Stubborn Hearts (A Whistle Creek Romance) Paperback – Import, 2 March 2015

It was a great story with interesting characters and unusual twists in the plot. Loved that it took place in Western Canada

The Canadian West comes alive in Ms. Smith's STUBBORN HEARTS. Her characters are strongly written and true to the kind of people who populated the frontier. I was on the edge of my seat as Beth's dark secret was revealed slowly, layer by layer, until a surprising twist made me believe all would end well. Then came another twist and more worry, a delicious jolt of suspense that kept me reading long into the night. Tom, the hero, is a wonderful man, and, in his own way, as complex and tortured as beautiful Beth. How I yearned for their happily ever after (no spoilers here)! The secondary characters also brim with vigor. Whiskey Creek and its environs are peopled by a cast I won't soon forget.As a historian, I deeply appreciate Ms. Smith's skilled research and attention to detail, and I was particularly captivated by the little touches. The "grand" events in small town Whiskey Creek, like the school's Christmas pageant, the blizzard, and the box social, loom large, but the small, sweet things make this novel special: the way Beth strikes a match and lights her stove; the games the boys play; and Tom's giving Davy a penny for candy put me squarely in a time long past.I highly recommend this novel. If you love the Old West, you will love Stubborn Hearts!

Stubborn Hearts is a solid story with winning characters and plot twists and changes that keep the reader either bemused, on edge or deliciously anxious. I enjoyed each ratcheting up of the relationship between the primary characters, as well as the issues and situations they encounter. It was hard work hitting the off button and leaving the continuation of their story for the following day, and when I did reach the end, I did so with a smile for the culmination of a fun tale, and regret at having to leave behind some new-found friends. Well Done. I purchased this book online and have given this review freely and without monetary compensation.

What can I say about Stubborn Hearts? I loved this novel from start to finish. Beth Patterson is doing her best to keep her family together, and out of sight of the law, while Tom Carver wants to find out the truth about her. Neither wants to be attracted to the other, or to fall in love, but of course they do, and though their progression is gradual it is every bit as satisfying and passionate as a more explicit story. This novel will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and it will make you hold your breath in fear and worry, but most of all it will leave you smiling at the end, the way a good, happy ever after ending should.

Cute but predictable.