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Forrester Brothers #1
A Reason to Live
How could I refuse the wish of a dying man?
May 30, 1865: During the War, I watched over too many young boys in the hospital, comforting them as they cried out for those they loved, as they whispered their final thoughts to me. Keepng a record of their names, families, and last words seemed a small tribute to their sacrifice -- until the war ended, and I found a new mission in life.
I would visit the loved ones of those poor soldiers and deliver their messages so that some comfort could be found even in grief... />
But Laurel Covey never expected to find a man like Creede Forrester -- an ex-gunslinger who rode all the way from Texas to Virginia in the hope of finding his son and ended up saving her from a band of ruffians. It pains her deeply to tell him of his boy's death, and she believes that in his heart, Creede blames himself for driving his son away. But there is something more to this rugged, weary man. Something that draws Laurel closer to him ... something she cannot resist...
May 30, 1865: During the War, I watched over too many young boys in the hospital, comforting them as they cried out for those they loved, as they whispered their final thoughts to me. Keepng a record of their names, families, and last words seemed a small tribute to their sacrifice -- until the war ended, and I found a new mission in life.
I would visit the loved ones of those poor soldiers and deliver their messages so that some comfort could be found even in grief... />
But Laurel Covey never expected to find a man like Creede Forrester -- an ex-gunslinger who rode all the way from Texas to Virginia in the hope of finding his son and ended up saving her from a band of ruffians. It pains her deeply to tell him of his boy's death, and she believes that in his heart, Creede blames himself for driving his son away. But there is something more to this rugged, weary man. Something that draws Laurel closer to him ... something she cannot resist...
281 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
8 people are currently reading
492 people want to read
About the author
Maureen McKade
21 books35 followersMaureen McKade has been making up stories since the moment she learned to read, write and string sentences together. Her first book, "Winter Hearts", published in 1997 was a finalist in the Romance Writers of America's (RWA) Golden Heart contest, then a finalist in RWA's RITA for best first book. Since then, she's written thirteen more books and a short story for an anthology.
She taught middle school science for three years then held a variety of jobs--bookstore clerk, administrative assistant, customer service manager, department manager, and pharmacy technician--until she settling on writing. (Or, more aptly, until writing settled on her.)
Maureen and her husband, a retired Air Force officer, now live on 40 nature-filled acres in southwestern North Dakota with their two French Brittany Spaniels and three cats. Her eclectic list of leisure pursuits include long walks with hubby and their two dogs, reading, wildlife watching, golfing, bird hunting, and puttering around in the kitchen.
She taught middle school science for three years then held a variety of jobs--bookstore clerk, administrative assistant, customer service manager, department manager, and pharmacy technician--until she settling on writing. (Or, more aptly, until writing settled on her.)
Maureen and her husband, a retired Air Force officer, now live on 40 nature-filled acres in southwestern North Dakota with their two French Brittany Spaniels and three cats. Her eclectic list of leisure pursuits include long walks with hubby and their two dogs, reading, wildlife watching, golfing, bird hunting, and puttering around in the kitchen.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
January 1, 2016
Set after the civil war… this book shows the hard times and after effects from the war.
Laurel is a widowed, ex-confederate nurse, who is suffering from what we now know is PTSD. She is traveling alone to deliver last messages to the families of twenty-one men who died in her care.
Creede is a widowed, ex-gun for hire, who is traveling to seek answers about his son, who was killed in the war.
They meet up when Laurel is held up by two men and Creede comes to her aid. Creede beomes her unwanted protector and they travel together.
Two people alone in the world, one who is afraid to let anyone get close again and one who longs to have someone to share their life with. Creede's kindness works its way through Laurel’s aloofness and they grow to care for one another. Their love is slow building and there is a lot that Laurel had to work though, but with Creede's constant, sometimes unwanted help, she did.
I loved reading about their journey! Well written. I really enjoyed this book!
Thank you again, Jill for recommending this to me! :)
Laurel is a widowed, ex-confederate nurse, who is suffering from what we now know is PTSD. She is traveling alone to deliver last messages to the families of twenty-one men who died in her care.
Creede is a widowed, ex-gun for hire, who is traveling to seek answers about his son, who was killed in the war.
They meet up when Laurel is held up by two men and Creede comes to her aid. Creede beomes her unwanted protector and they travel together.
