I really enjoyed this book.I must admit it seemed slow at first and It took me awhile to get into it but once I did I couldn't put it down.
The main character wants a family of her own own andbdecides to be a mail order bride after her fiance rejects her due to her family's disgrace..After being rejected more than once she decides she will never have a family of her own and decides to help her matchmaker by teaching etiquette to the course potential grooms of Spiveyville.She has closed herself off from people due to hurts in her life and is very formal,rejecting friendships.Especially with those beneath the affluente station she was raised in.Through situations that arise in this story she finds herself able to see herself and others through God's eyes and to accept love and friendship of her own.

This was one of those books you knew basically how it would end, but once again Kim Vogel Sawyer delivers a wonderful journey to that end. With less than perfect characters struggling with real life issues I found myself being entertained and challenged.

There are so many facets to this story. Many readers are likely to see themselves in one or more characters, like I did. I also found myself wanting to be more like Helena.

Sawyer fans will not be disappointed in this story and for those who might be new to this author, this is an excellent sample of her storytelling abilities.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is not the typical mail order bride story. It will make you laugh, cry and cheer for the people in the story. If you like books with action, suspense and romance this book is for you. Thank you #NetGalley and #Waterbrook for the complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review is my own.

Abigail has been a mail order bride before, even though all of her attempts have failed in tying the knot! Her employer, Mrs. Bingham, is the owner of the mail order business and she gives Abigail another chance, but this time it’s to work for her in the negotiation of sixteen marriages. For this job, the ladies have to go to a town of bachelors in Kansas to teach the proper way to behave with a lady! Abigail meets Mack, a young bachelor who owns the hardware store. Mack wants no part of the mail order bride scheme but is drawn to the beautiful Abigail. A good plot that I found to be unnecessarily wordy and a little long. A good read with a sweet story.

Beneath a Prairie Moon by Kim Vogel Sawyer is published by WaterBrook & Multnomah. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

Beneath A Prairie Moon Is a book of hope, life, redemption and Faith. Now it is a Christian book but a warning - it does have two expletives in it. It was used to show the old times and there authenticities. It gets you thinking about how things were. It was rough in those towns. If you ask me they added nothing to the plot but that is me. The story shows you how a sinner can become a new - clean - person just like a bar can become clean - fresh - reborn - renewed - made over - this book shows how God works in the lives of the characters just light he works in the characters of our lives.

Mail-order bride isn't usually my cup of tea, still, I've heard so much of Kim Vogel Sawyer that I had to pick this one up.
In a few words, "Beneath a Prairie Moon" is witty and hilarious.
Miss Abigail Grant has been cast by society because of her father's illegal dealings. The only way to secure a future for her is to get married, but every husband she's been mailed to so far has sent her back with a note that she's too haughty pompous. Abigail is given one last chance to prove herself, though, thankfully, this time it doesn't involve getting married, but teaching men to be gentleman. This can't be something she'll fail, right?
So she thinks until she meets her pupils.

Mack Cleveland is sure his days among the living are counted when he arrives at the train stations and sees only two fine ladies, not a pack of them. Will the bunch of eager grooms let them explain before they go after Mack's hide? Not that it's his fault. As if he'd choose a proud naive lady as a perspective teacher, ot wife as a matter of fact. Though he does have fun ruffling her feathers.

A tentative friendship that blossoms that becomes so much more than can imagine - and I mean more than romance, but a deep rooted relationship that casts aside any any superficial mask, going to the matters of the heart. With a mystery thread to add to the adventure, this book was a delightful read.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review and all reviews are my own. I have read books from Kim Vogel Sawyer before so I was excited to read one of her new books. I have to say it took half the book to really get into the book. And I was not a fan of Abigail in the first half. Can you say annoying! Given that, it was worth it to keep reading! So continue on and you will be glad you did. For all the importance they put on being ready to be married put a nice spin on the typical mail order bride books. Towards the end of the book, Abigail loosened up and you were able to see a completely different character.

