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Cottonwood #1
Healing Love
Cottonwood, Iowa
1875
Lydia Walcott is on the run. With a broken arm and wounded spirit she is escaping the hands of her cruel brother and the marriage he has arranged. She's running to the unknown, praying God will lead her steps. Seeking shelter from an ice storm in a livery stall, Lydia goes to sleep hoping that in this small town of Cottonwood, Iowa she’ll find a job, a place to live, friends, and a future.
Dr. Sterling Graham, having just delivered a baby, rides back to town over ice covered roads. He's confident, secure in the knowledge that he is loved and respected by the people of the Cottonwood. Exhausted from the long night, he decides to sleep on the cot in the livery.
Sterling’s reputation and career, along with Lydia’s hope for a new life, are put in jeopardy when gossips spread the news that, "Doc spent the night in the stable with a woman." The story grows as ‘facts’ are added.
Something needs to be decided that will repair the damage to Sterling’s career and give Lydia the home and safety she needs. The unwelcome solution is that they marry.
How do they learn about each other and mesh two lives into a successful marriage which honors God, while coping with issues of trust, pride, epidemic, and injury, along with the fear that Lydia’s brother will find her?
Consequences of how gossip, abuse, confession, forgiveness, bossiness, pride, and distrust can affect lives. How living as the Word of God says can bring healing, hope, and love.
1875
Lydia Walcott is on the run. With a broken arm and wounded spirit she is escaping the hands of her cruel brother and the marriage he has arranged. She's running to the unknown, praying God will lead her steps. Seeking shelter from an ice storm in a livery stall, Lydia goes to sleep hoping that in this small town of Cottonwood, Iowa she’ll find a job, a place to live, friends, and a future.
Dr. Sterling Graham, having just delivered a baby, rides back to town over ice covered roads. He's confident, secure in the knowledge that he is loved and respected by the people of the Cottonwood. Exhausted from the long night, he decides to sleep on the cot in the livery.
Sterling’s reputation and career, along with Lydia’s hope for a new life, are put in jeopardy when gossips spread the news that, "Doc spent the night in the stable with a woman." The story grows as ‘facts’ are added.
Something needs to be decided that will repair the damage to Sterling’s career and give Lydia the home and safety she needs. The unwelcome solution is that they marry.
How do they learn about each other and mesh two lives into a successful marriage which honors God, while coping with issues of trust, pride, epidemic, and injury, along with the fear that Lydia’s brother will find her?
Consequences of how gossip, abuse, confession, forgiveness, bossiness, pride, and distrust can affect lives. How living as the Word of God says can bring healing, hope, and love.
372 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 28, 2012
89 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
About the author
Sophie Dawson
18 books21 followersSophie Dawson has been making up stories in her head ever since she was a child. She lives with her husband on the family farm in Illinois. Two grown sons, a daughter-in-law and granddaughter round out her immediate family.
Sophie does all kinds of needlework and was a professional machine quilter in the past. She loves to travel, read, garden and now write.
In her books, Sophie shares the wisdom God has taught her in stories of faithful living. Her hope is to demonstrate how acting and reacting the way the Bible teaches can bring a positive impact on her readers.
Sophie does all kinds of needlework and was a professional machine quilter in the past. She loves to travel, read, garden and now write.
In her books, Sophie shares the wisdom God has taught her in stories of faithful living. Her hope is to demonstrate how acting and reacting the way the Bible teaches can bring a positive impact on her readers.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
July 16, 2012
Healing Love is an engaging read with both drama and romance aplenty.
Lydia is both a wounded spirt and a strong determined woman who is facing some unenviable choices. Remain in her childhood home and be physically and mentally tortured by her brother and submit to a marriage he has arranged or take a chance and run as far away as she can get.
She chooses the later and so begins a story of a frightened soul searching for a place to call safe. She arrives in a small town and stumbling into the town's livery - she spends a cold and rough night in the stalls with the horses. Unbeknownst to her, the local doctor has also sought shelter in the same livery after returning in the snow.
As they both emerge into the light of day - they soon realize that their lives are now inexpliably entwined and their very future now rests in the hands of the other.
