Melissa Miller is tired of being alone. Angry, bitter and jaded, she is fully aware that her marriage prospects are horribly slim after the war. With the threat of outlaws raiding towns nearby, her very safety, as well as her mother’s, is at risk. She cannot afford to have her chance at happiness whisked away. But just when she thought she couldn’t take much more and had lost her faith, he walked into her world. Gideon is full of laughter, an inner light and a buoyant personality that she craves… but he is harboring a secret.
Gideon Ashton waltzed into the small north Texas town on a wing and a prayer. A request for help to protect the citizens had been passed to him and it felt like divine guidance when he met Melissa. He happened upon the lonely young woman one afternoon, causing a flutter in his stomach and a rush of feelings that had been locked away. She’s everything that he felt was missing in his life and more, causing a fierce yearning for a future he’d never considered before.
Melissa had clutched at the bitterness, solitude and anger inside of her for so long. Hope, love and the possibility of living happily ever after one day is suddenly squashed when she realizes that Gideon’s past and the dangers of life in the saddle could take him from her at any moment. Can they find love, a renewed faith, and acceptance in each other when the need arises?
Ginny Sterling is an avid romance writer. She lives to tell sweet, inspirational, tender tales that tug at the heart, leaving the reader smiling, laughing, or crying. Her book series include many titles such as FLYBOYS, Healing Hearts, Flirt’s Battalion, Reserve Ranch, Hotshots, and more.
Each book written is sure to be an adventure, bringing laughter and love to your heart!
I connected with these two characters and this story from the very beginning! I loved this book! You really feel for Melissa. It's after the Civil War and she doesn't have any romantic prospects, not much money and her mother is deep in grief after the loss of her husband. This could sound like a depressing start but rather I was rooting for her! I knew she was going to make something happen! I also love that Melissa is a BARBER! In that day and age, how progressive is that??!! Into the barber shop one day walks Texas Ranger, Gideon Ashton, and changes Melissa's world. I absolutely loved Gideon's character! He was such fun! He not only won over Melissa but her mother also! You have to read this book just to see what a wonderful character he is! However, he holds a secret and it might change everything..... Read the story and see how this book goes. It will stay with you long after you have read it! I promise! I got this book from the author to read but wasn't required to review it. These opinions are my own - I loved this book!
I enjoyed this story that is part of a new series, A Texas Lawkeeper Romance, by a group of talented authors. Each story in the series will read as a stand-alone and can be read in any order. The stories will all feature law enforcement heroes and the women who love them. The stories are sweet, clean based stories where the lawman finds his woman. Each will read as a stand-alone book. While this story has Christian elements, it is not preachy.
The year, 1867, several years after the end of the War Between The States, but the effect is still prevalent. For the Miller family, it has been a slow and agonizing loss as Mr. Miller’s leg injury finally takes his life. For others in town, their loved one never returned. Now, men are showing up in town, but many of them are riff-raff, and that also brings Texas Rangers to try and keep the town safe. While this story is more about Texas Ranger Gideon Ashton and Melissa Miller, it also has a secondary story of Jeremiah Ellington and widow, Ava Buchannan.
From the time she was a young girl, Melissa Miller watched her father in his barber show, eventually learning the proper way to cut hair and give a man a shave. During the war, she ran the shop, and then when her father returned injured, she continued the tradition, supporting the family. A newcomer to town, Gideon Ashton is a Texas Ranger. From the moment he steps in the barber show, there is a connection and strong attraction between Melissa and Gideon. While they walk together and share kisses, his intentions towards her a vague, leaving her hurt and confused. He is a man coping with life after the war, and she is hoping for a future.
While they attend events in town and even church, he never comes out and asks her to marry him; he only implies it will happen. Then the green-eyed monster rears its ugly head when widow Ava Buchannan is once again to marry. What will it take for Melissa and Gideon to find their happiness?
“I thought you liked to spin your partners around?” She asked, changing subjects. “Am I not your dance partner?” --Melissa
“Darling, you are my only partner.” --Gideon
“You know,” he began, “sometimes when you struggle the most, you find that something happens to make you realize what path you should take. Miss Miller, take all the time you need. The doors are always open here.” --Pastor Smith
“Didn’t you ever want something so badly that when it didn’t happen, you felt lost?” –Melissa
Gideon is seeking a new life away from the war, the effect on his body, the disappointment to his family in West Virginia, and wants to find peace and happiness. Melissa feels that with the war, the losses, and even the lack of men that she will never have her happily ever after—but then she met Gideon Ashton. Will these two find the love and happiness they both desire?
“That was a different life, a different me. I’ve found my reason for life. You.”
I loved this book! I couldn’t put it down until I finished. I enjoyed the characters in the book. I especially liked Melissa, who seemed shy but yet when it came to Gideon not so much. The story has much humor but has serious parts as well. The romances going on seemed contagious, hope there will be more to come from this book! Ginny Sterling has out done herself with this book! This is a definite must read!
The description for the story has as much depth as the entire book. Gideon shows up at Melissa's barbershop and there's instant attraction. He shows up again the next day and, despite being a proper Southern Lady, they're kissing on the porch...From there, he's kissing her senseless in between periods where she feels like he's avoiding her. We are told the "Hero" is a lawman, but we never see him working. It felt like the entire story was physical attraction with no real foundation. I was looking forward to reading about another lawman but he could have been a janitor or a farmer for all the character development and detail there was.
When Gideon comes in Melissa’s barbershop he swept her off her feet. He was just what she and her mother needed. He seems so confident but was he really? Can love and hope grow while they build a home together? This enjoyable story is a great addition to the Lawkeepers series.