Wagon Train Sweetheart

Journey West #2

by Lacy Williams

A Promised Bride

Emma Hewitt never thought she'd travel thousands of miles to wed. Yet Oregon is where she'll meet the groom her brothers have chosen. After years of nursing her ailing father, Emma's social skills are lacking. An arranged marriage is only sensible. And her growing feelings for Nathan Reed, a worker on her wagon train, are surely better forgotten.

Nathan knows he's wrong for Emma. He's too rough, too burdened with guilt over his past. But when Emma nurses him through a fever, she sees something in him no one ever has. Now he wants to be a man worthy of her love. Emma's loyalty to family has always come first. Will she find the courage now to follow her heart?

Journey West: Romance and adventure await three siblings on the Oregon Trail

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

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 2015

About the author

Lacy Williams wishes her writing career was more like what you see on Hallmark movies: dreamy brainstorming from a French chateau or a few minutes at the computer in a million-dollar New York City penthouse. In reality, she’s up before the sun, putting words on the page before her kids wake up for the day. Those early-morning and late-night writing sessions add up, and Lacy has published fifty books in almost a decade, first with a big five publisher and then as an indie author. When she needs to refill the well, you can find Lacy birdwatching, gardening, biking with the kiddos, or walking the dog. Find tons of bonus scenes and reader extras by becoming a VIP reader at www.lacywilliams.net/vip .

Reviews

[Deanne Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Journey West series. If you want a boring with nothing going on book then don't read Wagon Train Sweetheart because you won't find that here.Emma Hewitt is part of a wagon train. She is on her way to meet Tristan McCullough the man her brothers chose for her in an arranged marriage. After years of caring for her ailing father her social skills are lacking. Traveling on the same wagon train with her is Nathan Reed, a worker. Her feelings start to deepen for him but he is afraid to invest any emotion in her . Years ago his older sister Beth left home as soon as possible to escape a mean and cruel father. Unfortunately she married a man even worse. She contacted Nathan and asked him for money to help her escape. He goes from town to town earning money to help her. Upon reaching her house he finds her pregnant and dead by her husbands hand. This will continue to haunt him and he will not let himself have feelings for Emma because he feels as though he will fail her as he believes he has failed Beth. There is so much action in this book:a widowed pregnant woman disguised as a man,Emma being called to another wagon train to treat a sick boy,a rock slide,a little girl getting lost in a storm that falls down a cliff,fevers,a birth during the journey. At the end Emma meets up with Tristan. Is she forced to marry him or is she able to convince Nathan she can help him find forgiveness by loving her ? I guess you'll have to read the book and find out. I am ready to start book 3 in the series, it's called Wagon Train Proposal. The books so seamlessly flow together in this series !

[Paula-O · Rating 4 out of 5]

Series Journey West book #2"Wagon Train Sweetheart" by Lacy Williams

I would have never thought that a woman could bring out any sweetness in Nathan but Emma saw through his anger and aloofness to the hurting lonely man.
She wanted to make him a friend and found herself feeling so much more as she uncovered the gentle man underneath.
Emma's brothers wanted to go west and they had a man in mind for her to marry once they got there, a sheriff with three daughters that needed a mama.
Wagon trains take a long time to travel and in that time Emma finds her heart looking to Nathan and not another at end of trail.
come read this wonderful story by Lacy and meet some nice people along the way.

[Linda C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emma Hewitt is traveling across country with her brother and sister to join another brother in Oregon. Emma wasn't particularly interested in going but as usual her interests were overlooked. The brothers also thought they had the perfect husband picked out for her in Oregon. Emma is a caregiver having tended her father's long illness and then nursed several children through measles. Nathan on the other hand has always been an outsider, awkward and guilt ridden for not being able to save his sister from a violent death. He signs on as a driver to get a fresh start but has found only suspicion on the trail. These two MCs find something in each other to bolster their self confidence. This gets a 3 rating because of the many varied incidents that help them prove themselves. A bit too coincidentally plotted.

[Judine Brey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those rare romance novels that I want to read over again. Emma's shyness is a nice counterpoint to Nathan's social anxiety. Since neither of them is great at personal interactions, their moments together are sweetly awkward. The fact that the two of them can be good adult role models for the children in the wagon train, and Nathan's willingness to step outside his comfort zone, bring the book to a good conclusion. I just hope that in the final book in the series, the two of them are able to adopt Georgie.

[Harlequin Books]

"With an eye for detail, Williams has crafted a splendid story that authentically showcases just some of the dangers and perils that the Oregon Trail travelers faced. As for the romance, it’s heartwarming with a sigh-worthy ending" (RT Book Reviews, 4 stars).

Miniseries: Journey West

[Marybelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't know if it's the book, or just my mood this time around, but I just couldn't get into it. I'll give it another try sometime this year. There are just some books that are better the second time around.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

In their own way both of these characters are misfits. I like how they slowly connect and learn to value each other.

[Earlene Click · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nathan and Emma

This is an adventurous, exciting, love story about these folks on their wagon train headed to Oregon. Nathan was a handsome, young single man the feels no worth in his life. He believes he has failed all he has loved. Emma a beautiful, shy young woman with a gift of murdering is with her brother and sister also headed to Oregon. She her brother’s friend is widowed with three young daughters and her brother wants them to marry when they arrive there. Emma and Nathan share several experiences along the way and delelope feelings for one another. You will enjoy discovering how they find their happily ever after.

