A Lady for Luke

Lilac City #3

by Donna K. Weaver

She’s a high-society lady fleeing her family’s shame. He’s a simple rancher. Is love enough to bridge their differences? After being disowned a decade ago, rancher Luke Hamblin has worked hard to make it on his own. His younger sisters suddenly join him but he loves having family around him again. He finds himself drawn to his new brother-in-law’s beautiful sister Judith, even though she acts like she’s too good for the lowly folks of Lilac City. When a bitter winter strikes early, he starts losing cattle to apparent wolf attacks. But why is his herd the only one suffering losses? Escaping a family scandal that resulted in a broken engagement, Judith Breckinridge has joined her brother in Wyoming. As a protection from further rejection, she holds herself aloof. Luke is the one man she wishes to get closer to, but he keeps calling her "sister." When they're tasked with working together on the Christmas Fair, can she prove to him she’s more than a felon's daughter? Books in the Lilac City Romance Series

Genres: Westerns, Historical, Historical Romance, Novella, Romance

170 pages, ebook

Published December 6, 2019

About the author

USA Today best-selling and award-winning author - wife-mother-grandmother-Navy brat-Army veteran-karate black belt-Harry Potter nerd-online gamer.

Reviews

[Mara · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up.

Another love story from Lilac City. This time it isn't another Lancaster sister finding love, it's their older half brother Luke. Luke took in his three sisters several months ago when their father died and their uncle tried to marry them off to some of his business partners. After living on his own for 10 years, Luke enjoys having his sisters with him even if they are getting married and moving out. Middle sister Doris was the latest one to get married and now Luke finds himself in the odd position of being attracted to his new sister-in-law, Judith Breckinridge.

Judith is surprised to find herself attracted to rancher Luke Hamblin as he's not the type of man she'd planned to marry. Luke doesn't quite know what to think of his attraction to Judith because the woman runs hot and cold. Just when he thinks the cold exterior she puts up is beginning to thaw, her high-and-mighty attitude is back.

Judith has had a hard time adjusting to life in the small Wyoming town. She grew up being groomed to make an advantageous match in society, and looks down on the "uncultured and uneducated" people of Lilac City. It takes quite awhile for these two to work through their personal issues and for Judith to let the people of Lilac City in and show her true self to them.

The mystery surrounding the sisters' inheritance and their uncle gets another clue. One I hadn't thought of before. I can't wait to get the next story to find out how this mysterious part of the Lancaster sisters will end. Plus it will be Frances' story which I've been waiting for.

I own a copy of this book but listened to the audiobook. The narrator has done all the books in the series. She has a nice voice and does a great job.

[Julie Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady Judith was a character from the previous book in this series, A Dandy for Doris, whom I wasn't sure if I would like her when she first showed up. But as her character evolved, she became one who I was looking forward to finding her happy ever after and joy. And let me tell you that I wasn't disappointed. I loved watching Judith further grow and realize she is surrounded by that joy and love with her family and growing friends.

The book alternates between both Judith and Luke's point of view. If you haven't read any books in this series, Luke is the brother to three sisters, Maude, Doris and Francis, all of which have their own story in this series. I loved Luke's POV as he was drawn to Judith but unsure of how to approach her, knowing she was hurting and needing to heal from whatever had happened in her past. *happy sigh* Judith was shy and uncertain and every moment of her and Luke interacting, slowly started healing those cracks in her heart. It made for a sweet and tender story that I loved.

There are some ups and downs but nothing that two people who are true and good can't get through by working together. And let me tell you, there were several moments that Luke and Judith were put together to solve a problem or work towards helping others. I loved the lady's committee meeting when Luke and the other gentleman from the previous books walked in. Judith's reaction. It made me smile and chuckle.

The next book will be Luke's sister Francis. Yay! She's a spitfire and I can't wait to see who the Fella is that wins her hand.

Content: Clean. Some very mild kisses. Some mild moments of suspense/peril.

I received a copy from the author. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

[Donna Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story and the chemistry between Luke and Judith. All of the people in this little town are great. This is a really sweet, clean romance.

[Margaret Watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am always amazed at how many people who are aggressive, sarcastic and seem to be fully in control, are in fact falling apart inside and filled with self-doubt. Judith is one of those women who is carrying a burden that is far bigger than she and it is impossible to carry. Luke has had his share of heartache and his comments on being a hypocrite struck close to home. Having met Judith in a previous book, she is not easy to like, but with the right motivation her true colours come out and the small town of Lilac City comes to the place where they accept the high stepping lady. Luke has had his eye on Judith for some time, but for the wrong reasons. He is scared that she will hurt his sisters and cause trouble. It is only when he understands the load she is carrying that he comes to realise just how similar they are. Meanwhile, the danger that stalks his sisters is escalating and Luke has his hands full fending off those who are targetting the family. Through it all, Luke and Judith discover compatibility and a place of understanding, and it changes both of them. This novel is well written and the suspense from previous novels in the series is evident in this plot as well. Nevertheless, it is a standalone and comes to a joyful close. I received a copy of this book as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.

[Dorothy Roller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another awesome story in this series. I am loving this author's historical stories.

