Social butterfly, Caroline Larson, longs for adventure. Since her best friend left Texas, she grows dissatisfied with her life. A little lie to her parents sends her on the journey of her life. Stranded in the Arizona desert, far from her final destination, she must rely on a stranger who gets under her skin.
Thomas Anderson has always struggled with making good decisions. A twist of fate, or Providence, leads him to Arizona to take a job as an express rider. Dealing with the ghosts of his past threatens to overshadow his future until he meets a woman needing his help. Sparks fly as she grates on his nerves.
As they both struggle to move beyond their past mistakes, will they find their lives restored?
Faith, hope, and love come alive in the rugged beauty of Arizona.
As a member of Faith Hope & Love Christian Writers and author of over 30 Christian contemporary cowboy romances and historical romances, I write faith-laced stories where characters feel like lifelong friends. My novels follow flawed individuals who need second chances, redemption, or the courage to overcome personal trials—all set against the backdrop of real Arizona history and the landscapes I treasure.
My husband, Jim, and I live in Gilbert, Arizona with our two dogs, Bella and Daisy. We love exploring our beautiful state together, discovering new adventures that often find their way into my stories. We're also involved at Rock Point Church in Queen Creek.
Thank you for joining me on these journeys through the Arizona I love.
This was/is a good book, but the only part I don't like are the killings that happen in any book. Although I know some people like that kind. I would recommend this book to read.
. I am enjoying getting to the characters in this series. Each story contains their own issues, although each has one thing in common, an individual character is involved in a pivotal change who chooses a westward journey hoping for a new life. Each story inspires and captivates the reader and welcomes them to join particular characters in an adventure. They entertain and teach lessons about life from a faith-based view. These are clean, stand-alone stories, that concludes with an H.E.A.
After Adam had left Texas to bring Julia to a safe place after her older brothers sexual abuse they began to build a relationship. She had been through so much but Adam had no idea just how severe it was. She had become so sad and withdrawn. He worried about her deeply. All the while in Texas, his younger sister was missing not only her best friend but her loving brother as well. She found her way alone on a wagon train headed to Arizona to be with he most loved ones. Along her long trip she was taken in by a couple how looked after her. But as the wagon train reached a town they had chosen to stay a bit before continuing on. Caroline wanted to get to her destination much quicker and chose to continue on thru with the stage coach. While on the wagon train she met a man named Thomas. They weren't a good match but they grew towards one another. He continued on leaving her on her own. He got a job as a trail rider. On one of his trips he came upon a stage coach, the passengers all deceased; except for Caroline. He had not seen her and as he was about to continue on she threw her bible and hit him. He rescued her and took her toward Prescott her destination. After all that their lives change. Caroline finds herself in a much different situation than she ever expected or wanted when she finally reached Prescott. Will Caroline and Adam reunite? What has happened to her best friend Julia? So many changes and so little knowledge can turn lives around in a minute. This is a good book, it shows that with faith we can better our lives, and are not ever deserted even when we lose our way.
A Life Restored is the third book in the Prescott Pioneer series by Karen Baney. This is a wonderfully written series that should be read in order to enjoy the most. This story focuses on Caroline who has moved to the area to be near her brother and best friend. The lone survivor of a stage robbery, she is saved by Thomas, by the local mail runner.
This is such a good story. I enjoyed seeing how strong Caroline was with getting a job to support herself. Yet she is very outgoing and friendly and doesn’t realize men take her the wrong way. Thomas is trying to turn his life around, yet when a terrible accident takes away his job, he struggles deeply. This story is just so good. It shows the realistic side of lifelong habits during trying times. Yet, it shows that God it there to help you at just the right time. I’ve enjoyed reading this book and catching up with members of the Colter family and the local community member. This story does cover the topics of drinking, gambling and pre-marital sex.
I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book, this is my honest review.
