Customer Reviews

A Promise to Believe In (The Brides of Gallatin County, Book 1)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I want to say that this book was enjoyable to read. It had an interesting story and a little bit of humor. It is very different from Peterson's Broadmoor Legacy books and even further from her last series, the Ladies of Liberty.

This book opens with the death of her father, George Gallatin. A man with a great heart but no exceptional abilities, he moved his family around teh country before ending up in the rugged territory of Montana running a stage stop.

Gwen Gallatin and her sisters are left alone running the stage stop and dealing with their grief. Losing her father to a fluke accident after sending him on an errand and widowed on her wedding day (she decides to keep her maiden name), she feels she is a curse to those she loves and will eventually be the cause of death of all those she cares for.

Hank Bishop (of course he is smart, rich, and handsome!) is seeking Gwen, the widow of his brother. Expecting the worst of her he is surprised when he learns she is not a goldigger, but rather a sweet innocent, hurting woman. Hank, on a mission to return items his brother stole from the family, endures much while staying with the Gallatin sisters in their boarding house. He learns to admire these 3 women and the land they make their home.

Now I will share my opinions (and please don't take them personally--they are merely opinions!). While the characters were developed well enough, I found Gwens inner termoil frustrating and a little annoying. It was dragged out and dwelled upon and all the while it seemed rather silly to me. Also, the relationship between Hank and Gwen didn't flow in a realistic way. I didn't really buy it. While this book was enjoyable enough, it just wasn't what I've come to expect from this author. I still gave it 4 stars (though I heavily debated giving it 3) so it was still worthwhile.

While growing up the Gallatin sisters never had a place to call home. It was not until recently their father settled down and they began to make a home for themselves in Montana. Their father and the three daughters managed a roadhouse at the crossroads of two stagecoach lines. Suddenly their father is killed and the oldest daughter Gwen believes it is all her fault. Gwen says she is cursed and harm comes to anyone she loves.

While keeping the roadhouse in operation an unexpected visitor looking for his brother turns Gwen's life upside down. Lacy is determined to find who is responsible for her father's death and Beth is trying to protect Gwen from this new unexpected visitor. Does Gwen dare fall in love again? And is she cursed?

A Promise to Believe In is the first book in a new series called Brides of Gallatin. Book one is Gwen's story. Each of the sisters had me laughing out loud and sometimes crying; I can not wait to read Beth and Lacy's story. Tracie Peterson does a beautiful job in bringing each of her characters to life and reminding us of the hardships of 19th century life.

"A Promise to Believe In" is the first book in the Brides of Gallatin County series by Tracie Peterson. I really enjoyed the book but did have some issues with it as well.

Sisters Gwen, Beth, and Lacy Gallatin operate a stagehouse in the Montana Territory with their father in the late 1800's. When their father is accidentally killed, Gwen blames herself thinking she is cursed. Her own husband Harvey Bishop died 10 days after they were married. The sudden appearance of a stranger, Hank Bishop, claiming to be Harvey's brother throws Gwen's life and feelings into turmoil. He has come to find the stock certificates that Harvey has stolen from their family. However along the way, Hank begins to care for Gwen and she for him. Dare she think that happiness can be hers again?

Tracie Peterson excels in describing the scenery of the Montana Territory. And I really enjoyed the plot of the story and the characterization. Lacy and Beth's pranks aganist Hank were quite fun to read and the sarcastic tone that many of the characters had towards others also made good humor for the book. But I found Gwen's anguish over the notion that she was cursed to be annoying. One minute she thought she was being silly, then the next she thinks she's cursed again, and it kept going until the end. And the last few chapters of the book were a total cliche. An example is when Rafe the saloon owner is threatening that Hank will never come back to Gwen and she will have to sell out, what happens? Hank suddenly appears at the doorway to make everything okay. The romance between Gwen and Hank was sweet and fun to read but slightly unrealistic. But it didn't deter me from liking the book. I enjoy reading stories like this so it doesn't really matter.