An age old story of forced marriage between two very different people who both need the other more than they would ever care to admit. I really enjoyed the characters and the story ticked along with just the right amount of pace to develop the romance story nicely.
Highly recommend as a sweet story with enough edge and suspense to keep the reader engaged.
Lydia is both a wounded spirt and a strong determined woman who is facing some unenviable choices. Remain in her childhood home and be physically and mentally tortured by her brother and submit to a marriage he has arranged or take a chance and run as far away as she can get.
She chooses the later and so begins a story of a frightened soul searching for a place to call safe. She arrives in a small town and stumbling into the town's livery - she spends a cold and rough night in the stalls with the horses. Unbeknownst to her, the local doctor has also sought shelter in the same livery after returning in the snow.
As they both emerge into the light of day - they soon realize that their lives are now inexpliably entwined and their very future now rests in the hands of the other.
An age old story of forced marriage between two very different people who both need the other more than they would ever care to admit. I really enjoyed the characters and the story ticked along with just the right amount of pace to develop the romance story nicely.
Highly recommend as a sweet story with enough edge and suspense to keep the reader engaged.
June 6, 2012
Healing Love shows both the bright and dark sides of the mores and values of a culture gone by. Where a brother can physically abuse his sister with little recourse. Where arranged marriages are still common and love within is a wishful vapor. And where small town gossip can force two people to make a weighty decision, just to save a person's reputation.
This book is full of hard choices and thrilling consequences. Sophie Dawson does a great job of showing the opposite of love at first sight. Love hard won. Kudos!
This book is full of hard choices and thrilling consequences. Sophie Dawson does a great job of showing the opposite of love at first sight. Love hard won. Kudos!
August 15, 2014
Susan Ewing tells a sweet tale of an unlikely pair, both willing to place their trust in God.
Read full review in the 2012 October issue of InD’tale Magazine.
Read full review in the 2012 October issue of InD’tale Magazine.
August 22, 2012
I enjoyed this book. There was a lot of dialogue but I enjoyed seeing how the relationship between Lydia and Sterling progressed. I plan to read the next one in the series.
April 17, 2018
Reviewed at Historically Romantic
Healing Love is a touching, emotional tale that deals with many things that are truly timeless. The damage that gossip can do, the destruction of self-esteem and trust that emotional and physical abuse does to the heart and mind, these are just a few of the issues that Lydia and Sterling will have to deal with as their lives are intertwined because of one innocent night spent, unknowingly, in the same stable during an ice storm.
While I’m not an exclusive reader of Christian Historical Romance, I do love a good story that brings out the human in us all, good and bad. For the time period the fact that Sterling (Doc) and Lydia were seen just having awoken in a stable by a couple of known gossips of the town of Cottonwood was enough to seal their fate. It’s almost unthinkable to us in modern days, but this situation wouldn’t have been unrealistic for the time. It is amazing how quickly lies and gossip can destroy a reputation, a life built in one town, serving it’s residents for years. But it was clear that Sterling would lose his good standing in the community, not to mention his medical practice, if he and Lydia did not marry. Through Lydia and Sterling’s time of accepting this marriage, to the lessons from the pulpit directed to those who changed lives, to the getting to know, understand, and even trust and love each other this story is full of emotional moments, touching discoveries, good friends, and eventually two people discovering that love can come from the ashes of a previous life.
I think it’s impossible to not hurt for Lydia. Her life has been full of pain, sorrow, abuse and now she is being asked to rise from that and find her place in this man’s life. Her journey is empowering as we watch a timid, fearful woman slowly find her own worth among friends and a man who respects her.
The secondary characters bring this story alive. Yes, even the vile ones that we’d love to hate on principle alone. Many of these characters will be seen throughout the series as other lives are touched and changed by life and love. There is a strong Christian message within this story backed up with scripture and verse along the way. I don’t think that you have to love only Christian romance to enjoy this story and series. readers of Western Historical Romance would also find themselves swept up in the romance of Doc and Lydia. I’d recommend this story to readers who enjoy getting deep into the characters’ lives. You’ll find chuckles and tears as well as an abiding love in Healing Love.
