A Home in Drayton Valley

I am pleased to review A Home in Drayton Valley by Kim Vogel Sawyer.  I had heard of this author, but never read any of her books, so I was excited to try this Christian historical romance.

Tarsie Raines convinces her best friend, Mary Brubacher that the booming town of Drayton Valley, Kansas, will offer a new beginning for her husband, Joss, and  their two children.  Tarsie and Mary's family set out on a wagon train to travel west, but tragedy strikes along the way.  Tarsie vows to care for Mary's family and show Joss, already bitter from his abusive childhood, the love of Christ.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and it had a good, Christian message for the readers.  The characters in this book are dynamic and show growth throughout the novel. There were a lot of background issues relevant to this time period.  The beginning and end of the book had a lot of suspense, but the middle of the book moved very slowly.  Also, I didn't think the romance of the story was very realistic- it still felt very "arranged." However, I would still recommend this book and I will be passing it along!
I received a copy of this book from the Bethany House Publishers book review program in exchange for my review, but all opinions are my own.