"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