On Tour with Prism Book Tours.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Received to Review for book tour
Genre: Historical Christian Romance
Book Description: Ruby McCoy is haunted by her father's sins....
When Ruby McCoy arrives in Fairplay, her ornate carriage is followed by an entourage who heft steamer trunks, hatboxes, and traveling bags into the hotel…where she has booked the entire second floor. Upon her notorious gangster father's death, the now-wealthy Ruby, hiding under her mother's maiden name, set out to right her father's wrongs. Ruby is determined to spend every penny of her inherited "blood money" on those who paid the price for her father's crimes.
Sheriff Rex Truett doesn't trust Ruby and doesn't care who knows it. The keeper of Fairplay's law and order makes it his business to find out why a stranger, especially a beautiful, spoiled, rich, female stranger, would set up businesses, donate to schools, hire workmen to rebuild houses, and provide access to the best medical care. But when a typhoid epidemic sweeps through the city, he is forced to reconsider.
Will Rex blame Ruby for her father's sins? Or will he accept the possibility that she is trying to create and feel the peace her father stole?
My thoughts: Fairplay is a small, peaceful town in Colorado. The book is set during the time of the Old West where a sheriff tried to safeguard his town against outlaws and gangs. The sheriff in Fairplay is Rex Truitt. He wants to keep all illegal elements out of his town and his suspicions are set upon wealthy Ruby McCoy and her mother. Who knows if they have come to scam the community? He knows there is a secret and is determined to find it.
Ruby has a heart of gold. She and her mother have set upon their journey to heal the hearts of the communities her father plundered as a leader of an outlaw gang. He found justice at the end of a noose, but Ruby wants to give back to the people he hurt and Fairplay is the last town on her list.
I loved that Rex and Ruby are strong characters with a strong moral code. Both have their secrets from their past that motivate them to do good. Their pasts are connected and they have the potential to help each other heal. The town is made up of a lot of characters. It was fun to get to "know" them as I turned the pages. I really enjoyed the dynamics of the town and the people who populate it. This book is the third in a series. I had not read the first two, but I felt as if I followed along with the dynamics and the town without reading the others. I think it would be fun to read both and see what I missed.
The book caught my attention and kept it throughout the story. I wanted to find out if Rex and Ruby could find healing and a future with each other. There are two adorable orphans who pulled at my heart strings. There are family secrets and mysteries revealed. There are a great many things to recommend this book to readers.
This is a clean romance with Christian themes.
Praise for the Book
“Healing of the Heart, book three of Secrets on Sterling Street, makes for a brilliant conclusion to the series. Lough’s descriptive narrative and delightful, often comical, dialogue pull us into the story. Sparks fly between Rex, the hard-shelled sheriff, and Ruby, the gutsy, gorgeous heroine. This fast-paced, absorbing read will have you flipping those pages into the wee morning hours. Don’t miss it!”
—Sharlene MacLaren
Author, Tennessee Dreams series and Summer on Sunset Ridge
“Loree Lough has once again brought the emotional intensity and passion of the West to life in her riveting historical romance, Healing of the Heart. With themes of forgiveness, righting wrongs done by others, and love that can wipe away the sins the past, this book explores all of that in the midst of the fierce and deadly beauty of Colorado in in the late 1800s. A story to treasure more than once.”
—Susan M. Baganz
Author, Pesto & Potholes, Salsa & Speedbumps, Feta & Freeways, and Fragile Blessings
“Loree Lough does it again with Healing of the Heart. Another moving and uplifting story with characters so real they feel like family, a plot that keeps you turning pages, and a setting so quaint it makes you want to move to Fairplay, Colorado.”
—Joya Fields
Award-winning author, Beneath the Surface
“This just might be my favorite story by Loree Lough. Her characters, driven by noble motives, endure hardships that can’t crush their budding emotions. Healing of the Heart is romance, faith, and mystery in one page-turning story.”