Two people alone in the world, one who is afraid to let anyone get close again and one who longs to have someone to share their life with. Creede's kindness works its way through Laurel’s aloofness and they grow to care for one another. Their love is slow building and there is a lot that Laurel had to work though, but with Creede's constant, sometimes unwanted help, she did.
I loved reading about their journey! Well written. I really enjoyed this book!
Thank you again, Jill for recommending this to me! :)
February 27, 2016
This book would have gotten 5 stars from me, if it focused on the romantic relationship more.
Laurel, a widow of a confederate officer was on a journey of redemption. She recorded 21 messages of dying soldiers who died in her care and promised to deliver their last messages to their loved ones. She met Creede when she was 2/3 through the 21 messages. Creede saved her from being attacked by 2 men and he stuck by her, for reasons he could not explain.
When Laurel delivered the first message in the book, before 15%, I cried. The message from the dying young man, to his wife and parents. It was the idea of lost dreams that really got to me. A life which had such hopes, lost. It is a difficult book to read in the sense that the subject matter is so heavy. Maybe there are fights worth dying for. I don't know. I just hate the idea of dying for a lofty cause. Reading about Laurel's journey and her delivering the messages to the families was difficult for me. Each of them, grief stricken, but life went on. Such is life.
I cannot put my thoughts on the topic together coherently. I can only say that the book was an admirable attempt to capture the humanity in the post-war society, when people dealt with losses and regrets. I felt that the emotions could have been better explored, but nonetheless, it was an admirable try.
Laurel and Creede, could have been a even better couple in the story if the story spent a little more time on their growing attraction and how they circled each other with caution before they finally came together physically. I really liked that they got to know each other and took the time to let each other find their way back to sanity. But a little more intensity in the physical section would have really made the story special. This physical part is rather downplayed but then, Laurel at 27 and Creede at 38 were both too level-headed and mature to be overcome with lust. However, I still think the writer could have "observed" more heat between Laurel and Creede.
Some may find it boring to read about Laurel delivering the messages. This is a romance after all, and I personally would have liked to read more about Laurel and Creede's romantic relationship. But at the end of the days, I felt for those people who were left behind. Perhaps it was the writer's way of paying respect to those lost lives, to yield more pages to their loved ones.
Laurel, a widow of a confederate officer was on a journey of redemption. She recorded 21 messages of dying soldiers who died in her care and promised to deliver their last messages to their loved ones. She met Creede when she was 2/3 through the 21 messages. Creede saved her from being attacked by 2 men and he stuck by her, for reasons he could not explain.
When Laurel delivered the first message in the book, before 15%, I cried. The message from the dying young man, to his wife and parents. It was the idea of lost dreams that really got to me. A life which had such hopes, lost. It is a difficult book to read in the sense that the subject matter is so heavy. Maybe there are fights worth dying for. I don't know. I just hate the idea of dying for a lofty cause. Reading about Laurel's journey and her delivering the messages to the families was difficult for me. Each of them, grief stricken, but life went on. Such is life.
I cannot put my thoughts on the topic together coherently. I can only say that the book was an admirable attempt to capture the humanity in the post-war society, when people dealt with losses and regrets. I felt that the emotions could have been better explored, but nonetheless, it was an admirable try.
Laurel and Creede, could have been a even better couple in the story if the story spent a little more time on their growing attraction and how they circled each other with caution before they finally came together physically. I really liked that they got to know each other and took the time to let each other find their way back to sanity. But a little more intensity in the physical section would have really made the story special. This physical part is rather downplayed but then, Laurel at 27 and Creede at 38 were both too level-headed and mature to be overcome with lust. However, I still think the writer could have "observed" more heat between Laurel and Creede.
Some may find it boring to read about Laurel delivering the messages. This is a romance after all, and I personally would have liked to read more about Laurel and Creede's romantic relationship. But at the end of the days, I felt for those people who were left behind. Perhaps it was the writer's way of paying respect to those lost lives, to yield more pages to their loved ones.
February 23, 2015
Very well done historical romance but one that I think that non romance readers would enjoy. This is the story of a Civil War nurse who, after the war, travels around delivering soldiers last words to their families. She is joined along the way by the father of one of the boys who died at her hospital. This was not just a wallpaper historical. The people and the situations felt real and true to their times. There was a bit of coincidence about how easily she found each family but I accepted it as necessary to move the plot along. There was a lot of sadness in the book of course because of the subject matter but the two of them found each other in the end. Also the heroine suffered greatly from PTSD which of course wasn't recognized then and she was sure that she was going crazy.
