A Heart Adrift

GIVEAWAY

FRANTZ, LAURA

A HEART ADRIFT

It is 1755, and the threat of war with France looms over colonial York, Virginia. Chocolatier Esmee Shaw is fighting her own battle of the heart. Having reached her twenty-eighth birthday, she is reconciled to life alone after a decade-old failed love affair from which she's never quite recovered. But she longs to find something worthwhile to do with her life.

Captain Henri Lennox has returned to port after a lengthy absence, intent on completing the lighthouse in the dangerous Chesapeake By, a dream he once shared with Esmee. But when the colonial government asks him to lead a secret naval expedition against the French, his future is plunged into uncertainty.

Will a war and a cache of regrets keep them apart, or can their shared vision and dedication to the colonial cause heal the wounds of the past? Bestselling and award-winning author Laura Frantz whisks you away to a time fraught with peril -- on the sea and in the heart -- in this redemptive, romantic story.

My Review:

Romance and chocolate, does it get any better than that? Only if Laura Frantz is at the helm to guide us back in time. 

As always, I am gobsmacked at how quickly this author immerses me in the history and culture of the era. I could picture so many things just from her descriptions but this story also spurred me on to check some books out from my library on Colonial America. And I hit the jackpot when I discovered a book filled with fashion plates from the day! Why, yes, I actually did flip through and choose outfits for Esmee every time a wardrobe change was in order. :-)

Frantz delivers a complicated plot, rich in detail and deeply layered. There's intrigue and drama and angst. Oh, the angst! But it makes all the toe-curling parts that much sweeter! A Heart Adrift is the perfect character-driven, slow-burn reunion romance to read away the last remnants of winter. I happily lived in the pages of this book instead of my stark white reality of snow, snow and more snow! 

  GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or e book copy -- winner's choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of A Heart Adrift, 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 March 19 2022. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

An Uncommon Woman

GIVEAWAY

FRANTZ, LAURA
AN UNCOMMON WOMAN

Unflinching and plainspoken, Tessa Swan is not your typical 18th-century woman. Born and bred on the western Virginia frontier along with her five brothers, she is a force to be reckoned with.

Quiet and courageous, Clay Tygart is not your typical 18th-century man. Raised by Lenape Indians, he returns a hero from the French and Indian War to the fort that bears his name, bringing with him Tessa's long-lost friend, Keturah, a redeemed Indian captive like himself.

Determined to avoid any romantic entanglements as fort commander, Clay remains aloof whenever he encounters the lovely Tessa. But when she is taken captive by the tribe Clay left, his hand -- and heart -- are forced, leading to one very private and one very public reckoning.

Intense, evocative, and laced with intricate historical details that bring the past to life, An Uncommon Woman will transport you to the picturesque and dangerous western Virginia mountains of 1770.

My Review:

Every time I read a Laura Frantz novel, I'm catapulted back in time to the summer I uncovered a treasure trove of books in my friend's garage. We'd been hunting for her much older sister's Nancy Drews without success but we did discover a box of old library discards that included some Elizabeth George Speare books. The Witch of Blackbird Pond and Calico Captive were my favourites and I read them multiple times that summer.

Fast forward into my adult reading life and my discovery of all things Laura Frantz. Squeallll -- EGS flashbacks! I am so blessed to have my reading life bookended by two amazing authors who wrote/write page-turning frontier fiction with such passion and detail.

So, I was already awash with nostalgia when I began Tessa and Clay's story which made it more of a multiple sensory experience for me. That's thanks to the author's stellar writing skills -- the way she slips into 18th century colloquialisms, her meticulous research (I'm sure she hides a time machine in her closet so she can do first-hand research!) and the innate gift she has for bringing the past to life. All combine with an edge-of-your-seat plot to make this an epic frontier romance.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  An Uncommon Woman, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your 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 May 9 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

The Lacemaker

GIVEAWAY

FRANTZ, LAURA
THE LACEMAKER

It is the eve of a new age of freedom in the colonies. But can a proper English lady dare hope for her own independence?

