"Wagon Train Cinderella" (Shirley Kennedy) ★★★ with GIVEAWAY!!!

BOOK INFORMATION

Wagon Train Cinderella

By: Shirley Kennedy

Releasing February 3rd, 2015
Lyrical Press

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BOOK SUMMARY

Love can lead you out of the wilderness…

1851, Overland Trail to California. As a baby, Callie was left on the doorstep of an isolated farmhouse in Tennessee. The Whitaker family took her in but have always considered her more a servant than a daughter. Scorned by her two stepsisters, Callie is forced to work long hours and denied an education. But a new world opens to her when the Whitakers join a wagon train to California—guided by rugged guide, Luke McGraw…

A loner, haunted by a painful past, Luke plans to return to the wilderness once his work is done. But he can’t help noticing how poorly Callie is treated—or how unaware she is of her beauty and intelligence. As the two become closer over the long trek west, Callie’s confidence grows. And when disaster strikes, Callie emerges as the strong one—and the woman Luke may find the courage to love at last…

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EXCERPT

“Not so fast.” He rose and clasped her upper arms. “I find you…” After a brief pause, he pulled her roughly to him so she was wrapped tightly in his arms. He pressed his lips against hers, gently at first, but then more hungrily, caressing her mouth in a kiss so searing it made her senses reel. She slid her arms around his neck, pressed close, and returned his kiss with reckless abandon. Time stood still while blood pounded in her brain and her knees trembled until finally he broke away, clasped her shoulders, and shoved her away at arm’s length. “No more.”

She stood breathless. Luke kissed me. She had imagined kissing him many a time, but now that he had, she had no idea what to say.

Before she found words, he shook his head, as if to clear his mind. “Forget this happened.” His breathing slowed. He backed a step away, appearing to have gained control over the passion that had gripped him.

But I don’t want to forget. She swallowed her words. The purposeful look in his eyes told her not to argue.

          The unbelievable moment of passion had passed. He took her arm. “Let’s get back to the camp. I’ll give you a ride.”

CAT'S REVIEW

"Wagon Train Cinderella" by Shirley Kennedy.  This is truly Callie's story.  Although there is a romance aspect to it, Callie and Luke, it is definitely a background story.  I would have really liked to have seen more of the two of them.  They fell in love but I didn't really understand why.   For me, there wasn't enough interaction between the two.  Callie - at times I liked her and times she annoyed the heck out of me.  She discovered many things about herself during the journey, which were awesome. She's a lot stronger then she ever believed and smarter too.  However, her loyalty to her family seemed a bit far stretched, based on how they treated her.  I'm all for forgiving, etc., but her family certainly didn't seem to love her yet she sacrificed for them, no matter what.  I did enjoy the trials and tribulations that were experienced while on a wagon train - the harshness and reality of just how difficult travel was back in the 1800's were brought to light and not made less for the sake of the story.   I have to say, I was a bit disappointed in this one.  I'm a sucker for Cinderella stories but this one didn't quite do it for me as far as a fairy tale/romance aspect. However, like I said, on the historical side, it was well written.    (Received copy from NetGalley for honest review)

★★★

AUTHOR INFO

Shirley Kennedy was born and raised in Fresno, California and has lived in such diverse places as Denver; Houston; Torrance, California; Bogota ,Colombia; and Calgary, Alberta, Canada  where she received a BSc degree in Computer Sciences at the University of Calgary.   She worked as a computer programmer/systems analyst for several years before she went back to her first love, writing. 

In her early career as an author, Shirley wrote traditional Regency romances, one for Ballantine, the rest for Signet. Later on, she branched into other genres including Heartbreak Trail, a western romance (Camel Press), The Last of Lady Lansdown, a not-so-traditional Regency romance (Camel Press), and Deadly Gamble, a contemporary Las Vegas mystery (Inkspell Press).  She’s an Indie publisher, too, and has just published Looking for Lucky, the poignant, suspenseful story of a lost dog.

She lives in Las Vegas Nevada, with her older daughter, Dianne, and Brutus and Sparky, her two editorial assistants who love to nap in the sunshine next to her computer while she works on her next book.

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