Gunpowder Tea

Gunpowder Tea by Margaret Brownley
4/5 stars
Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2013
324 pages
Adult Historical Romance Christian

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

*Spoilers will be discussed.*

I've been a fan of Brownley's writing for a while now, including the first book in the Brides of Last Chance Ranch series, Dawn Comes Early.  The premise is that a female ranchowner is looking for an heiress; among her list of stipulations is that the woman will remain single forever. Though I missed the second book, I was easily able to dive back into this world for the exciting third book.

Our heroine here is Miranda Hunt posing as Annie Beckman in her service as a Pinkerton detective. This is her big chance to prove her capabilities and she is determined to be successful in ferreting out the Phantom, the ringleader of a train robbing gang. Opposing her efforts is "Branch" or rather Jeremy Taggert, a stablehand arrested for robbing a train but somehow let out to plague Miranda's footsteps as she attempts to fend off sparks and solve the case.

As I wrote this, I realized how hard it can be to write about a book when the main characters have multiple names. For the most part I thought of them as Annie and Branch so that is how I will continue to refer to them in my review. Additionally the publisher summary kind of gives away a big spoiler. Of course Branch is not a career criminal; he is a Wells Fargo detective and is there for the same reason as Annie. This isn't revealed until 100+ pages into the book though there are many clues beforehand, so many so that even I realized that he was on the side of the law (no I didn't read the summary-I saw Brownley's name and wanted to read it solely because of that.)

I really liked both characters. Annie is forever striving to prove herself, stung by her father's dismissal of her career path and attempting to live up to his life, which was tragically cut short. Jeremy also has pain in his past like a mysterious incident that sat him at a desk for two years. The two really clash with each other at first, before fighting and then succumbing to their feelings. They end the book in a really happy place.

Two things I really loved about this book were the small instances when Annie catches the wrongdoer (such as in the opening chapter) and the chance to check in with characters from previous books. Of course both of the couples from the other two books are represented as well as the flamboyant Bessie Adams whose quibbling with her sister amused me so in the first book and Ellie Walker who is probably never going to get her heiress to abide by her conditions.

Since this is marketed as a religious novel, I want to touch on that aspect, which I thought was very well-handled. Both leads seem to have a relationship with God and use that as a defining moral compass. Concerns about right and wrong ripple throughout the novel as Annie and Branch worry about the lies they're telling to suss out the thief as well as what they're keeping from each other.

Overall: A sweet fast easy to read romance that just hits all the right beats. If you like reading Christian historical romance (and especially if you have enjoyed previous Brownley writings), you will probably like this one too.

Dawn Comes Early

Dawn Comes Early by Margaret Brownley
4/5 stars
Thomas Nelson, 2012
341 pages
Adult Christian Historical Romance

Source: Received an ARC through Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

Having read Brownley's previous series Rocky Creek Romance, I knew that I enjoyed her writing and was eager to pick up another romance set in the West. This time we journey to the Arizona Territory in 1895, getting a glimpse into ranch life.  Although I don't usually seek out non-Regency romances, I will admit to a fondness for these interconnected trilogies.

Our heroine is Boston-bred Kate Tenney, disgraced novelist whose latest book was banned by the prudish Boston watchdogs and who worked hard every day of her life to be able to afford an education. She travels out west for the opportunity to become an heiress to a cattle ranch; the main condition is to remain forever unmarried, something that does not sound difficult due to Kate's abysmal examples of parents. All that she has seen is bad marriages where the men don't stick around and why would she want that?

Upon arrival, Kate is assaulted by an outlaw, saved by the swoony hero, and begins her much more difficult than expected life at the ranch. But she has tenacity and is determined not to let anything get in the way. Not even the very upstanding Luke Adams, blacksmith and all-around good guy, who doesn't see why a lady of learning would be interested in a plainspoken man like him.

I would (and in fact did) categorize this as a romance and yet there isn't that much interaction between the two. Immediately there is a frisson between the two but they don't share many conversations. They barely get to know each other. We spend more time following Kate's rejuvenated writing career, a subplot with the aforementioned outlaw, and some focusing on Luke's aunts, who are admittedly a kick. One decides to put the passion in her marriage and ends up thinking her husband is two-timing her, which doesn't sound funny but it was.

Overall: Although I would have liked more romance and more discussion of faith, this book hit all the right beats for me. I'm very excited for second book Waiting for Morning.

 

A Vision of Lucy

A Vision of Lucy by Margaret Brownley
Thomas Nelson, 2011
326 pages
Christian Historical Romance
4/5 stars

Source: Received a free e-copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

After loving A Lady Like Sarah and A Suitor for Jenny, of course I wanted to read the third book especially after seeing that it included photography. I enjoy taking pictures now but it was so much harder back than and super expensive.

