Six complete western romance novels, and mail order brides published by Susan Leigh Carlton. Following the United States Civil War, there was a dire shortage of eligible males in the eastern and southern part of the country. At the same time, the gold rush in the US western frontier consisted almost completely of males. The loneliness created a desire for companionship with the opposite sex, and both groups resorted to advertising for mates. The Matrimonial News was established and consisted solely of advertisements of those seeking companionship. This is the story of six couples that advertised and met their mail order brides and mail order husbands.