A Lady in the Making

Prairie Dreams #3

by Susan Page Davis

Millie Evans has changed, choosing to leave rather than join an outlaw gang with her brother. Hoping for a new future, she boards a stagecoach and finds that one of the passengers is David Stone--a man she and her brother once tried to swindle. As she tries to convince David she's different now, her brother's gang holds up the stagecoach. Fighting beside David goes a long way to softening his heart, but he's still not convinced. Someone is trying to keep him from reaching England to claim his inheritance. Is Millie involved? Millie must trust God to show David the truth, but will he see before it's too late?

Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical, Westerns, Romance, Clean Romance, Historical Romance

320 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2012

About the author

FROM AUTHOR'S WEBSITE: I'm a native of central Maine, and grew up on a small farm with a wonderful mom and dad, three sisters and a brother. Most of my books take place in small towns, many of them in Maine.

My husband, Jim, and I moved to his birth state, Oregon, for a while after we were married, but decided to move back to Maine and be near my family. It allowed our six children to grow up feeling close to their cousins and grandparents, and some of Jim's family have even moved to Maine!

Our children are all home-schooled. When Jim retired from his vocation as an editor at a daily newspaper, we moved from Maine to Kentucky.

I've always loved reading, history, and horses. These things come together in several of my historical books.
Another longtime hobby of mine is genealogy, which has led me down many fascinating paths. I'm proud to be a DAR member! Some of Jim's and my quirkier ancestors have inspired fictional characters.

For many years I worked for the Central Maine Morning Sentinel as a freelancer. This experience was a great help in developing fictional characters and writing realistic scenes. I also published nonfiction articles in several magazines and had several short stories appear in Woman's World, Grit, and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really really loved this book. I loved how God and faith was intertwined with the storyline of forgiveness and redemption. Millie was a very likable character, though I really wish I had read the other two books in the series before this one, i think it would have made the ending all the more sweeter.

I highly recommend to anyone. It is a clean, fun, romance. though there are sad parts as well. Reading this book, the last in the series, has made me want to read the first two, even though I already know what happened to those character form this one.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this is technically book 3 in the Prairie Dreams series, I felt very comfortable slipping into the world. Would my appreciation of the supporting characters have been deepened had I read the previous books? Certainly but I do not think my enjoyment of this book was hampered at all. Rather, I am now eager to go back and visit the earlier books especially to catch glimpses of the hero and heroine from this book. The book shifts perspectives among four characters, focusing primarily on Millie, striking out on her own, and David, a new earl who was previously conned by Millie posing as a woman named Charlotte.

One thing I didn't like amid the shifting perspectives was David's cousin's wife's pov. She is a grasping woman eager for social advancement even at the expense of David's life (apparently she tried to have him killed in a previous novel). Although her motives are partially to serve her son's interests and I do respect that, I was disgusted with the lady's malice, which it sounds like she has exercised across the three books. Although the ending serves to establish that she will never get to be countess nor will her son be earl, I wish she could have received more punishment for her cruel ways.

A related character is her weak-willed brother Peregrin Walmore (what a name, eh!), a less conniving person because oh so frequently distracted by drink and gaming but easily recruited into a plot against David after a night gone wrong. I did feel bad for him a little bit because he seems pretty passive . He actually kind of reminds me of Mr John Dashwood, who could be a good man if given support but is instead led astray. He'll get his just desserts.

I would have preferred if the antagonist had been Millie's brother and his gang who can't believe Millie is turning her back on them and who have no intention of reforming. However they disappear early in the book, never to return.

For me, one of the most satisfying aspects of the book is Millie's heart transformation. Formerly a conwoman and accomplice, Millie has truly reformed. The ways she proves this change and her new found relationship with Christ would especially please those who have read the earlier books and know the many reasons why she needs grace. Because they've been hurt before, Millie and David are both guarded people but I enjoyed seeing their defenses fall down and the last sections of their happiness were just excellent to me (they reminded me of my beloved Regency romances).

