Shelley Shepard Gray: Love Held Captive

By Kelly Bridgewater

After the War Between the States, a Confederate officer longs to heal the heart of a beautiful woman—but first he’ll have to right the wrongs that were done to her.

Major Ethan Kelly has never been able to absolve himself of the guilt he feels for raiding a woman’s home shortly before he was taken prisoner during the Civil War. He is struggling to get through each day until he once again crosses paths with Lizbeth Barclay—the very woman he is trying to forget.

Life after the war is not much different for former Captain Devin Monroe until he meets Julianne VanFleet. He knows she is the woman he’s been waiting for, but he struggles to come to terms with the sacrifices she made to survive the war.

When Ethan and Devin discover that their former colonel, Adam Bushnell, is responsible for both Lizbeth’s and Julianne’s pain, they call on their former fellow soldiers to hunt him down. As the men band together to earn the trust of the women they love, Lizbeth and Julianne seek the justice they deserve in a country longing to heal

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My Thoughts:

I am not a fan of Civil War stories, expect Tamera Alexander's writing. This is the second book in this series that I have read. From the beginning, I was confused on who the women were. There were two sets of women and men, and I had a hard time telling them apart until about a third of the way in. My mind thought they were the same people. Until my mind wrapped around that they were two sets, the story was a little confusing. As for the plot, it takes place in one week. In that one week, both Ethan Kelly and Devin Monroe decide they love these tarnished women and want to marry them. The whole story centers around learning the back story of all four characters and how they would work past their past. I wanted the final showdown to be something big, but it took until about 95 percent into the book to get there, and it was over in one shot. Disappointing. While I had issues with the plot, Gray does do a great job at her research. The story did fit the time period and felt like a Civil War era novel. I'm truly gratetful when an author does that for a book. Makes me admire them a little more. Overall, with a confusing beginning and a lackluster plot, I don't think I would have picked this book up on my own.

I received a complimentary copy of Love Held Captive by Shelley Shepard Gray from Zondervan Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Shelley Shephard Gray: An Uncommon Protector

By Kelly Bridgewater

Overwhelmed by the responsibilities of running a ranch on her own, Laurel Tracey decides to hire a convict—a man who’s just scary enough to take care of squatters and just desperate enough to agree to a one year post.

The years following the war have been hard on Laurel Tracey. Both her brother and her father died in battle, and her mother passed away shortly after receiving word of their demise. Laurel has been trying to run her two hundred acre ranch as best she can.

When she discovers that squatters have settled in her north pasture and have no intention of leaving, Laurel decides to use the last of her money to free a prisoner from the local jail. If she agrees to offer him room and board for one year, he will have to work for her to pay off his debt.

Former soldier Thomas Baker knows he’s in trouble when he finds himself jailed because he couldn’t pay a few fines. Laurel’s offer might be his only ticket out. Though she’s everything he ever dreamed of in a woman—sweet and tender-hearted, yet strong—he’s determined to remain detached, work hard on her behalf, and count the days until he’s free again.

But when cattle start dying and Laurel’s life is threatened, Thomas realizes more than just his freedom is on the line. Laurel needs someone to believe in her and protect her property. And it isn’t long before Laurel realizes that Thomas Baker is far more than just a former soldier. He’s a trustworthy hero, and he needs more than just his freedom—he needs her love and care too.

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My Thoughts:

After reading Shelley Shepard Gray's Chicago World's Fair Mystery series and being pleased with two out of three of them, I had a good idea of how Gray writes. She invites me into the historical setting with no problem. I could picture the setting and see the characters moving around. I understood the character's plight and emotions. While the story is predictable and non-original, I did like the hero who was a "bad" guy turned right, even though I believe his crime that put him in prison wasn't that horrible. Since it is a historical romance, I knew right away that Laurel and Thomas would fall in love and end up married. While the plot idea of someone wanting to scare Laurel off her hundred acres has been overdone, I did enjoy the time I spent reading the story. Once the bad guy was revealed to Laurel and Thomas, it was a quick hand trick and the bad guy was hauled off to jail. I hoped for a better stand-off, but Gray didn't give me one. An Uncommon Protector is a great book for fans of historical romances right after the Civil War. While I prefer to read something with more suspense in it, Gray does a good job at weaving together a story that I enjoyed.

I received a complimentary copy of An Uncommon Protector from Zondervan Publishing and the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

What makes you pick up a book that is out of your genre of choice? Is it the cover? The synopsis? A recommendation?