Review: Beneath a Prairie Moon by Kim Vogel Sawyer

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

Abigail Brantley grew up in affluence and knows exactly how to behave in high society. But when she is cast from the social registers due to her father's illegal dealings, she finds herself forced into a role she never imagined: tutoring rough Kansas ranchers in the subjects of manners and morals so they can "marry up" with their mail-order brides. Mack Cleveland, whose father was swindled by a mail-order bride, wants no part of the scheme to bring Eastern women to Spiveyville, Kansas, and he's put off by the snooty airs and fastidious behavior of the "little city gal" in their midst. But as time goes by, his heart goes out to the teacher who tries so diligently to smooth the rough edges from the down-to-earth men. How can he teach her that perfection won't bring happiness?

My Review

This is a gentle story set in the Midwest, and despite its slower pace, I was intrigued by the premise of a mail-order bride matchmaker attempting to improve the manners of the rough and tumble bachelors of a small ranching town. The story is told from the third-person perspective of four main characters, which I think contributed to the slow pace. I actually enjoyed most of all the perspective of Mrs. Helena Bingham, the owner of the mail-order bride service. She had wisdom and humor that Abigail was lacking for most of the book, and I appreciated her patience in training Abigail while Abigail trained the men ;) Abigail's attitude definitely improved over time and it was nice to see her grow and stretch and meet the challenges before her, including learning to look beyond the surface and judging a person by their character. Mack was just such a gentleman, and even though he has a tender heart, he also has a backbone. It was fun to see how his interactions with Abigail change as time went by. They become loyal friends that support each other, and I would have liked to see their romance heat up a bit... but it remained as tepid as their manners are proper. The sheriff made up the fourth perspective, but I really didn't feel like it added much to the story to tell his point of view. Battling the elements and solving a mystery added conflict and tension to the plot, and overall it was an entertaining read.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)