Rocky Mountain Dreams

Leadville #1

by Danica Favorite

HIS SURPRISE SISTER

The last thing Joseph Stone expects to discover upon arriving in Leadville, Colorado, is a newfound little sister. Hoping to find his late father's silver mine and hopefully keep his siblings back home out of an orphanage, Joseph needs an ally. The preacher's lovely daughter agrees to care for the little girl. She's just not as willing to trust the prospector….

Annabelle Lassiter has seen what men do in pursuit of riches. Yet for all the hardship he's known, Joseph still shows tenderness and warmth. Annabelle's plan has long been to leave Leadville far behind. But Joseph's quest for silver could cost them a more precious dream—one of family, love and new beginnings….

Genres: Love Inspired, Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Love Inspired Historical, Romance, Christian Fiction, Christian Romance

273 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 1, 2014

About the author

A self-professed crazy chicken lady, Danica Favorite loves the adventure of living a creative life. She loves to explore the depths of human nature and follow people on the journey to happily ever after. Though the journey is often bumpy, those bumps are what refine imperfect characters as they live the life God created them for. Oops, that just spoiled the ending of all of Danica’s stories. Then again, getting there is all the fun.

Reviews

[Kimberly Burkhardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 star rating
This is the first book I read by Danica Favorite, and I really enjoyed it. Annabelle Lassiter is pressured into helping one of her preacher father’s cases. Though she is struggling with her own grief, she agrees and soon finds herself enjoying the company of Joseph Stone and his half-sister Nugget.
Joseph has questions about his late father and his silver mines. With the help of Annabelle, he hopes to get those answers.
Danica Favorite does a wonderful job at portraying Annabelle’s grief over losing her mother and siblings. There were times I wanted to shake Joseph for his stubbornness over his feelings for Annabelle. I look forward to reading more from this author.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was privileged to read this novel before it hit the shelves of Bookstores. And I am soo glad, as this is and will be one of the best LI books to come out this year. Talk about "good character development"? This one has it. Danica takes a young disillusioned Joseph and puts him emotionally through the ringer as he mourns his mother's, then father's death. But his father hasn't seemed to leave much honor behind, as he as a married man fathers a little girl via a saloon girl. Smug town people gossip and shun the child. Joseph begins to show his true character as he shoulders the responsibility of her along with the other siblings at home. When a lovely preacher's daughter, Annabelle, is forced by her father to usher him into their home she can only see the outside of a miner. Soiled, tired and down on his luck, she has seen this dilemma many times. Her grief from her own losses are keeping her from showing any real compassion at this time. It doesn't take long for the Lord to begin to work on Annabelle and she is able to show her love to others in her life, even an embittered friend. There are others in the story that look good on the outside that are hiding wickedness, but it will be clear as the story moves on. You must read this warm, interesting story that reminds us that things are not always what they seem.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rocky Mountain Dreams is a wonderful Christian historical fiction book that I found to be exceptional, especially knowing it was a debut novel! Set in a mining town in 1881, it really had me turning pages to find out what was going to happen, and I felt like I was actually experiencing some of the adventures along with Joseph, Anabelle, and Nugget. Anabelle has taken a great deal of time to work through several tragedies she has endured, and her strength through her trials was admirable. it was marvelous to see her grow as a person and her faith strengthen. Nugget was delightful, and showed great resilience considering how she had been treated in the past. Her relationship with Anabelle is fun to watch as it develops. Romance, danger, grief, betrayal, revenge, reconciliation, loyalty, and family relationships all play a part in the plot. I highly recommend this one to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, or just a nice, clean romance.

[Harlequin Books]

"This is a heartwrenching, yet heartwarming, story of love, dedication and faith. The unique ways in which the main characters deal with loss is handled with compassion" (RT Book Reviews, 4 stars).

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main mystery was interesting and I liked both of the main characters, but a full 1/4 of the book is probably each character repeating "I shouldn't love him/her, but I do" for paragraphs on end every chapter. It got annoying quickly and I found myself skimming a lot of the book.

