Author: Tracie Peterson

Series: The Heart of Cheyenne #1

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: March 5, 2024

Set in the wild frontier, Tracie Peterson will have the hearts of readers swooning before turning the last page.

Edward Vogel gets the opportunity of a lifetime when he is invited by a friend to help establish the new town of Cheyenne. He isn’t sure about heading out west, but when he gets the opportunity to leave behind painful memories, he thinks it might be for the best. He asks his friend Marybeth to marry him and after the death of her father, marriage might be the only way for Marybeth to keep her young sister with her. Being thrown together in marriage and now in a new town they find more than their hearts in danger of being hurt.

An unexpected love was a good read but not great. I was expecting a little more with this one and felt it fell short of my expectations. I am thankful for good, clean Christian fiction and this one was good and clean but not memorable. It had all the elements of a good historical romance, and I enjoyed the story of Edward and Marybeth as they moved west. Fans of Petersons books will enjoy this one and if you haven’t read Peterson’s work before this is a good one to start with as it is the first in a new series. I do see good potential for the rest of the series and will likely be reading them when they become available.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher.  The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Author: Mary Connealy

Series: Wyoming Sunrise #3

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: October 17, 2023

The conclusion to the Wyoming Sunrise series returns readers to the frontier that is a sure bet for readers that enjoy inspirational romance.

Becky Pruitt knows life on the prairie is hard and running a ranch as a woman is even harder. She has worked hard to know what’s happening and keep it running smoothly. When Nate Paxton, her ranch foreman, comes to her one day and tells her that the ranch would be the perfect spot to allow U.S. Marshals to stop a notorious gang, Becky is hesitant to be involved in such an undertaking. Knowing it is the best thing for the town, she reluctantly agrees to let Nate and the Marshals do what they must. The one thing Becky didn’t count on was her heart falling for Nate and it might end up being a problem for them all.

Mary Connealy is a staple in the libraries of those that enjoy Wester and Historical Romance and even though this isn’t my favorite genre to read I have found her books to be enjoyable. This is probably my favorite of the three in this series with the danger and suspense that brought Nate and Becky together. Becky is a strong and independent female protagonist, and I enjoyed watching her go through the motions of trying to run the ranch and stay independent and finally giving into her heart. Overall, this was an enjoyable read that fans of historical romance will enjoy.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher.  The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Author: Mary Connealy

Series: Wyoming Sunrise #2

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: June 20, 2023

A great story with vivid details that readers will find enticing and enriching!

Nell Armstrong and Brand Nolte are thrown together through a series of unfortunate events. Brand is a widower and has three girls that he is struggling to raise on his own and Nell is a seamstress that is tired of making chaps for cowboys in her tiny Wyoming town. Nell’s first husband was a lawman and the skills he had rubbed off on her as she and Brand must investigate a robbery of a stagecoach when the survivor ends up at their little town. The mystery deepens as they try to figure out who the bad guy is before anyone else gets hurt.

This second book in the Wyoming Sunrise series is more captivating than the first with a rich array of scenery and characters. I loved the way Nell is portrayed as a strong female character even in this historical romance where female characters are not typically portrayed. The way Nell and Brand are brought together is normal for a novel of this genre, but it didn’t bore readers the way some historical fiction books can. With the way this story held my attention, I can’t wait to see what the next in the series brings.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher.  The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

A great story with vivid details that readers will find enticing and enriching!

Nell Armstrong and Brand Nolte are thrown together through a series of unfortunate events. Brand is a widower and has three girls that he is struggling to raise on his own and Nell is a seamstress that is tired of making chaps for cowboys in her tiny Wyoming town. Nell’s first husband was a lawman and the skills he had rubbed off on her as she and Brand must investigate a robbery of a stagecoach when the survivor ends up at their little town. The mystery deepens as they try to figure out who the bad guy is before anyone else gets hurt.

This second book in the Wyoming Sunrise series is more captivating than the first with a rich array of scenery and characters. I loved the way Nell is portrayed as a strong female character even in this historical romance where female characters are not typically portrayed. The way Nell and Brand are brought together is normal for a novel of this genre, but it didn’t bore readers the way some historical fiction books can. With the way this story held my attention, I can’t wait to see what the next in the series brings.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher.  The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Author: Jody Hedlund

Series: Colorado Cowboys #4

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: October 11, 2022

The fourth book in the Colorado Cowboys series will take readers on a fun journey with great characters!

Ivy McQuaid has lived her life in a family full of boys with four older brothers. While living on their ranch, she wants to have her own family and a home of her own. The land she wants to buy with the money saved is in danger when an old love resurfaces in her life. Jericho Bliss has been gone for two years searching for war criminals and doesn’t want to get anyone else involved in his dangerous life. But the heart wants what it wants and right now his wants Ivy!  No matter how hard he tries to avoid his attraction to Ivy, she is hard to resist. When Ivy is in danger Jericho, must decide what he is willing to do for love.

