Trail of Longing (Hot on the Trail, Book 3)

 

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS INFORMATION THAT SOME MAY CONSIDER SPOILERS.

MERRY FARMER

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, 1/11/15.

How acquired: Bought.

First line: Dr. Dean Meyers was the most beautiful thing Emma Sutton had ever seen.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I read the first two books in this series back in 2015, and very much enjoyed them, and in 2020 I came across the next two books while browsing in a bookstore and snatched them both up. And as often happens, when I have so many different book series in progress, they then sat on my shelves until now.

I’ll admit that it took me awhile to really warm up to Emma. When the story opens, she’s madly in love with Dean, even though she’s never spoken to him. And when she does finally speak to him, she’s so shy that she can barely stammer out full words, much less a complete sentence. She was sweet enough, but her mother was a piece of work, shamelessly contriving to push Emma and Dean together and telling Emma she needs to “trap” Dean because he’s such a good catch. Much to Emma’s dismay and embarrassment, but to Dean’s amusement. He’s interested, and is willing to let Emma’s mother play matchmaker. Actually, I guess my taking awhile to warm up to Emma isn’t quite true – I liked her just fine, until her mother decided another candidate would be better than Dean, and Emma would not stand up to her. Dean was frustrated, and I was right there with him, while Emma kept insisting that her mother had been through so much that she couldn’t go against her wishes.

I loved Dean. He’s a doctor, and his tending to the other travelers on the wagon train was sweet and compassionate. After a tornado ravages the travelers and Emma’s ankle is sprained and swollen and painful, she and her mother and Dean and dropped off at a way station so she can rest and stay off her feet while they wait for the next wagon train to come along. And that’s when the trouble started. They join the next train, where Emma becomes good friends with another girl, Katie, and where she meets Russ, who went to medical school with Dean, was a surgeon alongside Dean on the battlefields, and who tells everyone that Dean was a deserter, along with lots of other stories. The speed with which Emma’s mother suddenly throws her lot in with Russ and begins pushing Emma to him and away from Dean was astonishing, and I began to hate her mother. That was the point where I also got exasperated with Emma for not standing up to her.

Then Emma and Katie are kidnapped by a couple of Indians, and Dean and Aidan, who has been in love with Emma practically his whole life, take off after them, while Russ refuses to go along, claiming he needs to stay behind to help protect the other women.

Needless to say, Dean rescues Emma, they declare their love for each other (and spend a steamy night in a cave), and everything is right with the world after that. Except that the two had Indians split up and gone in different directions, and when the book ends we still don’t know the fate of Katie and Aidan. Thankfully, their story is the next book, TRAIL OF DREAMS, which I am now off to get started on.

Goodreads Synopsis: Emma Sutton fell in love with Dr. Dean Meyers on the very first day of their journey west on the Oregon Trail. Dean is handsome, caring, and noble. If only she could tell him! But between her crippling shyness and the marital machinations of her mother, she despairs of ever being able to say what’s in her heart. When a sudden injury puts her in Dean’s hands, literally and figuratively, she hopes she might just have a chance with him…until a ghost from Dean’s past comes between them.

Dean Meyers is determined to make the long journey west to start a new life and leave the horrors of the Civil War behind him. He is charmed by Emma and amused by her mother, and can finally see peace in his future. But when an old colleague shows up to turn his world upside down, it’s all Dean can do to keep love, hope, and Emma from slipping away. All seems lost until Emma finds herself in danger and Dean is given a chance to be a hero…if he can reach her in time.

Love will give her courage to find her voice and follow her heart…

Protected (San Antonio Series, Book One)

 

PAULA PECKHAM

Stats for my copy: Pdf review copy (Kindle edition was published 4/9/22).

How acquired: Cozy Mystery Review Crew

First line: Abigail Walker stood beside the fresh grave.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: One of my favorite historical fiction plots is a wagon train headed west in search of a better life. There are always obstacles to overcome, and the travelers are forced to live together and work together to make the journey a success. When I read the synopsis for PROTECTED, it sounded right up my wagon track! What could be a more daunting obstacle than for all the adults to become ill and perish and the orphaned children having to finish the journey to on their own?

Abby, the oldest of the kids at eighteen, finds herself in the unwanted position of leader, with the younger kids looking to her for guidance. After a frightening incident with a couple of trappers they cross paths with, the older of the other children convince her to disguise herself as a boy. She is resistant at first, but then she begins to realize how much easier life is, how much more freedom you have, when you are dressed in pants instead of skirts. I’m with ya, Abby! I haven’t worn a dress or skirt in probably twenty years, since I began working in an office where jeans were acceptable attire.

Manny and Jonathan are also headed to San Antonio, where they both live, and are eager to get home. I forget now where they were coming from. Anyway, they come across the little wagon train while the kids are desperately searching for Sarah, who had been snatched and carried off by one of those trappers. They help the kids out, rescue Sarah, and then decide to travel with the kids the rest of the way, because of course they are good men and can’t just leave the kids to fend for themselves.

