Paper Roses (Texas Dreams, Book 1) (Texas Dreams Trilogy) [Kindle Edition]

Amanda Cabot (Author)

Book Description

The future stretches out in front of Sarah Dobbs like the pure blue Texas sky. Leaving the past behind in Philadelphia, mail-order bride Sarah arrives in San Antonio ready to greet her groom, Austin Canfield, a man she has never met but whose letters have won her heart from afar. But there is one problem--he has died. And Sarah cannot go back East.

As Sarah tries to reconcile herself to a future that is drastically changed, Austin's brother, Clay, struggles with his own muddled plans. Though he dislikes working on the family ranch and longs for a different life, Clay is driven to avenge his brother's death. But something between them is growing and neither Clay nor Sarah is ready to admit it.

Book 1 of the Texas Dreams series, Paper Roses will sweep readers into the Hill Country with a tale of love and loss, closed doors and beautiful possibilities that will leave them wanting more.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Her future stretched out like the clear blue Texas sky. But a storm is coming. Leaving the past behind in Philadelphia, mail-order bride Sarah Dobbs arrives in San Antonio ready to greet her groom--a man she has never met but whose letters, her paper roses, have won her heart from afar. But there is a problem--Austin Canfield is dead, and Sarah cannot go back East. As Sarah tries to reconcile herself to a future that is drastically changed, Austin's brother Clay wants nothing more than to shake the Texas dust from his boots, but first he must find his brother's killer. And then there's Sarah. Something is blooming out in the vast Texas landscape that neither Clay nor Sarah is ready to admit, and the promise of redemption blows like a gentle breeze through the prairie grasses. Book 1 of the Texas Dreams series, Paper Roses will sweep you away with a tale of love, loss, and tantalizing possibilities. Amanda Cabot is an accomplished author under various pen names. She is a charter member of Romance Writers of America, the co-founder of its New Jersey chapter, and an avid traveler.

About the Author

Amanda Cabot is an accomplished author under various pen names. She is a charter member of Romance Writers of America, the co-founder of its New Jersey chapter, and an avid traveler. She lives in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Product Details

• File Size: 2195 KB
• Print Length: 384 pages
• Publisher: Revell (January 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B001N2MBJW
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #292,691 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

108 of 108 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A very satisfying read December 26, 2008

By cjhill

Format:Paperback

"Paper Roses" by Amanda Cabot is one of the best historical books I've read. I was immediately drawn into the story with its believable characters. After a family tragedy, Sarah Dobbs wants to protect her young sister. She follows her heart to Texas to become a mail-order bride, only to find her dream shattered by another tragedy.

Clay, the brother of her dead fiancé, offers her passage back to Philadelphia. Sarah shows her independent spirit by taking a job and forming a new life for her and her sister. In her new surroundings, Sarah is challenged to put the past behind her and forgive her father's mistakes. Clay also struggles with his painful losses. He is determined to find out who murdered his brother and seek vengeance.

The mystery element in this story was intriguing. I liked the way this book kept me guessing at who the killer might be, and the ending had a surprising twist.

"Paper Roses" was a very satisfying read, and I can't wait for the next book in the series.

47 of 48 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Trial, testing, and triumph in Texas town March 14, 2009

By M. Smith

Format:Paperback

In Amanda Cabot's "Paper Roses," Sarah Dobbs is leaving behind her life in Philadelphia to make a new start in San Antonio, TX, as a mail-order bride to a man she's never met. Upon arrival she learns that her fiancé has been murdered, the killer unknown, and she is offered temporary lodging with his brother, Clay, and his father. But mysteries abound. Who killed Clay's brother and why? Why is Sarah leaving Philadelphia and what sorrow lurks in her past? Why is Clay so sullen and bitter around Sarah? And why does he seem so set against her? Who is responsible for the thefts in neighboring ranches?

Set in the 1850's with ranches, horses and wagons, a sheriff, and French and German immigrants, the plot moves along with page-turning suspense, uncovering heartache and revealing the prospect of faith, forgiveness, and second chances. With a cast of believable characters and a few well-turned twists in the plot, this story comes well recommended. I give it five stars.