First of a trilogy.
First of a trilogy.
December 12, 2010
Being a nurse, the premise of this book grabbed me. Laurel, a Civil War nurse, is contacting the families of expired patients and sharing their last words. She suffers from PTSD and guilt. I won't give the reason, as it would be a spoiler. But I could relate to that, also, having been a triage nurse.
Creed has lost his wife and his son, and so his reasons for living. He's an inherently strong man, and even though he's lost, he remains strong. Laurel fears she's going insane and will soon be in an asylum.
There is introspection, sorrow, anger, kindness, compassion and it's all believable. Their mutual attraction is believable, too. It grows slowly, and Laurel's motivation for holding herself back is also believable. The ending was satisfying, altogether an enjoyable read.
Creed has lost his wife and his son, and so his reasons for living. He's an inherently strong man, and even though he's lost, he remains strong. Laurel fears she's going insane and will soon be in an asylum.
There is introspection, sorrow, anger, kindness, compassion and it's all believable. Their mutual attraction is believable, too. It grows slowly, and Laurel's motivation for holding herself back is also believable. The ending was satisfying, altogether an enjoyable read.
June 9, 2011
This is a post-Civil War western romance, and a pretty darn good one, too. I'm not a fan of westerns, but I am a fan of good writing and good romance, which is why I picked this book up. It's gotten some really good reviews, and I enjoy books that deal with the history of medicine, so despite the melodramatic title, I gave this a try.
Laurel, the heroine, was a field nurse during the war and she's haunted by guilt for not saving more lives. She also suffers from nightmares of the sights she's seen. While we would diagnose this as PTSD today, no such understanding existed in the nineteenth-century, so the heroine believes that she's going mad. The only thing that is keeping her going is her personal mission to pass on the last words of dying soldiers to the loved ones they left behind.
When we first meet Laurel, she is reaching the end of her mission, with only four or five families left to visit. The tension comes from her own fear about what will happen once she has completed her self-imposed duty. The reader understands that she will have nothing left to live for. Until she meets Creede Forrester. His name really annoyed me, but I got over it. He's an ex-gunslinger who lost both his son and his wife. He's at loose ends and decides to escort Laurel on her final handful of visits. Along the way, they run into trouble and slowly grow to trust each other.
I really enjoyed this book. The heroine is very prickly, which might annoy some readers, but the author does a great job of explaining why--the heroine doesn't trust herself, and she's seen just about everyone she cares for die or abandon her. While this is clearly a historical road romance, the romance itself is subtle. While there is mutual lust happening, both characters behave like adults rather than randy teenagers. I found the pace fast, with quite a bit of action. For me it was a nice change of pace from Regency-era historicals. I recommend it to readers who like western romance and fiction with a medical theme.
Laurel, the heroine, was a field nurse during the war and she's haunted by guilt for not saving more lives. She also suffers from nightmares of the sights she's seen. While we would diagnose this as PTSD today, no such understanding existed in the nineteenth-century, so the heroine believes that she's going mad. The only thing that is keeping her going is her personal mission to pass on the last words of dying soldiers to the loved ones they left behind.
When we first meet Laurel, she is reaching the end of her mission, with only four or five families left to visit. The tension comes from her own fear about what will happen once she has completed her self-imposed duty. The reader understands that she will have nothing left to live for. Until she meets Creede Forrester. His name really annoyed me, but I got over it. He's an ex-gunslinger who lost both his son and his wife. He's at loose ends and decides to escort Laurel on her final handful of visits. Along the way, they run into trouble and slowly grow to trust each other.
I really enjoyed this book. The heroine is very prickly, which might annoy some readers, but the author does a great job of explaining why--the heroine doesn't trust herself, and she's seen just about everyone she cares for die or abandon her. While this is clearly a historical road romance, the romance itself is subtle. While there is mutual lust happening, both characters behave like adults rather than randy teenagers. I found the pace fast, with quite a bit of action. For me it was a nice change of pace from Regency-era historicals. I recommend it to readers who like western romance and fiction with a medical theme.
September 16, 2017
AMAZING
loved the hero
loved the hero
October 5, 2020
My first book by this author and I really enjoyed it. A very captivating civil war historical romance.
January 1, 2020
This review originally appeared at All About Romance: http://www.likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/boo...
