A Worthy Pursuit by Karen Witemeyer

Review of A Worthy Pursuit by Karen Witemeyer

From BethanyHouse.com:

About:
A teacher on the run. A bounty hunter in pursuit. Can two enemies learn to trust each other before they both lose what they hold most dear?

Stone Hammond is the best tracker in Texas. He never comes home empty-handed. So when a wealthy railroad investor hires him to find his abducted granddaughter, Stone eagerly accepts.

Charlotte Atherton, former headmistress of Sullivan's Academy for Exceptional Youths, will do anything to keep her charges safe, especially the orphaned girl entrusted to her care. Charlotte promised Lily's mother she'd keep the girl away from her unscrupulous grandfather, and nothing will stop Charlotte from fulfilling that pledge. Not even the handsome bounty hunter with surprisingly honest eyes who comes looking for them.

When Miss Atherton produces documentation that shows her to be Lily's legal guardian, Stone must reevaluate everything he's been led to believe. Is she villain or victim?

Then a new danger forces Charlotte to trust the man sent to destroy her. Stone vows to protect what he once sought to tear apart. Besides, he's ready to start a new pursuit: winning Charlotte's heart.

Karen Witemeyer Winner of the HOLT Medallion and the Carol Award, and a finalist for the RITA and Christy Award, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer writes historical romance because she believes in giving the world more happily-ever-afters. Karen makes her home in Abilene, Texas, with her husband and three children.
Learn more about Karen and her books at  www.karenwitemeyer.com.

Leona's Review:

This is my first read by Karen Witemeyer.

Because at the beginning of the book, Stone found Charlotte, I was wondering about a pursuit to find Charlotte until the end of the book but she has created a wonderful novel that also has children and animals, always a plus for me.

This is a historical Christian romance that has humor, love, friendship, a spinster, a bounty hunter, three gifted children and a friend, Mr. Dobson, who helps Charlotte and the children leave the school secretly.

Charlotte has legal custody of Lily, Stephen has parents but they are in Europe and John is also an orphan.

Stone has been sent by the grandfather of Lily to bring her back to him.

One example of humor is when Mr. Dobson finds Stone spying and Charlotte says "Perhaps he is simply a cowhand with a perchance for bird watching". Love for the children and also for Miss Lottie. Love between the two main characters. Friendship of Charlotte to her friend, the mother of Lily. The children call Charlotte, Miss Lottie.

Lily loves to read the dime novels of the bounty hunter Dead-Eye Dan and his adventures. John plays the piano and Stephen was placed in the school because his parents traveled.

Some words used are: "Worth their salt", "Schoolmarm", "Tasty grub" and "The Marshall fingered the brim of his Stetson". My favorite is " None of them can best a sunset in Texas". As a West Texan, I have to totally agree with that statement.

This is a clean novel and God, The Lord and prayers are certainly present but not overbearing but shows the faith of the times. The book begins February 1891 in Austin, Texas.

A Worthy Pursuit is dedicated: "To Laura Baker, librarian extraordinaire and the first person I ever trusted to read my stories. It is your encouragement and knowledgeable feedback that gave me the fortitude to pursue my dream. You taught me to see the world through lenses differently than my own and deepened my understanding of the human condition. You have left your mark on me, my friend and I thank God for the gift."

I received a complimentary copy of the book to read and review from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions are my own.

I give A Worthy Pursuit a 5 star rating and look forward to reading more of her books.

Leona Olson

http://www.mnleona.blogspot.com

 https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3114906.Karen_Witemeyer

Tumbleweeds by Leila Meacham

Tumbleweeds by Leila Meacham

The prologue begins in 2008 and then goes the book goes back into the past beginning in 1979. A story about three people and how lives can change and separate; how life does not always give you what you want and what you plan but how one can change when needed.

Trey Don Hall, John Caldwell and Catherine Ann Benson are the main characters who became friends at a young age. I will add Rufus, a dog given to Cathy by Trey Don and John. In this sometimes complicated book, the three go through many passions, friendships and love. The book is based in the Panhandle of Texas and how football is so important in the lives of the small town of Kersey and the people. I am from West Texas and football is very important to the whole town; something Cathy, who was from California, could never understand. (My mother who was from Colorado never understood it either but my father did.)

Families are involved and there is a feeling of small town closeness, sometimes good and sometimes bad.

Trey was quoted as saying "The Texas Panhandle breeds a bunch of us long, tall drink-of-water look-alikes. We're as common as tumbleweeds".

One life leads to football, another to become a priest and another one works in a diner.

I hate to review too much of the book as the reader will need to get into the book and feel the emotions of the characters. A book that covers decades and many lives.

John named his pickup, Old Red, my father had his International pickup he bought from Texas Electric and called it the Red Mule. Many Texas references to the colleges and universities and towns.

The recipe for Emma's Hot water Corn Bread is at the end of the book, a nice treat.

I give it a five star rating for the overall twists and turns and the page turner it is.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author and Grand Central Publishing. www.HatchettBookGroup.com. The opinions are my own. I wish to thank Leila Meacham for such a wonderful, and emotional, book to read and review.

Leona Olson

mnleona.blogspot.com

A Lady Like Sarah

A Lady Like Sarah

Reverend Justin Wells was a minister in Boston but now is heading to Texas to become the minister in Rocky Creek, Texas.

