My Review: Out of the Embers by Amanda Cabot

The Story: (from the publisher’s website)
A young woman with a tragic past has arrived in town . . . and trouble is following close behind

Ten years after her parents were killed, Evelyn Radcliffe is once more homeless. The orphanage that was her refuge and later her workplace has burned to the ground, and only she and a young orphan girl have escaped. Convinced this must be related to her parents' murders, Evelyn flees with the girl to Mesquite Springs in the Texas Hill Country and finds shelter in the home of Wyatt Clark, a talented horse rancher whose plans don't include a family of his own.

At first, Evelyn is a distraction. But when it becomes clear that trouble has followed her to Mesquite Springs, she becomes a full-blown disruption. Can Wyatt keep her safe from the man who wants her dead? And will his own plans become collateral damage? Suspenseful and sweetly romantic, Out of the Embers is the first in a new series that invites you to the Texas Hill Country in the 1850s, when the West was wild, the men were noble, and the women were strong.

My Thoughts:
I’ve been binge reading, like I’m sure many of you are right now, so I’m on the hunt for light-hearted romance! I decided to give Amanda Cabot’s latest western romance, Out of the Embers a read and while it may not be my favorite, it certainly has some memorable characters.

Little Miss Polly is such a sweet, precocious child and on the other end of the spectrum Sam and Basil are completely gross and abusive, two of the most unsympathetic characters I’ve encountered in Christian fiction. One is the villain, so I suppose that’s how a reader is supposed to feel, but one...well...isn’t? The way the ending was written for this character was a bit off to me. It feels like it could be a set up for another story, but I hope not! He did not get what he deserved as far as punishment for his crimes in my opinion!

That said, the story was interesting as far as the mystery element, but the romance fizzled. I much prefer Cabot’s earlier western romances, but hopefully the Mesquite Springs series will get better as it goes! Book 2 already promises an interesting newspaperman as a foil to Dorothy Clark, who we met in this book.

 ~ My Rating: 2.5 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!