"Pearl" by Lauraine Snelling

Pearl-Dakota Treasures Series

This is the second book of the series and is where a few new characters are introduced. Pearl Hossfuss is the eldest daughter of an influential family from Chicago who is being led into a marriage she doesn't want. She also happens to be a teacher, so when she sees an add for a teacher in Dakotah Territory she takes it as an opportunity to escape the future her father has set for her. Once in Little Misery we see all the changes the city is going through and how Medora is starting to be constructed. We also see Cimarron recovering from her assault and Rand trying to get Ruby to marry him. Then we are introduced to Jed Black and Carl Hegland, Jed after trying to attack Ruby turns his life around and even finds love and Carl defends Ms. Hossfuss and also steals her heart.

I really liked knowing that Cimarron recovered and found love, that Minnie finds love as well and that Rand and Ruby finally accept their love for each other but I felt like the book was more about resolving the issues started in Ruby, than about Pearl and her story of healing and new found love. I understand and appreciate that the issues already existing were resolved but I would've loved for the organization to be better. Pearl and Carl had a lot of potential for a well detailed, deep love story but there was so much already unresolved that their story drowned in the midst of all of the others.

I also felt that the ending was rushed and that while Jed and Cimarron's love, as well as Ruby and Rand's, was well founded and you could see the real development of feelings, Carl and Pearl's was not. There were only bits and pieces of very awkward conversations between the two. Like I mentioned before, they could've been a very well detailed and deep love tale.

All in all I was a little disappointed and hope that the last two books are better organized. I've read other books by this author and none has left me as disappointed, I really hope the other two surpass expectations.

The ISBN number for this one is: 978-0-7642-2221-4

"Ruby" by:Lauraine Snelling

Since this book is part of a series and I already have all the books to read, I decide to start with this one from the fall list. 

 

Like I said, this is the first book of a series of four called Dakotah Treasures, each book is named after a gem found in the area (How cool right?!), anyway our story starts with our heroine, Ruby Torvald, living in New York with her little sister, Opal, and working as a governess for the Brandon family. After five years of working and living there she gets a letter from her dying father telling her to come to Little Missouri, better known as Little Misery, in the Dakotah Territory.  She’s to bring her little sister, who never met her father, and collect her inheritance, but she’s to come as soon as possible because her father had been sick for a long time and could die any day. The letter mentioned that she had to go to “Dove House” to find him once she reached town, but as soon as they do they realize that their new home is actually a brothel…

Obviously our heroine was horrified and more than a little upset with her dad for saddling her with such a place and telling her to bring her young and impressionable little sister with her. To top it all her dad dies the same night they arrive, but not before getting to know little Opal and making Ruby promise to take care of “the girls”. Since Ruby is a good christian woman she makes extreme changes to the establishment that cause some negative reactions from the men in the town. 

Of course the story doesn’t end there but I won’t spoil it for you. I will say that the story is complex because of the many lives that you live through it. There are many complex characters and many little plots within main one, so it is a good read. I must also say that our heroine is an admirable young woman, she never gives up and fights hard to protect and provide for her little sister and the “girls”; she is one smart-fire-spitting-witty lady. The story provided incredibly fun times in the hands of ten year old and also very serious ones, while still managing to be incredibly inspiring. It showed that there is no need to have a lot of experience to do what you need to; all you need is God, faith and a little effort on your part. 

The only thing I really have to call the author on was that huge cliff-hanger at the end of the book, of course I know the story continues in the next book but those incomplete endings are the bane of my existence. Hopefully all the loose ends will be tied in the next books.

Overall excellent story, there’s a little mystery thrown in there for good measure, and more than one challenge for them to overcome together;  from economic issues, to overcoming prejudices, to facing things that no woman should ever have to face.

Something that really got to me personally was Ruby’s strength and drive to fulfill her promise. I also really liked that she was able to ask for forgiveness whenever she messed up, albeit grudgingly but she still did it. 

“Kind of like all of us, Ruby thought. Put back together and all usable. The Father’s treasures, all of us.” –Ruby, Lauraine Snelling. (Closing Sentence)


 If you’re interested in the book, here's the ISBN number: 9781441203236.

Reading list for Fall 2013

This are the books I will be reading this fall. If you have any suggestions just leave me a comment.

• Daughter of Joy, Kathleen Morgan.
• Woman of Grace, Kathleen Morgan.
• Child of the Mist, Kathleen Morgan.
• Maid to Match, Deanne Gist.
• To Win her Heart, Karen Witemeyer 
• A Tailor Made Bride, Karen Witemeyer.
• Head in the Clouds, Karen Witemeyer.
• Short-straw Bride, Karen Witemeyer.
• Fools Rush In: A novel, Janice Thompson.
• Before the Season Ends, Linore Rose Burkard.
• Priced to Move: A novel, Ginny Aiken.
• Stuck in the Middle: A novel, Virginia Smith.
• To Love Anew, Bonnie Leon.
• Ruby, Lauraine Snelling.
• Pearl, Lauraine Snelling.
• Opal, Lauraine Snelling.
• Amethyst, Lauraine Snelling.
• The Unlikely Bride, Debra Ullrick.