Review: Short and Really Sweet!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 12, 2013
I really enjoyed Dex and Rachel's story.  The two live in a small town in Missouri some time in the late 1800's.  As the story begins, Dex finally receives a letter responding to his enquiry for a mail order bride, which he had made several months previously.  Dex is scheduled to leave with a wagon train heading for Kansas in a matter of days and had been hoping to secure a bride before his departure.  However, as time passed without a response, he finally gave up hope.  Now, just days before he is scheduled to leave, he finally receives a letter from a potential bride.  Unfortunately, the response is not a kind one.  The woman who writes to Dex actually ridicules his letter and makes fun of his spelling, which is less than stellar.  Due to a learning disability (which were completely unheard of back then) Dex has difficulty learning to read, which resulted in him quitting school at the age of 12.  Dex thinks the only way he will ever get married is to get himself a mail order bride. There are a few available ladies of marriageable age in his hometown, but he cannot conceive of marrying any of them.  Rachel, the one woman he wants, he thinks he can't have because he is too dumb.  Dex thinks that Rachel is perfection personified, and to make matters worse she is practically a genius.  Out of desperation Dex approaches Rachel, the one person from whom he has always gone to extreme lengths to protect his secret shame, to ask for help with his reading and spelling.  His hope is to be able to construct a legible letter in order to secure himself a bride.  Unknown to Dex, Rachel has secretly loved him for years.  Of course she agrees to help Dex and the two spend a significant amount of time together over the next few days while she gives Dex lessons.  Despite being such a short story, the author was able to create a well written, fully fledged story with a touchingly sweet plot and well developed characters.  Dex and Rachel do have to overcome their share of misunderstandings and difficulties in order to achieve their HEA.  I experienced a multitude of emotions when reading this short story.....angst on behalf of both Dex and Rachel, anger at Rachel's mother, and joy when the two finally achieve their HEA.  I would recommend this little novella as a very satisfying read.