Letter And Lies Colleen L. Donnelly
May 2020
Louise Archer boards a westbound train in St. Louis to find the Kansas homesteader who wooed and proposed to her by correspondence, then jilted her by telegram - Don't come, I can't marry you. Giving a false name to hide her humiliation, her lie backfires when a marshal interferes and offers her his seat. Marshal Everett McCloud intends to verify the woman coming to marry his homesteading friend is suitable. At the St. Louis train station, his plan detours when he offers his seat to a captivating woman whose name thankfully isn't Louise Archer. Everett's plans thwart hers, until he begins to resemble the man she came west to find, and she the woman meant to marry his friend.
Between The Pages
This western historical book is an interesting read. I wouldn’t call it romance, but more of having a romance element. The heroine, Louise, doesn’t actually find a romantic connection and happy-ever-after until the last few pages, but a few other characters find their match. The story is only in Louise’s point of view, and in the beginning, I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy this book, but it quickly grabs the attention and holds it. The story-line is exceptional with a strong leading lady. While Louise (aka Penelope) tells a web of untruths, she grows into an independent and fierce woman. She’s kind and compassionate, and although her character is the spotlight in the story, there’s an equally enjoyable cast. So many characters become fast favourites, especially Cook and Everett. I would have liked to have read Everett’s point of view sprinkled throughout the book, however, the story-telling is entertaining with humour, drama, and grief. This well-developed plot holds you to the very end.
Rating
4.5 Stars
Thank you, Darlene! And now you have me thinking about Everett...maybe his story needs to be told. Or Cook's! Thank you for the insightful thoughts on characters that grabbed hold of me as I wrote them.
ReplyDeleteHi Colleen, your story-line and characters were so good. It was a pleasure to read your book. Cook would definitely make a great leading character. I'd read his story for sure!
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