Beneath a Prairie Moon by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Beneath a Prairie Moon by Kim Vogel Sawyer ISBN-13: 9780735290051 Paperback: 342 pages Publisher: Waterbrook Press Released: March 20, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Abigail Brantley grew up in affluence and knows exactly how to behave in high society. But when she is cast from the social registers due to her father's illegal dealings, she finds herself forced into a role she never imagined: tutoring rough Kansas ranchers in the subjects of manners and morals so they can "marry up" with their mail-order brides. Mack Cleveland, whose father was swindled by a mail-order bride, wants no part of the scheme to bring Eastern women to Spiveyville, Kansas, and he's put off by the snooty airs and fastidious behavior of the "little city gal" in their midst. But as time goes by, his heart goes out to the teacher who tries so diligently to smooth the rough edges from the down-to-earth men. How can he teach her that perfection won't bring happiness?


My Review:
Beneath a Prairie Moon is a Christian romance set in 1888 in Kansas. A group of men from a small, rough town in the West send money to a matchmaker agency in the East since there are no available local women. The matchmaker, an older widow, decides to travel to the town to assess the men to best match them up.

She brings along a younger woman who has been rejected by several matches. This gal uses manners as a shield to prevent people from accusing her of any wrongdoing and longs to retake her place in high society which was lost when her father committed a crime. She is tasked with teaching the potential grooms some basic etiquette.

The sheriff of the town is initially worried that the women are pulling a scam. The men of the town are impatient for their brides and don't see the point of learning etiquette. The sheriff and a respected shopkeeper keep an eye on the women to prevent the eager men from bothering them. The shopkeeper befriends the young woman when he learns of her past because he knows what it's like to be accused by society when you've done nothing wrong.

The story was told from the viewpoints of these four characters. It was a light-hearted story with funny moments. While etiquette played a large role in the story, the focus of the story was on how the main characters reacted to events and grew as people. The romance developed over time as people got to know each other and became friends. The main characters learned to more deeply trust in God. There was no bad language or sex. Overall, I'd highly recommend this enjoyable romance.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


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