Meghan O’Reiley is the most mysterious and sought-after citizen in Pig Eye Gulch. Yet no one befriends or even fully trusts the beautiful young woman. They seek her out in times of trouble—to heal their sick children or soothe their own ailments—but she is otherwise regarded with superstition and unease. Since her grandmother died, Meghan has carried on, finding solace and peace in the cultivation of the wild herbs she uses to create her healing medicines.
When Conner Hendrickson needs help for his sweet baby daughter Bonnie, Meghan’s formerly solitary life is suddenly full of spark and zest. She’s wary of getting too close as she knows that a life with Conner cannot be hers. He comes from a life of privilege, having grown up in London’s high society. Conner is the owner of the Sapphire Yogo mine and employs most of the citizens of Pig Eye Gulch, and Meghan knows that his aspirations will take him far beyond her rough-hewn Montana mining town. But try as she might, Meghan’s love for both Conner and Bonnie deepens each day as she nears the precipice of losing them both.
Rated G Sweet story. No big conflict. Like an old Disney movie, except not as much action. The h, Meghan, is a beautiful soul, and reading about her and her sweet and tender self brought tears to my eyes several times. There wasn't any kissing, or any romance, really. Perfect for introducing a young person to the world of clean romance novels.
"... after it was all done, granny and Meghan would open the door of the root cellar and admire the rows of shiny jars filled with vegetables, meat, small potatoes, pickles, fruit and sweet succulent jellies and jams. They felt a wealth that couldn't be measured in money ..." I'm not one for romance novels, but I was intrigued by the storyline and characters. The passage above reminded me tremendously about a time when I was a little girl walking down the enormously large stone steps into my granda's basement which might as well have been a large underground root and wine cellar. It was filled with jars for pickling, jams to be enjoyed on freshly baked bread or rolls and her bubbling wine globes.
Loved this book! A little predictable, but few romances aren't. This book had a homey feel, describing daily life of the time it was written. It's not a book of insane amounts of aggravating romantic tension. Rather the romance seemed a little more real because it seemed to bloom so well and beautifully, almost innocently. If you're looking for soap opera style writing, this isn't it. This is more down to earth, and like I said, homey feeling.
It’s always a blessing to gain knowledge from a novel. DeAnn Smallwood went over the top with her knowledge of herbal medicines that is all throughout the book. The struggles of the miners, and the poverty was rough to take in, but that was life in those days. I highly recommend this book, and if you’ve ever read my reviews, you know I rarely find books I would stake my reputation on recommending.
What a sweet, intelligent story of a young woman healer in a Montana mining town. Set, I believe in the mid-1800s, this isolated, compassionate woman cares for the somewhat superstitious and suspicious townsfolk with her herbal remedies, common sense and knowledge taught by her grandmother. Within the story slowly blooms friendships and respect and ultimately love. A lovely, simple and very engaging read. I will look for more books by Deann Smallwood.
I have read several of author's books, really enjoyed them. Especially liked One Shingle to Hang and Wyoming Heather = 5 stars. This book seemed like a YA (young adult) book and the h (Meghan) was almost too good. The H (Conner) doesn't come on the scene until almost 25% then leaves for a few chapters. Also didn't care for the ending-no resolution to the tragedy. The book is squeaky clean-not even a kiss on the lips.
This is the second delightful book I have read by Deann Smallwood and I have just ordered a third. Each story is clever and interesting, with many small and interesting details..but not too many. I loved all the characters in this plot...loved the herbal knowledge and the character of the people. A bit better editing might even improve it...but I still can't really fault it.
This story has depth to it, even before it became an obvious love story. Compassion and healing even when the town's people avoided getting to know the woman capable of healing. Interesting story. Good read.
I loved this book. It had romance and the characters were well developed. I don't want to give away to much of the story . This story is worth your time. I will read more from this author.
It’s a cute romance... I feel bad about Meghan background and story, and Conner can be a lot harsh in the beginning but he end it up redeeming himself... It’s an light and entertaining romance reading....
Sapphire Blue is a delightful historical romance penned by DeAnn Smallwood. In it, readers meet two dynamic lead characters--Meghan O’Rieley and Conner Hendriks. Meghan is a healer who for the most part has lived an isolated and lonely life. Conner is the owner of a sapphire mine and a single father of a beautiful toddler, Bonnie. Meghan discovers Bonnie left alone and ensures she is taken care of. Subsequently, Meghan keeps an eye on the child. When Conner discovers her in his home with his daughter, he finds himself attracted to her. He soon seeks her help when Bonnie is unwell. Meghan is drawn to Conner. To discover what Destiny has in store for these two lonely souls, you must read this book.
Ms. Smallwood penned an enjoyable romantic character-driven plot. These two lead characters have a definite chemistry between them. The plot line is well thought out and allows readers to witness the evolution of their romance. She uses dialog and a dual point of view to build palpable romantic tension. Her descriptive language creates vivid and endearing scenes.
The characters are totally satisfying. The story is captivating ... every emotion is felt with tears, joy, laughter, love, respect,envy, hate, jealousy, etc. A playful romance meets all expectations with surprises at each turn.
This book will be one you won’t want to put down! If you have to, you will want to go right back to it. It is truly a wonderful story! I enjoyed every word…it’s that good!
Wonderful story. Depiction of frontier life and the importance of holistic medicine then and now. Highly recommend this book as accurate frontier representation.
Amazing, beautiful story of an awesome woman passionate about life and love. Two families joined ~ no barriers. Well written. Cried so much as the love flowed.
Its a good story, but its like a Harlequin romance. I don't read slot of those because they are predictable. This book has Interesting characters and is a very fast read. I give it 4 stars.
Very sweet book. I love strong, independent women characters and Meghan was exactly that but soft enough to love and let someone love her. How she used herbal healing was interesting and her new adventure in bee keeping made me admire the character even more. I loved her "projects". Conner was very admirable and very lovable. It was just an all around sweet, clean read. I also feel as if I need to justify the 3 stars. I felt like the story ended too abruptly. I wanted more of their relationship as a true couple. Maybe an epilogue with a scene of her wearing the earrings at their wedding at the newly built church. Just something more of them together.
I was looking for the sequel to the "Ruby Red" time-traveling series when I accidentally ordered this one from the library. Wowsers, I cannot remember ANYTHING about it. I thought it was bad when I read the book "Shifting" and could barely squeeze some details of it out of the grey matter. I gave this two stars instead of one. Why? Well, I can't remember anything BAD about the book either. If you decide to read it, could you remind me what it's about? Thanks.
A fast little love story set in a small mining town. While the overall story was pretty predictable, there were surprising little tidbits throughout that sustained my interest level. I think the author accomplished her goal but the dialogue was SO trite that I had to bump down the rating. People just don't talk like that to each other.