Lady Elizabeth "Liberty" Lawson has nearly everything a lady of her position could want. Daughter of the British lieutenant governor of the Virginia Colony and a darling of fine society in a rugged land, she is anticipating an advantageous marriage. That her betrothed is a rake and a love is lacking is of little consequence - or so she tells herself.

Though her own life seems in order, colonial Williamsburg is a powder keg on the verge of exploding, and her fiance's cousin Noble Rynallt carries the flame of revolution in his heart. Those with connections the the British nobility are suspected as spies, and Liberty soon finds herself left with a terrible choice. Will she stay true to her English roots? Or side with Noble and the radical revolutionaries?

My Review:

Oh, let's just cut to the chase and start with the hero since I'm that twitterpated over Noble. Fainting couches, fans, smelling salts - a full stock of swoon recovery items are a definite necessity before embarking on this historical romance. Because Noble is one of the most romantical heroes I've ever encountered in fiction. And he really does live up to his name. Patriotic. Idealistic. Decent and kind. A man who doesn't take faith for granted. A true gentleman back in the day when that actually meant something! I could go on but I'm in danger of melting into a puddle as I relive those exquisite moments of Noble murmuring Welsh endearments in my...er Liberty's...ear. Thud - and pass the smelling salts please.

Then there's Liberty -- on the verge of entering into a loveless marriage, ever her father's obedient pawn. A sleeping beauty in need of awakening. Love the parallels between her personal quest for independence set against the backdrop of a nation's quest for freedom.

Frantz blends fact and fiction into a vibrant story that brings history to life. Real life heroes take their place on the page next to fictional ones as she delivers a rich, multi-layered tale of faith and freedom.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Lacemaker, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. 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 in the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday April 29 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

A Moonbow Night

GIVEAWAY

FRANTZ, LAURA
A MOONBOW NIGHT

In an uncertain time, she faces a choice that will change her life forever

After feeling Virginia, Temperance Tucker and her family established an inn along the Shawnee River. It's a welcome way station for settlers and frontiersmen traveling the wild Cumberland region of Kentucke - men like Sion Morgan, a Virginia surveyor who arrives at the inn with his crew, looking for an experienced guide.

Though he balks when Tempe is appointed to lead his team through the wilderness, it isn't long before Sion must admit that her abilities may outmatch his own. But can the tenuous tie they are forming survive the dangers waiting just around the bend?

With her signature sweeping style and ability to bring the distant past to vivid life, Laura Frantz beckons you to join her in a land of Indian ambushes, conflicting loyalties, and a tentative love that meanders like a cool mountain stream.

My Review:

Culture shock. My brain is all befuddled as I try to get my bearings in this foreign twenty-first century world after losing myself in the wilds of the Kentucke frontier. Frantz writes with such authority and passion that I don't doubt a single word. I love her lyrical style. The way she paints pictures with her words and breathes life into characters that will long live in my memory as cherished friends.

But as much as I enjoyed immersing myself in the 1770s for a time, I can say with utter conviction that I do not possess an ounce of hardy frontiersman stock. I cannot fathom how they survived. What fueled their desire to eke out an existence in such hostile territory. But this author understands that pre-pioneering spirit and all the intricacies that go along with divided loyalties and an ever changing landscape. Mercy, but I have the greatest of respect for these early settlers. (And I wish Laura Frantz had been my history teacher!)

There is a sorrowful air about this tale -- especially in the beginning. Both Sion and Temperance have suffered great losses. Tempe in particular seems to have a dark cloud hanging over her and that makes for a sobering start to their story. She can't let go of the past, and it shadows her future...until Sion breaks through the wall around her heart.

