A Heart of Gold by Stacy Henrie

My rating:  4 of 5 stars

Source:  Received to Review

Genre: Historical Fiction

Book Description:  They'll have to conquer more than the Klondike Trail to reach her father in time; they'll have to overcome their past too.

After months of silence from her father in the Klondike, Tava Rutherford finally receives word from him. Only the outdated letter reveals that her father is ill and may be dying. Desperate to discover his fate, Tava resolves to make the journey to the wilds of northwestern Canada. But Jess Lawmen, her ranch foreman and the man who broke her heart, insists she doesn't go alone. Jess intends to keep his promise to look out for her—even if that means traveling thousands of miles with Tava, the woman he claims to feel just friendship for but has never stopped loving.

With their own ragtag group of travelers in tow, Tava and Jess confront one challenge after another as they join the hundreds of stampeders scrambling to reach the goldfields. But as the two of them come face to face with their past hurts and mistakes in their race to reach Tava’s father, they will have to decide whether to cling to safety or risk their hearts for something even greater.

My thoughts:  A long journey brings two hearts home.
Tava and Jess have known each other for a long time. There was a point where there was a blossoming romance, but it was broken unexpectedly. Tava has had to pick up the pieces of her heart and move on as a friend to Jess, even though it has been difficult.

A letter comes from her father, who is trying to make money in the Klondike gold rush, that he is ill and not expected to survive. She can't live without knowing how her father is, or not being there for him for his final days. She and Jess embark on a hard journey that has them scaling mountains and braving the rapids.

I enjoyed both Jess and Tava's characters. Jess is tormenting himself about the mistakes he made in the past and doesn't feel worthy of Tava. Tava is a young woman who cares about the people around her. Together they are better than when they are apart. This book has them taking a physical journey, but it is the mental and emotional level that is the driving force of the plot.

The book is paced well and interesting. At times I felt that Jess focused a little much on his mistakes instead of giving himself credit for turning his life around. I think the book could have had a little less of the negative and hurtful parts of their past and concentrated more on the healing and on moving forward. That was the only part that I struggled with, but it was a minor irritation to me. It didn't stop me from wanting to keep reading or lessen my enjoyment of the story.

Source: I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

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About the Author:  Stacy Henrie, a USA TODAY bestselling author, has always had a love for history, fiction, and chocolate. She earned her B.A. in public relations before turning her attentions to raising a family and writing inspirational historical romances. Wife of an entrepreneur husband and a mother to three, Stacy loves to live out history through her fictional characters. In addition to author, she is also a reader, a road trip enthusiast, and a novice interior decorator. Her books include Hope at Dawn, a 2015 Romance Writers of America RITA finalist for excellence in romance. 

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