Elise's Journey

Eagle Creek Brides #1

by Karla Gracey

Alternate cover edition of ASIN B01N6AOCW9

You never know where life will take you—and that’s what Tom and Elise are about to find out.

After the tragic death of her husband, Wilson, Elise Mitchell is trapped living under the strict command of her mother-in-law.

Not only does her mother-in-law hold tight sway over the money Wilson left for Elise and their young son, Bailey—but now she is fighting Elise for guardianship over her grandson as well.

Elise knows she needs to escape her in-law’s clutches and longs for the freedom to take back control over her life, both for her own sake and that of her son.

She stumbles across an advertisement for a lonely rancher seeking a mail-order bride, and figures that maybe this could be their chance at a fresh start.

Tom Greening never needed a wife.

This determined bachelor and cattle rancher from Eagle Creek was content with his life the way it was.

Until his housekeeper took it upon herself to advertise for a mail-order bride without him knowing.

For a moment, Tom fears that his perfect world is about to be ruined—but then Elise’s reply to the advertisement begins to change his mind.

As Elise and her son find their way further and further into Tom’s heart, Tom soon realizes that he wants nothing more than to make them his family.

But Tom carries a secret in his past. One that threatens to destroy his bond with Elise and their future together.

With all that stands against them, will Tom and Elise find a way to hold their lives and love together?

Or will they lose it all?

Mail-Order Bride: Elise’s Journey is a delightful story of love and the strength it provides. With Tom’s secret haunting him and Elise’s mother-in-law unwilling to let them go, Tom and Elise must decide if what they have is worth fighting for—if they ever hope to find happiness together, at last.

Genres: Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Westerns, Historical Romance, Novella, Fiction

178 pages, ebook

First published November 28, 2016

About the author

Karla Gracey was born with a very creative imagination and a love for creating stories that will inspire and warm people's hearts. She has always been attracted to historical romance including mail order bride stories with strong willed women. Her characters are easy to relate to and you feel as if you know them personally. Whether you enjoy action, adventure, romance, mystery, suspense or drama- she makes sure there is something for everyone in her historical romance stories!

Reviews

[Jasmine (Jazzie) [Jesus Loves You!!] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rtc!

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mail Order Bride-Elise's Journey (Eagle Creek Brides #1)
Karla Gracey

A sweet, clean, historical, mail order bride romance. Elise Mitchell is widowed with a young son. She answers an ad after her mother-in-law tries to control how she raises her son. Tom Greening's housekeeper placed the ad without her employer's knowledge. He has a secret from his past. Will they be able to form a new family? Will the grandparents interfere? I look forward to more books in this new series!


The narration was well done. The characters were well portrayed. J. Scott Bennett gave a good performance!



I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Lori D · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this story! Of course with the writing of Karla Gracey and the amazing narration of one of my very favorites, J Scott Bennett, there was no way it could not be a success! The story of a second love found, when she thought there never would be and a man who had held in an agonizing secret of the past, come together through a mail order bride ad.
J Scott is on spot with the character voices and perfect tone and infections. Cannot wait to hear more from this series!

[Marilyn Hyronimus · Rating 3 out of 5]

It started poorly but ended better.

The first part of the book was excessively wordy; it seemed Ms. Gracey was just filling up pages with unnecessary boring details.
In my experience, eleven year old boys do not act like the boy in this book. Ms.Gracey states that the boy did "not stop to argue with his mama and raced away as fast as his little legs could carry him." His character is more like a four year old than an eleven year old.
The book does get much better and I enjoyed reading roughly the last half.

