Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Review: A Treasure Concealed

A Treasure Concealed (Sapphire Brides - Book 1) Tracie Peterson

Publication Date: 03/01/2016
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Imprint: Bethany House
Genre: Christian Fiction
Pages: 336
ISBN-100764213245
ISBN-13978-0764213243

(Received for an honest review from Bethany House)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Indiebound, itunes

Tracie Peterson on the WEB: Website, Blog, Facebook, Goodreads

Excerpt from A Treasure Concealed, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature

Synopsis:

Bestselling Author Tracie Peterson Launches Exciting New Series Set in 1890s Montana
Emily Carver wants a home where she can put down roots instead of following her gold-hungry father from one mining camp to another. She also longs for tenderness and love, both of which are missing in her life. Yet when she realizes she's losing her heart to the intriguing new man in camp, she fiercely fights her feelings, afraid that love will only result in disappointment and heartache.

Caeden Thibault, a young geologist, comes to Montana to catalog minerals indigenous to the state. He's a serious and guarded young man trying to escape the pain of his past. He has avoided all romantic entanglements, fearing he might become like his abusive father. But something about Emily Carver has caught his attention, something he never expected. . . .

Will these two broken souls allow God to bring healing and hope to their hurting hearts?


Thoughts:

Tracie Peterson brings readers the first book in her new Sapphire Brides series, A Treasure Concealed. Peterson is well known in the Christian fiction genre, but her books are also full of historical detail and romance. Readers looking for a novel steeped in history, yet fortified with faith and grace will love this one. Peterson once again shows her versatility and amazing knack for detail and description. A great new effort from a trusted favorite.

What I liked:

There are a couple of things that I look for when it comes to a Tracie Peterson novel. First, I know I am going to get a story that is historically accurate and very detailed. Peterson does her homework when it comes to every detail of her story. She brings the Montana gold fields to life in her latest book, A Treasure Concealed. I had no problem imagining the claims and the people who were drawn to gold mining. Peterson makes them come alive. Her books are always on point when it comes to the historical aspects. 

I also know that when I pick up a Tracie Peterson novel, that the characters will be both believable and realistic. Peterson does a great job with characterization. Emily was a great heroine in this one. She has been dragged around from gold town to gold town most of her life at her fathers insistence. Her mothers health has suffered and she is feeling the strain of wanting a home of her own. She is strong in faith and knows what she wants. I found myself very engaged in her story. Peterson also does a great job with the hero, Caeden. Caeden has no intention of turning into the man his father was, and he holds women at a distance until he meets Emily. Both are great characters who Peterson brings to life so well.

As always with Peterson's books, the reader gets a message of faith in one form or another. Peterson never comes across as preachy or too overdone. Her characters live out their faith in such a way that it seems an integral and necessary part of the story. Peterson is very skilled at getting her message across to the reader in a way that will make them think about things in a deeper way. 

What I didn't like:

There was definitely a bit of action in this one and I thought Peterson did a great job in the build up to the end. I wasn't sure how everything was going to play out and I wasn't exactly positive the author could pull it all off in the amount of time given for the story. Rest assured there is no cliff hanger ending in this one. But the resolution of the story comes very quickly and seemed a bit trite in some ways. It was a little too easy to suit me. Conflict is necessary in a good novel and readers get that here, but the ending was a bit rushed.

Bottom Line:

I liked this one a lot. It was a typical Tracie Peterson novel. Full of history, a bit of romance, some action and a story that had a deeper meaning than just your average fluff romance. I loved the characters and the way that Peterson was able to bring out what was deep within them. The Montana gold mining communities came to life here and readers looking for a great historical romance, and a good clean read, will love it. The ending was a bit rushed for my tastes, but everything does get resolved in a believable way. 

A Treasure Concealed is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!


About the Author:


Tracie Peterson is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 100 novels. Tracie also teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research. She and her family live in Belgrade, Montana. Learn more at www.traciepeterson.com.

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