Lucy loves taking pictures, she sees herself as an artist and as part of the future despite her father's distaste for her work and the general town consensus that photography will never catch on.  She loves photography so much that she climbs a tree in an attempt to take a particular picture and ends up falling onto a stage that was being robbed. As the horses flee, she struggles to gain control of the reins and is saved by a mysterious stranger.

That stranger is David Wolf, an orphaned "half-breed" who used to live near Rocky Creek before four boys perpetrated a vicious attack on him. Now that he's a man, he wants revenge and to discover the box he lost that night, the box that might give him the key to his identity.  Although there are numerous suspicions and innuendos about David based on his race, he is actually a brave and kind man who saves Lucy in that moment. Later as she talks, he kisses her, igniting feelings in both of them despite the obstacles between them.

There's a lot packed into this book. Lucy and David have their own separate agendas as does Lucy's brother who's aspiring to be a doctor, three couples who need to declare their love, and the now adults who had tormented David.  They all take up a lot of page time when I really wanted more of Lucy, sweet voluble Lucy. David was a bit annoying to me; he's the one who's concerned about their mixed race coupling while she fights against the prejudice for their love. He also feels so much weight over him because he doesn't know his name (David Wolf being an adopted one) and I just preferred the lightness of Lucy more.

Overall: A sweet romance with many subplots and distinctive characters, including many from the previous books.

Cover: The angle of her face is super weird-what's with that?

A Suitor for Jenny

A Suitor for Jenny by Margaret Brownley
Thomas Nelson, 2010
309 pages
Inspirational; Historical; Romance
4/5 stars

Source: Won from Goodreads

Summary: Jenny is bringing her two sisters Mary Lou and Brenda to Rocky Creek in order to get them married to some eligible bachelors. While she has a system for picking out the right man to take care of them, her sisters have other ideas.  Marshal Rhett Armstrong is supposed to make sure she doesn't make a nuisance of herself but instead finds her intriguing.  Can God bring these two broken people together?

Thoughts: Her sisters kind of bugged me; I knew that they wouldn't listen to their older sister but they acted without a care for their reputations and futures.  I wish they had acted with a bit more dignity and appropriateness.

I really liked Rhett.  He was a good man.  I also liked Jenny and it was easy to root from them to get together despite their individual guilt complexes.

She got over her issues very quickly-I kept expecting to find out what she did (well I was pretty sure I knew what she had done but to have it clarified) and then it came out right at the end with very little explanation.  Rhett also struggled with guilt issues that he overcomes very quickly.  I'm not sure why either plotline was included when they were going to be dealt with so perfunctorily.

I was hoping that we'd see Sarah and Justin from the first book and we did receive a glimpse in to their life, which seems very happy! They are very much in love and have built a good life together.

Overall: Cute story but not as good as the first!

Cover; Her face looks really weird, I'm not sure if it's the angle but it doesn't look like it belongs in that hat.

A Lady Like Sarah

A Lady Like Sarah by Margaret Brownley
Thomas Nelson, 2009
309 pages
Inspirational; Romance; Historical
4/5 stars

Source: Library

Summary: Preacher Justin Wells left Boston for Texas in disgrace.  Sarah Prescott is wanted along with her robber brothers.  The upright preacher and the outlaw meet under bad circumstances and journey toward Rocky Creek with mishaps, adventure, love, and grace.

Thoughts: I won the second book, A Suitor for Jenny, from Goodreads so I thought I'd give this one a chance.

It was just what I wanted: a nice romance with characters struggling to follow God despite the difficulties.  Sarah never had any formal church teachings but she has a simple and natural relationship with God; she doesn't speak fancy like Justin but she learns to believe and rely on God, which I really enjoyed seeing.  But I would not call this the most religious of books; while God is definitely in the picture, He is not in the forefront as much as in say Redeeming Love.

Now on to the characters: Sarah was very strong and independent but with a good heart.  She got a bit annoying throughout the book due to her manner of speaking which is very informal and grated somewhat on me (I hate dialects in book and don't even really like when people drop the "g" for verbs, as in "runnin'").  I also like Justin, one of my favorite boy names, although there were times when I thought he was lacking in common sense.  But that is why they work: she has practical knowledge and he has book learning-balance.

It was a bit suspenseful at the end, not because there was ever any doubt that they would end up together but because she is scheduled to be hanged for the crimes committed by her brothers that she is associated with.  I was wondering how Brownley would handle it and I'm pretty pleased with it.

Overall: Good story, makes me excited for the next!

Cover: I didn't imagine Sarah looking like this girl although they both have red hair; I wish we could see her red boots!

Other: I didn't realize this when I got the book but it was shortlisted for the Inspys 2010 in the Romance/Romantic Suspense category; I certainly enjoyed it and would like to see it win although I haven't read any of the other nominees.