In Honor's Defense - Review

In Honor's Defense (Hanger's Horsemen, # 3)

By: Karen Witemeyer

Publication: June 7th 2022 by Bethany House Publishers

384 pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Luke Davenport has been fighting all his life--for respect, for country, and most recently, for those unable to fight for themselves. But now that his Horsemen brothers are domesticated, he's left alone to battle the wildness within. When an opportunity arises to take a job on his own, he jumps at the chance.

Damaris Baxter has mastered the art of invisibility. Plain and quiet, she hides in books and needlework, content to be overlooked. Until her brother dies suddenly, leaving her custody of her nephew. She moves to Texas to care for Nate, determined to create the family for herself that she never thought she'd have.

When Nate stumbles into the path of the rustlers Luke is tracking, Luke acts to protect him and winds up gravely injured. Feeling indebted, Damaris nurses Luke back to health. But suspicions grow regarding the death of her brother. And the more questions they ask, the more danger appears, threatening the family Luke may be unable to live without.

I can't say why I put these books off. I enjoyed book 1 and was excited about continuing the series. If I'd had book 2 immediately, I probably would have read it immediately. But time dimmed my excitement to return to the series, so I put off reading book 2. And even though I enjoyed it as well, I only finished reading it right before book 3 released. I knew I would want to read the third book eventually, but I didn't want to jump into it immediately. So I put it off. Now that I try to analyze it, I wonder if the mystery is what puts me off. I know the entire book isn't dedicated to the love story but also to some mystery or bad guy that has to be addressed. And something about the book description for this particular book just had me putting on the breaks.

I guess, ultimately, I'm glad that I waited to read this book when I did because it spurred me out of a reading slump. I went from not reading at all, and not even having much desire to do so, to devouring this book within a couple of days. Considering how busy real life is right now, that was a feat.

Luke is the Horseman the group calls Preach. That's because he's always reciting Bible verses. But Luke doesn't have a cheery past. His mother left when he was ten, and his father was an abusive drunk. The faith Luke found when he was in the army, as well as the brothers that adopted him as their own, gave him purpose. But now his fellow horsemen are settling down, and Luke feels adrift. He takes a solo job that brings him to Maris and Nate.

Demaris is used to being overlooked. She has been deemed a spinster and sent to be the companion to her aunt. Her older brother was the only one who could pull her out of her shell. And when he dies, leaving his fourteen year old son an orphan, Demaris steps in to raise him so he can stay on the property his father and mother are buried on. But Nate is an angry teen and blames their neighbor for his father's death. As a result, Nate has been pulling nightly pranks. Things like hacking up a garden, leaving snakes in various places, etc. He doesn't realize that he's about to stumble into real danger.

Luke has been hired by the Baxter's neighbor to find the rustlers and missing cattle they've been stealing. And Mr. Grimes is set on blaming Nate Baxter for his missing beeves since Nate has been a nuisance. One night when Luke is keeping watch, the rustlers appear attempting to steal another cow when Nate accidentally stumbles upon them in an attempted prank on Mr. Grimes. Luke saves Nate from the rustlers but ends up with multiple stab wounds. And Nate gets Demaris to transport Luke to their home and nurse him back to health.

Of course, Luke and Demaris begin to form a relationship, and Luke even sees himself in Nate, and he takes him under his wing. I won't give any more details than that about the plot or twists. But even though I wasn't sure I would like this storyline, I actually did. Mary Whitmeyer does a great job of establishing characters you can't help but root for. Even Nate, with all his anger and teenage acting out, was easy to feel sorry for and hope he could overcome his grief.

Favorite quotes:

-Invisible people rarely received correspondence.

-To be chosen for herself--it was the secret desire of her heart. To be important to someone. More than a glorified servant who fetched and carried and entertained at her aunt's whim. To be wanted truly for herself. Seen instead of invisible. Valued instead of tolerated.

--...one who'd rather rail at the world for dealing him a raw hand than actually do anything to make it better.

-"Your aunt's not the kind of woman to choose what's easy over what's right," Luke said.

-"Contentment isn't chained to a certain set of circumstances, Luke. It's portable. You can take it with you wherever you go."

I'm so glad that I picked In Honor's Defense up when I did. This book was exactly what I needed to spur me out of a deep reading slup--one of the worst I've been in for years. Luke and Demaris had a sweeter journey than I expected. And I don't know why I felt a little dread before starting this book. In the end, In Honor's Defense gets 4 Stars. Have you read In Honor's Defense? What did you think? Let me know!

Can't Wait for In Honor's Defense

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

In Honor's Defense (Hanger's Horsemen, # 3)

By: Karen Witemeyer

Expected Publication: June 7th 2022 by Bethany House Publishers

384 pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Luke Davenport has been fighting all his life--for respect, for country, and most recently, for those unable to fight for themselves. But now that his Horsemen brothers are domesticated, he's left alone to battle the wildness within. When an opportunity arises to take a job on his own, he jumps at the chance.

Damaris Baxter has mastered the art of invisibility. Plain and quiet, she hides in books and needlework, content to be overlooked. Until her brother dies suddenly, leaving her custody of her nephew. She moves to Texas to care for Nate, determined to create the family for herself that she never thought she'd have.

