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Tuesday, June 23, 2015

A Worthy Pursuit by Karen Witemeyer

Review of A Worthy Pursuit by Karen Witemeyer
From BethanyHouse.com:

About:
A teacher on the run. A bounty hunter in pursuit. Can two enemies learn to trust each other before they both lose what they hold most dear?

Stone Hammond is the best tracker in Texas. He never comes home empty-handed. So when a wealthy railroad investor hires him to find his abducted granddaughter, Stone eagerly accepts.

Charlotte Atherton, former headmistress of Sullivan's Academy for Exceptional Youths, will do anything to keep her charges safe, especially the orphaned girl entrusted to her care. Charlotte promised Lily's mother she'd keep the girl away from her unscrupulous grandfather, and nothing will stop Charlotte from fulfilling that pledge. Not even the handsome bounty hunter with surprisingly honest eyes who comes looking for them.

When Miss Atherton produces documentation that shows her to be Lily's legal guardian, Stone must reevaluate everything he's been led to believe. Is she villain or victim?

Then a new danger forces Charlotte to trust the man sent to destroy her. Stone vows to protect what he once sought to tear apart. Besides, he's ready to start a new pursuit: winning Charlotte's heart.

Karen Witemeyer Winner of the HOLT Medallion and the Carol Award, and a finalist for the RITA and Christy Award, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer writes historical romance because she believes in giving the world more happily-ever-afters. Karen makes her home in Abilene, Texas, with her husband and three children.
Learn more about Karen and her books at  www.karenwitemeyer.com.

Leona's Review:

This is my first read by Karen Witemeyer.

Because at the beginning of the book, Stone found Charlotte, I was wondering about a pursuit to find Charlotte until the end of the book but she has created a wonderful novel that also has children and animals, always a plus for me.

This is a historical Christian romance that has humor, love, friendship, a spinster, a bounty hunter, three gifted children and a friend, Mr. Dobson, who helps Charlotte and the children leave the school secretly.

Charlotte has legal custody of Lily, Stephen has parents but they are in Europe and John is also an orphan.
Stone has been sent by the grandfather of Lily to bring her back to him.

One example of humor is when Mr. Dobson finds Stone spying and Charlotte says "Perhaps he is simply a cowhand with a perchance for bird watching". Love for the children and also for Miss Lottie. Love between the two main characters. Friendship of Charlotte to her friend, the mother of Lily. The children call Charlotte, Miss Lottie.
Lily loves to read the dime novels of the bounty hunter Dead-Eye Dan and his adventures. John plays the piano and Stephen was placed in the school because his parents traveled.

Some words used are: "Worth their salt", "Schoolmarm", "Tasty grub" and "The Marshall fingered the brim of his Stetson". My favorite is " None of them can best a sunset in Texas". As a West Texan, I have to totally agree with that statement.
This is a clean novel and God, The Lord and prayers are certainly present but not overbearing but shows the faith of the times. The book begins February 1891 in Austin, Texas.
A Worthy Pursuit is dedicated: "To Laura Baker, librarian extraordinaire and the first person I ever trusted to read my stories. It is your encouragement and knowledgeable feedback that gave me the fortitude to pursue my dream. You taught me to see the world through lenses differently than my own and deepened my understanding of the human condition. You have left your mark on me, my friend and I thank God for the gift."
I received a complimentary copy of the book to read and review from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions are my own.
I give A Worthy Pursuit a 5 star rating and look forward to reading more of her books.
Leona Olson
 https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3114906.Karen_Witemeyer

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