Review: Interesting twist on mail-order bride theme...[3.5 star review]
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 10, 2014
UNLIKELY SUBSTITUTE (MAIL-ORDER HUSBANDS) by Leah Atwood is roughly 43 pages (on my Kindle, minus front- and back-matter).  True to its rating, it's a wholesome (rated G) romance, free of language and sexual content.The Book Description/blurb does a great job capturing the essence of the story and outlining the plot.  As with romances, it's evident what the ending will be (we hope)...an uplifting, optimistic ending with the hero and heroine happy together (hopefully for more than just the present).  That's a given.  What we don't know is how the story will progress to get us to that point.I enjoyed the different twists on the ever-popular mail-order bride theme: letters playing a key role in the development of the story, a husband sent for (rather than a bride).  It was enjoyable watching Jude and Anne Marie interact and find not only attraction but affection and even budding love for one another when they're shut away together during a winter storm.  The time spent away from one another, with a rewarding epilogue makes that affection seem more real....as the intervening months away from each other tend to put reality into perspective.This novelette contained editing problems a more thorough proofread or editor would have caught.  I can't help but notice when possessives are misused where plurals belong (parent's deaths vs. parents' deaths--there IS a difference).  Mistakes like using 'diverged' (to have separated from a main route and taken another) where the correct word--'divulge' (make known private or sensitive info)--belonged...will always catch my attention.  It's a most unfortunate curse I can't seem to ignore.  Missing letters: 'all that matter' should've been 'all that matters.'  The book needed another set of fresh eyes to proofread with an eye for detail OR a competent editor.  This brief list is a mere sample of the errors a good editor would've caught.Those complaints aside, this novelette will be enjoyed by fans of mail-order bride romances, wholesome historical romances, and fans of romances set on the western frontier.