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Fiction. Romance. Western. Christian Fiction. A jilted bride desperate to save her family from ruin. A bounty hunter seeking vengeance for a ravaged past. An arduous trek toward justice-or redemption. Silver Matlock and Jared Newman know traveling together is a bad idea. Bad for Silver's already tarnished reputation in her small Colorado town. Bad for bounty hunter Jared's secret, single-minded mission for revenge. But Silver is determined to track down the rogue who left her at the altar and stole the last remnant of her father's fortune. And Jared's in a hurry to hunt down the murderer who destroyed his family-even if Silver is too distractingly beautiful for comfort. The pair takes off over mountain and desert, past bleak homesteads and raw mining towns, hot on the trail of the two villains who took what wasn't theirs to take. Soon supplies dwindle, secrets emerge, and suspicion leave Silver and Jared at odds when they need each other most. To confront an enemy deadlier than desert rattlesnakes and rocky cliffs, Silver and Jared must learn to forgive and trust and face the question they haven't dared voice: What happens next?… (more)
User reviews
This was rich in detail and imagery, and there were times I could even taste the gritty sand from the desert. I could easily see this being adapted into a fantastic Western movie. There were a couple red herrings that felt a little flat in presentation, but it didn't detract from the story. It just made me wonder if the author had intended to go into a different direction and changed her mind.
Ms. Hatcher is an excellent story teller and she did keep my imagination engaged the entire book. I enjoyed her writing and will be reading more of her work.
*My thanks to the publisher for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest view. I was not requird it be positive.*
I really enjoyed the main character in this novel. She's a plucky rancher daughter who doesn't let a simple thing like other people's opinions stop her from doing what she deems right. I enjoyed the fact that she even rode to the rescue once, guns blazing. She doesn't sit around and wait
I did enjoy the author's deft skills at world-building and creating her setting. I felt like I was riding right along Silver and Jared as they traveled along the Colorado Rockies, into Wyoming, and onto Nevada. She describes the arid desert, the wide open plains, and soaring peaks with a wonderful skill and I enjoyed immensely.
I do wish that the rest of the novel was a bit less cliché' though. Not to say that the plot and other elements were a snooze and completely predictable. But the main storyline of rancher girl looking for man who stole her savings has been done before. The two bad guys and their connection did make me raise my eyebrows at how closely Silver's and Jared's respective chases dovetailed as well.
For the most part, I really enjoyed this book. The characters were a treat to get to know (especially Silver!) and the world breathed with life. While there were a few "seen-it-before"s, that didn't deter me from devouring this novel. Definitely a nice introduction to this author's work!
Note: Book received via GoodReads FirstReads program for free in exchange for honest review.
"God must grow quite weary trying to fix me." -Silver
Silver Matlock never could seem to do anything right. She had thoughts, dreams and ideas in her head that women just weren't supposed to have and men didn't always accept. When Ben Cassidy asked her to marry him she thought her life
Jared Newman has been tracking a killer for seven years. After his parents and his sister Katrina were brutally murdered he vowed to track down the man responsible if it took the rest of his life. With only one clue to the man's identity it's been a long, hard battle to bring him to justice but he's not about to give up. With his funds low he agrees to track down a thief for a gray-eyed beauty named Silver Matlock for a smidgen of his usual fee. That was the first clue he was getting soft. Clue number two was agreeing to let her accompany him on the journey to track down a criminal. When a misunderstanding sends them on their separate ways will they find their way back to each other and the love they both feel growing between them?
"Time isn't always what makes two people draw close to each other. Sometimes the heart understands far more than the mind, and much sooner too." -Whitney
I loved Silver Matlock. From her gray-eyed gaze to her bravery and gumption she was the perfect heroine as far as I am concerned. She had determination and grit and through her entire journey she set aside her fears to bring security and peace back to those she loved. The very first scene where we meet Silver is what first made me fall in love with the book. Silver is running up the street in her wedding dress and rips the veil from her head and casts it to the wind with her hair flying behind her. It brought to mind one of my all-time favorite movies, Runaway Bride, with Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. I could see this scene unfolding so vividly and it just made me smile. Silver had a very pronounced problem seeing her self-worth. She never felt like she was good enough or pretty enough or just plain wanted. I can relate to her character and I'm sure lots of other women can as well.
Jared was such a wounded man. He was wounded in spirit and tired in body. He had put every ounce of energy in searching for a nameless, faceless killer so he could exact revenge and bring justice to his murdered family. He didn't think he was capable of loving someone the way they deserved and had come to believe that being a bounty hunter was forever in his blood. It was great to see his heart open little by little to let others in. He also had to learn to trust God all over again because somewhere along the way he had stopped. He was a tough, yet tender, bounty hunter that was slowly finding his way to a future he thought was forever out of his reach.
She's trying to reclaim her future while he's trying to avenge his past and the end result is a superior work of fiction that will make you fall in love with an outspoken beauty, a justice seeking cowboy and the rugged but beautiful landscape of Colorado. I have been a fan of Robin Lee Hatcher's since the early days of her career. I loved her then and I love her now. The Heart's Pursuit is the perfect example of what I love so much about her writing. It's entertaining and sometimes heartbreaking but it's perfection from the first page to the last. You can't go wrong with this book and, if you're not a fan already, you soon will be. I very highly recommend this book to lovers of historical romances or anyone that just loves a great story!
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review and there was no compensation received.