Customer Reviews

Love's Rescue (Sierra Chronicles #1)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was pleasantly suprised to find this was not the typical Civil War era novel - complete with Southern Belle falling for the Yankee soldier ;) Rather, it feeds off the prejudices that certainly existed during the War between the States and sets the stage for a rather unique "kidnapping" that of course, can only lead to true love. Yes? Maybe.
The twists of the story including the Yankee prison camp, bring a different perspective to the era. Also the cultural "ranch hands" ranging from the twinkling Irishman to the "jaunty" Spaniard gives a bit of a twist - just enough to wish they each had their own novel in which to star.

If you're looking for a nice read on an upcoming Autumn day with a cup of cocoa ... you've found one. :)

This book was done with both tenderness and meticulous research, a truly excellent read. My hat is off to Tammy Barley.

Another new author for me. I really like reading this book, because it involves
the Civil War. A must for Civil War buffs.

In 1863 the War Between the States is just beginning, and it is dividing more than a nation. To escape the escalating conflict, Jessica Hale's parents decide to flee their Kentucky home and head for the Nevada Territory. This is good news for the parents who make a fortune selling expensive goods to those who strike gold. But then Jessica's brother, Ambrose, decides to head home to Kentucky and defend the family land--and joins the Kentucky militia, resulting in his being disowned.

When Jessica attempts to send a telegram to someone to get information about her brother, the family is presumed to be Confederate, and Unionists set a fire to her home, murdering her family. Jessica is rescued, but "kidnapped" by cattleman Jake Bennett and taken to a remote ranch.

Despite attempts to escape, Jessica is apprehended each time. Leaving Jessica wondering--what happened to Ambrose? Why did God allow her family to be killed, but spare her? And why is Jake Bennett so determined to keep her in the Nevada wilderness?

LOVE'S RESCUE is Ms. Barley's debut novel, and the first book in her The Sierra Chronicles series. I enjoyed taking a new and different look at the Civil War era and how it affected people, even those assumedly far from the conflict.

Jessica is a realistically developed heroine who only wanted to keep her family together and keep in contact with her brother, but ended up losing almost everything dear to her as a result. A heartrending beginning, but the story does end up showing an important lesson about forgiveness.

I really enjoyed this one! All the ranch happenings were really fun to read about and didn't get so detailed that you were bored. The way Tammy skipped long periods of time was very well written. Since this book takes place over a few years, she couldn't include all the day-to-day occurrences; I think she wrote the book in a way that the gaps weren't missed and it was still easy to follow the storyline. The civil war era is one of my favorites to read about, and this book didn't disappoint. I loved the way Tammy wrote the cowhands! They are now some of my favorite characters. I especially loved how gentle and protective they were with Jess. It was too sweet! I'm now very anxious to read book two. ;) Congrats to Tammy Barley for this great read!

This is a wonderful book! I normally don't like westerns, but this was absolutely fascinating. Jake Bennett is the ultimate hero and this author's first book was superb! The spiritual aspect was tremendous and very well stated. The characters were so well developed it made the reader feel like they knew all them.
Every storyline in the book was just wonderful. I can't wait for the next in the series and the excerpt from the next book was fascinating and what a cliffhanger!
I'm putting Tammy Barley on my list of favorite authors.

Love's Rescue is a good title for this book. Jake rescues Jess because he knows she would be in danger when her house was set afire and her family all perished that were in the house. Jess kept trying to run away but Jake had his ranch hands on alert to not let her for her own safety. Also he understood the grief she was dealing with and knew it would take time for it to heal.
Jess loved her brother so much that when she found out he was imprisoned in a Union camp and still alive she plans to go rescue him. But by this time Jake has caught onto her ways and his men and him are ready to go help her. I got a chuckle out of the scene where she tries to sneak out of Motel and go alone and they are all waiting for her. But that is near end of story so you have to read the whole book before you realize how much the ranch hands had grown to love and care about Jess.
This book will grip you and draw you in from the very beginning and keep your interest all the way to the end. Indians, cowboys, soldiers and faith all in one. I loved the way the scriptures were used all through the book like in real life when a person is going through a difficulty. I went through a couple of rough periods and this book uplifted me and kept me uplifted to overcome them.
The book will show you the depths of true love people can have for one another.

It's 1863. To escape the ravages of war, Jessica Hale's family leaves their beloved home in Kentucky for a new life in the Nevada Territory.

