With This Ring: Something Old/Something New/Something Borrowed/Something Blue (HeartQuest Anthology)
The publisher follows its Christmas anthology (A Victorian Christmas Tea, LJ 9/1/97) with this collection of wedding-related stories set in the late 1800s. In Lori Copeland's "Something Old," wealthy Anna-Marie Martin announces her intention to wed the son of a grocer, but the couple soon realize that their shared religious beliefs may not be enough to overcome their different backgrounds. Culture clashes also play a role in Dianna Crawford's "Something New." A young Jewish woman on her way to America to marry a man she barely knows is converted to Christianity on the boat and decides she cannot marry out of her new faith. But when she discovers that her thoroughly Americanized intended has little interest in a girl from the Old Country, she finds his lack of interest appealing. Ginny Aiken's "Something Borrowed" tells of the romance between Emma Carstairs and Antonio Mallery Alvarez when both turn up to claim ownership of the Rocking C Ranch in Texas. Catherine Palmer's "Something Blue" is the sweet story of Astrid Munsen, a Norwegian immigrant who arrives in Louisiana expecting to be reunited with her husband, now unfortunately dead. Astrid is left penniless unless she can track down part of her dowry. She is helped by Gage Ancelet, her husband's former employee, and soon the two fall in love. All four stories have a background of gentle Christian messages. This anthology should prove popular both to fans of the authors and as an introduction to the genre.Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.