Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
I read this a couple times as a teenager. I know it wasn’t my favorite, but obviously liked it enough to reach it multiple times. It does have one of my least favorite tropes: the girl pretending to be a boy. There’s always an awkwardness with those stories which I really don’t like in my books. I’m also not a big reader of American Western historical romances.
This is a shorter book. That contributes to a weaker romance. In fact, it feels very forced and rushed. There’s no big declarations of love so maybe the pacing is fine. It depends on what you want. Personally, I don’t feel the chemistry, but I also don’t hate Sam and Matt together.
There is a kind of...odd thing here. Matt was a Confederate soldier. So was Sam’s brother. Ms. Heath makes the choice to not moralize on the Civil War. That’s a choice. You could argue there wasn’t enough time to discuss that. It doesn't really bother me, but could definitely rub some readers the wrong way.
I did appreciate the brief mentions to the reality of war in general. Matt and Sam’s brother, to a lesser extent, go through a lot. War changed them and the horrors they experienced will be with them the rest of their lives.
Lorraine Heath is still one of my favorite historical romance authors. This teen-centered one just didn’t hit for me.
Thanks for reading!
Holly