Along the Rio Grande

Love on the Santa Fe #1

by Tracie Peterson

Is her compassion doing more harm than good?

Recently widowed Susanna Jenkins has decided to follow her family to the booming town of San Marcial, New Mexico, for a fresh start and to aid in her family's sudden change in fortune. They are tasked with managing her uncle's new Grand Hotel, and it takes all her patience to try to help her parents see the good of their circumstances and relinquish their sense of entitlement.

She's hopeful when her brother becomes determined to get a job and make his own way, and she feels drawn to his kind boss, Owen Turner, who works as a boilermaker for the Santa Fe's train shops in town. But the hard work only seems to fuel her brother's anger, and his rough new friends give her pause.

When misguided choices put Susanna's family in an even more precarious situation, she worries her help has only made things worse. Leaving her family to fend for themselves seems like the best option, but how can she walk away from the true friendships--and love--that she's found?

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

384 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2022

About the author

Tracie Peterson is a bestselling author who writes in both historical and contemporary genres. Her novels reveal her love for research as well as her strong desire to develop emotionally meaningful characters and stories for her readers. Tracie and her family live in Montana.

pen name: Janelle Jamison

Reviews

[Tejomai (bible_and_books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes all you need is a quiet historical fiction full of simple and amazing faith, love, and a romance plot to give you a good nice read

It's such a break from the fast-paced and contemporary drama ( Heyy, I really love it!!) don't get me wrong but sometimes I feel reading a simple Christian Historical fiction is a good break for my brain

This book was a story about Susanna who's parents can't understand their wrongs and is struggling with keeping their family together and their journey moving to Santa Fe RR, and Susanna's chance to find love again in life after losing her husband

➡I loved the faith that was included in this book, all the characters were amazing I really liked the supporting characters and how Susanna got along with them...it's quite a feeling and journey going from widow to finding friends and a community who care for each other like family 🥰

Many may think the drama with her parents might be overdone but no y'all It's true, we do have such people
I've seen them & still see them too!
I'm glad her parents changed and It's a good message to keep on praying for them if they don't 💙

Well! Let's just say this won't be my last book by @authortraciepeterson
Though being my first I did anticipate a bit more romance, it's okay it's nice

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐🌟

* Thanks to @netgalley and the publishers for an e-arc in exchange for a honest review
All views expressed are my own

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did like the hero and heroine, but felt deprived of a lot of their character growth together. The story mostly focuses on Susanna's efforts as a new innkeeper in a western town. I enjoyed her time building the new business and getting to know new people in town.

I enjoyed all of Owen's scenes and wished they were more in balance with the amount of time spent with Susanna.

What I didn't like was the entire kit and caboodle of family Susanna was saddled with. They were shrill, entitled, controlling, and complaining all the time. I felt like I was supposed to like her uncle, but in "teaching his brother a lesson" he also told outright lies, and then expected to be thanked for his "wisdom" and that was never addressed. Also, the emotional repentance near the end left the family's characters entirely changed literally overnight. That's hard to pull off with one character, but with three it seemed to be very much a stretch of belief.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free reading copy. A favorable review was not required.

[Cathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

2024 Reread: I loved getting back to San Marcel! The setting, the faith, and the strong female character all add to this story of family and newfound love.
2022: A great second chance romance amidst the setting of old New Mexico and the Santa Fe RR! I knew I’d like this book because Tracie is a fantastic writer. This book was full of the gospel message and I loved that. Forgiveness, love, hope and grace are shining through this story. Be warned though…you’re gonna have a craving for some tamales. Highly recommend.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is my very favorite by Tracie Peterson!
Along the Rio Grande has some very powerful and hard lessons in it and I appreciated the way this author has shown us how it is possible for 2nd chances at anything we set our minds to.
Anything is possible with Christ at our side. We just need not to be so hard headed!
I was starting to feel worried about how this book was going to turn out because of some hard hearted souls in this book.
We can often get so spoiled and set in our ways that change can become difficult.
I felt like banging some heads together for sure and certain!
I took my time and savored this book because I didn't want it to end.
I loved making friends with the people of San Marcial.
It was a new place that I very much enjoyed visiting.
I hope to see more of these characters in future stories! I want to call this little town home!
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

[Becka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first Tracie Peterson book, but it won’t be my last. I really enjoyed this Christian historical fiction novel! Set in a late 1800s New Mexican railroad town, the story features new beginnings, the impact of past decisions on one’s future, friendship, and love. I hadn’t read anything about western railroad towns, so the setting added interest for me, and the faith element was well done.

