Blue Moon Promise by Colleen Coble

It's been a while since I've done a book review for Booksneeze.  For the Beth Moore Bible study I did at the beginning of the year we were asked to "sanctify" ourselves by fasting something throughout the duration of the study, and I chose reading novels.  I didn't think it would be a big deal, but it was much more painful than I thought it would be.  I really hope it worked.

I just finished the book Blue Moon Promise by Colleen Coble.  It is set in the late 1800's in an area of Texas with lots of land but very little else.  The main character, Lucy, has accepted a marriage proposal made by a large land owner on behalf of his son, Nate, in a desperate attempt to provide for her siblings and keep them all together.  Little does she know that the man has more reasons behind his offer than simply providing a suitable wife for his son.

This book was an easy read.  I liked the setting and am always drawn to the strength of the women in that time period.  They had to be resourceful and determined.  There were times in the book that those qualities were a disservice to Lucy rather than an asset.  It made it difficult for her to receive Nate's love when it was finally offered.  By the second half of the book I was actually a little frustrated by her stubbornness.  Maybe that part dragged on a bit for me?  I wanted them to get on with things and just fall in love already!  But at the same time I could see how it applies to many of us in real life.  We can be just as stubborn about receiving love.

Some of the transitions in the book were a little off for me, how the characters would go from one emotion to the next or one difficulty to the next.  And there were a few times when I thought, "Okay, enough with the drama."  Lucy alone was cornered by a wolf-dog, attacked by a nasty ranch hand and bitten by a rattlesnake.  That's before you even mention the other characters and their various problems and aside from the drama of the story in general.

All in all it was a good book, and I would recommend it to a friend.

I was provided with a copy of this book by Booksneeze, but my opinions are my own.