Best if read in order but could be a standalone. His life has been spent riding from one place to another as fast as possible for years. She misses her brother and friend. Rash decisions leads to danger Enemy in disguise
Really enjoyed this series and can not wait to read book 4. Each book is somewhat focused on a person and there problem. Each book share the same characters and it is nice to see what is happening in there life.
This story has a lot of ups and downs with failures and finally finding Christ as the center of their lives. Well written with great characters, friendships, hopes, and HEA.
Caroline Larson really missed her brother Adam and best friend Julia Colter after they ran off to Arizona, not by choice and not as a couple, but to save Julia from her brother Reuben. Not only did she miss them but she wanted to see herself married with a family of her own. Always one to come up with a plan, good or bad, her plan now was to chase down a suitor. She thought if she kissed both Jesse Shoemaker and Nathan Finley that would tell her who she should marry. Caroline didn't plan on her brother catching her kissing one of them. This plan didn't work very well, not only was she in trouble, but she couldn't see herself marrying either one of the young men. Now what?
She soon comes up with a plan to go to Arizona but knowing her Father would not let her travel alone, she advertises in the paper for a traveling companion and finds one. The problem is the companions are not going all the way to Prescott, AZ but she neglects to tell her parents this little fact. Caroline convinces her parents to let her brother Georgie accompany her part way then she would meet up with Reverend Pritchett and his daughter Millicent. They were going as far as Wickenburg to start a Presbyterian church and once they reached their destination they would escort her onto Prescott, AZ a couple of weeks later. That was the plan and it worked out fine until Caroline gets bored in Wickenburg within a few days and decides to sneak off on a stagecoach for Prescott by herself.
Wickenburg, as far as Caroline is concerned anyway, is a wretched town. There were two saloons, a mercantile, a hotel and a stage station. After deciding she can't take living in a tent, the dirty town, and rude miners she goes to the stage office and almost gets run over by the Pony Express Rider, Thomas Anderson. She obtains her ticket and sneaks off on the stagecoach on Saturday, the only female aboard with four men as passengers. About five miles out of Wickenburg the stage coach gets robbed by Robert Garrett and his gang, Robert orders his men to kill all the men aboard. He also recognizes her as Caroline Larson from Texas and decides to let her live so he can get even with Will Colter and Adam Larson, his plan is to have his men return to get her, they can have their fun with her and then he'll use her for ransom.
Two days later Thomas is finally on his return trip to Prescott when he sees an obstruction ahead and is very leery about going on. He knows how dangerous it is to be out here alone and you have to listen for any noise out of the ordinary and any strange activity or sites. Since there isn't anyplace to take cover he decides to hurry past as fast as he can. Caroline seeing him approach, realizes he isn't going to stop, so she throws her Bible at his back. That stops him! He knows he can't leave her out there alone and he only has the horse he's riding, since the stage horses were stolen too, but she is insisting on taking her carpet bag and thus is their second argument. When Thomas starts to leave without Caroline she finally gives in and agrees to only take her Bible that her Grandma Larson had given her.
They eventually reach Prescott and Caroline finds out that Thomas is familiar with Will's ranch and knows Adam and Julia. But, just who is Robert Garrett and what does he have against Will Colter and Adam Larson, why is he out for revenge. Now that Caroline is in Prescott, will things be the way she thought they would be and will she find happiness in her new home?
I love this series, thought I would get the full story, but NOOO, there's another book, A Hope Revealed, coming out in May of this year. I can hardly wait to read it since I feel kind of like Karen left me hanging about Robert Garrett. You will not be disappointed in this series.
Karen Baney's writing continues to just get better and better with each book and I am thoroughly impressed and in love with her latest release "A Life Restored". I thought the last book was by far my favorite of hers, but I have to say that she outdid herself with A Life Restored because it has now become my new favorite!! What an amazing story!!