[Angie E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by Tracie Peterson!! Wow!! This book left me feeling very relieved in the end. I was so angry in the beginning......I mean I really wanted to get someone's attention as to what was going on. These characters were great and I loved getting to visit San Marcial, NM. Looking forward to the next book

I received this book from the publisher and was not required to give a positive review.

[Mary Katavitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the story of Susanna Jenkins and her family. This is a enjoyable Christian romance very much like everything Traci Peterson writes. Anxious to read Love on the Santa Fe number 2.

[Andrea Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book. These are my honest thoughts.

This story was pretty amazing. I enjoyed watching Susanna respectfully defy her parents’ unfair demands. She appropriately showed how to respect one’s parents while not enabling their poor decisions. That balance was exquisitely written and provided a fantastic example to learn from.

I liked that there were a couple of different ethnicities working together in harmony. Mrs. Peterson has proven herself strong at writing this sort of thing in a very believable and realistic way that reflects real life and how people of different backgrounds may work together to build a strong community. I especially like how she always incorporates faith in God in the mix, because He’s the One Who is able to heal broken communities.

This story was a beautifully rich and emotional story of an imploding family, and it provided many themes to cherish along the way. From correcting wrong life paths and working to love one another to finding second love and encouraging family members to make better choices (and not enabling them despite their begging and mischief-making), these themes were strong and encouraging and challenging.

The cover is gorgeous and drew me in immediately, but the story itself was just as beautiful.

The disappointing bits were several uses of the “forsaken” that takes God’s name in vain and a few expletives. These were inappropriate and disheartening, so I had to dock a star.

Content: profanity, alcohol, skinny dipping mentioned, gambling, expletives

[Diana C. Kobylak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this story set in the 19th century. Susanna is a young widow who travels to San Marcial with her parents and younger brother. Susanna’s father lost the family fortune and home to bad investments and her uncle sends her parents to New Mexico to run a hotel. The hope is that her parents will learn the value of money and eat a little humble pie. However, Susanna’s mother cannot abide the heat and arrangements so Susanna buys them an adobe house, then pays a friend to cook and clean for them.
Eventually, her father learns of her wealth and both parents demand Susanna turn over her money for her father to invest. This begins the turning point in the story.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a breath of literary fresh-air!

As Tracie Peterson's beautiful new novel progressed, I found myself caring and worrying about the characters. Her vivid descriptions of western life leapt off the pages, as did her heart tugging storyline.

It's a fantastic beginning to a new series. I can't wait for more.

I received this book from the publisher, but was under no obligation to wrote nor post a review.

[Leah · Rating 2 out of 5]

San Marcial, New Mexico/July 1889-March 1901

This story is about a family that lost everything and is learning to live a new kind of life. The parents drove me crazy. They were awful until the very end of the book. The brother was unlikeable for a short time. He moved on much quicker. The sister was fine from the start. She had been living away from her parents long enough to not be as obsessed with material things. The romances were okay, but I wasn't as interested in that part.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the worst books by her but I need a break from her books

[Kristiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up

I could not stand the parents in this story. I know that was the point, but it was too much. The narcissism and focus on self was.. a lot. It made me tense reading it.

[Debbie Duquaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book and Tracie is a good author. I definitely want to read the next two books in this series!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Along the Rio Grande is the first book in the Love on the Santa Fe series by Traci Peterson. It is set in 1899 New Mexico and if you are familiar with Tracie’s work you know she conducts a lot of research for her novels.