Abigail Grant had a privileged life before her father stole money from his friends and business partners. Her mother died of a broken heart, and now Abigail is looking for an opportunity to be a mail order bride in order to leave her past behind. Mrs. Helena Bingham has sent Abigail out several times to a prospective groom, and each time the man has sent her back. Now Helena gives Abigail an ultimatum: help her teach sixteen men in the town of Spiveyville, Kansas some manners so they will be qualified to marry mail order brides, or Abigail will be forced to find another occupation. When they get to Kansas, Abigail and Helena will go through dangerous and difficult circumstances, but they will also find love and friendship along the way. Will Abigail open her heart in spite of her past?
I generally don't read mail order bride stories anymore because there are so many of them now, and most of them have the same plot lines. This book was so different and unexpected. I enjoyed it very much and loved to see the characters making good changes in their lives. Several events in the story were surprising, and I loved the ending. This book is clean and biblically based, so I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and is looking for something different to read for a change.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. No positive review was required, and all opinions expressed are completely my own.

My Thoughts: This is a classic romantic/prairie/mail-order bride sort of story. It was endearing. There were some humorous mail-order bride mix-ups. There was also an unexpected threat toward the end that I thought really shook things up in a good way.
I felt like Sawyer offered a very solid view of marriage and she carried that theme all throughout the novel. I enjoyed the rustic prairie town feel and the characters were inviting. Sadly, the story lagged a bit for me at times. There was a couple point of view characters that didn’t seem to serve a purpose until the last quarter of the novel. I was deeply invested in Abigail and Mack and couldn’t wait to get back to them each time the focus shifted. I did really appreciate the way Helen, Bill, and Mack leaned on God at every point, and the way Abigail grew in her faith. They served as good examples for the reader.
Rating and Recommendation: I think this will be a delightful read for those who enjoy a mail-order bride or prairie story. I’m giving it 4 stars.

~ I received a copy from Net Galley. I was not compensated for this review. All thoughts are my own.

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?

This was a very enjoyable book. You really got into the lives of all in here: Abigail, Mack, Helena, Mr. Patterson…even the Sheriff. As in all books, there is one person you actually begin to not like. That was Mr. Nance. With this set in the 1800’s, their talk was a little different than it is now. Of course, you had the rich trying to teach your country folk manners to receive their wives. Back then you paid someone to match you up with a spouse. I call this book a prairie/western along with a mystery and romance all put into one. That is what made it so enjoyable. It wasn’t just a Western. You had other aspects to it. Kim Vogel Sawyer has a wonderful flair in presenting to her audience a wonderful story that does not neglect the Gospel message.

Award-winning, bestselling author Kim Vogel Sawyer has over 1.5 million books in print. Kim’s passion is writing stories about what happens when people place their lives in God’s hands. She enjoys teaching at writing conferences and is active in her church’s music ministry. Kim lives in Kansas with her husband.

I was provided an ebook by NetGalley for this review.

This is the first book that I have read by Ms. Sawyer. I thoroughly enjoyed this uplifting historical romance novel. The storyline was very entertaining and the reader is curious to what will occur in each additional chapter. If you enjoy historical novels, you will not be disappointed in this one. In this novel, Miss Abigail is sent to train a group of men into well-mannered, well-behaved husbands that will treat their new wives respectfully. She goes with her boss Mrs. Bingham. I found the story funny at times and suspenseful during other times. This novel is a clean-read with insight into the characters spiritual lives as well. I highly recommend this book! I look forward to reading more books by Ms. Sawyer!
***I was given a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher. This is my honest opinion. Even though I received this copy free, this is my own opinion.

This book was a different take on the historical mail order bride books. Helena Bingham runs a mail order bride business. She is very conscientious in matching brides to husbands, but this time she has a tall order. Sixteen men in Newton Kansas have all requested mail order brides, so she wants to check them out before she does any matching. Abigail Grant has been sent back to Mrs. Bingham six times because of her hoity toity, uppity ways. Helena decides Abigail will accompany her to Kansas as an instructor in social graces to these 16 men.

Full of humor and character-driven, this book was a delightful read. There were so many characters, both major and minor, in this book to love: Mack and Sheriff Bill with their care and concern for both women, Athol with his love for feeding the single fellows and looking out for Helena and Abigail, and the hilarious, rough around the edges, future grooms attempting to learn social niceties. Each of the characters got more complex as the story developed.

Abigail was a character that drove me crazy at the beginning of the book as she stuck her nose in the air and looked down at all of the townspeople who didn't have her uppity manners and ways, but as the story progressed and Abigail saw the actions of the townsmen in particular, Abigail realized that caring hearts definitely out trumped perfect manners. Helena was a great support for Abigail which also helped in her development as a better person.

