If the Boot Fits

This is the second novel in the Texas Ever After series.  I found it was a more enjoyable read than the first one.  If the Boot Fits is a Texas retelling of the Cinder"fella" fairy tale.  Karen Witemeyer has done a great job in relating the story.  A couple of differences between this story and the fairy tale we all know and love is that even though there is a stepmother, she's loving and nurturing.  Mama Bess, as she is called brings out the protectiveness in her stepson, Asher.  

Mama Bess has been evicted from her house on Three Cedars land after her husband died and she could no longer pay the increased rent.  Asher wants to find out why.  He sneaks into a ball being given for the daughter of the Three Cedars owner, Eli, to go through Eli's books to see if there were any underhanded dealings in the situation with his mother.  

During his getaway, Eli's son falls into a pond and his daughter yells for help because Clint can't swim.  Asher cannot let the boy drown, so he shucks his boots and coat and jumps into the pond to rescue Clint. As Asher makes his getaway, he drops one of his boots.  Sam, Eli's daughter, finds the boot and hides it in her room.  Then Sam goes on a hunt to find who might fit the boot. 

In this book, there is a bit of mystery, a bit of secretiveness, and a whole lot of love exhibited by the main characters.  One of the best things that happens in this book is the forgiveness Eli extends to Asher for riffling through his papers.  He understood the motivation, he respected Asher's willingness to stand up and take responsibility for his own actions without making excuses, and he knew that his daughter was falling in love with Asher. Karen has woven quite a bit of depth into her characters.  Asher's desire to take care of his stepmother and little brothers is not often seen in real life.  Sam is not just a flibberty-gibbet, but cares about people around her.  She desires to learn more about the world around her on the ranch.  Eli wants to see Sam settled, and goes about it the wrong way, but he comes to realize his mistake.  He begins to understand his daughter's desire to find her own husband and her ability to see the character of the men around her.  

The only part of the book I didn't like was the rattlesnake.  I would not have kept my cool in that situation.  I would have been a hazard to my own health and well being.  

This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a pair of cowboy boots that have been embellished to the nines. 

Bethany House provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

 
 

A Season of Harvest

It's Lark's turn to find happiness, but she seems bound and determined to push it away.  She wants to seem content to find her happiness in loving her sisters' families and working her farm.  Isaac McTavish has fallen in love with Miss Lark, but she doesn't feel she can depend on him and pushes him away.  

In the meantime, Lilac has gone back to Ohio to see their brothers, help her oldest brother reopen his store after the fire, and possibly bring Jonas back with her to help with the harvest on the farm.  While there, she reconnects with Sam, an old school mate.  He lost his arm in the War Between the States, but he has a teaching credential, so Lilac convinces Sam to apply for the teaching job in her town in Nebraska.  Sam sees the opportunity as a godsend and a way to get some distance from his mother's hovering.  She means well, but Sam feels suffocated by her ministrations.  

There is one anachronism in the book that kind of took me aback.  When Sam begins his new school year, he begins his day by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.  That wasn't written until about twenty years later.  That is the only thing I feel I can criticize about the book.  I THINK it was customary in those days to recite the Lord's Prayer, or possibly a Psalm to open the school day.  The book reads as a slice of life for the frontier farmer.  There is a bit of excitement here and there in the plot of the book, but it reads more as a narrative of daily life--almost like a journal.  This doesn't mean that the plot is too slow, it means that there is more time to delve into the thoughts of the characters and get to know them even better.  It's a fitting wrap up to the series.  Lauraine Snelling and Kiersti Giron have done a masterful job with the series and I look forward to see what they come up with next. 

Four Strong Stars.

Bethany House provided the copy I read for this review.   All opinions expressed are solely my own

 

Loyally Luke

I've been waiting for Luke's story to come out and I was excited to read it once it did.  Of the three books in the series, Luke's story was not as compelling as Authentically, Izzy or Positively, Penelope, but it did bring the series full circle.  Luke's love interest was not what I expected, but the twists and turns throughout the book keep the reader engaged, and admittedly, Luke is a swoon-worthy leading man.  Pepper Basham has pulled the series together and tied it up in a neat package that will entertain readers for hours.  Some of her books provoke deeper thought and contemplation, but this one is pure enjoyment.  

Luke is in Skymar to help with a remodel on an orphanage, as well as remodels on a couple of cabins.  He is there for three months, staying through until Izzy's wedding.  Then he's going back home.  He meets Ellie in the airport when their coffee orders get switched and it's all downhill from there.  

Ellie is trying to overcome a past that no one wants to let go.  She goes to some lengths to hide her identity, but it still comes out when she least expects it.  Now she has to deal with Luke finding out about her past and making corrections for the future.  

As with the other books in the series, much of the plot is moved by text messages among Luke, Izzy, and Penelope.  The only thing I didn't like in this book was that Penelope became a bit vapid in her interactions with Luke.  Luke, overall, was unassuming and quiet, and he spent his time doing his work.  

It's still a good read and is great for whiling away a few hours snuggled under a blanket with a cup of tea on the side. Four Strong Stars.

Thomas Nelson provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.