Although Holding Down the Fort wasn't my favorite, there were still some things I liked about it. I liked the endearing secondary characters - such as, good-humored Lieutenant Jack Hennessey, free-spirited Daisy and headstrong Caroline - who added warmth and humor to the story. I also enjoyed learning about the Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians' life and tensions with the U.S. after the war. Unfortunately, despite my enjoyment of the initial premise, the story fell flat for me hugely because of the romance.
Although Louisa's need to be secretive about her past made sense to the plot, I believed it hindered the romance. The fact that she was never vulnerable by opening up and sharing anything about herself to Daniel made me feel like he really didn't know her and, therefore, couldn't believably be in love with her. Despite the fact that Louisa cared greatly for Daniel's daughters and valued his friendship, it was hard to believe that their relationship could deepen without any real intimacy on her part. Consequently, their emotional connection felt stagnant compared to their physical attraction.
I also didn't like that Louisa was an extremely passive heroine. I wanted her to say and do things to make me root for her. I wanted her to take action in her relationship with Daniel and her circumstances. Unfortunately, she didn't, which made it hard for me to like her.
Although this story wasn't for me, I'm still hopeful about the rest of the series and want to read more books by this author.
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