To Love a Stranger
by Colleen Coble
Rating: 4/5
Book 4 in the Wyoming series
Thomas Nelson – Fiction | Historical Romance
Bessie Randall has a problem. Her younger sister Lenore agreed to marry a stranger – a soldier stationed in the wild frontier – but instead of writing as herself, Lenore used her sister’s name. Afraid of what her society parents will think or do if they learn the truth, Lenore begs Bessie to go in her place and honor the marriage, since Lenore already has a beau. Lenore fears being sent to jail for forging her sister’s name and Bessie won’t let anything bad happen to her baby sister.
Bessie prays about it and arrives west to find Jasper Mendenhall, her new husband, surprised to see her. Having received a picture of his wife, Jasper was expecting a woman who looked like Lenore and was disappointed to find Bessie, a plainer woman who doesn’t seem at all like the girl he’d been writing with. He’s not sure Bessie would last as an officer’s wife on the frontier and wants to send her back to Boston. However, plans change when he has to quickly move to Fort Bowie, Arizona, and must take Bessie with him. He quickly learns that Bessie is different and might be able to adapt to life on the frontier if he gives her a chance. But will the dangers of living on the frontier be too much for Bessie and Jasper to handle? Can they learn to love a stranger?
Colleen Coble is one of my favorite authors and she captures the reader’s attention right from the start. I was seriously frustrated with Lenore’s immature actions and really felt sorry for Bessie’s predicament, but I was warmed by Bessie’s love for her sister. As you can tell, my emotions got all tore up by these sisters. I enjoyed getting to know Bessie and Jasper and how they dealt with different situations as they grew together as a couple.
Side note: I just realized that this book was a reprint and part of a series but it read well by itself. Also, I’m not quite sure why it’s included in her Wyoming series since the book mainly takes place in Arizona.
I definitely recommend this book for anyone who enjoys historical romance.
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