I read this title through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
Healing Love is a touching, emotional tale that deals with many things that are truly timeless. The damage that gossip can do, the destruction of self-esteem and trust that emotional and physical abuse does to the heart and mind, these are just a few of the issues that Lydia and Sterling will have to deal with as their lives are intertwined because of one innocent night spent, unknowingly, in the same stable during an ice storm.
While I’m not an exclusive reader of Christian Historical Romance, I do love a good story that brings out the human in us all, good and bad. For the time period the fact that Sterling (Doc) and Lydia were seen just having awoken in a stable by a couple of known gossips of the town of Cottonwood was enough to seal their fate. It’s almost unthinkable to us in modern days, but this situation wouldn’t have been unrealistic for the time. It is amazing how quickly lies and gossip can destroy a reputation, a life built in one town, serving it’s residents for years. But it was clear that Sterling would lose his good standing in the community, not to mention his medical practice, if he and Lydia did not marry. Through Lydia and Sterling’s time of accepting this marriage, to the lessons from the pulpit directed to those who changed lives, to the getting to know, understand, and even trust and love each other this story is full of emotional moments, touching discoveries, good friends, and eventually two people discovering that love can come from the ashes of a previous life.
I think it’s impossible to not hurt for Lydia. Her life has been full of pain, sorrow, abuse and now she is being asked to rise from that and find her place in this man’s life. Her journey is empowering as we watch a timid, fearful woman slowly find her own worth among friends and a man who respects her.
The secondary characters bring this story alive. Yes, even the vile ones that we’d love to hate on principle alone. Many of these characters will be seen throughout the series as other lives are touched and changed by life and love. There is a strong Christian message within this story backed up with scripture and verse along the way. I don’t think that you have to love only Christian romance to enjoy this story and series. readers of Western Historical Romance would also find themselves swept up in the romance of Doc and Lydia. I’d recommend this story to readers who enjoy getting deep into the characters’ lives. You’ll find chuckles and tears as well as an abiding love in Healing Love.
I read this title through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
July 14, 2017
Young Lydia Walcott, fleeing from an abusive brother, ends up in Cottonwood, Iowa curled up in a stable seeking protection from an ice storm outside. Dr. Sterling Graham, returns to the same stable late at night, too exhausted to go home and collapses in an adjacent stall to Lydia. Thus starts a chain of scandalous events in the small town which changes the lives of these two permanently in ways neither had remotely considered.
This is one of the finest examples of the effects of post traumatic stress syndrome this reader/reviewer has ever read. Rarely do I ever hope for the best in a heroine who had suffered so much since being orphaned at the age of 12 and suffered cruelly under the hands of her twisted older brother. Escaping for her life with a fractured arm, ribs and facial injuries at the hands of her brother, she is broken physically and emotionally and it falls on the good doctor to bring her healing and trust. Forced into an unwanted marriage to protect both of their reputations, Sterling seeks God's will in bringing Lydia back to wholeness in tiny increments.
Along the way, we meet the people of Cottonwood who unwittingly forced a marriage between two total strangers as well as those who befriend Lydia and seek to love her, build her trust, and give her a sense of community and belonging.
Will Sterling and Lydia's relationship stand the test of an unwanted but forced marriage? Will Lydia's demented brother, who is furious at Lydia's escape, track her down and seek revenge? Will the good doctor Graham's practice permanently suffer because of the rumors and suspicions of the community? Will the love of God prevail in these seemingly insurmountable obstacles?
I was hooked from the first page of this compelling Christian Western romance and will eagerly seek more stories from Cottonwood.
This is one of the finest examples of the effects of post traumatic stress syndrome this reader/reviewer has ever read. Rarely do I ever hope for the best in a heroine who had suffered so much since being orphaned at the age of 12 and suffered cruelly under the hands of her twisted older brother. Escaping for her life with a fractured arm, ribs and facial injuries at the hands of her brother, she is broken physically and emotionally and it falls on the good doctor to bring her healing and trust. Forced into an unwanted marriage to protect both of their reputations, Sterling seeks God's will in bringing Lydia back to wholeness in tiny increments.
