Until Tomorrow

by Jill Marie Landis

Can two yearning hearts learn to beat as one?
Dake Reed is a jaded soldier traveling home from the Civil War when he stumbles across an ambushed wagon—and a helpless newborn in need of a mother.

The last thing Cara James expects to see is a lean and handsome stranger riding across the lonely prairie with a baby in his arms. She’s nothing but a backwoods girl with sky-blue eyes living on a Kansas homestead making rag dolls…and dreaming of a better life.

Desperate to find someone to share his burden, Dake uses his thick-and-sweet-as-molasses drawl to coax Cara into leaving everything behind and joining him on his journey. As Dake and Cara travel to a place they both hope to call home, Cara dares to dream it’s not just the child who needs her tender touch…but the man.

Jill Marie Landis is the New York Times bestselling author of PAST PROMISES, UNTIL TOMORROW, THE ORCHID HUNTER and JADE

“In Until Tomorrow , Landis does what she does best by creating characters of great dimension, compassion, and strength.”— Publishers Weekly

“Jill Marie Landis is fabulous!”— New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller

“If you love historical romance, you’ll adore Jill Marie Landis.”— New York Times bestselling author Kristin Hannah

“A gifted writer…able to enthrall readers and touch their deepest emotions.”— Romantic Times

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Westerns

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 1994

About the author

JILL MARIE LANDIS is the bestselling author of nearly thirty novels which have appeared on the NYT bestseller list, USA Today and other national bestseller lists. She has won numerous awards for her heartfelt characters and sweeping emotional historical romances that include SUMMER MOON and MAGNOLIA CREEK and the Irish Angels Series; HEART OF STONE, HEART OF LIES, and HEART OF GLASS. All of her Historical Romances are available in eBook format.

She is currently writing The Tiki Goddess Mysteries series which includes MAI TAI ONE ON, TWO TO MANGO, THREE TO GET LEI'D, TOO HOT FOUR HULA and HAWAII FIVE UH-OH! from Bell Bridge Books.

Toes in the sand and head in the clouds, she is living the dream in Hawaii with her husband, Steve. Jill Marie loves to spend hours at the beach reading or writing and she also loves dancing the hula.

Reviews

[Deanne Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would really like someone to to tell me how as avid a reader as I am that this is my first Jill Marie Landis book I've read. I'm waiting, please tell me. If I'd have know how much I would have enjoyed her writing I would have read her years ago. So glad I decided to give her a chance now. An attack kills all the members of a traveling wagon but a young woman who is grievously injured.Before slipping off to death she begs Dake Reed,a war rugged soldier traveling home from the Civil War to take her newborn babe and find him a mother. Cradling the baby in his jacket he travels on until he finds Cara James, the last survivor in her family who lives in a dug out alone. Being the typical man he thinks she has child care experience,but she doesn't. He is determined to return the baby to the baby's mother's family and has her bracelet to prove that this is her baby. Cara agrees to travel with Dake to take care of the baby after getting child care tips from a neighbor.There are many hardships along the way. Dake is also on his way home to his families plantation house after being summoned there by his sister in law,Minna. Her husband,who is his brother was maimed in the war and she needs Dake to come home and keep the creditors from taking the house. The beautiful thing is the baby,whom they name,Clay brings them together and creates a bond between them while they care for him. All this would be great and fine but then at about 80% in the action starts to happen and I just didn't see it coming! It really adds to the story. With one bad thing happening after another I really didn't have a clue who was responsible. I was holding my breath there for a bit when a certain character is missing and so much action is going on. This really captured my interest and I simply couldn't read it fast enough. I am on the look out for more books by this author!
Pub Date 15 Aug 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and BelleBooks for a review copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Leticia · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Gerrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 out of 5 stars

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Until Tomorrow” by Jill Marie Landis is a funny, poignant story of post-Civil War Kansas and Alabama. The story begins with ex-Yankee soldier Dake Reed travelling home from Kansas after leaving the army. He stumbles upon a wagon, which has been ambushed by bushwhackers, leaving two Negroes killed and a young woman in the throes of childbirth. She asks Dake to take her child home to her family in Gadsden, Alabama. Not sure how he is going to transport this child, no matter that he doesn’t know the first thing about babies, he is desperate to find help.

Cara James has lived on the Kansas prairie for most of her life and all she wants to do is go to California and live the dream of owning her own store. She has buried all of her family and is alone on the big prairie. She has bundled up her possessions and is ready to leave for California all by herself. When she sees a horseman coming to her dugout home, she gets her gun ready. Dake Reed asks for her help. He offers to pay her to travel with him and take care of the newborn as they try to reach the Clayton home in Alabama to turn the baby over to his grandparents.

This makes a good story in itself, but Ms. Landis has provided a most engrossing tale of the two as they travel across the country, neither of them knowing what to do with an infant, but also becoming attached to the little mite. Since Dake is an Alabaman who served with the Yankee army, he is not welcomed in his ancestral home by his brother and his fiancée. Those problems along with visits from the Klan make for a most appealing read.

I heartily endorse this book and hope that many of you choose to read it. If you do, I’m sure you will become great fans of Jill Marie Landis as I am.

I downloaded a free Kindle copy from NetGalley.com in return for my honest review. You can find this review on my blog at http://wp.me/p2pjIt-sn. Check out other reviews at http://imhookedonbooks.wordpress.com.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started off so well for me . . . and then something happened.

I liked the opening premise. Soldier returning home from the Civil War encounters a dying woman giving birth. After delivering her baby, he needs to find someone to help him care for him on the journey to return him to his kin. He encounters a feisty lass packing up to go to California--he convinces her to go with him down South instead, with the promise of money to set up her doll shop in Cali.

And that's what I liked. Their journey down South was the best part. But then the tale turns sordid and kind of sensationalist. I recognize the atrocities of slavery, but I don't know that this book did them justice--or that any book can, really. I also didn't care for the crazy woman, the murder accusations, and the desperate measures to save a gutted plantation.

I guess I expected a western . . . and then got something else the longer I read. Not my story. Sorry.

[C · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would have enjoyed it more if the story had been more about the journey to Alabama, then the drama of them getting there and dealing with all the crazy family situations. I think the beginning of the book where DAke and Cara are journeying together with the infant was a way better part of the story!

[k8reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

🍁Slow burn
🍁Unexpected parenthood
🍁Adventure / Road trip
🍁One bed
🍁He’s obsessed
🍁Framed for murder

Set right after the end of the Civil War, Dake Reed, our male main character, is on his way home to the south after serving in the Union. He comes across a dying pregnant lady, who has just given birth, and is now on a mission to return the baby boy to his family. Cara, our female main character, is about to sell her property and move to California. Being the only surviving member of her family, she’s ready to leave Kansas behind and start a new life, guided by her passion for doll making. Dake arrives on horseback with the newborn, and offers Cara money, as long as she can accompany him and care for the baby on his way to deliver baby Clay home.

First, I’d like to say that this book is so beautifully written! Jill knows how to craft strong characters as well as provide beautiful prose to describe the setting. The best books, in my opinion, are those with well crafted characters, and Cara and Dake did not fall short! Not only that, but Dake is one of the swooniest MMC’s I have ever encountered. He is OBSESSED with Cara and a huge advocate for racial equality. Dare I say the dream man if I was a lady in the south during the civil war era. He cares so passionately, and Cara is uniquely written too. A lot of times, when the MMC in a book is written maturely, the FMC usually displays immature qualities. But Cara knows her worth and is written as a realistic lady.