When Nate stumbles into the path of the rustlers Luke is tracking, Luke acts to protect him and winds up gravely injured. Feeling indebted, Damaris nurses Luke back to health. But suspicions grow regarding the death of her brother. And the more questions they ask, the more danger appears, threatening the family Luke may be unable to live without.

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

The Heart's Charge - Review

The Heart's Charge (Hanger's Horsemen, # 2)

By: Karen Witemeyer

Publication: June 1st 2021 by Bethany House Publishers

384 pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Members of Hanger's Horsemen, Mark Wallace and Jonah Brooks arrive in Llano County, Texas, to deliver a steed, never expecting they'd deliver a baby as well. Left with an infant to care for, they head to a nearby foundling home, where Mark encounters the woman he'd nearly married a decade ago.

After failing at love, Katherine Palmer dedicated her life to caring for children, teaming up with Eliza Southerland to start Harmony House. From mixed ancestry, illegitimate, and female, Eliza understands the pain of not fitting society's mold. Yet those are the very attributes that lead her to minister to outcast children. The taciturn Jonah intrigues her with his courage and kindness, but there are secrets behind his eyes--ghosts from wars past and others still being waged.

However, when a handful of urchin children from the area go missing, a pair of Horsemen are exactly what the women need. Working together to find the children, will these two couples find love as well?

I read At Love's Command in 2020. I knew I wanted to read the other Horsemen's stories, and I jumped at the chance to get The Heart's Charge for review. Yet when I got it, I wasn't in the mood for it. I sometimes hate it about myself, but I am such a mood reader. I almost say that I can't force myself to read something that I'm not in the mood for, but that's not exactly accurate. I can, but I hate doing that. Anyway, I finally broke down and picked it up even though I still wasn't quite in the mood.

The Heart's Charge ended up being better than I expected. First of all, there are two love stories. Both Mark Wallace and Jonah Brooks share this book, and I loved reading about both of their stories. I loved their friendship with each other.

I've been listening to an audiobook while I'm driving to get the kids from school and I was reading this book at the same time, and I couldn't help but contrast these two books. One has a woman that struggles with anxiety and panic attacks. This book has two strong women who aren't satisfied to sit by the side when they can be useful even though historically it would be more difficult for women to be as active as modern-day. The other book has a feminist slant and this book shows men and women working in tandem to have the strongest relationship possible by using the strengths of both parties. I just couldn't help but notice the differences in these two stories and their approaches. I much prefer this type of story to the ones more focused on the characters being victims.

I was impressed with the amount of Bible verses used in The Heart's Charge. Often, I find myself annoyed with stories that push an agenda or a message, but you can't read "Christian fiction" without expecting there to be a focus on Christian messages to some degree or other. But to be honest, I was impressed with how each lesson and verse tied into the story and felt like lessons the characters were meant to learn and not lessons the author was trying to preach to the reader. And that is what makes the difference to me.

Favorite quotes:

-He had nothing against putting down roots. He just hadn't found the right soil yet.

-She very much feared that Jonah Brooks was not a man to be pigeonholed. Which meant he was a man who needed to fly her coop as soon as possible.

-A gift bestowed by God couldn't be stolen by man. Or woman. It might be neglected or stifled, but never stolen.

-"Lessons taught from love bring wisdom. Lessons spawned from fear and pain often come with cynicism and bitterness attached, which can cloud the truth."

-"Satan uses loneliness to isolate and depress. But God uses it to build compassion."

-Hunger, sickness, ostracism--people afflicted with such things care only about a warm meal, healing medicine, and a compassionate touch.

-...a man considering a commitment to one woman should not behave in a way that could lead her to believe him fickle in his affections. Nor should he give another woman reason to believe his interest lay anywhere other than where it did.

-Friendly was different than flirty.

-He didn't mind a strategic surrender every now and again.

-Risks were always assessed but seldom allowed to stand in the way of progress.

-Could it be that being subject to a husband who loved her with sacrificial dedication meant freedom instead of subjugation?

-Leave tomorrow alone, girl. Her mother's oft-voiced scold echoed in Eliza's mind. The Lord's the only one strong enough to carry the future. You'll wear yourself out tryin'.

The Heart's Charge hooked me, and I didn't want to stop reading when I had to. It was easy to see how much better reading about strong characters (both male and female) is than reading about characters that want to be victims. I enjoyed the Scripture used because it felt like the lessons were for the characters and not for the readers. The Heart's Charge gets 4 Stars. Have you read The Heart's Charge? What did you think? Let me know!

Can't Wait for The Heart's Charge

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

The Heart's Charge (Hanger's Horsemen, # 2)

By: Karen Witemeyer

Expected Publication: June 1st 2021 by Bethany House Publishers

384 pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Members of Hanger's Horsemen, Mark Wallace and Jonah Brooks arrive in Llano County, Texas, to deliver a steed, never expecting they'd deliver a baby as well. Left with an infant to care for, they head to a nearby foundling home, where Mark encounters the woman he'd nearly married a decade ago.

