Customer Reviews

Within My Heart (Timber Ridge Reflections, Book 3)

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(41)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Once again, I am reading a romance, only in this case, a historical one instead of a suspense one. I will volunteer to be the first to mock myself, in a light-hearted manner. I realize that some people with whom I am acquainted will smirk at the fact that I offered to receive and read this book for review. Okay now, are we done with the mocking, smirking, and eye-rolling? Good, let's go on to the review. ;)

In Tamera Alexander's book, *Within My Heart*, the plot begins in a traditional manner for the typical genre of historical romances. There is a young woman, in this case widowed, who is a genius, and much better-educated than most women of the time. She has a fiery temperament, and is willing to stand her line with *any* man. This is great for me, up to a point, because I really enjoy strong female characters. Not the "I am woman, hear me roar" silly feminist type, but a strong, realistic woman. The problem is that I also enjoy characters and settings that are at least *somewhat* historically accurate. The typical historical romance seems not to be accurate in this regard at all.

The other element that annoyed me was the ending. The typical "deep, dark" secret was in presence. Also, in the great culmination of the book, there is the typical "danger" to the characters. There are a limited number of dangers used (or, I should say, over-used) in historical romances that anyone who has read them, or read the jokes about them, would recognize. One of these is actually used near the end of the book. Finally, the author tries too hard to be stirring with her flowery rhetoric. The last paragraphs sounded like the end to an English epic from literature class in high school. The flowery language was a bit over-the-top, as it were.

Despite all of this, I truly did enjoy the book, and rate it quite highly. For one thing, despite the over-use of literary conventions typical to such novels, the author pretty much limited her use of these to the above-listed items. In fact, historically the somewhat "modern" temperament of the women out west was in evidence. They had no choice *but* to dispense with traditional cultural understandings of the sexes, and learn to hunt, shoot, chop wood, haul wood, farm, and so forth, just as well as any man. The historical records, including the diaries of frontier women, showed this remarkable independent streak. The problem is that most authors do not portray the situation in a realistic enough manner to show why these women were like they were. Tamera Alexander does do this. Granted, not all were the geniuses that these books portray, but that is forgivable given the broader pluses in the book.

The "deep, dark" secret seemed quite out of place, and not necessary to the plot. It really did seem as if Alexander only put it in there to make the book more like the other books in the genre. Other than this, the story was remarkably realistic. The main characters had a bad past, but these were well-known in the case of the heroine, Rachel Boyd, and hidden for a reason in the case of the hero, Dr. Rand Brookston. Rachel's husband was killed a few years prior to the book by a wild animal, and she is afraid to love again. Still no deep, dark secret. Brookston was injured and had a frightening experience of nearly being horribly misdiagnosed by the battle surgeon. Again, this was in his past, prior to the novel. During the time frame that it occurred in the Civil War, such happenings could occasionally happen.

The book seems to be divided into three roughly equal parts. These parts are not officially listed, indeed, there are no larger "sections" to the novel, beyond chapter headings. This is only my own observation.

In part one, the characters are introduced, and Brookston is clearly in love with Rachel, which she knows, but doesn't reciprocate. She has a negative view of medical doctors, for her own reasons. Brookston proves to her he is not like her misconception of doctors, so her feelings begin to thaw towards him. Part two is the story of how their friendship develops and she falls in love with him, and part three details how she gets over her fears and they become engaged.

The typical, tired story elements of the novel may have caused me to become so irritated that I ignored the enormous good in the book, but not quite. There was another saving grace to the novel, and that is how they portrayed Brookston's symptoms that today would be classified as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from the war. The realism, largely absent from much period fiction, was a breath of fresh air. Even though I did not have the same personal injury horrors in the same manner as Brookston did, I can empathize with his plight, as I have PTSD, and so it struck a chord with me.

Trust me, this book may have some faults, typical of such romances, but it is not the typical book of this genre. It has realism, believability, sheds most of the more annoying tropes, and is extremely well-written. The prose is easily readable (though a bit overly, purposefully, poetic at times), and the characters were ones I truly cared about. This book, despite its problems, was well worth the read. Recommended.

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I received this novel from Bethany House Publishers for the purposes of writing a review for them. I must emphasize that they do not ask for a particular type of review, whether positive or negative. I truly appreciate the chance to review this book, and the above opinions are my honest viewpoint. I also want to give my sincere thanks to Bethany House Publishers for the opportunity to review this book, and thank you all for reading this review.

Book 3 of Tamera Alexander's Timber Ridge Reflection series was wonderful. The author did a great job making each book it's own, while still tying in familiarities from the previous stories. It is not an ongoing storyline with the same one or two specific characters. However, previous characters may again appear. While reading you feel as if you are traveling life's journey alongside this strong but vulnerable widowed woman. As she struggles to care & provide for her children, she also must decide whether to let others in. I also enjoyed seeing a female character written with such professional abilities in a time when women were not afforded many options. While this story does include relationship elements, I would not consider it to be a "romance novel". It is an interesting journey that draws you to follow along to see where her path leads.

Historicals are very popular right now. I've been reading a lot of them lately and sadly, I grew weary of them. It seemed that I kept selecting historicals with similar plotlines. So when I picked up Within My Heart by Tamara Alexander, I groaned and said "Another historical." Thankfully, that sentiment didn't last long. Within five pages, I realized that this was not just another historical.

Alexander masterfully creates the world of Rachel Boyd and Dr. Rand Brookston. Rachel is a widower raising two boys and trying to run her and her late husband's ranch. Dr. Rand Brookston is the doctor for the small town of Timber Ridge but has dreams of being more.

This book was full of unique twists and turns that it sets it in a different category than other historicals. Most books I've read focus more a specific time period, but Within My Heart presents wonderful characters and engaging storylines. Alexander portrays death in dying in a way I don't think I've ever seen in Christian fiction. She tells the story of loss that presents a perfect balance between sadness and hope.

Rand and Rachel's romance draws you in, but Alexander does a great job of also creating meaningful secondary characters. Also, there are just some amazing plot twists that had my jaw dropped. I can't say enough about this book. If you like historicals, you'll love this book.

*This book was provided to me for free through the Bethany House Reviewers Program.

You can really tell when an author pours their heart and soul into their work. Tamera Alexander's books are some of the best out there just for that reason alone. If her books don't touch your heart I honestly don't know what will. There is so much emotion on every page that is so raw and authentic it's sometimes even difficult to read!

Right from the start I knew that Within My Heart was going to be a real tearjerker and by the time the end rolled around I had to break out the tissues. That said, this book was almost too sad. There was so much grief and sorrow throughout. I will say this however, the relationship between Rand and Rachel which grew out of their love and respect for one of their patients was beautiful to read. I also felt that the ending fit with the rest of the story. There was no unbelievable, sugary-sweet ending but a nice, natural closure for most of the characters.

If you're looking for a light-hearted romance you will want to put this book off till later (but definitely plan to read it). If you want a story of forgiveness, loss, and love that will keep you reading until the wee hours, read this. Tamera Alexander is a premier Christian fiction author who writes books that touch the heart and teach lessons that we can all learn from.

*I received my complimentary copy through the publisher's book review program in exchange for posting my honest thoughts*

It was with tears and bittersweet emotions that I finished this book. Alexander has an amazing God-given talent for writing with depth, using gorgeous imagery and dialogue to describe God's creation and to explore the workings of God in our lives.

To be honest, this particular book took me a long time to read. It wasn't like the first in this series (From a Distance), where I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning desperate to know what would happen and reveling in the sweet romance. I received this book several months ago, and yet even when I started reading it, I often set it aside. The writing was lovely, but this book was hard to read because of the heaviness of its themes. I was intrigued with the plot but not engrossed by it. Not until over halfway through.

Once I got near the end, the tears began to flow. It was one emotional blow after another, and yet I wasn't in despair. I was completely blessed and moved by the impact of Alexander's insight--insights (I later learned from her note at the end of the book) that came from her own personal experience. I had heard some about what Alexander had been going through in the past year or so and why this last book in the "Timber Ridge Reflections" series was delayed in its release. But actually reading this book and seeing how her own journey impacted her writing--I was blown away and touched by what was within HER heart.

This book is not an easy one to read. There were times when it was almost painful. But I can guarantee you that this is very much a worthwhile read. The lessons about love, forgiveness, and courage are profound. And the honesty with which the characters face death and the hope that all those who believe in the Lord can have is heart-breakingly beautiful. This is a definite must-read!

*With thanks to Jim Hart and Bethany House Publishers for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion. My sincerest apologies to the publisher for my delay in reviewing this book.*

This was a fun book to read, and my first book by Tamera Alexander. I wasn't fantastically impressed, but I enjoyed reading the book and look forward to watching this author for growth in the areas of plot line and character development.

In the book, and doctor's daughter who is widowed fights hard to salvage the ranch which was the dream of her late husband for their two boys. She also fights hard against loving a doctor, carrying around scars from her father's poor character that negatively affect her judgement of all doctors. I would have liked to see a bit more about other characters -- relationships with family more involved in the plotline -- like really seeing a relationship between Rachel and her brother and not just a few one liners. The book has a pretty typical plot, and was carried forward with enough interesting twists and building toward climax to keep me reading.

This was a nice book to read, the kind of book you would read on a long bus or plane ride, but not something you would want to read over again. There's nothing in the book that made me go WOW. It does deal with death in a really touching way though.

What kind of disappointed me was the ending, it felt kind of rushed. Everything got solved in the last few pages of the book. And I felt that the some of the other characters, the 'antagonists' weren't developed enough, she could have done much more with them and made this book way more interesting.

This is the kind of book that I wished I had borrowed instead of bought. But most of the people seem to really like the book, so if it's your cup of tea, go ahead and enjoy it.

Within My Heart is not a high drama, action packed historical. There are no big baddies to wreak havoc on our hero and heroine. There are several little baddies, but until the end, the tension is low.

Instead, Within My Heart is the story of love and of loss and of living again. This book sneaks up on you, its vivid scenery and budding romance lowers your guard as the layers of the characters are peeled back. Before you know it, you're hit with an emotional wallop that affects you as deeply as the residents of Timber Ridge.

When I finished this story, I was red-eyed and wrung out, honking into my last Kleenex. Just as I thought, "the book's over, I can catch my breath," there's the author's note at the end from Tamera Alexander sharing her personal story...and well, I had to get the second box of tissues. (Cyber hugs to Tammy, and thanks for opening up to us).

Maybe I shouldn't have picked this one up while I was feeling hormonal. But I'm the kind of gal who finds a good cry cathartic, so I loved every minute of this ride. Fans of Alexander will notice the different feel to this book, but I'm confident that like me, they'll embrace it.

(Baker Publishing provided a review copy)

I have read every thing TAmera Alexander has ever written and this one is another fantastic offering. She never disappoints, never, but this one was really great. I read a LOT and after a while, you get to know each author's particular writing style. After reading one page of this book, I sank down into it like a comfortable robe. She is an incredibly gifted author and not to be missed.
I will not give away anything in the book, as I dislike it when reviewers give away too much of a plot, but I will say this book deals with learning to let God deal with your fears and let Him give you peace and comfort and the ability to move out of those fears and go on with your life.
Don't miss this book.

Rachel Boyd is under a lot of pressure. Trying to fulfill the dream she and her husband had for their ranch, all the while raising their two sons on her own. After her husband Thomas died, Rachel tried her best to keep the ranch going, but severe weather and the loss of so many cattle are taking a toll on her, and the finances of the ranch.
Dr. Rand Brookston has come west, trying to escape the nightmares that wake him up, and make him keep lamps burning constantly. Being buried alive is the most horrible thing to live through, but the nighttime torments really are taking a toll on him. Plus trying to serve the small town of Timber Ridge and open a clinic where they can receive good physical treatment. He feels a great attraction to Rachel, but she is very distant and keeps him at arm's length.
Lyda and Ben Mullins have treated everyone in town as family, and now that Ben is in failing health, the town is rallying around him.
This story is connected by loss. The loss of Rachel's husband, the loss of Lyda and Ben's children. And the possible loss of many people in the town as typhoid fever is diagnosed in the community. A story you will enjoy as you see the value of a town being educated about health issues, and working together to keep the illness at a minimum.
I truthfully enjoyed this book, it was fascinating to me, kept me up late reading. I laughed and cried with each person as they experienced their times of joy and mourning. 374 pages US $14.99 4 stars.
This book was provided for review purposes only, no payment was received for this review.