Mail Order Bride - Elise's Journey

Eagle Creek Brides, Book 1

By: Karla Gracey

Narrated by: J. Scott Bennett

Elise Mitchell is no stranger to traveling huge distances to follow her heart, but this time she is making the move to take back control. Tragically widowed and with a young son to look out for, she finds herself beholden to her husband's family and their grip is chafing. Having come from Scotland, she knows the mountains and the fresh air will be a tonic for her and her son, Bailey, but will the wilds of Montana be far enough away for her to be free of the Mitchell's clutches?

Tom Greening loves his land, loves his cattle, and loves the single life. But, when his housekeeper decides to take matters into her own hands to find him a bride he finds himself intrigued, and even begins to think he might just be the marrying kind after all. But Tom has a secret, and it has haunted him for too long. Will it ruin everything and take from him the family he never knew he wanted?

©2016 Karla Gracey (P)2017 KG Publishing House

Cruelty

This AudioBook was very well written and also Narrated very well to. A new country, marriage, a son, death, cruelty, desperation, mail order bride, second marriage, finding love again, fighting for son, finding out you are loved and a happily ever after?. If you find this AudioBook intriguing buy it and enjoy listening to it like I did.

Mail Order Bride - Elise's Journey

Mail Order Bride-Elise's Journey (Eagle Creek Brides #1)
Karla Gracey

A sweet, clean, historical, mail order bride romance. Elise Mitchell is widowed with a young son. She answers an ad after her mother-in-law tries to control how she raises her son. Tom Greening's housekeeper placed the ad without her employer's knowledge. He has a secret from his past. Will they be able to form a new family? Will the grandparents interfere? I look forward to more books in this new series!


The narration was well done. The characters were well portrayed. J. Scott Bennett gave a good performance!



I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Clean wholesome read with values I just loved it.

This was a fun clean read that takes you on a journey of one woman who came from Scotland. She met and married the man of her dreams. They have a wonderful life together until he got hurt and later died. The only fly in the ointment has always been his mother who does not and as never approved of her. I really tried to like and understand her mother-in-law there just isn’t much there to like. She is very mean and hateful to Elise never letting her forget nothing she does is good enough or that her son married beneath him. It really broke my heart to see this sweet lady who was nothing but kind to her husband family be treated so unfairly. One day Elise said enough when her mother-in-law pushes her too far making her beg for money her husband left her and tell her how to raise her son. She sees the mail order bride ad and answers it. She really likes what she see and hopes to have a better live for her son. She really doesn’t have much of a choice if she wants to get out from under her mother-in-laws rules and thumb.

J. Scott Bennett I thought did a wonderful job of narration he put feeling into the audio. His voice is very powerful, clear and pleasant to listen to. There are no background noises or any high or low tones. His tones are very even never leaving you guessing how the character feels. He gives you a very clear rich audio that you do not want to put down. His male voices are as pleasant as his female voices. You never have any trouble knowing who is talking or just what is on their mind. I did feel he at times he didn’t give a chuckle when the author said the character had chuckled but in no way does that take away from the audio but I felt it would have added more to the listen. I really enjoyed his voice and could listen to it all day with no problem. I do feel the audio made this a more enjoyable read than just reading the book…just my thoughts.

Mother and son travel to Montana to meet Tom and see if they would make a good match. This is where the story really gets interesting when Tom see a man he knew before and that man wants nothing more to take him down. The author gives us mystery no matter how you try you won’t work it out. I really liked Tom for me the unknown with him made him look a little like a bad seed trying to cover up his tracks. I won’t tell you more than that or it will take away from you read. Tom still hopes to make a new life with Elise why keeping her save, he has fallen for her hard and fast even knowing her heart belongs to her dead husband.


As these two try to find their way in a marriage that could go either way danger is near. As the story unfolds and you find out all that is being hidden your heart breaks a little. If that isn’t enough for this couple to deal with her mother-in-law is up to her old tricks from afar. With the threat of her son being ripped from her arms they must travel back to unite in a fight that could end up bad for them both. You are so going to love this part that is full of many surprises. I just could not get a handle on her father-in-law he seems so nice but to go along with his wife just really put me off. I kept thinking man get some backbone stand up to the witch. Once they get this dealt with they find danger is very close at home as the mystery man takes his revenge it could leave the whole family dead.

I loved this story the author really pulled me in, as times I thought it moved a little fast but I couldn’t help but love it from start to finish. It is a wonderful clean read that really has values of what a family should be. Bring up your son to be a better person, starting over, trusting a stranger and fight for what is yours. The plot is great, the characters even better. By the end how you feel about many will change and how you feel about others won’t. I really enjoyed the clean buildup of their relationship, the understanding they had for each other and their feelings are just so touching. The supporting characters were great adding so much intrigue to the read. I loved the mystery surrounding Tom it really blew my mind when that came out. I would give this a 4.5 but moving it up to a 5 star. If you are looking for a nice clean read full of values, mystery, building a new life this is for you. I just love this author and her writing style. I hope you will give her a chance as she spins a believable story that will stay with you for a long time.

Forgiveness

Great story. I loved the narration and characters. As a widow myself I could identify with Elise.

Elise's Journey

Love at first sight? Perhaps but why worry about it when the man you saw for a moment leaves before you have a chance to say hi. Elise, as a mail order bride is in for a bit surprise when the man she's been corresponding with comes to meet her.

J Scott Bennett does a wonderful job with his narrating, as always.

I was provided a copy of this audible free and am happy to give my honest review.

Elise's Journey

A story that kept my full attention throughout. Loved the ending especially. Looking forward to the next one

Elise's

This is a very good book. It's interesting and holds your attention. It has a good story line. Scott Bennett did an excellent job narraiting this book

Slow

This story dragged for me, which made it less enjoyable. I constantly felt bad for the MMC and was frustrated with the FMC. The HEA was satisfying but overall it was boring in my opinion.
The narrator sounds old, which works for this book but would be a turnoff for others.

Elise and Tom's Journey

Elise has a difficult time after her husband dies tragically. Not only does she have to deal with a 'mother-in-law' who has never accepted her, but she also has to be careful with the meagre allowance her in-laws allow her from her inheritance which her husband left to her. They will not trust her with control of it and so she struggles to supply board, lodge and education for her son and lives a very quiet life with him.
She decides that the best thing for them is for her to find a Mail Order Husband and is soon corresponding with Tom, a rancher, whose housekeeper secretly wrote to some ladies in reply to their adverts, on his behalf. He is lonely but afraid to look for a wife because of a secret in his past. Soon he and Elise begin corresponding with each other.
They meet and like each other's company and the story really takes off from there.
It is so cleverly written to include an interesting courtship which also includes her son Bailey. Elise and Tom are two very fine and caring characters and I enjoyed reading about them, their lives and hardships and the way they overcome them. There are also situations and people who need sorting out and all this goes to make the story more interesting, readable and entertaining.
I simply loved the eventual admission of love by both of them - it was so touching that it had me in tears of joy.
I really enjoy J.Scott Bennet's narrations. They are so beautifully presented and this one is no exception.
I requested and listened to the audiobook version and my review above is voluntary and unbiased.

Can be ccx read as stand alone or out of order

In this good, clean, lightly Christian stand alone story, a young Scottish widow with a son, flees Maine and a controlling mother-in-law to a mail order relationship with a loner rancher. I recommend release some works to public library apps to reach a larger audience and drive future sales.