Paper Roses

Sarah Dobbs, a mail order bride, leaves Philadelphia under horrendous circumstances. At her journey's end she is involved in solving a murder mystery close to her heart. Along the way she finds a new found love for God and the devotion of a good man. I would highly recommend this book.

In Amanda Cabot's "Paper Roses," Sarah Dobbs is leaving behind her life in Philadelphia to make a new start in San Antonio, TX, as a mail-order bride to a man she's never met. Upon arrival she learns that her fiancé has been murdered, the killer unknown, and she is offered temporary lodging with his brother, Clay, and his father. But mysteries abound. Who killed Clay's brother and why? Why is Sarah leaving Philadelphia and what sorrow lurks in her past? Why is Clay so sullen and bitter around Sarah? And why does he seem so set against her? Who is responsible for the thefts in neighboring ranches? Set in the 1850's with ranches, horses and wagons, a sheriff, and French and German immigrants, the plot moves along with page-turning suspense, uncovering heartache and revealing the prospect of faith, forgiveness, and second chances. With a cast of believable characters and a few well-turned twists in the plot, this story comes well recommended. I give it five stars.

Mail-order bride Sarah Dobbs treasures her "Paper Roses," which is what she calls the letters she received from her husband-to-be after she answered his matrimonial advertisement. She leaves Philadelphia in 1856 and arrives in Texas to be met by her groom's brother, Clay Canfield, and the news that her fiancé is dead. Sarah can't go back east and determines to make a life for herself and her young sister out west. Clay offers her the cabin his brother had built for them, which is on the Canfield ranch. While Sarah seeks to make a living in the German-French settlement, Clay searches in vain for his brother's murderer. Although focused on his self-appointed task, he can't escape sweet, plucky Sarah, who invades his world and his thoughts. Sarah fights the prejudice that pervades the town--and her growing feelings for Clay. He struggles to balance the needs of the community with his desire to return to his life back east. Both have difficulty trusting God, Whom their friends assure them can meet their needs if only they'd turn to Him. Can these two hurting souls overcome their differences and find peace, faith and love? Amanda Cabot's tender tale drew me in from the first chapter. Clay and Sarah are likable characters whose hurts and heartaches touched me, and yet both are strong, resilient people who have the fortitude to forge ahead despite the trials they face. The story is cleverly woven, and I was drawn from one scene to the next as I waited for Sarah to discover her place in the small town and for Clay to find the murderer. The conclusion is surprising and satisfying. I enjoyed Paper Roses because of Cabot's characters and story-telling ability and look forward to reading more of her work.

Paper Roses It is true that pain can cause us to turn from God, but we can't hide from Him no matter how far we run. The main characters in Paper Roses are about to find this out. Sarah, filled with hatred, is running from pain, loss and ridicule. She has taken her little sister with her to start a new life with the man of her dreams. Upon her arrival she is met by more change, perhaps more than she can handle. Clay is ready to run back to the city but first he must fulfill his responsibility to his brother's bride. He must see her safely onto the stage back east so he can concentrate on finding the man responsible for his brother's death, then he'll leave this God forsaken place. Clay hides behind anger, but will that anger keep him from the love that is waiting? Can these two lost souls find God's will in their lives before anger consumes them? Will Sarah be able to keep her secret and make a home in this small town for her little sister? Amanda Cabot has written an inspiring story, truly a page turner. I enjoyed it fully and though I intend to pass the book along to family I will put it on my shelves as soon as it returns. Great job, Ms. Cabot. Paper Roses By: Amanda Cabot Revell (a division of Baker Publishing Group) ISBN # 978-0-8007-3324-7 $13.99

In 1856, Sarah Dobbs becomes a mail order bride for two reasons. First she needs to move on with her much younger sister Thea after the tragic deaths due to influenza of her parents back in Philadelphia and second she cherished the paper roses and loving letters her fiancé Austin Canfield sent her. However, in San Antonio instead of Austin arriving, his brother Clay informs her that her groom was murdered by an unknown assailant. Clay offers to pay the return fare for the two siblings, but Sarah refuses his kind offer preferring to find work in nearby Ladreville than face ridicule and bad memories back home. Clay, a widower, almost goes berserk when Thea affectionately calls him papa as he wanted to hear that word from his baby, but both the infant and his beloved Patience died. On the family ranch that he takes the two siblings to, he admires Sarah for her spunk in spite of her recent tragedies and her leg that leaves her limping and actually likes the little one though feels guilty for doing so. Soon Sarah and Clay fall in love, but both hide their feelings out of guilt and fear of rejection; rationalizing that solving the murder mystery must come first The first Texas Dreams tale is an excellent western romance with an amateur sleuth whodunit investigation serving as a minor but powerful support. The two likable lead characters are tied together initially by grief, but soon that becomes love and a precocious (perhaps too much so) young girl enhance their relationship. The story line is fast-paced from the moment Sarah waits for her fiancé to arrive while Clay dreads the mission of telling her he won't and never slows down even with the inspirational message of keeping the faith interwoven from start to finish. Fans will enjoy this fine pre-Civil War Hills Country historical. Harriet Klausner

"Paper Roses" by Amanda Cabot is one of the best historical books I've read. I was immediately drawn into the story with its believable characters. After a family tragedy, Sarah Dobbs wants to protect her young sister. She follows her heart to Texas to become a mail-order bride, only to find her dream shattered by another tragedy. Clay, the brother of her dead fiancé, offers her passage back to Philadelphia. Sarah shows her independent spirit by taking a job and forming a new life for her and her sister. In her new surroundings, Sarah is challenged to put the past behind her and forgive her father's mistakes. Clay also struggles with his painful losses. He is determined to find out who murdered his brother and seek vengeance. The mystery element in this story was intriguing. I liked the way this book kept me guessing at who the killer might be, and the ending had a surprising twist. "Paper Roses" was a very satisfying read, and I can't wait for the next book in the series.