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Margaret BrownleyThomas Nelson / 2012 / Trade PaperbackOur Price$13.494.0 out of 5 stars for Dawn Comes Early, Brides of Last Chance Ranch Series #1. View reviews of this product. 28 Reviews
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VicsMediaRoomIrvine, CAAge: 55-65Gender: male5 Stars Out Of 5History, A Western And A RomanceJuly 15, 2012VicsMediaRoomIrvine, CAAge: 55-65Gender: maleQuality: 5Value: 5Meets Expectations: 5Margaret Brownley, in her new book, "Dawn Comes Early" Book One in her Brides Of Last Chance Ranch series published by Thomas Nelson takes us to the Arizona Territory in 1895 and into the life of Kate Tenney.
From the back cover: Looking for a woman of good character and pleasant disposition willing to learn the ranching business in Arizona territory. Must be SINGLE and prepared to remain so now and forever more. Will be given ownership of ranch. -Eleanor Walker
Disgraced dime novelist Kate Tenney fled the city that banned her latest book for a fresh start at a cattle ranch in the Arizona Territory. She hopes ranching turns out to be as romantic as she portrayed it in her novels.
But what awaits her is a much harder life. There is no room for mistakes on a working cattle ranch in 1895, and Kate is ill-prepared for her new life. She quickly learns that dawn comes early . . . every day. But she is tenacious.
Having been abandoned by a string of men, Kate has no intention of ever marrying. But she didn't expect to meet Luke Adams either. Luke awakens feelings inside Kate she doesn't recognize, and his steady presence is a constant distraction. She has only written about love in the past, never known it herself. But her feelings for Luke stand in the way of all she has to gain if she is chosen as the heir.
Perhaps God brought Kate to the barrenness of the desert to give new life to her jaded heart.
No doubt about it I like Westerns. I grew up watching and reading a lot of them when I was younger and still watch and read them today. Margaret Brownley knows how to write a western. In her new book, "Dawn Comes Early" Ms. Brownley gives us a working cattle ranch, a kidnapping, a rescue attempt, cowboys, blacksmiths and an outlaw. On top of everything "Dawn Comes Early" is an incredible romance that is full of charm and humor. It asks the question would you trade your future of being married for stability and security? All of this is set against a historical backdrop that is fascinating to read. Margaret Brownley has done it again. I am so looking forward to book two in this series.
I also want to point out Ms. Brownley's association with Heifer International, an organization that gives away livestock to change people's lives. Ms. Brownley is working with Heifer International to purchase two heifers. If you are interested in helping her by making a donation please go to her website
If you missed the interview for "A Lady Like Sarah", a different series from Margaret Brownley, and would like to listen to it and/or interviews with other authors and professionals please go to Kingdom Highlights where they are available On Demand.
To listen to 24 hours non-stop, commercial free Christian music please visit our internet radio station Kingdom Airwaves
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." -
karenkteachcambodiaPhnom Penh, CambodiaAge: 45-54Gender: female5 Stars Out Of 5Historical romance with a "western" flavourApril 8, 2012karenkteachcambodiaPhnom Penh, CambodiaAge: 45-54Gender: femaleQuality: 5Value: 5Meets Expectations: 4Dawn Comes Early by Margaret Brownley.
This book is the first book in The Brides of Last Chance Ranch series, and I'm already looking forward to reading the next one when it comes out in January 2013.
Kate Tenney, a dime novelist whose most recent book was banned by The Watch and Ward Society in Boston, decides that a total change of scene is necessary. Answering an advertisement by Eleanor Walker, a divorced, widowed ranch owner, Kate heads into the desert of the Arizona Territory. With just four months to prove she can become a dedicated ranch owner, Kate is thrown into a life of physical labour beyond her wildest dream. Will Kate last the distance? Will she be able to sign the contract that requires her to promise never to marry? Or will the local smithy Luke Adams capture her heart.
This well written novel kept me turning the pages until I finished that last one. The characters were well developed and realistic. The plot had a depth which showed a thorough understanding of life in the late 19th Century, and has enough twists and turns to keep the reader engrossed. If you are looking for a book with deep spiritual insights and challenges, then this book is not for you, but if you enjoy seeing God working in everyday life, and quietly changing the lives of those involved, then you will enjoy it.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. -
Its About Time MamawCleveland, TexasAge: 55-65Gender: female5 Stars Out Of 5A Laugh Out Loud Fun Read !!!March 28, 2012Its About Time MamawCleveland, TexasAge: 55-65Gender: femaleQuality: 5Value: 5Meets Expectations: 5Kate Tenney has a passion for writing dime novels. Not only has she had one her novels rejected but it has been banned. She might as well been banned herself by the way everyone was treating her since they found out about her book. So she decides to answer an advertisement in the newspaper.
Looking for a woman of good character and pleasant disposition willing to learn the ranching business in Arizona territory. Must be SINGLE and prepared to remain so now and forever more. Will be given ownership of ranch. --Eleanor Walker
Kate packs up and heads out to Arizona Territory in hopes of becoming the heiress of Last Chance Ranch. When she becomes a land owner of a cattle ranch everyone that looked down on her will see she is as good or better than them.