The ending was super with a couple of surprise couples that were perfect fits for one another. Would love to see a sequel to this book to find out what happened to all the couples that Helena matched up

Beneath a Prairie Moon by Kim Vogel Sawyer was a delightful historical Christian romance.
It's not your normal Mail Order Bride story. This author is a master at character development. Abigail Brantley, one of our main characters, finds herself penny less and fallen from high society. This due to her father's illegal dealings and incarceration. She has no other choice but to sign up as a mail order bride with Mrs. Helena Bingham, of Bingham's Bevy of Brides. Abigail has returned, or been returned from her assignments six times.

“Six times.” Mrs. Bingham aimed a barbed look across the desk and steepled her hands on the ledger. “The first time, you claimed the house was too small and was without a cooking stove. The second time, the prospective groom had rotten teeth and bad breath. The third time, the distance from town was too great and you felt insecure. The fourth time, you said you couldn’t possibly marry a man with such a short stature. The fifth time, the town itself had no apothecary or millinery shops—how could you survive in such a barren place? Now, this time, the reason is a dirt floor, sod roof, and spiders descending during meals.”

Mrs. Bingham released a heavy sigh. “The description on the telegram—‘hoity-toity’—is far too accurate, and it is your biggest detriment to finding a match.”

“My clients are down-to-earth, hardworking, responsible men who are seeking down-to-earth, hardworking, responsible women with whom to build a lifelong relationship. Sending you to a city will not solve the problem, because you will take your snooty airs, fastidious manners, and unrealistic expectations with you.” She raised both hands in a gesture of surrender. “I’ve tried my hardest, but half a dozen failures is six too many for this business. If I continue to accept money for a match that cannot possibly succeed, you’ll damage my reputation as a matchmaker.”

When Mrs. Bingham receives a letter from Spiveyville, Kansas requesting 16 brides, she knows how she can use Abigail's short comings for a positive outcome. Mrs. Bingham and Abigail will take a trip to meet the 16 ranchers and shop owners in Spiveyville. With all of Abigail's training in decorum it should be an easy assignment for her to tutor these rough Kansas ranchers in manors and morals making them more suited to marry her Bevy of Brides.

Mack Cleveland, a hard ward store owner has a dislike and bad history with mail order brides. His father was swindled by one and he doesn't want to have any part of this transaction. He wants a loving marriage like his father and mother had and trust God to provide the right woman for him. Mack finds Miss Brantley's “hoity-toity” attitude very off putting. Will these two get past their differences? Can two people so different come to a truce and at least be friends? God may have a different--and better--future planned for them than either could imagine. I found this to be a wonderful story and would recommend it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers through NetGalley, Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

What a lovely story about Abigail and Mack and Helena and Bill. Sawyer ties them all together with a deft hand. I was growing tired of Abigail’s “hoity-toity” ways about half-way through the book, but her changing outlook on her life gave me hope. The mail-order bride angle from the owner’s (Helena’s) perspective was interesting. It has me hoping for some sort of sequel to see how all the brides are doing with their new husbands.

Another one of Kim’s wonderful stories. She pleases with her tales.

The author has offered us a different type of mail order brides, with many requests all going to the same town. Then she put a boulder in the way when the expected brides don’t show up in the prairie Kansas town, but only the owner and her helper arrive.
Now you can just picture a young woman, and she is not spoken for, arriving to teach a bunch of small town men and farmers some manners. Oh, to be a fly on wall with some of the classes she offers and these poor men are required to attend, that is if they want a bride.
There are some sad happening here where the sins of the father seem to come home when others put the blame on the child, so very unfair. Then there is child abuse, and putting such unfair blame on a child, the father of these boys is a bit unbalanced.
You will enjoy being in this town and most of the people here, of course, every town has those other folks! There is a bit of romance here, and one I thought would happen sure surprised me.
You will be in for a very enjoyable read!

I received this book through Net Galley and WaterBrook & Multnomah and was not required to give a positive review.

"Beneath a Prairie Moon" is a Christian romance set in 1888 in Kansas. A group of men from a small, rough town in the West send money to a matchmaker agency in the East since there are no available local women. The matchmaker, an older widow, decides to travel to the town to assess the men to best match them up.

She brings along a younger woman who has been rejected by several matches. This gal uses manners as a shield to prevent people from accusing her of any wrongdoing and longs to retake her place in high society which was lost when her father committed a crime. She is tasked with teaching the potential grooms some basic etiquette.