Grade: A
Sensuality: Warm
My Desert Island Keepers are those in which the author has given me something to think about beyond the romance and the two people involved. A Reason to Live does that by extending what could be an ordinary on-the-road story into a commentary essential to all of us.
In fact, McKade’s entire series provides that zap to the soul that many seek when reading. Certainly, there are the requisite three brothers linking the books together and the tacky misleading covers that don’t give readers a hint of the gritty subject matter or the gut-wrenching plots. But what McKade gives readers besides a good romance is the visceral shock we look for in fiction.
Of the trio, this one is the most compelling. Out of the hundreds of men she looked after, Civil War nurse and widow Laurel Covey has collected the wishes of 21 dying soldiers in a little black book. Some have even given her mementos to pass along to their wives and families. At the war’s end with her Southern soldier husband dead, leaving Northerner Laurel estranged from her family, she sets off with her book and memories to visit the families of those soldiers. She wants to bring what we now call closure to the families and, if possible, to herself. Although she suffers nightmares and ghostly visions of the men who died and the wretched battlefield conditions, she is bound by her promises to the dead.
A woman traveling alone at the tumultuous end of the Civil War, however, is a target. In Tennessee, as she is surrounded by ruffians intent on robbing and raping her, she is saved by widower Creede Forrester who has left his cotton farm in Texas to find the nurse he’s been told was the last to see his sixteen-year-old son. Providentially, he saves Laurel, the woman he seeks.
Laurel can tell him nothing because his son, whose name she found on a warrant card in his pocket, was brought in dead, unlike his companion, a friend from an adjoining farm. Bereft, Creede decides to travel back to Texas with Laurel who has a message for the friend's family, even though her route is a circuitous one as she visits the last four families on her list.
Once a hired gun, Creede feels as if the past twenty years of his life have been nothing but a waste. Having found the right woman, he was content to put up his guns and become a farmer, only to have his wife shot dead in front of him. Rebuilding his life with his son and adhering to his wife’s plea that he resist turning to guns again, he tried to persuade the boy not to run off to war. Now with his son dead, Creede has nowhere to go and nothing to live for. He does, however, feel protective of Laurel knowing the lawlessness surrounding them.
As love stories go, this one is rough and harsh. The grueling journey through the hot, dry land, abused by ravaging soldiers and plucked clean by scavengers, is a far cry from the civilized trappings and slight misunderstandings that make up so many romances. Courtship on their ragged journey consists of a meal or two in rundown hotels and boarding houses or the little courtesies they extend each other as they camp by the wayside.
All the while Creede watches stoic Laurel as she unravels from what we now call PTSD. Creede admires her for her tenacity, her commitment to promises given in stressful times, and her respect for others, but he’s alarmed when she tries to wash away blood only she can see or talks to her ghostly patients.
Throughout the book, Creede and Laurel struggle to find a reason to live after everything they love has died and watching death take innocent people time and again. The answer, as it is in all romances, is found in their love for each other and in their future together. It’s also found in the little bright spots along the way: A tenacious kitten that adopts them, the stubborn mule that makes them laugh, and the sunrises and sunsets that remind them they are surrounded by beauty if they only look for it. Their journey becomes a survival story that guides the couple toward hope when each of them at first sees nothing but hopelessness.
Ultimately, McKade’s novel asks readers what they live for and reminds them of all the people who work daily to care for those whose reasons may seem to be dwindling. All of this and a love story too, what more can a reader ask?
Grade: A
Sensuality: Warm
My Desert Island Keepers are those in which the author has given me something to think about beyond the romance and the two people involved. A Reason to Live does that by extending what could be an ordinary on-the-road story into a commentary essential to all of us.
In fact, McKade’s entire series provides that zap to the soul that many seek when reading. Certainly, there are the requisite three brothers linking the books together and the tacky misleading covers that don’t give readers a hint of the gritty subject matter or the gut-wrenching plots. But what McKade gives readers besides a good romance is the visceral shock we look for in fiction.
Of the trio, this one is the most compelling. Out of the hundreds of men she looked after, Civil War nurse and widow Laurel Covey has collected the wishes of 21 dying soldiers in a little black book. Some have even given her mementos to pass along to their wives and families. At the war’s end with her Southern soldier husband dead, leaving Northerner Laurel estranged from her family, she sets off with her book and memories to visit the families of those soldiers. She wants to bring what we now call closure to the families and, if possible, to herself. Although she suffers nightmares and ghostly visions of the men who died and the wretched battlefield conditions, she is bound by her promises to the dead.
