Atheist here, but I like to expose myself to all kinds of genres. Leaving the Christian angle out of it, this book was so simplistic in style as compared to other Harlequins I read where the prose did NOT insult my intelligence. All throughout, I had to wonder if Bylin is a genuine Christian and such a simple style is common in this sub-subgenre, or if this book was written by someone figuring it's what Christians like to read. It had a phony, pablum feel to it, as if it was calculatedly written to appeal to what some focus group decided Christians like. A puzzlement, and I don't think I'll stop mulling over the authenticity anytime soon.

1.5 stars because I like the mail-order bride concept and the difficulties and disappointments inherent within, but so much of the book was the same thoughts of revenge & faith (or lack thereof) repeated over and over and over in short, non sequitur sentences. The characters were flat and limited to only a few characteristics (hair color, eyes) that were also repeated ad nauseum. The characters were adjectives, not people.

I really enjoyed this book by one of my favorite authors - Victoria Bylin. She writes an exceptional western with a good storyline, believable characters and just the right amount of angst to be believable. This is inspirational fiction and is very heavy throughout so I would caution anyone who isn't Christian to be forewarned if this is not something you are interested in.

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