Healing Hearts

GIVEAWAY
RANDOM RETRO READ DAY!

EDEN, SARAH M.

HEALING HEARTS

Wyoming Territory, 1876

As the only doctor in the frontier town of Savage Well, Gideon McNamara knows his prospects for a bride are limited. The womenfolk in town are either too young, too old or already spoken for. So, being a practical man, he decides to take advantage of the matchmaking service of the day -- mail-order brides -- and sends away for a woman with nursing experience.

When Miriam steps off the stagecoach in Savage Wells, she sees a bright future in front of her. But when the town -- and Gideon -- meets her, ready for a wedding, her excitement quickly turns to horror. Somehow Dr. MacNamara's message had gotten turned around. He didn't want a nurse, he wanted a wife. When she refuses to marry him, she finds herself stranded in Savage Wells with some very unhappy townspeople.

But Gideon is not like the other men Miriam has met. Embarrassed by the misunderstanding, he offers her a job, and the two begin an awkward -- and often humorous -- dance of getting to know each other as they work to care for the people of their town. Romance blossoms between the two, but when a former medical associate of Miriam's arrives in town, Gideon and the other townsfolk must rally around Miriam to protect her from a dangerous fate. Gideon and Miriam must decide if they are willing to risk their hearts for each other even as buried secrets are brought to light.

My Review:

published in 2019

So, I've been devouring Sarah M. Eden's Regency books and still have a way to go so I really didn't have any interest in reading one of her Western romances until I conquered that Regency backlist. But then Healing Hearts popped up on my audible plus list and I couldn't resist. I honestly didn't think I would enjoy it as much as her Regencies...I was so wrrrrooonnnnggg!!!! 

Still classic Eden, just with an American twang. :-) So, no Regency style banter but there's plenty of witty repartee between Miriam and Gideon. We're missing a manor house and all the hoity-toity dressing of London's elite, but we have a town full of opinionated characters who get in this couple's business every which way. 

And we have the colossal misunderstanding that's at the start of it all. Sooooo much fun!!! The mail-order-bride that wasn't! Poor Miriam steps off the stagecoach thinking she's accepted a nursing position only the whole town thinks she's about to become their beloved doctor's wife. Things go downhill from there. Bwahahaha!

Though there are some really comedic twists in this story, there's also some heartbreaking drama and even danger. Because Miriam is fleeing from a horrific past and if she's caught...shudder. I was appalled at her situation and sickened to think that what she endured was common place at the time, and, as a woman she had absolutely no recourse open to her...except to run.

Incredible fast-paced story full of wit and pathos and the hope of better things to come. Oh -- and the way the town rallies around Miriam -- hoozah! Stand-up-and-cheer-until-you're-hoarse kind of stuff!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for an ebook copy.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Healing Hearts, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT AND DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday November 13 2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck