The Underground Railroad Brides Collection by various authors is a very engaging work of short stories set during the time the Underground Railroad was active. The authors are: Barbara Tifft Blakey, Ramona K. Cecil, Lynn A. Coleman, Cecelia Dowdy, Patty Smith Hall, Terri J. Haynes, Debby Lee, Darlene Panzera and Penny Zeller.
I really enjoyed this collection. There is a lot of action and suspense that at times had my heart beating quite fast. Throughout each story is the reliance on God and people doing God’s will. Each conductor firmly believes that he or she is following God’s plan for their life. Of course, the slave hunters believe that what they do is right as they have the law on their side so each reader will have to make their own decision in that regard. God is a great focus of the book but it does not come across as preachy or overdone. There are instances in the book where the slave hunters go after free blacks if they cannot find the slaves they are searching for. I found this book to be very thought provoking and made me think about what risks I am willing to take for God in today’s divisive world. I wholeheartedly give this book 5 of 5 stars. It is engaging and I believe a realistic picture of time in which it is set.
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Nine authors each penned one of the stories in this historical, romance collection. Some of the featured couples are freedom seekers, but many are among those aiding them. It is encouraging to see how God brings out love in the hardest of circumstances. I gave two of the stories 5 stars, three 4 stars, three 3 stars, and one 1 star. Eight of the stories had interesting plots, five of which were well written, and three of which seemed to have been written by less experienced but promising authors. I would have appreciated author's notes on some of the stories to know more about the research in order to ascertain the historical accuracy. For example, were slaves allowed to find additional work and to keep the money they earned, and were some slaves given permission to live in boarding houses for which they paid rent. Overall this book was a pleasant read. Thank you NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation and was not required to give a favorable review.

There is hope for the future when people come together to fight evil and when men and women find love in the midst of great challenges. And through it all, faith is the key to victory in these stories from nine inspiring Christian authors.~ from the back blurb

I especially love the Barbour novella collections because I often get to meet new-to-me authors, as was such the case here. I knew only two in this one and was pleasantly surprised by the other seven. I also love when the writers collaborate together in keeping one theme throughout. Since I don't know much about the Underground Railroad in our history, it was interesting to learn some of the inner workings through the characters in each book. I could feel the fear and trepidation of getting caught, but yet their heart for aiding slaves to freedom compelled them to risk life and limb. I can't imagine the lengths both the slaves and conductors went to to assure success, what a time of fear it must have been! Only faith in God could sustain each one and ministering to slaves made it all worthwhile. Since I'm a romantic at heart, my other favorite part is seeing each couple fall in love and unite together in one mutual cause. I loved each story as the authors brought their own unique writers voice to the mix. Reading about history through the pages of fiction is always a fun way for me to learn!

* I received a complimentary copy from one of the authors in this collection and was under no obligation to leave a favorable review. All opinions expressed here are my own. *

This is a novella collection of 9 stories set before the Civil War during the Underground Railroad time. In all the stories the examples of faith,strength,courage,perseverance were there. The conductors were there to lead the slaves to freedom. The stories were gripping and had me holding my breath a few times praying the characters would make it safely to freedom before being caught by the slave hunters. The people helping the slaves did so at a great risk to themselves and their family even risking death and jail. This did not stop them though their faith was strong and God brought them through. Reading about the Underground Railroad and the Civil War is one of my favorite time periods to read about. It's wonderful discovering new to me authors in these collections too. I hope to see many more books by the authors of this collection.
Pub Date 01 Jun 2018
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Barbour Publishing has me hooked now on The Underground Railroad Brides Collection, featuring nine authors new to me that offer fine historical romances. Gee, I was just whittling down my TRB list and now this! A happy happenstance! 5/5

Pub Date 01 Jun 2018  

Thanks to Barbour Books and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.

#TheUndergroundRailroadBridesCollection #NetGalley

Going through hardships and believing that there's a Higher Being at work. This is the reason why these stories were interesting. This book would appeal to those who are interested in suspense and action as well. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

A helpful and encouraging book, especially for women, The Struggle Is Real discusses the trials we face in life and offers ways to turn them around so we grow rather than despair. Its ten chapters share personal stories of the author and others and how they overcame hardships, with the help of God. She believes we can find beauty in all of life, including our struggles. Why do we expect things to go well when so often the opposite holds true? I felt this book dealt with our unrealistic expectations in a sound way. The author’s approachability, honesty, and vulnerability make the text easily accessible. I especially like “The Rewrite” chapter, which teaches how to rewrite our stories by following “the Freedom Cycle.” Changing our mind-set can set us free from the bondage and burdens of our everyday troubles. I received a copy from Celebrate Lit. all opinions are my own.

I have always been fascinated with this era of American history. I just can't understand how some folks felt it was right to own another human being and mistreat them the way some slave owners did. I truly admire the courage and strong faith of these slaves to endure and to eventually seek their freedom though flight from their cruel masters. Additionally, the courage of those operating the Underground Railroad is equally admirable, given the risks they faced to themselves and their families if caught assisting the freedom seekers. This collection of books not only contain sweet stories of love and determination but also capture the essence of true humanity during this period of history. Each book contained within this collection is a standalone volume and is excellent reading.