[Glaidene Ramsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wagon Train Romance

I was delightfully surprised when I started reading this book. First it is a complete story told from two peoples point of view. You share their highs and lows as the travel to Oregon. Emma is a shy young woman and doesn't speak for herself. Nathan is a loner who has been hurt in the past. As the book opens Nathan is being accused of being a thief. The story starts hear and gets better as it progresses. Enjoy the story , I did!!!!!!! Thank you Lacy Williams for a great adventure!!!!!

[C Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma was a compassionate person who was making the trip out west. She didn't want to as she'd just started down a new path at home after taking care of her father until he passed. But she tended not to voice her feelings and acquiesced to her brother. Nathan came from a troubled background and was a loner on the trip and didn't think he was a worthy person. This was a good wagon train romance, but at times it was too slow and there was too much writing about their thoughts and less about their interactions. It still lead me to be interested in the final book of the series.

[Mary Shreffler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma didn't really want to go west but that's where her family was going. She used her nursing skills to help people. Nathan was on the wagon train as a hired man helping to drive wagons, gather materials etc. Nathan was charged with theft but was given a stay because he feinted because of having measels. Nathan made an honest impression on Emma and helped her in lots of ways

[Dianne Sidebottom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another reminder of the journey across the USA by wagon train. Emma and Nathan's story. It is part of a series. A struggle to speak up Emma. Nathan seeing himself not worthy of kindness and company. Good story.

[Tricia Cox garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wagon Train Sweetheart

She was shy and quiet, noone ever heard her, or listened. Then a trapper joins the wagon train. He is not very social, but she tries to bring him out. Can two awkwardly shy people find their way? Good clean romance.

[Margaret Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read most of Lacy Williams' books, I was interested to read this one that she wrote a number of years ago. It is well written, with an interesting group of characters. I didn't like it as much as her later books. I'm glad I read it.

[Linda Klages · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story line about an interesting time in history - clean with Biblical verses.

[Dori Stowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read

This is such a fantastic read, I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book in the series. I read this one in a day!

[Vivian Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read!

[Norma Escobedo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Your past failures can cripple your future until you let them go. Admitting you can not always be where your needed, and forgive yourself so you can have a future

[Jerri Gennaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wagon Train Sweetheart (Journey West)

This story would be worthy of a good review. Really enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to ones that like this genre.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a good Oregon Trail/Wagon Train story and I genuinely enjoyed Wagon Train Reunion, the first book in this series. I love all the little extra details of trail life and while we got a good bit of it in the first story we didn't get as much in the second. We did get a neat little extra in regards to people from one train helping people in another train and I liked that. Wagon Train Sweetheart had two very shy, timid, insecure main characters. I pitied them more than liked them. There's also a couple of things that I'm assuming are part of the over all series and thus should (hopefully) be revealed or dealt with in the third book, specifically ~ the thief, Ernie Jones and his son, Clara, Georgie, and Scamp the dog. I don't like loose ends. Finally, this could have been any secular (but still clean) romance due its very minimal amount of religion. Considering there was a great deal of prayer and religious discussion in the first book it was strange to read the second in the series and those same characters behave almost like strangers with very little prayer or mention of God or religion. Ben was portrayed as being very cold and unfriendly in this story while Emma did everything with the children when the previous book had Abby spending all her time with the kids. It would have been nice for the former main characters to have retained some of their warmth. This story was okay, but after the first one was so good, I was disappointed with this one. Hopefully the next will be better!

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really really like the book Wagon Train Sweetheart the second book in Journey West Series by Lacy Williams. Looking forward to reading the last book in the series. Nathan Reed joins a wagon train going west. He is by himself. A married couple and their daughter hire him to drive the team. Nathan is a loner. He feels guilty when his sister is killed by her husband. He felt he didn't do enough. He stays by himself on the wagon train. Enters Emma Hewitt who is traveling with her sister and brother. Another brother living out west says the sheriff of the town has three little girls and needs a mother for the children and Emma would be the perfect woman to marry the sheriff. On the way out west Emma falls for Nathan and tries to get him involved with other people on the wagon train. Items are missing and a man who doesn't like Nathan accuses him of taking the items. But he didn't. A must read.

[June · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 2 in the Journey West continuity series. We met Emma and Nathan in book one. Emma is the sister of the hero in book one. She is on her way to Oregon to meet a man her other brother thinks would be the perfect husband for her. Emma never stands up for herself and her wishes, so first she finds herself going to Oregon in the first place, and when she meets Nathan and starts feeling things for her, her connection to Tristan McCullough takes a quick back seat.

The book is full of adventure, mystery about who is stealing things, and we've got a hidden identity we get to enjoy.

Looking forward to book 3 which is about Ben and Emma's sister, Rachel and how she goes to work for Tristan.

[Ingrid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful I really enjoyed this book. lots of action and full range of emotions kept this book interesting and fun to read.

this is the second book in the Journey West series. Looking forward to book 3.

Lacy Williams is a wonderful author, I have loved all her books and will definitely keep her books on top of TBR titles.

[Shelly Dabbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read every book Lacy Williams has written so far & will continue to read anything more she writes. She is a breath of fresh air & I totally enjoyed how she wrote this complicated story of two people with very different backgrounds & how together they overcame everything that came their way.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably not the wisest idea to read the middle of the Journey West trilogy first, but I can never resist a book written by Lacy Williams. I love the way she weaves a story. This wagon train romance was wonderful. I loved it, and now for sure have to read the other two!

[Harlequin Historical]

Miniseries: Journey West

[Bethany Swafford · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it!

[Sandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good summertime read.. sit back and enjoy the treck across the country back in the days of the horse and wagon, love and family.. danger and faith... loved the book...

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet formula romance with a predictable, but satisfying ending