All in all, if you are a Tracie Peterson fan you will like the book for sure. I look forward to "A Love to Last Forever" which is suppose to tell Beth's story. Hopefully we'll see more of Gwen and Hank in the story as well. :)

I was really disappointed. The cover of the book is beautiful but dont let that fool you. There was absolutly no meat to the book. The author failed to draw the reader into the story with setting description and character depth. I really wanted the book to get better and I gave it a chance by reading 100 pages into it but eventually I quit. She tried to tell instead of show. The synopsis on the back sounded great but in the end the story was so light it was like drinking air.

Every time Tracie Peterson announces she has a new book coming out, I immediately go and put it on my wish list. She is one of those authors whom I have read every book and is pretty much a standard in Christian fiction. Everything I always like about Tracie's books is included in this one as well. From the detailed historical research to wonderful character development to that comfort feeling you get while reading her books, it's all here. The sisters run a boarding house/restaurant/coach stop that is very similar to the Fred Harvey system used out west. It's a very well run operation and the women are highly respected in town which is unusual for the time period. I liked all three sisters and found them very similar to the way my own family acts. I found the laudanum scene very funny although I can't believe that it didn't enter any one's head that it might have been dangerous! The situation between Harvey and Gwen's late husband was really interesting and I kept going back on forth on whether I believed him or not. Although I felt that a lot of that drama could have been avoided if he had just told her that one thing she had been looking for.

My only qualm with this book was that the storyline seemed a little slow at times. It wasn't that it was boring. I just felt that certain scenes tended to drag at times, and there was a lot of dialogue that could have been taken out. Also Hank and Gwen, while they had good chemistry, just seemed to magically fall in together. It was like banter one minute, lovey-dovey the next. I would have liked some more development than the cliched falling in love with a stranger story. Overall though, I greatly enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the other Gallatin sisters' adventures. It's a fun read that will take you back to the romantic West.

Love this book and really like the author. Can't wait to read book 2. Tracie Peterson's writing is enjoyable and heart warming. You really feel for the characters.

In this book we are introducted to the Gallatin sisters who help their dad run a stage stop called Gallatin House in Gallatin county, Montana in the late 1800's. There are historical aspects woven into the story but not a lot (I love history). This story revolves around Gwen Gallatin and the fact that right after her wedding her first husband dies.

The brother comes looking for Gwen who actually is very rude to her and her sisters. He eventually apologizes and asks for and recieves forgiveness. Gwen and Hank come to realize they love each other and so he moves to Montana.

There is plenty of supsense in this as well but towards the middle of the book Gwen's constant dwelling on curses does get weery, but thankfully there is an older - Titus 2 woman - who counsels Gwen and gets her back to leaning on God and His love and forgiveness and comes to grips with what has happened in her past.

I would definitely recommend this book as it's a great and fast read. Tracie Peterson knows how to write and how to write well, her characters are well developed and provides enough happenings and going ons to make you feel as if you are there sharing the characters lives.

Three sisters end up with a small business to run, and the neighbors (the local saloon and brothel) are determined to run them out of town. Alone and hard workers, the sisters are determined NOT to give in to the mean, rowdy bar owner. The oldest sister is a widow, her husband died of disease. When a relative comes to investigate, the fur begins to fly. Lies, deception, violence and arguments are throughout the book as well as love, truth, family and trust. I am anxious for book two, good start, Tracie, thanks for a new and different slant on life in the settling West.

I have always found Tracie Peterson's books to be well written, thoroughly researched, and captivating. A Promise to Believe In, the first of the Brides of Gallatin County series did not disappoint. Peterson's vivid imagery of life in the Montana Territory of the late 1800's, excellent character development, humor, and even a bit of suspense make for an engaging story.Of particular interest to me was how Peterson began to weave in the stories of the other Gallatin sisters who will be primary subjects of later volumes of this series. How could the reader fail to follow up on characters with whom they have already connected?

Each of the Gallatin girls is charming in her own way but each has her own emotional issues that seem to tie in with their mother's death and the subsequent nomadic life spent with their recently deceased father. A Promise to Believe In is Gwen's story - her firm belief that she is cursed and a danger to those she loves, her fear of taking another chance at love, and ultimately her conviction that God has abandoned her. It is an example of the transformation that comes once God's truth is accepted and taken to heart.

Tracie Peterson is a very good writer and she does a superb job in bring characters together and setting up their stories. What I particularly like about this book was that it whetted my appetite for the next two.

It is an excellent read.