I really felt the weight of the pressure on Annabelle to always smile, be polite, not show grief, etc. I think the author did well describing her thought processes. Her father seemed like a very generous man, but I felt like he was a huge jerk to his own daughter. He realizes he could have done better at the end, but there was a perfect chance in the middle of the book and he just ignores it. And I'm not sure if the author intended him to be a hero or not.

He literally asks Joseph what she needs and Joseph suggests space and time to grieve. Then, when she literally asks for both, he says "well too bad, you have to stay here and socialize!" What in the world? Also, giving away family heirlooms when your daughter is clearly not ready? Jerk.

The last few chapters are full of twists, but they all feel pretty formulaic - including the whole refusing to admit your feelings for another chapter or two of misunderstandings. I found Annabelle's escape clues especially bad. At no other point in the story was she known for fancy hairpins, but suddenly they're a plot point.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reading Love Inspired Romance books and I liked Rocky Mountain Dreams. It takes place in 1881 at a time when men are trying to eek out a living by mining in Leadville, Colorado. Helping out whenever they can are Preacher Frank Lassiter and his daughter, Annabelle. Annabelle sees that working in the mines prematurely ages the men, but helping miners has a way of tearing at her heart. Joseph Stone shows up asking for their help in finding his father. He has five sisters and a brother in Ohio who he needs to care for now that their mother has died. He is informed that his dad has died, and the Preacher tells him that his father had been mining at the time of his death. Now Joseph knows he has to check out the mines in hopes of discovering any silver his father found. This story has the themes of dealing with loss, sacrifice, judgment, faith, acceptance, greed, investing in dreams, and at times evil and danger. The main characters are likable and easy to imagine. This is a feel good story!

[Virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first story I have read by this author and I already look forward to the next book I read by her. Although I wanted to shake some sense into the characters for being so stubborn at times, I also found them charming and enjoyed getting to learn more about them as the story progressed. Nugget was my favorite character by far. The rhythm of the book was steady with never a dull moment. I couldn't put the book down for the last 100 pages! The next book in the series is high on my TBR list.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great story. Annabelle was so caught up in her grief that she built a wall around herself and wouldn’t let anyone in for fear of getting hurt, and her dislike of silver mining caused her to mistrust all miners. Joseph was just trying to find his father’s mine to be able to support his brothers and sisters. He was not prepared to learn the truth about his father or to find that he had another sister. I loved how the author was able to have the characters work through these things and learn to trust and forgive. I would recommend this book.

[Marie Pinkham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpected responsibility, unexpected healing, and unexpected love. Annabelle and Joseph experience all of these in a heartwarming story that is sure to be a "read-again" favorite. Set in a mining town, teeming with grit, gumption, and the beauty of the Rockies, this story will keep you cheering on characters that make you care about the outcome of their story. This was my first Danica Favorite book, but, I think I can safely say, the first of many.

[Stella Potts · Rating 4 out of 5]

1881 Leadville Colorado a wild west mining town, a Preachers daughter and a new man in town looking for silver. But this one is different as he has a little 6 year old sister to take care of. There is plenty of danger and many surprises. Danica Favorite has written a great Historical Novel that fans are sure to enjoy. I received a complimentary copy of this book with no requirement for a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Veronica · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was pretty good until the last few chapters. There was a lot going on and I did not care for most of the resolutions. Also I couldn't figure Annabelle out. Was she someone who was a very selfless person prior to losing so many in her family or was she a selfish person even prior to losses? Some passages make you think the former and some passages the latter.

[Christina Sinisi · Rating 3 out of 5]

For some reason, I struggled to get through this book. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but there was something wrong with the conflict (to me).

In the end, there wasn't really anything keeping them apart.

And I didn't really learn anything about the silver mining business...there's this fine line for me between information dumps and not really being informed about the backstory.

[D'anah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deep

This story covers a lot of deep issues in an interesting way. It is embedded in a good story, which does tend to lag at times. It does have a good ending, although that aspect of the tale could have been extended a bit.

[Phylis Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annabelle had lost most of her family but she is still expected to carry on her father's ministry. She doesn't think that the miners should be mining. When they lose their money they leave and when they make money they leave.

A really good book that I think you will enjoy

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story of Annabelle, who is the daughter of a minister and who recently lost her mother and all her siblings, and Joseph, who is responsible for 5 siblings back east and comes to Leadville, a mining town, in search of his father only to find out he has another young sister, Nugget.