For fans of historical romance, this will be a fun and fast read. Ivy McQuaid makes for a great female lead that made the story fly and kept me engaged as a reader. This is the fourth in the series and fans of the series will enjoy this new edition and the love angle is swoon worthy. I loved the way Jericho did all he could to keep everyone safe and yet love won his heart over but also put in jeopardy all he cares for. Love is a powerful thing and can keep a story moving. This story was moved by the love within the pages. Each chapter had great tension and really moved the story forward with the way I cared for the characters and what they were going through. I recommend this book and series to fans of historical romance.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher.  The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Author: Jody Hedlund

Series: Colorado Cowboys #3

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: May 3, 2022

An old west romance that shows how healing the heart can help in more ways than one.

Brody McQuaid may have survived the war, but he is not the same man as before he left, something inside of him died. He spends his days trying to save wild horses and time with his niece. The horses are being killed off by ranchers angry that the horses are feeding on the open grass and taking the land and food away from their cattle. Veterinarian Savannah Marshall ends up working with Brody to try and save the horses after running away from the man her father had chosen for her to marry. Now they both have the trouble of the ranchers and Savannah’s family coming after them.

When reading a historical romance, especially a western historical romance, you go in with a certain expectation as a reader. I am not usually entertained as much with these types of books but did find this one enjoyable. I don’t know if it was the horse aspect or what, but I did enjoy the story. This is the third in a series and I had not read the others but felt that this was still enjoyable on its own. Brody and Savannah had a great chemistry and even with all they were both dealing with they were able to work together and moved the story along at a great pace. If you enjoy western romantic suspense this will be a great one to add to your collection.

Author: Mary Connealy

Series: Lumber Barons Daughters #1

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: March 1, 2022

New historical, western series will be a fit for genre lovers.

Laura Stiles and her two sisters have learned to handle their mother’s new husband without much of a problem until they learn he is planning to marry them off to his friends. Their father had a lumber dynasty that is supposed to be theirs, but now they must run away to find their own man to marry and be able to have legal claim to what their father left them. In their rush to get away, Laura brings her and her sisters into a mission group heading to California. They find themselves a perfect fit for the group with a skillset needed to help. The mission parson, Caleb has secrets in his past that he does not want to come to light, but he could be just the person to help Laura get her inheritance.

Let me start this review by saying this book is written for a specific audience, if you are not that specific audience you will not enjoy reading this. There are some books you can pick up and even if it is not what you would normally read you can still enjoy reading the story. Not here, I am not normally a fan of historical romance, but I grabbed this one for a quick read, it was quick but not very engaging. Lots of characters with not much development over the course of the 300 pages, especially when it came to our hero/heroine in the story. The plot was nothing deep that required special attention; something simple to breeze through pretty much sums up what this story was. Again, if the historical, western romance is your genre this will probably be one you love, if not maybe move on to something else.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher.  The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Author: Amanda Cabot

Series: Mesquite Springs #3

Publisher: revell

Release Date: March 1, 2022

What a great conclusion to the Mesquite Springs series!

Some people just won’t take no for an answer, especially when money is involved.  Alexandra Tarkington must leave New York for her own sanity and safety and decides to go to the booming metropolis of Mesquite Springs, Texas, which is nestled in the hill county and the town where her father is building a hotel.  After leaving a false trail, she arrives in Mesquite Springs to find that the hotel is nowhere close to finished and her father seems to have aged twenty years and taken on a different name.  Instead of being happy to see her, he urges her to return to her aunt in New York, but she knows she can’t and decides to carve out a life for herself here. 

However, things aren’t always as they seem.  The nice man who accompanied her to Texas known as Gabe Seymore happens to be an investigator hired to out her father as a swindler.  But as things progress, Gabe and Alexandra continue to find themselves in dangerous situations that can help but make sparks between them. 

I’ve loved this entire series and each year I get to spend a few days in Mesquite Springs with my favorite characters.  I was glad to see some characters from previous books and how they have been getting along in the town.  Each book is a little predictable, but they are still fun with a little twist of suspense thrown in at the end.  If you love western type clean romances, this is a series for you!

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher.  The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Author: Amanda Cabot

Series: Mesquite Springs #2

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: March 2, 2021

Come back to the quaint western town of Mesquite Springs, TX and read Dorothy’s story!

Dorothy Clark has always resigned herself that she will never marry.  After her father died, her mother fell into deep depression, and Dorothy doesn’t want to allow an event to do that to her.  Since her brother got married, she is helping run her sister-in-law’s restaurant, Polly’s Place in their absence.  She has always dreamed of being a writer, but never really had an opportunity.  When a newspaper man relocates to Mesquite Springs to start up a paper, Dorothy feels that she might have finally found her chance for her writing.  But will he stir up more than just words in her?

Mesquite Springs is such a fun town to visit in a book, but do the townsfolk sure get divided easily.  In the first book it was the mayoral race that did it and in this book its about the local pastor.  Readers will have a great time trying to figure out what is going to happen with all the different shady characters that show up in town. 

I liked seeing Dorothy grow more in this book.  She had a little bit of growth as a supporting character previously and really blossomed into this book.  She wasn’t shallow, she is actually very intelligent and good hearted.  I can’t wait to see what is in store for the final book of the trilogy.  I think I know who the main characters will be and am excited to see how it is going to play out!

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher.  The views and opinions expressed within are my own.