He finds a U.S. Marshal and his prisoner on a trail and the marshal shot. As hard as they try to help him, the marshal dies but Justin had promised him he would take his prisoner to Rocky Creek and her fate is the gallows. Along the journey, they find a dying mother that had been attacked by Indians and her baby. Justin takes the baby, Elizabeth, and Sarah and Justin continue.

Sarah Prescott has three brothers who are Wells Fargo stagecoach robbers. Sarah has never robbed but she is condemned by a judge in Rocky Creek for the death of a passenger on a stagecoach.

The journey has a lot of twists and turns but Justin has faith in God and has an answer for almost everything.

This is my second book I have read by Margaret Brownley and both are good reads. A Lady Like Sarah is a Christian romance book and the trials God seems to put them through.

Some of the sayings that I liked are Monkey Wards, for Montgomery Wards (my father who was from Oklahoma and Texas, where I was raised, used to always say this). Noah was the pack mule, Moses, and his horse, Noah. When someone died, Justin said God received them with open arms, he did not say they had died. Longhorns, quilting bee,hand cranked sewing machine, grasshoppers, mail order catalog, Barnum's Circus, click of the tongue (to encourage a horse) and pulling my leg are some words that Margaret Browning uses that add to the descriptions of the story. Something I never thought about was where did bone china get the name and the answer is partially in this book. Longhorn cattle bones were collected to be sold and used to make the china. http://www.visitdodgecity.org/documents/Visitors%20Guide/2012%20Visitors%20Guide.PDF see page 3.

A Lady Like Sarah is an easy read and I look forward to her other books.Find Margaret Brownley on Facebook under Margaret Brownley Books and also her site margaretbrownley.com

Leona Olson

mnleona.blogspot.com

Chasing the Sun

Chasing the Sun by Tracie Peterson

Hannah Dandridge is in Cedar Springs, Texas near Dallas awaiting for the return of her father John, who has gone to Vicksburg, Mississippi to see his dying mother. His partner, Herbert Lockhart, has told Hannah he has been probably been taken prisoner by the Union and may be dead. This is in the middle of the Civil War, October 1863. Herbert Lockhard had been wanting Hannah to marry him but she does not love him. The siblings of Hannah by her step-mother are also worried about their father; Andy is 8 years old and Marty is 5 years old; their mother died at Marty's birth.

They came to Texas after the death of Hannah's step-mother because John Dandridge had become depressed. The ranch they now owned was confiscated by the government because the Barnetts left to fight on the side of the Union.

On the ranch there is also Berto Montoya and his wife Juanita who worked for the Barnetts. They have two children, Pepita and Pablo.

This is also the time of the Comanche raids in the area.

Andy has left the ranch as a Longhorn has wandered. He comes across a soldier who is coming home after being wounded. As they are trying to free the animal, a young Indian warrior comes towards them but his horse is spooked and he falls to the ground. Andy brings both home to the ranch; one is William Barnett and the other is Night Bear of the Comanche tribe. The author uses the word Numunuu which is what the Comanche's name for themselves. (All the books I have read, this is the first time I have seen this name. The author uses respect in this book for the Tribe.).

The book is one I have found to be very emotional and also fun such as the birth of a calf. The Civil war was a hard time for our country but the book is also about hardships in this time period. There is love, friendship, hardships, death, greed, family and history. This is a Christian Romance book. I give it a five star.

I have been to Vicksburg, Mississippi and have seen the graves of many soldiers who died. It is a startling fact and very somber.

I was given a complimentary copy of "Chasing the Sun" by Tracie Peterson from Bethany House to read and review. The opinions are my own.

Galveston

I received a complimentary e-book copy of Galveston from LibraryThing and the author P.G. Nagle.
The book is about the Civil War and the personal emotions of the characters in the book; the book works up to the Battle in Galveston, Texas on January 1, 1863 and the retaking of Galveston by the Confederates from the Union.
I also have a new e-reader and prefer a book because it is easier to find a passage in the book when checking details but must say I liked this version because I took it on a cruise and also had other books with me.
I liked this book and since it has been a long time since I had Texas History in school, it taught me something about the Civil War in Galveston and this area. I found the facts in the book interesting and books like this always encourage me to check deeper into the subject. Two examples: Albert Miller Lea has a town in Minnesota named after him ( I now live in Minnesota) and John Bankhead Magruder's middle name is the name of the highway in my hometown of Monahans, Texas; US 80 and now Interstate 20.
The book begins with so many characters, I had to reread the pages to get organized. The Russell family are the main characters in the book and names fall into place; even the horse that belongs to Jamie (James) is named Cocoa. I personally think the names bring you closer to understanding the characters. Emma, sister of Jamie, lost her fiance, Stephen, in the Battle at Valverde and her emotions show in the wiping the tears from her eyes as an example. He is mentioned throughout the book as one really would remember a loved one in real life.
Jamie takes Emma to Galveston to be with the sister of their mother, May, and new characters are brought in to the book. Emma has worked hard on the family farm with her parents and brothers and now in Galveston takes music lessons as well as learning needlework. "She turned over her embroidery hoop and began to pick at her knot with her needle". Anyone who has done needlework knows of this problem.
The actions in the Battle of Galveston felt real and were very detailed. One ship the Harriet Lane is a boat in history and the battle.
The author has a Union Lieutenant, Quincy Wheat, a main character in the book and the chapters go back and forth between the main characters; this gives the reader gets a look into the feelings of both sides.
Reading this book is an opening to gain information about the history of Texas and the Civil War in another area we usually do not think of the war.