Publisher's Weekly Review
Cabot, author of historical and contemporary series (Texas Dreams, Westward Winds), begins the Cimarron Creek trilogy with this entertaining novel about a former schoolteacher in the 1880s who must make her own way in a Southern town highly suspicious of Northern carpetbaggers. Lydia Crawford is heading to Cimarron Creek, Tex., to marry Edgar Ellis, who left Syracuse, N.Y., to make a new life. But when she arrives, she learns that Edgar was already married and has now vanished, leaving behind his pregnant wife with no word of his whereabouts. Sheriff Travis Whitfield notices Lydia when she steps off the stagecoach; he welcomes her to town and reveals that Edgar is missing. Travis also finds Lydia a place to stay with his Aunt Bertha, the town matriarch. As Lydia slowly makes Cimarron Creek her home, Travis searches for clues to Edgar's disappearance and tries to solve mysterious crimes that plague the town. Readers will enjoy the surprising ending as well as the romance always found in Cabot's books. This is a fine addition to Cabot's body of work and a promising start to the series. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
When Lydia goes to Cimarron Creek, Texas, she discovers that the locals still have great animosity toward Northerners, even 15 years after the end of the Civil War. She also learns that her fiancé, who has gone missing, was already married, with a baby on the way. Taken under the wing of attorney and sheriff Travis Whitfield, Lydia finds a home with his lonely aunt Bertha. Unable to find work, she opens a confectionary shop. In addition to the disappearance of Lydia's former fiancé, a wave of petty crimes sweeps the town. Windows are broken; chickens, teapots, and rat poison are stolen; and a fire is set in the livery stable. Even though the first installment in Cabot's (On Lone Star Trail, 2016) Cimarron Creek trilogy addresses rape, murder, kidnapping, and family estrangement, its core theme is kindness and acceptance as Lydia tries to do what God wants her to. Cabot's nonpreachy inspirational romance features characters who genuinely try to live honorable lives, and their story has broad appeal for readers of gentle fiction and historical romance as well as for readers of Christian fiction.--Herald, Diana Tixier Copyright 2017 Booklist
