Train Station Bride by Holly Bush

Train Station Bride is a really sweet story about an educated young woman from a well-to-do family who learns that sometimes you have to leave duty and obligation behind to do the right thing.

Julia Crawford feels like an outsider in her own family. The third of four girls, she doesn’t feel as beautiful as her sisters and gets told about her inadequacies quite frequently. One day, she decides that she’s had enough and replies to a mail-order bride ad in the paper. Shopkeeper Jacob Snelling needs someone to care for his ailing mother and a mail order bride is his best bet.

When Julia arrives at the train station, it is very crowded and she spots a man who seems to be looking for someone as well. Could that be her intended, Jacob Snelling?  When the man calls out to Julia, she is sure he’s the one she is to marry.

Jake Shelling is waiting at the station to welcome his foreign mail order bride, Inga. Well, what he gets is Julia and the ride of his life. Julia’s baggage certainly isn’t limited to her suitcases.

I really had to chuckle about the confusion over the names, Jake Shelling and Jacob Snelling. I thought that was quite original and brought a bit of unexpected laughter. Jake and Julia adapt to married life very quickly and it looks like their happy ever after starts from that point on…….but there’s bound to be some conflict and here it is a rather big secret Julia has been keeping from Jake. Will their young love crumble under such heavy burden?

I really enjoyed reading about Julia and Jake. Jake was a special favorite of mine and I really liked his family a lot. Jake has two sisters, who he practically raised all by himself. It was great to see their family dynamic; they play a pretty big role in Julia and Jake’s love story after all. What I would have wished for was more time for Jake and Julia to get to know each other. They adapted to the situation too easily and also fell in love too quickly for my liking. Julia’s secret was no real secret to me but I thought it was well chosen for this story. It could have created more controversy, I guess, and might not really fit the light atmosphere of the rest of the book but it kept my interest and provided a great twist.

Overall, Train Station Bride is cute, funny and very sweet. I enjoyed this journey into a different time. This book is all about family and friends, standing up for yourself and doing what’s right. A nice and quick summer read!

Train Station Bride was provided by the author, Holly Bush, in exchange for an honest review.

If you want to know more about Holly Bush, visit her website. She is also currently on a book tour with Train Station Bride. Check out the blog schedule here.

Steffi