"You cannot be serious, Reuben!" Julia Colter shouted, not caring that she might wake her niece and nephew from their afternoon nap. Pacing back and forth across the length of the kitchen, she stopped in front of her older brother, her temper flaring almost as hot as the stove.
"He is balding and fat and twice my age!"
"You will marry who I say!" Reuben thundered. "I expect you to treat Mr. Hiram Norton with the utmost respect this evening. He has shown great interest in you and the least you can do is be civil with the man."
"But, I could never love him!"
As Reuben shoved her violently up against the wall, Julia's breath left her lungs in a rush. Digging his fingers into her arms, she could feel the bruises starting to form. His brown eyes darkened with unrestrained anger as he glared down at her. She swallowed in fear, stunned by his abrupt action.
"Stop, you're hurting me," she said, trying to break free from his vice like grip.
He raised his hand as if he meant to strike her - something he had never done before. The action startled her to silence. Instead of hitting her across the face, as she thought he might, Reuben returned his hands to her upper arms squeezing even harder.
Leaning so close the heat of his breath warmed her cheeks, he said, "You have no idea what hurt is Julia. You are an insolent little whelp. You will paste a smile on that tart little face of yours. And you will do your best to win his affections or, " his voice menacing, " you will suffer my wrath, the likes of which you have yet to see." (pg 1).
So opens the sequel from the Prescott Pioneers #2, A Heart Renewed by Karen Baney. It picks up with the continuing story of A Dream Unfolding, the first book in the series, with Julia Colter, the youngest sister of Reuben and Will. Will has begun a new life in the Arizona Territory of Granite Creek with Colter Ranch, now happily married to his wife Hannah.
Julia has been left in the care of his oldest brother Reuben, after her father's recent death. She finds that her brother's only regard to taking care of her is finding someone wealthy enough to take her off his hands and be willing to pay more than enough for her. Reuben has squandered his father's remaining financial holding in a series of gambling debts and if he can't find a way out, his own blood will be shed.
When her brother's abuse grows too much and he does the unspeakable to break her stubbornness, Julia flees to her only friend Caroline. After confessing the horrors of her brother's treatment to Julia, she finds the only way she'll be safe is if she leaves tonight with her brother Adam who is heading to Colter Ranch in Arizona to help Will begin raising horses.
What they will find along the long journey is that God will always find a way to reach out in forgiveness to restore hope and renew His promises that He will take care of those that call upon His name.
I received this eBook, A Renewed Heart by Karen Baney, compliments of Karen Baney for my honest review. After falling in love with the characters of Will and Hannah, I could not wait for the next book to come out to see what fate would befall Julia being left behind with her cruel brother Reuben. I can honestly say I was not disappointed.
If you haven't read any of Karen's books in this series, please pick these up. She creates such detail in the story that you can imagine life on the ranch with Will's family, comfort Julia as she cries in the arms of Betty at the boarding house, and even feel the restoration of Julia when she learns the lesson of forgiveness from those around her that love her. Once more she rates a 5 out of 5 stars! Can't wait til book 3 is released to continue the journey out west again!
For more information on this book, the author and where to purchase this next edition in the series, click on the link below:
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