Heartland Wedding

I really liked it when this second book in the series also started on the day of the storm. Renee takes two different characters who live in the town and throws them together alone for the duration. Vivid attention to detail raised the hairs on my arms as I listened to the howling winds, urging it to pass. Risking her own life, Rebecca Gunderson runs outside when the tornado hits with one thing on her mind--to find her brother, the only family she has left. Instead, she runs into the town blacksmith, Pete Benjamin who won't let her go for fear she'll blow away. They innocently ride out the storm alone in a cellar with nothing more than a comfort hug occurring between them. But when the town gossip hears about it, Rebecca's reputation is in question and Pete feels compelled to offer the protection of marriage. She knows he's still suffering the loss of his first wife and child, how can she live with him knowing he was forced to marry her? Renee's characters are fresh and familiar. I cried along with Rebecca as she tried to understand and obey God's will. And a few times I wanted to smack the back of Pete's head for being obtuse and not accepting the gift God had blessed him with. It was suspenseful right to the end. After the Storm: The Founding Years: This series is about a new town in High Plains, Kansas Territory which suffers a tornado strike. Each book has different characters and yet they're interwoven into the High Plains community. Each book is a stand-alone (except for the missing children thread) and yet together they tell a beautiful story of the integrity and stamina of early Americans faced with destruction and having to rely on their own resources. Book 1 - Jan 10 - High Plains Bride by Valerie Hansen Book 2 - Feb 10 - Heartland Wedding by Renee Ryan Book 3 - Mar 10 - Kansas Courtship by Victoria Bylin