9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Larger Than Life Characters Will Leave You With a Smile, February 9, 2010
This review is from: A Lady Like Sarah (A Rocky Creek Romance) (Paperback)
What first attracted me to this book was the cover and tag line. A lady outlaw and a preacher would definitely make for great conflict. And, I wasn't disappointed!
Ms. Brownley painted a picture for me on each and every page. I read the book while visualizing every scene as if watching a Hallmark movie--the kind you snuggle up with on a lazy Sunday afternoon. The characters came to life for me. I fell in love with Sarah Prescott, the feisty heroine. She had to save her own hide from a noose waiting for her in Rocky Creek. But, she couldn't abandon Justin Wells, the reverend on his way to a new position as preacher for the very town she needed to avoid. The poor man had no clue how to keep his hide intact.
I laughed, cried, cheered, and worried for the fate of Sarah and Justin through the very last word of this heartwarming novel. Ms. Brownley has written a wonderful story full of hope, compassion, and yet with so much conflict that you'll have to keep turning the pages, until you close the book with a sigh.
I hope Ms. Brownley has a sequel in mind!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fun Western with a winning heroine, February 21, 2010
This review is from: A Lady Like Sarah (A Rocky Creek Romance) (Paperback)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
A LADY LIKE SARAH, by Margaret Brownley, is an atypical Western because the two main characters are a woman outlaw, Sarah, and a minister, Justin. The woman outlaw, Sarah, didn't deserve to be outlawed; her brothers have done some bad things for what they believe to be good reasons, and her only "crime" is that she's related to them; the minister is from Boston, and is aristocratic and refined, while Sarah's anything but. As I'd hoped when I ordered this book, there was a good amount of witty dialogue, and the character development was excellent.
I appreciated Ms. Brownley's underlying plot; it wasn't just the "union of opposites" that's so often seen in this genre (though that was done very well) -- it was the historical accuracy. Many places in the West were short of ministers at that time, so if a minister went West for _any_ reason (including Justin's reason, which was of minor scandalous import), the minister in question was warmly welcomed. And in this case, Justin gets a chance at personal redemption by going West, and meets Sarah -- a woman who can't help but challenge his perceptions at every turn, because she isn't very much like any lady he's ever met as her elocution is poor (many "ain'ts" and the deliberate speech of someone trying hard to be ignored, thus burying her intelligence in the process), her wardrobe is limited, and she's been unfairly accused of crimes she didn't commit due to who her brothers are (a bunch of outlaws).
There are some big questions being explored here, skillfully undercover; those include: "What makes a good woman?," "Does God really care about protecting the innocent?," "Can a change of scenery really bring about a different viewpoint?," and "Is it really possible to start over?"
These questions are not treated lightly, even though the dialogue above is so witty it reminded me of many Gable-Lombard romances (transported to the American West, of course). This is a Christian romance, so many of those questions would've come up in some fashion or another, but the main difference here is how deftly Ms. Brownley brought these things up -- usually in dialogue, or in inner monologue -- and how these big questions do not stop the narrative in the slightest.
I liked both main characters, and want to see more of them; if there is a direct sequel to this book, I'd enjoy seeing it.
Four stars, recommended.
Barb Caffrey
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book!, February 10, 2010
This review is from: A Lady Like Sarah (A Rocky Creek Romance) (Paperback)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
This is the first Christian romance book I have read. I was drawn to it by the interesting premise- a disgraced preacher from Boston, Justin Wells, meets a beautiful red-headed outlaw, Sarah Prescott,on the way to Texas. I am glad I decided to give it a try because it is the most entertaining and exciting book I have read in a long time!
Margaret Brownley does a great job creating the two main characters and a host of secondary characters. She keeps the plot the moving at a brisk pace and there is always something unexpected around the corner! I started reading in the early afternoon and didn't stop till I was done.
The book is full of romance, adventure and more than a few laughs. Befitting a Christian book- its not just Justin & Sarah 's love that is tested on the journey-but also their faith. I found that aspect of the story inspiring.
I wound up loving this book and I am sure you will too.I look forward to the next book in the Rocky Creek series!
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