A woman traveling alone at the tumultuous end of the Civil War, however, is a target. In Tennessee, as she is surrounded by ruffians intent on robbing and raping her, she is saved by widower Creede Forrester who has left his cotton farm in Texas to find the nurse he’s been told was the last to see his sixteen-year-old son. Providentially, he saves Laurel, the woman he seeks.
Laurel can tell him nothing because his son, whose name she found on a warrant card in his pocket, was brought in dead, unlike his companion, a friend from an adjoining farm. Bereft, Creede decides to travel back to Texas with Laurel who has a message for the friend's family, even though her route is a circuitous one as she visits the last four families on her list.
Once a hired gun, Creede feels as if the past twenty years of his life have been nothing but a waste. Having found the right woman, he was content to put up his guns and become a farmer, only to have his wife shot dead in front of him. Rebuilding his life with his son and adhering to his wife’s plea that he resist turning to guns again, he tried to persuade the boy not to run off to war. Now with his son dead, Creede has nowhere to go and nothing to live for. He does, however, feel protective of Laurel knowing the lawlessness surrounding them.
As love stories go, this one is rough and harsh. The grueling journey through the hot, dry land, abused by ravaging soldiers and plucked clean by scavengers, is a far cry from the civilized trappings and slight misunderstandings that make up so many romances. Courtship on their ragged journey consists of a meal or two in rundown hotels and boarding houses or the little courtesies they extend each other as they camp by the wayside.
All the while Creede watches stoic Laurel as she unravels from what we now call PTSD. Creede admires her for her tenacity, her commitment to promises given in stressful times, and her respect for others, but he’s alarmed when she tries to wash away blood only she can see or talks to her ghostly patients.
Throughout the book, Creede and Laurel struggle to find a reason to live after everything they love has died and watching death take innocent people time and again. The answer, as it is in all romances, is found in their love for each other and in their future together. It’s also found in the little bright spots along the way: A tenacious kitten that adopts them, the stubborn mule that makes them laugh, and the sunrises and sunsets that remind them they are surrounded by beauty if they only look for it. Their journey becomes a survival story that guides the couple toward hope when each of them at first sees nothing but hopelessness.
Ultimately, McKade’s novel asks readers what they live for and reminds them of all the people who work daily to care for those whose reasons may seem to be dwindling. All of this and a love story too, what more can a reader ask?
February 16, 2015
Esta historia ha sido un soplo de aire fresco. Ha sido original, intensa, realista…me ha encantado.
La historia de amor se construye poco a poco, sin prisas, los personajes pasan por un montón de fases antes de llegar al enamoramiento, y tienen que luchar contra demonios que son muy reales para conseguir su final feliz.
Ha sido muy original porque los roles están intercambiados, es la primera vez que leo que el personaje femenino es el que sufre , este papel había sido siempre el del hombre, y las experiencias que ha vivido Lauren justifican sobradamente su comportamiento posterior, es desgarrador y realista.
El bagaje de Creede no es menos importante aunque esté más visto, pero la autora lo trata con muchísima elegancia, no cayendo en el melodrama del que tanto abusa este género.
En fin, una historia realista, original y que me ha dejado con ganas de más…
Totalmente recomendable.
This story has been refreshing. It had been original, intense, realistic... I was delighted.
The romance is built gradually, without haste, the characters go through a lot of phases before falling in love, and they have to fight against their demons, which are very real, to get their HEA.
It has been very original because the roles are exchanged, it is the first time that I read that the female character is suffering , this role had always belong to the man, and the experiences that Lauren has lived amply justify her behavior, is it heart wrenching and realistic.
The background of Creede is not less important although it is more common, but the author treats it with a great deal of elegance, not falling into melodrama.
All in all, a realistic, original history and that has left me wanting more...
Highly recommendable.
La historia de amor se construye poco a poco, sin prisas, los personajes pasan por un montón de fases antes de llegar al enamoramiento, y tienen que luchar contra demonios que son muy reales para conseguir su final feliz.
Ha sido muy original porque los roles están intercambiados, es la primera vez que leo que el personaje femenino es el que sufre , este papel había sido siempre el del hombre, y las experiencias que ha vivido Lauren justifican sobradamente su comportamiento posterior, es desgarrador y realista.
El bagaje de Creede no es menos importante aunque esté más visto, pero la autora lo trata con muchísima elegancia, no cayendo en el melodrama del que tanto abusa este género.