Overall: Just a sweet Christian historical fiction with a bit of a western tinge but also British society-an unusual merging but a cute one :)

Cover: I like the green and how it matches the previous covers.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took away one star for the abrupt ending. Otherwise I adored this book and the entire series. I would dearly love it if the author would revisit Elise, Anne, and Millie down the road.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once dependent on her flirtatious instincts to garner needed attentions from the male species, Millie Evans nearly caused the death of a man she had actually grown to admire. When she and David Stone are coincidentally united on a stage coach one year later, Millie is ashamed about her past and worries that it is futile to convince such a fine gentleman that the Bible she stole from his belongings precipitated a spiritual change of lifestyle from within.

David Stone can hardly fathom that the woman who once schemed against him is now seated beside him on a crowded stagecoach. Ever the gentleman, David politely listens to her apologies, but hardly believes that her humble entreaties are anything more than a barrage of new tactics. But this "doubting David" finds himself dependent on the beautiful young widow who once captured his attention and very nearly his heart. It appears that going home to England in order to claim his titled inheritance is still a quite dangerous endeavor.

A delightful, at-times-suspenseful, and romantically inspiring conclusion to a well-written trilogy.

[Paula-O · Rating 4 out of 5]

Series Prairie Dreams book #3 "A Lady in the Making" by Susan Page Davis


I enjoy books about the prairies and this one was great story by Susan...

Millie Evans and her brother led a life of petty crimes always on the run and now she wants to change her life and live differently but the brother hangs on to the past life making them have to split up.
In Millie's travels she meets up with a man that she had once tried to con and he is not having anything to do with her when she tries to let him know she has changed. They travel many miles together by coach and he comes to see she is different...David Stone is an aristocat heading to England to accept his inheritance when he meets Millie again. can these two trust one another again?
God forgives so completely but man is always reluctant, come read how David and Millie come to accept one another over the course of their travels over the prairie.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. Millie is the same beautiful, charming, elegant woman we first met in the previous book but she has since found a real relationship with God and turned her life around. She no longer makes a living as a con artist, but works for an honest wage and attempts to repay those from whom she has hurt, offended, and robbed. She reconnects with David Stone and their adventure continues. A stage coach robbery, a traveling accident, and another attempted assassin keep Millie and David in close company and their romance blossoms.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Again, same story here.

[Sharon Whalley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely historical romantic Christian novel
This can be read as a stand alone, however some of the characters get more dearth if the previous books are read first.
Without spoiling the plot for others it’s great to see how the main characters develop especially once they have a personal relationship with God. It is a story showing how once trust is lost it takes time to rebuild it again. Enough twists and turns to keep you guessing what’s going to happen next. I hope there’s a fourth in the series as I’d live to know what happens to Perequin and the effect an heir has on those that scheme the demise of the Earl.

[Mary Shreffler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Millie has live 30 years and her brother almost as long but now they differed. Her brother Sam want to join the thieves again and Millie said no and begged Sam to come with her. During the stage coach journey Millie was taking to be with her friend (David was also in the coach and Millie returned the things she'd stolen from him,) the coach was being robbed. Sam was killed and David began to have feeling for Millie. Several more events caused David and Millie to be together and finally love won

[Kathleen (Kat) Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes the hardest thing to do in life is to convince people you have wronged, that you have truly changed. That's exactly what Millie Evans is trying to do. She no longer took part in swindling innocent people or conspire to have people murdered and even giving up being part of her brother-in-law's gang. Nope for Millie, she's had a complete change of heart. Must have been all that time, working hard at cooking and trying to make an honest living that has changed her deep down inside. However for some people, they believe no one ever really changes.

When Millie decides to take the stage to Salt Lake City to being her new life away from her past and her brother in law, she didn't plan on running into David Stone. He was the man she had fallen in love with and also the man she tried to murder and run off with all his money. Is it possible for her to convince David Stone to give her another chance? He believes Millie has been watching him for sometime and planned to take the same stage coach in an effort to finish what she had begun the first time she met David. Now he was wealthier and part owner in his own stage coach business and wonders just what Millie is up to now. He's not about to be caught off guard this time. Not if he can help it.

Millie thinks this is divine providence that she has run into David. It at least provides her with an opportunity to return the Bible she has stolen from him as well as the onyx cuff links his grandfather had given him on his twelfth birthday. . No matter how much she pleads with David that she has found God and has truly changed, he's not about to give her a second chance. He'd come so close to losing his heart to her. He'd been blinded by her charms. The knowledge left him feeling witless and old. He never wanted to see her again. Yet something kept nagging at him. Was even a tenth of what she'd said to him the truth?

