Destiny’s First Embrace

WESTERN:  Megan McAllister has always dreamt of a white knight rescuing her from a life of poverty. When handsome Joshua Jeffries saves her from ruffians and seems taken with her, it looks like she might just get it. After all, they are in love, and love knows no obstacles, right?  Well, not exactly. Thanks to their scheming parents they are torn asunder. But fate is sometimes a kind mistress, and she keeps throwing them back together. True, the results are often not that prosperous, and tend to end in even more animosity. But what can’t be escaped is the fact that they love each other. Can they overcome it all and earn their Happily Ever After?

This is a sweeping tale that spans years! However, there are a fair number of problems with this book. The main characters are lackluster, and somewhat unlikeable. They fell in love within a first few pages, then the reader is reminded of it throughout the book. It is the classic example of telling not showing. The plot consists of multiple misunderstandings with explosive results.  The portrayal of Native Americans is also extremely off-putting from the perspective of a modern reader. A side note: there were some editing problems, nothing big, but noticeable, mainly missing punctuation and such. All in all, this story that would have profited from less melodrama and more character development!

Ana Smith