I picked this up while I was visiting at home; I used to read this sort of book all the time, and wanted to see what it would be like to revisit the genre. It is decently written for this type of book, but I am no longer well-read in the genre, and wouldn't likely continue the series. ( )

This is the second book by Dorothy Love in the Hickory Ridge series. The first one sat on my shelf for several years but I finally read it this year and loved Beyond All Measure so much that I bought the next in the series after reviewing it. I was very fortunate to find a large print version that had been in the North Central Kansas very several years. It is the first large print book that I have ever read. My eyes are in bad shape, so they enjoyed the restful ride through the book.

Men were scare after the Civil War, and Carrie Love had lost her husband then. When she was very young, both of her parents due to illness and her older brother had cared for her and raised. Henry married a widow with two sons and brought them to the farm to live with him and Carrie. Carrie and the widow did not get along and the two sons were unruly. Carrie had been seeing Nate in town so long that Nate and the rest of the town wondered when they would ever marry. But Carrie held off, not sure if he was the one.

Then she was crossing the road in town and almost got trampled by a horse, Griff Rutledge, rescues her and begin their on and off meetings. He offered to train the horse for the sowner and thereby begins a romance between Carrie and and Griff that seemed not hold any promise in the opinion of the towns people. With that beginning, the author spins a love story and intertwined with the stories of the depression that occured after the Panic of 1879. As I read it, I compared this book to my father's family during the Depression and my mother' family during the same time period. Like Carrie's brother went looking for work so he could send money back home for his family's survival,so did my father ride the rails looking for work and later working the CCC camps.

I highly recommend this book for being great historical fiction. I almost wish that I could persuade Dorothy Love to write my father's story. ( )

Check out my review and three teasers on my blog: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2012/03/blog-tour-feasted-on-beauty-fo... ( )

2.5 ( )

Dorothy Love has done what so many other inspirational authors find impossible to do. She has written a romantic novel with Christian values that is not sappy or filled with unnecessary details, nor is it overly preachy. She does not fall into the trap of using clichéd characters or situations. Instead, she has given us a novel with a well-plotted storyline and believable characters who come alive as you read about them. In this second installment in the Hickory Ridge Romance series, we meet Griff Rutledge, southern gentleman of questionable background. Carrie, who has moved out of the family home after her brother marries, is immediately taken with this handsome stranger, much to the chagrin of her longtime beau, Nate. Author Dorothy Love masterfully weaves an intriguing tale of love and loss, of hope and perseverance that will capture your interest from the very start. It is evident that the author has done her research in producing a historical novel whose events ring true and whose characters bring a past era to life again. This novel is an excellent choice for book clubs and should foster lively discussions. Although part of a series, it does stand on its own. However, once you read this installment, you will certainly want to read the others, too. Highly recommended, especially for church groups. ( )