My Review - The Quarryman's Bride

3 out of 5 stars

THE QUARRYMAN’S BRIDE by Tracie Peterson, was entertaining, but a bit on the slow side.

Emmalyne Knox is set to wed the love of her life, Tavin MacLachlan, when a devastating accident strikes her family.  The custom of the youngest daughter caring for her parents has fallen to Emmalyne. And because of that, she is no longer free to marry Tavin.  Out of obedience to her parents, she moves with them leaving Tavin and the broken pieces of her heart behind.

Eleven years later, the Knox family returns to St. Cloud, Minnesota.  Emmalyne’s mother has never recovered from the tragedy that tore her family apart and lives in a daze and poor health.  Emmalyne’s father is cold-hearted and unfeeling.  He rules his family with an iron fist and sharp words, making life unpleasant for Emmalyne and her brother.  But returning to St. Cloud is almost more than Emmalyne can bear.  Knowing her path will cross with Tavin’s will make an already difficult life even harder.

Tavin has never recovered from losing Emmalyne.  He hates her father for going back on his word, and he hates Emmalyne for not running away with him.  Now that they are both back in St. Cloud, he feels his anger and hatred reignited, even though his love for Emmalyne has never waned.  But nothing has changed.  Emmalyne is still out of reach.

THE QUARRYMAN’S BRIDE was a good story . . . I enjoyed it, but the momentum was a bit slow.  Some of the sub-storylines seemed distracting and unnecessary to the main plotline.  I liked the characters well enough, it just seemed like something was missing.  But this will not detour me from reading THE MINER’S LADY, book three in the Land of Shining Water series.

 

 

 

Announcing the release of my fourth book - BADGE OF RESPECT

I am excited to announce that Badge of Respect was released today on Amazon and Kindle.  This has been a long process that I couldn't have finished without the help of my friends and family.  Thank you Marylu Tyndall, Bob Phillips, Jeanne Halstead, Charlene Ponzio, Michele Nordquist, and Scott Saunders, for all your help, assistance, and encouragement. 

Check it out at http://smile.amazon.com/Badge-Respect-Novel-Tamara-Tilley/

My Review - The Icecutter's Daughter

4 out of 5 stars

THE ICECUTTER’S DAUGHTER by Tracie Peterson is a warm romance with characters you can’t help but like.

Merrill Krause has been outnumbered her entire life.  Caring for her brothers and her father hasn’t left her with much time for self, but she doesn’t mind.  She loves working alongside her brother’s, and caring for her father’s horses brings her joy.  But, sometimes Merrill wonders what it would be like to have a suitor pursue her, that is, if they could get past her imposing brothers determined to protect her.

Rurik Jorgenson has come to help his Uncle Carl in his furniture business.  When he meets Merrill he is immediately intrigued.  She is strong and independent, and unlike any woman he’s ever known.  Spending time helping her brother’s bring in the ice harvest is his excuse to be near Merrill and soon their attraction for each other grows.  But when Rurik’s previous fiancée comes to town making outrageous claims against Rurik, his relationship with Merrill is threatened. 

I thoroughly enjoyed THE ICECUTTER’S DAUGHTER.  Merrill is a strong character and Rurik is genuine and kind.  I loved watching their relationship develop.  The secondary characters in the book added to my overall enjoyment of the story.  As some have said, the story might have been predictable, but there were a few twists I didn’t expect.  Next up, THE QUARRYMAN’S BRIDE.

My Review - Raina's Choice

 2.5 out of 5 stars

RAINA’S CHOICE, the third installment in the Western Justice series just didn’t seem to have the same momentum as the previous two books.

RAINA will do anything to get away from her brutish brother-in-law and the sordid Louisiana saloon she works in, even team up with a stranger headed Fort Smith.  Wanting to find the father she’s never known, Raina is willing to confront the dangers of Indian Territory with the help of Tyler Kincaid. 

Tyler Kincaid has just broken out of a Mexican prison where he was wrongfully imprisoned.  Though he is quite sick, his intentions are to team up with Judge Parker and become one of his Marshal’s. 

Knowing Kincaid is her only chance to get out from under the thumb of her brother-in-law, Raina comes up with an idea to get Tyler out of prison. As Tyler’s health weakens, Raina must nurse him back to health if they hope to accomplish their goals. 

Though I wanted to like RAINA’S CHOICE, I felt the characters came across as pretty flat.  Their conversations seemed monotone, neither of them showed much emotion.  The story seemed to progress slowly and without much excitement.  The author had all the right tools: desperate situations, love triangle, lives in danger-but he didn’t take full advantage of these plotlines.  I did appreciate the struggle Tyler had as he came to grips with God and His plan for his life.  But as for the rest of the story, I felt like it went through the paces without really capitalizing on all the groundwork the author laid out.  

