Reviewed by Heather Stockard for Readers' Favorite

Etta Collier and Bern Stidham were complete strangers, but thanks to a lonely little girl, they find themselves thrown together in the unlikeliest of ways. Etta is a widow living in Independence, Missouri. The death of her husband left her deep in debt and subject to the advances of an odious banker. Bern is a lawman and preacher from Colorado, raising his daughter Grace alone. Grace, eager to find a wife for her pa and a mother for herself, writes to Etta’s pastor in Independence. Etta responds to the girl’s plea and takes herself to Colorado to meet the reluctant Bern. He’s as kind and good as Pastor Fillmore promised, but Etta quickly realizes that he’s still mourning his dead wife. In order to build a new life together, they’ll have to move past their grief, but misunderstandings and insecurities threaten their chances of finding love and happiness again.

Mail-Order Misfire, a sweet, faith-based romance novel written by Davalynn Spencer, is set in nineteenth-century Colorado. It is a beautifully written book. Spencer’s descriptions and prose are lovely, almost poetic at times. She captures the historic atmosphere and setting perfectly. The Christian elements are well done, and much appreciated. It’s refreshing to read a romance without worrying about explicit material. The characters of Mail-Order Misfire are nicely written and fleshed out. They feel realistic and likable and their love story will have readers rooting for them all the way to the end. This book is a must-read for any lovers of Christian and historical romance. This is a fantastic story.