Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Karen Witemeyer: More Than Meets the Eye


By Kelly Bridgewater

Many consider Evangeline Hamilton cursed. Orphaned at a young age and possessing a pair of mismatched eyes--one bright blue, the other dark brown--Eva has fought to find her way in a world that constantly rejects her. Yet the support of even one person can help overcome the world's judgments, and Eva has two--Seth and Zach, two former orphans she now counts as brothers.

Seeking justice against the man who stole his birthright and destroyed his family, Logan Fowler arrives in 1880s Pecan Gap, Texas, to confront Zach Hamilton, the hardened criminal responsible for his father's death. Only instead of finding a solitary ruthless gambler, he discovers a man not much older than himself with an unusual family. When Zach's sister, Evangeline, insists on dousing Logan with sunshine every time their paths cross, Logan finds his quest completely derailed. Who is truly responsible for his lost legacy, and will restoring the past satisfy if it means forfeiting a future with Evangeline?

From Amazon


My Thoughts:

I have read a few of Karen Witemeyer's novels, not all of them. I do enjoy how she creates realistic characters who are unique and struggle on the frontier. More Than Meets the Eye is a different type of story. With a historical romance, I expect to be taken for a ride in a world that I'm not familiar with and clothes I can't imagine wearing.

Witemeyer does a good job at being descriptive in her writing. The words flew off the page, allowing me to picture and feel the countryside in Texas. With each new chapter, she grabbed my attention as she allowed me to follow Evangeline and Logan through the struggles, romantic and personal. I loved how Witemeyer showcased the struggle inside Logan. It felt realistic.

The plot. It was different, and I enjoyed that. I heard about the Orphan Trains when I read one of Jody Hedlund's Orphan Train books, so I was familiar with the concept. But Witemeyer went a different direction with Evangeline's character and made her completely different than every other character. Right away, I am introduced to Evangeline and her two different color eyes, but as the story progresses, I forget that she has two different eyes and see her as a normal character. As for the ending, there is a mystery element to the story, which sparked my attention. The only problem I had with the plot is that Witemeyer summed up everyone's lives in a matter of pages to end the story. I really wanted Seth and Christine to have their own story, not be told what happened to them.

The romance didn't rush by, but it did take a while for Logan to trust Evangeline and fall in love with him. Their budding romance wasn't on the top of romances I will remember, but I enjoyed the plot.

Overall, More Than Meets the Eye by Karen Witemeyer is a thrilling story with a lesson on how to see people for who they really are. The plot kept my attention, and I can't wait to see what else Witemeyer has up her sleeve for these siblings. I believe fans of Witemeyer's writings or Mary Connealy and Regina Jennings would enjoy this novel.

I received a complimentary copy of More Than Meets the Eye by Karen Witemeyer from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all  my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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