In the conclusion of the Prairie Dreams Series, A Lady in the Making by Susan Page Davis takes us back to the late 1800's to the Oregon Territory to see just where David Stone and Millie Evans have wound up since their fateful encounter in the previous books. She has stolen from him and tried to lure him into marrying her so she could live in style. Without meaning to, she'd endangered his life. If only he'd give her the chance to show him that she had transformed into a new Millie Evans. He didn't even know her really name since she changed it to Charlotte Evan in Scottsburg because it sounded more elegant than Millie. This novel shows how difficult it can be for people to accept the changes we make, even if they are for the right reasons. Will Millie give up and go back to the life people have come to believe is true about her or has she truly changed both inside and out?

I received A Lady in the Making by Susan Page Davis compliments of Barbour Publishing and Net Galley for my honest opinion. I have read the entire series and have grown to love each of the characters that Susan creates for her reader to come to know and really love. I didn't care for Millie's character in the first two books because she was truly rooted in greed and deceit but looked forward to seeing how Susan would convince me that she had changed as well. For those that love Christian Historical Fiction set in the old west, then you will absolutely LOVE this one! You can read this as a stand alone since Susan does a great job at outlining Millie's past in this book, but trust me, you'll want to see where this all began! In my opinion, I easily rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars!!!! This is one of my favorite genre's to indulge in!

[Kassy · Rating 5 out of 5]

More Reviews can be found at: http://pinkyjustlisten.blogspot.com

My Thoughts

I remember reading the synopsis to A Lady in the Making and thinking to myself that I must read this book. I was glad I was able to get the book requested from Netgally.

Indeed, after reading A Lady in the Making I loved the plot, the setting, and the two main characters. The plot immediately drew me in the story. I adored that two acquaintances were reuniting. Mainly, what piqued my interest in the plot was the fact that David, one of the main characters meets Millie, the women who once deceived him and tried to steal his fortune. The setting was incredibly amazing. I could easily envision the life of traveling in stagecoaches. Millie and David were both exceptional characters. I grew fond of both characters.

The writing was enchanting. Susan Page Davis did a magnificent job capturing the reader in the life of the 1800s. The dialect, dress fashions, lounging accommodations, food, and stagecoach traveling was masterly presented and vividly described. Several times I imagined what it would have been like for me to travel in a stagecoach.

Millie was a wonderful women to get to know. She was strong, determined, caring, and a hard worker. I was extremely glad that Millie left her brother, Sam in order to better her life. It was never good for her to keep associating herself with outlaws. I admired Millie for changing her old habits, so that she could become a better person. Also, it always broke my heart whenever she tried to explain to David that she was a changed women. Every time Millie asked David to forgive her for her misconducting behavior from the past I literally was on the verge of tears.

David was another character that I loved. He was a man of few words, a good business man, and a true gentlemen. He assisted Millie with money when she was in dire situations. At the same time David's mind was filled with conflicting feelings towards Millie. He often believed she was lying and plotting to scheme him again. As the story moved forward David began to notice that Millie had actually transformed herself into an honest and spiritual women.

I found David's leg recovery to be entirely realistic. It definitely had taken him some time for his leg to heal. His progression was described at a measured level, where the reader could be informed about his daily obstacles.

There were a bit twist and turns in which took me by surprise. I never imagined Millie and David's stagecoach traveling could be delayed with crimes of robbery and violence.

One of the characters in particular that I did not like was Merrileigh. She was plainly just evil to David Stone. Merrileigh let pure wealth ambition take over her life.


My Favorite Quote

"I'm sorry. But you must believe me when I say that I've changed since last we met. I do hope you'll find it in your heart to forgive me for the wrongs I committed then." ~Millie

Source: An ARC egally from Netgalley was sent on behalf of Barbour Books

[Renn Shearin · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Millie Evans boards the stagecoach, she’s determined to leave her past—and her brother’s gang—behind to start a new life. Instead she finds herself face to face with David Stone, the man she and her brother once tried to swindle out of his fortune. Millie attempts to explain her regret—but David remains unconvinced even as he sees proof of Millie’s changed heart. Can Millie prove she’s changed in time for David to save his own life? Or will mistakes from the past prove too much to overcome?



