Priscilla Morton has lived in Boston all her life, and yearns for adventure.  She is going with her parents to the wedding of her late sister Patience’s husband Clay and at last maybe she will escape the confines of her refined East Coast life.  This does indeed happen, but not in the way she envisaged, as a trio of bandits leaves her parents dead and herself violated.  Rescued by a Texas Ranger, she is taken to Ladreville to stay with her brother-in-law as planned.  Shunning all men, she is soon worried to find that handsome ranch foreman Zach Webster is showing an interest in her...

This is the sequel to Paper Roses (also reviewed on this site) and like that story is an uplifting, inspirational novel about overcoming the past and making peace with yourself.  It is also a highly entertaining novel that crams a lot into its fairly modest length, comprised of not only romance but also adventure and a sense of its time and place.  The Texas hill country in the mid 19th century looks back to the Mexican wars and looks forward to being an important part of America, with settlers from Alsace learning to live with each other despite their history.  I couldn’t put it down, and hope I won’t have to wait too long for the third part of this exciting series.  Recommended for a wide range of readers, including all of those who think they don’t like historical romance and anybody who wonders if an inspirational novel is for them.