Hannah's Rating: 5 out of 5 bookmarks

This is the final volume in the Cimarron Creek Trilogy which is set in 1880s Texas. It is best if you read the three books in order. One major plotline in this book (Aimee’s) is carried through all three installments and makes a lot more sense if you know the background of what has been going on in Cimarron Creek. I loved watching that storyline arc through the trilogy to a satisfying conclusion, and all of the couples were a joy to get to know. Seeing plenty of the couples from prior books was a fun plus in this story also.

Characters

Thea, Jackson, and Aimee are the main characters. Thea is the new midwife for Cimarron Creek and has just recently lost her husband and baby. ((if you have read Cabot’s other novels, you’ll recognize Thea as the little sister to Sarah from Paper Roses, but it's not necessary to read any of that series to know anything prior about Thea.) She's left Ladreville to get a new start in Cimarron Creek away from painful memories. I loved her pluck and also her soft heart, especially when she can't resist taking in a baby that Jackson found alone in the middle of nowhere and brought to town to find help for, even though the pain of losing her own baby is still so fresh that it hurts her to even think of being near him. It is so easy to feel for Thea because I've known so many people who lost husbands or babies, and it's easy to imagine how her heart has been wrenched in two over a twin loss. I also admired how she picked herself up, befriended Aimee, and set off to start a new life away from her painful memories. I was fully in her court from the first chapter and enjoyed getting to know her better through the story.

Amanda Cabot Photo Credit: Val Rothwell Photography

Jackson is a Ranger on the track of some longterm thieves who have proven very hard to catch and he's finally got a bit of a lead: Thea Michener herself. Of course, Thea would be happy to help him catch a criminal, if they can just figure out how she's connected, and this facet of the story was very absorbing to me. He's a rough-around-the-edges sort of guy, but a good lead character. I really connected with him over some sorrowful stuff in his past and was rooting for him in his passion for justice and his drive to chase down the bad guys. His scenes gave a dash of action and a sense of urgency as he dreads who the band will kill next and questions his ability as a Ranger to catch them before they hurt someone else.

Aimee was my favorite, though. She grew up in France and recently lost her parents. She can hardly believe it when she finds out she was adopted from Texas when her parents were in America on a visit. Now that her parents have died, she has come back to Texas to seek for the biological mother who gave her up so many years ago. Her gentle spirit and her staunch friendship to Thea easily won me over. And the scenes with her in her new job were just precious; you'll have to read to see why. I wish I could talk more about Aimee, but anything I say would be spoilers for the whole series because her story is connected to all three books--so I'll refrain and recommend for you to read about her yourself!

Content Advisory & Final Thoughts

There are a couple of very subtle scenes with childbirth and also a murder, but nothing really "on screen". I'll definitely be reading what Amanda Cabot writes next, as well as catching up on others from her backlist.

I'd recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction, western novels (since it has a rangers-and-outlaws vibe), and folks looking for a good small-town story.





Hannah Gridley has been a dedicated bookworm since the age of 4. By day she works for a local nonprofit; in her spare time she works in a bookstore, teaches music, plays violin in two local orchestra groups and in her church, and enjoys hiking. Favorite reading genres include Christian, historical fiction, suspense, and vintage/classic novels. When she isn't working, writing, or reading, she spends money adding books to her home library or collecting fountain pens and fancy inks.




Disclosure: The publisher provided us with a free copy of this book for promotional purposes. This post contains affiliate links.