This Time Forever

by Rosanne Bittner

Scared and alone after her mother dies at sea on a trip from Scotland to America, young, innocent Lilly Brannigan finds that life in a new, unforgiving land takes courage and fortitude. Her only chance for safety and survival lies in joining a group of kind Mormon converts whose dream is to find their promised land in a new world. But even the tenuous safety with Lilly’s adopted family is imperiled by the hatred and conflict that besieges the sect wherever they go.

Not a Mormon herself, Lilly fears she will never find the peace and comfort she’d hoped for, until she meets and falls for a handsome American soldier, Chase Mitchell. Passion and joy fill her heart when Chase offers love and marriage and the hope of a settled life free of strife. But Chase is forced to ride off to war in Mexico, and when he does not return, Lilly is left with a shameful secret and no wedding ring.

Lilly survives a loveless marriage to man who agrees to save her honor. But fate leaves her on her own once more. Desperate to provide for her precious son, Lilly utilizes her greatest talent, a fabulous singing voice, to stay solvent. This gift, and her fierce determination to protect her son, earn Lilly fame and fortune in a wild Nevada mining town. Still, money and success cannot mend Lilly Brannigan’s broken heart. She can’t help wondering what happened to the only man she ever truly loved … the handsome soldier who’d promised to love her forever.

Based loosely on a true story, This Time Forever portrays the pride, strength and courage of the American pioneer woman.

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, 19th Century

Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 1989

About the author

I am a USA-TODAY best-selling author with 41 years, 76 books, and numerous writing awards behind me. My major genre is historical romance. I have always written for standard publishers but am now writing strictly for Amazon so I have more freedom to write real history. My most recent publication is SHADOW TRAIL, the 6th book in my Outlaw Hearts series. I also wrote and published my first full-length contemporary story, DANCING BENEATH YOU, in September 2022, a romance involving mystery and a depiction of reservation life in the Badlands of South Dakota. My best sellers are my SAVAGE DESTINY series (7 books) and my OUTLAW HEARTS series. See my website (www.rosannebittner.com) for details on all my books - most available for Kindle and in print. I am known for great love stories filled with real history and high emotion. I have also written many Native American stories, all based on real history.

I love American history. For those of you who have not yet read my books, my stories are generally set in the American West of the 1800s and feature vividly described, historically accurate settings that span the US from Missouri to California, from Canada to Mexico. Many of my books portray the poignant history of our Native Americans, and though the characters are my own, I use real historical locations and events in all my novels. I have also written about the French & Indian wars, American Revolution, the War of 1812, the war with Mexico (the Alamo), and the Civil War.

National magazine ROMANTIC TIMES has called me the "Queen of Western Romance" and an "emotional powerhouse." My husband and I have traveled the west for nearly 40 years and I have visited just about every location mentioned in my books.

Visit my website at www.rosannebittner.com and my Facebook Author page. And be sure to join Rosanne Bittner's Heart of the West Street Team! Happy reading!

Reviews

[Lover of Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review. Also my tags may have spoilers in them so be forewarned before checking out full review.

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨


First Impressions
This Time Forever is a standalone that was a republished work from 1989. I haven't read many of her older works so I was highly curious about this especially with its history surrounding the Latter Day Saints (also known as Mormons---as I am one and majority of authors never do even decent research to know much about us) It also has been a while since I have read a historical themed epic love romance. I knew I was in for a emotional journey because that is Rosanne Bittner, but I would probably term this closer to historical fiction with romantic elements over an actual historical romance.

First Line
Sixteen year old Lilly Brannigan shivered against the cold, damp wind and wrestled with the terror she felt at the sight and sound of her mother's coffin splashing in into the gray Atlantic waters.

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Chase Mitchell
The Heroine: Lilly Brannigan

Summary
This Time Forever starts out with our heroine, who is 16 when her mother dies on their journey from Scotland to America. Her mother joined the Latter Day Saint faith so that they could have a fresh start from a dreary life in Scotland. When her mother dies, a family takes in Lilly but she feels stifled by some of their rules and she has a free spirit that tends to clash at times. But she sees their goodness even though she feels bitter and angry blaming them for her mother dying. On her journey to Nauvoo, she meets a young man, Chase Mithell, a young officer in the military and there is a instant connection. When she arrives to Nauvoo, he finds her there and through a set of circumstances, they fall deeply in love. But when he goes to war to Mexico, she finds herself pregnant and forced to marry a young man she doesn't love as they are traveling west to escape the persecution and find peace as a people. Their fate will have them meet again once more....and that young love is still as bright and beautiful as it was back then.

What I Loved
This Time Forever really delved into some beautiful history and I really appreciated what she got correct here. It wasn't all correct, some of the cultural aspects was incorrect on some things but the actual events and such was correct. First time reading an author that tackled our history and actually did some decent research on us as a people. I think she did try to portray as honestly and I appreciated that so deeply. The romance between Chase and Lilly was so fascinating. The moments that we do see them together were so deeply beautiful and resonates. I loved how they come together and how despite the misunderstandings that occur in the book, their love is so fierce and strong. I really liked Lilly strength and spirit and how she has this gentle but independent way about her. She wasn't like most women of her time and she understood she could be different and tried to work within the confines of society limitations. The hero (our poor guy) went through so much including a father that betrayed him most brutally but never lost his love for her. Both of them could have easily given into the hate and fear....but they chose to believe in that young vibrant love and allowed it to give them strength. I really adored the historical elements (and yes all of these things happen from the persecution amounts, to the events of traveling west and having to make a paradise from a desert and a wasteland and even the men in their group having to abandon the women on trail to fight a war ) I did love how the son treated his father when the truth comes out. That he wasn't bitter or angry on it but accepting and open to a father in his life but also didn't stay angry at his mother for keeping the truth of his father from him for very long.

What I Struggled With
There were a few things. Some of the aspects in how polygamy was handled was not how it was treated. It was done out of necessity and wasn't something the majority lived (only about 5% were asked to live it to help provide for the homeless women and children from the persecution they received) Also how the women were treated was more of the time and not how Latter Day Saints culture treated their women as women are greatly respected and treated equally. But women responsibilities within the faith are different from men but no less of value. But keep in mind the persecution the ppl faced back then, the men had to be protective of their women for a good reason. I did struggle with how little time our couple are together. Just a handful of chapters in the beginning and at the end. So I would say this is closer to historical fiction than a historical romance. I wish that they had more time together within the story. And the ending was a bit rushed and felt like it left off some loose ends and I wish there was a more satisfying end to what the father did to them.

Overall View
This Time Forever was a sweeping epic love story that had my emotions all over the place. Its a story of sacrifice, acceptance of self and growth and understanding.

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Historical Romance/Historical Fiction
Character Types: Military/Veteran Hero, Singer/Songwriter Heroine, Spiritual Heroine
Theme: Tear Jerker, Heart/Emotionally Touching, One True Pairing
Tropes: Epic Love, Secret Baby, Second Chance

Book Perspective
3rd POV

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Both

If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Amy Harmon
Linda Broday
Heather Graham

Steam/Spice Explanations

Simmering cup of tea---soft warm touches and light intimacy
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Blazing fire to the building-The prime focus is the sex scenes, scorching hot, and could burn one. Less focus on the emotional intimacy to the relationship.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is easily in my top 3 of all time! LOVE IT! I think I've read it at least 10 times. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes historical romances.

[Marie S HR Reader ❤ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a solid Rosanne Bittner. Still a western but definitely a bit different than some of the others I've read. I enjoyed the setting changes and the history of the Mormon expansion story. Of course along the way we have some heart wrenching moments. I would have liked the resolve to maybe come a bit sooner but all in all it was very good, the last 50 pages were pretty hard to put down, which is why I didn't.

[Zélie · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://les-livres-de-zelie.blogspot....

[Ladyvixen · Rating 1 out of 5]

les héros se voient très rarement tout le long du bouquin. Enervant à souhait :(

[Reesa Mckenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book.