The Jewel of His Heart

The Heart of the West #2

by Maggie Brendan

Romance readers have taken to Maggie Brendan's softer romantic style that perfectly captures life on the American frontier, introducing them to rugged, independent souls and their inner spiritual struggles, and the quest for love that makes for a satisfying read every time. Set in 1890s Montana, The Jewel of His Heart finds Juliana drawn to a handsome, gentle sheepherder--but sparks fly when he considers mining, the occupation that lured her father away from his family. Both Josh and Juliana must make a choice--the world's riches and promises, or the eternal value of love.

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

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Maggie Brendan is a CBA bestselling author, of the Heart of the West and The Blue Willow Brides series. Winner of the 2014 Book Buyers Best Award (OCC/RWA) for Inspirational Fiction and the 2013 Laurel Wreath Award, she was a finalist for the 2013 Published Maggie Award of Excellence and the 2013 Heart of Excellence Readers’ Choice Award. Her new series Virtues and Vices of the Old West began with The Trouble with Patience released in February, 2015. A Sweet Misfortune will release February 2016. Follow Maggie on her website www.MaggieBrendan.com, her blog www.SouthernBelleWriter.blogspot.com, Twitter: @MaggieBrendan and Pinterest:https://www.pinterest.com/maggiebrendan/
Instagram:https://www.instgram.com/maggiebrendan.

Reviews

[Allison ☾ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well I was enjoying it but now it’s a DNF at 30% because why is a 30 year old man going after a 17 year old girl…..

[Alyson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hadn't planned on reading this book in the first 24 hours of its arrival at my house. I haven't been reading as much lately because of some Christmas projects that I'm working on. I guess I was having some reading with drawls and this book was prefect. It was a quick, easy, and very pleasant read.

This book is a Christian romance story. Like all romance stories, there were conflicts that needed to be overcome, but nothing too heavy. I find some books wrap up too perfectly, and while this one has a definate happy ending, it didn't come across forced.

Education wasn't a theme, but I did like how Juliana (the heroine) was able to rise above her circumstances because of her ability to read and write. She also showed the intelligence of women and of the contribution they can make to society, which wasn't expected in 1890.

Montana was a beautiful setting for a romance story. I liked reading about Juliana and Josh. There were also some good secondary characters, including Wes, who started out as a jerk, but improved by the end. His character really portrays the Christian sense of the novel and how having God in your life can improve it.

I appreciated the reading break and the opportunity to have a break from the pressures of the holidays!

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was cute. Predictable but cute. I like a good easy lovey dovey story now and again (okay most of the time). I had a few issues with the "father" character, but it was cute.

[Lindsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty slow. Pretty lame. Pretty Cheesey... no ULTRA cheesy. I almost brafed and ilove cheese?

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maggie Brendan's sequel to No Place for a Lady is an improvement on the series-opener. Brendan gives herself the opportunity to showcase her abilities. I saw a review on the back of the book saying that her writing is reminiscent of Janette Oke, and I have to agree. Her writing is more quickly paced than Oke's, but it has the same feeling of someone telling you their story first-hand. She depicts the Western atmosphere with talent and knowledge, and doesn't make the same shortcuts that were evident in her the first book in the series.
Josh, Crystal's dismayed suitor from the first book, has traveled to Montana to strike out for a living of his own after breaking off badly with his father. (I would have liked to see that Josh had a better resolution with his family, but I have a feeling that may come in the next book.) He soon meets Juliana Brady through tragic circumstances, a young woman whose charm and humility entrances him as quickly as the Yogo Sapphires being found in the area. Juliana and Josh may be bound for one another, but what will it take to overcome Juliana's distrust, and the challenges some sparkling sapphires have in store for Josh. I really enjoyed the 'cameo' appearances of some artists, and the fact that some of the more negative characters turned out to be far more endearing than one might think at first.
A gentle romance and a quick read, Jewel of His Heart is a heartwarming, though predictable, novel to keep handy for summer reading.

[Dawn Livingston · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read maybe a dozen pages and gave up. It was so bland I couldn't get into it and didn't really want to. I just couldn't imagine it getting any better.

I think this is a book to read if you don't want anything demanding, if you want a love story that is not intense, full of intrigue, something innocent, gentle, mild.

What's bland to me however may be a smooth undemanding read for another, just what they need after a tough day or after reading something intense or a dense non-fiction book. I've read "bland" books before and liked them. I'm thinking in particular of romance novels involving Amish characters. They can be very touching and soothing. I just thought this one was too meh. Maybe I'm just in the wrong mood. I should put this in the "try again later" pile. Nah, too many books, too little time.

