Chancing the Frontiersman's Heart by Andrea Byrd Review

 

Chancing the Frontiersman's Heart is a wonderful historical romance by Andrea Byrd. Set in the late 1700's, when our country was still brand new, this story shares a look at what life might have been like in the wilderness of Kentucky at the end of the War for Independence. The war is just about over, but there are still dangers from British forces and Indians. 

This story focuses on Dawn and Jacob and alternates between their points of view. They had been friends when they were younger, but they had lost track of each other. Dawn was living a life of hardship, treated no better than a slave by her stepfamily due to her disfigurement. She has also been trying to care for her younger stepsister and is traveling out west with the family so she can bring young Mary to her uncle. Someone she hopes will give the precious child the love and care she deserves. 

Jacob is on his way west with his family, his mother and brothers and sister. As much as he loves his family, he wants to be out from under their shadow and forge a life of his own. Meeting up with Dawn after all these years gives him the opportunity to do just that. 

As the story progresses they encounter their fair share of danger, but also we see growth in their relationship and they really start to bond as a family. Which of course can cause complications because they are supposed to be bringing Mary to her uncle. We also get to learn about a real battle and meet a real historical figure. I appreciated how this time was brought to life. And I love how much Dawn loves and knows about nature and is so excited to share what she knows. And faith plays an important part in their lives as Christians. 

I was so glad to learn that their will be more books in this series. I can't wait to read them.  

Friday Fun - April 24, 2026

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with three different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays, the Friday 56, and First Line Friday.

This week I have one book to share with you.

I'm starting The Lumber Baron's Wife by Lynn Austin.

        Book Beginnings on Friday    

 

(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

and

First Line Friday

(Please join Carrie for First Line Friday.)

Here is my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selection:

 The Lumber Baron's Wife by Lynn Austin:

"It's long past midnight but I cannot sleep, consumed with worry for my friend."

Uh oh, I wonder what's wrong with her friend. Definitely a first line that draws you in.

Now for:

The Friday 56 

The Friday 56 is normally hosted over at Freda's Voice. But Anne from My Head is Full of Books is taking over for a while. 

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here is my Friday 56 selection:

The Lumber Baron's Wife  by Lynn Austin:

"John remarked on the date as we sat in our dining room one evening, eating the pork chops and potatoes I had prepared for dinner. 'Are you happy here, my dear?' he asked.

I took a moment to reply. 'I have a lovely home.' I gestured to the rooms around us, which still didn't feel quite like home. 'And a kind, hardworking husband. I am very grateful for that.'

He looked down at his plate for a moment, tugging his ear, before looking up at me again. 'Yes. But I asked if you were happy.'"

Reviews:

Last week I shared two books in my Friday fun post. Here is the link to one of the reviews:

Shadowed Witness by Angela Carlisle

I didn't quite finish Chancing the Frontiersman's Heart by Andrea Byrd yet. So, I'll share that review next week.

Two weeks ago I had shared three books, but I had only posted two of the reviews. So, here is the other review:

The Rancher's Stolen Past by Tabitha Bouldin

Shadowed Witness by Angela Carlisle Review

 

Shadowed Witness is the second book in the Secrets of Kincaid series by Angela Carlisle. I absolutely loved this book, just as much as, or more than, the first one. The suspense was great, not ultra intense, but it was definitely there and drew me into the book and held me there. There was danger and quite a bit of mystery. 

The book started out with Allye witnessing a brutal murder and being attacked herself. However, when she comes to, there are those who don't believe her testimony. And she starts to doubt her own memories. It doesn't help that she has been having health issues that make her brain foggy. If it wasn't for the fact that the reader is "along for the ride" when she witnesses said murder and is attacked, I would have been doubting her as well. It helps that there is physical evidence that she was attacked. 

However, then there are other events that did make me wonder how reliable of a narrator she was. She definitely had a hard time convincing the police that she was telling the truth and not losing her mind. And I think she started to doubt herself. She was struggling so hard with some mysterious health issues, and keeping things secret from her friends and family so as to not worry them, that she had no one to lean on. 

At the same time there were drug overdoses leading to deaths in the community that the police were dealing with. Plus a missing teen. Eric Thornton is the over worked, lone detective on all these cases, plus others. He believes Allye's testimony more than the officer who was originally called to the scene. However, even he isn't quite sure what to think when things become almost unbelievable. 

So many questions. How much were all the cases connected and who exactly WAS the killer? And who was the person who was in the shadows when the guy was being murdered? There was one person who seemed to be connected, but the question was, exactly how much? And was the missing teen involved at all? And what exactly was wrong with Allye?