A Moonbow Night is a sweeping, exciting, terrifying whirlwind of twists and turns that pay tribute to the legendary heroes who settled America.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of  A Moonbow Night please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the  subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday January 15 2017. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

The Mistress of Tall Acre

GIVEAWAY

FRANTZ, LAURA
THE MISTRESS OF TALL ACRE

The American Revolution is finally over, and Sophie Menzies is starved for good news. When her nearest neighbor, General Seamus Ogilvy, finally comes home to Tall Acre, she hopes it is a sign of better days to come. But the general is now a widower with a small daughter in desperate need of a mother. Nearly destitute, Sophie agrees to marry Seamus and become the mistress of Tall Acre in what seems a safe, sensible arrangement. But when a woman from the general's past returns without warning, the ties that bind this fledgling family together will be strained to the utmost. When all is said and done, who will be the rightful mistress of Tall Acre?

Triumph and tragedy, loyalty and betrayal--readers find it all in the rich pages of this newest historical novel from the talented pen of Laura Frantz. Her careful historical details immerse the reader in the story world, and her emotional writing and finely tuned characters never cease to enchant fans both old and new.

My Review:

I am still languishing on my fainting couch as I try to pen this review. I'm blaming Seamus for my discombobulated state. I fear I swooned my way through The Mistress of Tall Acre. Yes, I fell fast and hard for Tall Acre's hero. In fact, I was pretty much a goner by page fifteen. Melted into a puddle on the floor and haven't been quite the same since.

Frantz is an exceptional storyteller with a distinctive cadence to her writing. Her words seem to flow through my mind like the sweetest piece of music. I'm carried away to a different time and place and begin living someone else's story. And what an absorbing read this one was!

From Sophie's desperate attempts to salvage what is left of her ancestral home and family honor after the Revolutionary War to Seamus's return to Tall Acre with a daughter he barely knows, there's plenty of fodder for drama and romance and even a bit of suspense. Theirs is a story of heart and hope amidst nearly insurmountable odds. I couldn't read fast enough even though I wanted to slow things down so I could savor every word.

Riveting. Captivating. Breathtaking. Achingly sweet. The Mistress of Tall Acre is the kind of book you want to live in forever. And now that it's over? Well, it's official. I'm in mourning. You know those I-can't-believe-it's-over-already blues that wash over a reader when she reaches the end of a particularly scrumptious read? I need some quiet time, perhaps a few condolence cards and chocolate. Yes. Definitely chocolate. Much preferable to smelling salts. I might recover. Eventually.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of The Mistress of Tall Acre please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday October 11 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Love's Fortune

GIVEAWAY

FRANTZ, LAURA
LOVE'S FORTUNE

Sheltered since birth at her Kentucky home, Rowena Ballantyne has heard only whispered rumors of her grandfather Silas's vast fortune and grand manor in Pennsylvania. When her father receives a rare letter summoning him to New Hope, Rowena makes the journey with him and quickly finds herself in a whole new world--filled with family members she's never met, dances she's never learned, and a new side to the father she thought she knew. As she struggles to fit in during their extended stay, she finds a friend in James Sackett, the most valued steamship pilot of the Ballantynes' shipping line. Even with his help, Rowena feels she may never be comfortable in high society. Will she go her own way . . . to her peril?

With her signature attention to historical detail, Laura Frantz brings 1850s Pennsylvania alive with a tender story of loss, love, and loyalty. Fans will cheer for this final installment of the Ballatyne saga.

My Review:

Wren captured my heart from the very first page. Forced to shuck her Kentucky roots for the big city and even bigger expectations of the Ballantyne kin she barely knows. I felt her floundering confusion as she wrestled to find her place in a 'foreign' land. I wanted to throttle her father for being so clueless. Gah! Just like a man to pull the rug out from under his daughter and then leave her to gain her own footing again. Grrrr.

Luckily Wren has pluck and I love how she stayed true to herself. She has an inner strength and goodness about her -- a naivety that makes her stand out in a crowd. Truth and simplicity are her beauty and that's what draws Jamie in though he has no business feeling anything but friendship for this Ballantyne heir. At least, that's what he thinks which certainly complicates things...a lot!

