Carolyn Twede Frank writes turn-of-the-20th-Century western romances. I’ll admit, it’s not my favorite genre. But when you’re looking among your ARCs for something light and quick to read, they fit the bill.
Frank’s books are published by Covenant Communications, who also publish Traci Hunter Abramson. To be honest, I found Abramson’s writing to be superior. The editing on her books was far superior as well. I know that this could be a function of the fact that I am reading uncorrected galleys, but some errors in Franks work were so fundamental—misused words, confusing “lie” and “lay”, and a mess with homophones—I really hope these were cleaned up on final.
Characters have a fairly clear line between “good” people and “bad” people. The good ones tend to be very empathetic and helpful, always wanting the best for everyone. The bad ones are low-down sneaky varmints. Side characters are engaging, which is good, because we meet them over and over through the series.
As with anything published by Covenant, these books are squeaky clean, not going past kissing with unmarried people, and some super mild innuendo between the married ones. Cursing is limited to such words as “heck” and “dagnabit.” There are hardships, and people do die, sometimes at the wrong end of a gun, but violence also is mild.
The ARCs I have are all part of her Craig, Colorado series. I do not have the second one, but here are four of the five, in order of publication. I read all four in about two days.
Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc.
(January 1, 2018)
Paperback: 224 pages
ISBN-10: 1524404950
ISBN-13: 978-1524404956
Publisher’s Blurb:
Independent-minded
women are considered highly unsuitable in Kate Donahue’s wealthy Long Island
society. Yes, Kate would lead a proper life should she marry, but her dream of
practicing medicine would surely be thwarted by her domineering fiancé. To follow
her dream, she must take dramatic measures. So when she reads a newspaper ad
seeking a qualified small-town physician, Kate embarks on a new life in the
Wild West.
Upon her arrival in the rugged
settlement of Craig, Colorado, Kate is disappointed to discover that even in
the West, no one wants a woman doctor. As she struggles to establish her
practice, she is kept busy fending off the unwanted attentions of a local rancher,
a man unnervingly reminiscent of the ex-fiancé she left behind in New York.
Romantic entanglements are the last thing on Kate’s mind. That is, until she
meets Lucas McCurdy, an Irish immigrant with whom she feels an undeniable
connection. But when their relationship inflames a dangerous land battle, Kate
and Lucas find themselves defenseless in a lawless town—a perilous position
that may cost them everything.
Kate is a strong character who sees no choice
but to escape to the frontier in order to fulfill her dream of being a doctor.
Of course, people in Craig, Colorado aren’t much more open-minded about a woman
being a doctor than her family was back home. Nonetheless, she begins to find
success and friendship and, even though she wasn’t looking for it, love. Some
of her actions backfire, and her meddling almost costs Lucas his life—when she’s
not busy almost dying of exposure on an ill-thought-out trip to take care of
his injuries. Of the four books in this series I read, this was my favorite.
Under the Stars
Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc.
(January 1, 2020)
Paperback: 272 pages
ISBN-10: 1524411973
ISBN-13: 978-1524411978
Publisher’s Blurb:
When the new marshal in town
needs volunteers, one of the first to sign up is Miss Rosie Decker. And why
wouldn't she? She's a sharpshooting, horse-taming tomboy—and she's out for
revenge. Marshal Hank Walker is forming a posse to find the man who killed her
sweetheart, and Rosie is determined to help track him down. When the marshal
refuses her service on account of her being a woman, Rosie is undeterred. If
it's a man Marshal Walker wants, it's a man he'll get.
With his posse assembled, Hank Walker is
confident he'll be able to track down the criminal. His confidence grows as he
recognizes the incomparable skill of one young man in his posse—Ross. That is,
until the day Ross's mustache falls off, revealing "his" true
identity. Rosie Decker has duped him. Banished back to town, it's time for
Rosie to prove her mettle. Though working alongside the unwilling marshal is
complicated, it is the unexpected tenderness she feels for him that proves most
problematic. How can she demonstrate her skill while also setting out to win
the heart of the man who seems bent on keeping her out of his way?