En fin, una historia realista, original y que me ha dejado con ganas de más…
Totalmente recomendable.
This story has been refreshing. It had been original, intense, realistic... I was delighted.
The romance is built gradually, without haste, the characters go through a lot of phases before falling in love, and they have to fight against their demons, which are very real, to get their HEA.
It has been very original because the roles are exchanged, it is the first time that I read that the female character is suffering , this role had always belong to the man, and the experiences that Lauren has lived amply justify her behavior, is it heart wrenching and realistic.
The background of Creede is not less important although it is more common, but the author treats it with a great deal of elegance, not falling into melodrama.
All in all, a realistic, original history and that has left me wanting more...
Highly recommendable.
July 20, 2015
Wendy recommended this book as one of the best she'd read recently. She's right. The setting is well drawn out, with the poverty induced by Reconstruction showing its effects on families, Confederate soldiers, widows, and former slaves. Our heroine, who was a nurse for the Confederates, is from the North. While she abhors slavery, she remained loyal to her Southern husband and felt that nursing soldiers, most of whom had never owned a slave, was the right thing to do. This book is not just a romance. PTSD, not really recognized then, moral quandaries, social issues, and history are all covered. Thanks, Wendy, for recommending this!
May 26, 2017
*trigger*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2018
I debated between three and four start but seeing as I most likely won't read this book again, then it is more of a three star for me.
While the whole plot of delivering last messages was touching and the journey through the healing process of the Hero and Heroine was great, the romance isn't really that much. It was quite mature and gradual but sometimes felt like an after thought.
If Hero and Heroine had married for convenience earlier and the worked their way through their issues.... Now that is a story I would have given 4 or 5 stars depending on how it is presented.
While the whole plot of delivering last messages was touching and the journey through the healing process of the Hero and Heroine was great, the romance isn't really that much. It was quite mature and gradual but sometimes felt like an after thought.
If Hero and Heroine had married for convenience earlier and the worked their way through their issues.... Now that is a story I would have given 4 or 5 stars depending on how it is presented.
January 4, 2026
Luke is a decent hero, honorable, scarred by war, and reluctant to love. He checks all the boxes for a tortured Western protagonist. The romance is sweet and has a nice slow-burn quality, but at times their hesitation to be together felt more like a plot device than a genuine character obstacle. I wanted them to just communicate instead of brooding separately for chapters on end.
August 18, 2017
Very well done historical romance novel.
July 14, 2020
good book
did-not-read
December 1, 2020decided not to read
June 13, 2019
Civil War Nurse Laurel Covey is a poster child for “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.” From reading this book, it is easy to understand why so many doctors committed suicide and/or became terminal drunks after the Civil War. Through Maureen McKade’s words, the reader can feel Laurel Covey’s anguish.
Although not physically injured in the war, Laurel Covey carries terrific grief; she was a triage nurse for the Confederacy (triage nurses decide who can be saved and who is too far gone). She suffers because she feels that she has been forced to act as God and determine the fates of the men who come to her hospital.
Laurel still suffers for her beliefs; her Massachusetts’ parents disowned her for marrying a Virginia man, who died at Gettysburg. Laurel's husband (Robert’s) family wants nothing to do with her. As a way to cope with the constant death around her, Laurel writes down the final words of the soldiers in her care. She promises to deliver their final words (and mementos) to their loved ones.
After the war ends, Laurel begins her solitary travels to share the notes in her journal to the bereaved family members. Along the way, two starving Confederate ex-soldiers accost her and threaten to rob and assault her. While they are pulling her from her wagon, an ex-bounty hunter, Creede Forrester comes upon the scene and saves her.
He received notice that his son had been wounded in the war and has ridden from Texas to take his son back home. While in Virginia, he finds that his son died and the last one to talk with him was Laurel Covey. He has been looking for her to find out what she knows.
Forrester thinks he has nothing to live for because both his wife and son are dead. When he talks with Laurel, he realizes that this spunky nurse could meet trouble again and decides to join her. Laurel thinks she has nothing to live for because neither family wants her and she is alone.
The varying responses to Laurel’s information are so surprising, but appropriate to the people and the difficult time in the South after the war. Laurel is often staggered by the anger some families vent on her. Although she was angry with Forrester for joining her, she begins to rely on his reliability and concern for her.