A Life Restored leaves off from where A Heart Renewed did except not only are we hearing about the previous characters and their new lives but we get to learn about some new and exciting characters. We meet Caroline Larson who is Adams's younger sister that he left behind when he suddenly whisked Julia off to Prescott to get away from her abusive brother. Caroline is having a hard time in Texas and decides that having a fresh start with her brother in Arizona is just what she needs. On her journey there she meets Thomas Anderson. Remember who Thomas is? He is Drew's brother from book 1 that caused all sorts of problems but recently moved to Prescott and found Drew's widow Hannah and her son. Now Thomas is trying to be a decent and respectable man.
Sparks are flying when Thomas and Caroline meet and not only in a romantic sense. They instantly push each other’s buttons and get on each other’s nerves but there also an instant attraction! This is my favorite type of romance – the love/hate kind!
One of my favorite things about Karen's writing is that she writes very realistic and genuine characters in her stories. They are not perfect and without faults, which makes them so easy to relate to them. My favorite character has to be Thomas! He is daily struggling with trying to make the right choices and trying to move forward past the sins in his life. However, we all know how hard it is to break addictions and sin and it painfully hard on Thomas. He does well for a while and then he slips back down. I loved the influence he had in his life though from Paul and Betty who never give up on him and never just let him fail! They are a perfect example of how us Christians should act – non judgmental and loving!
A Life Restored is really about restoring lives just like the title indicates! Thomas's life needs to be restored drastically and so does Caroline's. They learn that just because you turn from sin doesn't mean you'll never be tempted again nor does it mean that you'll life will suddenly be perfect.
Karen also is great at writing Edgy Christian Fiction where she discusses topics that some Christian authors won't and I love the realistic way about her books! Content: Mature audience - deals with topics that are not suitable for young people! Nothing graphic, but I just wouldn't want my young teen to be reading about some of the issues Thomas and Caroline struggle with.
As always Karen Baney captures the story with amazing historical descriptions along with heated romance, an edgy tone, and an added mystery and suspense! A Life Restored ends on suspense and I will be biting my nails waiting for book 4 to be released! I highly recommend reading this series, you won’t be disappointed.
I received a copy of this book to read and review from the author. My review is not biased by the fact that I was given this book. I HONESTLY read and review any book whether bought or given to me. If I did not like the book I would definitely not give a rave review or recommend it.
Ever since Karen Baney wrote her first novel in the Prescott Pioneer series, I've been hooked. I mean these characters that she writes about feel like they are part of my distant relatives from the mid 1800's living in and around Prescott, Arizona when the west was just beginning to get settled.
There are stagecoach robberies, wanted men trying to find a way to enact revenge on those they feel deserve their wrath, people attempting to make a new start out west, cattle rustling, Indian attacks and those just trying to find love on the frontier. Through each consecutive novel that Karen has added to this series, we find out what our previous characters have been up to since the last book as she incorporates the lives of them along with new characters we can only hope to come to love and those we hope the swift hand of justice will rain down upon their heads.
In this novel, A Life Restored, the third book in the series, we find ourselves partnered with Caroline Larson, whose brother Adam and her best friend Julia left the family ranch to head to a new life in Prescott. Now struggling with trying to find love like that of her parents, Caroline finds that kissing the men who are interested in her may be the best way to see if she loves them. She believes if she feels a spark when they kiss, that may mean love is present. However when the two men find out about Caroline's plan, they are left broken-hearted and alone.
Caroline believes that being back with her brother Adam and Julia may help her get back on track and trusting her faith in God once again instead of trying to take control of her own life. The only problem is now on a stage coach trip to Prescott on her final leg of the trip, her coach is robbed, the men shot and she is left behind, tied up in the middle of no where far from any water or food.
The plot thickens when a stranger by the name of Robert Garrett, the mastermind behind the stagecoach robbery, finds out that Caroline is aboard the stage and in leaving her behind, he hopes to begin a blackmail scheme against the Larsons and Will Coulter that will fulfill his need for revenge and justice. Only problem is when he sends a man back to retrieve Caroline, she isn't there.
