An escape, a chance encounter and a mail order bride. An excellent read.
A girl, Dorothy, orphaned at eleven a girl is taken in by her older brother. However, within weeks she is forced by him to beg on the streets. When Dorothy turned fifteen, she was forced to begin working in a saloon and helping her brother cheat at cards. Given little to live on and beaten regularly she dreams of making an escape and watches for her chance. When that chance comes Dorothy finds herself running not only from her brother but the law. Jumping on a train as it is leaving the station, she finds herself in the compartment of Wilhelmina Cooper a mail order bride who is doubting her decision. So begins an excellent read about chasing your dreams, adventure, bettering yourself, acceptance, romance and just the right amount of danger. An excellent story. I was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I expected a sweet, easy romance and thats mostly what I received,. There was more drama than I expected, and the main character wasn't the usual innocent that ends up in books like these. But I like the added something - it made this a more interesting read. I enjoyed it.

Ronald is drab and boring.
Dorothy is alluring and intriguing.
In this novel by Carolyn Twede Frank, we explore the dynamic of opposites attracting.
Though predictable, Ronald's reaction to the truth is anything but. It was refreshing to see a new spin on this type of story, and somehow made plausible despite his reaction being atypical.

Meeting members of both Ronald and Dorothy's families lent their characters more depth, and provided some insight to how they turned out the way they did.

A page turner that will have you rooting for Dorothy as she learns to take charge of her life, and for Ronald as he learns to relinquish some control over his.

Dorothy wants nothing more than to escape her abusive brother. Ronald wants nothing more than to escape his loneliness.

After much thought, Ronald sends for a mail order bride and after exchanging many letters with a Wilhelmina, he finds her a to be a compatible match. Dorothy reached the end of her rope with her brother, Vincent, and in a desperate move to escape him and the crooked life she has been forced to live, she makes a run for it, straight to the train station. In a desperate move, she boards a train and hides in a sleeping compartment. There she meets Wilhelmina, who is on her way to Colorado to meet Ronald. Willing to help Dorothy escape her past, Wilhelmina makes a deal with her as she has cold feet. All Dorothy has to do is to continue on the trip to Colorado and deliver a message to Ronald. Agreeing to complete the task, Dorothy sets out on an adventure that will change her future and teach her she is worth loving.

This story is an excellent read! I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed the characters and their personalities. I loved that Ronald was socially awkward and Mrs. Frank's writing brought him and his eccentricities to life. I highly recommend this book!

Dorothy escapes her violent, poker cheating brother’s clutches by jumping on a train, and swapping places with the mail order bride on her way to meet Ronald. They develop a relationship only to be thwarted when her brother Vincent finds and kidnaps her, Ronald gives chase but when he finally admits defeat, justice steps in and Vincent gets his comeuppance, finally allowing Dorothy to return. Lovely light romance, would recommend this book.