Frantz had me on tenterhooks as I devoured page after page. She spins a compelling tale with descriptive words that capture my senses and make me feel like I'm living in Wren's skin. Another exceptional novel from a talented author.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Love's Fortune please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday December 7 2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Love's Awakening

GIVEAWAY

FRANTZ, LAURA
LOVE'S AWAKENING

Ellie Ballantyne, youngest child of Silas and Eden, has left finishing school. But back at her family home in Pittsburgh, Ellie finds that her parents are away on a long trip and her siblings don't seem to want her to stay. When she opens a day school for young ladies, she begins tutoring the incorrigible daughter of the enemy Turlock clan. The Turlocks are slaveholders and whiskey magnates, envious of the powerful Ballantynes and suspicious of their abolitionist leanings. As Ellie becomes increasingly tangled with the Turlocks, she finds herself falling in love with an impossible future--and Jack Turlock, a young man striving to free himself from his family's violent legacy. How can she betray her family and side with the enemy? And will Jack ever allow her into his world?

Masterful storyteller Laura Frantz continues to unfold the stirring saga of the Ballantyne family in this majestic tale of love, loyalty, and the makings of a legacy. With rich descriptions of the people who settled and civilized a wild landscape, Frantz weaves a tapestry of characters and places that stick with the reader long after they turn the last page.

My Review:

Blissful sigh. I just adore the way Laura Frantz tells a story. Her books are so easy to lose yourself in and my world is a better place for having spent time with her characters. Love's Awakening is another exceptional read from this talented author.

I think what strikes me most about this book is the depth and complexities of the relationships. There's such a huge contrast between cossetted Ellie's upbringing and the stark reality that was Jack's childhood. Their experiences have made them into the adults we meet in the beginning pages but it's pure magic to watch them grow in faith and maturity as the book progresses.

There's an intense subplot that totally fascinated me and brings real tension and suspense to an already rich read. Throw in Frantz's exquisite word choice and exacting period detail and you have a historical romance that will thrill, entertain and motivate. Definitely don't miss this one. In fact, buy two -- one for you and one for a Christmas present!

Giveaway Opportunity:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Love's Awakening please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday November 10 2013. Offer open to international readers. Good luck! 

Love's Reckoning

GIVEAWAY

FRANTZ, LAURA
LOVE'S RECKONING

On a bitter December day in 1785, Silas Ballantyne arrives at the door of master blacksmith Liege Lee in York, Pennsylvania. Just months from becoming a master blacksmith himself, Silas is determined to finish his apprenticeship and move west. But Liege soon discovers that Silas is a prodigious worker and craftsman and endeavors to keep him in Lancaster. Silas becomes interested in both of Liege's daughters, the gentle and faith-filled Eden and the clever and high-spirited Elspeth. When he chooses one, will the other's jealousy destroy their love?

In this sweeping family saga set in western Pennsylvania, one man's choices in love and work, in friends and enemies, set the stage for generations to come. "Love's Reckoning" is the first entry in The Ballantyne Legacy, a rich, multi-layered historical quartet from talented writer Laura Frantz, beginning in the late 1700s and following the Ballantyne family through the end of the Civil War.

My Review:

Bludgeoned. That's the way I feel after reading Love's Reckoning. Truly gutted. My heart has been skewered on the rapier point of Laura Frantz's pen. I even had to put the book down and leave it for a whole evening I was that upset! Only that backfired because then I dreamt about it which made for a very sorry excuse of a night's rest. And then, before I could continue I actually snuck a peek at the end in order to boost my morale!!! Only that backfired because I read the epilogue which was not comforting at all! Phew! Now that I've vented a bit, I'll admit that I LOVED this book even though it has left me a fragile emotional wreck of my former self.

Frantz knows how to grab a reader's interest and hold on tight from the get go. She also excels at weaving exquisite images with her words -- descriptive and hard-hitting, they'll pull you into the past until you'll swear you actually live in the late 1700's.

And the complexities of the relationships! The depth of the characters! The strength of their emotions! All makes for a thrilling read that will tempt you away from everything in your life until you finish this epic tale. Guaranteed that you'll stew over it for days afterward as well. Honestly, what more could a reader want? :-)

Historical fiction at it's best and then some. Don't pass this one up for any reason. It's not to be missed and would be a definite (and heated) addition to any book club. We should make September National Love's Reckoning Book Club Month. LOL.

