About the Book
Book: Seven Brides for Seven Texans
Authors: Gabrielle Meyer, Erica Vetsch, Amanda Barratt, Lorna Steilstad, Keli Gwyn, and Vickie McDonough
Genre: Christian Historical Romance
Release date: April 29, 2025
Seven brothers, seven heiresses, and one meddling grandfather—can mismatched matchmaking pave the way for true love?
Abraham Kennebrae, a powerful Minnesota tycoon, hatches a bold matchmaking scheme to secure his grandsons’ futures by pairing them with the wealthiest heiresses in town. But the brothers have no intention of complying, and their prospective brides harbor plans of their own. Jonathan battles to protect his fortune from slipping through his fingers, while Melissa guards the secret that could shatter her world—and her heart. Noah seeks refuge on Sutton Island, where fate throws him into the path of his destined bride, Anastasia. Meanwhile, Eli resigns himself to an engagement with Clarice Zahn, though his heart stirs at the sight of her younger sister, Josie.
With emotions running high and loyalties tested, Abraham’s carefully crafted plan spirals into chaos. Can love triumph when hearts rebel against expectations, or will the grandfather’s meddling prove too great a challenge for even the most determined romantics?
Click here to get your copy!
Guest Review from Donna
What I think you should know:
Seven Brides for Seven Texans : Lonestar Brothers is a collection of novellas about The Hart Brothers. The following authors are part of the collection: Erica Vetsch, Gabrielle Meyer, Amanda Barratt , Lorna Steilstad, Keli Gwyn, Vickie Donough and Susan Page Davis. Set in Texas in 1874 the Hart Brothers find their lives turned upside down when their father George Washington Hart demands they marry by the end of the year or lose their inheritance.
What I think about this book:
First Comes Love by Gabrielle Meyer is story of the youngest of the Hart brothers, John Coffee Hays Hart . Hays has always felt left behind by his brothers and is not going to let it happen now. In his determination to get married he advertises for a wife and gets off on the wrong foot with Emma Longley, the new pastor’s daughter. Emma was determined to dislike everything about Texas. I enjoyed seeing Hays try to open her eyes to the beauty of Texas.
The Heart of Texas by Lorna Seilstad features Texas Ranger Chisholm Hart and the spunky Caro Cardova. When a cattle rustling investigation puts the two at odds, how can they fall in love? Caro is such a fun character, but Chisholm proved he could hold his own. This story held a fun mystery to solve.
The Truest Heart by Amanda Barratt features Doctor Travis Hart and Midwife Annie Lawrence. Travis and Annie were in love, but Annie married another . This was a great story of forgiveness.
A Love Returned by Keli Gwyn features Sam Houston Hart who left home 12 years ago also leaving his sweetheart Coralee. Sam and Coralee both had secrets as to the choices they made 12 years ago. I enjoyed watching them get to know the adult version of each other.
For Love or Money by Susan Page Davis features Crockett Hart and Jane Haymaker. This was such a sweet story. Jane lived in poverty trying to care for her brother . I appreciated Crockett’s tender care of Jane.
Mail Order Mayhem by Vicki McDonough was such a fun mail order bride story. I really enjoyed Austin’s Story
Love at Last by Erica Vetsch is Bowie’s story. Bowie was a POW in a Union prison and still bares the scares physically and mentally . Elise was his ray of light in the middle of Darkness. Bowie returns North and marries Elise, but offers a marriage of convenience only. I appreciate how Elise wasn’t willing to give up on Bowie!
Each of the authors involved in this collection have done a great job of coordinating details for their individual stories. I loved each one and looked forward to meeting the next Brother and the woman who would become his wife. I highly recommend this collection!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit, this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own.
About the Authors
Gabrielle Meyer, a Minnesota native, draws inspiration for her historical fiction from the rich stories and landscapes of her home state, where she lives on the banks of the upper Mississippi River with her husband and four children. A former employee of the Minnesota Historical Society, Gabrielle loves weaving real people, places, and events into her captivating tales.
Best-selling, award-winning author Erica Vetsch weaves her love for Jesus, history, romance, and sports into her stories, including The Debutante’s Code, the first in the Thorndike & Swann Regency Mystery Series. When she’s not crafting fiction or planning her next trip to a history museum.
Bestselling author Amanda Barratt brings to life overlooked moments in history through her award-winning novels, including The Warsaw Sisters, Within These Walls of Sorrow, and The White Rose Resists. Based in Michigan, she’s often immersed in research, tackling her ever-growing TBR stack, or savoring a slice of lemon cake.
