Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Brothers of Sapphire Ranch, Book 6

Jess McPharland is desperate to escape from her cruel father before he discovers her secret. She’s not sure what his miners dig to find in the mountain’s cave system that is her home—and that’s a good thing. Jess fears the cruel men employed by Mick McPharland. Her father plans to marry her off to a man just like himself. She has one opportunity to escape.

Gil Coulter has been searching for weeks for his brother, Sampson, and for the load of sapphires stolen from them. Jess will only take him to his brother if he agrees to a pretend marriage. Gil’s protective instincts take over. He changes his surname and pretends to have married Jess two months before. Jess hadn’t exaggerated her father’s dangerous nature. The pretense leads them both into increasing peril.

Gil is falling in love with his pretend wife. Then he learns that Jess is pregnant.

I had read an earlier book in this series. It would have been like visiting with old friends to read this book—aside from the escalating danger that kept me flipping pages.

Lovable characters tugged at my heart while formidable enemies made me wonder if any of them would make it out alive. Mick’s right-hand man has been known to kill miners for asking a question.

The author weaves a story filled with a maze of twists and turns. The ending left some important questions unanswered that lead to the next book in the series.

Recommended for lovers of historical romance fiction.

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Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

In 1765, Temperance Scott is only one of the colonists to protest the Stamp Act behind the scenes in Savannah, Georgia. Her near-sightedness results in meeting Ansel Anderson, a King’s Ranger who is now stationed in the city to protect the Governor.

Lieutenant Ansel Anderson learns enough to be suspicious about Temperance’s presence at a tavern where the Sons of Liberty are meeting, but not her name. When he next sees her, she doesn’t remember him—because it’s Tabitha, Temperance’s twin.

Temperance, along with her cousin Frankie, is a Patriot. They are determined to fight against the Stamp Act, as other colonies have done. It’s too bad the handsome Ansel is a King’s man, yet so is her father. Should she continue to stand up for what she believes?

This book is a page turner! The author plops readers into the midst of the turmoil brewing between England and the colonies eleven years before the revolution. There is plenty of American history built into the story. Believable, lovable characters pulled me into the drama from the first page.

I couldn’t put it down!

Recommended for readers of historical romance novels.

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Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Rescued Hearts of the Civil War, Book 4

Daviana Spalding is glad to see the war’s end, yet plenty of soldiers still passed by her rural Georgia home in need of meals, precious food she and her pa could ill afford to share. During the war, some had taken what they wanted at gunpoint. Simon McNeil offered to pay, so Pa agreed. Unfortunately, Simon becomes ill that evening.

At first, Simon regrets that his malaria chose this moment to resurface. The Union soldier isn’t sorry for the opportunity to get to know Daviana. He quickly learns that her pa has reasons for his desire to his daughter married, not the least of which is to protect their Georgia land from seizure by the Freedman’s Bureau. Simon steps up to protect the family by claiming Daviana as his fiancé.

He soon discovers an even greater threat to the beautiful woman whom he’s growing to love…

This book is a page turner! The author weaves a story of unexpected events that propels believable characters we care about into ever-increasing turmoil.

The story takes place in Georgia and Alabama during Reconstruction, giving readers insight into the turmoil of those days in the South. I couldn’t put it down!

Recommended for readers of historical romance novels.

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Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

1901, Wyoming

Hope O’Neal travels west to take her friend’s place as a mail-order bride for Patrick Eastland. Emigrating to the United States from Ireland had led to drudgery. She prays that marrying a stranger will finally be the answer to her dreams of a happy life.

Patrick Eastland’s friend had advertised for a nanny for Patrick’s two nephews, but Hope isn’t to blame for his friend’s mistake. He marries her with the promise to annul the marriage after harvesting all the fruit from his apple orchard. That has to be his focus, or he will lose the house and land he inherited from his grandfather.

This short, satisfying story can be read in about two hours. There are hurdles on the path to paying off the hero’s mortgage. The heroine’s attitude won me over early in the story and had me pulling for her and the hero.

