfect mail-order bride in a territory where women are still few and far between. But past betrayals have left him wary, so he immediately notices that the woman who claims to be his mail-order bride doesn’t quite act the part. Still, someone wrote those letters that spoke to his heart. If getting to know Ada better will reveal the truth, he’s willing to try, even if he must protect his own secrets along the way.

But someone knows both their secrets and aims to use them to advantage. Can Thomas and Ada discover the truth, about their enemy, about their pasts, and about the love they both yearn to share?

If you like warm, witty historical romances, then you’ll love this frontier historical romance by an award-winning author that continues her popular Frontier Bachelors series.

“Regina Scott writes some of today’s best Historical Romance novels!” Huntress Reviews

Find your perfect frontier match, today.

Related Series

It’s always hard to say goodbye to a series when you’ve fallen in love with the characters, so when an author lets you return to that world in some way (whether by cameos in other books or another series set in the same community) it’s a bit like a family reunion. Such is the case with Regina Scott’s new Frontier Matches series & her previous Frontier Bachelor books. And while it’s not necessary to have read those books before you start The Perfect Mail-Order Bride, if you did read them you will find yourself familiar with several supporting characters as well as our hero, ‘Scout’ Rankin. The author does a great job of appealing to fans of her previous series as well as making it easy for a newbie to feel right at home.

I’m so glad that Scout gets his own story; he deserved a happily ever after with a woman as kind and thoughtful as Ada. Both of them have suffered from other people’s selfishness, something which could have made them selfish in return but instead shaped them into people of integrity and grace. Which is a) how Ada ended up pretending to be her sister and b) why she felt so badly about it. The author’s rendering of Ada’s dilemma allowed us to really see the layers in her character and connect with her on a relatable level. Ada initially just doesn’t want Scout to lose face in front of the whole town – after all, she’s grown fond of him while answering his letters to her sister – and then she doesn’t want to lose him. For his part, Scout treated her with such tenderness, even when he suspected something wasn’t quite right. While I do think she could have told him the truth sooner and he would have understood, that particular plot point definitely made sense for her character with her insecurities and low self-confidence.

Bottom Line: The Perfect Mail-Order Bride by Regina Scott is everything I hoped it would be – swoony, sweet, and full of heart. Visiting with familiar & beloved characters felt like a warm hug, and meeting the new ones brought the promise of more delightful adventures to come. I also enjoyed the glimpse of Seattle in its early days, as a small Old West town with dreams of greatness. I can’t wait to see where this series takes us, and I’m definitely along for the ride!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 4 stars / loved it!

KissingBook Level: 3 / may forget to breathe on occasion

affiliate links used

Regina Scott started writing novels in the third grade. Thankfully for literature as we know it, she didn’t actually sell her first novel until she had learned a bit more about writing. Since her first novel was published, her stories have traveled the globe, with translations in many languages including Dutch, German, Italian, and Portuguese. She now has now published more than 50 works of warm, witty romance. She and her husband of 30 years reside in Washington State on the way to Mt. Rainier. Regina Scott has learned to fence, dressed as a Regency dandy, driven four in hand, and sailed on a tall ship, all in the name of research, of course.

website | Facebook | Pinterest | blog

Other Featured Books by Regina Scott

What about you? What makes you want to read The Perfect Mail-Order Bride by Regina Scott?