Bluebonnet Bride by Colleen Coble

★★★★★
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At the turn of the 20th century, Elli Korpela boarded The Baltic as a mail order bride. But the threat she thought she was escaping somehow followed her to America…

Escaping a forced engagement, Elli sought refuge in an arranged, mail-order marriage. Her betrothed is a Texan named Nathan White. As she glimpses her future husband and his darling niece at the train station, she instantly knows her risk will prove the best decision she's ever made.

Nathan White never took an interest in marriage until he became the guardian of four-year-old Hannah. He’s arranged a mail order wife to love and care for his orphaned niece. But his mind changes when he first sees the beautiful Elli Korpela.

After a glorious wedding ceremony in the gardens of a place called Butterfly Palace – the grandest estate Elli's ever seen – a peaceful beginning takes a disquieting turn. An intruder brutally attacks Elli. Nathan intervenes, but the devil escapes unidentified, leaving Elli to face two chilling possibilities: either the attack was arranged by strike workers in Nathan's employ or her shadowy past followed her across the sea.

As the danger mounts, Elli and Nathan must face their enemy together, fighting for their newfound marriage – and for their lives.

Like other novellas I have read recently, Colleen Coble’s “Bluebonnet Bride” is a quick yet thoroughly enjoyable read. The fast-moving mix of romance and intrigue, combined with the perfect amount of character description and backstory, compelled me to turn page after page until reaching the satisfying resolution. At the end, I found myself eager to read Coble’s Butterfly Palace, which I believe precedes “Bluebonnet Bride” and introduces several of the mentioned characters. Yet, this novella still can stand on its own and I would recommend it to anyone with a couple hours available, looking for a heart-racing and heartwarming read. I thank BookLook Bloggers for providing me with a free copy of this novella and the opportunity to honestly review it. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. (I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)