The author captures the emotional turmoil Laurel and Creede are feeling. This is an emotional story that will stay with me for a long time.
Forrester Brothers
1. A Reason to Live (2006)
2. A Reason to Believe (2007)
3. A Reason to Sin (2008)
Although not physically injured in the war, Laurel Covey carries terrific grief; she was a triage nurse for the Confederacy (triage nurses decide who can be saved and who is too far gone). She suffers because she feels that she has been forced to act as God and determine the fates of the men who come to her hospital.
Laurel still suffers for her beliefs; her Massachusetts’ parents disowned her for marrying a Virginia man, who died at Gettysburg. Laurel's husband (Robert’s) family wants nothing to do with her. As a way to cope with the constant death around her, Laurel writes down the final words of the soldiers in her care. She promises to deliver their final words (and mementos) to their loved ones.
After the war ends, Laurel begins her solitary travels to share the notes in her journal to the bereaved family members. Along the way, two starving Confederate ex-soldiers accost her and threaten to rob and assault her. While they are pulling her from her wagon, an ex-bounty hunter, Creede Forrester comes upon the scene and saves her.
He received notice that his son had been wounded in the war and has ridden from Texas to take his son back home. While in Virginia, he finds that his son died and the last one to talk with him was Laurel Covey. He has been looking for her to find out what she knows.
Forrester thinks he has nothing to live for because both his wife and son are dead. When he talks with Laurel, he realizes that this spunky nurse could meet trouble again and decides to join her. Laurel thinks she has nothing to live for because neither family wants her and she is alone.
The varying responses to Laurel’s information are so surprising, but appropriate to the people and the difficult time in the South after the war. Laurel is often staggered by the anger some families vent on her. Although she was angry with Forrester for joining her, she begins to rely on his reliability and concern for her.
The author captures the emotional turmoil Laurel and Creede are feeling. This is an emotional story that will stay with me for a long time.
Forrester Brothers
1. A Reason to Live (2006)
2. A Reason to Believe (2007)
3. A Reason to Sin (2008)
January 5, 2024
I loved the story – the romance was the guilty pleasure!!
The male and female characters were strong, brave and just plain fun to read about. I know by the third chapter whether I will keep a book – this book had me at the prologue – a very rare occurrence for me. Two tortured people who find one another. They didn’t fall in love immediately nor did they fall in bed immediately – loved it. They worked out everything thrown their way –together. I could see the ending a mile away – but still enjoyed reading to the end.
When I can cheer on the hero and heroine and hope that they get together, when I enjoy each moment they spend together and when I even enjoy each person they meet along their journey – that’s a book to keep and read again and again!! And after a re-read I enjoy the story so much that I will make it a favorite book . Their chemistry and the relationship also put this book on my favorite couple list. I love this book so much that when the book I owned began to fall apart and pages started to separate from the center of the book - I went through the internet finding an online used bookstore and obtained another book!!
BEST USE OF: PTSD, a feral cat, a journal, the American Civil War and a mule.
ALPHA MALE 10
SPUNKY HEROINE 10
TRAVELLING FROM VIRGINIA TO TEXAS (a two hour plane ride today – 1 month trip by horse in 1865) 10+
HOT SEX 10
HEA(HAPPILY EVER AFTER) Yes,yes yes !!
PROLOGUE/EPILOGUE Both – a rare treat – and both were very satisfying.
Rating System
10 - Perfect! - on keeper shelf
Heat Level
4 – Hot – a hot lovemaking scene with not a lot of detail
COVER: The cover - covers the story perfectly!!!
HOLLYWOOD CALLING: This book should be made into a movie - the book almost reads like a screenplay.
The male and female characters were strong, brave and just plain fun to read about. I know by the third chapter whether I will keep a book – this book had me at the prologue – a very rare occurrence for me. Two tortured people who find one another. They didn’t fall in love immediately nor did they fall in bed immediately – loved it. They worked out everything thrown their way –together. I could see the ending a mile away – but still enjoyed reading to the end.
When I can cheer on the hero and heroine and hope that they get together, when I enjoy each moment they spend together and when I even enjoy each person they meet along their journey – that’s a book to keep and read again and again!! And after a re-read I enjoy the story so much that I will make it a favorite book . Their chemistry and the relationship also put this book on my favorite couple list. I love this book so much that when the book I owned began to fall apart and pages started to separate from the center of the book - I went through the internet finding an online used bookstore and obtained another book!!
