The True Love Wedding Dress in Romance Series Lists

Jul 03, 2008 Auntee rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2010_reads, historical-romance-american, anthologies-novellas, catherine-anderson

This review is only for Catherine Anderson's "Beautiful Gifts"

Having just read all the available full length books in Anderson's Coulter's Historicals series, I decided to finish up the series by reading the lone short story in the bunch. Beautiful Gifts is Colorado rancher Patrick O'Shannessy's story. Patrick is the brother of Caitlin, who married former gunslinger/gambler Ace Keegan in her story, Keegan's Lady. In that book Patrick was a troublemaking, troubled, hard drinking pain in the butt This review is only for Catherine Anderson's "Beautiful Gifts"

Having just read all the available full length books in Anderson's Coulter's Historicals series, I decided to finish up the series by reading the lone short story in the bunch. Beautiful Gifts is Colorado rancher Patrick O'Shannessy's story. Patrick is the brother of Caitlin, who married former gunslinger/gambler Ace Keegan in her story, Keegan's Lady. In that book Patrick was a troublemaking, troubled, hard drinking pain in the butt who caused a lot of problems between Caitlin and her future husband Ace. But when Patrick wasn't drinking he was an okay guy, and a wonderfully protective brother. This book picks up two years later and I'm happy to say that the 22 year-old Patrick has straightened himself out, quit his drinking, and is a stand up guy, though still a bit troubled and ashamed of his late father's criminal, drunken past.

Patrick's living alone on his small ranch now, and is in need of a housekeeper. He's thinking along the lines of a sturdy, older woman, but what shows up on his doorstep is a bedraggled, though beautiful, refined young woman from Brooklyn, NY, with a six year old daughter. Faith Randolph's on the run from her manipulative, overbearing father who wants to set her up in another (her first husband died) arranged marriage to a man she doesn't love, solely to enhance his business dealings. Faith wants no part of another loveless marriage and takes off with young daughter Charity in tow, only to have her money stolen before she can get to her destination of San Francisco. Now she's stranded in No Name, Colorado, with not a penny to her name, eating scraps out of garbage cans, and faced with the prospect of getting a job as a 'saloon girl'. Until she meets a peddler who gives her a magical wedding dress, and she notices a previously unseen 'help wanted' sign in a store window...She sets out on foot for the O'Shannessey ranch, hoping to land the advertised housekeeper job. So what if she's never really done any 'housekeeping' in her life (she's always had servants)--how hard could it be?

The story progresses from there with the super refined Faith being attracted to the rugged, masculine Patrick, even though his language and manners are far from polished. They are complete opposites in upbringing, but each are attracted to the other. Patrick teaches Faith all she needs to know about milking cows, slopping pigs, churning butter and keeping house, and after a few days Faith takes to ranching life like a duck to water. Finally, she feels free of her formerly restricted life that was based on appearances and doing and saying the right thing. She also feels a sense of accomplishment for actually knowing how to do things. Along the way Patrick and Faith lose their hearts to each other (PG love scenes), but you know trouble is right around the bend as Faith's father is sure to track her down and drag her back to NY.

Not a bad little story. I wasn't that thrilled with Patrick in Keegan's Lady and wasn't that gung-ho on reading his story but I'm glad I did. CA turned him around and made him into a rather desirable hero who was patient, kind and loving, and not afraid to stand up to Faith's father. There's a nice little HEA, and appearances by Caitlin and Ace, and the rest of the Paxton brothers.

Although I haven't read the rest of the stories in this book (hopefully, one day!) they all center around this sort of magical wedding dress that a young Scottish girl created in the 18th century. I don't know how the other stories played out, but in this story the dress definitely played a part in Faith's future happiness. Fan's of the Coulter Historicals, you'll want to read this one not only to complete the series (which isn't over just yet), but to find out if Patrick really quit drinking and got his life together. 4 stars ...more

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Apr 07, 2008 Julianna rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-2008, historical-romance

Reviewed for www.thcreviews.com

I really like the premise of this quartet of romantic novellas. The book's prologue written by Catherine Anderson was an intriguing beginning to the story, but it left me with many questions about the gown's creator and her one true love. I had hoped that those questions would be answered as the stories progressed, but that was not to be the case.

A Perfect Fit by Barbara Metzger – A Perfect Fit was very much a traditional Regency romance, probably in a similar ...more

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