Review: Willow Springs by Carolyn Steele

Willow SpringsWillow Springs
by Carolyn Steele
Historical Romance
Paperback240 Pages
August 12th 2014 by Cedar Fort Publishing & Media

Summary

Discover true love on the Utah frontier! Crissa Engleson is searching for a new life in the town of Willow Springs when she attracts the unwanted attention of a miner—and falls in love with a handsome Express rider. Laugh and cry with Crissa as she escapes her past to find love and helps the townspeople along the way.
    

My Review

This book was a crazy, roller-coaster ride! I began reading Willow Springs thinking it was going to be a nice historical romance, with some twists and some tension, but all of it fairly tame. I was wrong. The twists were pretty big and the tension was pretty intense in places! There was also plenty of drama. I wasn't quite sure if everyone could make it to the end unscathed and if they even should after what happened.

Let me just get this off my chest... Drake and Crissa skirted around each other quite a bit even though it's clear they both are into each other. I just wanted them to communicate. It was so frustrating sometimes! Of course all of that added to the tension and some of the drama. Crissa definitely had her reasons for holding back with her past (the author did marvelously at letting her past slowly unravel as the story progressed, which helped drive the story as well). Drake on the other hand... Well, it's a good thing I still really liked him. :) He was a golden boy: hardworking, charming, respectful, kind, dependable... He also wasn't afraid to tease and help Crissa. Then there was Garth. I had a hate/love relationship with him. He had so much potential. Talk about a bittersweet love triangle!

This story had some great characters, including the villains. I liked that the villains weren't always apparent, nor were they all evil. There were some shades of gray there. One was a little senile and crazy, but very well written. These villains really drove the plot in places. Between them, not knowing what was going to happen and when, if Crissa would be safe, and who she would end up with (maybe with no one at all?), it was a really entertaining read!

Overall, Willow Springs was a surprisingly suspenseful story in places, but also sweet, full of friendship, heartache, danger, and romance. If you enjoy reading this genre or are looking for just a good, quick read, then I'd recommend grabbing a copy.


Source: I would like to thank Cedar Fort for my complimentary review copy, which did not affect my review in any way.


The author, Carolyn Steele, is stopping by today for an interview. Go check it out here and enter the ebook giveaway!

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