In the first few chapters I felt the writing was a bit simplistic, and knowing it was a debut book, I was thinking the story was good and the author showed promise. But at some point, my thinking changed, and it was more like the author just didn’t feel the need to throw in a lot of description, a lot of unnecessary words that did not help move the story along. And the story definitely moved along. Looking back, I feel like it moved at a pretty brisk pace, because I was so caught up in the story I didn’t want to put it down when my break was over and it was time to get back to work.

I loved Abby, and all the kids. It was a little hard to keep up with the kids, especially the younger ones, such as their ages and which ones were siblings. But since this was Abby’s and Manny's story, it didn’t bother me. Abby showed a lot of strength and perseverance. I also loved Manny, and the friendship that developed between him and “Abner”. Manny’s backstory was heartbreaking.

Once they arrive in San Antonio, the townspeople welcome the travelers, taking in the kids who have no family waiting for them. Abby herself is taken in by Manny’s grandmother, another character I loved. Of course, the secret finally comes out, and Manny feels angry and betrayed to learn that his friendship with “Abner” was based on a lie. Another obstacle for them to overcome. Meanwhile, Abby is able to claim a plot of land, and with lots of determination throws herself into fixing up her homestead.

I will point out that this is a Christian romance, and the characters’ faith, or lack of faith, plays a large part in the story. I’ve found that some Christian romances are light on the religion aspect. I’m fine with a story either way, light or heavy, but I know some readers prefer the lighter, or that the religious aspect stay mostly in the background.

All in all, I very much enjoyed this book. The characters are wonderfully written. I lean more towards character driven stories over plot driven, and here I felt like I got both. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more from this author.

*I received a free copy of this book via The Cozy Mystery Review Crew and have voluntarily reviewed it*

Goodreads Synopsis: Disaster strikes a wagon train en route to Texas, leaving 18-year-old Abby in charge of the survivors, all children younger than her. After an attempted kidnapping, the others convince her to disguise herself as a boy. Initially reluctant, Abby soon realizes life on the trail is much easier without bulky skirts. The disguise allows her to do things as "Abner" she couldn't do as Abby. It's intoxicating.

Disfigured by fire as a child, Manny, a young cowboy, is lonely and yearns for companionship. His scars and the judgment of townspeople make it difficult for him to trust others. He intercepts the wagon train and agrees to help the children finish the trip to San Antonio. A new friendship cracks the protective walls built around his heart. Hope blooms when he meets "Abner," and Manny's fear of rejection slowly dissolves.

As the weeks on the trail go by, Abby develops romantic feelings for Manny, and he values his first new friendship in years. When Manny discovers her deception, it destroys the fragile bond of friendship growing between them.

Can God help the two young lovers find trust, faith, and forgiveness on the hot Texas plain?

Trail of Hope (Hot on the Trail, Book 2)

MERRY FARMER

Synopsis from Goodreads: Callie Lewis is alone on the Oregon Trail. After her brother’s death, she has been left to fend for herself on a journey she never wanted to take. Her only hope for safety and a life at the end of the road is to become a trail bride and wed grieving widower John Rye. But John is harboring secrets that could end their hasty marriage before it has a chance to begin.

When a vicious tornado wakes John from the stupor the death of his wife left him in, he is ready to embrace Callie and the new life they could have together. But John is not the only one with designs on his new wife. Miles away from civilization, in a wagon train bristling with secrets and suspicion, John must catch a thief, fend off his rival, and reclaim his life to build the future Callie deserves.

In their darkest moments will they bring each other hope?

Stats for my copy: Kindle edition, Smashwords, 2014.

How acquired: Received from Badass Marketing for review.

My thoughts: Towards the end of TRAIL OF KISSES, the heroine, Lynne, saw her friend Callie and her husband John jump on a horse and go chasing after three other members of the wagon train. Lynne and Cade continued on their journey, wondering where the others were going, but leaving it to the trail master and his search party to find them.

TRAIL OF HOPE rewinds time and puts us back on the trail with the wagon train, when Callie was driving her brother's wagon while he and his wife and son were ill. We already know about the major events that will happen to the wagon train along the way, but now we're seeing the action through Callie's and John's eyes. This overlapping plot device is not something I can remember coming across before, but I liked it. Knowing some of the plot twists ahead of time only fueled my anticipation of going through it with Callie and John instead of Lynne and Cade. And story lines that were only hinted at in the first book were now revealed and played out.

Like Lynne, Callie is on this wagon train only because she was given no other choice. Her brother wanted to make the trip, and as a young unmarried woman with no other family, where he goes she must go. John is still grieving for his wife, who died in childbirth, and he has a definite plan to execute upon their arrival in Denver City. When Callie's brother, sister-in-law and nephew, an older woman who took the young girls under her wing convinces her that she needs to marry one of the eligible men so she'll have protection on the journey.

