Friday, December 9, 2011

"Within My Heart" by Tamera Alexander



From tameraalexander.com:

Determined to fulfill her late husband’s dream, Rachel Boyd struggles to keep her ranch afloat with the help of her two young sons. But some days it feels as though her every effort is sabotaged. When faced with a loss she cannot afford, she’s forced to trust Rand Brookston, the one man in Timber Ridge she wishes to avoid. And with good reason. He’s a physician, just like her father, which tells her everything she needs to know about him. Or so she thinks . . .
Dr. Rand Brookston ventured west with the dream of bringing modern medicine to the wilds of the Colorado Rockies, but the townspeople have been slow to trust him. Just as slow in coming is Rand’s dream to build the town a proper clinic. When a patient’s life is threatened, Rand makes a choice—one that sends ripples through the town of Timber Ridge. And through Rachel Boyd’s stubborn heart.
From the beloved, bestselling author of From a Distance and Beyond This Moment comes an unforgettable story about faith in the face of fear, about tarnished hopes and second chances, and ultimately about the resilient courage and tenacity of hearts broken––and mended––by love.

I quite enjoyed this book, but then again, I typically enjoy anything by Tamera Alexander. This is the third and last book in the Timber Ridge Reflections series. It worked fine as a stand alone book, but I think a lot of things would have made more sense and the characters personalities would be more clear if I had indeed read the first two books. But it was fine. I didn't feel like I really missed anything in the story, and I got a good sense of the main characters, just not the supporting cast, which some of them played a major role in this story.

Rachel Boyd is struggling to keep her ranch alive. The cattle keep dying, she can't afford to pay her help, and she's asking - again - for a loan from the bank to stay afloat. Trying to maintain the legacy her deceased husband wanted for their two small boys, helping her friends out in their time of need, and dealing with her mischievous 8-year old, she's stretched far too thin and wants nothing to do with the town doctor whom she thinks is arrogant, aren't all doctors arrogant, but the town doctor, Rand Brookston, wants everything to do with her.

I don't have any criticism for this book. There was no swearing, no sex - all very (very) chaste, and for a lot of you I know that's important. The story was entertaining and witty, the characters very likeable. It was easy to visualize the events and the characters. Overall I give "Within My Heart" a solid 4.5 star rating. It's good. =) Check it out (but maybe read "From a Distance" and "Beyond This Moment" first).

3 comments:

Shanda said...

I'm a fairly new fan of Tamera Alexander after reading and reviewing "Rekindled" back in February. I really enjoyed it. I will have to add this series to my to-read list. Thanks for the review!

Misty Moncur said...

Rekindled wasn't my favorite, but I did really like Remembered. This one sounds good. Guess I know what I'm listening to tonight. :)

Rosenbalm Photography said...

I'm in the mood for this kind of novel. Thank you for sharing!