By Maggie Brendan
Virtues and Vices of the Old West, #1
Revell, 2015
Summary
Patience Cavanaugh has lost hope in romance. The man she yearned to marry is dead and her dreams are gone with him. Now she is consumed with restoring a dilapidated boardinghouse in order to support herself.
Despite Patience's desire for solitude, Jedediah Jones, the local marshal with a reputation for hanging criminals, becomes an ever-looming part of her life. It seems like such a simple arrangement: She needs someone with a strong back to help her fix up the boardinghouse. He needs a dependable source of food for himself and his prisoners. But as she gets to know this "hanging lawman," Patience finds there is far more to him than meets the eye--and it could destroy their tenuous relationship forever.
With a keen eye for historical detail and a deft hand at romantic tension, Maggie Brendan invites you to a Montana gold rush boomtown, where vices and virtues are on full display and love is lying in wait.
My thoughts
The Trouble with Patience is a lighthearted and heartwarming story set in the Old West, with elements of humor and suspense at times, and a "feel good" read overall. There's not a lot of depth, but sometimes a sweet read like this is exactly what I'm in the mood for and I enjoyed it overall.
Maggie did a good job creating a sense of place - Nevada City, Montana Territory, 1866 - in a story loosely based on a real-life character who participated in numerous hangings and used "Vigilante X" as his signature. This quote from Abraham Lincoln at the beginning sets the tone for this series: "It has been my experience that folks that have no vices have very few virtues."
There was just something down to earth and likeable about Patience and Jedediah, and it was easy for me to connect with them. I appreciated how the tender romance between them never felt rushed, but developed at a realistic, steady pace. One of my favorite parts was the relational tension between Patience and her mother, Charity, who starts out as invasive and controlling. It was enjoyable to watch the gradual transformation between these two. There's also a loveable supporting cast that added much richness to this story - Emily, Cody, Hannah, and Joe.
Patience was a woman of faith, and I found it interesting that she wrote devotionals, hoping to see them published one day. This was such a big part of who she was that I kept wanting to read one of them - either in the narrative or maybe at the end. Just thought this might have given a nice glimpse into the expression of belief in that time period.
The Trouble with Patience was an enjoyable read overall and I would like to read other books in this series. Recommended to all who enjoy historical romance, especially in Old West settings.
Maggie
Brendan
Maggie Brendan is the bestselling author of several books, including the Heart of the West series and The Blue Willow Brides series. Winner of the 2013 Laurel Wreath Award, she was a 2013 finalist for the Published Maggie Award of Excellence, a 2013 finalist for the Heart of Excellence Readers' Choice Award, a 2012 finalist for Inspirational Reader's Choice award, and a recipient of the 2004 ACW Persistence Award in Atlanta. She is a member of the Author's Guild; Romance Writers of America; Faith, Hope, and Love; and Georgia Romance Writers. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading, researching for her novels, and spending time with her family.
Connect with Maggie online at maggiebrendan.com, Facebook and Twitter.
Thank you to Revell for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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