TLC Book Tours: To Wager Her Heart by Tamera Alexander (My Review!)
The Story:
Impeccable historical research woven with heart-gripping fiction!
With fates bound by a shared tragedy, a reformed gambler from the Colorado Territory and a Southern Belle bent on breaking free from society’s expectations must work together to achieve their dreams – provided the truth doesn’t tear them apart first.
Seeking justice . . .
Sylas Rutledge, the new owner of the Northeast Line Railroad, invests everything he has into this venture, partly for the sake of the challenge. But mostly to clear his father’s name. One man holds the key to Sy’s success–General William Giles Harding of Nashville’s Belle Meade Plantation. But Harding is champagne and thoroughbreds, and Sy Rutledge is beer and bullocks.
Sy needs someone to help him maneuver his way through Nashville’s society, and when he meets Alexandra Jamison, he quickly decides he’s found his tutor. Only, he soon discovers that the very train accident his father is blamed for causing is what killed Alexandra Jamison’s fiancé–and has shattered her world.
Struggling to restore honor . . .
Spurning an arranged marriage by her father, Alexandra instead pursues her passion for teaching at Fisk University, the first freedmen’s university in the United States. But family–and Nashville society–do not approve, and she soon finds herself cast out from both. Through connections with the Harding family, Alexandra and Sy become unlikely allies. And despite her first impressions, Alexandra gradually finds herself coming to respect, and even care for this man. But how can she, when her heart is still spoken for? And when Sy’s roguish qualities and adventuresome spirit smack more of recklessness than responsibility and honor?
Sylas Rutledge will risk everything to win over the woman he loves. What he doesn’t count on is having to wager her heart to do it.
Set against the real history of Nashville’s Belle Meade Plantation and the original Fisk University Jubilee Singers ensemble, To Wager Her Heart is a powerful love story about seeking justice and restoring honor at a time in American history when both were tenuous and hard-won. It’s Tamera Alexander – impeccable historical research and heart-gripping fiction – at her best!
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My Thoughts:
It has actually been a very long time since I've read a Christian historical with the railroad as a backdrop. Remember the Ribbons of Steel series by Judith Pella and Tracie Peterson from literally 20 years ago? I'd forgotten about those stories until I read To Wager Her Heart and was reminded how much I like the stories of the iron horses of yesteryear.
To Wager Her Heart has an authentic feel to it. Even though it is set years after the end of the Civil War, its affects were still felt and are tangible in the story. From stifling humidity to a run-down army barracks turned college, to the town mercantile, Tamera Alexander presents a raw setting in old Nashville. Alexander also creates believable and characters who are easy to relate to. A great setting and well-rounded characters can be difficult to find in one book, but thankfully this author's experience with the pen allows her to gift we readers with both!
To Wager Her Heart is part of a series, one of the previous books I've read and one I have not. Even if you haven't read the other books, following along with this historical romance shouldn't be a problem. The ending leaves a little bit to be desired in that it seemed very rushed and forced, especially as to the dilemma that Sy faced with his railroad and his investor. Even with that, the resolution to Alexandra's story is sweet and hints at a HEA or at least a HFN.
Note: Some of the language used in the book is offensive, but unfortunately authentic to the time.
~ My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ~
*I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.*
Happy Reading!
Thanks for being a part of the tour!
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