I loved Callie. She starts out scared, alone, and unsure of herself. But over the course of the story she matures and finds her inner strength. Of course, falling for her new husband helps. But John is the one who really grows and evolves during the journey. He's courteous, quiet, and keeps to himself. When Callie approaches him about marriage, he agrees because, after all, he's a gentleman. He can't refuse a damsel in distress. And with his final goal in mind, he doesn't really care what happens to him along the way.

The sex is ratcheted down considerably compared to the first book, which was in keeping with the characters. There's a bit of sexual tension between Callie and John, but Callie doesn't know what to do with it, and John is still too immersed in his grief. At first.

I enjoyed this second entry in the Hot on the Trail series. It was warm and sweet, with a mystery involving a teapot that I didn't figure out until just before Callie and John did. Some of the banter between them made me not only smile, but laugh out loud. The characters are distinctive and well drawn. Callie may find her inner strength, but John finds himself, and I'm glad I was along for the journey.

Trail of Kisses (Hot on the Trail, Book 1)

MERRY FARMER

Synopsis from Goodreads: Someone is trying to kill Lynne Tremaine. After her father sentences two members of The Briscoe Boys gang to death, Judge Tremaine feels he has no choice but to send Lynne to Denver City along the Oregon Trail to live with her Uncle George…against her will. For Lynne, the only thing worse than being sent away to the wild west is making the journey with the handsome, arrogant, wicked man her uncle has hired to escort her. Especially when the anger she feels toward him begins to turn to something hotter. 

Cade Lawson is determined to prove himself to his employer, George Tremaine, after letting him down months earlier. But what he thought would be his second chance may, in fact, be a harsh punishment for his past mistakes. Lynne is headstrong, fiery, and determined to show him she is fearless. She is also beautiful and tempting, and when Cade sees just how afraid she really is underneath her brave act, he may be in danger of losing his heart to her forever. When her would-be killer attacks, it’s all he can do to keep Lynne safe. 

He swore to protect her, but who will protect him from her?

Stats for my copy: Kindle edition, Smashwords, 2014.

How acquired: Received from Badass Marketing for review.

First line: The first glimpse Lynne Tremaine had of the mass of wagons that would take her west was enough to sink her heart.

My thoughts: Our story opens with Lynne Tremaine saying goodbye to her father and joining a wagon train to Denver City, much to her dismay. Judge Tremaine has been receiving threats from the Briscoe Boys in retaliation for hanging two of their members, and he is sending Lynne to stay with her aunt and uncle in an effort to keep her safe. He's hired a young man to drive her wagon, and Uncle George has sent one of his employees, Cade Lawson, to escort her.

Lynne is very independent, very stubborn, very headstrong. Her father calls her his brave girl, and she's determined to live up to that assessment, no matter what. I'll admit that in the beginning, while she's a very likable heroine with an appealing character, I still got a little exasperated with her, thinking her a spoiled idiot who doesn't have the sense to understand the danger she is in, making Cade's job of keeping her safe harder than it should have been. I didn't expect her to be a weak complacent female of her time, taking men's orders and doing as she's told without complaint, but she still seemed to swing too far the other way. However, as the story progressed and I got a little more into her head, I began to look at her in a different light, realizing what motivated her, what shaped her character.

Cade Lawson is also very likable, and very appealing. On a recent assignment he slipped up, and now he feels like a failure and a disappointment to his boss. He's hoping that safely escorting Lynne to her uncle will put him back in the latter's good graces.

He muttered a curse under his breath and swung his horse around to mount. “This is definitely a punishment.”

Cade and Lynne are constantly at odds, and their sparring often made me smile.

Not too long into the trip, it becomes apparent that the Briscoe Boys, or someone working for them, is among the many pioneers on the wagon train:

On top of her things, turned so that it faced her, Lynne found a photograph of her father, splattered with blood.

As the threats become more frequent and more frightening, vulnerability makes it's way into Lynne's personality. By now Cade is smitten with her, and I loved that whenever she gathered her resolve and acted like her old tough nothing-scares-me self it made him grin and his heart would swell a little more for her. As frustrating and recalcitrant as he often found her, it was clear that he preferred her that way over meek and mild.

There's quite a bit of sexual tension between Lynne and Cade, and then suddenly there was actual sex, which was a little jarring at first as up until then the tone of the book felt more...innocent, for lack of a better word. Especially considering the time the characters live in, when proper young ladies did not bed down outside the marriage bed, and where it would be so easy for their traveling companions to suspect, or realize, what's going on. But that's not a complaint – just an observation.

Except...there was one instance that nagged at me. When Cade and Lynn are making love, and Cade tells Lynne “Come for me, sweetheart,” and she moans “Say that again.” That just kind of took me out of the book for a moment, wondering if people actually used the word “come” in this context in 1863, and if a well-bred young woman like Lynne would have ever heard that expression, or understood it's meaning.

I had an inkling of who was behind the threats fairly early on, though several times I thought I might be wrong. But that did nothing to mar my enjoyment of the story. This was a fun, sometimes tense read, and I look forward to continuing the series.