Hello, Mulan. This is a
classic girl-pretends-to-be-a-man-and-falls-for-the-leader story. I like how
capable and unafraid Rosie is. She learns an important lesson about how a need
for vengeance can turn a person bitter, and I appreciate that, as well. Some of
the relationship between her and Marshall Walker are predictable, but not to
the point of being trite.
His Accidental Bride
Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc.
(January 1, 2021)
Paperback: 264 pages
ISBN-10: 152441350X
ISBN-13: 978-1524413507
Publisher’s Blurb:
Dorothy Bednar is living a life she despises. Forced to work as a double-dealing saloon girl, Dorothy has finally had enough. The next train out of town is her ticket to freedom, and Dorothy jumps aboard without a thought for where she's going—until she meets a kind woman aboard the train. Her fellow passenger was originally traveling to Colorado to marry a man she'd never met, but her cold feet offer Dorothy the perfect opportunity to set up roots somewhere new. Dorothy soon finds herself posing as the mail-order bride—after all, marrying a stranger can't be worse than what she left behind.
Young Colorado lawyer Ronald Smith is astonished when he spies the lovely woman who comes to greet him—the woman who is to be his wife. Dorothy is beyond Ronald's wildest dreams, a kindhearted partner eager to be a homemaker and mother. To Dorothy, Ronald is the most gentlemanly man she's ever met—a man who makes her feel safe and cherished. What begins as a deception soon deepens into true love, but too soon, Dorothy's secret past threatens the beautiful life she's built—a life that feels truer than anything she's ever known.
My Thoughts:
Despite her past as a saloon girl, helping her
brother to cheat at cards, Dorothy is as innocent as they come. Nearly
illiterate, she has had none of life’s advantages, until fate intervenes and
she ends up in Craig, Colorado. Ronald is as dry as last week’s toast. Yet
somehow, they fall in love. He learns to loosen up a little, and she learns
what it’s like not to constantly live in fear. Would she have fallen for him
had her situation been different? Hard to say. But she does, and it works. As
with any romance, the road to true love does not run smooth, but, also as with
any romance, they do get to the expected happily-ever-after in the end.
Where Her Heart Lies
Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc.
(January 3, 2022)
Paperback: 240 pages
ISBN-10: 152442076X
ISBN-13: 978-1524420765
Publisher’s Blurb:
After five years of finishing school in New
York, Celeste McCurdy is ready to wash her hands of the snobbery of big-city
life and be free of thoughts of Charles, the overly charming suitor who left
her without a word. It’s time to return home to her small Colorado town.
Despite her failed relationship with Charles, Celeste yearns to marry, and she
knows just the man to handle her heart with care: her childhood love, Logan.
Poor and endlessly kind, he is the polar opposite of the type of men she knew
in New York.
This book jumps forward about 14 years from
the previous one. Logan has appeared in each of the previous books, and his
family life (or lack thereof) has been an ongoing thread. Now he gets his own
story, and I’m glad. Celeste returns as a finishing school dropout from the
east. Naturally, this wild west girl couldn’t be sufficiently tamed, although
she will admit that she has learned some useful things. She remembers Logan’s
kindness from her growing-up years, but this time, she sees more—enough that
she decides he’s the one for her. He is so self-effacing and humble—and poor—that
he doesn’t consider himself to be in her league, though he’d really like to be.
Just as things are progressing, Celeste’s former beau from New York appears in
town, promising to make people rich, just as he became rich through a financial
scheme by his boss, Mr. Ponzi. (You see where this is going.) Logan finally has
the chance to obtain the family ranch, and, against his better wishes, does so,
thinking he can buy things for Celeste to prove that he can provide for her.
His sudden wealth goes to his head, and turns Celeste right off. Lessons are
learned, and we do get our happy ending. Probably my favorite part is the huge
act of service Logan does for his former rival for Celeste’s hand.
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