This was a great story about a southern Belle, Annabelle Ainsworth who grew up in Savannah, GA. She lost her father, her brother and her fiancée in the Civil War and she'll never forgive the Yankees for that.

When Annabelle "Belle"'s frenemy finds herself a mail order groom in San Francsico, initially Belle is appalled at the idea. Then, when speaking with her beloved brother Bridger, who was injured in the war, encourages her to branch out and find love, Belle considers corresponding with someone on the West Coast.

Soon, Belle finds herself a husband in Robert Romano, a wealthy restaurant owner in San Francisco. Robert seems to be everything Belle is looking for. On her railway trip across the country, Belle meets Yancy McLeish and his brother. Yancy is intriguing and Belle is interested - until she learns he is a Yankee war hero.

When Belle arrives to San Francisco, things are not as she had planned. I won't give anything away, but I will say that it was a great story with a little intrigue and danger and I thought it was great. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a great love story.

I appreciated the San Francisco setting, but I felt the setting and relationship conflict were pretty sanitized. The glaring omission of *any* mention of slavery in a relationship that hinges on post-war north vs south was very noticeable. Also, surely some of the secondary characters, like the orphans or the priest, could have reflected just a tiny bit of the diversity in San Francisco. I kept wondering if the orphans would have be so acceptable if they were black, native or Chinese.

I haven’t read the first in this series, but this isn’t a problem as it stands perfectly well on its own.
This book is set five years after the civil war. Savannah lost much during the war and seeking an escape she agrees to become a mail-order bride. While travelling by train to meet her intended, the train is robbed. Savannah is saved by former union soldier Yancy.
Yancy is returning home to San Francisco, emotionally wounded by the war he falls for the woman he rescued but she is promised to another. What follows is a story of two people who love each other but honour prevents them from being together.
This was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a fast paced gripping read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. For more reviews please visit my blog:
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Shirley Kennedy is another new author to me. I love historical romances, and this one sounded interesting, so I requested it. It was a PG13 book! There were lots of kids! Both things I don't care for in the romances I read; however, this turned out to be a fun, fast-paced read that I found hard to put down.

Belle lived in Savannah with her sister and her family, plus her brother Bridger. The Civil War had ended five years earlier, and Belle was haunted by the past. She lost family members and her fiance while they were fighting for the South, and Bridger was not doing well at all. She loved her sister's kids and was happy to be with them. However, she overheard her sister one evening.....oh, dear. Belle thought about becoming a mail-order bride, as an acquaintance of hers had done. Bridger convinced her to take a leap and move on with her life. In the meantime, former Yankee officer Yancy lived by himself in the wilds of Maine, trying to avoid memories of the War. His brother from San Francisco arrived, bearing the news that their mother was dying. He convinced Yancy to return with him to say goodbye to his mother.

Belle and Yancy meet on the train. I don't want to give away any major plot points. Let's just say things get dicey and Yancy saves the day, though he suffers heartbreak. Sparks fly between the two. But Belle is to be married, and Yancy plans to return home soon. When they arrive in San Francisco, Belle meets her intended. Uh-oh. And things are not well at Yancy's brother's house. Once again, I don't want to give away any of the plot. What follows is a lovely, apparently doomed romance. Could love overcome that Yancy fought against the South in the War, and it tore Belle apart?

There was almost insta-love here, which is always a bit annoying. And near the end I thought Belle was so incredibly stupid to do what she ends up doing. However, the story was a lot of fun and very entertaining. Isn't that just what books should be? An extremely pleasurable way to spend time!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

This was my first time reading a book in this series, so I can vouch that it can be read as a stand alone. I can also say that this is not the only book I will be reading by this author as I loved Yancy and Belle's story!!

Belle was definitely a bit too stubborn in some instances, however I think given her past, it was completely understandable. You could definitely feel the chemistry between her and Yancy, but one thing that I found commendable about this novel is the fact that the author managed to convey the depth of the feeling without it coming across as being "shoved" down our throats. It felt natural - much like the relationship between Yancy and his niece and nephew did.

I also very much enjoyed the older woman whom Belle befriends during the course of the story. She definitely added to the overall story and I would love to see more of her and the children she has in her care in the future

I would definitely recommend this story to those who enjoy well written historical novels with interesting characters, and different story-lines that intersect to make for a realistic and enjoyable experience. I would read more from this author.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

Bay City Belle by Shirley Kennedy is book Two In Old California series. This is the series of Belle Ainsworth and Yancy McLeish. I haven't yet read the previous book, so for me this was a standalone book.
Belle was to marry but fiancé but he died and now five years later she is still alone. Belle goes forward to become a mail order bride and travels to him. Along the way an attack happens where Yancy steps in to save her. Although they both have an attraction to each other she knows she has committed herself to her new fiancé. But, Belle soon learns the man she promised her self too isn't who he portray through his letters. Now her journey is leading her to the safe arms of Yancy.
Sweet Romance.

A terrific historical romance set in San Francisco in the 1870’s. I loved the sweet story of Belle, a beautiful Southern lady trying to get away from the aftermath of the Civil War. Her travels lead her to the handsome Yankee captain, Yancy, during an adventurous train ride to the west coast. This story has it all, a great plot, endearing characters and lots of romance. Excellent addition to historical American romance. Romantic heat level is low and sweet.

Bay City Belle by Shirley Kennedy will be available July 17, 2018 from Lyrical Press, an imprint of Kensington Books. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.