I gave it two stars because I hate to give a book just one star unless I really didn't like it.

It's #2 in a series but I don't have any interest in the others based on this book.

[Joanna Bair · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was fine until I read the girl was only 17 and he was 30. Ew. I know that would have been ok back then but being a teacher-these days it’s just wrong. Why couldn’t the author have at least made her 18? As a single 42 year old it’s just really hard to relate. After that I mostly rolled my eyes. Their relationship was very immature and they didn’t communicate well at all which is typical of a 17 year old. Sooo yeah.
I liked the Montana setting and the time period, but there’s a reason I found this for thirty cents at a thrift store. I pushed through to the end though.

[Robin Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story!

Yet again I am so moved by the characters in this novel...my second novel in this series. This series has taken me to a place and time I have never known and yet makes the reader feel like they are right there...in Montana...through every twist and turn. This is a sweet love story and a story of abundant faith and hope in the face of trials and tribulations. Can’t wait to start the next one! I am hooked!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book many years ago.

It came in my life during a time of great family stress and was a comfort and hope for me. This book cemented my love for Montana Sapphires, and western romances. And Montana in general (as a girl from the rural South). I came back to it recently after finding it in a box of old belongings from years ago.

Such a sweet, and beautiful story. Just, perfect. Not for every audience, and some won't enjoy it.

But, I loved it, and still do.

[Cindi · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an okay read. Not great but not terrible either. I found it very slow moving and a bit too predictable. Granted, it's a romance but it would have been nice to have at least a few surprises.

Anyway, if you like a nice romance with little depth you'll enjoy this read. It's good for someone that doesn't want a difficult read and needs their reading to calm them.

[Sabrina Nowrin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The storyline in very simple. The writer has done a pretty good job for keeping it simple, but enjoyable. I would have given it 4. But I did not like the finishing touches. The book was good as it is, there was no point on creating a classic movie like airport chasing scenario. It felt kinda forced. That’s why I rated it a 3.

[Frannie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet “Christian” romance

Part of a series. The best part is very little bad language, violence or sexual innuendos. Just nice little story. If you’re put off by references to the Bible, faith, and the idea of going to heaven when one dies. . .you probably won’t care for these books.

[Roberta L Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good clean read

Can Julianna overcome her distrust of men to allow herself to fall in love? Can a simple sheepherder win her trust and love? The answers are in the book. It was so refreshing to read a nice clean book. It was by no means dull. Guaranteed good read.

[Terry Yaceyko · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an unexpected enjoyable read. I was out of books to read and bought it while on vacation. It held my interest and I will read it again.

[Dore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this second story in the series. Since I was completing a study of Psalm 23 at the same time, I appreciated the descriptions of the sheep herd in this.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked the story of Juliana and Josh a nice easy read very enjoyable.

[Ranee · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. I liked the setting and that she was able to use her education

[Nadine Strebig · Rating 5 out of 5]

refreshing and intriguing

Loved this book and the way it is written, it held my interest to the last words
I want to read more from this author.

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just okay.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a sweet story progression!

[Courtney Cummings · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet easy read.

[Kimberly Westrope · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I liked the story and the Christian themes, I didn't care too much for the writing. There were several inconsistencies and mistakes. While I try no to be too nitpicky about such things, it they distract me from the story, that bothers me. Perhaps another edit would help.

[Vera Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy reading books in this era. When Juliana Mom died, she had ask her not to stay where they had been living.

She needed to find some kind of work to support herself, since had no idea even if her father alive. He had left her and Mom years ago. Very young to be out on her own.

Enjoyed the book very much. At that time not easy for a woman to make it on her own, and she didn't want to look for a husband to take care of her. Her Dad leaving when she so young kinda made Juliana not trust men. She seem to attract attention of several guys, but could she trust any of them.

[Donna Bagby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Joshua’s adventures upon meeting Juliana in Montana. Josh has discovered sapphires-riches tempts to do mining. Juliana is wholly against mining since her father abandoned her and her mother for the mine fields. Can Josh and Juliana's paths connect, or will the mines tear them apart.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Jewel of His Heart takes us to the mountains of Montana in the 1890s, where we find Josh McBride herding sheep with his faithful companion, Shebe. Josh had a falling out with his father three years earlier, which lead to his decision to pursue shepherding instead of ranching. He met, and hired, Andy as his cook, as well as, his sheepherder. Even with quite a bit of years between them, they've become close friends who work really well together. Josh is always telling Andy, "If you were a woman, I'd marry you", because he's an excellent cook!

We also meet Juliana Brady, who lost her mother suddenly, and has no idea where her father is, or if he's even alive. She's not yet eighteen, but already feels all alone in the world. She's so mad at God for not bringing her father home, that she can barely stand to have a conversation that involves Him. She no longer attends church or reads her Bible, and since her mother passed away, she's even more angry. Her best friend, Marion Stockton, insists that Juliana move into her family's hotel indefinitely, since she has no where else to go. Juliana eventually finds a job, meets new friends, and starts to enjoy life again.

Even though Josh is falling for Juliana, he feels she is much too young to be interested in him, and that she could do a lot better than a lowly sheepherder like himself. Juliana has feelings for Josh, but tries not to entertain them because she promised her Mama that she would not depend on a man as her only means of survival; she's determined to take care of herself.
Josh and Juliana encounter some really tough times, but learn to lean on God, their friends, and each other to see them through.

The Jewel of His Heart is excellent!! I simply cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this book, but I'll try my best! At first, I thought No Place for a Lady (book 1) was going to be my favorite book in this series, but now I'm not so sure...these are both wonderful books that will touch your heart. I met so many wonderful people in the town of Lewistown, that I'm sorry to leave them. There was one person I was not overly fond of throughout most of the book, but by the last few chapters, Wes Owen had carved himself a place in my heart. I'm hoping to see him again and find out what happens when God catches up with him! I'm also anxious to find out what happens with Josh's cook/sheepherder, Andy, and his lovely Nellie. I can't wait to read, A Love of Her Own (book 3), releasing in June 2010.

If you haven't had a chance to enjoy The Jewel of His Heart, or No Place for a Lady, please be sure to pick up your own copies as soon as you can...you just don't realize what you're missing! Be sure to visit Maggie at her blog: SouthernBelle Writer

~Maggie Brendan herself via Revell Publishing (a division of Baker Publishing Group) provided this book for me to review~

[Margaret Chind · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally, in reading the first book in the Hearts of the West Series I had to say: Having a plot line that starts and grows with tragedy, this is a novel that grabs your heart and makes you silently or even sometimes verbally cheer on the heroine to succeed at her current goal. Maggie Brendan has done well with her first novel and I definitely look forward to more. This is easily one of those stories where you are screaming for the characters to see what you as a reader are seeing. There are times where I thought something would come out differently, but with the story coming to a close I could not have imagined anything better than the way it was itself. I cannot wait for the next book in the series!!

My review of the second in the series, The Jewel of His Heart: The romantic prose of Maggie Brendan is very visual and a reader can easily imagine what it was in Montana in the late period of the 1800s. The writing and characterization of the protagonist was good, I could tell, because they aggravated me to no end with the decisions and flip flops of emotions. A slight thing that threw me was some of the serious events that occurred in the lives of our main characters and how quickly the story just seemed to move forward without much time for the characters much less a reader to reflect. This is a sequel in continuing the life of main character Josh McBride from No Place for a Lady yet this story completely holds it's own as a stand-alone. Once a cattle-rancher's son, McBride is attempting to make his own as a sheepherder. The details of the life are intriguing and as a reader going along for the journey one routes for Josh to succeed. Juliana Brady has had it rough and has her pride, but with each day as she grows closer to Christ she learns a bit more of what He has in store. I definitely plan to read more titles to come from Maggie Brendan. This was a great story, I just did not personally mesh with the character's personalities and felt they were quick to jump and assume, but then that just hits a nerve. The romance is vivid and chill bumps present, this is one to read with imagination and time to reflect the lessons within as well as revel in the kisses stolen.

[Mummy Cat Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julianna has suddenly lost her mother and has no choice but to live in the town, instead of on the outskirts of town, and find a way to support herself...alone. Her father left her family many years ago and both Juliana and her mother presumed him dead.
Josh is the hero in this story. Very likable character. He is honest, true, chaste, benevolent...just an overall good guy. Josh takes a shining to Julianna and he helps her out and finds excuses to be around her.
Josh is about 15 years older than Juliana. While this sounds strange today, it wasn't back then, actually it was more common. Brendan did a really good job in putting me back in the late 1890's. The author was very descriptive of Montana and where Josh lived. It makes me want to go to Montana, although I doubt it looks like what it did in the book. Maybe close?
Brendan was good at bringing in other characters but never staying away from the two main characters. Sometimes authors take a book in another direction and the plot seems lost for a time, but Brendan was able to move the plot along and use her characters in a great way.
This book is Christian fiction. There were several references to the bible and its verses. One particular character, Miss Margaret, really knew her bible.
The book talks about forgiveness of any kind. Forgiveness of ourselves, others and their actions. I particularly enjoyed a part of the book where Juliana had just suffered a great trial and some of the towns folk avoided her like she was "dirty" or not up to their standards. Juliana talks about how "forgiveness was not easy for some people, especially for her, because she felt she was the one who'd been mistreated." I found that I could identify with Juliana and I liked what the author put forward in her book.
Overall, I found the book refreshing in that it put me in a time when people, more often than not, were kind to each other. A population had struggles but they had to lean on each other to make it. Service was how life was and without help you died. The world today is very different and that is what I liked about this book, it was an excuse to escape from today.

Content: very clean

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Juliana Brady is only 17, but she works hard washing the Wyoming miners dirty cloths in order to have the meager funds in which to live on with her sick mother. When a friend, Marian asks her to go to lunch as her guest her mother encourages her to go. Little did Juliana know that this was the last time she would see her mother alive. The man who brought her mother to the doctor was a sheepherder named Josh. Josh found something drawing him to the young woman who had experienced such a great loss. Every time he was in town he would try to seek her out. Juliana took the hospitality of her friend to live at the hotel, but felt she had to find her own way...she got the job at the newspaper and thought thing were turning up. She still didn't trust men because on her deathbed her mother warned her not to rely on men. Josh had his work cut out for him, but slowly he wore down Juliana's defenses and won her trust and her heart. Josh's circomstances changed as someone is after the sapphires that he found on his property. He experienced a home breakin, a concussion, and there was a robbery of the bank...all leading to Juliana's father who returned to find his wife dead and no richer for the years he wasn't there to provide for his family. With much help from friends, Miss margarite and her daughters and her employer, albert and his wife, Sally she is able to forgive her father and find faith to get through the valleys in life knowing that her Heavenly Father will never let down. Josh learns to accepts his hardships and still embrass his desire to have Juliana in his future. All ends well and Josh can finally put Crystal and Luke behind him along with his desire to suceed financailly for the benefit to proove his worth to this father.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a story. Julianna Brady is poor at the beginning. This is something I can relate to growing up poor. I know how it felt to not want to have someone come in your house and see how little you have.
Julianna loses her Mother at the beginning of the story. She desires to know why her father left her when she was young. But the way she ends up connecting with her father is God sent and hard for her to deal with. Because of her father's leaving, she doesn't trust men.
Her story from her Mother's death to end builds her up in fatih in God, growth in her character, and finally trust in one man, Josh McBride. She is also priviledged to get a great job at the newspaper.
Josh is a sheepherder. His story starts with someone painting a picture of him and his dog. I loved way it worked into the story. He discovers some rare stones on his land. For a while he thinks of going into mining until something happens that changes his mind. Josh is alone accept for Andy, his cook, and his sheep dog.
He comes to the point he has to chose between wealth or the greatest Jewel he has found, Julianna.
A beautifully woven story of heartache, grief, tragedies, and love. All throught God's plan unfolds.
This book was such an encouragment to me as I deal with hurt by a family member so I could very well feel for Julianna's feelings about her father.

[Jocelyn Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really didn’t know what to expect, but by page 9 in the book, I was interested enough in the characters to keep going. Soon, I wasn’t just reading the book in those final 30 minutes of my day, but I carried it around with me to snatch a few pages at a time. The love story is sweet, innocent and wholesome– but still interesting, I promise! The setting (an 1890s mining town in Montana) is intriguing, and the characters are easy to relate to. This is one of those books I looked forward to reading curled up in my easy chair with a cup of tea after the kids were in bed. It held more appeal to me than anything on TV or any movie available through Netflix’s “Instant Play.” It was the perfect escape at the end of a long day.

Themes of hope and despair, loss and redemption, hurt and healing ran throughout the book. The use of Scripture was beautiful. It wasn’t forced or overt, but it was perfectly appropriate in small doses at just the right moments in the story, spoken from just the right characters. I won’t tell you how the book ends, but I will tell you I was happy with it.

The Jewel of His Heart is easy to read and easy to enjoy. It’s not so complicated that you’ll forget who the characters are by the time you meet them again in the next chapter, but it will still hold your attention until the end.