Maggie Brendan, No Place for a Lady

No Place for a Lady

Maggie Brendan

Revell, Jan 2009, $13.99

ISBN: 9780800733353

In 1892 Crystal Clark buries her father. With her mom dead years earlier from cholera she leaves her Georgia home that she sold to pay bills and Andrew "Drew" Franklin who wants to marry her to stay with her Aunt Kate on her cattle ranch Aspengold in Colorado. The southern belle initially feels lonely as a fish out of water, but soon finds she enjoys the rugged Yampa Valley although the local women shun her due to her manner and the men want her for the same reason. She ignores both genders though she knows her aunt's foreman Luke Webber is impossible to disregard even as he scorns the exquisite Southern Belle.

She is taken aback when Aunt Kate dies, a distraught Crystal vows to remain strong as expected of a steel magnolia. Luke wants the Georgia peach to go home even as admires her grit and her friendliness to the ranch help treating everyone like family while also hiding the truth about the ranch.

The first Heart of the West inspirational historical romance is a wonderful tale starring an intriguing heroine who in spite of her losses and her inability to understand God's plan for her still strongly believes the Lord is with her. Crystal makes the tale with her friendliness like playing the autoharp for ranch hand Curley. Luke is an honorable person who wants the best for the woman he loves; which to him means Georgia and Drew. As he finds his way to God, he owes his beloved the entire truth, but fears telling her. Maggie Brendan provides a fabulous late nineteenth century Americana.

Harriet Klausner