Also by Ruth Ann Nordin:
- Meant To Be
- An Unlikely Place for Love
- Romancing Adrienne
- An Inconvenient Marriage
- His Redeeming Bride
- With This Ring, I Thee Dread
- Falling In Love With Her Husband
- Loving Eliza
- The Cold Wife
- A Bride for Tom
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Published: July 29, 2009
Words: 82858 (approximate)
Language: English
Ebook description
A homely woman who fears she will never marry becomes a mail-order bride. The man she comes for rejects her but another offers her marriage. She accepts, not believing love will result from the union. Love, after all, is for beautiful women. Isn't it?Adult-content rating:
This book contains content considered unsuitable for young readers 17 and under, and which may be offensive to some readers of all ages. For more information, see the Support FAQ.
Tags
romance, love, farm, historical romance, mailorder bride, groom, nebraska, omahaAvailable ebook reading formats
Single purchase gains access to all formats. How to download ebooks to e-reading devices and apps.| Format | Full Book | Sample First 50% |
|---|---|---|
| Online Reading (HTML, good for sampling in web browser) | Buy | View sample |
| Online Reading (JavaScript, experimental, buggy) | Buy | View sample |
| Kindle (.mobi for Kindle devices and Kindle apps) | Buy | Download sample |
| Epub (Apple iPad/iBooks, Nook, Sony Reader, Kobo, and most e-reading apps including Stanza, Aldiko, Adobe Digital Editions, others) | Buy | Download sample |
| PDF (good for reading on PC, or for home printing) | Buy | No sample available |
| RTF (readable on most word processors) | Buy | No sample available |
| LRF (Use only for older model Sony Readers that don't support .epub) | Buy | Download sample |
| Palm Doc (PDB) (for Palm reading devices) | Buy | Download sample |
| Plain Text (download) (flexible, but lacks much formatting) | Buy | No sample available |
| Plain Text (view) (viewable as web page) | Buy | No sample available |
Videos
Eye of the BeholderReviews
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Review by:
enigma777
on Dec. 08, 2011 :
I love Ruth Ann Nordin's books. They're all so wonderfully written! Loved both Dave and Mary in this story. It's so romantic and truly makes you happy reading that Mary is appreciated for who she is by a loving and caring husband.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)
Review by:
Nanais1
on Nov. 26, 2011 :
(no rating)
forgot to add 5 stars!!!!!!!!!!!!
(reviewed within a month of purchase)
Review by:
Nanais1
on Nov. 26, 2011 :
(no rating)
What a great book in Ms. Nordin's Nebraska series. I couldn't stop reading until the end. Romance, suspense and love in just the right amounts. I can't wait to start another of her books.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)
Review by:
CKay Brooks
on Sep. 17, 2011 :
Going through my library and saw I had not review this book. Even now, it brings a smile. It is always fun to see a jerk get his, but the best is seeing a good person recognized for what she is. It was a different time that we can never fulling appreciate. Good read, sweet story.
(reviewed long after purchase)
Review by:
idealsoul
on Aug. 08, 2011 :
a++++
(reviewed within a week of purchase)
Review by:
Shantell Morris
on May 27, 2011 :
When I first started reading this book I wasn't really sure if i would like it. This was the first of Ms. Nordin's books that I had read. However, as the story progresses I really started to get into it. I felt so sorry for Mary in the beginning. But Dave is a sweetheart. I also liked how there were other sub plots going on. Great book.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)
Review by:
Marshcourt
on May 11, 2011 :
I enjoy Ruth Ann Nordins books. Lovely romances which go beneath the surface
(reviewed within a month of purchase)
Review by:
michelle gatt
on April 30, 2011 :
(no rating)
i first read a bride for tom and loved it and cant get enought of ruth ann nordins books this is another example of the excellent books she writes cant wait for the next one
(reviewed long after purchase)
Review by:
Amaranth louise
on March 16, 2011 :
I love all the books by Ruth Ann Nordin!!
(reviewed within a month of purchase)
Review by:
Kristie Lindsey
on March 02, 2011 :
I really liked this book. Will look for more by this author.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)
Review by:
Sarah Bathurst
on Feb. 28, 2011 :
Loved this book, itbis well written and endearing, perfect love story. what every women wants in a man to look below the surface to the beauty Inside. BEAUTIFUL LOVE STORY!!!!!
(reviewed within a month of purchase)
Review by:
Jutzie
on Feb. 26, 2011 :
What an awesome book on internal beauty vs physical beauty.
