My rating: 5 of 5 stars
After fleeing Virginia, Temperance Tucker and her family established an inn along the Shawnee River. It's a welcome way station for settlers and frontiersmen traveling through the wild Cumberland region of Kentucke--men like Sion Morgan, a Virginia surveyor who arrives at the inn with his crew looking for an experienced guide. When his guide appears, Sion balks. He certainly didn't expect a woman. But it is not long before he must admit that Tempe's skill in the wilderness rivals his own. Still, the tenuous tie they are forming is put to the test as they encounter danger after danger and must rely on each other.
With her signature sweeping style and ability to bring the distant past to vivid life, Laura Frantz beckons readers to join her in a land of Indian ambushes, conflicting loyalties, and a tentative love that meanders like a cool mountain stream.
Wow! What an awesome book! Laura Frantz does an excellent job of pulling you into the lives of settlers and frontiersmen in the early days of the American Revolution. Life was hard and dangerous and there was no guarantee you'd live to see the next day. (Of course that can be said of any life in any time period but still...) With a hero and a heroine that have both loved and lost, you'll be cheering for the unbidden love that slowly builds between these two.
Both Tempe and Sion found a place in my heart. Tempe is strong and resilient yet at the same time she's tender hearted and wounded from tragedies in her past. She contemplates several times whether she wouldn't rather be dead than live with the hurts of her past and the dangers of the present. As the book progresses, she leans on her faith to get her through the tough times. Sion is a natural leader with a strength and depth of character that shines through the whole story. There are so many nuances to his character - he's a natural woodsman with a gift for drawing and a background in law that you wouldn't expect. His quiet nature, keen mind and strong determination, as well as a neglected but renewed faith, get him through some really tough times. The relationship between Tempe and Sion was slow in building but intense nonetheless. They have a mutual respect and admiration for each other that lays the foundation for their attraction.
The dangers of this time in history are portrayed with realistic clarity and heartrending tragedy. But you also get to read about the triumphs and the progression of the men and women as they make inroads into this new frontier. I really enjoyed the descriptions of the woods and rivers and moonbows! I've never heard of a moonbow before. It sounds beautiful. I also enjoyed the inclusion of a few historic figures like Daniel Boone.
All in all this is a wonderful, spellbinding, romantic pioneering adventure that you won't want to miss!
*Thanks to Revell Reads for a complimentary copy of this book. I was not paid or required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are my own.*
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Laura Frantz is a Christy Award finalist and the author of several books, including The Frontiersman's Daughter, Courting Morrow Little, The Colonel's Lady, The Mistress of Tall Acre, and The Ballantyne Legacy series. She lives and writes in a log cabin in the heart of Kentucky. You can find her at www.laurafrantz.net and on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
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