When Kate steps off the train in Cactus Patch the town looks deserted and there is not anyone there to take her to the ranch. She drags her trunk closer into town and is accosted by a bandit Cactus Joe. He had a gun and he was shooting at everything. She is knocked unconscious and when she comes to she was being doused with water by a very handsome man that she mistook for Brandon the hero in her novel. But it was the towns handsome blacksmith, Luke Adams. He let her know that he was very concerned about her injuries and volunteered to give her a ride out to the Last Chance Ranch. He felt a responsibility towards her and found her very attractive.
When she arrived at the ranch she found that as a stipulation of becoming the heiress she would have to learn the ranching business from the bottom up, literally. Her first assignment was to muck out thirty stalls. Then she had to learn how to ride a horse western style. Which was pretty hard because she kept falling off the horse. Once she was able to keep her seat she was to learn how to rope and then be able to rope a calf. She also had to help in birthing calves. She worked from sun up to sundown sometimes longer. Her mentor was a ranch hand by the name of Ruckus and he had a bible verse for just about every time he talked to someone. But Kate had stopped trusting God when she was very young. She felt as if God had abandoned her as a child.
Luke visited the ranch and she had to run errands for the ranch into town which included to the blacksmiths. Kate and Luke realized they had a hankering for each other. But Kate's mother had drilled into her head that men could not be trusted. Besides she had vowed to Eleanor the ranch owner that she would remain single or forfeit the ranch.
The character Ruckus was a sower and sowed seeds of faith, hope and trust in Kate. Will she trust in God and grow in faith? Will she hope for more than land?
This was a fun book with many metaphors from the ranch hands. Which they call tall tales.
There were many colorful characters like Cactus Joe, Aunt Lula-Belle, Aunt Bessie and let's not forget the ranch hands.
I Highly recommend this book.
I rated this book a 5 out of 5.
Disclosure:
I received a free copy of this book from Thomas Nelson/Booksneeze for review. I was in no way compensated for this review it is my own opinion. -
BrandtBookTreeManitoba, CanadaAge: 25-34Gender: female5 Stars Out Of 5Great Story, Easy to ReadMarch 7, 2012BrandtBookTreeManitoba, CanadaAge: 25-34Gender: femaleQuality: 5Value: 5Meets Expectations: 5BOOK DESCRIPTION
Disgraced dime novelist Kate Tenney fled the city that banned her latest novel for the emptiness of the desert. Answering an ad to be "heiress" to a vast cattle ranch in the Arizona Territory, Kate hopes ranching turns out to be as romantic as she portrayed it in her novels.
But what awaits her is a life harder than the one she just left. There is no room for mistakes on a working cattle ranch, and Kate is ill-prepared for her new life. She quickly learns that dawn comes early. But she is tenacious.
Having been abandoned by a string of men, Kate has no intention of ever marrying. But she didn't expect to meet Luke Adams, either. Luke awakens feelings inside Kate she doesn't recognize, and his steady presence is a constant distraction. She has only written about love in the past, never known it herself. But her feelings for Luke stand in the way of all she has to gain if she is chosen as the heir.
Perhaps God brought Kate to the barrenness of the desert to give new life to her jaded heart.
MY THOUGHTS
While I did find this a "typical" Christian romance novel I was excited to see the author show how God can place people into our lives for us to trust on and depend on. Kate - the main character in the story - has trusted only herself and feels like she doesn't need to depend on anyone. However through a series of events, Luke and Eleanor break down Kate's walls and show her that it is okay to depend on others.
At the end of the story I was a little disappointed that the author left some strings un-tied. Although that would make it really easy for a second novel to tie it all up.
I also found the story really easy to get into and to become involved in the characters lives sharing their joys and burdens. -
JanetBelton, TXAge: 45-54Gender: Female5 Stars Out Of 5Just a Good, Fun Read!March 5, 2012JanetBelton, TXAge: 45-54Gender: FemaleQuality: 5Value: 4Meets Expectations: 5Dime novelist Kate Tenney has just had her most recent book banned in Boston. Her publisher wants nothing more to do with her. With no family and no career, Kate is ready for a fresh start. An ad for an heiress seems like the perfect lead.
But Kate is barely off the train in Cactus Patch, Arizona when she's taken hostage by an outlaw with a gun who shoots a hole in her trunk. Is she ready for this new life? Kate is determined to be.
Convinced that all men are unfaithful, but land lasts forever, Kate takes on ranch owner Eleanor Walker's challenge to learn all she can about ranching in just four months. If she succeeds–and agrees to never, ever, ever, ever marry–the ranch, along with the security she craves, will be hers.
There's just one little problem: a single blacksmith named Luke.
I really got a kick out of this book. It's a fun story full of great characters (Ruckus, the banker, Aunts Bessie and Lulabelle)–and Margaret Brownley promises more! I'll be watching for the sequel in January 2013. Read "Dawn Comes Early," and you can watch for it with me.
I thank Thomas Nelson Publishers for sending a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review. I wouldn't have wanted to miss this read!
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