Twice Loved

Determined to take care of her aging uncle and to offer stability for her friends after the Civil War, Willow Madison sets out to Thunder Ridge to be the new school marm but mostly to catch the fancy of the wealthy and much older Silas Sterling. But what she catches is the wrath of the ruggedly handsome Tucker Gray for careening into the newly rebuilt saw mill, catching it on fire. To add fuel to the fire, (sorry, I couldn't resist) Tucker couldn't abide any woman willing to marry for money instead of love. I laughed at the verbal sparring between Willow and Tucker. Both were quick-witted and never lost for words. The chemistry between the equally stubborn characters rivaled the thunder that constantly rumbled overhead. And what happened in that creek just was downright comical. Willow's never-back-down attitude was put on physical display. Hi-larious! Lori Copeland didn't leave just a smile on my face after reading Twice Loved; I was reminded that God will carry our burdens if we lean and trust on him. Great reminder for our present economic situation.

This was a cute summer read. Sure I knew who Willow would end up with from the beginning but it was enjoyable to read how she got there anyway! I finished this book in a couple hours- while being interrupted by my kids- so it is a pretty easy read. I expect there to be sequels involving Willow's two friends and I intend to read them when they come out.

Lori Copeland's book are always enjoyable so I was looking forward to reading her newest historical fiction addition. The premise of women having to fight in the Civil War was quite interesting. They did it out of necessity and no one looks down on them for fighting for survival. It gives a stark contrast to the wealthy women back east who have been enjoying a life of luxury even during the war. Willow and Tucker get off to a bad start right from the beginning and the whole novel shows their rocky relationship. It's interesting to see their chemistry evolve throughout the whole novel. Equally interesting is Willow's relationship with the man she is supposed to marry and the difference in how she treats him vs Tucker. While I enjoyed this book very much, there were several points I found not to my liking. One, the reason of why the kerosene was in Willow's possession is never fully explained or to the very least she doesn't seem to realize that this was the cause for the fire. Second, Willow would act in the very way that I hate seeing females act in romances. She finds herself tongue tied around Tucker and cannot stand up for herself along him to bulldoze himself over her. After reading so many books with strong females, I just can't stand to see women who let men run over them and then find themselves falling in love with the same man. Otherwise I did enjoy reading this historical novel very much. I am looking forward to the next book in the series as we hopefully will hear about Willow's friends Copper and Audrey. I also am very impressed with the new Avon Inspire line. Every book that has been published so far has been a winner.

As I have said before, I will now say again, I love Avon Inspire, and imprint of HarperCollins. And I absolutely love the covers of their books, not one book has been a disappointment to me yet! The only problem I did have with this cover, (it's beautiful don't get me wrong) the character is described with strawberry blonde hair??? How do I envision her with strawberry blonde, when the cover is very clearly toward an ebony? hmmm... Oh well, discrepancy aside, this is a delightful story. In my opinion the tale of Willow Madison is right up there with the likes of Tamera Alexander, Tracey Bateman, and Tracie Peterson. Just wonderful and a great read. There were a few sections that seemed to jump in the characters growing, but it flowed well enough and I loved it.

In 1865 Texas the three friends, Willow Madison, Copper Wilson and Audrey Pride all taught school until the Civil War entered Thunder Ridge and the surrounding towns; the Northern army destroyed everything in its march to crush the south. When the war ended, this section of Texas has become home to poverty. A desperate Madison's ailing Uncle Wallace begs her to marry wealthy Silas Sterling, thirty years her senior, who might have a reason to invest in rebuilding the demolished town. She reluctantly agrees although she feels no attraction to him. Making matters more complex and difficult for Madison is sawmill owner Tucker Gray who she wishes was her suitor, but he holds her culpable for the fire that destroyed his mill. TWICE LOVED is an entertaining Post Civil War Texas romance starring a courageous heroine willing to sacrifice her desires to help her family, friends, and neighbors in need. When she realizes her heart wants Tucker while her head says Silas, Willow prays to God to guide her as she believes she is giving up her integrity by marrying Silas. The rest of the cast is solid as Silas hopes his fiancée will learn to love him one day; Tucker wants her, but has issues with her; her two teacher friends beg her not to sacrifice herself; finally there is fascinatingly deep yet ironically shallow Uncle Wallace who disguises his real reason for his niece to wed Silas behind his altruism. Americana fans will relish the first Belles of Timber Creek saga with Audrey and Copper to follow. Harriet Klausner