A Stolen Heart - My Review

Amanda Cabot’s book A Stolen Heart is the first book in the Cimarron Creek Trilogy.  After reading this text, I am excited to learn about the next two books Cabot will write for this series.  This particular story is set in Texas during the late 1800’s, and focuses on Lydia Crawford’s journey from New York to Texas.  At first, her traveling purposes are to reconnect with her fiancé, but soon the reader will discover that her life is anything but settled.  Lydia believes her life will fall into balance after her marriage, yet surprises await her in this southern town of Texas. 

Lydia believes her betrothed loves her; however, her hopes get dashed and are replaced with unanswerable questions as soon as she steps off the stagecoach.  The future she had counted on beings to unravel as she starts to figure out what to do next.  She never dreamed she would be walking the streets of this town alone.  On top of her bad news, she realizes Southerners still do not care for Northerners—even though the Civil War ended over a decade ago.  There are many in this town who would like to see her go back to where she came from—especially considering another Yankee has already recently come to reside in Cimarron Creek. 

Travis Whitfield is the newly appointed sheriff in town.  So far, there have been only small troubles in town, yet things begin to come to a crashing halt when a man goes missing.  Already, it is presumed he is dead, but Travis must figure out where this man could have gone and why.  Was he kidnapped?  Did he abandon his wife and child?  Things become even more confusing after he meets a woman named Lydia.  Her manner of speech is foreign to this state, but what is worse is who she is seeking.  How can Travis do his duty in caring for the town and this new guest while also declaring that he cannot keep up with all the new crime that has come to town? 

There are so many twists and surprises within the pages of this story—more than I ever considered, which made for a better read.  Although some of the turns are heartbreaking, they make the story stronger and the characters more relatable.  This book is more than your typical Christian fiction book, because it contains an element of mystery to it.  Even though the plot of fiction prevails, I would still categorize it completely different.  After the characters reveal this part of the story to the reader, the entire text comes alive with several sub-plots.  Both Lydia and Travis find themselves in places they never dreamed, and both are put to the test.  Can they withstand what life throws at them?  And can Lydia embrace a new life?  Soon all these characters will understand that man plans his ways but the Lord directs his steps (Proverbs 16:9). 

I highly recommend this new novel by Amanda Cabot.  In fact, I plan on checking out her other books.  Happy reading!    

This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to Revell Publishers for my copy. 

About The Book 

*From afar, Cimarron Creek seems like an idyllic town tucked in the Texas Hill Country. But when former schoolteacher Lydia Crawford steps onto its dusty streets in 1880, she finds a town with a deep-seated resentment of Northerners--like her. Lydia won't let that get her down, though. All will be well when she's reunited with her fiancé. But when she discovers he has disappeared--and that he left behind a pregnant wife--Lydia is at a loss about what to do next. The handsome sheriff urges her to trust him, but can she trust anyone in this town where secrets are as prevalent as bluebonnets in spring?

Bestselling author Amanda Cabot invites readers back into Texas's storied past to experience love and adventure against a backdrop of tension and mystery in this first book in a brand-new series. 

 *Synopsis is from the back cover of the novel. 

About The Author 

Amanda Cabot is the bestselling author of At Bluebonnet Lake, In Firefly Valley, and On Lone Star Trail, as well as the Texas Dreams series, the Westward Winds series, and Christmas Roses. Her books have been finalists for the ACFW Carol Awards and the Booksellers' Best. She lives in Wyoming. Learn more at: www.amandacabot.com