Spring for Susannah

The first thing I noticed about Spring for Susannah is the fact that it is not your ordinary mail-order bride novel. Instead, Susannah hears about Jesse from his sister-in-law Ellen. She begins writing him, getting to know him before making the trip to the Dakota Territory. Jesse's brother, a minister, marries them be proxy, and off she goes.

Susannah is a very quiet woman. She expects to be put in her place often, so she remains quiet. Showing affection does not come easily to Susannah. She just wasn't raised that way. She has never lived on the frontier before, and has a lot to learn. But she knows about animals. Her deceased father was a veterinarian, and she picked up a thing or two (even though it is scandalous for a lady to talk about such things!).

Jesse is alone. Well, he has neighbors about an hour away. And he has a dog, Jake. But Jesse needs a companion. And he needs someone to talk to. Jesse loves to talk. And joke. And show affection.

In normal circumstances Jesse and Susannah would have never fallen in love. They are just too different. They don't have any common interests. And they were raised completely different. And yet they are introduced (via mail), get married, and fall in love.

I really enjoyed my complimentary copy of Spring for Susannah, which I received from Thomas Nelson for my honest review.