Along the way, we meet the people of Cottonwood who unwittingly forced a marriage between two total strangers as well as those who befriend Lydia and seek to love her, build her trust, and give her a sense of community and belonging.
Will Sterling and Lydia's relationship stand the test of an unwanted but forced marriage? Will Lydia's demented brother, who is furious at Lydia's escape, track her down and seek revenge? Will the good doctor Graham's practice permanently suffer because of the rumors and suspicions of the community? Will the love of God prevail in these seemingly insurmountable obstacles?
I was hooked from the first page of this compelling Christian Western romance and will eagerly seek more stories from Cottonwood.
July 24, 2017
I really enjoyed this sweet Christian romance and I'm looking forward to reading more books in this series by this new-to-me author. I was immediately drawn to the character of Lydia because she's a very brave young woman who runs away from her abusive brother to make a new start in the town of Cottonwood, only to find herself married to a stranger because of the viciousness of town gossip. Sterling is a gentle soul, born and raised in Cottonwood where he's well known as the town doctor and as a man of upstanding moral character who agrees to marry Lydia and make a successful union. I was totally mesmerized by this storyline and this fledgling relationship because of Sterling and Lydia's complete faith in God and His plan for their lives which guides them day by day. Sterling's empathy for Lydia really touched my heart and Lydia's sweet spirit and gentle nature in the face of all that she has suffered was especially moving. I also enjoyed all the other characters that welcome this union and do everything they can to make it stronger each and every day. I read a complimentary copy of this book and all opinions expressed in my voluntary review are completely my own.
May 23, 2018
This title is so appropriate for this beautiful story.
This story is awesome. It's a story that could be right out of today's news or any time period in history. Good and evil both exist. This story comes from a new author for me and I will be reading more of this author's works. I loved the characters in this story especially the hero and heroine and many of the other characters.
I love reading good clean western romances but one passion are the Christian historical western romances and contemporary, both having strong lead characters who have problems, burdens, and troubles as the Lord said we would have, some mystery, and everything coming out just as the Lord planned for them.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical , westerns and good clean Christian romances with the perfect scripture for each situation.
I know I can't wait to read her next book in this series.
This story is awesome. It's a story that could be right out of today's news or any time period in history. Good and evil both exist. This story comes from a new author for me and I will be reading more of this author's works. I loved the characters in this story especially the hero and heroine and many of the other characters.
I love reading good clean western romances but one passion are the Christian historical western romances and contemporary, both having strong lead characters who have problems, burdens, and troubles as the Lord said we would have, some mystery, and everything coming out just as the Lord planned for them.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical , westerns and good clean Christian romances with the perfect scripture for each situation.
I know I can't wait to read her next book in this series.
May 11, 2019
**This book was a free Kindle download that I have had since 2017.**
This author has co-written some books with George H. McVey. I read one of his books immediately before reading this one, so I can't help but make a comparison between the authors. Their styles are similar enough that I might have trouble telling one from the other. They both write heroines who are almost too sweet and too forgiving, and any danger to the hero and heroine is dispatched almost too neatly and at the very end of the book. However, Dawson's dialogue sounded more natural and made me like the characters in this book a little more.
This author has co-written some books with George H. McVey. I read one of his books immediately before reading this one, so I can't help but make a comparison between the authors. Their styles are similar enough that I might have trouble telling one from the other. They both write heroines who are almost too sweet and too forgiving, and any danger to the hero and heroine is dispatched almost too neatly and at the very end of the book. However, Dawson's dialogue sounded more natural and made me like the characters in this book a little more.
May 13, 2017
First read of this Author from me
This book was more religious than I expected, lots of scripture readings, it seemed to drag in on for me. There were parts that I felt the author forgot what era she was writing in, things that wouldn't have been sai, food that wouldn't have been made. The characters and storyline did develop nicely, left me wanting a little more drama.
This book was more religious than I expected, lots of scripture readings, it seemed to drag in on for me. There were parts that I felt the author forgot what era she was writing in, things that wouldn't have been sai, food that wouldn't have been made. The characters and storyline did develop nicely, left me wanting a little more drama.
