Amanda Cabot

A Tender Hope by Amanda Cabot transports readers to August 1881. Thea Michener is leaving Ladreville to become the new midwife in Cimarron Creek, Texas. Thea needs a change after the murder of her husband and giving birth to a stillborn boy. Her marriage was complicated near the end and she will be happy to shed her widow’s weeds. Aimee Jarre is going with Thea in the hopes of locating her birth mother. They arrive in Cimarron Creek to find Ranger Jackson Guthrie on the front porch of show more their new home with an infant in his arms. Ranger Guthrie was following Thea to Cimarron Creek when he came upon the baby alone near cacti. He has been on the trail of The Gang of Four (as they have been dubbed) since they injured his partner and killed his younger brother. Guthrie believed Thea was the female member of the gang until he sees her in person. As it turns out, Thea may hold the key to tracking down these ruthless bandits who manage to disappear after each robbery. Neither party may be looking for love, but God has other plans.

A Tender Hope is the final book in a Cimarron Creek Trilogy. A Tender Hope can be read alone, but, after reading it, you will want to go back and read the other two books in the series. The couples from the first two books are included in A Tender Hope. I thought A Tender Hope was well-written with gentle pacing. Amanda Cabot has a casual writing style that engages the reader and draws them into her tale. The Christian elements are nicely integrated into the story. I like that it was light but meaningful. Thea’s story was intriguing. New details are added as the story progresses, and I like how it all tied together. Guthrie and Thea’s romance plays out softly and sweetly. Aimee is seeking answers on her birth parents and she gets so much more (I do not want to give away any spoilers). Nate Kenton and Warner Gray provide humor to the story. Both men are seeking wives and women are scarce in their area. I liked that the author gave many of the females in the story occupations and strong voices. I was very happy that A Tender Hope was not a typical historical romance. There is mystery, suspense and action along with family, friendship, love, and faith. A Tender Hope has a satisfying conclusion that will leave readers smiling. show less

Wow! What an exciting conclusion to the Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing series! Amanda Cabot combines an intriguing, slow burn mystery, a lovely second chance romance, and inspirational faith which made Into the Starlight such a fast paced, unputdownable read! After reading the previous two books, I was so intrigued by Joanna’s story who was away in Europe and unreachable by letter in the last book. Learning about what happened to her & her return to Sweetwater Crossing was even better than show more anticipated.

Joanna Vaughn’s return to Sweetwater Crossing’s bittersweet. She’s endured severe illness, the death of several loved ones including her husband, and the heartbreaking loss of her dream of being a concert pianist. As she struggles to find her place when so much has changed, she finds growing comfort and joy from being with her sisters again. She also finds a deep friendship with Dr. Burke Finley who’s come to Sweetwater Crossing with his “aunt” to see the home her fiancé built for her before he disappeared many years ago.

After his fiancée married his partner and blamed him for her mother’s death, Burke is ready for a change. When the woman who was engaged to his uncle wants to visit Sweetwater Crossing, Burke readily agrees to accompany her. He also wants to finally find out what happened to his uncle. When he meets the beautiful Joanna, he admires her talent & wants to help her. As their friendship grows, the undercurrent of attraction sizzles between them. As they work together to investigate Burke’s uncle’s disappearance, he also finds new purpose in helping Joanna’s sister, the local doctor. But when the past comes back to haunt them, will they find a happily ever after or be torn apart.

I loved Joanna’s & Burke’s second chance romance & how it beautifully grows from friends to more. I enjoyed seeing how they supported each other & helped each other overcome the past. The slow burn mystery was so good especially because it’s been simmering throughout the whole series. There were multiple suspects with a couple of red herrings thrown in. The villain was a bit surprising which made it all the more intriguing. The ending had me on the edge of my seat!

Highest of recommendations for this book and the entire series! Though it can be read as a standalone, it’s so much better if you’ve read the previous books in the series. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the author & publisher. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided. show less

Wow! This book is a rollercoaster ride with swoony romance, mystery, messages of faith, and some heart wrenching situations. After meeting Louisa in After the Shadows, I wasn’t sure how the author would make her likable. With the power of great storytelling, Louisa gets her own redemption story and becomes an endearing character you want to see succeed. This slow burn historical romance is another exciting installment in the Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing series

After the death of her show more father, Louisa Vaughn left Sweetwater Crossing determined never to return. She’s been working towards her dream of becoming a doctor. When she returns home to help a friend, she finds a wounded man on the side of the road. Her desire to heal overcomes her reluctance to stay, so while her patient recovers from a broken leg, she temporarily becomes Sweetwater Crossing’s doctor/midwife. But, a female doctor is not looked too kindly upon in this small Texas community and someone seems to have it out for Louisa. Will she and Josh be able to figure out who’s threatening her before it’s too late?

Josh Porter is traveling West to compete for control of his grandfather’s business. He’s got to prove he’s worthy not only to his grandfather, but to the woman he’s supposed to marry. His broken leg has put a wrench in his plans, but a new idea forms and with the help of Louisa, he turns lemons into lemonade or rather tea in this case. While he doesn’t believe in love, his ideas are soon to be challenged as Louisa gets under his skin. Will he thwart expectations for a chance at love?

I really enjoyed this book! The first half was a little more slow moving, but built to a nail biting conclusion. Louisa was awful in the first book but really redeems herself in this one. I loved how Louisa reconciled with her sister Emily. Both Louisa and Josh were faced with high expectations, Josh from his grandfather and Louisa of her own making. The prejudice against female doctors was high at that time and Louisa’s forced to prove her capabilities under difficult circumstances including untimely deaths, accidents, and stillbirth. Some of the realistic situations were heartbreaking and might be hard for some readers.

Loved the slow build, friends to more romance between Josh and Louisa. I loved watching him eat his words about love. They worked together so well in making Josh’s tearoom a reality.

The mystery started really picking up in the second half of the book. The threats against Louisa included all the things she’s afraid of like snakes and bees. They’re also endangering her patients. The villain was a bit of a surprise and a great twist in the story.

The title of this book is aptly named. All the circumstances in the book center around the idea that everyone at one time or another is fighting against the wind. How each person deals with their trials is explored throughout. I loved the idea that even the difficult trials are used by God to work together for our good.

I’m thoroughly enjoying this series and can’t wait to find out more about the third sister. I recommend reading this series in order. I think it’d be difficult to read this book as a standalone. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided. show less

Against the Wind, by Amanda Cabot, is the second book in the Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing series. Having not read the first one, I had a small issue with recognizing the characters and some conversations in the beginning. However, the author does a nice job of giving background information so I quickly caught on and enjoyed the story. The story is well written and has mostly nice caring characters. I enjoyed the closeness the Vaughn sisters have and how quick they are to forgive and help show more each other. I enjoyed the determination Louisa has for setting up her healing/midwife practice. I also enjoyed the strength Josh has to create his idea for his family’s business while being kept from traveling while recovering from a broken leg.

This story has so much written into it. It shows how grief from a loss can affect people in different ways. The story contains mystery and suspense as well as family relationships and romance. One of the main parts I especially enjoyed what when Josh remembered a conversation with his mother and realized marrying for love was more important than marry for financial gain.

I voluntarily received a complimentary copy, this is my honest review. show less