Recent Read

Sunrise over Texas by MJ Fredrick

Publisher: Carina Press

Genre: Western

Why this one: Have you ever just kind of surfed the net and notice a book that made you sit up and take notice? Silly question, of course you have. We all have and that's why our TBR piles are so large. Anyway, I was on Twitter not long ago and Jane tweeted about her page of upcoming books for September. I noticed one in particular. As it was a historical Western, I sat up and took notice. When I clicked on the cover, I really took notice. Long story short, I just finished it the other day.

Steam Level: Yep, it has steam

Blurb: Texas Frontier, 1826 Kit Barclay followed her husband into the wilds of Texas only to be widowed. Stranded with her mother- and sister-in-law to care for, with no hope of rescue before winter sets in, Kit has only one goal: survival. So when a lone horseman appears on the horizon, and then falls from his mount in fever, Kit must weigh the safety of her family against offering aid and shelter to the handsome stranger. Trace Watson has lost everything that ever mattered to him. Trying to forget, he heads to the frontier colony of San Felipe, not caring if he lives or dies. But when he wakes to discover he's being nursed back to health by a brave young widow, he vows to repay her kindness by guiding the three women back to civilization, no matter what the cost. Soon, Kit and Trace are fighting the elements, Indian attacks and outlaws-as well as feelings they both thought were long buried...

My Thoughts: They say good things come in small packages and this is a perfect example! Although not that long a book, it's about the size of a Harlequin Historical, the author really wrote a emotional and poignant story about two people who have both suffered great loss, but managed to find love again.

Kit Barclay and her mother-in-law and sister-in-law have been practically abandoned. With winter approaching, her mother and sister in law next to useless, supplies running low and Indians making semi-regular attacks on the fort, things are looking pretty grim when they see a lone man riding up to the fort before falling. Kit isn't sure what to think. She can't leave him there to die, but she's also not very trusting of strangers. But despite her reservations, she does rescue him though she keeps in a separate part of the fort so he won't realize how alone they really are and that there are two other women.

The stranger is Trace Watson, a man trying to run away from his own tragedy. He's ill and Kit nurses him back to health. Slowly he becomes an oasis in her dessert of stress and though both Kit and Trace have recently lost loved ones, they come to care deeply for each other. When Trace is strong enough, he realizes that he needs to take the women to civilization.

As I said, despite not quite being a full length novel, this one certainly does read like one. Both Kit and Trace are strong characters that are very well developed. As are the secondary characters of Agnes, Kit's disapproving mother-in-law at what she perceives as a betrayal of her son on Kit's part over her developing feelings for Trace and Mary, her rather shallow sister-in-law. The author does very well in handling their attraction to each other despite the feelings of guilt each feels.

The only downside is what happens near the end of the story. I've seen this quite often in romance and it's a storyline I don't really care for. But other than that, I was very impressed with this good book in a small package. It's a September release and I have not qualms about recommending it to those like me, who enjoy a good emotional Western read.

Grade: 4.50 out of 5