—Robin Bayne
Author, The Gardner’s Gazebo series
(Secrets on Sterling Street, #1)
by Loree Lough
Historical Romance
Paperback & ebook, 256 pages
January 1st 2015 by Whitaker House
Young widow Shaina Sterling hates living a lie. Desperate to keep bill collectors from the door, she secretly sells valuable possessions piece by piece, and hopes Denver’s elite never discover that his lavish lifestyle left her a near pauper.
She’s unaware that as her husband lay dying, successful rancher Sloan Remington made him a promise. And Sloan guards her secrets
as carefully as he looks after her safety.
When fire devours Sterling Hall, leaving her homeless and penniless, he brings her to Remington Ranch to manage his household. His kindness makes Shaina beholden to him … and threatens to expose the secret that could destroy him.
Will trials and tragedies bring Sloan and Shaina together?
Or will secrets—and the cost of exposing them—drive them apart forever?
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Guardians of the Heart
August 3rd 2015 by Whitaker House
Nell Holstrom wanted no part of her grandfather's barren gold mine that had taken the lives of her mother, father, and younger brother; even if there may still be hidden wealth inside. Instead, she went to Denver and took a job as housekeeper at the old Stone Hill Inn.
(Secrets on Sterling Street, #2)
by Loree Lough
Historical Romance
Paperback & ebook, 272 pagesby Loree Lough
Historical Romance
August 3rd 2015 by Whitaker House
Nell Holstrom wanted no part of her grandfather's barren gold mine that had taken the lives of her mother, father, and younger brother; even if there may still be hidden wealth inside. Instead, she went to Denver and took a job as housekeeper at the old Stone Hill Inn.
Asa Stone was barely more than a boy when his father dragged him and his brothers to fight with Colonel John Chivington. But Asa refused to participate in the raid on the peaceful Cheyenne and Arapahoe; and when the smoke cleared, his father and brother lay among the slaughtered. Besieged by guilt, Asa wandered the West for years before returning to Denver to rebuild the old inn he'd inherited.
Together, Nell and Asa work hard to restore Stone Hill. But when disaster hits the inn, Asa retreats into despair and Nell is forced to return to her family's mine. Asa faces the hard fact: He'll never be the man Nell deserves. Can he overcome the dark secrets of his past? And will Nell still love him when she learns the truth?
Check out the tour for Guardians of the Heart here.
Check out the tour for Guardians of the Heart here.
An oft-invited guest of writers' organizations, colleges and universities, corporate and government agencies in the U.S. and abroad, Loree loves sharing learned-the-hard-way lessons about the craft and the industry.
Once upon a time, Loree (literally) sang for her supper, performing alone and "opening" for the likes of Tom Jones, Dottie West, The Gatlin Brothers, and more. Though she refuses to share the actual year when she traded her Yamaha 6-string for a wedding ring, she IS willing to admit that, every now and then, she blows the dust off her six-string to croon a tune or two. But mostly, she just writes (and writes).
Loree and her husband split their time between a home in the Baltimore suburbs and a cabin in the Allegheny Mountains, where she continues to hone her "identify the critter tracks" skills. Her favorite passtime? Spending long, leisurely hours with her grandchildren...all seven of them!
She loves hearing from her readers, and answers every letter, personally. You can write her @ http://www.loreelough.com.
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Tour Schedule
November 13th: Launch
November 14th: Katie's Clean Book Collection & Christy's Cozy Corners
November 15th: Brooke Blogs & Rockin' Book Reviews
November 16th: Jessica and Gracie's Tree & Heidi Reads...
November 17th: Wishful Endings & Mel's Shelves
November 18th: Singing Librarian Books & Bookworm Lisa
November 20th: Grand Finale
Tour Giveaway
2 winners will win a Kindle/Nook copy of HEALING OF THE HEART (open internationally)
1 winner will win a $20 Amazon eGift Card (open internationally)
I am looking forward to reading this series.
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