Giveaway Opportunity:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Love's Reckoning, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday September 2 2012. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group". 

The Colonel's Lady

GIVEAWAY!

FRANTZ, LAURA
THE COLONEL'S LADY

Can love survive the secrets kept buried within a tormented heart?

Roxanna Rowan may be a genteel Virginia woman, but she is determined to brave the wilds of the untamed frontier to reach a remote Kentucky fort. Eager to reunite with her father, who serves under Colonel Cassius McLinn, Roxanna is devastated to find that her father has been killed on a campaign.

Penniless and out of options, Roxanna is forced to remain at the fort. As she spends more and more time with the fiery Colonel McLinn, the fort is abuzz with intrigue and innuendo. Can Roxanna truly know who the colonel is -- and what he's done?

Immerse yourself in the powerful story of love, faith, and forgiveness set in the tumultuous world of the frontier in 1779.

My Review:

As usual, after reading one of Laura Frantz's books, I find myself struggling to find words to convey the sheer pleasure and joy I feel at being on the receiving end of her brilliance. It will sound trite if I say she just keeps getting better. Or her ability to craft an epic is par to none. Or that she has fit herself solidly into the Christian publishing market...in fact created her own genre. She's a maverick in a way and that's one of the things I love most about her.

First off -- she's a master at historical detail. It's embedded into every page, but she's never lecturing. I love that! And the fact that she doesn't gloss over the unsavory aspects of that unsettled era. I was surprised to find myself riveted by the military scenes and able to follow the politics (of which I am unfamiliar since I'm not American.) Those details added to the depth of the story without weighing it down.  After reading The Colonel's Lady I feel like I have been to Fort Endeavor. I can clearly see McLinn's stone house and the walled fort and I'm sure I could make a passable dinner...well maybe not venison since I'm a vegetarian. But I'd happily help Roxie in her garden! That kind of detail is so important in a historical read.

Frantz has crafted a complicated plot that stopped me in my tracks a time or two! I'm still reeling in shock from two particular revelations that I didn't see coming. I love it when an author keeps me on my toes and does the unexpected. And she's added a solid bit of suspense to this tale which upped not only the characters' anxiety but my own as well!

Of course she played loose and free with my poor reader's emotions throughout the story. In fact I found myself battling the dilemma of skimming ahead or closing the book and taking a deep steadying breath before continuing to read. And I have to confess to actually stooping so low as to read the epilogue for a little reassurance and comfort at a particularly low point in the book. (I know, my bad!)

And the romance! Be still my wildly beating heart! Frantz writes the longing of impossible love with such an undercurrent of passion. And to be privy to both character's feelings -- what a combination of frustrating and thrilling all at the same time!

Cass McLinn is a hard man to love -- at least in the beginning but he becomes a sympathetic hero under Roxanna's influence. Of course he maintains some endearing 'rough around the edges' traits and his military bearing is infinitely swoonworthy. But Roxie speaks to his heart and his soul and that's what makes theirs a powerful love story.

In case you hadn't guessed by now -- The Colonel's Lady comes highly recommended...and not just by me! If you would like a chance to win a copy read on.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY

Leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca with The Colonel's Lady in the the subject line. Draw will be held on Sunday, August 7. Open internationally.

Many thanks to the author and Revell for gifting me with a copy of this book.

Courting Morrow Little

FRANTZ, LAURA

COURTING MORROW LITTLE

Morrow Little is haunted by the memory of the day her family was torn apart by raiding Shawnee warriors. Now that she is nearly a grown woman and her father is ailing, she must make difficult choices about the future. Several men – ranging from the undesired to the unthinkable – vie for her attention, but she finds herself inexplicably drawn to a forbidden love that both terrifies and intrigues her. Can she betray the memory of her lost loved ones – and garner suspicion from her friends – by pursuing a life with him? Or should she seal her own misery by marrying a man she doesn’t love?

