This month’s selection is a book entitled, “Two Brides Too Many”, by Mona Hodgson.

{ISBN 0307458903, Waterbrook Press, May 2010, 320 pages}

“Two Brides Too Many” is the story of sisters Kat and Nell Sinclair.  Recently arrived in Cripple Creek, CO to marry men that they’ve only met through letters, their world is thrown for a loop when no one meets them at the station.  Not being afraid of a challenge, Kat gathers her skirts and heads off in the direction of the nearest {and only} boardinghouse with Nell following in her wake.

Misfortune isn’t far behind, and it seems like one thing piles on top of another.  Kat discovers that her fiance is nothing more than a common, womanizing drunk.  Nell’s fiance is nowhere to be found.  And if that wasn’t enough, a fire breaks out in town and claims several lives and buildings.  Kat and Nell are separated in the midst of the melee, and Kat barely escapes becoming one of the victims herself while saving a young child.  After being stitched up in the local hospital and finding herself with the now-orphaned child she saved, Kat makes her way back to the boardinghouse, but not before being mistaken for a midwife and insulted by the town’s newest doctor.  Nothing is going according to plan!

But God hasn’t forgotten about the Sinclair sisters.  Things may not be going according to their plans, but He has everything under control.  Through hard work, trust, and more than a few embarrassing situations, Kat grows deeper in her faith and comes to rely on Him to meet her every need and the needs of those around her.  She learns that the hardships she faced were opportunities that God used to refine her and draw her closer to Him, all while showing her a love that she’d never expected.

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Hodgson does a good job of drawing historical aspects into her story, but the characters lack depth.  It would’ve been better to focus on one Sinclair sister at a time rather than trying to tie in 2 love stories in one novel.  Inevitably, one sister is short-changed, and the end result is that the story focuses more on Kat while Nell is barely a shade more than an afterthought.  The story lacks deep emotion or connection with the reader, but would be a good selection for a beach read or something just before bed.

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