I look forward to reading another book by this author.

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Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Wyoming Mountain Tales, Book 4

Mountain Bluff, Wyoming Territory, 1867

Matthias Bjork searches for his sister in the rugged Wyoming Territory. Both his Viking heritage and family are vital to him, and he hasn’t seen his sister in twenty years.

Opal Boyd’s experiences with men have led her to steer clear of them. That’s why she’s so grateful to have found a job and a home with an older German couple in the Wyoming Territory. Meeting with Matthias, whom her boarding family considers an adopted son, doesn’t change her mind initially, yet the strong man soon captivates her thoughts.

Matthias is equally mesmerized by Opal, yet continues to follow all clues to his sister. Once he finds her, he vows never to live far apart from her again. That promise becomes difficult to keep.

This book was a page-turner for me. The author weaves lots of twists and turns into the story that kept me guessing to the end. Lovable characters touched my heart in this poignant story.

This isn’t the first novel I’ve read by this prolific author, nor will it be the last. Recommended for readers of historical romances.

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Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

The Gilbert Girls, Book 5

Crest Stone, Colorado Territory, 1875

After the death of her husband, Elizabeth Campbell spends all her money on a train ticket to the Colorado Territory in search of her brother. Upon learning that he’s in California with his new bride, Elizabeth takes a job as a waitress at the hotel her brother built.

In dread of his next job, Landon Cooper stops at a fine hotel for the night. His waitress at the lunch counter captivates him, but he’s not worthy of a good woman—especially after he completes his new job. Still, he can’t forget her. When she enlists his help in decorating the hotel for Christmas, he extends his stay.

Elizabeth’s marriage had not been a good one. It wouldn’t be wise to marry another cowboy, yet Landon stirs her heart. But what secret is he keeping?

The story captivated my attention from the first chapter as believable characters drew me into their plight. The hero’s decision kept me wondering as the story unfolded.

Characters from earlier novels are introduced seamlessly into the story, making me want to read the whole series.

I will look for more books by this author.

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Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Darcy’s mother wants to arrange for her daughter to marry a widower near her home, but Darcy has no intention of giving up her teaching position to move back home. Her demanding mother had controlled her during childhood. She won’t put herself in that position again.

Reuben, the pastor at Darcy’s church, is determined to remain a bachelor, yet he can’t deny his attraction to her. The couple is thrown together when a tornado threatens their community.

Characters I cared about drew me into the story. They had believable hurdles to overcome. I couldn’t put the book down. However, I didn’t understand why Darcy, as a protective sister, seemingly left her adopted younger sister alone with their controlling mother. The answer might be in an upcoming book.

Another quick edit would have helped minor errors. All in all, I enjoyed the story.

I will look for more books by this author.

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Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Golden State Treasure, Book 2

Tilda Muirhead came to the Two Harts Ranch in the first book in this series, when she followed the MacKenzie brothers. The teenagers had been in pursuit of their grandfather’s buried treasure and still had found only a portion of it. Tilda’s love of history lands her a job at the California ranch’s orphanage. She’s spent most of her childhood as an orphan, and her deepest desire is to help them. She has never dreamed of marriage—Josh Hart might change her mind.

Josh is part-owner of the large ranch. He took the reins to run it while his brother, Zane, was away. Now that Zane is back, Josh’s struggles to find his way are thwarted by his feelings for Tilda.

When someone claiming to be her family member comes to the ranch, Tilda is fearful. Can she trust Josh to protect her?

Unexpected danger escalates in this historical romance. The story is told through multiple viewpoints, including through characters in the first book with unresolved issues. The author leaves us with reasons to anticipate the next book.

Readers see characters they’ve learned to love in an earlier series.

The author does a good job summarizing what the reader needs to know from earlier stories. Even so, the story builds as a saga. I believe that readers of the earlier series will receive a deeper impact from the stories.

This was a page-turner for me! I will look for more books by this author.

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