There is a “Who dunnit?” side plot that although was unexpected, I quite enjoyed it! The baby, Clay, really provides character development for both Cara and Dake. I really enjoyed so many aspects of this book! If I could use one word to describe the relationship between Cara and Dake, it would be “wholesome”, and sometimes a cozy, cute and warm romance is what’s needed.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first novel I've read by Jill Marie Landis and I enjoyed it so very much. I loved the story and the characters. It was sweet how baby Clay brought the two main characters together, although neither had much experience with children. It was interesting to read how the characters travelled to their destination. I'll admit to thinking, hoping really, the story would turn out a certain way after Dake reconnected with Burke and was quite surprised by the turn of events. I was suspicious of a certain character immediately when things go a little sour, so I kind of wished there had been someone else to be genuinely suspicious of. However the suspense came in heavy near the end when a character was missing, so I was glad to have not spent so very long in anticipation. I really could not read fast enough to see how everything turned out! I'm so happy to have read this book and look forward to more from the author.

[Tish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first Jill Marie Landis book and it will not be my last. The story is about Dake Reed traveling home from the Civil War. He stumbles upon a wagon that was attacked and found a young women who was barely alive. She asks him to help her baby. He cradles the baby under his coat to keep it from harm. He took the women's bracelet from her after she dies to help find the babies family. He finds Cara James, the last survivor in her family. She is packed up to go to California to make and sell her dolls. He asks her to go with him to care for the infant. He offers to pay her to do so. She agrees and they go to find little Clay's family. It is a beautiful story of Dake and Cara and how they both struggled to help the infant even if they never cared for a child before. I could not put this book down. It was well written and a lovely Historical Fiction .Thank You Net Galley for introducing a new Author to me.

[Eclectic Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Always watch your step or you might land in something you can’t wipe off  - Nanny James"

Kansas at the end of the Civil War.  It's her twentieth birthday and Cara Calvinia James is alone after the death of her family.  Her wish is about to come through...to go to California and start a new life, but a stranger and a baby enter her life that day and change her life forever.  What is in store for Cara as she helps a man in need?

Dake Reed, former Union soldier, is going home to Alabama to face his family and friends who call him a traitor.  Little did he know that he would be responsible for taking a newborn baby home to Alabama after promising a dying mother he discovered lying on the road.  He hoped to find someone to help him care for Anna Clayton’s orphaned child on the way to Alabama, but can Cara, an independent, spirited woman from Kansas help him?

See my complete review at The Eclectic Review

[Skye Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this visit into the past. The injustices of the past are heartbreaking, but the triumph of love and good over evil and hate give us hope for the future. This book was well researched and gives the reader a realistic view into the past. Like Dake and Cara, I look forward to the future and more stories like this one.

I read this book in return for an honest review through Net Galley.

[Marie Rusanen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me gustó mucho la atmósfera histórica de esta novela. A la historia de amor le faltó, al principio, esa tensión sexual que, mantiene al lector pegado a las páginas, sin embargo, poco a poco, todo lo que sucede alrededor de la trama, cobra tanta fuerza, que no se pierde el interés. Al final, la historia de amor se transforma en una bonita relación.

[Chocho_fly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t know. The book is good although quite predictable. But the major drama in the story could have been avoided if the heroine wasn’t TSTL, too stubborn or just don’t have common sense. Literally “…but she had never been one to let common sense be her guide.” Why? Can’t we read a book with a real problem and it’s major angst is not due to the hero or heroine lacks of commonsense?

[Lynn Put · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by Jill Marie Landis! A fun adventure story with a sweet romance. I loved the characters Cara and Dake and their interactions with each other. What I found moving was the description of how Dake, as the second son of a southern plantation owner, ended up fighting for the north in the civil war and the reaction of his family and how it was for him going home after the war.

[Sandy Morris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty good read..

This storyline was good ...except for the description of every little detail during sex ..So much could have been left out..Other than that..As I said, the story line was good..

[Bernita Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting

Jill Marie Landis truly knows how to keep me turning the pages. She stirs up trouble, romance and murder in every possible way imaginable. Can’t wait to read more of her books.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first Jill Marie Landis book but it will not be my last. I enjoyed it very much. Great story line and characters. Held my interest from start to finish.

[♡Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una linda historia de romance histórico.

[Raquel · Rating 4 out of 5]

3'8

[LHC Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW

What a great book. I've read a lot oh historical romances, mostly westerns, and this one rates at the top. Will definitely read more of her books.