My Review - Sabrina's Man

4 out of 5 stars

SABRINA’S MAN is the second installment in the Western Justice Series.

Sabrina Warren is your typical spoiled southern belle.  Used to getting whatever she wants, Sabrina pays little mind to anyone but herself.  But, when her younger sister is romanced by a wicked con-man in disguise and is whisked away to parts unknown, Sabrina’s love for her sister fuels her determination to see her sister safely returned home.

Waco Smith hasn’t had the easiest life, but things are looking up.  As a partner in a successful hardware store and courting the lovely Alice Malone, Waco sees nothing but blue skies ahead.  That is until he is forced to rejoin the Confederate Army.  While away, his life is changed, turning Waco into a bitter and angry man.  Turning to a life of crime, he finds himself serving time in jail when his act of heroism garners him the possibility of a shortened sentence. If he will help Miss Sabrina Warren free her sister from the clutches of the vile Trey LeBeau, he will be pardoned for his crime. 

Sabrina hates the fact that she has to rely on a criminal to help her find her sister.  But she has no alternatives.  Waco Smith is the only person who can work himself into LeBeau’s gang and devise a plan to free her sister.  Along the way, Sabrina is transformed from spoiled debutante into a gritty and determined woman.  Her impression of Waco undergoes a transformation as well, one that has her heart tied in knots.

Gilbert Morris has a very deliberant writing style.  Dividing the book into four parts, each section concentrates on a timeframe in each of the lead characters’ life, setting up the story for the time that their two paths cross.  At first I found this distracting, now I realize it is just the style in which Morris prefers to write.  Much like ROSA’s LAND, Morris takes a man that is not your typical hero type, and turns him into just that.  Waco is quite and solemn, and his feelings for Sabrina grow slowly and without his permission.  He sees himself as unchangeable and unworthy of her love, but that doesn’t keep him from protecting Sabrina and wanting to see her sister safely home. 

The Western Justice series is unique in its delivery, but it grows on you.  I have already started RAINA’S CHOICE, and I’m excited to be treated to another fascinating story from Gilbert Morris.

My Review - Rosa's Land

3.5 out of 5 stars

ROSA’S LAND is the first installment in the Western Justice series by Gilbert Morris.  If you enjoy the old west coupled with romance, this is a series for you.  Though the cadence in Gilbert Morris’ writing is a bit unique, with the book broken up into four different sections, it was a quirk I was willing to overlook because the characters drew me in.

Lafayette Riordan is a consummate momma’s boy.  Raised by his mother to be an artist and student, he is nothing like his tough and ready brother’s. Though Lafayette shows no outward signs of discontent, inwardly he longs to handle a pistol and work alongside the marshals under Judge Isaac Parker’s leadership.  His family is shocked when he strikes out on his own to accomplish his dream.  Though Lafayette does join up with Judge Parker’s marshals, his only jobs entail shoveling stalls, washing dishes, and cooking.  But Lafayette knows one day he will get his chance.

Rosa Ramirez and her family have left Texas behind hoping for an easier life on the Oklahoma ranch of her grandfather’s.  But Rosa finds out life is just as hazardous among horse thieves and renegades.  When the ranch is ambushed by outlaws and a ranch hand is killed, Rosa asks Judge Isaac Parker for assistance.  Rosa is livid when the only help Parker is willing to offer is a fragile looking stable hand.

Rosa does little to hide her disdain for Riordan.  But it doesn’t take long for Riordan to prove there is more to him than meets the eye.  Quietly, he establishes himself as quite a gunman and slowly earns not only the respect of the Ramirez clan but more importantly Rosa’s admiration.  When an outlaw Riordan has bested decides to take revenge, Rosa becomes the pawn he uses against Riordan.  It’s up to Riordan to save her, even if it means walking into a trap no man can survive.

I was a little frustrated at first by the way Gilbert writes in sections.  There are four distinct parts to this book and Riordan and Rosa don’t meet up until the end of part two.  To me it seemed like glorified backstory.  But once our hero and heroine met, I was hooked.  Riordan is the strong silent type while Rosa is a firecracker.  As these two learn how to interact with each other, a slow, thoughtful romance develops.  I loved the way Gilbert created such an unassuming character in Riordan, and grew in him all the elements of a true hero.  It was a refreshing twist.  It’s easy to make a heroine and readers fall in love with tall, dark, and handsome, but it takes talent to make us fall for the qualities that make up a true man.