Book Review: Hope Springs, by Sarah M. Eden (Longing for Home, Book #2)
Katie Macauley gives up her goal to return to Ireland in order to make a difference in Hope Springs, Wyoming, where she has become a beloved friend and a rallying beacon for the Irish half of the town. As Katie endures the cruelty and prejudice of her employer, Mr. Johnson, she also strives to establish her own business as a baker, spend time with Joseph Archer’s daughters, and care for the elderly woman with whom she now lives. Katie’s music becomes an even more important balm for her weary soul. Joseph Archer and Tavish O’Connor still vie for her attention, and she can’t decide which one she loves. Both are good men, but so different from each other. Meanwhile the violence between the Irish and the Reds escalates, and a bitterly cold winter begins early, leaving the valley isolated and supplies low. Katie does all she can to bring peace, but her sacrifices are in vain, and life becomes a nightmare that mimics the experiences of her childhood. Will Katie ever find the love and peace she yearns for?
I couldn’t put this book down. Swept up in the story, I stayed up late reading because I had to find out what happened. My heart went out to Katie. I cried with her as she suffered and sacrificed so much for those she loved. The characters were so real, and the situations were heartbreaking. I kept wondering why Joseph Archer hadn’t hired a sheriff and a doctor for the town when he first established it. This book, along with Book #1, Longing For Home, went much deeper than Sarah M. Eden’s Regency romances (which are also well written), and I really enjoyed it.
Carol Nicolas 