Hope's Enduring Echo by Kim Vogel Sawyer ~ a book review

 

 

Set in Colorado in the early 1900’s, this story is about perseverance and faith.

Jennie’s family has been living in the mountains while her father is employed to check the wooden water lines that bring water from the mountains down to the town. Unfortunately, he fell while checking them one day and has been left with a permanent injured leg. The home they have lived in for years is provided to them as part of his employment.  If he can’t check the lines, they will lose their home. Jennie has been accompanying him on his rounds and secretly takes over the job.  She and her mother are hopeful that her father will regain enough strength and movement to resume his job, however, he has become depressed and has lost interest in almost everything.  One day, on her trip to check the lines, she meets a young paleontologist, Leo, who spots a bone Jennie is carrying and is convinced it is a dinosaur bone.  They strike up a friendship and work together to look for more bones. 

Jennie’s hope is that her father will recover soon and she can go to art school to pursue her love of art. She knows that until her father resumes his job, she must carry on checking the pipes.

Leo, who is a fellow believer, offers encouragement and support.  His father is a preacher and disapproves of him studying about dinosaurs. Leo and Jennie counsel and encourage each other to keep hoping.

The characters in this book are very believable and they feel like part of your family. This is an emotional, encouraging and uplifting story. 

You can read an excerpt HERE 

Learn more about Kim Vogel Sawyer HERE 

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed  are my own.

**A word about ARC books.   Advanced Reading Copies (ARCs) are a preview copy and are not a finished product. They may differ from the final published work and may include additional editing. My reviews may include some things that vary from the final published book.

 

 

A Constant Love by Tracie Peterson ~ a book review

Set in the late 1880’s in the Wyoming ranch lands, this story is one of forgiveness, faith, family and commitment.

Charlotte Aldrich loves living on her family’s ranch.  Her father wants her to marry a local lawyer in town, Lewis Bradley.  During a particularly harsh winter, Charlotte’s father and brother die in a terrible snowstorm.  Micah Hamilton, a neighboring rancher and Charlotte’s brother’s best friend, loses most of his herd of cattle in the storm. His father, overcome with grief, commits suicide. Micah is left to deal with not only the loss of his livelihood but also the  heartache of losing his father and best friend.

Lewis Bradley claims that before Mr. Aldrich dies, he had made an arrangement for Charlotte and Lewis to marry and pledged a hefty dowry.  Charlotte, on the other hand, only has feelings for Micah, unbeknownst to him.  She is determined to never marry anyone but Micah. Lewis is determined that he will marry Charlotte and gain control of her dowry and ranch. He uses questionable and dishonest means to try to accomplish his goal.

As Charlotte and her mother endeavor to run the ranch, they enlist Micah’s help.  Will Micah realize how much Charlotte loves him and will he accept it? Will he be able to stop Lewis and his devious plan?

There is a very strong element of Christian faith in this story that reminds the reader of the constant love God has for His children.

This is from the publisher’s website:

“Heartache has left them emotionally desolate, but traces of love and healing could forge a future.

In the wake of a harsh winter, Micah Hamilton and Charlotte Aldrich are grappling with loss and guilt after the disaster that took the lives of their loved ones. Struggling to cope with his grief, Micah abandons his father's dreams of a prosperous ranch and cuts himself off from the rest of the world.

Charlotte has loved Micah her entire life and is determined not to lose him as well. With her mother's help, she begins coaxing Micah to live again. Despite their enduring heartache, the affection between them deepens, but just as Charlotte thinks her dreams may come true, a scorned suitor threatens everything she holds dear. Micah and Charlotte must embark on a journey of healing and renewal to build a life founded on faith, hope, and love.”

This is book one of The Hope of Cheyenne series.  If you like faith filled, heartwarming, historical stories, this is one you don’t want to miss.

Go HERE to read an excerpt 

Go HERE to learn more about Tracie Peterson and her other books 

 

 

 

I received a complimentary ARC** of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed  are my own.

**A word about ARC books.   Advanced Reading Copies (ARCs) are a preview copy and are not a finished product. They may differ from the final published work and may include additional editing. My reviews may include some things that vary from the final published book.