[Elise Blomberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved that this was not a typical western romance. The author came up with a very unusual setting and plot. It was so enjoyable to read this book.

[Toni Shiloh · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable historical read.

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally read the story that started it all. Joseph Stone went to Leadville to find his father and found so much more

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not only a historical romance, but it also had some suspense/mystery thrown in . I thoroughly enjoyed it!

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked some of this book, but really didn’t like other parts of it. It was horribly depressing. This girl has lost so much, I don’t blame her one bit for losing faith and spirit after losing her mother and three siblings to disease only six months before.

The way those around her treated her for grieving was horrendous. The male lead was the only sane person and even he had some iffy moments.

And I’m not even gonna get started on the disaster of a “best friend” Polly was. That lady sucks big time.

I did enjoy the plot and the main female and male lead as well as little Nugget. I also enjoyed that a big theme of this book was about how judging others for so-called-sins was worse than a lot of the sins themselves. (I.e. sex work/being the child of a sex worker, not to say violent crimes are okay).

I’m definitely interested in reading some more in this series or by this author but will NOT be reading the one about that horrible Polly haha

[Meredith Hillenbrand · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. Back then, women weren't taught to fight for themselves or be independent like we are today. There were strong proprieties to be observed by the men and women of that time which definitely could make for a lot of miscommunication of feelings. Annabel Lassiter suffered a major tragedy combined with her ministry left her jaded against God. I liked how the author used a sweet child and various surprise twists and turns to grow Annabelle's character. Joseph suffered tragedy as well, but he was able to take a different spiritual path. She developed Joseph's character as well as others and I didn't leave with a lot of questions, which I liked.

There was light action, mystery, angst, a little romance, and some good plot twists.

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and was not obligated to give this review.

[Teri-K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annabelle is so busy helping her pastor father with his good works in the silver mining town of Leadville she never took the time to mourn for her recently dead mother and siblings. Joseph comes to town to find his long-absent father, needing him to come home and take care of his family now that their mother has died. What he finds shakes his love for his father. But he accepts responsibility for his half-sister, and now more than ever he needs the treasure his father may have found. But there are others looking for it, too, and everyone's lives are at risk.

This book was as much mystery as romance. I liked the Christian ideals portrayed in it, the fact that like can be hard and it takes time to heal. If some of the characters were a bit stereotyped, it was still a very good story. I look forward to reading more by this author.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was reasonable. The romance was predictable, but still had a bit of fire with it - though after a bit, Annabelle's objections start to grate on you (as does her personality). It did have a pretty nice twist with the ending, however, which I definitely appreciated.

There were a few sub-plots that seemed superfluous (Annabelle's conflict with Sally is never really resolved, for instance), but overall the book moved nicely. My favorite character had to be Nugget. She was written perfectly as a precocious kid, without being obnoxious. I honestly wouldn't mind reading more about her outside of a romance novel!

A nice, light read for a rainy day.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first 2015 summer read book. It has set a standard for the rest. I'm a slow reader and I finished it over a weekend. I picked this book after I met the author at ACFW, now I can't wait to read the next in the series.
I especially like this book because its setting is Colorado. It's a romance story about a preacher's daughter without being preachy. This is a story about grief and commitment and importance of family in many of the character's lives.
Now I want to take a field trip to Leadville.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect of a debuting author, but this was a lovely book! It took me a little bit to get lost in it, but then I was lost and thoroughly enjoyed it. It felt authentic, the cheesiness often found in Christian romance novels was minimal, and it was well-written; so many times I've been unable to read a book because I kept stumbling over grammatical or other errors. I didn't notice any here! Though I will admit, I tend to miss them when I'm able to get lost in the story like I did ;)

[Judine Brey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annabelle's grieving process (after losing almost her entire family) was believable, and Joseph's ability to see through her "brave front" was a nice touch. I liked the pacing of their relationship, except for the end, which could have been wrapped up better.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I can't wait to read the next one.

[Elke Feuer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet romance for those who like historical romances with small town heroes and dreams.

[Casey · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

[Sandy Nadeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story. Lovely writing. Get this book. You'll love it too.