Fieldnotes:
Half a Day's Ride from Nowhere, Washington, March 1871

1 Largely Unnecessary Prologue with Characters Not Seen Again
1 Tragically Orphaned Heiress (Unbeknownst to Herself)
1 Greedy Lecherous Uncle
13 Years of Skivvy Work
1 Mail Order Bride Agency (Non-Sketchy Variety, to the Extent the Concept Can Be Non-Sketchy)

1 Romantically Minded Farmer Who Despite Being Popular Amongst the Local Womenfolk Decides to Send Away for a Mail Order Bride Rather Than Doing Any Courting
3 Overgrown Hoodlum Brothers Who Specialize in Dangerous Pranks
0 Comeuppance / Socialization
0 Farmwork

1 Conniving Hussy
1 One-Eyed Bandit (Non-Euphemism Variety)
1 Complicated Kidnap/Wedding Plan

The Short Version
A sweet (kisses/fade-to-black) romance about nice people believing they have fallen in love VERY quickly because the plot demands it. I would have liked a few more Little House in the Big Woods descriptions of farming life (as she didn't seem to be expected to do much other than cook and she had never experienced life outside of New Orleans). It felt more like an episode of Little House on the Prairie / Anne with an E (more soap opera than substance).

I got cranky at the sequel-bait brothers and their pranks - many of which are dangerous and none of which are adequately dealt with (I wanted Samijo to refuse to cook for them if they behaved this way). The only real conflict surrounds a conniving hussy with her wiles set on Arlan for the flimsiest of reasons - and then a complicated climactic scene with three different parties of ill intent showing up at the Weaver farm largely independent of one another... and all of this was so soon after Samijo's arrival that their affection felt incredibly rushed / unearned.

Sweet but insubstantial. ( )