[Zena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elise has a difficult time after her husband dies tragically. Not only does she have to deal with a 'mother-in-law' who has never accepted her, but she also has to be careful with the meagre allowance her in-laws allow her from her inheritance which her husband left to her. They will not trust her with control of it and so she struggles to supply board, lodge and education for her son and lives a very quiet life with him.
She decides that the best thing for them is for her to find a Mail Order Husband and is soon corresponding with Tom, a rancher, whose housekeeper secretly wrote to some ladies in reply to their adverts, on his behalf. He is lonely but afraid to look for a wife because of a secret in his past. Soon he and Elise begin corresponding with each other.
They meet and like each other's company and the story really takes off from there.
It is so cleverly written to include an interesting courtship which also includes her son Bailey. Elise and Tom are two very fine and caring characters and I enjoyed reading about them, their lives and hardships and the way they overcome them. There are also situations and people who need sorting out and all this goes to make the story more interesting, readable and entertaining.
I simply loved the eventual admission of love by both of them - it was so touching that it had me in tears of joy.
I really enjoy J.Scott Bennet's narrations. They are so beautifully presented and this one is no exception.
I requested and listened to the audiobook version and my review above is voluntary and unbiased.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life in America following the civil war was challenging for many people. Elise moves to America from Scotland after marrying Wilson, a wealthy businessman. Elise is not warmly received by Moira, the MIL. Time passes and Elise finds herself a young widow with a son and no access to the inheritance promised by her husband- the MIL is controlling the purse strings. Elise by chance reads the paper and responds to an ad for a mail order bride. Could this be the answer to her problems? Elise and her son Bailey go to Montana to meet and eventually marry Tom a rancher - and the story unfolds. Tom has been a soldier in the war and seems to be hiding something. Elise settles into life with Tom but is guarding her heart. What of her first love Wilson? Can she ever love Tom? The story culminates with the issue from a Tom’s past and Elise’s legal challenges with her in-laws around custody of her son all surfacing.
I enjoyed reading about the characters and their struggles issues
in this time period. Although the story was quite slow moving at times, I appreciated hearing the inner turmoil both Elise and Tom experienced. We discover the details of Tom’s past near the end, which made me quite suspicious of his intentions with Elise through most of the story. For a sweet clean story set in the old west with a HEA, this is one to read. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.

[Ahw · Rating 2 out of 5]

I saw this genre in my Amazon Prime list: "Mail order Brides".
That sounds ridiculous... but then I thought about it for a bit. I kind of like formulaic romance stories.
I enjoy a Hallmark Christmas movie. So why not? "Mail order Bride"? They're going to stumble into
a relationship with misunderstandings and apprehension galore in a historical setting and have to learn about each other and finally realize they've fallen in love. How can you go wrong? It actually sounded like something I would like.

Well ... not. This is poorly written with odd characters. I can believe SOMEONE might like it but I think
the plethora of high ratings for this book are somehow artificial.
It does have good spelling and grammar - which many low end books lack - it is just not very good.

I assume there are actually good and enjoyable books in this genre. This isn't one of them.
I feel bad giving such a harsh review to minor authors. But there are many books in this series so the author has had some success. I don't think I'm crushing their dreams. The Kindle edition included a chapter from a second book where the writing seemed much better.

But this story was awful. The writing was dull (it seemed more like the outline of a story) and the characters were odd. I'm not certain which one I found the most annoying.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elise Mitchell is originally from Scotland and married a Mill owner’s son from America. Most of her story we do see how Mrs. Mitchell her mother in law treats her like she is not worthy of being in her family. Mrs. Mitchell tries to take control over her Grandson Bailey because Wilson Mitchell is no longer there to help his wife not be run over by his mother. Elise decides that she wants more control over her own life and decides to go west as a mail order bride. She wants her son to be outside and not just sheltered and treated like he could break in an instant. She wants him to be free. Tom Greening is a rancher with a bit of a past and does not feel comfortable telling the secret to Elise right away. Her and Tom meet beforehand and have adventures together to see if they are a good fit. Tom did not realize he was lonely and instantly falls in love with Elise and Bailey and wants them to be his family. Mrs. Mitchell even though states away tries to cause trouble for Elise with Bailey.
This was a great sweet read. I enjoyed it.
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review. The opinions in this review are 100% my own

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karla Gracey writes wonderful clean, historical mail order bride romances and the first of this series is just the beginning of another enjoyable listen. This one is a little different, not the usual maid or unhappy woman looking for a husband. Elisa is a widow with an 11 year old son being controlled by her in-laws. To get out of their clutches, she answers a letter in the paper. Tom is an man with secrets, but his housekeeper thinks he needs a woman. She places the ad in the paper without telling him. This unlikely couple finds themselves at a crossroads after spending a week of getting to know each other with her son. Will Elise be able to marry a man when she still loves her deceased husband? Will Tom's secrets be too much for the couple to bear? Take the journey with Elise to Eagle Creek and get to know the town, the people and fall in love. You will be looking for the next book in the series.

With J. Scott Bennett performing this book, I knew it was going to be a good listen. His narrations are always wonderful with his pleasant array of voices for his characters. He is a joy to listen to.

