Tamera Alexander

Tamera Alexander always pens remarkable, unforgettable stories of grief, heartbreak, forgiveness, and redemption no matter the era she chooses. This is my first contemporary women's fiction by the author and I am utterly impressed at her skill in crossing over from historical romance. Granted, there is definitely a historical side to this book where we get a glimpse of 1863 but most of the story takes place in the present time.

Claire's first person voice is raw, heart-breaking, honest, and show more completely relatable as she navigates the aftermath of her husband's affair, a cross-country move, and being an empty nester while struggling to find her footing in the elite world of interior design in a foreign city. Her drive, determination, and grit are admirable. Despite being a Christian, she does not realize her need for complete surrender until much later in the book - and this made me pause and think. How often do we place Jesus on a shelf in pursuit of our own wants and idols of our making?
Charlotte's third person voice from 1863 was equally heart-breaking, honest, and raw but filled with the Spirit, hope, and joy despite her circumstances.

This gripping story will make you cry happy, sad, and ugly tears all in the span of one book. It's a must-read. show less

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
The very first paragraph tells us so much about the main character: her name, age, dreams, determination, courage… and that her time is limited. In the first chapter, we learn that Elizabeth is a strong woman facing a life-threatening illness, yet she doesn’t let that stop her or even slow her down. She dreams of becoming the first female staff photographer and journalist at the Washington Daily Chronicle, and she won’t let illness, the treacherous Rocky Mountains, or show more her father’s disapproval get in her way. However, we also see that her determination is balanced with heart in the way she treats the “Negro” man she has hired to assist her and in how she views the wildlife around her.

When we first meet Daniel Ranslett in Chapter Three, we learn that he is a patient tracker, a skilled hunter with a conscience, and a man of his word. We also learn that he is haunted by his past and still wrestles with the guilt of old choices. He prefers to keep to himself, but his reluctance is no match for Elizabeth’s determination once she learns he has the experience she needs to accomplish part of her goals.

Characters:

In addition to Elizabeth and Daniel, Tamera introduces us to a variety of well-developed characters including:

Josiah – a former slave, kind & competent employee, and loyal friend;
Sheriff James McPherson – whose current friendship with Daniel has been complicated and strained by past events;
Rachel Boyd – sister to the sheriff, mother, and recent widow;
The Tucker family – struggling to provide for their large brood, including a young son with a severe illness;
Drayton Turner the local newspaper man;
Carnes the coroner;
Mr. Zachary manager of the local land and title office;
and too many more to list.
Despite the size of the cast in this story, Tamera has managed to give each character such a unique depth, and introduced them so skillfully, that there was never a moment where I lost track of who was who. Each character is as real and rich as the next.

EMOTIONAL ENGAGEMENT & PACING OF THE STORY:
This is not an edge of your seat, flip the pages as fast as you can, style of story. However, Tamera has created just enough tension that you are always reluctant to set this book down. As I’ve already said, the characters are so real and their emotions so deeply felt by the reader that you cannot help but be pulled into their world and their struggles. You want to know what will happen next and whether or not each character will achieve their goals.

Elements I especially liked/disliked:

Something that sets this novel apart is its handling of the racial issues present in 1875 Colorado Territory. I appreciated how Tamera managed to portray this in a way that felt real, yet not garish. It was neither overdone for the sake of drama nor underplayed for the sake of current (2016) political views. I think it’s important to remember the shameful parts of our history as well as the moments of which we are proud. It’s how we learn and a reminder never to go back.

Themes:

The primary themes are accepting forgiveness and learning to adjust when your dreams don’t turn out to be what you imagined they were.

Ending:

I found the ending of this book mostly satisfying. I felt the romance was resolved a bit too subtly for my taste, but this is a nitpicky personal opinion. In regard to length, I would, perhaps, have liked just another page or two more to enjoy the afterglow of resolution, but this is more a sign of having enjoyed the book than a complaint against it. There is no hint of a cliffhanger. The romance plot and all the side plots are nicely concluded. show less

I must confess that the blurb for this book really didn’t pique my interest at first. Having read the first two books in the series already (and loving them), I wanted to finish it on a good note. A French women in a young Colorado Territory seemed like an oxymoron from the beginning, but I vowed to myself that I would give it a try.

Oh, how glad was I?! This book was beautifully written, and the French aspects – the style, the language, the reflections on the country itself, even the show more heroine’s name – all added a unique cultural element that I was smitten with from the beginning.

What surprised me most may have been the author’s willingness to include mental illness. Both Véronique and Jack had various issues with anxiety, panic attacks, feelings of inadequacy, and crippling fears that made their characters more relatable. Even through fiction, I think most readers prefer stories that have characters with flaws which reassures us that none of us are perfect.

Each book had the perfect amount of romance to set my heart fluttering, and the love story between Véronique and Jack nearly took my breath away more than once! Their chemistry was undeniable from the moment they had to discuss who could buy the wagon…

It has been several years since I read the previous two books in this series, and without a doubt, this series has been wonderful from the very first page. This final book was a tad overlong (some segments could’ve been edited out and the story would not have suffered from it), but that doesn’t keep me from giving it 5 stars. It was merveilleux! show less

Parts of this book really stuck with me long after I had read it. The main character is a governess named LIzzie working at Carnton, a plantation house near Nashville. Despite being in the south, Lizzie has opinions about slavery that are contrary to her employers. As the novel unfolds a nearby battle brings a large number of wounded soldiers to the mansion, and Lizzie assists with surgery as limb after limb is sawn off. But a certain Captain Jones is not one who has his leg removed, as he show more makes Lizzie and the doctor promise not to. This means he has a lengthy recovery at Carnton, and he and Lizzie have a lot of time to talk. Lizzie is betrothed to another soldier, however, so they must keep their distance - but that does not keep them from discussing their views on slavery. Those discussions were very interesting to listen to - especially as Captain Jones tried to justify his way of life. While slavery has been abolished, we still have passionate views on race relations today so I found that section though provoking. I also enjoyed the scenes with Lizzie reading Dickens to the soldiers, and the scenes with the children were quite delightful. My only criticism would be that the book seemed a bit too long and I felt some of the side stories could have been edited out or cut down. It is loosely based on the real Carnton estate and historical events, which was a plus as it got me interested in the real events related to the story. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of historical fiction, especially if they like a touch of romance and though provoking discussions. show less