Cimarron Creek Trilogy #1

A Stolen Heart

From afar, Cimarron Creek seems like an idyllic town tucked in the Texas Hill Country. But when former schoolteacher Lydia Crawford steps onto its dusty streets in 1880, she finds a town with a deep-seated resentment of Northerners--like her. Lydia won't let that get her down, though. All will be well when she's reunited with her fiancé. But when she discovers he has disappeared--and that he left behind a pregnant wife--Lydia is at a loss about what to do next. The handsome sheriff urges her to trust him, but can she trust anyone in this town where secrets are as prevalent as bluebonnets in spring?

 

Published March 14th 2017

 by Fleming H. Revell Company  

 Available for Purchase:

Amazon  Barnes & Noble  ChristianBook 

Books-A-Million  Baker Retail 

Meet the Author:

 

With both parents avid readers, it's no surprise that Amanda Cabot learned to read at an early age. From there it was only a small step to deciding to become a writer. Of course, deciding and becoming are two different things, as she soon discovered. Fortunately for the world, her first attempts at fiction were not published, but she did meet her goal of selling a novel by her thirtieth birthday. Since then she’s sold more than thirty novels under a variety of pseudonyms. When she’s not writing, Amanda enjoys sewing, cooking and – of course – reading.

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My Thoughts:

This is a story that immediately swept me back to 1880 and brought the Texas Hill Country to life.  This story brings engaging characters like Lydia Crawford, Bertha Henderson, and Travis Whitfield that weave their way into your heart quickly.  The small town of Cimarron Creek was founded by three families and Bertha Henderson is one of the oldest living relatives.  Lydia left New York with great hopes and dreams, but her arrival in Texas shattered both.  Lydia must face the fact that her life is about to change in ways she never imagined.  Her strength of character is shown through her resilience and determination.   Bertha is one of the town leaders and holds a lot of influence over the town.  Travis comes from one of the founding families, but he's never tried to use that to influence anyone.

The story has elements of faith, forgiveness, mystery, romance and trust.  This is the first book set in the Cimarron Creek Trilogy and a great way to start a series. I look forward to reading the next books in the series.  I would recommend this to anyone who loves small town intrigue and a clean, feel good romance. 

**I received this book from the publisher as part of their book bloggers program.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

 

 

Texas Crossroads #3

On Lone Star Trail

A woman without a future. A man running from the past.
One enchanting place where broken dreams are mended.

If there's one thing Gillian Hodge never wants to see again, it's a man on a motorcycle. Her last encounter with one left her right hand crushed, ending her promising career as a concert pianist. Unsure about the next phase in her life, she heads to Rainbow's End Resort for some R&R when a sudden thunderstorm causes a motorcycle to crash right in front of her.

When TJ Benjamin's wife died, he lost more than his best friend; he lost his faith. He has spent the past year wandering the country on his motorcycle, trying not to think about the future. When he finds himself stranded with a busted bike and a reluctant rescuer, he has to wonder about God's sense of humor.

As these broken people collide, they find that a bright future is still ahead--it just might not be the one they imagined for themselves.

 

 Published February 2nd 2016

 by Revell 

4 Stars

"For I know the plans I have for you,
declares the Lord," declares the Lord, 
"plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future."
~Jeremiah 29:11 

Excerpt:

Relax. Gillian Hodge forced her fingers to stop gripping

the steering wheel as if it were a lifeline. This wasn’t her

Carnegie Hall debut or the finals of the Brooks competition

when so much was riding on the outcome. This was a vacation,

for Pete’s sake. A week with her best friend and the woman

who’d been a surrogate grandmother. She should be filled with

anticipation, counting the minutes until she arrived, not wound

as tightly as a metronome.Gillian took a deep breath, exhaling slowly.

 In, out. In, out.The technique had never failed when she’d

 used it before performances, and it did not fail now. She could

 feel her neck and shoulder muscles relaxing as she repeated the slow,

even breathing. The tension began to drain, and for the first time

 since she’d left the freeway, Gillian looked at her surroundings rather

 than concentrating on the highway.Kate was right.

