Mail Order Man (Ladies of Larkspur) Paperback – May 13, 2013

As her town deals with the drama that follows a well-intentioned but foolish personal ad, Sarah is learning many new things about herself, life, and love as she talks with, laughs with, and works beside Samuel, a mysterious newcomer.Notes from July 2018:Plot and Setting: 4.17 -- Plot is engaging, though somewhat predictable. The HEA is pretty clear from the start, and the things that slow their relationship down are all external conflicts. Though the title suggests otherwise, it's really more Sarah's coming of age story than a mail order romance. There are no major plot holes, but a slight lack of focus and some shaky bits in sub-plots. A fairly sudden and drastic turn in the middle, which worked okay for the story, but the plot (or at least, the sub-plots) before and after are pretty distinctly divided. Setting and timeline are clear and consistent.Characters: 3.83 -- Main characters are relatable and interesting, but lacking something. We're told about lots of inner conflict and growth, for Sarah especially, but somehow the things they are learning didn't really come to life for me. A focus on one or two aspects with lots of ways that they are living those out would've been more powerful. Some minor characters have depth, while others may be slightly stereotyped or simplified. The parental roles that the mayor and Mrs. Smith take towards Sarah are sweet. I also enjoyed the hints we got about some of the other eligible females in town. Interestingly, none of the minor characters are necessarily developed for the sake of their own characters, it's more Sarah realizing how she's failed to notice them before. Definite strong points in the relationships between characters.Mechanics and Writing: 3.6 -- A handful of typos, punctuation issues, or word errors. Errors are the type that interrupt my reading without seriously hindering understanding -- silly typos, missing or misplaced punctuation, homophone or compound word confusion, formatting issues, etc. Generally solid use of POV. Alternates between Sarah and Samuel. Avoids head-hopping, but sometimes the sections switch back and forth so frequently that it almost feels like head-hopping. Average writing, with strong parts and parts that struggle. Tends toward feeling too formal and stilted.Redeeming Value: 4.67 -- Violence plays a (brief) part in the story, but it is not glorified (clear consequences) and our heroes have ethical limits (defense and protection, not rage and revenge) that the villains may not have. It's law enforcement vs. bank robbers, and the robbers end up in jail. Some kisses and an appropriate amount of physical attraction, but no sex and no overemphasis on sexual attraction. Samuel and Sarah are both aware that it's better not to tempt themselves with too much physical contact before they are married. Powerful, positive themes or lessons. I loved the theme of joy and responsibility not being mutually exclusive, and the way Sarah sought a deeper, closer relationship with God by embracing the life he placed in front of her, rather than by trying to avoid doing wrong. There are actually quite a few deep topics that are touched on, some of which don't blend in with the story the best.Personal Enjoyment: 3.33

Always enjoy discovering new authors. This book was not great, but it was good. At times it read like a text book - stiff, conversations that felt heavy, forced, unnatural - but the book, and writing, got better by the end.The first few chapters contained the majority of the books humor with "the talking wall" as Sarah, the heroine referred to Samuel, the books hero. Sarah was starting to get on my nerves by the middle of the book with her wall of perfection. She was like a walking Sunday school lesson. Samuel was adorable. He, at times, also came across as a Sunday school lesson.Enjoyed the story line, but not the stiffness of the book. As previously mentioned, it was like reading a Sunday school lesson instead of a fictional book with believable characters and conversations. The second half of the book was slightly better than the first half.The ending, especially the epilogue, was good - extra points for including an epilogue. This was presented as book one in The Ladies of Larkspur. I will be watching for additional books in the series which will hopefully not on include Samuel and Sarah, but also new characters as well as continuing the story line of existing characters.Loved the books cover - good to get a mental picture of Samuel and Sarah. Although the book gave the appearance of being small with 217 pages, it really wasn't. The books overall size is smaller than most, as is the font size, making it an uncomfortable read.All-in-all a good first book by this author. At least a first book for me by the author.

I just finished Mail Order Man by Heather Gray. This book was extremely good. I had previously read Just Dessert and while yes this book and Just Dessert can be read as separate I kind of wish I has read this one first. Anyway on to the story.Sarah was raised by her father, who mother passed away when she was young and her father passed away around the time she was considering college. Sarah took over the stage office and suddenly gets more mail in one day than they normally get in months. Someone had placed an add searching for a husband. Now men were not only writing to Larkspur but they were showing up searching for a bride.Samuel came to town a little earlier than he had planned to visit with his cousin. He has secrets that he has to keep from Sarah even though he wants to tell her. He promised the Mayor that he would not tell her until things in town settled down. Samuel begins to fall for Sarah as she starts to let herself open up.The characters in this book are amazing. I love how Sarah learns to develop a closer relationship with God. How she re-evaluates how her relationship with God is. She learns that you do not always have to be serious to love God.Sarah and Samuel both are wonderful characters. I hope to hear more about some of the other people I have met in this book and Just Dessert.

Heather Gray's, "Mail Order Man" is a tried and true romance story with a brand new twist and an infusion of mystery and humor that made this story too good to put down.After her father died, Sarah managed both the stage office and the mail with the help of a couple of part-time employees. Then a "husband wanted" ad flooded the Idaho Territory town of Larkspur with tons of mail addressed to "Eligible Female" and an over-eager mob of marriage minded men. Suddenly the town was no longer same for a woman alone, and Sarah found herself in need of protection, but she isn't certain she should trust, Samuel Livingston, the man who appointed himself her protector. After all, isn't he a stranger in town as well?

Excellent read. Good story line. Could not put this one down. Very well witten. Great author. Will definately look fofmore books by this author.

I like her style. The story and characters are believable and have depth. I especially like the prayers! Has great pearls of wisdom on "impure thoughts"; on putting action to compassion; on growing through facing our fears and shortcomings; and a great definition on faith. A well rounded read.

The Story is okay, but I could have done with a lot less moralizing!Skipped a lot of pages of prayers etc.