Review: A hilarious Romantic comedy!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 16, 2014
A very fast paced, delightfully funny, romantic romp! An addition to the previous series of six delightful stories in the "Prairie Bride Series", which begins with the three Cooke brothers. Brought from England in their youth to the small town of "Clear Creek". Delightful stories of the romances of each of these English but Americanized, gentlemen and continues with some other equally enjoyable romances of some very interesting newcomers to Clear Creek. All delightfully entertaining stories!This story takes place a few years later when Duncan Cooke becomes a Duke, has to travel to England to take care of his responsibilities and finds out that he has a very unexpected one In his six very proper, young unmarried female cousins. Because of past history, explained during the series, he finds there's not one English gentleman willing to come near the young beauties and they're his responsibility unless he can find them  husbands; impossible given the situation in England.Trying to find a solution for several months, his enterprising sister in law Sadie, take things into her own hands. She thinks  she has a brilliant solution! While not very enthused about Sadie's idea, at this point he's out of options and has no choice but to go along with her plan.Since there are dozens of men in "Clear Creek" wanting wives and not a single woman around, Sadie decides to have the best several candidates write letters to women they would like as "Mail Order Brides", takes the top three and begins to plan the weddings while the women are on their way from England, also agreeing to the plan rather than end up as spinsters.Waiting over a year for brides, the men can't wait until they show up. They've spent their time building homes, preparing and anxiously awaiting their future brides. When the first three sisters finally show up in Clear Creek to meet their betrothed, the men are totally unprepared and shocked at these very proper "English Ladies". How in the world did Sadie think that three women brought up in the height of fashion, properly trained women who came from a life of mansions, maids, Butlers, cooks and society balls think they could be prairie wives? Unfortunately ladies from England who had everything done for them, had no idea how to take care of themselves, let alone cook, sew, or any useful skill of a frontier wife. The only thing the men could see were three ladies of beauty keeping their beds warm at night. While that idea thrilled them all, it didn't make a wife!When Penelope, Constance and Eloise arrived on the stage, not only were they horrified at the tiny mud hole called a town but also realized, they were to marry grungy, uncouth, farmers, ranchers or cowboys! They certainly weren't what they knew gentleman to be.  They also realized they couldn't do it!When Penelope met her betrothed, August Bennet, she was surprised at his manners, humour and attentiveness, He was also extremely handsome! An immediate attraction also made her begin to question many of her doubts, especially since she'd end up a spinster if they didn't marry! She decided she had to at least get to know this gorgeous man and see what happened.Constance and Eloise, though doubtful about the situation, were a bit more curious and accepting.  Also very impressed with their prospective husbands and anxious to get to know them. Unfortunately, they had to wait to see how things went with Penelope and get her married off before they were even allowed to spend time with their young men!Coming from two completely different societies and ideas about life, can these difficulties even begin to be worked through? This first book in the new (but continuing stories bringing back so many favorite characters) "Prairie Groom Series" is about August Bennet and his very proper and unexpected English bride, Penelope.It's non stop laughs, romance and definitely strong chemistry in this roller coaster of a relationship. I laughed throughout at the quirky, temperamental and very emotionally funny tale of two people with a world of differences to overcome.  As in the previous series, the town people are involved, with granny, Mrs Dunnigan with her ax and so many more that added so many highlights in this book!  I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys good humour, desire (without all the explicit sex) with their romance in a book hard to put down!My only complaint were some misplaced words in sentences or words missing. Though not bad, it did stick out and a bit disappointing. Not enough to ruin the enjoyment though!