Love Without End (Kings Meadow Romance #1) by Robin Lee Hatcher

Chet and Kimberly have both failed when it comes to love. Will they risk their hearts to love again?

Chet Leonard's life was forever changed when his seventeen year old son died and then, soon after, his wife walked out on their family. Over two years later, all he wants to do is hold onto his horse ranch and raise his remaining sons to be honorable men.

Kimberly Welch, widowed mother of Tara, a rebellious fifteen-year-old, has reached the end of her finances and nearly the end of her rope. She and Tara come to King's Meadow to try to piece their lives back together again. Kimberly has no intention of become involved with the residents of this remote mountain community and certainly not with any man.

When 84-year-old Anna McKenna returns to King's Meadow and to the Leonard ranch, she becomes an agent of change and healing for the two hurting families. With her help, Kimberly and Chet's families at last discover a love without end.

My Review:
Readers get two love stories for the price of one in this book! The character of Anna fleshes out nicely with flashbacks of her story from the 1940's to the present. It's interspersed throughout the novel.

Rather than a story about young love, Chet and Kimberly are middle-aged. They've both loved before. Chet's wife has left him and their two sons, and Kim's husband has died, leaving her with one daughter and deep in debt. Their stories are worth reading. I like the way the author draws them together. It's a nice pace; there is no rush.

I really enjoyed the ending.

There are a couple of confusing errors that editing should have discovered. Editor's notes appear in the margins of pages 66 and 146. And a confusing antecedent: Tara speaking to her mother and Chet: "Wait until she sees what we uncovered after you left" (126). These glitches caused me to scratch my head and pause while reading; however, I still liked the story.

Thank you to BookLook Bloggers for my complimentary copy.

A Promise Kept by Robin Lee Hatcher

God was going to save her marriage, Allison was sure of it. But neither her husband nor her marriage had been saved.

What had become of His promise?

Tony Kavanagh had been Allison’s dream-come-true. They were in love within days, engaged within weeks, married and pregnant within a year. Her cup bubbled over with joy . . . but years later, that joy had been extinguished by unexpected trials.

The day Allison issued her husband an ultimatum, she thought it might save him. She never expected he would actually leave. She was certain God had promised to heal; it was clear that she'd misunderstood.

Now, living in the quiet mountain cabin she inherited from her single, self-reliant Great Aunt Emma, Allison must come to terms with her grief and figure out how to adapt to small town life. But when she finds a wedding dress and a collection of journals in Emma’s attic, a portrait of her aunt emerges that takes Allison completely by surprise: a portrait of a heartbroken woman surprisingly like herself.

As Allison reads the incredible story of Emma’s life in the 1920s and 1930s, she is forced to ask a difficult question: Does she really surrender every piece of her life to the Lord?

Drawing from her own heart-wrenching story of redemption, A Promise Kept is Robin Lee Hatcher’s emotionally charged thanksgiving to a God who answers prayers—in His own time and His own ways.

My Review:
As a child of an alcoholic, I felt an immediate connection to Allison, who is recovering from her divorce from Tony, an alcoholic. I understand how a person can love an alcoholic but hate alcoholism. One of the lovely statements in the novel came from Allison's mother who said, "God hates divorce. He doesn't hate the divorced" (171). Robin Lee Hatcher did not delve into the ugliness of the situation, but elevated the story into one of hope and promise. Anyone who has dealt with problems of addiction or divorce would benefit by reading this novel.

Short chapters told in first person alternate between the stories of Allison and Emma, Allison's great aunt. Emma's log cabin is left to Allison. When Allison discovers Emma's journals, she also discovers how many things they have in common.

The question of why God would not keep His word is thoroughly answered in a most satisfying way. I definitely recommend this wonderful novel!

Thank you to BookSneeze® Thomas Nelson for my copy.

Beloved by Robin Lee Hatcher

Where the Heart Lives

When Diana Brennan’s husband returns eight years after abandoning her, can she find it in her heart to forgive him?

Diana Brennan came west on the orphan train and was given a home with a loving couple who cherished and spoiled her. At 17, she fell hard for Tyson Applegate, the son of a wealthy mine owner. After a whirlwind courtship and marriage, Tyson took off for adventures around the world, including fighting with the Rough Riders in Cuba. Receiving no word of him for eight years, Diana’s infatuation with her dashing husband died an ugly death, and she is ready to move past the old pain and marry again, just as soon as Tyson is declared legally dead.

But when her husband returns, supposedly a changed man, he wants to reunite with his wife and run for the senate. While Diana suspects the election is his real reason for wanting her by his side, she agrees to maintain his home and to campaign with him, but when it is over, win or lose, she wants her freedom. He agrees with one condition––she must give him a chance to change her mind about him.

My Review:
One of the first impressions I had with this historical fiction was how difficult life was for women in the late 1800s. Diana's husband, Tyson, just up and leaves her--with no warning--simply to avoid his controlling father! Not a word or a sign came from him for years, until one day, he's listed in the newspaper as someone who died in action while fighting with the Rough Riders in Cuba. Diana therefore, "gets on with her life." When Diana plans to announce her engagement to another, Tyson shows up and "stakes" his claim! Indeed, life was hard.

Not having much of a choice, Diana agrees to participate in a sham of a marriage for six months while Tyson runs for public office. I found it interesting to watch this novel of second chances unfold. Hatcher correctly took time for the characters to vacillate between love and hatre, intolerance and forgiveness.