A Lady in The Making is the third book in Susan Page Davis' Prairie Dreams Series. I was unaware that it was the third novel, but after reading it I will definitely be going back to read The Lady's Maid and Lady Anne's Quest. I found A Lady in the Making to be a perfectly excellent stand-alone story, but I would recommend reading the other two novels first in order to have a more rounded understanding of the back stories and other characters in this novel. The plot line of A Lady in the Making was well written and moved at a reasonable pace. The story was filled with instances of danger, intrigue, suspense, and of course romance. The story was told from the alternating perspectives of Millie, David, the unfortunate cousin Peregrin and his scheming sister. These different characters allowed for more of the story to be explained and reduced confusion. It also heightened suspense when the story would switch from Oregon to London and back again.



The characters in A Lady in the Making were well developed and realistic. I really enjoyed seeing Millie's growth in character as she began to understand how to live as a Christian. Her persistence in receiving forgiveness from David and her care for him during tragedy was admirable. David was a character that I liked immensely. He was cautious in his trust of Millie initially because of her past sins against him, but he still showed kindness and care towards her. He also demonstrated the need to forgive and trust again that is often so hard for us to do after an act of deceit. Peregrin was a character that I simultaneously felt sorry for and was disgusted with because of his poor choices. He was an integral part of the story, and I hope that maybe there will be some mention of how he turned out in another novel.


In A Lady in the Making, I enjoyed seeing Millie and David grow closer and learn to trust one another. I liked the slow speed of the relationship throughout most the novel, but I was not too fond of how their friendship sped up towards the end. It did not really fit with the rest of the novel. However, overall I found A Lady in the Making to be one of the better romance novels that I have read recently, and I would highly recommend it to anyone seeking a good ol' western romance mixed with some British spice.

[Abbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Millie has changed her life since she last saw David Stone. She is no longer on the wrong side of the law and is working hard to live a good life. As she boards a stage coach she can hardly believe her eyes when one of the other passengers is David Stone! Can Millie prove to him she is a changed woman? David wants nothing to do with Millie but fate finds them stuck together after a bad accident. Slowly David starts to see the new Millie and finds his heart may be in jeopardy of trusting her again. Can these two find love after all they have been through?

This is book three and the final book of the series. Both Millie and David where also in book one and two so I was interested to see how their story played out.

What I liked: Millie and David are first introduced in book one so it was nice to get to know them in book three. I liked Millie a lot. Even though she had made bad choices she was working hard to do right. I also like the lesson of once your sins are forgiven your truly forgiven and can start fresh and live for God with out fear of being punished for past sins.

What I did not like: This book was kind of slow. The author spends a lot of time on details which is fine but there where area where I just wanted to move on. Also there where not a lot of side characters in this book so it even felt a little boring at times. There was Merrileigh Stone and her brother but I was not drawn into their characters like I had hoped. It’s not hard to figure out how the book was likely to end but it seems to take forever to get there.

Over all this was an okay book. The author does do a great job of describing people and places and its easy to feel like your their with the characters. If you enjoy historical fiction you might like this book. Read some other reviews and decide for yourself. I also suggest you start with book one in the series or you will be confused with the over all story line.

http://abbiesreadingcorner.com/2012/1...

[Iola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Millie Evans has decided to leave her wayward half-brother to his life of crime, and boards the stagecoach to Salt Lake City in search of an honest life. Much to her surprise, one of her fellow passengers is David Stone, who knew her as a thief named Charlotte Evans. Millie has been reading the Bible she stole from David, and how is a changed woman. But will David see that and learn to trust her?

Back in England, Merrileigh Stone has ambitions to be a Countess and the mother of an Earl. But for that to happen, David Stone will have to meet an unfortunate demise, and she hopes that this plan will be more successful than her last. She enlists the assistance of her gambling brother, Peregrin Walmore, to ‘assist’ her in achieving her ambition, and this adds an element of suspense to the plot.

I often read American contemporary fiction where one person chooses to ride 'shotgun': that is, in the front passenger seat, but the origin of the phrase was beyond me. A Lady in the Making solved the puzzle: a shotgun rider sat in the front seat of the stagecoach, to deter potential robbers and outlaws. See, you can learn something new reading Christian fiction!