[Jerry Jares · Rating 4 out of 5]

Both Cara and Dake Reed were well-developed characters. It was interesting to see a Southerner, who had fought on the Union side, return to his former plantation. It was not surprising to see the rancor his former friends still felt towards Dake. Reed’s return precipitated a string of tragic events that would lead to his being accused of murder.

We know he could not be guilty because Dake had proven himself to be a man of integrity; he accepted the responsibility for carrying a newborn to the dying mother’s family in Alabama. He was willing to spend money for hotels, food and travel expenses to carry the baby – plus he employed Cara to help him take care of the child.

The first pages after Dake brings the baby to Cara James’ house were almost comical; neither had a clue what to do to care for a just-born child. Neither was interested in being the one left with the baby while the other one took care of the business of getting ready to leave.

Things settled down quickly after Cara went to her neighbor’s home and got instructions and supplies. It didn’t take long for Cara and Dake to see that they would have a difficult time giving up the child. Dake had a harder time adjusting to Cara. She avoided wearing shoes, was always late and rather messy. On the other hand, Dake was a model example of the discipline the Army engendered in soldiers: On time, neat in dress and careful in keeping his goods in top shape.

This is a story that takes hold of the reader without flash or fanfare. There’s a bit of a mystery along with the romance. The sheriff was an interesting character because he was given the position by the Union soldiers that controlled the area because he wasn’t for the war (at all). He had a difficult time negotiating the troubled feelings of the inhabitants and the murder.

[kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Between 3 and 4 stars. It was almost a 5 star until two or three nobody could be that stupid moments.

Moment one: The h who up until this point had seemed like a fairly intelligent young woman gets in a wagon willingly with a person she has just been told 5 minutes before was a killer to go find yet another killer. Apparently she had a major brain fart walking from the house to the barn.

Moment two: The H and h are sitting there distraught because their adopted baby is missing. Kidnapped by the killer by the way. A bunch of children run up to them and tell them they have just found a doll that moves. Guess what? It's the baby. Personally I have never known a child old enough to speak who didn't know the difference between a doll and a real baby. Children raised in slave cabins had seen many babies I'm sure and I can't imagine they would not have ran for their mothers had they found a white baby in the woods.

Moment three: It turns out the baby's mother had run off with a light skinned slave that she have been raised with on her father's plantation. Could happen. Unfortunately the slave was her father's son. So they were brother and sister. Now the girl may not have known but it seems to me the son would have been made aware. I can't imagine anyone being sensitive to his feelings about his parentage. This to me had a major ick factor.

This story started out good but seemed to spin out of control at the end. Disappointing. Not sure if I'll read this author again.

[Lizzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um livro com uma história muito bem construída e um romance cativante, ambientado no período de pós-guerra civil americana. O herói é um sulista que contrariando sua família se uniu ao exército da União por sete anos e agora retorna ao lar, no caminho, salva um bebê cuja mãe acabara de morrer. A heroína, por sua vez, é a única sobrevivente de uma família humilde e sonha em morar na Califórnia para vender suas bonecas de pano, porém a chegada de um bebê e um forasteiro muda seus planos. Adorei a simplicidade e a autenticidade da heroína. O herói não é menos encantador. Ele não tem ideia do que encontrará ao regressar à propriedade familiar, mas o que ele se deparar é ainda mais doloroso do que previa. Esse jovem casal cuidando de um bebê desamparado comove nossos corações.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading Until Tomorrow by Jill Marie Landis. This was a great book. I love this author, I've read several books by her over the past couple of years. She rights both historical and modern day romances.

[Laura]

i loved this book.............historial fiction. started reading it on 11/12/94

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched - good portrait of the South and Midwest, post Civil War America, and of how some families were divided during the Civil War.

[Pikolina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me ha parecido una historia bonita, aunque demasiado previsible la ultima parte. No obstante, los protagonistas son de los que enamoran. Recomendable para pasar un buen rato.

[Sara Herring]

good