This sweeping tale of romance and forgiveness will envelop you as it takes you from a Kentucky fort through the vast wilderness of the West.

‘SWEEPING’ IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT! COURTING MORROW LITTLE IS THE KIND OF BOOK YOU WANT TO SAVOR AND GOBBLE UP ALL AT THE SAME TIME. LAURA’S RICH TEXT CONJURES UP IMAGES, SCENTS AND SOUNDS GUARANTEED TO TRANSPORT HER READERS OUT OF THIS WORLD AND INTO THE ONE SHE CREATED FOR MORROW LITTLE. HER ATTENTION TO HISTORICAL DETAIL ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE WITHOUT BURDENING IT AND HER LYRICAL DESCRIPTIONS SWEEP THE READER ALONG ON MORROW’S JOURNEY. LAURA GIVES US JUST ENOUGH DETAIL TO CONVINCE US THAT SHE TIME TRAVELS AND WRITES FROM FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE, BUT DOESN’T DRAG US DOWN WITH A LOT OF UNNECESSARY INFORMATION. ACTION CONVEYS THE DESPERATION IN SO MANY SCENES AND SPEAKS VOLUMES OF THE PRECARIOUS TIMES OF AN EMERGING NATION.

AT TIMES I HAD TO SET THE BOOK ASIDE BECAUSE I COULDN’T BEAR TO READ MORE AS I WRESTLED WITH MY EMOTIONS. TIMES WHEN I JUST NEEDED TO SIT QUIETLY AND SAVOR AN EXQUISITE SCENE. TIMES WHEN I WAS AFRAID TO READ ANY FURTHER! OF COURSE, I DIDN’T PUT THE BOOK ASIDE FOR LONG AND WHEN I REACHED THE END I FOUND I COULDN’T BEAR TO BE PARTED FROM IT AT ALL SO I STARTED READING IT AGAIN!

COURTING MORROW LITTLE IS A TALE FILLED WITH UNEXPECTED TWISTS AND TURNS, PACKED WITH ACTION AND BRIMMING WITH EMOTION. THERE’S NOTHING PREDICTABLE ABOUT THE PLOT AND, AS I READ, I FOUND MYSELF WHITE-KNUCKLING THE BINDING, HOPING AND PRAYING FOR A HAPPY ENDING! AND THOUGH I LIVED IN FEAR A TIME OR TWO, LAURA SURPRISED AND DELIGHTED ME TOO MANY TIMES TO COUNT.

I FOUND MORROW A REFRESHING TWIST ON THE USUAL HEROINE WE ASSOCIATE WITH IN HISTORICAL FICTION. SHE’S SOFTER, LESS SURE OF HERSELF, AFRAID OF MANY THINGS AND NOT AS STRONG – PHYSICALLY OR EMOTIONALLY – AS A SUCCESSFUL FRONTIERSWOMAN SHOULD BE. AT LEAST SHE DOESN’T THINK SHE IS AND NEITHER DO THE PEOPLE AROUND HER. BUT AS HER STORY PROGRESSES LAURA SKILLFULLY DRAWS MORROW OUT OF HER SHELL AND HER READERS ARE PRIVILEGED TO WITNESS HER GROWTH INTO A WOMAN OF COURAGE AND CONVICTION.

IT’S HARD TO DISCUSS THE LOVE STORY WITHOUT GIVING ANYTHING AWAY. I WILL SAY THAT LAURA’S ABILITY TO DEVELOP ROMANTIC TENSION IS SOME OF THE BEST I’VE EVER READ. AND THE LOVE SCENES!!!!! BE STILL MY WILDLY BEATING HEART. SHEER POETRY. A CELEBRATION OF LOVE MADE ALL THE MORE POIGNANT BECAUSE OF THE UNSETTLED TIMES.

IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, COURTING MORROW LITTLE IS A DEFINITE 2010 MUST READ. THE ONLY CRITICISM I HAVE IS THE LET DOWN YOU’LL EXPERIENCE WHEN YOU’VE READ THE LAST WORD ON THE LAST PAGE.