A Stolen Heart

Author: Amanda Cabot
Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance

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?

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Reviewer: Janis Cox

​I fell in love with the main characters right from the start. Lydia and Travis were made for each other – but they don’t know it. I loved learning how she as a woman who made her way in what was definitely at that time a man’s world. It takes place in the 1880s in a small town in Texas. The pace of the book made me clamour for that type of life, baking cookies, helping others and riding around in a horse and buggy. Because I like historical fiction this book fit perfectly with not too much of the sentimental romance. I also liked the small mystery that weaves its way throughout the story. Good story for me to read each night before sleep.

​This book  has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

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Reviewer: Laura J. Davis

What do you do when you are hated simply because of where you are from? You do everything you can to contribute to the community you are now calling home and trust God for the outcome. 

A Stolen Heart by Amanda Cabot was not your typical historical romance and I loved it! The moment Lydia Crawford (our heroine) steps off the stagecoach in Cimmarron Creek she is in for one surprise after another. She is hated by the locals (accept for a few) because she is a Northerner. She has come to be reunited with her fiancee, only to find out he's missing and left a very pregnant wife behind. But that's not the only mystery going on in this quaint little town. People's homes and businesses are being robbed, someone is poisoning livestock and a woman has been raped - but the sheriff, Travis Whitfield, can't figure out who the culprit is. So much going on! 

Of course Travis and Lydia are drawn to each other and you know (and hope) right away that they will have a happy ending, but the author has so expertly woven in other backstories and mysteries going on that while you are rooting for Travis and Lydia, you are eagerly waiting to find out more about the other characters and happenings in town. 

I loved the character of Mrs. Henderson - Aunt Bertha - and how she "adopted" Lydia and supported her in making her way in a town that was hostile towards her. The underlying theme of trusting in God is clear throughout this entire story. If you like historical romances with a good mystery, A Stolen Heart would be a good book to put on your "to read" list! I can't wait for the next one in this series.

​This book  has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

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