Carol Award finalist Lorna Seilstad explores life’s complexities with humor in her nine novels, including the Lake Manawa Summers and Gregory Sisters series, as well as several novella collections. When she’s not writing, she teaches women’s Bible classes, runs a toy store, plans weddings, or spends time with her Pyredoodle, Honey Bea.
Keli Gwyn crafts inspirational historical romances that she loves to read. A California native, she now lives in the greater Sacramento area with her husband and their sweet orange tabby, enjoying life close to family.
Vickie McDonough, a CBA, EPCA, and Amazon best-selling author of 54 books and novellas, brings the Old West to life in her award-winning romances featuring ranchers, cowboys, and lawmen. Though married to a computer geek who fears horses, she lives out her ranching dreams through her stories—and when she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, gardening, making cards, and traveling.
More from Erica
Hi, I’m Erica Vetsch, and I loved collaborating on the stories for the 7 Brides for 7 Texans collection. It was fun writing stories that were so intertwined, and working closely with the other authors in the collection to bring the whole concept together.
Initially, I was approached by a publisher, asking if I would be interested in heading up a novella collection loosely based on the idea of 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, the classic musical. The parameters were that the stories must be no longer than 25K words, be historical in setting, and that I could choose the overall concept, as well as my team of authors.
I, of course, jumped at the chance. Before I contacted anyone, I worked up a rough idea of the premise of the stories. A wealthy Texas rancher with seven strapping sons is tired of waiting for them to get married and provide him with grandchildren, so he issues an ultimatum. Get married by the end of the calendar year, or you’re disinherited.
I named all the sons after famous Texans, and gave them a birth order, then I began contacting writing friends to see if they were interested in joining the project. Everyone I asked said yes! 😊
Then the real fun began. We formed a private Facebook group, and as the characters were chosen by the various authors, the order of the stories in the collection formed, and as ideas for storylines poured in, I began creating what we came to call The Master Document.
In the MD we tracked main characters’ names and appearances, secondary characters, a map of the fictional town of Hartsville, TX, and more. It eventually ran to more than 20 pages of information. We named the town newspaper, the general store, and kept track of the layout of the Harts’ massive ranch house. Keeping these details all in one place made it easy for the authors to flesh out their story world in a way that was consistent with everyone else’s stories.
Because the stories are so closely tied and on such a tight timeline, each of the authors’ characters would appear in another author’s novella. We needed to respect each other’s visions for the characters and treat them with respect, while also having the freedom to write our own stories.
Early on, as the project coordinator, it was established that if a dispute arose between two authors on how something should go, it would be myself who would cast the final vote. However, that contingency never came into play, as all the authors worked so well together.
One of the most challenging aspects of the project was, that as the project lead, and the one writing the final story in the collection, I needed to know the most about all the stories. Just before the deadline to turn our stories into the publisher, each author sent their story along to me to read for continuity. I spent a long weekend at author Gabrielle Meyer’s house, and we read every novella aloud, making notes for consistency and continuity throughout. These notes were turned in to the project editor, and she used them in her editing process to make sure seven separate stories felt cohesive.
It truly was a fun—and to me—unique, project, and when the publisher asked if I would like to head up a follow up collection, I was eager to say yes, and thus 7 Brides for 7 Texas Rangers was born.
Both of these intertwined collections went out of print, but they are now being released once more, this time through Wild Heart Books. I’m thrilled that we can tell our stories to new readers and prolong the lives of these characters.
Blog Stops
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 21
Pens Pages & Pulses, May 21
Texas Book-aholic, May 22
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 23
Locks, Hooks and Books, May 24
Simple Harvest Reads, May 24 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)
Devoted To Hope, May 25
For Him and My Family, May 25
Stories By Gina, May 26 (Author Interview)
Jeanette’s Thoughts, May 26
She Lives to Read, May 27
lakesidelivingsite, May 27
Labor Not in Vain, May 28
Tell Tale Book Reviews, May 28
Cover Lover Book Review, May 29
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, May 29
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 30
Holly’s Book Corner, May 30
Books You Can Feel Good About, May 31
Blossoms and Blessings, June 1
Jodie Wolfe, June 1
Pause for Tales, June 2
Book Butterfly in Dreamland, June 2
Leslie’s Library Escape, June 3
Giveaway
To celebrate their tour, the Wild Heart Books Authors are giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
When Jack Shelton hightails it out of Lexington, Virginia, for the suburbs of Washington, DC, he just wants out. Now. First on the agenda: put mountains and miles between him and his hometown memories. Second: find a job as a reporter. Fast.