The sheriff of the town is initially worried that the women are pulling a scam. The men of the town are impatient for their brides and don't see the point of learning etiquette. The sheriff and a respected shopkeeper keep an eye on the women to prevent the eager men from bothering them. The shopkeeper befriends the young woman when he learns of her past because he knows what it's like to be accused by society when you've done nothing wrong.

The story was told from the viewpoints of these four characters. It was a light-hearted story with funny moments. While etiquette played a large role in the story, the focus of the story was on how the main characters reacted to events and grew as people. The romance developed over time as people got to know each other and became friends. The main characters learned to more deeply trust in God. There was no bad language or sex. Overall, I'd highly recommend this enjoyable romance.

Beneath a Prairie Moon by Kim Vogel Sawyer is a historical romance novel that takes readers back to 1888. Mrs. Helena Bingham owns Bingham’s Bevy of Brides in Newton, Massachusetts. She is not surprised to find that Abigail Grant has returned once again. Abigail was raised to be a lady with a genteel education and refined manners. After the downfall of her father from his illegal dealings, Abigail found herself without a home and a fiancé. Helena knew Abigail would be a challenge, but she took her on anyway. The last gentleman (I use the term loosely) found her too “hoity toity”. Mrs. Bingham agrees to give Abigail one more opportunity. She has had a request from sixteen men in Spiveyville, Kansas who are looking for brides. Mrs. Bingham wants Abigail to give the men lessons in manners, table etiquette, how to court a woman, teach them to dance and proper decorum. They are met at the station by Mack Cleveland, the hardware store owner. Mack did not request a bride because he believes that only God can make a heart match. The enthusiastic grooms are not happy with the delay of their brides nor with the required lessons, but they will do what it takes to get wives. Events keep throwing Abigail and Mack together, but Abigail’s attitude makes it hard for him to get close. As time passes, Mack begins to see a different side of Abigail. Is there a chance for these two different individuals? Will Abigail realize that perfection will not bring her love and happiness?

Beneath a Prairie Moon is a delightfully entertaining novel. The book is well-written and has a steady pace. I enjoyed the mail order bride angle that the author used in this story. It was unique (hooray). There are a wide variety of characters from the oh so proper Abigail to Athol Patterson who ran the restaurant (and did not appreciate anyone else cooking in his kitchen) to the evil Elmer Nance. It was nice to see the townspeople work together to help each other in times of turmoil (a bad storm and a kidnapping). I like how humor was interlaced throughout the story. Abigail and her sunburn (ouch) provided me with some laugh out loud moments (you would have to read it to understand). Beneath a Prairie Moon is a Christian novel and the author handles it beautifully. There are good lessons woven into the story about forgiveness, pride, the power of prayer, having faith, and following the path God has laid out for you. The story has a villain in Elmer Nance and a hero with Sheriff Bill Thorn. I kept hoping Sheriff Thorn would end up with a certain lady, but it did not happen. The ending will leave you with a smile on your face and a good feeling in your heart. My rating for Beneath a Prairie Moon is 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it).

Kim Vogel Sawyer writes very well and I enjoy her books. “Beneath a Prairie Moon” is no exception. This is another mail-order bride novel, but with a twist.

Helena Bingham has a business matching eligible men with women of marriageable status, for a price. Abigail Grant has been sent to four different men for marriage, but either has returned of her own free will or has BEEN returned. She was raised in wealth, and when her father brought shame to their family by committing fraud, if she wanted to be married, since she was shunned by her former friends, she needed to become a mail-order bride.

Bachelors in Spiveyville, Kansas wanted wives, for comfort and for help on their farms and in their businesses. Since there were no single women in their town or surrounding parts, they collectively wrote letters to Mrs. Bingham seeking brides. When their letters arrive, Mrs. Bingham was appalled by their crudeness and illiteracy, not to mention lack of societal manners. In order to make sure she was not sending her girls into a bad situation, she decided that she and Abigail would travel to Kansas to provide classes for the men to teach them how to be husband material.

Although these marriage broker novels are mostly the same, this one in particular, is a joy to read. I found it so interesting because of the various characters and their mannerisms and also I found it very humorous which kept me reading. Ms. Sawyer has produced a good novel and I recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley.com. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really enjoyed the storyline. I loved the way Abigail slowly transitioned, it was done so naturally. Great story from start to finish.