Jillian Hart

The starting pages of promise a good story. The heroine is Noelle, a young lady at the end of the 19th century who is blind following an accident. Noelle and her aunt Henrietta are out for a drive on a winter’s day when their horse bolts and they are only just rescued before plunging into the river.

The rescuer - by remarkable coincidence - is a young man called Thad who just happens to be the man who jilted Noelle some years previously, and disappeared without a trace, leaving her show more heartbroken…

So far, so good; the outcome is predictable, but I don't mind that. I was a bit confused by an abrupt viewpoint change without warning; instead of the story being entirely from Noelle’s viewpoint, it suddenly switches to Thad’s, and back again; this continues through the book and left me rather bewildered at times. However, had that been the only problem with this book, I wouldn't have minded too much; it does give the reader the chance to get into the heads of each of the two main characters.

Unfortunately, not much actually happens in the book, other than a lot of repetitive soul-searching and quenching of longings. Circumstances throw this pair together and a tentative friendship begins. However almost every page has far more unspoken thoughts than action or speech; Noelle feels useless and is convinced nobody could ever want to marry her. Thad had reasons for what he did, and doesn't want to fall in love with Noelle all over again… and they go over and over the same inner arguments and ponderings, page after page.

Yes, there are different scenes, and another dramatic incident which draws the young couple closer around the middle of the book, but their constant heart-searchings and convictions that their dreams are over just become irritating. Their friendship is believable, but their lack of communication about their feelings and intentions make no sense at all.

I could empathise with Noelle, despite her unbelievably low opinion of herself, and thought the author did a good job of showing what life would have been like for somebody without sight in this era. Thad was well-drawn too, with good strength of character; I just wish his every thought hadn’t been included. Most of the minor characters are two-dimensional and add little to the story.

I couldn't read more than a chapter at a time without being annoyed by the repetition, but I did keep reading, out of curiosity to discover how the couple would eventually discover that they loved each other. With some significant editing, cutting this down to perhaps half its length, it could be a very good novella. show less

I used to finish every book I started because I just had to know the ending. The sad thing about Love Inspired is that you know the ending before you ever pick up the book. You know the book is going to end with the two main characters in love with each other. For me, this means that you need to find a way to make me care about the characters and what happens to them--and this book didn't.

One of my friends would say that this falls into the law enforcement sub-genre of this genre. I didn't show more find anything original about Brody. Michelle's character was a bit better developed but I had trouble seeing her as the innocent if her family had illegal acts all around her. show less

Seventeen-year-old Noelle Kramer was filled with the hopes and dreams of first love, believing that in Thad MacKaslin she had found the man she would spend the rest of her life with. But on the night they were to elope, she learned he had left town without a word, and she believed she would never see him again. Although her heart was broken, she planned to marry another and at least have a home and family of her own, until a tragic accident left her parents dead and Noelle blind, destroying show more her plans for the future.

Now, five years later, in the winter of 1883, Noelle lives a quiet life with her aunt, uncle, and cousins. Her blindness has caused her to give up all her dreams of love, marriage, and children. On their way home from town during a blizzard, Noelle and her aunt are almost killed by a runaway horse, but a stranger saves them - a stranger Noelle soon realizes is Thad MacKaslin, who has returned to their hometown of Angel Falls, Montana. And although both Noelle and Thad try to deny it, they still have feelings for each other. Has God given them a second chance at love and happiness together?

This book was one of the most enjoyable historical romances I've read in a while. Fans of western and inspirational romances are sure to enjoy this story of two people who had given up on a future together but are given a second chance to realize their dreams. The love story was incredibly sweet and emotional, rather than so many romances which focus on the physical romance but neglect the emotional side of a relationship. I'd highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy a sweet and emotional romance without all the graphic scenes. show less

2.5 Stars. Not my favorite pacing for the romance. I can see the argument that meeting under heightened circumstances might accelarate their feelings, but it just seemed to me as though they’d barely interacted and already thought they were in love. It’s the sort of scenario where the feelings are so big and so certain so quickly that as a reader I felt sort of like I’d missed some crucial scenes that didn’t actually exist. It’s a personal preference issue and my preference is show more almost always a slower progression of emotions.

Burke, due to his past, doubted he was good enough for Lila, so it seemed like there maybe should have been more signs of resistance on his part. His willingness to spend time with Lila didn’t entirely mesh with what I’d imagine to be the personality of a man so prone to flashing back to the darkest times of his life, that didn’t exactly scream sociable, for the same reason, their moments of banter didn’t really fit him either and had a somewhat forced feel.

As for the mystery/action aspect of this one, to me it felt like there was a little too much time spent laying out Burke’s past and not enough time really tangling him up in the present situation or justifying why the guy even needed to be undercover to get the job done.

I liked that Lila gets in on the action a little bit, more than that I enjoyed how proactive Lila was in her own life, taking control and spreading her wings was easily my favorite aspect of her character, more invigorating to watch unfold than any of the cops and robbers stuff, I only wish that had occupied a larger portion of the book.

While I haven’t read the previous novels in this series and therefore went into this unfamiliar with the background stories of Lila’s friends, their scenes of friendship and support were the other highlights I found in this one, I just really liked the warm, caring vibes between these young women, and would have heartily welcomed more of their interractions. show less