Where Wildflowers Bloom, Book review

Book description:

The War Between the States stole a father and brother from Faith Lindberg-- as well as Royal Baxter, the man she wanted to marry. With only her grandfather left, she dreams of leaving Noble Springs, Missouri, and traveling west to Oregon to start a new life, away from the memories that haunt her. But first she must convince her grandfather to sell the family's mercantile and leave a town their family has called home for generations.

When Royal Baxter suddenly returns to town, Faith allows herself to hope that her dreams might come true. Does he truly love her? Or could another man claim her heart? Will she find that following her dreams may not mean leaving home after all?

The characters in Where Wildflowers Bloom jump off the page and into the reader's heart. Author Ann Shorey infuses her characters with the virtues and quirks that bring them fully alive as they search for contentment and love.

My review:

'Where Wildflowers Bloom' is the first book in Ann Shorey's series called 'Sisters at Heart' and since I like a good Historical novel, wildflowers and dreaming, the perfect choice for a rainy day!

Faith Lindberg lost her father and brother and lives with her Grandfather who owns a Mercantile shoppe. Faith hopes to sell the business, hopefully at a profit of course and move West. She dreams of starting afresh.

The story is set just after the end of the Civil War and I found the added characters of a field nurse as well as a scarred veteran just the right touch for this novel to be a little more than just a lovely romance. 

Ann Shorey pens an interesting portrait of a MidWest town, and takes us on a stroll around the dusty boardwalks to the shoppes, local eatery, blacksmith shop and livery, sheriff's office, clapboard houses and the little white church with its spiked roof, not unlike time traveling in your armchair. 

The mercantile shoppe comes to life with her detailed description of the stock with its many shelves of goods.  I could almost feel the heroine's pain when she inadvertently drops the lovely china she'd hoped to sell and make a profit to boost sales. The fact that women rarely worked outside of home is once again the perfect detail to make this an interesting story!

With just the right eloquence Ann Shorey infuses readers with a sense of what life was truly for the settlers who made their homes in places such as Noble Springs, Missouri and the gossiping and sometime meddling of a small town. 

She does not stop there however and you discover the past is not to be shrugged off easily, especially for the men who came back from war, some broken, many scarred.  

With a burglary and even mysteries, the entire story evolves in just the kind of entertainment you need to relax!

A very nice story which earned 4 stars!

About Ann Shorey:

Discover for yourself this author who writes about Yesterday's Women - Today's Issues and likes to be called 'Annie' by family and friends, her love of books and even a GIVEAWAY at her website (here).

Note: 

 “Available January 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

I received this book free from BAKER REVELL as part of their Blogger Review program. I was not asked to write a positive review and the opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.