A Lady in the Making is generally a sound historical novel, but there were some negatives. I found there was a distinct lack of romantic tension, especially compared with some of Davis’ previous books (my personal favourite remains Frasier Island). There were a few annoying examples where the English characters used Americanisms in their speech (e.g. using fall instead of autumn), and I thought the ending was quite abrupt.

This is the third book in the Prairie Dreams series by Susan Page Davis, following The Lady’s Maid and Lady Anne’s Quest (both previously reviewed). Although part of a series, this can easily be read as a standalone novel, as the couples from the previous novels are only mentioned in passing. Overall, this was a good story, but by no means the best Susan Page Davis has written.

Thanks to Barbour and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Lady in the Making by Susan Page Davis
Book 3 of Prairie Dreams
David Stone had come to America from England twenty years ago to make his own fortune. Being a third son he would have no title or fortune handed down to him…or so he thought. He was sought out by his niece, Anne, in the previous book to be told that the title of Earl of Stoneford has come to him after the demise of his two older brothers. So now he is headed back to England to claim his title. After almost falling for a gold digger and being shot he’s ready to leave this country. Wouldn’t you know his luck….that very same woman that he despised above all others….is headed across the country as well!

Millie Evans is a new woman. She and her step-brother, Sam Hastings, had a tough life and didn’t live it very well but after she stole a bible….God truly did change her. She had to get away from Sam though and away from crime. When she noticed David Stone….a man she once tried to marry for his fortune….on the same stage, she was thankful she could return his things she had stolen. Cuff links and his bible. Returning his property was not enough for him to believe she was a changed woman though. Would she ever be able to regain his trust and prove she was truly a new creature in Christ?

Follow their perilous journey from Oregon, where they run into all kinds of complications, let alone David trying to ignore the beautiful Millie. If you enjoy knowing the whole story, you will want to read The Lady’s Maid, where Anne comes to America to find her long lost Uncle David, and Lady Anne’s Quest where she does find her uncle and much more. Another well written and enjoyable series by Susan Page Davis.
**Received through NetGalley for review
http://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com/...

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lady in the Making by Susan Page Davis
4 STARS I have enjoyed this series. This is the third book in the Prairie Dreams series that I have read. Thier is nothing to worry about reading this series. David Stone is on his way to England to accept his heritage and claim the family home and title. He gets on stage coach to start his journey and finds Millie who was part of the plan to swindle him. He was not happy. Millie who saw David shot and fall in the river, went to his room and took ten dollars, his cuff links and his bible. Millie has been reading his bible and it changed her ways. She is glad to see him so she can say she is sorry and pay him back the cuff links and his bible. The stage coach was robbed and it was Millie brother and friends. Her brother was killed. David decides to ride a different stage from Millie But make sure she has some funds. She runs into him again and needs more help when the cousin she was hoping to stay with had died. While they are traveling again by stage coach had a accident and rolled over. Millie was okay and got David to doctor and stay for 2 months and help take care of him. Millie earns her way by taking a job at hotel cleaning the rooms to doing laundry. Millie and David were getting closer. Millie kept reading the bible and become friends with the preacher and his wife. Back in England we find out who has hired someone to stop David and keep him from returning to claim the title and estate. A New person is going to America to stop David. I loved reading this series. Its really been nice to read on sunday afternoon. I was given this ebook to read in exchange of honest review from Netgalley. 10/01/2012 PUB Barbour Publishing

[Arlena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author: Susan Page Davis
Published By: Barbour Books
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Blog For: GMTA
Rating: 5


Review:


" A Lady In The Making" by Susan Page Davis was a well written novel... the Prairie Dreams series that I thoroughly enjoyed. As this novel starts...Millie(formerly con artist) has changed her life..now what does that mean? By picking up "Lady In The Making" we will see if Millie will be able to convince others that she has hurt....that she can turn her life away."She set out to repay those she's stolen from and restore what misdeeds she can." Now that David Stone has run into Mrs. Evans...will he be able to trust her away? Will they have a future together? You will find out all of the answers to these questions and even more in this good read. Will they have a future together after all has happened? What all is going on back in England for David to now be going back there?

I found "A Lady In The Making" a good adventurous novel with such great characters. This was really one of those books that I couldn't put down until the very end. "A Lady In The Making" was truly a "woman's journey to restitution and redemption." Be ready to complete this circle...outlaws, stage-coaches, trains, forgiveness, steamboats, that leads to trust and love.


