Mail-Order Mama Series by Linda Baten Johnson, Elissa Strati, Kimberly Grist, Barbara Goss

Melody Franklin’s future appears bleak after her father dies in the Civil War. He leaves no inheritance or home for his unmarried daughter, so when Melody sees an advertisement for a mail-order bride who can play the piano for church services, she believes it is a sign from God. She takes the stagecoach from Missouri to the Colorado silver mining area, where she expects to marry the minister and serve the local congregation with him... moreMelody Franklin’s future appears bleak after her father dies in the Civil War. He leaves no inheritance or home for his unmarried daughter, so when Melody sees an advertisement for a mail-order bride who can play the piano for church services, she believes it is a sign from God. She takes the stagecoach from Missouri to the Colorado silver mining area, where she expects to marry the minister and serve the local congregation with him.But when Preacher Todd answers her knock on the door, he proclaims his innocence in placing an ad for a bride, sending letters of encouragement, paying for her fare west, and asking her to marry him.Melody must rethink her future. Now, she’s stranded in Colorado with the same problems she had in Missouri, no home, no husband, no vocation, and no money. Should she stay in this western state or devise a plan to return to familiar surroundings? less

Caleb is so lost in grief that he is unaware his children are barely managing to feed themselves and handle basic chores. How can he carry on without the woman he's loved since they were children themselves?Pearl's comfortable life was turned upside down with the death of her beloved husband. She has three children depending on her and cannot afford the mortgage... moreCaleb is so lost in grief that he is unaware his children are barely managing to feed themselves and handle basic chores. How can he carry on without the woman he's loved since they were children themselves?Pearl's comfortable life was turned upside down with the death of her beloved husband. She has three children depending on her and cannot afford the mortgage. Her best friend Mattie shows her the listing in the newspaper: "Looking for a Spinster or Widow of good character who can cook and keep house and be a good mother to the children. Your children would be welcome, too." Have her prayers been answered? less

A debutante baker with a stammer. A compulsive widowed blacksmith with two young daughters. Will they find a way to coexist or even better, forge a romantic relationship? Ada Pike longs to leave the life of a socialite and use her skills as a baker to love and nurture a family. A move to the country will perfectly suit her first steps into life on her own. Barrett Montgomery rejects the idea of a mail-order bride... moreA debutante baker with a stammer. A compulsive widowed blacksmith with two young daughters. Will they find a way to coexist or even better, forge a romantic relationship? Ada Pike longs to leave the life of a socialite and use her skills as a baker to love and nurture a family. A move to the country will perfectly suit her first steps into life on her own. Barrett Montgomery rejects the idea of a mail-order bride. What he needs is a housekeeper—someone he can fire if things don’t work out the way he likes. Can a matchmaking agency work miracles to bring two people with opposing goals together? less

Could a child’s dream be a heavenly plan?Millie needs a mama, and her papa needs a horse trainer—how can a six-year-old combine the two and come up with both? The housekeeper assists by mailing an old friend from Pennsylvania for help. Millie tries everything to push the horsewoman and her papa together, but a stranger destroys her plans and shatters their lives. Will Harlan and Elise find simple friendship or eternal love?