Of Rags and Riches Romance Collection

ABOUT THESE NOVELLA'S

  Love Flourishes during America’s Gilded Age Journey along in nine historical romances with those whose lives are transformed by the opulence, growth, and great changes taking place in America’s Gilded Age. Nine couples meet during these exhilarating times and work to build a future together through fighting for social reform, celebrating new opportunities for leisure activities, taking advantage of economic growth and new inventions, and more. Watch as these romances develop and legacies of faith and love are formed.   Union Pacific Princess by Jennifer Uhlarik - Cheyenne, Dakota Territory, 1867 In the hell-on-wheels rail town of Cheyenne, grieving Boston socialite Dara Forsythe must choose between her estranged father; Connor, a bigwig with the Union Pacific Railroad; and Gage Wells, a former Confederate sharpshooter bent on derailing the Transcontinental Railroad’s progress.   The Right Pitch by Susanne Dietze - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1876 Guarded industrialist Beck Emerson agrees to sponsor his sister’s all-female baseball team. But when pretty pitcher Winnie Myles throws a curveball that makes him team manager, it challenges his plan to play it safe in life and love.   A Gift in Secret by Kathleen Y’Barbo - New Orleans, Louisiana, 1871 May Bolen offers Sam Austin a marriage of convenience. He will get to run the company that drove his into bankruptcy, and she will be free from her father’s rule to travel the world. But when Sam meets May, he knows the offer is too good to be true—or convenient—when hearts become tangled.   For Richer or Poorer by Natalie Monk - Newark, New Jersey, 1885 In order to bring her starving family to New Jersey, Polish immigrant Marcella Lipski must marry wealth. So she takes Americanization lessons from the poor-but-mysterious cart driver teaching her English—and loses her heart in the process.   A House of Secrets by Michelle Griep - St. Paul, MN 1890 Ladies Aide Chairman, Amanda Carston resolves to clean up St. Paul’s ramshackle housing, starting with the worst of the worst: a “haunted” house that’s secretly owned by her beau—a home that’s his only means of helping brothel girls escape from the hands of the city’s most infamous madam.   Win, Place, or Show by Erica Vetsch - New York City, 1890 Beryl Valentine, a socialite with a passion for horses, finds herself falling in love with her riding instructor, a man her parents will never accept. Will she follow her parents’ wishes, or let Gard Kennedy ride away with her heart?   The Fisherman’s Nymph by Jaime Jo Wright - Flambeau River, Wisconsin, 1890 The reclusive daughter of a fly-fisherman guide must read the waters for a wealthy gentleman’s sport and send him back where he belongs before he hooks her heart and takes her away from the river she was born to love.   The Gardener’s Daughter by Anne Love - Bay View, Michigan, 1895 When the nephew of a prestigious Chautauqua resort founder sets his eye on the new library assistant believing her an academy student, it will take more than reciting poetry for love to bloom when he learns she’s the humble gardener’s daughter.   A Tale of Two Hearts by Gabrielle Meyer - Little Falls, Minnesota, June 1899 Reputations and jobs are on the line when lady’s maid, Lucy Taylor, and neighboring footman, Elijah Boyer, compete against each other for a place of honor during the annual community appreciation event hosted by their wealthy employers.  

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK 

Of Rags and Riches is a collection of none novellas from nine amazing authors. Set in the mid to late 1800's, each story is of poverty as well as luxury during this Guilded Age in our history. My review focuses on the first story in this book, Jennifer Uhlarik's Union Pacific Princess. And as I read each of the other stories, each one is so well written, going a little deeper than a lot if the novellas I have read. This Of Rags and Riches is truly one of the best books in the Barbour Publishers Collections I have read..... In Union Pacific Princess, Dara is headed to the Dakota Territory to see her father, who is working to get the railroad through the territory. This is definitely not the life she is use to living in Boston, but when Gage injures himself while protecting Dara and her cousin Becca, Dara is determined to help him until his injuries are healed. However, this does not sit well with Gage, since he is in the Dakota Territory to stop the railroad Dara's dad is trying to build. This is not sounding too good for Gage! I love Dara. She is sweet and caring, but her father, his attitude did much to hurt Dara even more. But Dara could stand her own very well, and her feisty attitude proved it more than once! Author Jennifer Uhlarik does a really nice job of creating characters and writing them into her story on a way we all can love. I love how she writes so many different angles to this story, then weaves them all together in the end. If you love historical fiction, especially Christian and clean reads, you will love this story. And you will love all of the other Stories in the Of Rags and Riches Romance Collections from Barbour Publishers! A special thanks to the author Jennifer Uhlarik and JustReadTours for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.  

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Erica Vetsch...Best-selling, award-winning author Erica Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. She's a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota, and she married her total opposite and soul mate! When she's not writing fiction, she's planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks. You can connect with her at her website, www.ericavetsch.com where you can read about her books and sign up for her newsletter, and you can find her online at https://www.facebook.com/EricaVetschAuthor/ where she spends way too much time.