A renegade mail express rider,Thomas Anderson, that Caroline had an encounter with after almost being ran over by him in the street of Wickenburg will provide to be both a rescuer and a thorn in her side. Will she ever make it to Prescott? Will Robert Garrett find Thomas and Caroline before they make it into Prescott? Will Caroline ever find true love or find her faith in God again?
I received this ebook version of A Life Restored by Karen Baney compliments of the author herself. Not only did I become just as hooked as I did in the first two books in this series, I found even more characters to add to my new family in Prescott! You'll be rooting for your old favorites as well as meeting new ones along the way. If you love great western romance stories with a faith in God, then you'll love Karen Baney's Prescott Pioneers series! You can pick up any of them and fit right in or like me, start at the beginning and watch your family grow! This rates a 5 out of 5 stars and can't wait to see what other surprises Karen has in store for us in the future.
Ever get so hooked on a series that you just can't wait to read the next installment? That's just how I feel about Karen Baney's Prescott Pioneer series. Each book has unfolded like an adventure, that easily pulls you into the historical setting, but more than that the author easily allows you to become invested in the characters lives, and starting a new book in the series is like visiting with old friends. "A Life Restored," is the story of Caroline Larson and Thomas Anderson. Eighteen year old Caroline isn't happy with her life in Texas. She misses her best friend Julia Larson and her older brother Adam who left a year ago to move to the Colter ranch in Prescott, Arizona Territory. She believes the only way she is going to have the life she wants is to move to Prescott, and secures a chaperone so that she can convince her father to allow her to go.When her chaperone doesn't get her to Prescott as quickly as Caroline would like she decides to make the final leg of the journey alone, but when the stagecoach is robbed and all the other passengers are murdered she is stuck in the dessert until Thomas Anderson, an express rider happens along and says he will take her to Prescott. Even though the two rub each other the wrong way, there is also a definite attraction. Will Caroline find the life she is hoping for in Prescott, and will Thomas be a part of it?
There was plenty going on in this story. The main story is centered around Thomas and Caroline. Thomas struggles with letting go of the burdens from his past, the author easily allows us to see the inner struggles that he had.Paul was a wonderful influence on Thomas. Caroline was someone who usually acted before she actually thought things thru. The secondary stories were just as interesting. I loved how things worked out for Betty and Ben, and it was nice to reconnect with Will, Hannah, Julia and Adam. The story line with Robert Garrett added a bit of mystery and suspense to the story, and really left me wondering what he will do in the next book! I did wonder about Rev. Pritchett and his daughter Millie and hope we might see them again in the next book.
If your a fan of historical fiction with romance, mystery, suspense and also has a nice christian message then your certainly going to enjoy this book. While its the third book in the Prescott Pioneers series I felt like the author gives us enough background information so that it can easily be read as a stand alone work,but believe me you will want to read the entire series! On a scale of one to five I would easily give this book a six because its just that good!
Yet again, Karen Baney has blown me away with her talent. Book 3 in the Prescott series is the story of Thomas Anderson and Caroline Larson. Both characters we've met in prior books - Thomas the brother in law to Hannah and Caroline the sister of Adam Larson.
Caroline has gotten herself into a bit of trouble - she decides that she needs to go West to visit her brother Adam. She just needs to convince her father that this is a good idea. After finding a chaperone, she makes her way to the Arizona Territory.
More trouble seems to find Caroline! A stagecoach robbery, a wild ride across the country - she finally arrives in the town of Prescott. Thankfully Thomas came along to rescue her! She arrives to find Adam is engaged to her best friend Julia!
I loved how Karen continued with the characters from the other two books in the series. How their lives have been and what things have happened. We see Hannah and Will, still happy, in love and expanding their family. Adam and Julia falling in love and getting married. It's always great to see what happens after their own HEA's.
Karen's characters are so well written, they have so much depth. They pull you in right from the beginning of the story until the last page. I can't wait to see what she comes up with for Book 4! As with the last two books, they will have a permanent home in my virtual library and anything new will be on my auto-buy list!
