Good morning, friends!
Looks like we might have gotten a spot of rain overnight and I do mean 'spot'. The map shows the rain passed through but not a bit of dampness on the concrete. I'll have to water the garden this morning.
This week, I inadvertently picked up another novella by Kathleen Ball. I do love her stories. I think she's becoming another favorite author.
Sold to settle a debt… she never chose this life.
When Willa Portman is taken to a saloon as payment for a debt she didn’t create, fear becomes her constant companion. Alone and desperate on the Texas frontier, her future seems sealed—until one man steps in and changes everything.
Justin O'Connor is a rugged cowboy determined to build a life in the growing settlement of Everheart Ridge. He never intended to interfere, but when he sees a frightened young woman being forced into a life she doesn’t deserve, he can’t walk away. In a land where survival is never guaranteed, doing the right thing may cost him everything.
Brought to Everheart Ridge, Willa is given something she hasn’t known in far too long—safety. As the small western town struggles to take root, she finds herself drawn into a world of hard work, quiet kindness, and the possibility of a new beginning.
But healing takes time… and trusting a man—no matter how gentle—may be the greatest risk of all.
In this sweet historical
western romance, love grows where it’s least expected, and two wounded hearts
must learn that second chances are worth fighting for.
Kathleen Ball knows how to not just tell you a story, but put you there.
Justin is a remarkeable human being. Atrue gentleman. Personally, I thought the author gave him too much patience with Corrine. So did Willa, for that matter. I'm pretty sure that Miss Priss would have been subjected to a bit of water just to see if she'd melt into the background. Even when presented with the facts she would never be head of Justin's household, she still kept living in her dream world.
Willa came from a hard life. She was good at finding metals in the tunnels but she was a quick study in manners and propriety in Justin's home. That said, my only issue with this story was how she seemed to change from the Willa that Jusin and Tessa kept telling her to 'just be yourself' to sounding like she wasn't much below Miss Priss with a more refined speech. This gave me the impression of she grew up overnight. I know the author wanted us to understand that Willa was the perfect mate for Justin, I just felt as if the mannerisms were a bit rushed. I would liked to have seen that come in a bit earlier in the story or possibly an epilogue - A year later when Justin and/ or Tessa remark how much she's changed since becoming the lady of the house.
Of all my favorite parts of the story, I'm in love with Mr. Ornery. I'm not giving anything away, but you'll see.
I'm giving Where Hearts Heal...
.8
Remember to check out the links to Kathleen Ball's pages:
