Serving Up Love: A Harvey House Brides Collection
On the menu for these ladies? Adventure, independence, and a big serving of romance!
A storied part of American history, Harvey Houses offered
women a unique chance to gain independence and see amazing parts of this
great country. Celebrated historical romance writers Tracie Peterson,
Karen Witemeyer, Regina Jennings, and Jen Turano offer four fun,
romantic tales of Harvey girls whose western adventures lead to love.
Tracie Peterson — A Flood of Love
Returning
home to New Mexico for the first time in years to fill in at the Harvey
House, Gretchen Gottsacker is sure the past is behind her. But nothing
can be that simple. When the man she loved long ago steps back into her
life—with a daughter, no less—will she ever be the same?
Karen Witemeyer — More Than a Pretty Face
Rosalind
Kemp becomes a Harvey Girl, clinging to the promise of one day
transferring even further west, someplace her youthful indiscretion
won't catch up to her. But the past is hard to escape, and when the
worst occurs, will anyone stand up for her?
Regina Jennings — Intrigue a la Mode
When
Willow Kentworth is warned that strange things are happening in the
railyard after dark, she never intends to get involved. That is, until a
handsome new employee at the Harvey House—who has secrets of his
own—needs her assistance.
Jen Turano — Grand Encounters
After
her fiancé abandons her, Miss Myrtle Schermerhorn flees New York's pity
for a position at the El Tovar Hotel on the rim of the Grand Canyon.
She's determined to hold fast to her life of independence—but a rugged,
frequent guest of the hotel makes that vow difficult to uphold.
My Review: 9/10
I love these novella collections from Bethany House. That's actually how I discovered one of my favorite authors years ago. One of the best things about these shorter stories is that there is rarely a plot point of The Big Misunderstanding, which means I instantly love them more. The collection was extra appealing to me as the common thread was the Harvey House. I loved learning about it and seeing how it might have been to be a Harvey Girl at the time. So cool.
I do wish the novels had been in chronological order, even if the characters were not related from story to story. Especially as some of the stories set in earlier times seemed to give a little more insight into the Harvey House and what it meant to be a Harvey Girl - how they operated, how they communicated, how they were viewed by different social classes etc.
More Than A Pretty Face-
I did not immediately remember Rosalind when I started her story, but OH was I excited when I realized who she was. I enjoyed getting to really know her, learn about her childhood from her point of view, and seeing the way she'd grown. I had one small snag of disappoint toward the end, with the way Caleb addressed the root problem. I kind of wanted to see him do more. Pursue a more complete and thorough justice.
Intrigue a la Mode-
It's hard to choose, but this one was probably my favorite of the set. Some of the situations seemed a little extreme, but it was a page turner for sure. I loved Willow's character and her family dynamics. And I thought this story best depicted being a waitress. Had me feeling vicarious frustration, indignation, and comraderie. Willow is someone I'd be friends with and count myself lucky.
A Grand Encounter-
This may be the best story I've read by the author. I've read a handful of her earliest novels, but none of her recent works. While I thought Myrtle's attitude toward her boss would not have flown in real life and didn't seem to fit with a Harvey Girl was built up to be in the other novellas, I liked her grounded, humble attitude the rest of the time, especially given her background. I loved that she was bookish and the ways she had apparently grown in strength. I thought her being randomly accosted while walking down the street seemed over the top and her speech at the end a bit much, but I found Jack charming and I really enjoyed the way their story came together. Very sweet.