35 of 38 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A Christian historical romance which fell flat for me. April 3, 2011

By J. Lesley TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

In 1856 Sarah Dobbs travels with her two year old sister from Philadelphia to Ladreville, Texas, to marry Austin Canfield. From the standpoint of being a mail-order bride Sarah was very fortunate indeed. Her prospective bridegroom was willing to accept Sarah in spite of her having the complete care of her sister Thea and a physical handicap. Sarah thought herself very lucky indeed until Clay Canfield arrived and told her that his brother could not marry her because Austin had been murdered.

First, this is a Christian novel. Not just some mentions of faith or religion, but a novel where faith in God plays an all important role. If that is not to your liking, this is probably not the book for you. I was not aware of that aspect of this novel when I chose it, but was interested to see what role those guiding tenets would play in the structure of the book. Both main characters, Sarah and Clay, have either lost their faith or never had a strong faith to begin with. Clay has a very hard time understanding why everyone he loves is taken from him and Sarah is consumed with anger and hate about the circumstance which caused her to have to leave Philadelphia and seek a new life. The faith based ideas of this novel were very well written by Amanda Cabot.

I liked the fact that the story takes place in a part of Texas which was very heavily settled by immigrants from France and Germany. That gave this story an unusual aspect which is not found that often in American historical romances. Finding a way to bring these two factions together in this new land was an interesting process to watch and the author did a really fine job with that.... There has been one murder and someone is involved in malicious pranks and theft which is pitting neighbor against neighbor, French against German. It seems that traveling all the way to America did not resolve the centuries of animosity which existed between these two nationalities. Sarah plays a large role in helping heal some of those divides.

What I didn't particularly like about the novel was primarily the two main characters. I never managed to feel any real connection for either of them, no sympathy or empathy. I understand that this was a Christian romance, but that did not mean that there could not have been romantic tension between these characters. They were bland to the point of boredom for me.

The theme of the mail-order bride is a real hot button for me, I absolutely love that premise because it signifies the determination and independence of spirit necessary for both bride and groom to make a success of what must have been a terrifying situation. These two characters both had some good qualities, but without that fire-bright spark of romance their story fell rather flat for me. Read more ›

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent western romance January 4, 2009

By Harriet Klausner #1 HALL OF FAME

Format:Paperback

In 1856, Sarah Dobbs becomes a mail order bride for two reasons. First she needs to move on with her much younger sister Thea after the tragic deaths due to influenza of her parents back in Philadelphia and second she cherished the paper roses and loving letters her fiancé Austin Canfield sent her. However, in San Antonio instead of Austin arriving, his brother Clay informs her that her groom was murdered by an unknown assailant. Clay offers to pay the return fare for the two siblings, but Sarah refuses his kind offer preferring to find work in nearby Ladreville than face ridicule and bad memories back home.

Clay, a widower, almost goes berserk when Thea affectionately calls him papa as he wanted to hear that word from his baby, but both the infant and his beloved Patience died. On the family ranch that he takes the two siblings to, he admires Sarah for her spunk in spite of her recent tragedies and her leg that leaves her limping and actually likes the little one though feels guilty for doing so. Soon Sarah and Clay fall in love, but both hide their feelings out of guilt and fear of rejection; rationalizing that solving the murder mystery must come first

The first Texas Dreams tale is an excellent western romance with an amateur sleuth whodunit investigation serving as a minor but powerful support. The two likable lead characters are tied together initially by grief, but soon that becomes love and a precocious (perhaps too much so) young girl enhance their relationship. The story line is fast-paced from the moment Sarah waits for her fiancé to arrive while Clay dreads the mission of telling her he won't and never slows down even with the inspirational message of keeping the faith interwoven from start to finish.... Fans will enjoy this fine pre-Civil War Hills Country historical.

Harriet Klausner Read more ›

More About the Author

With both parents avid readers, it's no surprise that Amanda Cabot learned to read at an early age. From there it was only a small step to deciding to become a writer. Of course, deciding and becoming are two different things, as she soon discovered. Fortunately for the world, her first attempts at fiction, which included a play for her fifth grade class entitled "All About Thermometers," were not published, but she did meet her goal of selling a novel by her thirtieth birthday. Since then she's sold more than twenty five novels under a variety of pseudonyms. When she's not writing, Amanda enjoys sewing, cooking and - of course - reading.