Jessica's brother, Ambrose, is determined to help defend their southern homestead. Against his father's wishes, the young man joins ranks with the Kentucky militia and returns to the south. When Ambrose goes missing in the midst of the War Between the States, Jessica's attempts to find him set off a chain of events that will change her life forever.

In the wake of a close encounter with political fanatics, Jessica loses everything that matters and then finds herself spirited away to a remote ranch in the Sierra Nevada wilderness. There, Jessica's every effort to escape is thwarted by handsome rancher Jake Bennett and his loyal cattlemen.

Jake knows what it's like to lose everything. He's determined to protect Jessica through her time of loss. There are those who would harm the young woman for nothing more than being a Southerner, and Jake and his men have no intention of allowing that to happen. Still, how can he help Jessica's wounded heart to heal when she so deeply resents him for what she perceives as his failure to save her family? He can't make her see the truth, but he can protect her, and he can pray while her eyes are opened and her broken heart mends.

Tammy Barley's action-packed debut novel is wonderfully rich in historical detail. It's a tightly woven, riveting tale of love and loss, faith under fire, and wild hearts on the run. As the author unfolds this spellbinding story, a vivid picture of life in the Old West is revealed with stunning clarity and depth. Love's Rescue provides everything a reader expects from this era: cowboys and Indians, damsels in distress, good guys and bad hombres, gunfights and moonlit nights. The last page leaves the reader longing for more of Jess and Jake. It's an absolute must-read for the lover of historical romance.

A masterpiece of storytelling intricately woven with spiritual wisdom and insight, and threaded throughout with the good, the bad, and the ugly of love, life, and humanity.

Bravo, Ms. Barley!

Jessica Hale's family heads out West to avoid the escalating tensions between North and South and moves to Nevada Territory, but trouble finds her there. Her beloved brother returns to the States to protect the family's Kentucky homestead, and Union sympathizers burn their Carson City home, killing her parents and little sister and leaving her alone and at risk. To make matters worse, she's injured in the blaze and whisked away to cattleman Jake Bennett's ranch deep in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, far from civilization.

Realizing the danger Jess is in, Jake takes it upon himself to protect her, which is no easy task considering the fact that she can't stomach the sight of him, blames him for her father's death and tries to escape at the first opportunity. But that's fine by Jake. He doesn't intend to lose his heart to a firebrand like Jess when he's got his own set of troubles--just keep her safe. Both struggle to deal with their emotional scars independently until they trust the Lord with their hurts and heartaches and allow Him to bring healing.

Tammy Barley has crafted an action-packed adventure that pulled me in and kept me entertained from first page to last. Plot twists aplenty, nice touches of humor and deep emotion kept me turning the pages eager to see what would happen next. Jess, a spirited heroine who hides her softer side, wound her way into my heart. Jake is the consummate hero, with a caring nature beneath his sun-bronzed, take-charge exterior, whom I fell for--hard. Barley sprinkles the story with a liberal helping of secondary characters who people the ranch and add a nice blend of sweetness and spice.

Love's Rescue, Barley's debut novel, is one of the best books I've read this year, and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes inspirational Western historicals. I look forward to the sequel, Hope's Promise, and the opportunity to spend more time with Jake and Jess.

Love's Rescue was an EXCELLENT read. It was filled with wonderful real life characters who experienced real life challenges.

Jessica Hale lost her family when Confederate sympathizers set fire to her family's home. Jake Bennett rescues her from the fire and takes her back to his ranch deep in the Sierra Nevada mountains to care for her and to keep her safe from those who ment to kill her. Jessica holds resent toward Jake because he didn't rescue her family. She makes several attemps to escape the ranch and return to Carson City but each time she is caught and brought back to the ranch by Jake or one of his men. Can Jessica get past her resentment toward Jake to see that he was only acting in her best interest? Can Jake get past his own loss by helping Jess get past hers?

This was one of the most enjoyable stories I've run across. Jake was a "Yummy" hero that was strong and commanding yet tender and gentle. Jessica was a worthly heroine who was full of grit and spunk yet soft at heart. The ranch hands were completely delicious. All of them honorable and loyal to Jake as well as Jess.

I highly recommend this book. Tammy Barley holds your interest throughout the book as she paints a picture of ranch life in the 1860s with it's triumphs and set backs. I am SO looking forward to Book 2. Great Job Tammy!!!