Kate Dawson is content being single and the town's schoolteacher. Anthony is a student that has stolen her heart and makes her wish she had not run from the chance at being a mail-order bride. When Anthony's mother Lucy dies, Kate assumes she will be his guardian. Yet two men show up in the rural Missouri town claiming to be his father. Kate has heard Lucy speak of both gentlemen, but none of it is positive. Silas Jonesey grew up in an orphanage and has never had a family to call his own. When he gets a letter from his estranged mail-order bride he travels to Missouri to see her in hopes of reconciliation, only to find that she has passed away. Not wanting Anthony to have an orphan life like he did, he plans to take his son back to his homestead. Yet where does that leave Kate and what if Anthony has other plans?
I had read another novel by Melissa Jagears and the characters in her first novel continued on into this story, but this novel could also stand alone. The story started out slow, with too much background story and the characters thoughts and not enough dialogue nor action. However, the second half was much better. I like this time period of the 1880's and the mail-order bride stories. Kate and Silas have to work through their past issues in a real way and their story is believable. Thanks Bethany House for sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
