AUTHOR: Tracie Peterson
DATE: 2014
PUBLISHER: Bethany House
STARS: ****
Texas born and raised Jessica Atherton is a wealthy young woman whose heart was broken when the man she intended to marry wedded another. But her world is upended when two new men come into her life, and both manage to stir her heart.
Harrison Gable is a successful young lawyer with ambitions that match Jessica's dreams. His warm, attentive manner and thoughtful gifts make her feel special.
Austin Todd, a former Secret Service agent, enjoys working now as a Texas Ranger cattle inspector. But after learning of forged gold certificates and missing printing plates, he's drawn back into the world of intrigue and agrees to help solve the case. Jessica is drawn to his kind nature and the unspoken pain she sees in his eyes.
If Jessica follows her heart, where will it lead?
This is the third book in Tracie Peterson’s Lone Star Brides series, and after reading A Moment in Time (Book2), I was eager to catch up with Alice, Marty, and their families. Unlike that book, though, A Matter of Heart did not capture my attention the way the other book had. Jessica is a spoiled, self-centered young lady, and while her efforts to change are admirable, it felt stilted to me, with more telling than showing.
Once I got into the story, I found it charming and more what I’d hoped for. Austin Todd is a damaged hero, my favorite kind, and his story was easily my favorite part of the book. All in all, A Matter of Heart earns four stars from me.
Bethany House offered me a book in exchange for my honest opinion.