There were some instances of calm and time for a relationship to develop between Allye and Eric, which I loved by the way, but these times were shattered by different kinds of peril. That's one of the things that keeps me on edge. Just WHEN is something going to happen next? 

So, yeah, this book was awesome. I enjoyed getting to know Allye better, as she was Corina's friend in the first book. And we got to get a peek at how life was going for other characters from the first book as well. So, yes, the books connect, but they are stand alone stories. As I tend to say in my reviews, if you don't want relationship spoilers, you will definitely want to read the books in order. 

And yes, faith and the importance of forgiveness are central to the story as well. 

I can't wait to read book three, which is releasing soon!

The Rancher's Stolen Past by Tabitha Bouldin Review

 

The Rancher's Stolen Past by Tabitha Boulding is a great contemporary inspirational romance. This book is the third book in the series and I would definitely suggest reading the previous books so you can be familiar with the previous characters' relationships so there are no spoilers. I admit, when I started book two, I did not realize there was a book that came before it, and I still have not had a chance to read Callie and Brody's story. That said, each book is a stand alone story.

The connection between the books is the Jacobs siblings. Brody is the MMC in The Cowgirl's Last Rodeo, Tenley is the FMC in Forgiving the Cowboy (which I did read), and Molly is the FMC in this newest book. I love that we get to see these previous characters in the new book and get a peek into how their lives have been. 

So, let's focus on The Rancher's Stolen Past. Zane has moved back to the town where he grew up. He's there so he can help his grandfather, but he also hopes to seek forgiveness from those he wronged as a young man. He had been friends with Brody and his sister Molly, but had left several years earlier. Molly is a widowed single mom of a young son, Luke. She has been blaming Zane for her husband's death all these years and just can't bring herself to forgive him. 

As they find themselves working together at a summer riding program there is a lot of tension and Zane can't figure out what he needs to do to gain Molly's forgiveness and get her listen to the truth of what happened. I realize she has a lot to work through and not only will she have to forgive Zane, but she is also going to have to admit she was wrong, but she was quite bitter for most of the book. And there were times when it looked like they were growing closer, but the struggle for truth keeps them apart. I was really rooting for Zane though and wanted to see their relationship move beyond the past.

I have to say, my favorite character was little, six-year-old Luke. He was drawn to Zane right away, longing for a father figure in his life. He was such a cutie. This of course causes a conundrum for Molly as she really does not want Luke getting close to Zane. 

I also loved the animals in the story. The dogs and the horses, and seeing the relationships between the children and the horses in the riding program. 

And yes, faith played an important role in this story, which I always like to see. We see the importance of forgiveness and redemption. Here's a quote that caught my eye.

"'You once said that forgiveness is a daily choice. Some days are harder than others.' Brody spun his hat around in his hands, his overgrown hair sticking out over his ears. 'Day by day, little sister.'

Tenley rocked her hip against Molly's. 'That's my motto, especially when things get tough. Day by day, by the grace of God.'"

I highly recommend this book, and this series. 

I received an e-copy of this book as a member of the launch team and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own honest thoughts.

Friday Fun - April 17, 2026

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with three different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays, the Friday 56, and First Line Friday.

This week I have two books to share with you.

I'm reading Chancing the Frontiersman's Heart by Andrea Byrd.

I'm also reading Shadowed Witness by Angela Carlisle, the second book in the Secrets of Kincaid series. I needed to read this one before reading the ARC of book three, Silent Menace.

        Book Beginnings on Friday    

 

(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

and

First Line Friday

(Please join Carrie for First Line Friday.)

Here are my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selections:

 Chancing the Frontiersman's Heart by Andrea Byrd:

"Jacob stared into the black abyss above, speckled by a multitude of tiny white dots."

I wondered if there was a reason he was staring up into sky at night.

Shadowed Witness by Angela Carlisle:

"Lights? Check.

Camera? Check.

Three bags and a purse? Check."

Well, it sounds like whoever this was was getting ready to leave, making sure they had everything. Just not sure why.

Now for:

The Friday 56 

The Friday 56 is normally hosted over at Freda's Voice. But Anne from My Head is Full of Books is taking over for a while. 

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here are my Friday 56 selections:

Chancing the Frontiersman's Heart  by Andrea Byrd:

"It was such a difference from what she and Mary had been living with, she almost did not know how to accept it. But she could not be more thankful for it either. How could she have ever lived with a husband who was not kind? It would have been no better than the life she left behind. And even if their marriage was nothing but in name and convenience, at least she had a kind companion to share her life with. And a handsome one, at that."

Shadowed Witness by Angela Carlisle:

"The mayor's expression clouded. 'Really? Does she know who he was talking about - or to?'

'No. But I don't like the sound of it.'