[Margaret Watkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having made the arduous voyage from safety to America with her new husband, Elise has already shown that she has courage, and is able to leave her home for the sake of love. When that love is cruelly ripped from her, she recognises that if she wants any say in her son's future, she has to take her chances in her new land and thus decides to become a mail order bride to Tom Greening. Tom thought he had everything under control, but apparently his housekeeper didn't agree with him, which is how he ended up with Elise as his wife and Bailey as his young son. Unfortunately, Tom has secrets that he is keeping, but as anyone knows that has an unresolved past, secrets have a way of coming back to haunt one. With threats against Tom and legal action against Elise for the custody of her child, Elise and Tom recognise that they have to pull together if there is any hope for a happy future. The story is generally well written, sweet and clean, with a fallible hero and desperate mother. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

free ebook

in maine
her husband died after getting sick after a horse accident
she was left with 11 yr old son
her mother in law never liked her
she didnt have access to the trust fund

so she answered a ad for mail order bride in montana
she took her son to meet the man and they both liked him
he had a ranch with cattle
he had a past he didnt want to talk about, no wife
never thought he would get one, but his housekeeper put the ad in the paper for him
he liked her and her son
they stayed in town for a week in the hotel to get to know each other

they decided to marry and then her in laws tried to take her son away and not give her the trust money from her husband

they had to go back and fight with lawyers. the grandfather didnt know and was upset at what his wife tried to do. they got the papers signed, and she got the trust and her son

her husband had come to terms about having to kill a man in the army when he was court-martialed for stealing food and killing another solider. his brother was after him but after he found out the true story he understood

they had a little girl and the grandparents came to visit

[Bev Walkling · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet romance with a feisty heroine

Elise was never received kindly by her well-to-do mother-in-law, and after the death of Elise's husband Wilson, providing for her son Bailey became increasingly difficult . Desperation finally drove her to seek a marriage of convenience that would allow her to access funds that her husband had left in trust. Tom Greenwood of Eagle Creek didn't set out to look for a bride, but when his housekeeper posted an ad on his behalf, he was intrigued with the forthright honesty expressed in Elise's letter. How they came together and faced some difficult challenges, both from Tom's past and Elise's mother-in-law made for a stressful start for the newlywed couple. I'm not sure what year the story was set in (if it was mentioned I missed it), but I would have liked to know. The novel is a sweet clean read though there is reference to some past violence and probably what we now call PTSD. I would enjoy reading other books in this series.

[Joy Holmes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elise’s Journey by Karla Gracey is the first in a series of clean romances that center on mail-order brides in the 1800s. This sweet story features Elise, a young mother in New England who is at the mercy of her wealthy mother-in-law after her beloved husband’s death, and Tom, a rancher on the Montana frontier who carries guilt from his actions in the past.

There are actually two climaxes in this book, one for each of the protagonists. Tom must face his past, but his climax falls a bit flat as I expected a bit more action in his showdown. However, I think I held my breath during the entire chapter of Elise’s climax, and I was able to deeply breath again once her story is resolved. Her story’s peak features a bit of deus ex machina—there is a too much of a lucky coincidence—but, nevertheless, it is highly satisfying.

Proofreading points: there is a missing comma or two, a misplaced comma, and a randomly underlined set of words in the text.

I give this story a strong four stars!

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great story! From the moment I started reading the book, I was captivated. It's an amazing journey that Elise takes. She has such a sad life as a widow, trying to take care of her son, with a cruel mother-in-law that begrudges her every penny she costs. When her son is threatened with boarding school, she knows she has to change their life and escape. It makes for a lively tale as she answers an ad about a mail-order bride. When she and her son venture forth to Montana to meet a possible new husband and father, it's quite an exciting adventure. Will they find a happy life, a place to call home?
You have to read to find out. It's such a good book, and very hard to put down. I highly recommend
"Elise's Journey".

[Jessica Phipps · Rating 1 out of 5]

The further I read into this book the lower my rating of the book went. First, this book is very poorly researched. A simple Google search reveals that Billings, Montana was not established until 1872. There is no way that a town that was so newly established had a zoo, an opera house, high class hotels, an ice cream parlor with so many flavors, or well established gardens to roam through. That is just the tip of the iceberg in the lack of historical accuracy. Second, the character development is pitiful. Elise is a selfish and spoiled woman who thinks of no one but herself. Bailey is the most immature 11 year old. He acts more like he is six. Finally, there is the use of mild curse words. That is not acceptable in any book that is advertised as a Christian book.

[Toyenlon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I totally enjoyed every second spent reading this book. Elise is a Scottish and the daughter of a foreman who got married to a wealthy American and owner of the mill her father works for. She traveled with her husband, Wilson Mitchell, to America but unfortunately she was not well received(looked down on) by his family and it even became worse when Wilson died.
To regain control of her and her son's life and their inheritance, she has to take a drastic step... Find out more by grabbing your own copy. "I received this book for free from eBook discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review".

