Summer of Promise Book Review

Westward Winds series

SUMMARY:  Though she had planned to spend the summer in Vermont, Abigail Harding cannot dismiss her concerns over her older sister.  Charlotte's letters have been uncharateristically melancholy, and her claims that nothing is wrong ring false, so Abigail heads west to Fort Laramie, Wyoming.  When her stagecoach is attacked, Wyoming promises to be anything but boring.  Luckily, the heroics of another passenger, Lieutenant Ethan Bowles, save the day.
     Abigail plans to marry when she returns to Vermont, just as soon as she attends to her sister.  As the summer passes, she finds herself drawn to this rugged land and to a certain soldier determined to persuade her to stay.  When summer ends, will she go back East, or will she find her heart's true home?

REVIEW:  The story is very intriguing.  Set in Wyoming in 1885, bandits (some are deserters from Fort Laramie) are robbing stagecoaches, guns are stolen from the fort, and Lt. Bowles is trying to figure out why some of the soldiers are deserting the Army and what he can do to keep them from leaving.  I like how Abigail and Ethan develop a friendship first and that it takes months for them to realize their true feelings for each other instead of a few days or a couple of weeks as in most books.  Also interesting is how Abigail faces her fears (snakes, guns, etc) instead of running from them. I also like how she reaches out to the many German-speaking soldiers by teaching them basic English and other skills. 
     There are a few minor stories weaved throughout the main one.  It would be interesting to see if they are developed more in the later stories.  There are also a few loose ends that the author mentions will be tied up in the future.  This is the first book of a three part series covering each of the sisters:  Abigail, Charlotte, and Elizabeth (briefly mentioned).  Charlotte's story is due next and should be available in the spring of 2013.

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

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

Amanda Cabot is a popular speaker and the author of Paper Roses, Scattered Petals, and Tomorrow's Garden as well as a number of novels under various pen names.  She's an avid traveler who finds inspiration for new stories in her travels and enjoys sharing new parts of the country with her readers.  A former Easterner, she now lives in Wyoming.  Sign up for her newsletter and learn fun facts about Amanda and her books at www.AmandaCabot.com. She can also be found on Facebook as Amanda Cabot.