Customer Reviews

Melinda and the Wild West: A Family Saga in Bear Lake, Idaho

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have to say from the moment I opened the book to the very last page I was taken in with the story of Melinda Gamble. The main character is refreshing and courageous as she travels to the wild west from the comforts of Boston to find the life she is meant to lead. The story line was easy to follow and the characters were well thought out and very likable. This historical romance was created with flair and insight with true history that revolved around the setting of the story. The plot was well thought out and kept me wondering what was going to happen next. This book is a great read for those who love romance in its sweetest form. Good Job Ms. Weaver your talent for writing is telling in this novel. I'm looking forward to more of your writing.

Reviewed by Vickie Treadway (Tory Lynn)
Author of "My Charming Protector"

Melinda Gamble is a strikingly beautiful woman with eyes as green as emeralds. She is also a feminist much before her time. She doesn't want a husband who will try to control her and make her quit doing what she loves, teaching. She went to college to learn to be a teacher, even though it was considered improper, and decided to move from her cushy city life to the wild west so she could teach school. She was invited to live with her aunt Martha and her uncle William in Paris, Idaho, and accepted. Though this town shares its name with a sophisticated city in France, it is a world apart. Even though Paris is strange to her, she soon realizes that she loves it. She also falls head over heels in love with a rancher named Gilbert, but everything isn't a walk through the flowers. In her time there, she runs into a huge bear, catches hypothermia in a gigantic blizzard, and has a run in with the notorious Billy the Kid. Everything ends up fine though, until Henry, another man from the town, falls in love with her. Gilbert and even her own feelings have Melinda confused. When Henry proposes, she says no. Gilbert, however, convinces himself that Melinda and Henry are bound to be wed. He hides out at his house because he can't bear to see her married. After a little while, Melinda and Gilbert run into each other on the street and straighten things out. Finally, Gilbert realizes that he loves her with all his heart. He proposes, she says yes, and they live happily together forever.

Mrs. Linda Clark Weaver is now one of my favorite authors because unlike many, she can write a book that is engaging, occasionally funny, and has no bad words in it. She had me muttering along with the story (I hate that guy!), and squealing with delight when Gilbert proposed. There is so much beautiful scenery too! I felt as if I were really in the Wild West. A good example of her wonderful descriptive scenes is "Melinda noticed a deer gracefully sprinting across the field as if it were flying in midair. A hawk lazily glided through the air, searching the ground for a meal. At every bend, a romantic scene opened before her. The serenity and peace here were new to her." Just beautiful!

I will definitely recommend Melinda and the Wild West to all my friends, young and old, and look forward to reading the entire series.

Written by Rachel Bradley

This is an interesting little book, full of excitement and romance for the young teenage girl. My granddaughter (age 13) has read it three times.
As an older person, I would have preferred it to be more historically accurate.

It is tough to find a sweet, clean romance. I enjoyed finding a book without anything inappropriate, yet it still had sweet love scenes between the characters. I love reading love stories with some adventure and that is what the author has done in this book. I really worried when Melinda got caught in the blizzard, but it turned out to be one of my favorite parts. This book is fun to read over and over because it leaves you with "warm fuzzies"! It is a great book that I would not be embarrassed to recommend to a friend or anyone.

This is a wonderful and refreshing book. It is set in a time and place that is fun to read about. Ms. Clarke describes the area so well I felt like I was there. This book is full of great adventure and romance. I couldn't put the book down and didn't want the story to end. When it was done I wanted to read it again.

I love the story between Gilbert and Melinda. She is strong willed and he is calm and laid back. They compliment each other even though they are such opposites. I also love how Gilbert is like her knight in shining armor.

This was a great book to enjoy over and over again. I recommend this book to everyone. I can't wait until the her next book comes out.

Melinda Gamble is about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. She's leaving the safety of her Boston hometown, as well as her family and her former fiancé to accept a teaching position in the wild west. Against everyone's advice, she's determined to make a new life for herself with her aunt and uncle in Bear Lake, Idaho.

She immediately learns why the west is called "wild" after she's held at gunpoint by Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch gang, attacked by a bear and nearly dying of hypothermia during a huge blizzard. After only a few months of being out west she's had more excitement than she ever had in her lifetime back east.

Things really get interesting when, Gilbert, the father of one of her students takes a liking to her as does the school's superintendent, Henry. Melinda never expected to be in the middle of a romantic triangle - especially since her former fiancé from the east isn't giving up either.

Linda Weaver Clarke has created a beautiful story of love, strength and endurance in this first book of her Bear Lake series. Melinda is a character readers will admire and cheer for. Each character will touch the reader's heart and hold onto it until the very last page and beyond. The author does an amazing job of blending fiction with true historical facts. It's very obvious she did much research for this book and definitely got it right. I loved every minute of this book.

FTC Disclosure: The author provided me with a copy of this book to review. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.

3.5 stars I enjoyed reading Melinda and the Wild West. It was both charming and endearing. The tone of the book was somewhat reminiscent of Anne of Green Gables or Christy. I'm looking forward to reading other books in the series.

Melinda and the Wild West is a sweet historical romance, in which an educated young woman from Boston finds love where she least expects it. Linda Weaver Clarke has carefully woven family and personal experiences with history and imagination to create this tale. She has included various interesting tidbits in the story, from the symptoms and care of hypothermia, to the upbringing and character of Butch Cassidy, to why pencils are yellow. Unfortunately, most of this information is presented in the same didactic tone, whether in the narration or from the mouths of characters. The characters are clearly described, intelligent and sympathetic, but lack individual voices. I found myself confused by swift shifts in the point of view of the narration. Melinda's relationship with the hero's rival could have been developed into an interesting part of the plot, but instead is barely mentioned. Frequently used terms like "dating," "not her type," and "it would not work out" feel jarringly modern for a story set in 1896.

Overall, this is a nice, clean story, with the potential to be something more.

I won this book from the author, and I will admit, I was a little uncertain (before reading it) as to whether or not I would like it. It is historical fiction, which I really enjoy, and also has some romance, so I was definitely interested.

I liked that the characters were engaging as well as human. I liked that the author included little things that actually happened to her ancestors in the story. I really enjoyed the plot and the way all the elements of the story came together.

Now that I have read one book in this series, I really want to read the other books. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a great clean read.

I enjoy this first in the series. A great introduction to the Wild West with the heart of adventure and family values and clean wholesome love stories. This book reminded me a little of the TV series Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I liked the spunky Melinda turning the tables on the rough and tough men of the West but finding in one, the heart of a gentleman and soul mate. I look forward to reading the remainder of the series and highly recommend the books to teens or others interested in a light history of the people who settled the West.