Make sure to keep an eye out for Karen's new contemporary romance coming out in believe in December - called Nickles.
Caroline Larson want an adventure, so decides to join her brother, Adam, and best friend, Julia Colter, in their new lives in Prescott, Arizona. She arrives safely despite an eventful journey, but finds her plan to live with Julia is foiled: Julia is about to marry Adam, and they will live together on the Colter ranch, where Adam works. Caroline doesn’t let this get her down for long. She gets a job working in the general store and spends her free time with Thomas Anderson, an express rider, despite the general disapproval of the Colter family.
An error of judgement leaves Caroline in an unfortunate predicament, desperately needing Thomas to return from his week-long express journey. But Thomas, in his eagerness to return, makes a foolish attempt to ride through a blizzard, with predictable consequences that separate the couple.
A Life Restored was enjoyable for the most part, but there was one irritating glitch. In A Heart Renewed, Julia was afraid of Will because he reminded her so much of Reuben. Yet when Reuben appears, neither Will nor Ben (their long-serving farmhand) recognises him. This didn't ring true, and it also signposted the ‘big reveal’ in A Hope Revealed (maybe we readers weren’t supposed to pick up the Reuben connection, but I thought it was a pretty poorly-disguised secret).
Thanks to BookRooster for providing a free ebook for review (I actually received the 4-in-1 edition, Prescott Pioneers).
I am so very thrilled that there is another book in this series to come. This one ends in a cliff hanger...and oh how I have loved these books. So much adventure, Romance, and Love of God, shown in these characters. You will find out what happens in the lives of the people we have come to know and love. The primary characters in this one are Thomas Anderson, and Carolyn Lawson. Of course there paths are going to cross, and not all of it is fun! You love how they meet, even if the conditions are not the best, there is a bit of humor. Then there is Ben and Betty, they will warm your heart. They show Love and Compassion all in need! Then you also meet Robert Garrett, and you feel the presence of Evil! Karen Baney writes so wonderfully that I feel I am right in the room, in the street, or in the wild. The books read so fast, and I don't want them to end. Thank You Karen!!
I received this book from First Wild Card Tours and the author Karen Baney, and was not required to give a positive review.
Excellent book, I have been hooked on this series from the start every book has been better than the last. And to just think she's not finished yet. Karen is still to write book #4 of this series and I can't wait.
I feel as though these pioneers and I are one big happy family, well most of us are happy.
A Life Restored is full of drama and suspense with a lot of love mingled in.
Don't miss the Prescott Pioneers series by Karen Baney or you'll miss a real treat.
This book was hard to put down. I was always anxious to see how God was gonna bless someone. It was truly to me a teaching story using personal stories of so many lives, it truly blessed me. There are not always easy roads to glory but Jesus never leaves us, He is always there. Thanks to this author this a wonderful book, I recommend it. Thanks for no detailed sexual scenes.
This series has got me seriously hooked. I'm thoroughly disappointed that book number 4 is not available yet. *sigh*
The characters in this book, as with all the others come alive and seem like a real part of my life. I felt their pain, their frustrations, their joy. The writing came alive. I almost felt like I was living in the 1800s. The author hit it out of the park with this one.
More violence with keeping with the time period, stagecoach robberies, and stubborn heroine . This storyline is continues from the second book in this series, awesome read, getting ready to purchase book four, I am hooked.
Not as good as the first two books in this series. Apparently there is a fourth book coming out in 2012. Hopefully it will complete the story in a positive way.
Another good entry in the Prescott Pioneers series. Other than a man wearing jeans in one chapter, I didn't notice any significant historical inaccuracies.
Loved the story! I think the author is great bringing all her characters to life. You get as involved in their lives. You won't be able to put the book down.
The series just gets better. Enjoy the way the author brings in human weakness and God's forgiveness. The characters aren't perfect , yet find their way.