Dave and Mary's story is so good. I love Ruth's writing and her description and personalities of her characters. I read the five books in this series and I'm looking forward to the ones still coming out.
Thanks for the free and reasonably priced ebooks Ruth!
(reviewed within a week of purchase)
Review by:
Margaret Andersen
on Nov. 03, 2010 :
Forgot to add: 5 stars! Magnificent.
(reviewed the day of purchase)
Review by:
Margaret Andersen
on Nov. 03, 2010 :
(no rating)
This was a wonderful book that brought tears to my eyes throughout and even after finishing it. It has touched me more than I ever thought a romance novel could. The character development was fantastic, and the story entertaining without being cliche. It's left an indelible impression in my mind and my heart. Thank you so much for sharing Dave and Mary's beautiful story with us.
(reviewed the day of purchase)
Review by:
Michelle Carter
on Aug. 30, 2010 :
OOPS forgot my rating. Five stars all the way!!!
(review of free book)
Review by:
Michelle Carter
on Aug. 30, 2010 :
(no rating)
This is one of the first books I read by Ruth Ann Nordin. I love her books and believe me I have read plenty! She has become one of my favorite authors. I read her books with much joy in my heart. Thank you again for such a beautiful read that most women can relate to...I can wait for you to write more of Dave and Mary's story.
(review of free book)
Review by:
Jessica Veenstra
on Aug. 27, 2010 :
I love this book!! Ruth Ann Nordin's one of my favorite authors, every book i read of hers leaves a giant smile on my face!
(review of free book)
Review by:
Hetal Vadanlal Doctor
on Aug. 17, 2010 :
Its a lovely story.. Most of women can relate to it in this place where there is urge to look prettier to get attention they deserve.. but this is like a fairy tale .. i loved reading every word of it..
(review of free book)
Review by:
Mary McCall
on Aug. 02, 2010 :
I enjoy Ruth Ann Nordin's historical fiction. This may be my favorite- I've read it several times. I like the writing style and humour. It's a sweet romance-I Love it! I look forward to more by this author.
(review of free book)
Review by:
Dianne Stevens
on July 27, 2010 :
A very enjoyable sweet read.
(review of free book)
Review by:
beth beale
on July 11, 2010 :
Great Story! Have Become a big fan of Ruth Ann Nordin Books!
(review of free book)
Review by:
lind
on June 09, 2010 :
(no rating)
A great review Joleene!
This is so much more than a story...it is a quiet, dignified look at the inner self, without being preachy. Leaves you feeling like you want to visit them. A must read.
(review of free book)
Review by:
Joleene Naylor
on March 31, 2010 :
Mary Peters live in Maine in the late 1800's. A nineteen year old girl with a "too big" nose, "too thin" lips and freckles, she's left behind without so much as a suitor while all of her sisters have left the house to be married. With an eye to the papers, she stumbles across an ad from Neil Craftsman, a Nebraska farmer seeking a bride. He asks for a woman who is hardworking, dependable and capable of bearing children, yet he never mentions the word pretty.
It fits Mary to a t.
Despite her parents' objections, she boards the train and spends a week traveling to the prairies of Nebraska. Only, when she gets there, she discovers that Neil did want something pretty after all, and Mary is just too plain!
A lesser woman would have run crying, but Mary is a strong woman who refuses to go cringing back home. It's this exact resilience that impresses Dave Larson and leads him to ask her to marry him instead. Though reluctant to accept, he manages to convince her and, by the end of the day, Mary Peters is a married woman.
But, her mother never taught her about marriage, and certainly no one instructed her in the ways of farming back in her hometown in Maine. The next several months are a learning experience for her, in more ways than one, the question is can she learn to trust Dave's feelings and see herself through his eyes?
When I started this book I only intended to read a couple of chapters; I ended up reading the whole book in one setting. Mary is a character that I could quickly identify with, from her desire to please, to the rejection she has so often gotten from men, who see only what's on the outside, not what's inside.
But this isn't just Mary's story, it is also Dave's who, after tragedy strikes, has to learn how to cope. Interwoven between the lines is the story of Neil Craftsman who finally gets what he wants; a beautiful east coast bride, but is she really as fantastic as everyone thinks?
More than just a historical romance, this is a story about looking under the surface, least we forget that there's more to people than what they look like and that, while a pretty face may appeal at first, there has to be something underneath it. But most importantly, it's a reminder the beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.
(review of free book)