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Susanne Dietze began writing love stories in high school, casting her friends in the starring roles. Today, she's the award-winning author of a dozen new and upcoming historical romances who's seen her work on the ECPA and Publisher's Weekly Bestseller Lists for Inspirational Fiction. Married to a pastor and the mom of two, Susanne lives in California and enjoys fancy-schmancy tea parties, the beach, and curling up on the couch with a costume drama and a plate of nachos.  You can visit her online at www.susannedietze.com and subscribe to her newsletters at http://eepurl.com/bieza5

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Michelle Griep has been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She seeks to glorify God in all that she writes—except for that graffiti phase she went through as a teenager. She resides in the frozen tundra of Minnesota, where she teaches history and writing classes for a local high school co-op. An Anglophile at heart, she runs away to England every chance she gets, under the guise of research. Really, though, she’s eating excessive amounts of scones while rambling around a castle. Michelle is a member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and MCWG (Minnesota Christian Writers Guild). Keep up with her adventures at her blog “Writer off the Leash” or visit michellegriep.com.

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Gabrielle Meyer lives in central Minnesota on the banks of the Mississippi River with her husband and four young children. As an employee of the Minnesota Historical Society, she fell in love with the rich history of her state and enjoys writing fictional stories inspired by real people and events. Gabrielle can be found at www.gabriellemeyer.com where she writes about her passion for history, Minnesota, and her faith.

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Natalie Monk is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. A country girl from the time she could shimmy under a string of barbed wire, Natalie makes her home in North Mississippi, where she proudly wears the label “preacher’s kid.” She is a homeschool graduate, part-time virtual assistant, and former post hole digger. She loves porch swings, old-fashioned camp meetings, and traveling with her family’s singing group. Her goal in writing, and in living, is to bring glory to her Savior, Jesus Christ. Come chat with her on her website: www.nataliemonk.com.

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Jennifer Uhlarik discovered the western genre as a preteen, when she swiped the only “horse” book she found on her older brother’s bookshelf. A new love was born. Across the next ten years, she devoured Louis L’Amour westerns and fell in love with the genre. In college at the University of Tampa, she began penning her own story of the Old West. Armed with a BA in writing, she has won five writing competitions and was a finalist in two others. In addition to writing, she has held jobs as a private business owner, a schoolteacher, a marketing director, and her favorite—a full-time homemaker. Jennifer is active in American Christian Fiction Writers and is a lifetime member of the Florida Writers Association. She lives near Tampa, Florida, with her husband, teenage son, and four fur children.

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Anne Love is a vintage-loving author fueled by prayer, strong black coffee, and characters of generations past--both real and fictional. By day, she's a Family Nurse Practitioner in northern Indiana, and by night, she writes historical romance flavored with vintage rural charm, inspired by her faith and family roots. Wife of a schoolteacher and mother of two young adults and a daughter-in-law, she fills her free time with genealogy, gardening, mentoring, and music. Anne is a long-time member of American Christian Fiction Writers and cofounder of the group blog www.coffeecupsandcamisoles.blogspot.com where she contributes weekly. Connect with her at www.facebook.com/AuthorAnneLove

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Jaime Jo Wright  Daphne du Maurier and Christy Award-Winning author, Jaime Jo Wright resides in the hills of Wisconsin writing suspenseful, mysteries stained with history's secrets. Jaime lives in dreamland, exists in reality, and invites you to join her adventures at jaimewrightbooks.com

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KATHLEEN Y'BARBO is a Publisher's Weekly bestselling author with more than one hundred books have sold two million copies of her books in print in the US and abroad. A tenth-generation Texan and certified paralegal, she is a member of the Texas Bar Association Paralegal Division, Texas A&M Association of Former Student and the Texas A&M Women Former Students (Aggie Women), Texas Historical Society, Novelists Inc., and American Christian Fiction Writers. She would also be a member of the Daughters of the American Republic, Daughters of the Republic of Texas and a few others if she would just remember to fill out the paperwork that Great Aunt Mary Beth has sent her more than once. When she's not spinning modern day tales about her wacky Southern relatives, Kathleen inserts an ancestor or two into her historical and mystery novels as well. Recent book releases include bestselling The Pirate Bride set in 1700s New Orleans and Galveston, its sequel The Alamo Bride set in 1836 Texas, which feature a few well-placed folks from history and a family tale of adventure on the high seas and on the coast of Texas. She also writes (mostly) relative-free cozy mystery novels for Guideposts Books. Kathleen and her hero in combat boots husband have their own surprise love story that unfolded on social media a few years back. They make their home just north of Houston, Texas and are the parents and in-laws of a blended family of Texans, Okies, and one very adorable Londoner. To find out more about Kathleen or connect with her through social media, check out her website at www.kathleenybarbo.com