 The Texas Hill Country was particularly beautiful in the spring. It had been lovely when she’d been here for Kate’s wedding last September,  but the fresh green of spring grasses and leaves and the patches of vividly colored wildflowers turned what had been simply lovely into something spectacular. No wonder Kate kept raving about her new home. Though it was still difficult to believe that Kate, a

dyed-in-the-wool city girl like Gillian, had given up a major promotion and traded a glamorous life as an advertising executive to run a small resort in the middle of Texas, that was exactly what had happened. Of course, one particular man had a lot to do with Kate’s decision. She had come to Texas almost kicking and screaming and had discovered true love. Gillian’s smile faded. Despite her father’s advice that marriage was what Gillian needed, she wasn’t looking for love at Rainbow’s End, just a change of scenery and a chance to rest. Months of physical therapy had not accomplished its goal. Her dreams had been crushed—literally—leaving her no choice but to build a new life. At this point, Gillian had no idea of what the future would bring other than that concert stages would not be part of it. After six months of dwelling on what she could no longer do, it was time to discover what other talents she had. But before she did that, she wanted time with the people who’d known her before her name ever graced a marquee. Breathe in. Breathe out. Focus on the progress you’re making, not what you can’t do. The scars will fade, and so will the memories. Brushing aside the memories that had so far refused  to fade, Gillian scanned the roadway, smiling when she saw what appeared to be an armor-plated animal lumbering along the shoulder. Who wouldn’t smile at an armadillo? They looked like something out of prehistoric times. Though she thought they were

supposed to be nocturnal, what did she know? Other than her weekend trip for Kate’s wedding, the only parts of Texas Gillian had seen were airports, hotels, and concert halls. The only armadillos she’d seen were the stuffed varieties in airport gift shops. The chuckle that curved her lips upward died as she glanced in the rearview mirror. It couldn’t be. Not now. Not here. Gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles whitened, Gillian stared at the approaching vehicle. The bright red motorcycle,the black-clad rider, the black and red helmet were indelibly etched in her memory along with the damage they had wrought. She bit her lip, trying to tamp down the fear. It couldn’t be the same one. That motorcycle was almost two thousand miles way. There must be hundreds, perhaps thousands, of men in black leather riding red motorcycles. There was no reason to believe this was the one who had changed her life. He was going faster now, that horrible red machine eating up the distance between them. Maybe it was the same motorcycle after all.That one had been going too fast. Though the police had cited the rider for excessive speed, witnesses had said there was no sign of reckless driving, claiming the crash was an accident.An accident that would haunt Gillian for the rest of her life. She slowed the car, wanting the bike to pass her. The sooner it was out of her sight, the better. Dimly, she was aware of clouds blocking the sun. In mere seconds, the day—like her mood—had gone from bright and sunny to ominously dark. It wasn’t an omen, a portent, or a warning. It was simply a change of weather. And yet Gillian could not tamp back the sense of foreboding. She flinched as a crack of thunder split the sky and the deluge began. Within seconds, the pavement had gone from dry to wet. And still the motorcycle drew closer. He was in the left  lane now, getting ready to pass.Gillian’s eyes widened and her heart began to pound. No! Not again! No!

 My Thoughts:
Amanda Cabot takes us back to Dupree, Texas to Rainbow's End for the final installment in the Texas Crossroads series. The author peaked my interest in the first few pages with the raw emotions that Gillian and TJ exhibit.  She expressed their turmoil both raw and real.  Their friendship is conveyed in a genuine way.  The secondary characters are well integrated into the story.  The plot flows effortlessly.  This story is a complicated romance between two stubbornly flawed characters. For me both characters was easy to relate to, Gillian with her loss of career and TJ with his crisis of faith.  I must admit TJ touched me deeply. He is wounded by the loss of his wife and has walked away from God.  
I loved this series.  This book is part of a series, but in my opinion it's a stand alone story.  The characters easily pull you in and the plot keeps you turning the pages.  
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good, clean romance.  
*I received this book free from the publisher as part of their book bloggers program.  I was not required to write a positive review.  

Available for Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook 
Baker Retail 

Meet the Author:

 
Amanda Cabot is the bestselling author of the Texas Dreams series, the Westward Winds series, Christmas Roses, At Bluebonnet Lake, and In Firefly Valley. Her books have been finalists for the ACFW Carol Awards and the Booksellers' Best. She lives in Wyoming.

 Connect Online:
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Texas Crossroads #2

Published by Revell

Released:: May 11, 2015

Book Description:

Marisa St. George is devastated when she is a victim of downsizing and has no choice but to return to the small Texas town where she grew up. Though it's a giant step backward, she accepts a position as business manager at the struggling Rainbow's End resort. The only silver lining is Blake Kendall, a new guest who is making her believe in love at first sight. But will her dreams of happily-ever-after be turned upside down when she discovers who he really is?