October 15, 2018
Escaped to life and love
This book started out moving fast and kept up the whole way through the book. It was very good and kept me I interested the whole way through. I even missed my normal bedtime by a couple of hours trying to finish the book first, but finally had to set it down for the night and come back! I look forward to seeing more from this author.
This book started out moving fast and kept up the whole way through the book. It was very good and kept me I interested the whole way through. I even missed my normal bedtime by a couple of hours trying to finish the book first, but finally had to set it down for the night and come back! I look forward to seeing more from this author.
August 13, 2018
This is a series that I have wanted to read as it is set in the state that I live in. This book was so good I just loved it and I would recommend it to everyone who likes historical westerns! Sophie hit a grand slam with this one!
October 9, 2018
Loved it
A sweet story of hardship, love, laughter and romance. I really enjoyed the characters and their story. Sophie Dawson is one of my favorite authors and I always enjoy her books.
A sweet story of hardship, love, laughter and romance. I really enjoyed the characters and their story. Sophie Dawson is one of my favorite authors and I always enjoy her books.
November 9, 2018
Cottonwood book 1
Healing Love by Sophie Dawson is a sweet romance. Sterling and Lydia started their marriage by the lies of others but good came from evil. Looking forward to the next book.
Healing Love by Sophie Dawson is a sweet romance. Sterling and Lydia started their marriage by the lies of others but good came from evil. Looking forward to the next book.
April 15, 2019
Absolutely amazing
I absolutely loved this book. I was pleased with the story line and the sweetness of the intimacy. I plan on reading the whole series from here. Great Christian book.
I absolutely loved this book. I was pleased with the story line and the sweetness of the intimacy. I plan on reading the whole series from here. Great Christian book.
December 18, 2018
A delightful book! From an abusive brother to a husband who not only loves her but is willing to die for her! Quite an amazing story full of God's grace and mercy!
May 27, 2017
I loved it!
This was a beautiful story and I highly recommend it!
Thank you, Sophie, for writing and sharing it with me.
This was a beautiful story and I highly recommend it!
Thank you, Sophie, for writing and sharing it with me.
September 23, 2018
Excellent
I loved this sweet story. I loved the way scripture was used and explained. There were also some unexpected twists.
I loved this sweet story. I loved the way scripture was used and explained. There were also some unexpected twists.
October 5, 2018
#1
Very sweet story of finding a safe haven where people were friendly and life was blessed with friends and love.
Very sweet story of finding a safe haven where people were friendly and life was blessed with friends and love.
September 7, 2019
Good read
Sophie Dawson makes relationships and life into an interesting read with an anticipation of what is coming. No need for world eating monsters 🤣🤣🤣Enjoy 👍💜
Sophie Dawson makes relationships and life into an interesting read with an anticipation of what is coming. No need for world eating monsters 🤣🤣🤣Enjoy 👍💜
May 8, 2013
Healing Love by Sophie Dawson is a great historical, romance novel set in Cottonwood, Iowa, in 1875. Lydia Walcott’s parents died when she was thirteen and she has been enduring almost daily beatings by her brother Cyrus for the past seven years. After Cyrus breaks her arm, gives her such a beating that one entire side of her face is black and blue, and cracked several ribs, she decides that she must leave or the next time he just might kill her. Lydia manages to walk to the home of her friend Aggie who has been like a mother to her and with Aggie’s help she escapes on the westbound train. She ends up in Cottonwood, Iowa, and since the train was late and does not arrive until nighttime, she cannot find a place to stay and ends up sleeping in an empty stall in the livery. Dr. Sterling Graham returns to town from a late night trip to deliver a baby and because he is so tired from driving in the ice storm, he decides to sleep on the cot that is set up in the livery for his use. Two of the biggest gossips in town are the first ones to the livery the next morning and leave immediately to start spreading rumors about the doctor spending the night with a woman in the livery. Absolutely nothing happened for neither the doctor nor Lydia knew that the other was in the livery. Sterling’s reputation and his medical career and Lydia’s hope for a new life are threatened so it seems that the only possible way to end the gossip is for Lydia and the doctor to marry. Lydia agrees to the marriage when she is assured that Sterling is a God fearing Christian. Even after the marriage, gossips in the town continue to spread the story with each one adding more untrue “facts.”