I enjoyed this novel and I would definitely recommend this one to you as a excellent read.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Lady in the Making by Susan Page Davis was a very enjoyable story that takes place in the mid-1850s. It is complete with stage-coaches, outlaws, misunderstandings, and hidden affections.

I really liked Millie and David. The past that they shared definitely was impeding their future, but it was fun to travel with them and see some changes.

I was a bit impatient with the chapters from Peregrin's point of view. They were important to the story, but many of them were longer than I wanted.

This is the third book in the Prairie Dreams series, but it was fine as a stand alone. It sounds like the main characters in A Lady in the Making play a small role in the other two books. I was impressed with Susan Page Davis' writing, and happy that it was clean without being preachy. I will definitely try to find more of her work.

A Lady in the Making is scheduled for release on October 1, 2012, and can be pre-ordered on Amazon.

Thanks to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for letting me read the ARC.

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely conclusion to the Prairie Dreams Series.



Millie Evans has decided to leave her old life behind, but then a stagecoach brings her face-to-face with the man that she and her brother had previously tried to swindle. But as she cares for him, and helps him make his way home, she finds herself falling for him. Will David Stone make a lady of Millie yet?


The conclusion of a lovely series, and in my opinion the best! David Stone finally comes face-to-face with those who would do him harm in order to take his inheritance, I'm happy to see this story come to a sweet ending.


This is definitely the kind of series that you may want to read in order so that the full story arc can be fully appreciated. The story was told by 3 main characters, David, Millie, and the villian, Peregrin, and it was nice to see the tale through so many different eyes.


Overall, I found this book very enjoyable, and there was a tinge of suspense to the story as well. I really liked how David and Millie's relationship grew and developed naturally, and didn't feel forced or anything! A lovely conclusion to s series!


I received this ebook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

[Jenark · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a book! Millie or Mildred Evans spends the majority of the book proving herself a trustworthy person to David Stone. She doesn't try to convince him she won't steal or trick him; she shows him by how she lives. After being held up for a couple months on their journey Millie started attending a church. She told her pastor and his wife all about her past. When David has a chance to start meeting with them he's able to confirm Millie really has changed.

One thing I'm reminded of from this book is the value of trust. Trust is the most expensive thing we can give or receive. Being trustworthy can take us far, but one wrong move and it's all gone. It can take years to earn back and may not be fully restored.

We learn early on that David is traveling home to England to claim his inheritance. His cousin's wife is very upset that her husband who is second in line for the title is losing out to someone who has lived out of the country for 20 years. She sets out to have him killed... again.

I've stayed up late reading until I fall asleep at least twice because the story was so good. I suggest you read the book. By the way, I had no idea this was book three in the series and I didn't feel lost one bit.

I was able to read this book thanks to NetGalley.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was good and not so good...for once I think I would have liked it better if I hadn’t read the other two books in the series. Millie was hard to fathom. I know people can, and do, change, but she became a completely different person (even, I think, personality) with no guidance from anyone...yes she had David’s Bible but just reading with no one to help you understand...and no role model? (Although maybe in her childhood her mother gave her some guidance, after all she had to learn to be such a good cook and how to do the domestic chores she got hired to do, and she did mention her mother taught her to work hard when hard work was needed but that it didn’t stick with her half brother, so maybe...) Pretty hard to accept that could happen to the degree it did with her. The other BIG problem is that the outcome did not address anything coming to light about the guilty party in some pretty nefarious activities!! What? That means the story is not really finished, it is not exactly a cliffhanger but it is definitely not satisfactorily rounded off...and this is the last book in the series according to anything I can see, and since it was published 7 years ago (2012) I guess the person just “got away with it” so to speak.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

The final chapter

As the third in the Prairie Dreams series, we follow David Stone as he makes his way back to England (having escaped his assassin's attack on him back in Oregon) to assume his title and estate. Along the way, he has the misfortune to meet the woman, (Millie) whom he knew as Charlotte, who had unknowingly played into the assassin's plot to make it handy to kill David. When she discovered the assassin was dead, and she assumed David was dead as well, she absconded with his heirloom onyx cuff links and his Bible. After reading the Bible she began to work on changing her life. Imagine her surprise to find David alive and sharing a stagecoach with her on an eastward journey. He is filled with disgust for her and is as rude as a gentleman can be, but when he discovered she was cooking in the way station to earn money for her fare, he softened up & started finding her way. Another assassin tries to accost David on their way to New York. Along the way, David realizes he is smitten in love with Millie. Can she be made into the Lady of Stoneford? This is a great series & I will be reading more of Susan Page Davis's writings!

[IrenesBookReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book three in the Prairie Dreams series. I would highly recommend reading the other books in the series before reading this one. I know you will enjoy the story even if you don’t read the others but it will make the book easier to follow if you do.

Millie Evans has decided to change her life. Will she be able to convince those she has hurt that she is turning her life around? David Stone can not believe he has run into Millie again! Can he learn to trust her? Can they finally be together or has too much passed between them to have a future together?

I gave this book 4/5 stars. I thought the story itself had good adventure and great characters. I liked the interaction of the main characters. I especially enjoyed the setting. I do think that reading the others in the series is important and therefore gave the lower rating, as it is not a good stand-alone book.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this book I enjoyed reading. I gave an honest review based on my opinion of what I read.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Review:
The Prairie Dreams Series by Susan Page Davis was on my HAVE to read book list and when I received my review copy of Lady In The Making (Book #3), I started with the first two books in the series first. The first two books are: #1-The Lady's Maid and #2-Lady Anne's Quest.  The whole series
is fantastic and I read them all in three days.  Susan is now one of my favorite authors and I will be reading more of her books soon.

Lady In The Making is full of adventure, romance, mystery and a whole lot of fun. I loved Millie
and David's love story and how it showed the redeeming power of God.  You meet Millie in The Lady's Maid  as a character that is in need of a relationship with Jesus. It is so exciting to see her
character grow in faith in A Lady In The Making. Get ready for a fun-filled read and you will not be disappointed. I give this entire series a 5 out of 5 stars.

I received my review copy from Barbour Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

[Rondi Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

If the first book was Downton Abbey meets Oregon Trail, I'd have to say this book is Stagecoach meets Downton Abbey. While most of our favorite characters don't make an appearance other than brief mentions, I wasn't disappointed with the story of David and Millie. Again, as in the second book, the villain's story was stretched a little thin, but wasn't totally unbelievable.

Highly recommended for readers of the first books in the series, and for readers of historical fiction. This book stands alone quite well, but does spoil the other two books, so if you want to read all three, start with the first in the series.

[emyrose8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like a 3.5- I was so excited to read this book to hear what happened to Millie, and it was good, for the most part. The ending seemed really rushed. The last page came and I thought, "What? But what happens to this person and this person and this person?" There's going to have to be another book to tie up those loose ends.

Another character is introduced in the last half of the book and it felt like the story started to focus on him and leave our two main characters in the dust. At least, that was the feeling I got while reading.

[Ingrid · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this is the 3. book in the series. Overall I thought the story line was great, the characters are very likeable. I did think however that the books were slow moving and the story just kept dragging on and on. Then in this third and last book it stayed slow until near the end at which point the story came to a quick close with the loose ends just being wrapped up without much detail. It never did tell what happened to Perry and what he's supposedly doing. In my opinion this is not what I expected from Susan whose other books I liked a lot.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just re-read this great book by Susan. When I first read it I did not realize it was the third in a series. After finishing Prairie Dreams 1 and 2, I had to refresh my memory as to what happens to Millie. I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a sweet Western Romance. I would just suggest reading them in order. Although, I enjoyed it just as much the second time around. Love this author.

[BlueJeansAndTeacups · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continues where book 2 left off and wraps up the trilogy quite nicely. I thoroughly enjoyed Millie's transformation and David's renewed acquaintance with her.
There is plenty of action, danger, some faith and a gently developing romance.
I recommend reading all 3 books back to back for the most enjoyment.

⭐⭐⭐⭐= very good

I purchased this paperback.
All opinions are mine alone without expectation or compensation. 

𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 93 𝓖𝓸𝓸𝓭𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓼 𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓷𝓰𝓮 📚 2023

[Cassandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really thought that books one and two were better. The plot seemed worn on this novel and was really rushed at the end. The author skipped several months in the chronology and I was actually most interested in what would have happened during those missing months.

I definitely plan to try another book by this author and hopefully it will be comparable to the earlier books in this series.