'Neither do I. That's . . . concerning to say the least.' Jennings frowned. 'Was anyone with her that could corroborate her story? Or did she get any photo evidence?

'No, unfortunately. She was alone and afraid to show herself.'"

Reviews:

Last week I shared three books in my Friday fun post. Here are the links to two of my reviews:

Crossbones by C.C. Warrens

Dark Design by Nancy Mehl

I did finish The Rancher's Stolen Past, but I haven't had a chance to write my review yet.

Dark Design by Nancy Mehl Review

 

Okay, so it took me a while to figure out what I wanted to say about this book.

First of all, I was so excited to have another book where Kaely Quinn-Hunter is a character. I LOVED the author's Kaely Quinn Profiler series. I loved that Kaely and Erin became friends in the first book of this series. But sadly, this book just wasn't as good. 

The premise or plot was quite intriguing. It definitely drew me in. A serial killer who knew they were going to be a serial killer since they were a child? Horrifying. A serial killer using the MO of killers in several different authors' books? I loved that. How were the profilers going to figure out the killer when the killer didn't have their own MO. Though, there were some things that were different. I won't share them of course, as that would be a spoiler. I will say though, that I couldn't believe the professional behavioral analysist didn't catch on to what I caught on. 

And that leads me to one of my big issues with the book. Kaely just didn't seem like Kaely in this book. As I mentioned, I love Kaely Quinn. But this didn't feel like the same person. I also didn't understand why law enforcement was bringing Erin into the investigation when all she really is now is an ex-cop and a writer of suspense. Why her and not the other authors?

And there were just some other things that felt off. There were some parts that felt like there were mistakes that should have been caught in editing. Plus so much unnecessary detail and telling instead of showing.  

However, I did love the suspense and there were definitely twists I didn't see coming until right before they were revealed. A bit intense there for a bit toward the end too. 

So, yes the book had some flaws, but I do still plan on reading the next book. Hopefully Kaely will feel like Kaely again. I will say, now I sort of want to reread the original Kaely Quinn Profiler books again.

Friday Fun - April 10, 2026

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with three different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays, the Friday 56, and First Line Friday.

This week I have three books to share with you.

I read an eARC of Crossbones by C.C. Warrens. This book releases on May 15th.

Then I read Dark Design by Nancy Mehl, the second book in the Erin Delaney Mysteries series.

I am currently reading The Rancher's Stolen Past by Tabitha Bouldin.

        Book Beginnings on Friday    

 

(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

and

First Line Friday

(Please join Carrie for First Line Friday.)

Here are my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selections:

 Crossbones by C.C. Warrens:

"A fist cut through the air toward my head, and a startled squeak escaped my throat as I flinched reflexively."

Oh dear. What was going on?

Dark Design by Nancy Mehl:

"I was only nine years old when I knew I was destined to be a serial killer."

Well that's disturbing.

The Rancher's Stolen Past by Tabitha Bouldin:

"Molly Peterson had enjoyed a few good ideas - and more than her share of bad ones - in her life."

I wondered what kind of idea was going to be shared. Good or bad? And why?

Now for:

The Friday 56 

The Friday 56 is normally hosted over at Freda's Voice. But Anne from My Head is Full of Books is taking over for a while. 

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here are my Friday 56 selections:

Crossbones  by C.C. Warrens:

"The beat-up envelope arrived three days ago, post-marked from Maine. There was no return address, but I knew who sent it. 

The fragrance infused in the paper was so deeply intertwined with some of my worst memories that it made me queasy. I had only ever smelled that signature blend of tobacco in one place - the Wells' house, where Collin's father smoked his pipe and listened to music to drown out the horrors happened mere feet away."

Dark Design by Nancy Mehl:

"Erin sighed. 'That's exactly what Kaely said. I find that not only frightening, but it makes me wonder if I should be writing about things like this.'

Nick smiled at her. 'Look, like I said, authors aren't responsible for the actions of psychopaths, Erin. We can't make it illegal to write books or produce movies that deal with certain subjects because some crazy person might use it as a way to express the evil inside them.'"

The Rancher's Stolen Past by Tabitha Bouldin:

"Six years had dulled the pain of his passing but not eliminated the truth that her future no longer resembled the one she'd planned so carefully. He'd never heard Luke's laugh or seen the dimples in his cheeks. He'd never changed a dirty diaper or stayed up all night watching him sleep.

And she had missed him, every moment of every day. Even now, the pinch of his absence threatened to steal the sunshine from the sky and cast her into perpetual gloom."

Reviews:

Last week I shared three books in my Friday fun post. Here are the links to my reviews:

Imperfect Justice by C.C. Warrens

Cross the Line by C.C. Warrens

Crossroads by C.C. Warrens

And here is my review for Crossbones by C.C. Warrens