Love on the Mend, by Karen Witemeyer {Book Review}

"After serving as a doctor during the War Between the States, Jacob Sadler wants nothing more than to establish a quiet country practice in rural Texas. But he knows he'll never find peace until he buries the pain of his past. To that end, he accepts a job in Cold Spring, Texas--the town he's avoided for seventeen years--and discovers his past is definitely still alive and kicking.

When a new doctor arrives in town and saves her brother's leg, Mollie Tate quickly puts him on a hero's pedestal. But then the new doc insults her "Uncle" Curtis. Years ago, Curtis Sadler rescued Mollie when no one else cared. How could he possibly be the villain the new doctor believes him to be?
            
Jacob doesn't know what to make of the young woman who assists him like a seasoned nurse one minute only to take a strip out of his hide the next. Yet the sparks that fly between them make him feel more alive than he has in a long time. As respect for his young nurse turns into something deeper, can he set aside the pain from his past to embrace this new love, or are some sins too big to be forgiven?"

My Thoughts: Love on the Mend is the sequel to Karen Witemeyer's Full Steam Ahead. This sweet novella picks up about 20 years later and follows the story of Jacob Sadler, the young boy we were introduced to in the first book. Jacob is now in his mid-20s, having graduated from medical school, served as a doctor in the war between the states, returned to live with the Thornton's in Galveston for two years, and has now returned to his former home in rural Texas. We learned in the first book that Jacob ran away from his uncle's home after his little sister, Emma, was killed. Jacob and his sister had been orphaned the previous year and taken in by their alcoholic uncle.

Mollie Tate is also an orphan, taken in by none other that Jacob Sadler's reformed alcoholic uncle, Curtis Sadler. Jacob has not forgiven Curtis for what happened, and Mollie cannot seem to understand why or how someone could be so unforgiving to Uncle Curtis, who had shown nothing but love and kindness for her and other children he had taken in over the years.

In spite of Curtis Sadler being her guardian, Mollie takes on a position of nurse and works closely with Jacob. Affection grows between the two, as it often does in these types of stories, and forgiveness is the key obstacle that needs to be overcome before they can admit their feelings to one another.

I really liked this novella because while it was short and sweet, there was also no "bad guy". I also liked how the author reminded us of Jacob's knife throwing talent that he learned from his guardian/mother Nicole (Renard) Thornton. I had forgotten all about that part in the first book until I read the part where Jacob is throwing his knife into the side of the old church.

The story focused mainly on the characters of Jacob, Mollie, and Uncle Curtis and on the healing powers of forgiveness. I finished the story feeling satisfied and with a mild craving for blackberry cobbler.

My Rating: 4 stars

Check out the entire Full Steam Ahead series:

 

A Match Made in Texas, A Novella Collection {Book Review}

In the small town of Dry Gulch, Texas, a good-hearted busybody just can't keep herself from surreptitiously trying to match up women in dire straits with men of good character she hopes can help them. How is she to know she's also giving each couple a little nudge toward love?

When I borrowed this book from the library, it was for the purpose of finishing Karen Witemeyer's Archer Brother series. I had never read a novella before, and usually ignored them when I saw that a book series had a #2.5 or anything with a #.5 in it. I had assumed it wasn't too important to read the "in between" books. Now I know not to ignore them! I have a new love for novellas. It's a full story that one can finish in a day. After I read the first novella, A Cowboy Unmatched (Archer Brother's #3), I abandoned the rest of the book, intending to return it to the library on my next visit. I picked it up again a week later and realized that all four novellas worked together to tell an entirely new story. A story of an anonymous matchmaker.



A Cowboy Unmatched by Karen Witemeyer
Neill isn't sure who hired him to repair Clara's roof--he only knows Clara desperately needs his help. Can he convince this stubborn widow to let down her guard and take another chance on love?

This poor woman. Heavily pregnant, widowed, and her house is falling apart. But Clara Danvers doesn't let this get her down. She is tough and independent. Her father-in-law is a wealthy ranch owner, whose son, Clara's late husband, was heir to the ranch. Now Mr. Danvers wants Clara's child, to raise as his own and one day inherit the ranch. Because of Clara's Comanche blood, he wants nothing to do with her.

Neill Archer is guided by an anonymous tip to Clara Danvers' shack. In need of some money to start his own ranch, he patches her roof and works on various jobs around her home. He learns the danger she is in and vows to protect her. Then one night, she goes into labor...

I loved revisiting the characters from the rest of the Archer Brother's series, and was pleased with the man that youngest brother Neill became.



An Unforeseen Match by Regina Jennings
Hoping to earn an honest wage on his way to the land rush, Clayton ends up on Grace's doorstep, lured by a classified ad. He may have signed on for more than he expected though--and he may have found the one woman who can keep him from moving on. 

Grace O'Malley is a school teacher, born in Ireland and brought to America with her parents to join her odler brother. Her parents die on the voyage over and she is delivered to her big brother. She is seen as more of a burden and takes it upon herself to educate herself and make her own way in the world. Years later, she gets a teaching position in Dry Gulch, but soon begins to lose her vision to the point of having to leave teaching behind. She is given a small home to live in (the shack that Clara Danvers left behind when she left with Neill Archer) and brought food. Clayton Weber intends on winning land but his horse dies just as he enters into Dry Gulch. He is anonymously offered a job fixing up a shack and barn for a former teacher in the town. Believing she's an old maid, he goes out there only to discover that the former teacher is a young and beautiful woman.

It was interesting to read a story in which both main characters have a physical flaw: Grace is nearly blind and Clayton has a large scar on the side of his face. He assumes that she cannot see it, so he lets his guard down around her. Little does he know, she does see it, but doesn't care. While I knew how to story was going to end, I still liked it.



No Match for Love by Carol Cox
Andrew can't fathom how refined Lucy ended up as the caretaker to his dotty aunt, and somehow her arrival has prompted even more bizarre occurrences around the ranch. When they join forces to unearth the truth, will the attraction between Andrew and Lucy develop into more?

Lucy Benson finds herself nearly penniless after her father's death. An anonymous tip leads her to leave Dry Gulch and head to North Fork, Texas to help care for a rancher's elderly and widowed aunt.

While Andrew has the best of intentions, his Aunt Martha is not in need of someone to care for her. She is strong and spunky. She takes care of Lucy and teaches Lucy how to take care of herself (Lucy is so helpless that she even burns tea). The characters soon learn that Aunt Martha is not crazy, as originally thought, but being targeted. This book had a bit of mystery in it that I enjoyed, even if it did have the silly aspect of a cow jumping over a moon.



Meeting Her Match by Mary Connealy
When the tables are turned and a tenderhearted meddler becomes the beneficiary of a matchmaking scheme, her world is turned upside down. As her entire life changes, will she finally be able to tell the banker's son how much she cares for him?

This is the final story of the matchmaker herself! Marcus Whitfield, the bankers son, has been in love with beautiful Hannah ever since their school days. He is just too shy to tell her so. Hannah is the local school teacher who has found herself kicked out of her childhood home and living in a room over the diner. One afternoon, everything changes for Hannah and Marcus.

This story had me laughing. I couldn't believe what was happening! It was my first Mary Connealy book, but certainly not my last. I loved the story of Hannah, and also loved how it tied the other books together and we finally knew who the matchmaker was.


Overall, I really enjoyed this charming little collection of novellas!