This is the third in a series and can easily be read and understood without having read the first two titles.

NOTE: At the end of every chapter a flashback helps fill in the backstory. (I loved this unique touch.)

Thank you to Booksneeze for my copy.

Heart of Gold by Robin Lee Hatcher

Against Shannon's wishes, love stakes its claim in her heart. Will she discover treasure or treachery?

When Shannon Adair accompanies her minister father to the western gold rush town of Grand Coeur, she's certain she'll never be happy away from her beloved Virginia, even though the South is still gripped in civil war.

Wells Fargo driver Matthew Dubois isn't sure the lovely Shannon belongs in Idaho Territory either, but he is a desperate man. His widowed sister is dying and leaving her young son, Todd, in his care. Matthew wants to return to driving coach for the express company soon-so he'll have to find a wife to look after the boy when he's away.

Shannon is determined not to lose her heart to a man who is neither a Southerner nor a gentleman. But love stakes its claim. Now, will her heart survive learning the truth behind the courtship?

My Review:
After her mother's death, Shannon Adair and her minister father, move from Virginia to a small, dirty town in Idaho. She disdains it; nothing is as good as it was at "home," and she longs to return. However, bit by bit Shannon begins to appreciate her new home and to learn to live with people of all races.

The characters are believable. I enjoyed this plot. There are enough twists to keep me reading. I recommend this one!

Reading Group Guide included.

Thank you to Booksneeze/Thomas Nelson for my copy.

A Matter of Character by Robin Lee Hatcher

From the Back Cover:
The Sisters of Bethlehem Springs series delivers exactly what readers have been waiting for---smart, confident women who are not afraid to defy convention, live their own dreams, and share their lives if the right man comes along.

It's 1918, and Daphne McKinley, heiress to a small fortune, has found contentment in the town of Bethlehem Springs. But Daphne has a secret. A series of dime novels loosely based on local lore and featuring a nefarious villain known as Rawhide Rick has enjoyed modest popularity among readers. Nobody in Bethlehem Springs knows the man behind the stories ... except Daphne. When newspaperman Joshua Crawford comes to town searching for the man who sullied the good name of his grandfather, Daphne finds herself at a crossroads, reassessing the power of her words, re-thinking how best to honor her gifts, and reconsidering what she wants out of life.

My Review:
Thank you to CFBA and Zondervan for my copy of this enjoyable Christian fiction novel. Set in a small town in Idaho's 20th century, a romance with a bit of a mystery is skillfully plotted incorporating wonderfully complex characters. The author writes in third-person narrative so that the reader can "get into the head" of each character.

The plot is interspersed with journal entries written by Joshua's deceased grandfather, Rawhide Rick, a true villain of the Old West. At first, this interruption felt a bit clumsy to me, but I soon adapted and ended up pleased with the overall effect. Although the reader can guess how the story will end, the plot is so well done that it's fun getting there.

This is the third in a series, but is a stand-alone novel. I loved it!

Robin Hatcher is conducting a contest for the new book. Join in the fun here.

If you would like to read the prologue and first chapter, click here.

If you would like to buy a copy, click here.

Giveaway! A Vote of Confidence by Robin Lee Hatcher

Sisters of Bethlehem Springs

In A Vote of Confidence, the stage is set for some intriguing insight into what it was like during 1915 to be a woman in a “man’s world.”

Guinevere Arlington is a beautiful young woman determined to remain in charge of her own life. For seven years, Gwen has carved out a full life in the bustling town of Bethlehem Springs, Idaho, where she teaches piano and writes for the local newspaper. Her passion for the town, its people, and the surrounding land prompt Gwen to run for mayor. After all, who says a woman can’t do a man’s job?

But stepping outside the boundaries of convention can get messy. A shady lawyer backs Gwen, believing he can control her once she’s in office. A wealthy newcomer throws his hat into the ring in an effort to overcome opposition to the health resort he’s building north of town. When the opponents fall in love, everything changes, forcing Gwen to face what she may have to lose in order to win.

My Review:
The protagonist, Guinevere Arlington, better known as Gwen, is so beautiful that she stops men in their tracks, but if they want to make points with her, they'd better not mention her looks. She's much more than that, and she resents the common thinking that women should not be involved with things other than housekeeping and child-rearing. 

Then, the unthinkable happens. Gwen decides to run for mayor--in 1915--in the small town of Bethlehem Springs, Idaho, and she sets the town to talking!

This first book of the Sisters of Bethlehem Springs series asks the question, "Who says a woman can't be mayor?" The second in the series, Fit to Be Tied, the story of Gwen's sister, Cleo, is due out the end of this year. The question in that novel is "Who says a woman can't be a wrangler?" If you like historical romance novels, this is a good one to grab.

If you'd like to read the first chapter, click here.

If you'd like to buy a copy, click here.
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I am willing to give away my ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) copy of this book. (HINT: I like to give away books to people who regularly leave me comments.)

• Winners are restricted to the US and Canada. No PO Box mailing addresses, please.
• Leave your email address in code in your comment (This is the biggest mistake entrants make. They forget to leave their email address! Please do not ask me to look it up. This is the only thing I ask you to do.)
• I'll close the comments at 6 PM EST May 7th and pick the winner. I will contact the winner via email to get her mailing information. She will have three days to respond. If I do not hear from her within three days, I will select another winner(s).
• If you're interested, just say so in a comment with that all-important email address in code.
  Example of email in code: yourname AT hotmail DOT com.