About the book:When Hannah Cartwright meets Grant, a disreputable-looking wrangler, she’s determined to keep him from committing two orphan-train children to hard labor on his ranch. How long will she have to play the role of schoolmarm before she gets a chance to rescue the children? Prudence, the town dressmaker, has designs on Grant. Will she succeed in securing his affections? As Grant struggles to run the ranch and raise six orphans, he finds love making tracks to his heart. Will he be caught in a web of deceit or lassoed by the love of one good woman?
Hannah Cartwright, a young woman who, an orphan herself, has ridden the orphan train trying to find a home for her younger sister. At the end of the line, in a little town called Sour Springs, Texas, her sister Libby is adopted by Grant Cooper. Grant is a bachelor rancher who was once an orphan and vowed that he would help as many abandoned children as he could.
Hannah mistakenly believes that Grant intends to use these children as laborers on his ranch. She stays in town, managing to get hired as the town school teacher, in order to keep an eye on her sister and prove that Grant is using the children as hard labor. Predictably, Grant and Hannah fall in love, and the question about whether they will finally get together is answered.
Add two annoying subplots and there you have Gingham Mountain. The subplot of Prudence, the shady seamstress and her hidden husband Horace was completely unnecessary to the story. It was very contrived. Grace, Hannah's sister, had her own story in book 2, Calico Canyon. Perhaps if I'd read that book first, I would have liked Grace. As it was, all I came away with was that in addition to being annoying, the woman was nuts and her husband and stepsons all needed a good thrashing.
This is the third book in the Lassoed in Texas series. It's the first one I've read. While I believe it can stand on its own, I also think that reading the first two books should give the reader a better understanding of some of the characters. Mary Connealy assumes that you've read her other books.
I found myself wishing for more detail and character development. It's as if the author had the story in her own mind, but couldn't quite get all the details painted for the reader.
Overall, a light, entertaining Christian read. Nothing stellar about it or the writing. But, a nice diversion when you need something light and clean.
Thanks to First Wild Card for the opportunity to review this book. You can find out more about Mary Connealy here. You can read the first chapter here. You can purchase your copy here
.Read 2/09
* * *
3/5 Stars
Comments
Post a Comment