Monday, September 27, 2010

Book Review - 'Two Brides Too Many' by Mona Hodgson


Mona Hodgson made her mark in the realm of children’s books, delightful stories geared toward sharing uplifting messages with youngsters. With “Two Brides Too Many,” she moves into the world of adult romantic fiction. Hodgson uses all of the lessons learned on more than twenty juvenile books to bring Cripple Creek, Colorado to vibrant life.

The four Sinclair sisters live in the structured civility of Portland, Maine in the late 1800s. When their widowed father is transferred by his employer to Paris, the girls find life turned inside-out. They must leave the company-owned house in which they live. Unable to accompany their father to Paris due to the constraints the company set, they must make alternative plans.

Father has a plan. Kat and Nell will find husbands-in Colorado! They begin correspondences with their respective intended husbands and make the long trip west, only to find no one to meet them at the end of the journey. Far from home and with only each other for comfort, the girls must cope with the strange new world to which they have come.

Hodgson builds a carefully researched stage for the action of her book. History and nature provide spectacular settings for a switch on the classic “fish out of water” tale. Cripple Creek in 1896 was an untamed mining town, prone to fires and danger. 

She takes no simplistic routes as she crafts a moving and exciting story of faith, family and romance, seasoned with a strong dose of adventure. We watch two city girls grow into capable women as they face challenges and disappointments on the road to romance. The story is satisfying, with a few surprises along the way. 

One mark of a good book is that it leaves you looking forward to the author’s next work. “Too Brides Too Many” definitely hits the mark. Hodgson’s next adult book, “Too Rich for a Bride,” is scheduled for limited release in October 2010, with general release to follow in May 2011. I’ll

“Two Brides Too Many” by Mona Hodgson
Published by Waterbrook Press
ISBN 978-0-307-45890-2


Sources:
Mona Hodgson: http://www.monahodgson.com/

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