Susanna’s father is a gambler who made some bad decisions and lost their money. She is widowed and decides to follow her family for a fresh start. At times you want to be frustrated with her as she consistently helps her family to the point of enabling. The family dynamics are frustrating at times but her developing relationship with Owen makes up for it.

Owen and Susanna are likeable characters. Even though their families were not good role models they seem to be developing a healthy relationship. Owen has to learn to let go of his past and the mistakes he made.

There will be two more books in the series with independent stories. The series sis connected by the setting of New Mexico and the Santa Fe Railroad.

[Loraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susanna Jenkins recently widowed has decided to follow her father, mother, and brother to San Marcial New Mexico Territory. Her father has managed to fritter away the money left to him through bad choices and now the family is destitute. His wealthy brother refuses to give him any more help, and has sent the family to manage his hotel at the Santa Fe Railroad stop in San Marcial.

The characters in this story were quite the variety. Susanna is strong and hardworking, but her weakness is covering for her family and brother rather than making them do their parts. Gladys Ragsdale, her mother lives in fantasy land, and still believes she belongs in and should be treated as upper class. Susanna's brother, Gary, is spoiled and pampered and has never worked a day in his life. Her father, Herbert, has no intentions of managing the hotel and plans to spend his time finding his next "get rich quick" scheme.

Enjoyable story and wonderful debut to Peterson's newest series.

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Good plot, but very awkward delivery. Too many summaries and not enough depth. I don't like how the reader learns about a character's past through a single lens of the one telling it, and no one else to witness and share in the interpretation; I feel it would be richer if the reader had a 'companion' to share the experience with as it is revealed to both of them. For example, Gladys says "When I fell ill, it was as if God forced a reckoning in my heart. I was drawn to the memories of times gone by and made to see myself through the eyes of others." It would have been nice to have some alone time with Gladys during those trials.

The whole story felt very disjointed and fuzzy, simply because of the way it was told. Many descriptions don't add any value to the story, and seem very elementary-school-like.
A lot of the writing felt like it was written for a simpleton, explaining every little thing. For example, "Owen gave a wave to acknowledge he’d heard the request and made his way over." Of course the reason he waved was to acknowledge -- no need to spell it out.

The meet-cute is kind of ridiculous, made all the more so by it's awkward telling: "Two little girls were leading the way with a jump rope between them. One headed right and one left, resulting in Owen and Mrs. Jenkins being caught in the middle. Owen grabbed hold of Mrs. Jenkins just as the rope snagged him behind the knees. The girls seemed immediately to know what they’d done wrong and ran back toward each other, further entangling the two adults. As Owen and Mrs. Jenkins began to fall, he rotated to take her weight atop him so he wouldn’t crush her. With a whoosh, they landed on the ground, bound face-to-face by the rope."
Another example of awkward wording: "walked toward the house in unison step."

Some of the character 'growth' happens without trial or emotion, falling very flat in the end. For example: "Gary stared at [his sister] as if really seeing her for the first time. She was a good woman, and here he was trying to cause trouble for her. He should never have brought the guys."
And Susanna's father has a very unlikely and unexplained self-realization while gambling: "There was no doubt in his mind that he would have lost. Nothing ever went his way. It didn’t matter that he’d held a full house in his hands. Someone else would have had the winning hand. They always did. He was nothing but a loser."
Ditto with this text-book and unrealistic dialog: "'I was like a man possessed. Just like when I put our Topeka house in jeopardy. It’s like a sickness, I suppose. I am determined, however, to beat it. If Gary hadn’t been there, I’m not sure I could have stepped away, but I did. Because of it, I see myself in a new light, recognizing the horrible things I’ve done.'"
Here's another example from Susanna's mother which sounds stupid and too play-like: "'But there’s something in my changed heart that requires it of me. I can’t even explain it, but I feel that I owe it to you to tell you everything. A confession of sorts, I suppose.'"

Many of the characters are annoying and disgustingly whiny.
Susanna's mom for example: "“You’re our daughter. We provided for you for all those years, and now you can provide for us. I demand that you give me charge over your bank account and investments.”"
In this example, Gary sounds like a whiny child: "“I can’t keep covering for you.” “If you like my sister, you will. Otherwise, I’ll tell her that you ruined it for me—that you’ve been against me from the beginning.”"
Susanna says somewhat presumptuous things at times ("These folks are that way. I’ve come to really enjoy them, and I know you will too”").
Susanna herself is a little biased and judgmental: "it might have helped our parents if Father had considered not associating and tying himself to someone who wasn’t also a believer.” “You can hardly go around asking every businessman if he is a Christian.” “And why not? If you’re going to have a business arrangement with them, shouldn’t you know their values and standards?” Susanna asked."

Owen and Susanna's admissions of love are gross: ". . . I want to give you myself.” She looked at him and smiled. “And I want to give myself to you. I never thought I would want to love again, but I really have no say over it. My heart has chosen to love, and it has chosen you.” He smiled and lifted her chin ever so slightly. “And my heart has chosen you. Marry me?” Her smile widened. “Of course.”"

When Susanna has hesitations in estranging herself from her mother ("Telling Mother that she planned to marry Owen and would need the house back would never set well. It might even completely end Mother’s relationship with any of them. Susanna didn’t want that,") my response is Why?? Her mother has no redeeming qualities.

During Susanna's mother's transformation, she says something that had me thinking 'who talks like that?' : "Mother died shortly after Father. We never resolved my feelings."

And the following snippet doesn't seem worth the page space unless the author was going to mention the issue beforehand and spend some actual time walking both the reader and character through the challenge: "she did her best to control her emotions, knowing it was now her turn to repeat the same vows. Fortunately, she was able to do this without stumbling over the words as she had feared."

And the following clip taken from the second-to-last chapter contains a huge topic that an author simply should not toss in at the end of a story: "For the first time since he’d asked her to marry him, Owen had doubts. What if she saw Mark when she kissed him? What if she dreamed of it being Mark’s arms that held her? "

The book makes reference to a fire department, but most small towns back then had only volunteer townsfolk.

Some of the vernacular used sounded more modern for the times: "Susanna shook her head. “No. I’m not much into dancing,"

[Jessica Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great start to a new series set in the aridness of New Mexico!

Susanna Jenkins recently lost her husband to the Spanish Flu, but she has no need to worry about financial means. Meanwhile, her father has made some bad investments that left he and her mother financially ruined and even lost the estate that they have lived in for many years. When her uncle refuses to just bail them out and instead gives them an opportunity to learn from their mistakes as managers of a new hotel in New Mexico, Susanna decides to accompany them at the request of her uncle. Unfortunately, her parents can’t grasp the concept that everything shouldn’t just be given to them and much of the hotel’s operations fall to her. Will her parents and younger brother ever be able to understand the lesson they are trying to be taught?

Owen Turner is a boilermaker for the Santa Fe railroad. You might say that the railroad is in his blood since his father was an engineer on the line until he died. Owen tries to live his life right and walk with God, but he still has a lot of skeletons in the closet. When he meets the new hotel managers, he is quickly drawn to Susanna, especially when he learns that she is now widowed. When her brother comes to work at the railroad, he has a lot of trouble learning the craft and falls in with a group of friends that don’t help his behavior. Can Owen open his hear to Susanna and help her brother at the same time?

Tracie Peterson writes such fun stories and for those of us who love steam trains as well, what could be better than a historical romance set amid the beginnings of the Santa Fe rail line? I loved the setting (especially since I only live about 5 hours away) and the talk of local cuisine would always make me hungry. Both Owen and Susanna were such lovable characters that you couldn’t help but hope that would end up together and not have a stumbling block. Susanna’s parents, however, were nothing short of loathsome characters for most of the book. With their attitudes throughout, I couldn’t believe that Susanna came from the same family. But things have a way of working out in the end, especially when God is in charge. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next installment.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

[Victoria W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tracie Peterson is back with new series, Love on the Santa Fe's, debut novel Along the Rio Grande. Fans of Peterson will find many familiar elements on these pages and a relatively easy read almost to the point of being forgettable.

Susanna Jenkins is a typical lead female for the genre. She's determined, levelheaded, kind, and had kept her faith through great loss. She's agreed to help her family learn how to survive after great losses financially and socially. All great elements but she really doesn't stand out among other female leads for good reasons, I was confused how she was lauded for her common sense but pours out her family's problems to the first handsome stranger. Much of the time she felt more a passenger in her life than a primary lead.

Gary's storyline has interesting potential in the young man trying to find his place in life but, like many of the plots in this novel, it felt spread too thin and not enough substance. While their parents did show more of their own motivations and struggles they were very unlikeable until the book's climax, so I personally didn't find that engaging either.

I guess I'm a little at a loss. I can see where Peterson has touched upon solid themes of starting over, redemption, and love in ways that have so much potential. But I also felt uncomfortable with her one secondary characters only memorable line being a self directed racial insult and disconnected from storylines that felt like they could have mixed and matched any Peterson characters and still come out with a similar story.



I think Peterson fans will still enjoy Susanna's tale as the writing and themes are what you expect from Peterson. I just think, for me, I felt frustrated at the glimpses of depth I saw that never delivered.

3 out of 5 stars


Book was provided courtesy of Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. and Baker Publishing Group.

[Deanne Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Along The Rio Grande is the first book in the Love on the Santa Fe series.
I haven't read a book by Tracie Peterson in several years and it was so exciting to read one of her books again.
Susanna Jenkins is a widow due to losing her husband recently due to a respiratory disease.
She believes the best thing she can do now is go with her family to San Marcial, New Mexico to help them run her uncle's new Grand Hotel. Her father has had financial difficulties due to poor issues he's made. Her uncle will help the family but first they must show him they are worthy of it by managing the hotel. Growing up with wealth Susanna's mother is used to having servants at her beck and call she can't even imagine having to do domestic chores. Actually, you feel sorry for people like this that can't even do the simplest thing for themself, like doing dishes, making a bed or cooking.
The mother takes to her bed much of the time and is unwilling to help her husband as he starts to want to get things back on track.
Her brother is bitter towards her father, blaming him for losing the family fortune. He starts getting it in gear though by getting a job, but she still has worries about him.
With a near tragedy caused by her family's poor decisions Susanna is at her wits ends and wonders if her help is actually doing her family any good or making things worse.
I loved the fast pace of the story, and it had some surprises in it for me. The story could have gone several different ways and I was so glad it went the way it did.
I loved seeing the beautiful forgiveness and redemption in this story. All will come around to his satisfaction in his own timing.
Such a satisfying story. I loved it!

Pub Date 01 Mar 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

[Sarah Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed my time with the characters in Along the Rio Grande. From the first sentences, we are plunged into the conflict of this family. Their backstory is revealed in snippets along the way and definitely kept me turning pages. How did they land themselves is such a mess?

It’s easy to wonder if this family’s dynamics are true to life. Can people really feel this entitled? The picture Tracie Peterson paints helped me feel Susanna’s deep sense of hopelessness. That hopelessness leads to enabling, which in turn fuels the dysfunction. The cycle is so hard to break, and the author did a great job of helping me experience Susanna’s exhaustion. Maybe we, too, wonder if there is any reason to hope her family will change (and perhaps we think about someone in our life as well). Maybe we cheer Susanna on to wash her hands of the craziness and go find her own happiness. But God…His story is one of redemption.

We may not see how. We may not see it in the way we want or in our lifetime, but He always pursues the sick and the broken. Our job is to pursue them with Him and not be led by our hopelessness. How strange in our world, but how right in the Kingdom of Heaven. And that is where the author leads us - to hope in Him. He is the solid foundation that the kingdom is built on. He really does change lives. And suddenly, our hopelessness is no more!

An advanced copy of this book was provided by Revell through NetGalley for an honest review.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Along the Rio Grande" is a Christian romance set in 1899 in New Mexico. Susanna's father is addicted to gambling and high risk investments, but he has poor judgment and lost his fortune. Her mother gets her way by throwing temper tantrums. Her brother resents their father and wants to earn his own way rather than work at the hotel they're supposed to run. Susanna has money of her own, but she sweetly does the hard labor at the hotel and makes new friends. She struggles to stand up to her mother's whining and so enables her parents to resist learning that they're not entitled to money and respect. Owen helps her brother find a job he's good at and helps her look beyond her parent's expectations that she support them.

Owen and Susanna respected and built each other up. They're kind, hard-working people. Together, they grew beyond the emotional legacies passed down to them by their families. Historical details about the job, place, and people were woven into the story, bringing it alive in my imagination. Susanna prayed that God would cause her parents to see the truth about themselves and their situation (and He did through a series of events that forced them to take a hard look at their behavior). There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting historical with an enjoyable romance.

I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Michelle Kidwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Along the Rio Grande
by Tracie Peterson
Pub Date 01 Mar 2022
Bethany House, Bethany House Publishers
Christian | Historical Fiction | Romance


I am reviewing a copy of Along the Rio Grande through Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley:




If you’re looking for a story of Romance, adventure, and rebirth then Along the Rio Grande is definitely the book for you.




Susanna Jenkins who was recently widowed decided to follow her family to the booming town of San Marcial, New Mexico, for a fresh start and to aid in her family's sudden change in fortune. They have been tasked with managing her uncle's new Grand Hotel, and it takes all her patience to try to help her parents see the good of their circumstances and relinquish their sense of entitlement.




Susanna finds herself hopeful when her brother is determined to get a job and make his own way and she feels drawn to his kind boss, Owen Turner, who works as a boilermaker for the Santa Fe's train shops in town. But the hard work only seems to make her brother even angrier, and his new group of friends have her worried.



When bad choices put Susanna's family in an even more precarious situation, she worries her help has only made things worse. Leaving her family to fend for themselves seems like the best option, but how can she walk away from the true friendships--and love--that she's found?



I give Along the Rio Grande five out of five stars!





Happy Reading!


Happy Reading!

[Margie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a light romance and easy to read historical fiction.
Susanna is recently widowed and moves west with her parents to help them get started on a new life after her father's bad investments imploded. They lost everything. Uncle Herbert helps his brother get set up in a new job running a hotel, but Susanna's parents are snobs and feel manual labor is beneath them.

There are times when I wanted to choke these awful, selfish parents!!

Since this is a Christian fiction book, of course, there is a spiritual awakening and the parents do reform. Susanna falls in love and marries one of the local men, Owen, a kindly man who gave her brother, Gary a job with the railroad.

She's hopeful when her brother becomes determined to get a job and make his own way, and she feels drawn to his kind boss, Owen Turner, who works as a boilermaker for the Santa Fe's train shops in town. But the hard work only seems to fuel her brother's anger, and his rough new friends give her pause.

When misguided choices put Susanna's family in an even more precarious situation, she worries her help has only made things worse. Leaving her family to fend for themselves seems like the best option, but how can she walk away from the true friendships--and love--that she's found?

[Erica Nicole Pait · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been an embarrassingly long time since I've read any of Tracie's newest books, even though she's in my top 5 authors list. Along the Rio Grande, her latest release was a wonderful story of growth. I've never seen so many whiny characters that I wound up not absolutely despising at the end. Any Tracie fan will love picking up this brand new series. I loved the setting and the cultural aspects woven into the novel. Of course, the romance was sweet, although slow. Honestly, the first two or so pages have so much information that it's almost overwhelming, but after that the story slows way down. The pacing felt funny, but it was a quick read. I knocked it out real fast, and I was engaged the whole time. It wasn't as gripping as some of my Tracie faves, but, at the same time, I think my brain was ready for some light reading and I was never bored. I've been reading so much heavy material lately, that it was good to slow down and just have a story that's not kicking my adrenaline into overdrive. Overall, a great story, with so many wonderful spiritual truths, but not comparable to Striking a Match, Alaskan Quest, or Yukon Quest.

[Lori Hooten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susanna Jenkins is just along to help her folks get set up and then she'll return to her previous life as a widow. But her family needs her more than she thought, as they have never had to work for the things in their life. Now that they have to, Susanna is caught up in the middle of it, working hard and trying to honor her parents. They have to open the new Grand Hotel in San Marcial, NM, a small town where everyone knows and helps everyone else. Susanna's family has to adapt to this new place and new idea of community. Can they do it?
With the help of the Lord, whom Susanna truly leans on, she tries to help her family see how to honor Him and each other.
This is wonderful novel set back in the later 1800s along the Santa Fe Railroad and the Rio Grande River. It is clean and can truly be called a Christian story. While there is romance in the story, it isn't the focus of it AND there is nothing in it that I would be embarrassed about someone else knowing I had read (something too many "Christian" books include). The amount of writing that included thinking about, serving, or honor God was wonderful and I will definitely be looking for more stories by author Tracie Peterson.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book thoroughly all the way to the end. It was great to read a romance that is not totally predictable - spoiler alert!!! At no time did a misunderstanding part the two lovers (not literally because they are both Christians in like 1899 so do not do that) for no reason except formula! The plot was interesting, the characters believable and engaging. And as you know I love me some Christian fiction because it is so nice to see characters seriously trying to live their lives for the Lord and according to what God wants, and to become more like Jesus, like I do. Although fictional characters are always far more successful than I am. But in the very last chapters boom! Bam! The unsympathetic whiny dishonest arson committing characters are all saved!!! Bam!!! Not that I doubt that Jesus can and does do just that. It usually isn't quite that convenient, is all. So I took down a star for the whole Jesus ex machina ending thing. But I still recommend this book if you like this type of fiction, andI still plan to look into the author's other series, because the writing was that good.

[Cathy Cermele · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic start to the new series by Tracie Peterson and I already think it’s going to be one of her best. It was hard to stop reading it once I started, the characters practically jumped off the page and came to life before my eyes. Susanna Jenkins has a lot to contend with, not only is she a widow, but due to the challenges her family is faced with, she decides to move along with her parents and brother to make a new start in New Mexico. My heart went out to her for having to go through what she did, she deserves all the respect she finally received. What a strong, dynamic lady she is.

I absolutely adored Susanna and once Owen Turner came into the picture, he was an instant favorite of mine. There is a strong message of faith woven in the storyline which is another thing I loved about the novel. The parents and son have led fairly charmed lives which led to their dismay when they check in at the Grand Hotel and discover the new tasks and responsibilities they must face. I loved the growth and changes the characters; it was such a wonderful part of the story.
I am already looking forward to the next book in the series. I think it will be another 5-star delightful read.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tracie Peterson has done it again! This book is an amazing book that shows what a life redeemed can truly look like!
This story is about a family comes to a small town in New Mexico that is along the Santa Fe Railroad to run a hotel for their relative after the father had lost all of their money on a bad business deal. The daughter is a recent widow having lost her husband a year ago to influenza and only agreeing to make this trip after her uncle, the owner of the hotel, begged her to go with them.
None of them have ever really worked in their lives and as you can imagine very rough days are ahead. The daughter honors the commitment to her uncle but her parents do not. She also meets a man of faith who works for the railroad and employs her brother even though she warned him that her brother might not be suited for the kind of work the man does since he has never had a job.
Through trial and error, an arson fire at the hotel and robbery, and finally a sickness in the family, this family finally learns to lean on God and each other.
I highly recommend this book to everyone!

[Cherilyn Oliver · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t know anything about this book when I started to listen and it is the first of her books I have read. I had lots of issues with this book. The Christian theme is very pushy. I don’t usually mind characters talking about their faith as it is part of their personalities, but this book sometimes was too preachy and repetitive. And the full length sermon- yawn. I didn’t like how the two main characters fall in love so quickly. There was no mystery or build up or even much chemistry. I also didn’t like how Susanna tells all their family’s problems to everyone right when she meets them- and the book doesn’t allude to her telling the problems but makes us hear it over and over again. I feel like some editing would have been helpful to cut out all of the times things were repeated. I do like that it was a clean book and that it had some stories of redemption and forgiveness and learning to appreciate a new culture.