[Earlene Click · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tom, Elise and Bailey

This is a sweet and loving mail order bride tale written by Karla Gracey. Tom is a successful rancher with a history and a secret he thought terrible. Elise is a young widow originally from Scotland. She is left with a young son and a mother-in-law from hell. She is at her wit’s end accepts the rancher’s advertisement, although written by his housekeeper. Elise and Bailey fit new Celt into Tom’s ranch life until the in-laws file to take Bailey away from Elise and Tom. You will enjoy discovering how they find their happily ever after.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A New Future

Mail Order Bride - Elsie’s Journey will have you fighting for what is right. Elsie leaves her home in Scotland to be Wilson’s wife. They both are aware that his Mother will not like it. She was always treated unkindly and it became worse, after Wilson dies. Elsie’s only recourse is to leave Maine with her son and become a mail order bride in Montana. Wilson is hiding something from her and she is still in love with her dead husband. Can they both move passed these troubling issues and enjoy their lives together. Beautiful story.

[PAMpublish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This clean and wholesome mail-order bride involves a recent widow with a son who desires to escape a mother-in-law's intrusion upon their lives. When the housekeeper of Tom - a rancher posts an ad and Elise responds to it, she escapes to a new life. Taking time to get to know one another, she is found out by her in-laws who want the child returned. This along with issues by Tom from his past must be resolved before a wedding takes place. Recommended to those who enjoy this genre for a good bedtime read.

[Dawn Ireland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice story

I noticed that the author used UK punctuation, and several words that were not American usage. Those should have been caught by an editor. If you’re going to write about Montana, then use the correct verbiage.

All in all, it was a good story. I had a few problems with how the author chose to cast the 11-year-old boy. There were a couple of awkward situations that I could not agree with.

[Bill Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elise learns To Love Again

Actually, both Tom AND Elise learn to love again. Each had their own deeply traumatic events in their lives. Tom won't talk about his, while Elise was overwhelmed by her own tragedy and grief. Two souls circling each other, making tentative attempts to find support from the other.
The story can be a bit plodding. There was too much time spent in Billings, and that became boring. Maybe I am impatient.
In the end it became more interesting.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elise has lost her husband. He had provided for her and their son generously but his parent had control of the trusts and would not turn them over for fear she would waste them. Yet they barely provided enough for her to live on. Now her mother in law was talking about sending Bailey to boarding school. Elise is looking for a way out. She finds an advertisement for a mail order bride and writes a letter. This is a tender story of a woman and her son fighting to stay together.

[Linda J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 STARS

Slow read that did get better at the end. Some scene's jumped and had huge gaps. Some misunderstandin3gs that lasted long. The H was in the Army and had to carry out a command. His reaction, that had him changing his whole life was a bit much.

Same for the h's in-laws. Why didn't she ask her father-in-law to help with more money?

No cheating, no cliffhanger, HEA, some romance and clean. (ljb)

[Holly Lenz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elise is a sweet mail order bride romance with complicated characters. Elise in particular is a bit of a challenge between her eagerness to forgive some things and her difficulty in forgiving others. The story is entertaining, even if it is a bit short on action.

"I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review."

[Danielle Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story, but Tom showed no trust in Elise. If he had told the truth, she would know what to do and how to protect Bailey. Elise is a wonderful mother and know that she needs Tom to keep Bailey. She finds forgiveness for Tom through the love that she has developed for him. This is a story that touched my heart.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was a great depth to each character! The more I listen or read Karla's books, the more I see her as a great writer!
Scott did his amazing narration as usual! I laughed at the exuberance he had the small town lawyer display when defending his clients!
Such a great book brought to life by a great story teller!

[Debbie Odachowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

New writer for me!

Ms. Gracey is new writer that I was happy to find. What a great story for a second chance of love and a story of forgiveness for past deeds. I loved Elise and Tom's story . Elise made a break for it to the west to save not only her son but herself. To find love when you least expect to find it is a rare gift to not turn down.Enjoy!

[Judith Ann Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read!

Very well written . Actually believable story line. The characters come alive and you start to get really into the scenes. Rooting for the good guys and hissing at the bad guys, or women as the case may be. Well done with none of that old so smarmy if you can't get enough of the main characters, blah blah blah extended epilogue crude!! Good job! BRAVA

[Kenneth Cardinal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful writing and writer

I love the way you get to the end of the book! This was a very interesting story and you always know how to play your reader. I will not give up any more of the plot of the story. But it was a very well written book. You have to read it to see what I am talking about. I do know so I refer you to read it!

[Renee Mylander · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great Mail Order Bride Book

Karla Gracey seems to know how to write and keep her audiences attention. She brings her characters to life in a way that you do not want to stop reading. What is even nicer that as a Historical Western book she kept it very family oriented. This is the kind of romance book that any mother would be willing to let their teenager read.