Heart of a Woman (Book Three of Brides of the West)

WESTERN: Desperate to escape the machinations of her uncle and fiancé, Emily Carrington begs to join a wagon train destined for the Oregon Territory led by Cole Morgan. However, Cole is adamant about his rule of “no single women being allowed to travel on the journey.” When Cole comes up with the only plausible solution to circumvent that rule, Emily readily agrees. A temporary marriage seems to be the perfect answer, and provides a much needed cook for his train and a marriage status that allows Emily to travel with them. What neither of them considered when entering into this agreement was the growing attraction that was blossoming between them.

The trials and tribulations of a wagon train traveling from Missouri to Oregon in the 1800s comes alive and becomes the dusty backdrop of this historical romance. However, one is exposed to more than just the normal difficulties expected on a wagon train. With many editorial errors, repetitive dialogue, and stilted sentences, the reader encounters hiccups in the flow of the story that may disrupt focus and detract from the overall enjoyment. Nevertheless, the combination of friendship, tenderness, and love that flourishes between the protagonists helps smooth over these issues and carries this clean love story to fruition and happily ever after. With some editorial fixes and a little tweaking to improve the flow, this novel has the potential to be a great historical romance.

Janna Shay