This third book in this series was really a good one, but like the other two, they all just had me from page 1. I really love Luke, the ranchers sisters came to, when their father died and their uncle somehow got control of taking care of them and their inheritance. But he's not a good man and his deceased brother didn't even like him. Anyway, the girls moved to Luke's Ranch in Wyoming to get away from the uncle. Now the two oldest are married but their older brother, Luke, isn't and probably should have been. His middle sister had just married another ranchers and that leaves his own sister who also moved to stay with him after family problems back in the East. She's had her eye on Luke since she arrived and he seemed to be a bit smitten with her too. But with so much going on with each of them, and trouble on Luke's ranch, will there ever be time to court his new brother in law sister or not.
I highly recommend all of the first three stories, as they are all excellent reading enjoyment. Now I can't wait for the fourth and I believe the last story, and I think it's going to be a wild story to boot.

[K B · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars
I received a free copy of the clean novella A Lady for Luke: A Lilac City Romance Novella book 3 by Donna K. Weaver and this review was given freely.
Rancher Luke Hamblin and his sister in law Judith finally set aside their insecurities and admit their feelings for eachother in this suspenseful and heartwarming clean romance featuring the town of Lilac's preparation for Christmas and Uncle William's latest plot to both ruin Luke and get the sisters back. The ending hook is intriguing offering a glimpse into the final sibling romance while lending suspicion to the girls' father's death.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been looking forward to this book for a while. I love the chemistry between Luke and Judith. This is a great opposites attract story. I enjoyed getting to know both Luke and Judith better and watching their romance blossom. I'm now anxious for Frances' book and enjoyed the epilogue tease.

[Donna Weaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yep, I'm the author so I'm biased. I loved Luke and Judith's love story.

[Maria Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find that I'm enjoying the story of these siblings finding love out in the wilds of the west. Only one more sister to go after this book. This one however, was about their brother who finds love with his new brother-in-law's beautiful but snobbish sister. It was nice to see Judith soften up around the edges and really try to adjust to the new life she has. And learn to appreciate those she previously thought of as her "lessers".

The mystery surrounding the girls' uncle is still there with only a clue here and there. It has been a slow resolve for that one but I expect it will resolve with the last sibling's book. And who better to resolve it than the spitfire Frances?

This is a quick read or in my case, listen. Perfect if you just want to curl up for a few hours. I still don't love the narrator but I've kind of gotten used to her over the three books.

Sex: no
Language: no
Violence: mild - dog attack, shooting
*I received a complimentary audio-book and voluntarily chose to review it.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is about three sisters and their one brother. They are about change and loss and finding love. This was Luke and Judy’s story. Judy has struggled with the losses she have been dealt and the change of her circumstances. She has been attracted to Luke for a while and he to her. But they have to find a way to move forward after their losses. This book also has some mystery in it like the rest of the series.

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really nice novella. The story has a very entertaining cast of characters that I enjoyed getting to know. It takes place just before Christmas for the most part, so the scenery is beautiful with lots of snow covering the ranches and town of Lilac City. November has turned out to be bitterly cold and with the snow on the ground it is only making it worse for Luke that has been having cattle getting killed by possibly wolves. Luke has enough on his hands running his ranch and now trying to figure out who was behind the attacks on his cattle. When his sisters convince him that he should help the lovely but uppity Judith to manage a Christmas fair to bring some culture to the town he knows he is over his head. I enjoyed this story and would love to read more about the characters in this book.
I received a free download of this book from the publisher. I have written this review to share my own honest opinion of this book.

[Marie Bourgery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judith came off as stuck up in the last book but there was more beneath the surface. She is attracted to Luke and hates that he called her sister. They had some funny, passionate moments together when he finally realizes she returns his romantic feelings. I loved what she did with the Christmas Fair showcasing the skills of Lilac City. I wish I was skilled at painting and quilting. There was some suspense with the animal attacks and the threat still hanging over them from their uncle. The book ends leading into Frances’ story and how she comes off as a tough tomboy but also has hidden depths. This was a clean romance with plenty of funny and some suspenseful moments.

I read the book through Kindle Unlimited and later listened to the Audible narrator, who has a nice smooth tone with voice changes including western accents and inflections in all the right places.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

And the saga continues…
Luke, the brother of Maude, Doris, and Frances, struggles to convince Judith that she IS worthy of his love. She is an Easterner and wants to bring social graces to the town of Lilac City. Frustration is at the top of the list for her. She dwells on the fact that her parents wanted a son instead of a daughter and lets that get rooted deeply in her soul. This makes things quite hard for Luke.
Luke’s uncle wants to be in control of his sisters and makes things difficult in ways no one can imagine.
Great series.

[Aud · Rating 5 out of 5]

“A Lady for Luke” by Donna K. Weaver
What a fun story. I just couldn’t put it down, well except for a few short breaks. I do so enjoy a sweet clean romance story. I received an ARC of this story from the author via StoryOrigin with the hope of an honest review from myself. Well, honestly, I loved this story and hope you will agree with my opinion. Happy Reading ! !

[Teresa Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really sweet series

I’ve got to go back and read book 1 of this series! I started with book 2, enjoyed it so much, I went on to book 3. Now that I’ve finished 3, with it being everything I’d hoped, I want to read the first book before another is released. I hope there is a next book!

[Robyn Echols · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-written

I enjoyed this western romance with its family interactions and an outside threat killing the hero's cattle. The characters were well-written. Judith was a hard character to warm up to, but the reasons behind that were all part of the plot. A good read.

[Janet Morais · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story loved all the books in series.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lilac City Novella collection continues with this third story about the girls’ brother Luke. A complex mixture of confidence and uncertainty, he finds himself drawn to the last woman he wants to be interested in. He wants to be accepted on his own terms, yet he makes assumptions and suppositions about the people around him, especially Judith which makes for some amusing conflict between the two. Judith is a wonderful character, and I love that the author lets us see underneath her crispy exterior to the tender and hurting woman. An element of intrigue broadens the plot as Luke deals with the loss of cattle, presumably to animal attacks although the time of year doesn’t lend itself to that theory. I had fun trying to solve the mystery. I enjoyed immersing myself back in the lives of Luke and his sisters with this installment and look forward to reading the next book.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luke Hamblin moved to Lilac City after he was disowned by his stepfather.
When his step-father passed away and the uncle was in charge of his three
younger sisters, they ran away to escape arranged marriages he was forcing
upon them and went straight to Luke. Shortly after they arrived, Marshall, a
neighboring rancher’s sister Judith came to live with him. She came across
with an uppity attitude but what others didn’t know was she didn’t know any
different way of life. She also was fearful that others were judging her by
her father’s criminal scandal. Luke figured her out right away but knew she
needed time before he approached her to first become her friend and then to
express how he felt about her.

[K B]

stars
I received a free copy of the clean novella A Lady for Luke: A Lilac City Romance Novella book 3 by Donna K. Weaver and this review was given freely.
Rancher Luke Hamblin and his sister in law Judith finally set aside their insecurities and admit their feelings for eachother in this suspenseful and heartwarming clean romance featuring the town of Lilac's preparation for Christmas and Uncle William's latest plot to both ruin Luke and get the sisters back. The ending hook is intriguing offering a glimpse into the final sibling romance while lending suspicion to the girls' father's death.

[Jeene Hobbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overcoming painful life experiences

If you started with book 1, you didn't see this pair coming. Unlikely, but well matched.

“Because all of us have personal ethics we fail to live up to from time to time. One of mine is to be a patient man. When I lose my temper—which happens too often—I’m a hypocrite.” Luke rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s one of many things in my life I’m forever working to improve. Some days I’m better than others, but I’d rather be a struggling hypocrite than a man with no morals.”

[Carolyn Fielder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lady for Luke

Judith moves from high society NYC out west to live with her brother agter her father's scandal leaves her a society outcast. She struggles with the relaxed social codes in the west and secretly feels others are lesser beings and struggles to fit in. All the while she is having serious self worth emotional battles and can't quite find her middle ground. She crushes on a neighbor but can't get him to look at her like more than another sister. I found it hard to connect the dots between the characters and felt there were loose ends I couldn't pull together.

[Sandra Hartzel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a free copy of this book, but this is my voluntary and honest opinion. Judith Breckenridge has moved in with her brother after a family scandal and a broken engagement. Luke Hamblin has worked hard to build up his ranch after being rejected by his step-father. His half-sisters have joined him after their father’s death to avoid their scheming uncle.
Luke finds himself drawn to his new brother in law’s sister Judith, but isn’t sure she will accept him. She’s not sure she’s the wife he needs. A touching story about acceptance, communication and resetting dreams.

[Debbie Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clean western Romance that will be a treat for lovers of the genre. While part of a series, with a continuing underlying mystery woven through all, it also reads well as a stand alone. Oh the walls we build up to protect our hearts! Read it to find out how Luke breaks down the seemingly haughty Judith's.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved how Luke saw through the facade that Judith put on and found her lovable. Judith has quite a few learned attitudes to overcome but Luke helps her to see not only the good in others but the good in herself. I really enjoyed this book.

[Lady The Owls]

I learned a bit more how the life and society was back in the 1800's. I enjoyed it a lot but the story was very sweet. Everything just flows nicely. Stories like this usually are predictable, this was not. I find that Donna Weaver knows how to capture and pull you into a story as she has with me.

[Melissa’s Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luke and Judith

Luke love life in Wyoming but it took time to understand life as dude ranch owner. Matches from the competitive dude ranch is not his broth in law and he has eye for His sister Judith.

[Kendra Chubbuck · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Lilac City series. Another quick read. Looks like the three sisters' brother will be finding a wife! Great for him. A very quick read. It was very cold outside so I read all day and finished the book. Boy, the uncle is something else. . .

[kathi Driskell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Boss Falls Hard

This time it’s the brother that owns the ranch. These are such good stories of love and family, everyone should read them.

[Janet Kuchler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another delightful read

Each story in this series is delightful, but having an opportunity to read the individual books enhances the reader's enjoyment.
A perfect summer's read.