Willow Springs
by
Carolyn Steele
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.
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc. (August 12, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1462114571
ISBN-13: 978-1462114573
About the author:
Born and raised in Utah, Carolyn Steele was introduced to western novels at a very young age by her grandfather, the son of a gold miner. She has been writing technical and marketing communications for most of her adult life. Her nonfiction articles have appeared in numerous national magazines. She earned her undergraduate degree in Communications from the University of Utah. Married and living in Salt Lake City, Utah, Carolyn loves researching obscure history then weaving it into stories. She also enjoys family dinners with her children and grandchildren, photography, travel, golf, reading, and all forms of needlework.
My review: Willow Springs by Carolyn Steele
5 STARS
Willow Springs is a western romance. It is exciting, full of drama, action, romance, and rich characters. You won't want to put the book down. You are never sure what is going to happen next.
Crissa Engleson has had some hard knocks in her young life. It only gets more exciting the more you read.
She has landed in Willow Springs, UT all by herself. She is on the run from her past. She has two men who want her. Crissa gets a job in the inn. Crissa makes good friends all the way. She is a from Sweden.
Drake Adams is a pony express rider. His father is a big mine owner.
Garth Wight is a miner. He is also a mean drunk.
Molly Henderson is a widow and mother of Will and Amy. She owns and runs the inn. I like Will and Amy.
Willow Springs does briefly mention Mormon church. Does not preach. It does deal with abuse of husbands and fathers, rape. Does not get into anything graphic. It is a clean read.
It is also full of nuggets of history, about, mining, crossing the west, and medicines. It adds to the richness of the story.
I wanted Crissa and Drake to end together but every time I thought would end up well for them something else would happen. Their are so many twists and turns in the story.
I was given this ebook to read for the purpose of giving a honest review and being part of Willow Springs blog tour.
EXCERPT:
From the author: In this excerpt, the reader is introduced to the town of Willow Springs, the lead character—Crissa Engelson, and the notorious group of gold miners who will be in the middle of a major conflict as the story unfolds.
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“Would you look’a there,” Myrtle Thompson said, nodding toward the door as a young man raced past on horseback.
“That’s not!” Ethel gasped.
“Oh, yes it is,” Agnes chimed in. “That’s the Bateman boy.” Agnes clucked her tongue. “And with his wife still in confinement.”
“He’s up to no good, I tell you,” Doris said. “It’s shameful.”
Ruth and Mary bobbed their heads in agreement. “Indeed. Shameful.”
Cringing at the cackles coming from the dining room, Crissa peered through the kitchen doors to where the Thompson sisters dominated the near corner of the room. That table was their table—on the last Thursday of every month, anyway. There wasn’t anything special about this table except that it sat in the corner between the kitchen and the stairway and had a direct view to the front door on the opposite wall. Any comings and goings, and eatings for that matter, were thoroughly scrutinized by the ladies of this table. The unused bar was also within their line of sight, and gentlemen of proper upbringing made sure not to duck behind the bar to refill their flasks if “the sisters” were present.
“Wicked gossips,” Marida whispered. Her simple English was laced with a thick Italian accent. “They usually gone by now. Must be waiting for miners come in.”
For Crissa’s two weeks in Willow Springs, Henders Inn had been mostly quiet, save for the few bachelor shopkeepers who took their meals here. The stagecoach had come in earlier in the evening, depositing four guests for an overnight stay. In the middle of trying to situate the travelers, the Thompson sisters had arrived for their monthly gossip fest, and to give Crissa a collective looking over. The potatoes weren’t quite as fluffy as usual, it seemed. The corn bread was too gritty, the meat loaf drier than they had remembered it—even the green beans were stringy until Molly informed the sisters that Marida had done all of the cooking, same as usual.
It didn’t seem to matter that Crissa smiled extra friendly or spoke extra politely. She was met with frowns and turned up noses from “the sisters’ table.”
“Don’a you worry,” Marida tried to reassure Crissa. “They see you not after their husbands, they like you fine.”
Husbands. Crissa had to suppress a shudder at the thought. If I had wanted a husband, I would have stayed in Boston. The last thing she wanted was to get involved with any of the men in the town. Indeed, Crissa considered Willow Springs to be the nearest thing to her idea of purgatory. It was dry and desolate—nothing like the bustling city of Boston or the rich farmland of Uppsala. She certainly did not plan to stay here long.
“Miners?” Crissa asked. “Why will the miners be coming?”
“Is payday. They come for dinner on way to Ely.” Marida gave Crissa an exaggerated wink. “Are sporting women in Ely.”
“How many will be coming?” The thought of more strange faces to watch made Crissa edgy.
“Depends on if miners more hungry or more . . .” Marida winked again.
Gasping at Marida’s boldness, Crissa turned back to study the guests in the dining room. “We do not have many tables left tonight.”
“No worry,” Marida informed her. “When miners come, many these people will leave.”
“Why? Do they not like the miners?”
Laying her finger alongside her nose, Marida gave Crissa a sidelong glance. “Today payday at mine. You watch out for them. They no gentlemen.”
“But, Marida, surely—”
“You listen. You watch out.”
Willow Springs” blog tour schedule:
August 17: Katie’s Clean Book Collection • Anna del C.
August 18: I Love to Read and Review Books • Lisa is a Bookworm • A Book a Day
August 19: Tressa’s Wishful Endings • LDS and Lovin’ It
August 20: Christina Dymock • Fire and Ice
August 21: Literary Time Out • Cindy Bennett
August 22: Utah Mom’s Life • Thoughts in Progress
August 23: Readalot • To Be a Person
August 24: WV Stitcher • Jorie Loves a Story
August 25: Mel’s Shelves • emmyMOM
August 26: The View From My Window • I am a Reader • Jinky is Reading
August 27: Seasons of Humility
August 28: Getting Your Read On
August 29: Deal Sharing Aunt
August 30: Donna Steele
August 31: Live to Read
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