Heart of Gold

Heart of Gold
Robin Lee Hatcher
Thomas Nelson Publishers
February 2012
Romance, Fiction, Historical

In 1864, Shannon Adair dutifully accompanies her minister father to his new church in the gold rush town of Grand Coeur, in the Idaho Territory, but she secretly burns with resentment that she cannot remain in Virginia to support the Confederacy in its fight against the Northern aggressors. Shannon, who rejects her father’s belief that there is right and wrong on both sides of the war, hates everyone who does not stand wholeheartedly with the south. Despite her antagonism, Shannon agrees to nurse Alice Jackson, the ailing widow of a Yankee soldier. It soon becomes clear that Alice is dying and that her son, Todd, will be left in the care of her older brother, Matthew Dubois, a wanderer who loves his job as a driver for Wells Fargo.

As Alice continually throws Matthew and Shannon together love begins to grow. Matthew thinks he wants to still drive the stagecoach routes and Shannon's pride gets in her way time and time again. However, the love they have for each other can not be denied. 

I found this to be a mediocre book. Perhaps I did it a disservice reading it on the heels of a number of very good books. Either way, it did not keep my attention very well and I found myself skimming at the end. Hatcher is a decent author but her latest books have left me wanting for more depth. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Book Sneeze book review blogger's program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Belonging by Robin Lee Hatcher

Belonging

Robin Lee Hatcher

Zondervan Publishing

Pub Date: August 2011

Genre: Fiction, Romance, Historical

In the high desert town of Frenchman's Bluff, Idaho, Felicia Kristoffersen has set out to create a future for herself that is better than her painful past. Alone in the world with only her faith to sustain her, she must prove herself as this tiny community's new school teacher. She cannot, must not, fail. But, there are those who never wanted her there to begin with. 

Five years after the death of his wife, local merchant Colin Murphy cares about just one thing: raising his daughter, Charity. Colin wants to give her the educational advantages he never had. The new schoolmarm's inexperience doesn't sit well with him, and if this teacher up and marries like the last one did, Charity's heart will be broken once again. 

A woman who hasn't known love. A man who lost the love he had. 

In the midst of the wide, sage-covered plains, each is about to discover that life's bitterest circumstances truly can work together for good.

Robin Lee Hatcher is a seasoned author. Belonging is no less than you would expect from someone of Hatcher's caliber. However, it also leaves very little to the imagination. Felicia is a likeable character and as a reader you'll find yourself resonating with some of the issues she faces. Colin is a troubled widower slowly being won over by the schoolmarm. Nothing new under the sun in this book. However, this is an easy read that will transport you to another time and place. The characters and developed well which makes for a very enjoyable read. 


Thank you to Netgalley and Zondervan Publishing for providing me a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.