BEST USE OF: PTSD, a feral cat, a journal, the American Civil War and a mule.
ALPHA MALE 10
SPUNKY HEROINE 10
TRAVELLING FROM VIRGINIA TO TEXAS (a two hour plane ride today – 1 month trip by horse in 1865) 10+
HOT SEX 10
HEA(HAPPILY EVER AFTER) Yes,yes yes !!
PROLOGUE/EPILOGUE Both – a rare treat – and both were very satisfying.
Rating System
10 - Perfect! - on keeper shelf
Heat Level
4 – Hot – a hot lovemaking scene with not a lot of detail
COVER: The cover - covers the story perfectly!!!
HOLLYWOOD CALLING: This book should be made into a movie - the book almost reads like a screenplay.
August 2, 2014
During the Civil War, Confederate nurse Laurel Covey nursed and comforted the injured and dying. She kept a journal of the soldiers names and last words as they died, promising to deliver these messages after the war. Creede Forester has traveled from Texas to Virginia to find word of his 16-year-old son. When he stumbles across Laurel during her journey, it pains her to tell of his son's death, knowing that he blames himself for driving his son away. Since Laurel is delivering her sad news to families all through the south, Creede decides to accompany her on her journey.
This was a very unique story. Laurel is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after seeing the results of the war in the form of dead and suffering soldiers. She believes that she should have been able to save more of the injured soldiers. Creede is trying to come to grips with his wife's and son's deaths. Together they are both hurting in different ways, but drawn to each other as well. My rating: 4.5 Stars.
This was a very unique story. Laurel is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after seeing the results of the war in the form of dead and suffering soldiers. She believes that she should have been able to save more of the injured soldiers. Creede is trying to come to grips with his wife's and son's deaths. Together they are both hurting in different ways, but drawn to each other as well. My rating: 4.5 Stars.
July 24, 2016
This book received such a low rating because I failed to connect or empathise with Laurel, even until the end of the book. I found her pretentious and judgemental, despite being told how non-judgemental she was her actions showed otherwise. Creede suffered from being one dimensional. Why would he feel such strong protectiveness over a stranger? There were too many incongruencies for me to enjoy the story and the off-hand way the author chose to deal with the issue of slavery was insulting and callous (she should have just left it out if she felt she couldn't do more - it would have been far better than what was done).
June 27, 2016
Not bad. Northern nurse whose husband was a Virginian, worked for the CSA during the Civil War. She is now delivering her patient's last words to their relatives and she suffers from PTSD. She meets up with a Texan who was searching for info on his son only to learn the son died. He elects to travel with her while she completes her list.
All in all a good read with one glaring error. In chapter 18, the soldier is described in her journal entry as a corporal but later in the chapter he's been busted down to private. Big difference there.
All in all a good read with one glaring error. In chapter 18, the soldier is described in her journal entry as a corporal but later in the chapter he's been busted down to private. Big difference there.
December 21, 2021
Subtely Antiwar
A very different look at the post civil war era. It is not a feel good book. But it is a good book. The slow moving romance totally works . The cast of characters are flawed but believable. Very nicely done
A very different look at the post civil war era. It is not a feel good book. But it is a good book. The slow moving romance totally works . The cast of characters are flawed but believable. Very nicely done
September 1, 2008
ordered 8/6
August 2, 2011
This is a re-read for me. I remember loving this book, but now it's a 4 1/2 star instead of five. There where times when Laurel got on my nerves. I'll do a review soon though.
October 20, 2012
Surprisingly good.
Definitely not a bodice ripper.
She is a 27 yo widowed RN with PTSD.
He is a 40 yo widower whose son died during the Civil War
Definitely not a bodice ripper.
She is a 27 yo widowed RN with PTSD.
He is a 40 yo widower whose son died during the Civil War
December 7, 2012
Very interesting premise. You learn a lot about the civil war. Especially interesting (to this Yankee) to see the southern side.
November 2, 2014
A very moving story.
A very moving story of courage, despair, loss, love and hope. Looking forward to be next book. Well written story.
A very moving story of courage, despair, loss, love and hope. Looking forward to be next book. Well written story.
April 28, 2015
Creede
First of the Forrester series Freddie and laurel have ghosts to deal with in their pasts but love and forgiveness helps them
First of the Forrester series Freddie and laurel have ghosts to deal with in their pasts but love and forgiveness helps them
July 28, 2016
3 1/2
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