Pam Green made her writing début in fifth grade when drafted to write the class play, Ghosts! Ghosts! Ghosts! At twelve, she fell in love with the French language. After a satisfying teaching career, she still peeks in the windows of empty schools while traveling and lingers in school supply aisles in August. Her stories show that God is always working in the lives of His children and seeking new members of His family.
To celebrate her tour, Pam is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card, a copy of the book, and a surprise!!
The Bible Companion series is a simple, flexible, and compelling Bible Study guide. Short daily readings link God’s story to yours, help you through difficult passages, and highlight the treasures in each chapter of the Bible. In Genesis and Exodus, God reveals Himself as a loving Creator who longs to walk through life with you. Book 1 takes you deep into God’s plan to share His life and wisdom with those who love and follow Him. The storytelling approach of the series will keep you reading, even through the parts that are challenging and hard-to-understand. Find hope in the stories of ordinary men and women in the Bible whose encounters with God transformed them and reversed the direction of their lives. Discover that what God has done for them, He can do for you.
Karen Westbrook Moderow is a Bible teacher and author who brings a storyteller’s perspective to Scripture. She graduated magna cum laude from California State University at Long Beach with a BA in English Literature. She also holds an MFA from Chapman University in creative writing and a Master of Arts in Theology from Fuller Seminary. She has been published by numerous Christian periodicals and authored two previous books.
To celebrate her tour, Karen is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!
When the devil wears Blue and Gray,
Kendy Pearson is a worship leader, Bluegrass fiddler, and Civil War reenactment enthusiast. As a veteran high school teacher, she loves to discover a pocket of American history missing from the schoolbooks and turn that pocket inside out. Her novels lead fictitious characters through historical events and settings, engaging with period personalities. And she always includes a romantic thread to warm the heart. Every story is a journey through tragedy, secrets, regrets, and God’s undeniable grace.
In a world of secrets and shadows, a priest, two accountants, and an elite task force must protect what’s hidden or risk it all.
S.F. Baumgartner crafts fast-paced Christian suspense thrillers, weaving tales of complex characters, secretive operatives, and relentless agents. Her gripping storytelling has earned acclaim, with Living Secrets—Book 1 of her Mirror Estate series—named a Top Pick in the thriller category at Killer Nashville, 2024. When she’s not plotting her next twist, she’s binge-watching crime TV shows, like NCIS or playing with her cats. Fans of James Patterson’s style, especially those who appreciate short, punchy chapters, will find much to love in her work.
To celebrate her tour, S.F. is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and an eBook copy of the book!!
A secret family, a dangerous journey, and a reluctant protector who might save her heart.
Multi-published, award-winning author Lena Nelson Dooley has had more than 1,000,000 copies of her 50+ books sold. Her books have appeared on the CBA, Publisher’s Weekly, and ECPA bestseller lists, as well as Amazon bestseller lists. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and the local chapter, ACFW – DFW. She’s a member of Christian Authors’ Network. She likes to create characters and stories that grip her readers hearts.
Self-assured. Perceptive. Determined. Character traits Nick Marshall wears with pride, along with a bit of charm.
K.J. Rowe began her writing career in 2012 with the drafting of her Young Adult series called “Casts of Silver”, The series, born out of her own unique experiences and understanding how books can literally change people’s lives has been crafted to spotlight particular issues common amongst young people. To impress upon youth the importance of listening to their inner voice, remembering their self worth and to trust in Gods perfect plan for each of our lives is the mission and vision of this series. Karen lives with her husband and 2 children on a farm in North West Victoria, Australia.
To celebrate her tour, K.J. is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card and a signed copy of the book!!
Since he married, author and pastor Scott LaPierre has supported his wife and ten children on a single income. He’s witnessed the stress that accompanies financial insecurity, yet he’s learned firsthand that even those with a limited income can eliminate monetary worries when they abide by biblical principles.
How can I take control of my impulsive spending habits? How do I make up for not saving sooner? How should I prepare in case of an unplanned financial burden? Money can easily become a source of anxiety, but a sound understanding of your finances and a proactive plan for your future will put those fears to rest!
Scott LaPierre is a teaching pastor, author, and popular conference speaker. He holds an MA in Biblical Studies from Liberty University. God has blessed Scott and his wife, Katie, with ten children.