3.5 stars.

Texas Mail Order Bride is the first installment in Linda Broday's Bachelors of Battle Creek series. This historical western series centers around three close friends who have settled in Battle Creek, TX. The first novel is an action packed romance between the oldest of the trio, Cooper Thorne and mail order bride, Delta Dandrige.

Delta is fuming when her intended groom fails to meet her when she arrives in Battle Creek and things swiftly go downhill once Cooper explains he did not place the ad for a bride. Unfortunately returning home is not an option for Delta, so she quickly finds employment at the local mercantile. While Georgia happily settles into life in Battle Creek, Cooper finds himself embroiled in a battle to save his ranch from an unseen enemy.

Delta is more than capable of taking care of herself and she charms everyone she meets. She loves her new life but when she looks around, she sees that the neglected little town is in desperate need of a little TLC. Delta rallies the other women and her revitalization project soon takes off.

Cooper is an orphan whose only close ties are with his blood brothers, Rand Sinclair and Brett Liberty. Cooper has a compelling reason to avoid marriage, but he does not count on his unexpected attraction to Delta. With his past haunting him, Cooper has no intention of getting involved with Delta, but he finds it difficult to keep his distance from her.

While Delta and Cooper are very likable characters, their romance gets lost in the numerous subplots. The change in their relationship from antagonistic to romantic is abrupt and in the midst of all of the turmoil, they manage to explore their mutual attraction. Although well-written, the novel is overwhelmed with various story arcs and the plot is rather predictable.

Despite a few issues, Texas Mail Order Bride is a fast-paced and entertaining beginning to the Bachelors of Battle Creek series. Linda Broday's glimpses of Rand and Brett are quite intriguing and I am very much looking forward reading their stories. ( )

"4 out of 5 stars! Thrown together based on false promises, two lost souls find their lives turned upside-down, but is it all for the better? Sure, that is if they’re both willing to let their past and their secrets go for good.

With Delta & Cooper's bickering, their magnetic attraction to one another, and Cooper's "band of brothers," this novel reminded me of Ms. Connealy's "Swept Away." Not because of the plots, as they are pretty different---and I do recommend reading both novels---but because of their characters, as big-hearted Delta reminded me of Ruthy, leader Cooper reminded me of Luke and Jenny's husband situation reminded me of Glynna. While Ms. Broday's novel is different, noticing the similarities put a smile on my face."

Read more of this review and TWO teasers here: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2015/03/feasted-on-bachelors-of-battle... ( )

Good historical romance with lots of action and adventure as someone from Cooper's past returns to kill him as well as the love of his life, Delta. I enjoyed this story. Watching Delta fitting in to the town of Battle Creek, TX, and Cooper's life was refreshing. She brought her hopes and dreams from her past and was able to live them in Battle Creek. Cooper wanted to forget his past and let it lie in the past but it takes Delta to show him the way to accept the past and know it does not have to affect his future.

Cooper and Delta don't start out liking each other much as Cooper is a confirmed bachelor and Delta came as the mail order bride he did not order. I loved the two of them as they battled their demons, past and present. I liked this town and the townspeople. Delta's influence is strong as is her love for her new town. She helps so many through her acceptance of them and her helping hand to them. I look forward to reading the other books in the series. Very enjoyable! ( )

"I don't know anything about love. Lord knows, I've never had occasion to see it between a man and a woman. But you've stolen my heart. I've found the man who can finally SEE me." - Delta Dandridge

Just when I was about to give up on heroines completely, Miss Delta Dandridge barged in my neat little world and decided to show me how a really strong woman gets things done. The result? I wasn't disappointed!

Cooper Thorne knows he's made himself pretty clear: he doesn't want to get married, doesn't want to father chidlren, he hates anything even close to settling down with a good little wife. One would think that with him being the leader of the Bachelors Club in Battle Creek, people would get the point already. But when pretty Delta Dandridge comes into town, claiming he sent for her hand in marriage, the loner cowboy will have his hands full trying to keep her at a distance - and tracking down whoever thought tricking him and the poor lady was funny. Problem is, Delta has reasons of her own for sticking to Battle Creek longer than expected. And with an old enemy of Cooper's out for blood, it'll take the rough rancher some real guts to man up and either accept what's been given to him in the form of the fiesty blonde or ignore it and lose it in order to keep his pride as a bachelor...

I think this book was the first western romance in which I actually adored the heroine - and truth be told, didn't give a damn about the romance. I mean, if Cooper didn't want it to happen, why should I?!

Allow me to elaborate. It's not that I don't like my love and steam taking place in a Texas small town. On the contrary, I never seem to stop starving for such things. But the fact remains that Cooper made me wish he never truly realized what kind of treasure the good Lord had sent him, and that Delta would become a strong, independent woman, finding happiness on her own - with that stupid rancher watching from the sidelines and knowing he woke up too late to smell the roses. Why? Because no woman should ever be treated the way he treated her!

How can I accept a guy who keeps pushing and pulling a woman around? Who keeps leading her on, stealing her first everythings, only to decide every single time that nooo, this isn't what he wants, and she shouldn't get the wrong idea, and she should never forget that he never intends to get married. By the middle of the book, Cooper's bitch mode had gotten old... If you don't want the poor girl, stop trying to impose your presence on her, stop trying to destroy her attempts at making a life for herself - especially when she doesn't bother you with said attempts! - stop trying to undermine her ideas and actions, stop trying to keep other males from getting close. Just stop trying altogether, because God knows you have no right and no claim on her, mister! And it was YOUR decision to be so, in case you forgot!!!

(and no, your childhood issues give you no right to act like this to a woman who is just trying to find a place for her to belong, jerk!)

As for Delta, she was a breath of fresh air. Finally a heroine that decides "the hell with all men, I'll be my own woman" and works hard - yet with respect to those around her - to achieve her goals. She was determined, she was hard-working, she was as honest as she could be and made sure to treat almost everyone with love and in equal manners. She never backed down from a challenge, and she didn't flaunt her body around to snatch another husband. Plus, she had dignity and pride, and she was always on the giving end, never the receiving, without complaining. All that poor woman wanted, was a home, and people to accept and love her.

The love story, thus, left me disappointed, despite my extreme love for Delta. It was always about Cooper being hot and cold, and poor Delta trying to keep her heart from breaking. What's worse, after a point she started forgiving him things because she was in love with him. No! NO! Why does every female become soft when cupid's arrows strike her heart?! And let's not forget the fact that all that sexual tension ended up reaching its climax way to abruptly. Where's my foreplay? Where's my anxious and looong first lovemaking time?! I felt cheated!

However, the rest of the story was ok. The pace, the suspense, the constant danger that Tolbert Early brought with the mere mention of his name... Not to mention the antics of the rest of the Battle Creek citizens, with their quirks and often funny little scenes. I definitely can't wait to get back there - and with Rand, my favorite of the brothers, being the next main hero, it's bound to be quite a ride...

"I make you these four promises. You'll never have to walk alone. You'll never be invisible to me. You'll always be my forever woman. And finally, I'll help you blaze the trail only you were meant to travel." - Cooper Thorne

***I was given an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.*** ( )