My Opinion:
I loved this second installment. 
This is a story about trust, forgiveness and love.
Sometimes we are hurt so badly by others that we never give anyone a chance to show us another way.  Marisa grew up in a small town and everyone knew about her dad's drinking problems and the fact that one day he just up and left his family.  Marisa spent years trying to find him, but not for herself.  She felt if she found him then her mom could find some closure to their relationship.
Marisa is a character that I wanted to applaud one minute and tell her off the next.  She let her past dictate her future too much.  Blake Kendall is a wonderful character who has been shaped by his past.  He is an author who is experiencing writer's block.  He is hoping his time spent at Rainbow's End resort will help with his creative flow.  Meeting Marisa gives him a chance to experience the sweetness of small town life.  
The book cover is absolutely beautiful and shows the sweetness of the story inside.  
Ms. Cabot brings this story to life through her well developed characters and vivid imagery .  This is a sweet story with a small amount of conflict.  It shows real life problems and issues. The author weaves the story of faith throughout the story. This is a wonderful story that I would recommend to anyone who loves a good Christian story. 
I received this book from Revell  for a honest review.



http://www.amandacabot.com/

With both parents avid readers, it's no surprise that Amanda Cabot learned to read at an early age. From there it was only a small step to deciding to become a writer. Of course, deciding and becoming are two different things, as she soon discovered. Fortunately for the world, her first attempts at fiction were not published, but she did meet her goal of selling a novel by her thirtieth birthday. Since then she’s sold more than thirty novels under a variety of pseudonyms. When she’s not writing, Amanda enjoys sewing, cooking and – of course – reading.



Texas Crossroads #1

Publisher: Revell

5 Stars

A Brief Description:

Marketing maven Kate Sherwood’s world is fast-paced, challenging, and always changing. The last thing she wants to do is slow down to a crawl at Rainbow’s End, a dilapidated resort in the Texas Hill Country. But she cannot deny her ailing grandmother’s request to visit the place where she and her deceased husband spent one glorious week (albeit fifty years ago). There Kate meets Greg Vange, the resort’s handyman. But there’s more to Greg than meets the eye–billions more, in fact, as he recently sold his successful software company and is at the resort in search of what’s next for his life.
Kate isn’t looking for romance, but she can’t deny the sparks of attraction that fly every time she and Greg are together. She even starts to see potential in the rundown resort. Could there be a future there? Or will Kate’s long-sought promotion take her back to the big city?  

This is the first book in the Texas Croassroads series by Amanda Cabot which I obtained from NetGalley for a honest review without bias. 

This story takes us to the Dupree, Texas and to Rainbow's End which is a vacation campground. 

Sally Fuller is in her 70's and would like to go and visit Rainbow's End where she and her husband spent their honeymoon years ago.  She want to remember the good times they enjoyed there, but she also wants to reconnect with the granddaughter they had raised, Kate.  She feels Kate works too hard and needs to put her life back in prospective.

Kate's boss has reluctantly given her a month off for vacation, but has made the requirement that she must keep in touch by phone while gone. 

Greg Vange recently sold his business in California and to say he made money would be an understatement.  Right now he's trying to figure out where the Lord is leading him. He had a difficult childhood and as a result is not really close with his family.  He has come to Rainbow's End looking for a new direction in his life. 

Both of these young people have come to a crossroad in their lives, but only one recognizes it.  Does God lead you or does your heart?  Each must answer that question and find the answer.  This story illustrates that each of us can only follow one path the one the heart  and brain directs or the one God has for us. 

This is a beautiful story about what starts out as a friendship that turns into much more.  The well developed characters, storyline and imagery will drew me into the story and kept me turning the pages.  I loved the underlying message of the story about God's love and direction.  I would recommend this story to anyone.

Meet the Author:

http://www.amandacabot.com/

With both parents avid readers, it's no surprise that Amanda Cabot learned to read at an early age. From there it was only a small step to deciding to become a writer. Of course, deciding and becoming are two different things, as she soon discovered. Fortunately for the world, her first attempts at fiction were not published, but she did meet her goal of selling a novel by her thirtieth birthday. Since then she’s sold more than thirty novels under a variety of pseudonyms. When she’s not writing, Amanda enjoys sewing, cooking and – of course – reading.