RTC!

Oh, I know I’m about to have some fun when I pick up a book by Regina Jennings. The Lieutenant’s Bargain, the second in her Fort Reno series, is full of misunderstandings and misadventures that had me smiling and laughing the whole time.

Hattie Walker is heading to Denver, Colorado to prove her artistic potential when everything goes wrong—and Lieutenant Jack Hennessey happens to come to her rescue. Only, this rescue has consequences neither Hattie nor Jack could have anticipated, one that challenges both their futures and their feelings.

It was a pleasure to once again visit Fort Reno and get to know Hattie and Jack in the process. Their story is sweet, in addition to being fun, with some valuable lessons, historical and otherwise, mixed in. I enjoyed reading The Lieutenant’s Bargain and recommend it to readers of historical romance.

Thanks to the author, I received a complimentary copy of The Lieutenant’s Bargain and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. ( )

God does work in mysterious ways. Hattie travels by herself to Denver but doesn’t make it because the stagecoach she is in is attacked by gunman. She survives and is saved and rescued by Jack who she knew as an awkward boy who she grew up with. I enjoyed this story and had many laughs during it. I am really enjoying this series and hope for many more. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will. ( )

This is the first full-length novel from Regina Jennings that I have read and I’m totally hooked! If you enjoy historical romance, you will definitely enjoy this one. The writing is fluid and easy to follow, the characters are endearing, and the plot is fun with a bit of suspense and intrigue thrown in.

Hattie, an aspiring artist, gets robbed on a coach heading to Denver and is rescued by an Indian tribe working in tandem with the US government as reservations are being created. Jack, a lieutenant in the US Army that is serving the reservation, has always admired Hattie from afar while growing up and seizes the opportunity to “rescue” her from the Indian tribe. Misunderstanding and miscommunication bind them as husband and wife as they both try to figure out why they hold on to the dreams that they have. Hattie is strong-willed, stubborn, and somewhat immature and spoiled in the beginning but is also tender, vulnerable, and has a huge heart and an infinite capacity to love. Jack has always been a nerd with a nose buried in a book but has grown up to be a confidant man, interested in the welfare and preservation of the tribe even as they are forced to assimilate. As they struggle together to sustain a school for the tribe’s children and find out who had robbed the coach, their friendship and love bloom.

Even though this is book 2 in the series, it can totally be read as a stand alone. But now I need to go back and read the first book, Holding the Fort!

I was given a copy of the book from Bethany House Publishers (Baker Publishing Group) and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own. ( )

Do you listen to audiobooks? I do when I’m at the office. I mean, I’d never stay up with my monthly TBRs if I didn’t listen to a handful of those. But once in a while I come across a book that has people looking at me whenever they walk by my cubicle because I’m smiling and laughing at whatever I’m listening to. Regina Jennings’ The Lieutenant’s Bargain was one of those books.

The misunderstandings with Hattie and Arapaho who rescue her, Jack and the Arapaho when he goes to rescue Hattie, and even Hattie and Jack are entertaining and hilarious. And even though it takes Jack and Hattie a bit too long to discover exactly what they got themselves into, readers catch on quick which just makes it even more enjoyable. Plus, you have Hattie who has the heart of an artist and Jack who is a by-the-book scholarly type. What could possibly go wrong?

While the laughs are abundant in this story, there’s also some great lessons immersed in there. The distrust the Native Americans had for the white man, the struggles to educate the Native Americans, and the danger of the time.

As Jack and Hattie stick to the constraints of their bargain, they struggle to find the courage to let go of their insecurities and tell the other the truth in their hearts. And that journey is a blast to take with these characters Jennings created.

I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. ( )