Janet Tronstad

Me getting this book was a combination of the efforts of two friends. It almost seemed like it was a combination of Love Inspired and Love Inspired Suspense lines. As one friend remarked, it definitely belongs in the law enforcement subgenre.

WARNING: SPOILERS MAY FOLLOW. READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION:

I liked the idea of the pageant and thought Wade's recounting of his time as the pageant angel was amusing. I thought Jasmine's idea to have sparklers with her angel costume was a bit dangerous. I show more was waiting for them to catch hay or her costume on fire or drop sparks on the other pageant participants etc. Especially with her planning to put them on her ankles--much less control than if they were held in hands.

Jasmine seems stuck on the idea that she needs to repay God for taking her in--similarly to how she feels she should mimic Edith's dress to repay the town for taking her in after she gets out of jail. Though her attire decisions are addressed, her feeling that she needs to pay back God is not--at least not in this book. Salvation is a gift. There is no need to pay God back--and indeed, no way to do so. I do like that Jasmine seems to have turned her life around though. I can understand her doubts as to whether other people view her as an ex-con or as a new creation.

Wade's skepticism seems genuine and believable. We see him learn and grow during the period of the book.

I figured that Lonnie would show up once the law figured he wouldn't. That's usually how these books go. show less

Good book. Emma married Junior Rosen in good faith, only to discover upon his death that he was already married and a father. Though her unborn child could inherit half the family ranch if its paternity is proven, Emma looks at it as charity and declines the test, leaving her almost destitute. Her pride carries her through the funeral, where she refuses to fall apart.

Joshua, a ranch hand at the Rosen ranch, wants to help Emma after seeing her at the funeral. Several months later, at the show more behest of Bailey Rosen (the real wife), he tracks down Emma to invite her to come to the Rosen ranch. With a past that haunts him, Joshua looks at helping Emma as a chance for redemption.

Joshua and Emma are two people with deep-seated trust issues. As a child, he spent years bouncing around various family members and foster care, learning how to use a glib tongue to get what he wanted. After using those same "talents" as an adult, he turned his life around but still has trouble trusting others. Emma grew up with a mother and grandmother who constantly hammered home how untrustworthy men are, and Junior's actions proved it. Their situations sometimes forced them to accept charity, something they found personally repugnant. Now alone in the world, Emma is almost phobic about anything that smacks of charity.

Horrified by her living conditions when he arrived at her home, Joshua was determined to get her to the ranch. Considering her situation when he arrived, Emma's denials of her need made no sense to him. Convincing her to go was an uphill battle until an emergency with her seven-year-old stepbrother tipped the scales in Joshua's favor. I loved Joshua's reaction and how he jumped right in to help.

I liked seeing the relationship between Emma and Joshua develop. Once Emma and Tommy arrive at the ranch, a whole new world opens for them. Joshua wants nothing more than to fix things for them, but Emma's pride often gets in the way. Despite the occasional conflict, Joshua and Emma become friends, each of them eventually sharing their painful pasts. As she gets to know the residents of the ranch and town, Emma slowly loses some of her distrustfulness. The scenes between Emma and Joshua are sweet, and it's easy to see the feelings that spring up between them. I loved the surprise he prepared for her and his determination to make it perfect. I loved the scene at the hospital and held my breath when it looked like miscommunication might spoil things. But Joshua's former sweet-talking ability reappeared enough for him to show Emma the depth of his love. The epilogue was terrific and a nice wrap-up for the book.

The secondary characters were wonderful. I loved Max and his parrot Cupid. Ma's protectiveness of Emma at the beginning came through until he got Joshua's measure. He and Cupid provided some fun moments that helped relieve some tension. I loved that Mark and Bailey didn't blame Emma for what happened and encouraged her to feel part of the family. The two kids, Rosie and Tommy, were adorable. Rosie seems the type who could rule the world, and I'd love to see her with her own book twenty years down the line. Tommy was a sweet boy, and I loved the sensitive portrayal of his Down Syndrome. show less

This was 2 stories for the price of one! In "A Dry Creek Wedding" we have Rene Mitchell fleeing Mule Hollow (which is another whole series by Debra Clopton) when she finds out the supposedly man of her dreams only wanted to marry her to take care of his child. Clay Preston finds himself towing her car and Rene all the way to Dry Creek, Montana and listening to her feelings about romance. When they arrive in Dry Creek they find themselves in a snow storm and having to rescue a very pregnant show more young woman stuck in the snow. While all this is taking place a touch of romance is happening between Rene and Clay. This was a cute and quick romantic read and helps you to understand the problems you will read about in "A Mule Hollow Match" which follows.

In the second story we are back in Mule Hollow, Texas. Paisley Norton is the cousin to Rene in the first story, and Trace Crawford is the man who broke Rene's heart. Paisley ends up caring for Trace's new neice who has come to live with him when her mother dies. Paisley can't seem to forgive Trace for how he broke Rene's heart, but she has a soft spot for the child. As Paisley gets to know Trace she finds herself falling for him and it is fun to watch these two try to come to terms with the past and embrace the future. Both stories were enjoyable to read and tied into one another very nicely. show less

It's very rare that I pick up a Love Inspired romance novel, but after reading this one I think I have been missing out.
Wade Stone left Dry Creek at the age of seventeen and never looked back, although he never forgot his first love Amy Mitchell. A rodeo rider who suffered a fall, he has been off the circuit for several months when he gets a letter from his mother Grace that she is going back home to the ranch in Dry Creek and wants him to come he decides to go because he fears that the show more town hasn't forgotten his mothers past. One of the first people Wade runs into is Amy, and while she is happy to see the Stone's, her family, who is also the Stone's next door neighbors, are dead set against her having anything to do with them. Will the town of Dry Creek ever accept the Stone's? Will Wade and Amy get a second chance at love?

This was my first time reading anything by Ms. Tronstad, and I am hooked.The depth of the story along with the characters really drew me in. Wade was someone that was struggling with faith, it was nice to see him change and grow through out the story. He was very considerate of his mother. Amy was a character that was so easy to connect with. She never got over her first love, and held out hope that someday he might come back. She had plenty of responsibilities taking care of the family farm while also looking out for her aunt and grandfather. Easily my favorite character had to be Grace, and what I consider the sacrifice she made for her son Wade. She also had unwavering faith that the townspeople would eventually accept them.
A great story that's much more than just an inspirational romance. The author weaves in a bit of suspense, and mystery to make it a page turning story that surprised me at the end. The Christmas feel of the book was just an added bonus for me. Recommended! show less