This bundle includes Josephine: Bride of Louisiana and Michelle: Bride of Mississippi from the unprecedented 50-book, 50-author American Mail Order Brides series with a mail order bride romance set in each state. What are these books about? These sweet, clean, heartwarming historical romances will introduce you to two brave cousins from New England. Immerse yourself in the historical details of each area as two very brave women head west to find a better future after the New England factory they've been working in is razed in a tragic fire. Each of the 50 women are on their own, and agreeing to become a mail bride is their best of the bad options that they have. Meet Josephine: Bride of Louisiana Josephine Depardieu grew up in Massachusetts, fairly privileged and educated, speaking French as well as English, but when her father dies, she finds herself working in a factory in as a seamstress. When the factory burns down, she looks for other options…and sees an ad for a French-speaking mail-order bride. She’s always wanted to know more about her French culture, and heads down to a plantation in Louisiana to find out more. Pierre Bernard has lived and worked on his father’s plantation on the Mississippi River his whole life, but as a first generation American, hasn’t always been as interested in French culture as his father would like. When his father decides to move back to France and leave Pierre the plantation, he is stunned to find out that this will only happen if he is married—to a French woman. But when Josephine learns that Pierre’s father expected a woman from France, is she up to the task? And how long can Pierre keep his father in the dark? "The main characters are vulnerable and/or flawed. I enjoy seeing the growth of each character as well as the relationship. There are no perfect people, so I don't think there should ever be perfect characters, either." Amazon Reviewer "Josephine won me over almost immediately with her sweet, quiet nature, and I found myself cheering for her to find true love. Alas, it didn't seem to be part of the plan, or was it?" Amazon Reviewer Meet Michelle: Bride of Mississippi. This series is set in Corinth, Mississippi, a fascinating town that I had the privilege of getting to know during a lengthy stay. It was a pivotal and strategic location in the Civil War, as it was the intersection of the two main souther railways that would be moving goods during the conflict. As a result, the battle for control of it was early and fierce. Multiple homes in the town were commandeered or volunteered as headquarters for generals and their planning sessions. I stayed in one such antebellum home in Corinth, one noted in the Corinth historical home tour. It was called the Robin's Nest, and was the multi-generational family home of my hosts. It was beautiful, and it's almost as if I could hear so many voices from the past that I had to use it for a location for this series. This is what it looks like now. I can just picture Michelle and her new family on this porch. Here's a little about the book: When Michelle Blake's world collapses and her job as a seamstress disappears, she thinks maybe her cousin, Josephine, has a good idea. She follows suit and answers an advertisement to be a mail order bride. She doesn't know much about Mississippi, but is willing to take a chance for a better life in a place where she might be able to use her sewing skills to benefit others.Anthony Chandler's family has lived, loved and worked in Mississippi for generations and have been pillars of the community. With his parents gone, he’s now in charge of their faltering clothing business. And when his twin sister Adelaide dies, leaving him with her young twins, he doesn’t know where to turn for help but the Grooms’ Gazette. Even though Christmas is imminent, he places an advertisement and hopes for the best.As she spends more time in Mississippi with her new family, Michelle realizes that Anthony is unwilling to share his wealth with the needy in their community and when he actually forbids her to help, she believes she understands what kind of man he really is—one she could never love. But when the twins she’s fallen in love with show her their generous hearts, will this Christmas be like no other she’s ever experienced? "This is the 20th book in the American Mail Order Brides series and the heroine was put out of work due to the Brown Textile Factory fire. The male is a bit self-centered but that's typical for men in the 1890's. It's well done and interesting from beginning to end." Amazon Reviewer This story has as much sorrow as it has love, but they learn to reach beyond the sorrow to let love shine. I loved this story and definitely recommend reading it. "Amazon Reviewer