Will a young woman who is very fearful but has a strong faith in God and a somewhat prideful young doctor who also has a strong faith be able to make a marriage work? Sterling treats Lydia’s injuries and has nothing but compassion for her and she finally comes to realize that he will never hit her or injure her in any way. Lydia and Sterling both work hard to make the marriage work but there always seems to be the issue of trust on Lydia’s part and the fear that her brother will find her.
The author did an excellent job developing the plot, characters, dialogue, and scenes. Not only was there romance in the story but there was the suspense concerning Cyrus and if he would find Lydia. The characters seemed like real people and I found myself in tears because of the many things that Lydia had faced in her young life and was still dealing with the results. Sterling was a very loveable character and I was hoping for the marriage to work. The story has a great ending. I was very impressed with the way that the author kept God in the lives of all the main characters. I am really looking forward to reading the other two books in this series.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good historical romance with a good bit of suspense woven throughout the story and that also has a God centered message throughout the book.
A big thank you to the author, Sophie Dawson, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Will a young woman who is very fearful but has a strong faith in God and a somewhat prideful young doctor who also has a strong faith be able to make a marriage work? Sterling treats Lydia’s injuries and has nothing but compassion for her and she finally comes to realize that he will never hit her or injure her in any way. Lydia and Sterling both work hard to make the marriage work but there always seems to be the issue of trust on Lydia’s part and the fear that her brother will find her.
The author did an excellent job developing the plot, characters, dialogue, and scenes. Not only was there romance in the story but there was the suspense concerning Cyrus and if he would find Lydia. The characters seemed like real people and I found myself in tears because of the many things that Lydia had faced in her young life and was still dealing with the results. Sterling was a very loveable character and I was hoping for the marriage to work. The story has a great ending. I was very impressed with the way that the author kept God in the lives of all the main characters. I am really looking forward to reading the other two books in this series.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good historical romance with a good bit of suspense woven throughout the story and that also has a God centered message throughout the book.
A big thank you to the author, Sophie Dawson, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
January 28, 2013
I received this ebook from Sophie Dawson to read and review and this is one of those books I fell in love with right away! She had me at the first paragraph and it was so hard to put it down at night. If you love books that take place in the 1800's and a love story with excitement then this is the book for you. Sophie has a great writing style and the characters you fall in love with. You must read this book and you won't be disappointed!
I wish I could give it more than 5 stars because it was that great!
I wish I could give it more than 5 stars because it was that great!
March 17, 2013
This is the first book I have read by Sophie Dawson but it felt like coming home to a favorite author. Healing Love is a Christian Historical Romance; if you like Heartsong Presents books or Love Inspired books, you will like this book. The story is about a sweet love developing between two people thrust into a compromising situation. The author is very good at describing the life of 1875. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
July 3, 2013
Overall I enjoyed this story. It was cute and an easy read. But I felt like it could have been so much more. I didn't feel like I really got to know the characters. I didn't get to feel their emotions. It was just a lot of dialogue and not really any description. It was a good book, but I just felt like it could have been more.
January 6, 2017
Trust in the Lord, with all thy heart
When we totally trust God, he makes a way in the desert. He brings down our goliath before us and gives us peace that can compare to no other. He gives us an expected end cause he has the best intentions towards us his children. He did that for Sterling and Lydia.
When we totally trust God, he makes a way in the desert. He brings down our goliath before us and gives us peace that can compare to no other. He gives us an expected end cause he has the best intentions towards us his children. He did that for Sterling and Lydia.
March 25, 2013
I didn't think this book was well written - a lot of dialogue, not much story. However,tho the writing wasn't as good, the story was great! I'm a sucker for those stories where they get married and then they learn to love each other!
November 3, 2014
Loved it!
my ratings determine if I will read this story again and again and also if it becomes a favorite. this book is perfect for Christians with a lot of scripture incorporated in the story. Great story, now on to book two!
my ratings determine if I will read this story again and again and also if it becomes a favorite. this book is perfect for Christians with a lot of scripture incorporated in the story. Great story, now on to book two!
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews