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Striking a Match #2
Hearts Aglow
The future should be bright for Deborah Vandermark, who is now pursuing her interest in medicine alongside Dr. Christopher Clayton, who is courting her. But the lumber town is resistant to the idea of a woman physician, and she feels thwarted at every turn. A more devastating blow occurs, however, when Christopher breaks off their relationship to return home to his troubled family. Despite her own love life going awry, Deborah is still intent to be a matchmaker for both her widowed mother and her brother, who has caught the eye of the spit-fire daughter of the local pastor. But what will Deborah do when faced with the truth about Christopher's family? Is there hope for the two of them...or will Jake Wyeth's attentions finally catch Deborah's eye instead?
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
231 people are currently reading
859 people want to read
About the author
Tracie Peterson
249 books3,116 followersTracie 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
pen name: Janelle Jamison
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
January 17, 2023
Loved this book. Great plot. Romance is "blooming" on more than one front. Christian so it's a clean romance. Love this series and can't wait to finish it... after a couple other books I must read first. There was so much going on. Problems between Whites after the Civil War and African Americans in the town. A young lady trying to become a Doctor in a time when women didn't do those things. A fiance who has family troubles and leaves abruptly. A young man trying to decide if God wants him to do something different than he always thought he would. A Hurricane. People setting fires, killing family dogs, and a suspicion that a different, former, fiance who MAY be the one causing this trouble for the family and the town! I guess we will find out the end of that in the conclusion to the series, book 3.
"The storm was not here-but she could sense the possibility of it, and that proved enough to make her uncomfortable.
"Her life felt the same way right now. She could see the threat of turmoil on the horizon-feel the tension that came with the uncertainty-yet she was perfectly safe. Why couldn't she just rest in that?" (pg 372)
Stay tuned for my review of book 3 in a few weeks.
Using this book for the The 52 Book Club 2023 Challenge prompt #21 - A second-hand book
"The storm was not here-but she could sense the possibility of it, and that proved enough to make her uncomfortable.
"Her life felt the same way right now. She could see the threat of turmoil on the horizon-feel the tension that came with the uncertainty-yet she was perfectly safe. Why couldn't she just rest in that?" (pg 372)
Stay tuned for my review of book 3 in a few weeks.
Using this book for the The 52 Book Club 2023 Challenge prompt #21 - A second-hand book
June 16, 2024
Set in Texas in 1888 this is the story of Deborah Vandermark and her family who are lumbermen. The focus is on Deborah in particular. Deborah is fascinated by the medical profession and Dr. Christopher Clayton is not only courting her but also training her as a doctor. For some people in this small Texas town this is not proper for a young lady to learn to be a medical doctor. Many events take place that lead to problems not only for Deborah but for her entire family.
This is the second book in the series and makes a lot more sense if you have read Book 1. This book contains several threads and many are left hanging at the end of the book. Although I enjoyed reading it, I didn't feel the writing was quite as strong or interesting as her suspense novels. I will finish the series though in order to discover how the other threads are resolved.
This is the second book in the series and makes a lot more sense if you have read Book 1. This book contains several threads and many are left hanging at the end of the book. Although I enjoyed reading it, I didn't feel the writing was quite as strong or interesting as her suspense novels. I will finish the series though in order to discover how the other threads are resolved.
June 21, 2023
Nice, light, Christian romance.... second in a three book series.
October 19, 2024
LOVE this series so far! She intertwines faith, romance, and action so well! Highly recommend
February 19, 2020
The first book in this Striking a Match Series Embers of Love was a good Tracie Peterson read. It was a different narrative voice than what I am used to with her but I take that with it being in Texas as opposed to Montana, Pennsylvania or Alaska. However this second book in the series Hearts Aglow is purely dreadful. I do not read Tracie Peterson's contemporary novels because every one that I have tried was pathetically depressing such as A Slender Thread. The last series that I read from her was a historical and most of the books were fine, but the last one was just bad in Twilight's Serenade. Yet I am not certain, but I do believe this book may have been worse.
First off, you definitely cannot read this book without the lead up of reading Embers of Love first. Starts off very fast paced and horribly sad. Depressed very much on the issues and problems of slavery as a topic in depth. I hope it gets "happier". The reading in order is not a problem, but starting a book so deep and heavy is... By about page 63 I was having a hard time with this one. There is about 90% depressing material with about less than 10% romantic and happy. Around 100 pages in, I was not sure if I could finish it and said I am so bored and frustrated with this novel. Nothing is drawing me in and it is just sad and depressing. I do like the new character of the preacher's daughter but I am not sure if even she will convince me to finish this one.
Honestly my last statement about this book is that if you enjoy racial hatred, mean spirited revenge, devastating natural disasters, domestic cruelty, outright depression and broken hearts then by all means read this book immediately.
With all that said, I love most all of Tracie's older historical series and will not hesitate to continue to buy her books. There is bound to be a book here and there that I do not enjoy, but that doesn't make up for missing out on all the others that I love.
*Thanks to Bethany House for providing a copy for review through the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance.*
Originally posted: http://creativemadnessmama.com/blog/2...
First off, you definitely cannot read this book without the lead up of reading Embers of Love first. Starts off very fast paced and horribly sad. Depressed very much on the issues and problems of slavery as a topic in depth. I hope it gets "happier". The reading in order is not a problem, but starting a book so deep and heavy is... By about page 63 I was having a hard time with this one. There is about 90% depressing material with about less than 10% romantic and happy. Around 100 pages in, I was not sure if I could finish it and said I am so bored and frustrated with this novel. Nothing is drawing me in and it is just sad and depressing. I do like the new character of the preacher's daughter but I am not sure if even she will convince me to finish this one.
Honestly my last statement about this book is that if you enjoy racial hatred, mean spirited revenge, devastating natural disasters, domestic cruelty, outright depression and broken hearts then by all means read this book immediately.
With all that said, I love most all of Tracie's older historical series and will not hesitate to continue to buy her books. There is bound to be a book here and there that I do not enjoy, but that doesn't make up for missing out on all the others that I love.
*Thanks to Bethany House for providing a copy for review through the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance.*
Originally posted: http://creativemadnessmama.com/blog/2...
December 17, 2020
I'll start off with a compliment: reading Tracie Peterson's books has really improved my critiquing skills. It's not that her books are bad, but they are written in such a way that it's somewhat easy for me to criticize various aspects that I don't like.
Now, to the review.
Setting: Angelina County, Texas; February-August 1886 (after the historically-factual devastating Indianola, Texas hurricane). The town where Deborah and her family live relies heavily on the sawmill and Vandermark Logging, both of which employ black workers--but the hostility toward former slaves is very much present in this setting. There are several setting-descriptive aspects mentioned in the book, such as Texans discussing the advantages of being a republic by themselves, the issue of the White Hand of God (and the related hostility toward blacks), the hurricane (which I was glad to discover was an historical event when I looked it up), and the shape-note singing (which they call sacred-harp music). Unfortunately, passing mentions are kind of as far as it goes. There is definitely a problem with the White Hand of God, but that conflict is just that--conflict, with no resolution and no true reaction (with the emphasis on action) from the characters, other than some modern-sounding virtue-signaling.
The hurricane part is fairly well done, although it fell flat for me, because Deborah doesn't really experience it. Plus, all the other problems during that time are conveniently explained away with a passing remark--there isn't any development leading to resolution of those problems--and there really couldn't be, because again, Deborah isn't present. But I'm getting ahead of myself--those are complaints for the plot.
Characters: I could see hints of strong character among Dr. Clayton and Deborah, and had that been developed more, I would have liked them more. However, while they have personalities that occasionally drive an unnecessary scene, in many other scenes they merely play a role and say what the author thinks should be said. Deborah is this bold, headstrong woman. But And with Christopher, his most prominent character trait was his bluntness, which was endearing, but all of his decision were cut-and-paste romance-man-decisions. (Also, one of the last things Christopher said to Jake was highly inappropriate, and wouldn't have been said by any decent man when someone is having a medical issue.)
Euphanel is a fine character. She's a good parent, and I'm glad there is a parent still around, but she doesn't add much to the story. Same with Arjan, and I don't think much of him for staying around all these years while Euphanel was married.
As far as the villain(s) ... I'm actually still not sure if there is more than one. The foreshadowing seems to indicate the one guy is an antagonist, but all the hints come to nothing. The other antagonist is pretty 1-dimensional, and of course I still don't know how many problems he caused. We know his legal schemes--or at least I assume those schemes are purposeful--but he's not connected to the many other problems such as Having a well-read knowledge of how book plots go, I can pretty much assume the correct behind-the-scenes villainy, but nothing is revealed or resolved.
There are several more characters, more or less minor, but no one strikes me one way or the other. The only other kind of major character is Rob, and his storyline is just weird.
Plot: This is where things really fall apart. There are, I believe I counted, six different plotlines, which barely overlap and I think only one gets resolved? Let's enumerate (warning, there are probably spoilers sprinkled throughout. I'll try to hide the major ones):
1) Deborah's relationship with Dr. Clayton is the big one, and the one that gets resolved. There isn't much wrong with this part, aside from all the little problem areas that are either wrapped up (too) neatly or dismissed as unimportant. If these problems had helped to move the story along, instead of the other plot points, the book could have been much more unified.
2) The conflict with the White Hand of God is what gets this book going, and it is an opening conflict that captured my interest. Although there is some modern-style outrage on the part of the main characters (because of course the main characters have the correct view on everything), I was interested to see how this part would play out. Unfortunately,
3) Rob trying to figure out his life is another short storyline, and we even get his POV a few times! I haven't the faintest idea why his life is relevant to the romance of Deborah and Christopher, and he encounters no conflict, either. But I guess it's all okay, because he gets his love life figured out (sort of?)--and that is, of course, all there is to bookish life.
4) The development of Euphanel's revelation is generally well-spaced, but again, this affects the main plot basically nil--unless you consider marriage the be-all-end-all. The only purpose I thought of is to show Deborah's matchmaking tendencies, but I don't think that personality trait should be shown in such a favorable light.
5) Deborah's doctor problems is actually a plot point that is tied to her romance with Dr. Clayton. She's all bent out of shape because no one wants her to treat them, but this isn't really resolved either (although I can't say that I care--if she wants to be a doctor in the same way to Christopher is a doctor, she shouldn't be looking to marry).
6) Stuart Albright is still around. It's never stated that he's the cause of various troubles, and though I would assume he is--since he's portrayed as the antagonist--the number of unrelated matters I've already enumerated make me wonder. Normally a book would make things clear at the end, but not this one. Nope, the resolution of this book focuses on one plot point and one plot point only, entirely forgetting everything else (it is, after all, really easy, because it's all unrelated).
So, in conclusion, the "plot" of the book is interesting, and I liked it. It's just the lack of tying it all together at the end that frustrated me.
Faith content: I'm glad that these characters are Christians. And I'm glad that they know the Bible, God's character, and that they can trust Him. But to repeat that all through the book ... well, I believe the term is "preachy". It didn't bother me personally, as it mostly avoids stilted dialogue, but it does feed the all-talk-and-no-action aura of the book.
Now, to the review.
Setting: Angelina County, Texas; February-August 1886 (after the historically-factual devastating Indianola, Texas hurricane). The town where Deborah and her family live relies heavily on the sawmill and Vandermark Logging, both of which employ black workers--but the hostility toward former slaves is very much present in this setting. There are several setting-descriptive aspects mentioned in the book, such as Texans discussing the advantages of being a republic by themselves, the issue of the White Hand of God (and the related hostility toward blacks), the hurricane (which I was glad to discover was an historical event when I looked it up), and the shape-note singing (which they call sacred-harp music). Unfortunately, passing mentions are kind of as far as it goes. There is definitely a problem with the White Hand of God, but that conflict is just that--conflict, with no resolution and no true reaction (with the emphasis on action) from the characters, other than some modern-sounding virtue-signaling.
The hurricane part is fairly well done, although it fell flat for me, because Deborah doesn't really experience it. Plus, all the other problems during that time are conveniently explained away with a passing remark--there isn't any development leading to resolution of those problems--and there really couldn't be, because again, Deborah isn't present. But I'm getting ahead of myself--those are complaints for the plot.
Characters: I could see hints of strong character among Dr. Clayton and Deborah, and had that been developed more, I would have liked them more. However, while they have personalities that occasionally drive an unnecessary scene, in many other scenes they merely play a role and say what the author thinks should be said. Deborah is this bold, headstrong woman. But And with Christopher, his most prominent character trait was his bluntness, which was endearing, but all of his decision were cut-and-paste romance-man-decisions. (Also, one of the last things Christopher said to Jake was highly inappropriate, and wouldn't have been said by any decent man when someone is having a medical issue.)
Euphanel is a fine character. She's a good parent, and I'm glad there is a parent still around, but she doesn't add much to the story. Same with Arjan, and I don't think much of him for staying around all these years while Euphanel was married.
As far as the villain(s) ... I'm actually still not sure if there is more than one. The foreshadowing seems to indicate the one guy is an antagonist, but all the hints come to nothing. The other antagonist is pretty 1-dimensional, and of course I still don't know how many problems he caused. We know his legal schemes--or at least I assume those schemes are purposeful--but he's not connected to the many other problems such as Having a well-read knowledge of how book plots go, I can pretty much assume the correct behind-the-scenes villainy, but nothing is revealed or resolved.
There are several more characters, more or less minor, but no one strikes me one way or the other. The only other kind of major character is Rob, and his storyline is just weird.
Plot: This is where things really fall apart. There are, I believe I counted, six different plotlines, which barely overlap and I think only one gets resolved? Let's enumerate (warning, there are probably spoilers sprinkled throughout. I'll try to hide the major ones):
1) Deborah's relationship with Dr. Clayton is the big one, and the one that gets resolved. There isn't much wrong with this part, aside from all the little problem areas that are either wrapped up (too) neatly or dismissed as unimportant. If these problems had helped to move the story along, instead of the other plot points, the book could have been much more unified.
2) The conflict with the White Hand of God is what gets this book going, and it is an opening conflict that captured my interest. Although there is some modern-style outrage on the part of the main characters (because of course the main characters have the correct view on everything), I was interested to see how this part would play out. Unfortunately,
3) Rob trying to figure out his life is another short storyline, and we even get his POV a few times! I haven't the faintest idea why his life is relevant to the romance of Deborah and Christopher, and he encounters no conflict, either. But I guess it's all okay, because he gets his love life figured out (sort of?)--and that is, of course, all there is to bookish life.
4) The development of Euphanel's revelation is generally well-spaced, but again, this affects the main plot basically nil--unless you consider marriage the be-all-end-all. The only purpose I thought of is to show Deborah's matchmaking tendencies, but I don't think that personality trait should be shown in such a favorable light.
5) Deborah's doctor problems is actually a plot point that is tied to her romance with Dr. Clayton. She's all bent out of shape because no one wants her to treat them, but this isn't really resolved either (although I can't say that I care--if she wants to be a doctor in the same way to Christopher is a doctor, she shouldn't be looking to marry).
6) Stuart Albright is still around. It's never stated that he's the cause of various troubles, and though I would assume he is--since he's portrayed as the antagonist--the number of unrelated matters I've already enumerated make me wonder. Normally a book would make things clear at the end, but not this one. Nope, the resolution of this book focuses on one plot point and one plot point only, entirely forgetting everything else (it is, after all, really easy, because it's all unrelated).
So, in conclusion, the "plot" of the book is interesting, and I liked it. It's just the lack of tying it all together at the end that frustrated me.
Faith content: I'm glad that these characters are Christians. And I'm glad that they know the Bible, God's character, and that they can trust Him. But to repeat that all through the book ... well, I believe the term is "preachy". It didn't bother me personally, as it mostly avoids stilted dialogue, but it does feed the all-talk-and-no-action aura of the book.
June 12, 2011
I really liked the continuing story of the Vandermark family. I loved the vibrant, nothing can hold me back personality of Deborah in #1 and in #2 as she explores her talents in shadowing Dr. Clayton to be come a doctor. Their relationship grows as both develop stronger feelings for each other. When Dr. Clayton's family problems cause him to leave for a time, Deborah is devastated. He leaves a note letting her out of their courting agreement. Jake Wythe, the rancher that saved Deborah 2x's in Houston is now working for the Vandermark's after his father had to sell out the family ranch. He wants to court Deborah, but she doesn't have the same feelings. Deborah doesn't realize that she is in love with Dr. Clayton till he is gone and a terrible storm may have taken his life. However, he does return to reveal his true self and family name of Kelleher. He asks her to marry him, when Jake interrupts and does the same. Deborah accepts Dr. Clayton who is really Christopher Clayton Kelleher. Jake implys that he won't give up till Deborah says, "I do."
Rob, Deborah's brother, goes to school to become a minister. He has met Mara, the town preacher's daughter and she says she will wait for him.
Lizzie and GW get the exciting news that they are having twins, emily and Rutger.
Uncle Arjan and Euphanel marry.
Racial violence becomes more of an issue as Sissy and her family are targeted. Her husband and son are killed. She is injured badly and comes to live with the Vandermarks.
Stuart Alright, comes back into get his revenge as he becomes a partner in the milling industry that the Vandermark's have a contract to sell their logs too. When the mill burns down, the contract is still valid and won't allow the sell of logs to others. No money in, but product out meaning they still have to pay their workers, but with what. they decide to let some workers go and pay the other's in land.
Rob, Deborah's brother, goes to school to become a minister. He has met Mara, the town preacher's daughter and she says she will wait for him.
Lizzie and GW get the exciting news that they are having twins, emily and Rutger.
Uncle Arjan and Euphanel marry.
Racial violence becomes more of an issue as Sissy and her family are targeted. Her husband and son are killed. She is injured badly and comes to live with the Vandermarks.
Stuart Alright, comes back into get his revenge as he becomes a partner in the milling industry that the Vandermark's have a contract to sell their logs too. When the mill burns down, the contract is still valid and won't allow the sell of logs to others. No money in, but product out meaning they still have to pay their workers, but with what. they decide to let some workers go and pay the other's in land.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2011
I think I am going through a finicky phase or something because I am a big fan of Tracie Peterson’s books and of all the books of hers I have read, I have always loved them from beginning to end. For some reason I had a lot of trouble getting into Hearts Aglow. I think it may be the fact that I had not read the first book in the series, Embers of Love. I think it may also have something to do with me not liking the way the book started. It was such a violent and unpleasant way to start a book and I was not expecting it.
Now, knowing how much I have always liked Tracie’s books, I kept reading and eventually found that I had turned a corner and started to really love it. By the time the book ended, I wanted more. It’s a good thing there is another book coming in this series. Tracie did a very good job leaving a lot of loose ends with this book, which will make reading the next one that much better. Also, she has always had a good, strong Christian message in her books, but this book seemed to have more. The Vandermark family has a strong faith and I really felt like I learned a lot from them. The Christian message never felt too heavy or overdone. With all the tragedy going on, they needed their faith to be strong. And, despite the unpleasant start to this book, there was a lot to it that was very pleasing and relaxing.
I’m very glad I finally came around to enjoying this book because I did finally find myself very pleased and delighted with Hearts Aglow. I do strongly recommend reading Embers of Love first. I don’t think I would have had the initial difficulty with Hearts Aglow if I had read that one first. But, this is a very good book and I am excited to read the next one.
Now, knowing how much I have always liked Tracie’s books, I kept reading and eventually found that I had turned a corner and started to really love it. By the time the book ended, I wanted more. It’s a good thing there is another book coming in this series. Tracie did a very good job leaving a lot of loose ends with this book, which will make reading the next one that much better. Also, she has always had a good, strong Christian message in her books, but this book seemed to have more. The Vandermark family has a strong faith and I really felt like I learned a lot from them. The Christian message never felt too heavy or overdone. With all the tragedy going on, they needed their faith to be strong. And, despite the unpleasant start to this book, there was a lot to it that was very pleasing and relaxing.
I’m very glad I finally came around to enjoying this book because I did finally find myself very pleased and delighted with Hearts Aglow. I do strongly recommend reading Embers of Love first. I don’t think I would have had the initial difficulty with Hearts Aglow if I had read that one first. But, this is a very good book and I am excited to read the next one.
July 20, 2018
This is a continuation of a series, so picking up this book before reading the first one would probably not be very helpful.
This book was incredibly well written. I loved how I can see the characters struggles, rather then just turning the page and they're fixed. Because this book is Christian, it does mention God several times throughout the whole book. But thankfully, in a non-preachy way. Almost as though you would be walking through church or something and overheard a conversation between friends. It seemed real, and that's one of the many reasons I adore Tracie as an author. This book, though the middle of a series, doesn't leave you on a large cliffhanger. Of course if you enjoyed the book you anticipate what the next book will hold, but you get this really nice resolution with just a hint of a cliffhanger.
This book is pretty violent. It's set during the mid-to-late 1800's, so the first Ku Klux Klan is making its move. Though the most violent parts take place during the first few chapters, it does have extreme prejudice and does pick up on its violence towards the end of the book again.
Language: Clean
Romance: Clean, save for a few kisses here and there.
Conclusion: I absolutely loved this book and definitely am sorry I waited so long to pick it up!
This book was incredibly well written. I loved how I can see the characters struggles, rather then just turning the page and they're fixed. Because this book is Christian, it does mention God several times throughout the whole book. But thankfully, in a non-preachy way. Almost as though you would be walking through church or something and overheard a conversation between friends. It seemed real, and that's one of the many reasons I adore Tracie as an author. This book, though the middle of a series, doesn't leave you on a large cliffhanger. Of course if you enjoyed the book you anticipate what the next book will hold, but you get this really nice resolution with just a hint of a cliffhanger.
This book is pretty violent. It's set during the mid-to-late 1800's, so the first Ku Klux Klan is making its move. Though the most violent parts take place during the first few chapters, it does have extreme prejudice and does pick up on its violence towards the end of the book again.
Language: Clean
Romance: Clean, save for a few kisses here and there.
Conclusion: I absolutely loved this book and definitely am sorry I waited so long to pick it up!
February 16, 2011
I have not read a Tracie Peterson book I didn't like and I wanted to read this one because it
was the 2nd one in this series. Tracie is my favorite author and I get excited whenever I find
another one and I especially like the ones in series because I get involved with the characters
and can't wait to continue the story in another book. This particular one had some new surprises
and an unusual ending making me wonder if there will be a 3rd one. This book is for anyone who enjoys
historical fiction of the 1880s, the beginning is truly about the injustices of that era.
was the 2nd one in this series. Tracie is my favorite author and I get excited whenever I find
another one and I especially like the ones in series because I get involved with the characters
and can't wait to continue the story in another book. This particular one had some new surprises
and an unusual ending making me wonder if there will be a 3rd one. This book is for anyone who enjoys
historical fiction of the 1880s, the beginning is truly about the injustices of that era.
August 3, 2022
Texas February - October 1886 involves racial hatred, natural disasters, family stick-to-it-ness, just plain ol' mean people, and a whole lot of trusting God.
This could be a stand alone, however, I highly recommend you start with book 1 so all the background info makes sense which will then lead you to book 3.
A start of shock 'n awe to lead off the time period but in between a lot of pages that ebbed and flowed led to slow movement times, more like a family saga mini series. Although it did leave me turning pages quickly, I can't pinpoint this conundrum. There were several story lines that were unfinished in this volume. I guess it doesn't make or break the book but definitely some unresolved plots that make you wonder if there will be resolving in the third book.
Deborah's story takes a B role to want you to finish out book 3 and all the other characters and plots are story a.
This could be a stand alone, however, I highly recommend you start with book 1 so all the background info makes sense which will then lead you to book 3.
A start of shock 'n awe to lead off the time period but in between a lot of pages that ebbed and flowed led to slow movement times, more like a family saga mini series. Although it did leave me turning pages quickly, I can't pinpoint this conundrum. There were several story lines that were unfinished in this volume. I guess it doesn't make or break the book but definitely some unresolved plots that make you wonder if there will be resolving in the third book.
Deborah's story takes a B role to want you to finish out book 3 and all the other characters and plots are story a.
August 4, 2018
Hearts Aglow was a much darker follow up to Embers of Love. From the heart crushing beginning to the tumultuous romance, the characters were put through trial after trial during this book. There were happy moments woven in with the sad, but for the most part the trials overwhelmed the story. Deborah still had her thirst for knowledge in this novel, but she was much more overwhelmed by her relationship concerns. So she became a bit more of whiny girl than the strong, fiery spirit we saw in the first book. The story ends on a happy note, but there is a lot still left to be resolved. There have been a lot of trials and evil scheming in this novel, so the characters have a lot more to overcome before the story is all done. Hopefully, the next book will bring us out of this dark pit that this second novel dug us into.
April 2, 2021
Another great book by Tracie
For me this book by Tracie Peterson is again a great story, easy and pleasant to read without being an intellectual. The greatest reason for me in enjoying her books is the use of not being afraid to use Christian views and reference to Biblical scripture
For me this book by Tracie Peterson is again a great story, easy and pleasant to read without being an intellectual. The greatest reason for me in enjoying her books is the use of not being afraid to use Christian views and reference to Biblical scripture
January 14, 2022
Second in a series of older books (Striking a Match) series written by Christian author Tracie Peterson. I had read the first quite a while ago and was not able to obtain the other two in the series. My sister Gail helped clean out her church's library and read and loaned these to me, so I was able to continue the story of the Vandermark family in Texas in the 1880's.
January 16, 2023
I listened to an audio version narrated by Barbara McCullough. I was not impressed with the narration. Many of the characters sounded childish, and the men sounded feminine. I was also not impressed with the writing style nor the dialog. It was too simple.
The plot was ok, though predictable at times. The story is clean, and there is plenty talk of God and prayer.
The plot was ok, though predictable at times. The story is clean, and there is plenty talk of God and prayer.
January 28, 2018
The middle book in a series is always a bit difficult, as it's pulling from the first book, and setting up for the third book ... This is a story of love, endurance, patience, and relying on God for timing in all things, through several devastating turns of events. Definitely a good read.
July 26, 2019
Self sufficiency is never enough.
Deborah the woman who thought she was able to solvee every problem with her intellect and reason. She found out that there are circumstances beyond her ability that only God can solve.
Deborah the woman who thought she was able to solvee every problem with her intellect and reason. She found out that there are circumstances beyond her ability that only God can solve.
December 26, 2020
Well written, heartfelt romance
Tracie Patterson did a fine job of combining the truths of the gospel with a sweet story of love in the midst of pride and prejudice. I look forward to reading more of her books.
Tracie Patterson did a fine job of combining the truths of the gospel with a sweet story of love in the midst of pride and prejudice. I look forward to reading more of her books.
May 11, 2021
Tracie Peterson is quickly becoming my favorite author! I love the fact that she has shown beyond a shadow of a doubt that you can write great romance novels without the smut that most romance authors incorporate to sell their books.
March 20, 2018
Another excellent Tracie Peterson book. All her books are very real and griping with emotion. I love that this series continues with the same characters.
May 15, 2018
This book seemed to not be a stand alone book. It was definitely the filler to get me to book 3.
January 12, 2019
Get ready for an epic adventure! The danger and suspense kept me turning the pages. I highly recommend this book.
July 27, 2019
Liked it, but a little disappointed. Felt many loose ends; hopefully book 3 will be the answer.
June 5, 2020
A fine reading experience. Although it does end abruptly. The narrator is excellent. Happy reading and listening!
February 6, 2021
Good read. Story is a bit slow.
February 17, 2021
Great book, very captivating
March 16, 2021
I loved the whole series. I will read more of Traci's books.
June 10, 2021
Very disappointing. Lots of issues unresolved. Historic validity not well-defined. Like a bad romance with no supporting character development to get to the only resolution the book seems to offer.
July 6, 2021
It was sort of hit or miss. Very little was resolved. Hopefully things will become settled in the third book. Some of it was predictable.
August 4, 2021
Love this book
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