Celebrate Lit / September 22, 2024

Once upon a Courtship

About the Book Once Upon a Courtship

Book: Once Upon a Courtship

Authors: Kit Morgan, Chautona Havig, Tricia Goyer, Marylu Tyndall, Regina Scott, Marlene Bierworth, Linore Rose Burkard, Camille Elliot, Louise M. Goudge, Lisa M. Prysock, Teresa Slack, Marilyn Turk

Genre: Historical Christian Fiction

Release date: October 22, 2024

Once Upon a Courtship: A Sweet Historical Romance Collection

A Limited-Time Collection of 12 books from 12 beloved Christian authors spanning rustic landscapes, elegant ballrooms, rugged cowboys, enigmatic spies, and daring pirates! Delight your romantic heart with Colonial, Regency, Victorian, Western, and Gilded Age Romance and preorder your copy today!

Mail-Order Millie by USA Today Bestselling Author Kit Morgan

Imagine mail-order bride Millie’s surprise when she finds out her so-called husband is really a spy working for the president.

Courting Miss Darling by USA Today Bestselling Author Chautona Havig

Muriel Darling thought her heart rode off with a cowboy, but when his boss writes letters, maybe romance is in Miss Darling’s future after all.

The Privateer’s Prize by Christy Award Finalist Author MaryLu Tyndall

Left at the altar, a woman must rely on the man who broke her heart to deliver a message to change the course of the Revolutionary War.

Grace in the Storm by USA Today Bestselling Author Tricia Goyer

As hurricane winds howl, a feisty pirate and a captivating tavern owner find their destinies changed by the storm’s fury.

Leftover Mail-Order Bride by Publisher’s Weekly Bestselling Author Regina Scott

When mail-order bride Victoria’s groom left her at the altar, she vows to find love, but meets Jack, seeking help on the ranch, love optional.

Clara’s Compassion by Critically Acclaimed Author Marlene Bierwort

Clara’s compassion for workers on the frontier of the Canadian Rockies proves conflicting for railroad boss, Graham, in matters of the heart.

Miss Spencer Meets Her Match by Multi-Award-winning Author Linore Rose Burkard

Miss Spencer attends a Cinderella Ball unwillingly, not knowing the “prince” is in disguise.

Lissa and the Spy by USA Today Bestselling Author Camille Elliot

Seeking a marriage of convenience, plain Lissa becomes entangled with enigmatic Lord Stoude and a secret mission for the Crown.

Abiding Faith, Freedom’s Call by Multi-Award-Winning Author Louise M. Gouge

A pacifist Quaker widow and a prisoner of war officer risk their lives. Will the gap between peace and the American Revolution be a chasm too wide?

Jory’s Story by USA Today Bestselling Author Lisa M. Prysock

When a spy and local adversaries descend, can a governess protect the duke’s children and her heart?

Priscilla’s Promise by Award-Winning Author Teresa Slack

Priscilla Channing wants to honor her father by marrying the man he chose. But he’s not the same man, nor she, the same woman.

The Gilding of Minnie Tucker by Multi-Award-Winning Author Marilyn Turk

A Biltmore maid opens the wrong door and stumbles into a guest whose mutual attraction could be their doom.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts on Once Upon a Courtship

Once Upon a Courtship is an amazing and fun book full of historical fiction novellas that are going to have you in tears (from laughter)!!

Some of my favorite authors are in this collection! Chautona Havig is amazing and I’ve read everything I can find by her. I’d say I’ve read everything she’s written but I feel that she has a lot I haven’t read just from the extra bit she wrote to help support this book!

Leftover Mail Order Bride was so fun! She wants to marry for love. She was a mail order bride but left at the altar. So now she will marry for love! Except the guy who wants to marry her does love her. But she is too stubborn to be convinced of that! I loved reading about their courtship and romance.

And of course Chautona stole the show again! I loved Muriel and all of her ways. She’s a teacher who decides having a pen pal isn’t a bad thing. He’s a rancher in search of a wife. Can they both get something from all these letters? I loved the letters! I laughed so hard. The characters were real and I feel like I need to visit them again.

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

About the Authors of Once Upon a Courtship

Twelve authors bring you stories that span from the Colonial era, through Regency, Victorian, Western, and into Edwardian and the Gilded Age.

More from Chautona

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to write historical fiction? Here’s a “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” version that sorta shows how it can go.

If you give an author a historical assignment, she’ll want to choose an era for it. If she chooses Colonial, she’ll need to research what that period included.

She’ll research it and discover that there were lots of places colonized by lots of countries.

She’ll pick one.

If she picks American, she may discover how big of a role ships played in that period.

A pirate might appear.

If a pirate appears, she’ll jump the Colonial ship for a swashbuckling one and buy an eyepatch—just to get into character.

While learning of how lawless the open sea could be, pictures of a lawless Old West with cowboys and sheriffs might tempt her to leave rolling sea waves for waving prairie seas.

She’ll buy a covered wagon.

If she buys that wagon, her HOA will demand she get it out of her front yard. She’ll settle for spurs. The cat will not be amused.

If her cat protests too much, she’ll decide to get him a girlfriend. She’ll go online and order one.

That will remind her of mail-order brides. She’ll begin researching. The idea of dip pens and beautiful paper and wax seals will make a serious hit to her budget.

She’ll justify it as “research.” If she goes overboard, she might start a story-by-mail service with a new letter sent each week. Reams of paper fill her front yard. The HOA will send a sternly-written letter.

But the deadlines loom on the horizon.

She’ll pray for help.

Thinking about prayer will remind her that her (not-as-yet-to-be-put-on-paper) fictional town needs a church. And some civilizing. If she prays and all that happens… she’ll research more.

While researching, she’ll remember she meant to do a story from earlier in the century. She’ll buy a ball gown—Regency style. What’s a ball gown with nowhere to wear it?

She needs a ball!

If she wants to go to a ball, she’ll need to know how to dance. She’ll sign up for English country dance lessons and learn that the waltz of that time is very different from ours.

She’ll research how it evolved.

If she studies well, she’ll learn how scandalized folks were and decides to move her story forward.

She likes the waltz.

To prove it, she’ll buy vinyl albums of Strauss’ waltzes and play them nonstop.

If she plays the music too late, her neighbors will call in a noise complaint. The HOA will call an emergency meeting. She’ll miss it. She’s too busy deciding between that mail-order bride and an antebellum miss (and stuffing a thousand envelopes to mail tomorrow).

Pictures of waltzes at balls with hoopskirts and satin prompts her to order her own. If she puts it on, it threatens to get stuck when she tries to walk out the front door.

If she gets stuck, she’ll shimmy out of the dress (good thing it was a little big) and lets it sit there as décor.

The HOA comes armed with pitchforks and scissors.

Fascinated, she wonders where they got the pitchforks.

The gown does not survive.

Her indignation prompts her to reconsider and write something more Gilded Age—the long, close-fitting gowns (except for bustles as big as those hoopskirts!).

If she puts one of those on and walks out the front door, she’ll find a man there.

Gaping.

She may think she looks stunning. If she thinks that, he might pull out a stungun—along with a court order to appear and pay a fine.

When she sees that fine, she may swoon (or it could be she didn’t know how to lace the corset correctly). He’ll catch her and help her to her couch (it’s not a fainting couch).