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I was really disappointed with this book. I didnt feel that any of the characters were true to their time period. I dont understand why every period piece seems to think that the only women worth writing about are firey, feisty women, with a soft side. The bible does not say that you must marry for love or that if you choose the "wrong" person God wont support your choice. What it DOES say is that if you are faithful to God and follow His word, He will bless your marriage. You cant choose wrong. I felt like this book really sent the wrong message. And please, her rejected suitor just decides to pay an outrageous sum out of the goodness of his heart? Totally unrealistic,not to mention it cheapens her choice. Life isnt that easy- she ended up making no sacrifices, having no struggles or challenges.

And i dont think 49 is that old. Its certainly not decrepit, with old achey bones, baldness and indigestion.

Also, why bother to read the following books? The author made it perfectly clear who ends up with whom. And based on this, i would imagine there wont be any character development. ( )

I enjoyed reading this story. It was lighthearted and fun. Willow Madison arrives in Thunder Ridge, Texas to stay with her Uncle and hopefully to marry rich Silas Sterling, a man 30 years older than her, but who can provide for Willow and her 2 friends and her Uncle. The Civil War is over, which Willow and her 2 friends helped fight in, and they are destitute. Now this scenario may not sound like a fun and lighthearted story, but from the minute Willow rides into town with her horse and wagon, you will find yourself slightly amused.

Tucker Gray finds himself slightly annoyed with Willow when she rides into town and they don't exactly get along well throughout the story, but you will find yourself smiling and enjoying the arguing they find themselve doing every time they meet. Willow must decide though what path God wants her to take; the one of duty and commitment to a man she doesn't love, or giving herself to the man she is head over heels in love with?

I finished the book and felt refreshed and in a good mood. The folks in the story are all good characters I enjoyed getting to know to know them all, and look forward to reading the next two books in this series. ( )

Lori Copeland's book are always enjoyable so I was looking forward to reading her newest historical fiction addition. The premise of women having to fight in the Civil War was quite interesting. They did it out of necessity and no one looks down on them for fighting for survival. It gives a stark contrast to the wealthy women back east who have been enjoying a life of luxury even during the war. Willow and Tucker get off to a bad start right from the beginning and the whole novel shows their rocky relationship. It's interesting to see their chemistry evolve throughout the whole novel. Equally interesting is Willow's relationship with the man she is supposed to marry and the difference in how she treats him vs Tucker.

While I enjoyed this book very much, there were several points I found not to my liking. One, the reason of why the kerosene was in Willow's possession is never fully explained or to the very least she doesn't seem to realize that this was the cause for the fire. Second, Willow would act in the very way that I hate seeing females act in romances. She finds herself tongue tied around Tucker and cannot stand up for herself along him to bulldoze himself over her. After reading so many books with strong females, I just can't stand to see women who let men run over them and then find themselves falling in love with the same man. Otherwise I did enjoy reading this historical novel very much. I am looking forward to the next book in the series as we hopefully will hear about Willow's friends Copper and Audrey. I also am very impressed with the new Avon Inspire line. Every book that has been published so far has been a winner. ( )

As I have said before, I will now say again, I love Avon Inspire, and imprint of HarperCollins. And I absolutely love the covers of their books, not one book has been a disappointment to me yet! The only problem I did have with this cover, (it's beautiful don't get me wrong) the character is described with strawberry blonde hair??? How do I envision her with strawberry blonde, when the cover is very clearly toward an ebony? hmmm... Oh well, discrepancy aside, this is a delightful story. In my opinion the tale of Willow Madison is right up there with the likes of Tamera Alexander, Tracey Bateman, and Tracie Peterson. Just wonderful and a great read. There were a few sections that seemed to jump in the characters growing, but it flowed well enough and I loved it. ( )