After failing at love, Katherine Palmer dedicated her life to caring for children, teaming up with Eliza Southerland to start Harmony House. From mixed ancestry, illegitimate, and female, Eliza understands the pain of not fitting society's mold. Yet those are the very attributes that lead her to minister to outcast children. The taciturn Jonah intrigues her with his courage and kindness, but there are secrets behind his eyes--ghosts from wars past and others still being waged.

However, when a handful of urchin children from the area go missing, a pair of Horsemen are exactly what the women need. Working together to find the children, will these two couples find love as well?

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

At Love's Command - Review

At Love's Command (Hanger's Horsemen, # 1)

By: Karen Witemeyer

Publication: June 2nd 2020 by Bethany House Publishers

384 pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Haunted by the horrors of war, ex-cavalry officer Matthew Hanger leads a band of mercenaries known as Hanger's Horsemen who have become legends in 1890s Texas. They defend the innocent and obtain justice for the oppressed. But when a rustler's bullet leaves one of them at death's door, they're the ones in need of saving.

Dr. Josephine Burkett is used to men taking one look at her skirts and discounting her medical skills. What she's not used to is having a man change his mind in a heartbeat and offer to assist her in surgery. Matthew Hanger's dedication to his friend during recovery earns Josephine's respect, and when she hears of her brother's abduction, he becomes her only hope for rescue.

Matt has stared down ruthless outlaws, betrayal, and injury, but when a bossy lady doctor crawls under his skin, his heart is tempted to surrender. And when she is caught in the crossfire, he may have to sacrifice everything--even his team--to save her.

I've been exploring the historical fiction genre over the last couple of years. I occasionally read one here or there in the past, but as with most things in life, my expectations of the genre were quite different than the reality. Lately, I've been devouring new (to me) authors, new books, and new periods. At Love's Command was one of them.

Josephine is a woman in what's considered at the time as being a man's profession. She's a doctor who has had to earn the respect of the town she is working in. She doesn't stand for any man to talk to her like she doesn't know her own mind or like he knows better than her. Jo gave up on the idea of having a family for herself because not many men would be accepting of her profession. But she's never been drawn to a man who just might make her crave more from life than the calling she loves.

Matthew joined the Calvary after his family was slaughtered by Indians (Native Americans). But after the battle of Wounded Knee where his regiment decimated an entire tribe of Indians--men, women, and children. Matthew and 3 of his fellow officers need to atone for the innocent blood spilled. They attempt to right wrongs using non-lethal force. Matthew recognizes a kindred spirit in Dr. Jo. He does everything in his power to block the effect she has on him, but when she hires his crew to rescue her brother from a band of outlaws trying to use him for ransom against her father, Matthew is thrown into a relationship with Josie that he can no longer ignore.

All in Matt and Josie progress quickly as far as the amount of time they spend together for their relationship to reach the level it does so quickly. Granted a good bit of that time is heightened by high stakes and pressure situations. But there can't be more than a month spanning the entire book. Probably less. This type of thing doesn't usually bother me, and it didn't in this case either. But I do know that many readers take issue with fast relationships like this.

One of the biggest compliments that I can give Karen Witemeyer and At Love's Command is that I'm already excited about reading books focused on each of the other Horsemen. I feel like I know each one of them just enough to feel connected and intrigued. I want to know more. And I already like them all. I would read a sequel in this series immediately if I had it available. Plus I'm anxious to find out which Horsemen book 2 will follow and technically no book 2 has even been announced yet.

I connected to Matt and Jo on a personal level because she struggles with trying to control her life and he struggles with knowing that even with God in control, sometimes bad things still happen to us and those we love. My favorite quotes centered around these areas, but here are my favorite quotes from the entire book:

-Yes, God was capable of protecting Josie, but there was no guarantee that he actually would. And it was that uncertainty that drove Matt step after grueling step. He supposed a more faithful man would take comfort in knowing that God’s will would prevail, and whatever happened would be for the best. But Matt believed there was an evil force with a will of its own at work in the world too. A force that inflicted pain for its own sadistic delight. A force that would steal a five-year-old boy’s parents and sister from him and make him bear witness to the atrocities. He didn’t believe their murder was God’s will. A God who spoke commandments against murder wouldn’t condone such an act. Yet this same God had done nothing to stop it.

-Forfeiting control to an almighty God should be easier than giving in to a gang of outlaws, yet he still struggled. He wanted to trust, but he’d lost loved ones before, and the little boy inside the man was terrified that history would repeat itself.

-I’m afraid, Lord. Afraid to completely surrender. Afraid that if I have no control over the outcome, it won’t end the way I desire. Afraid you’ll take Matthew from me. Lean not unto thine own understanding. Josephine’s heart pricked. That was it, wasn’t it? She trusted her own understanding more than she trusted God’s unfathomable wisdom.

-How quick she was to grab for the reins the instant the path the Lord led her down took a turn she didn’t favor. Where was her trust? Her surrender?

-Control was nothing more than an illusion, a lie to trap the competent in their own capability. One that created such a dependence on self that it clogged the conduit of wisdom and power flowing from the Omnipotent until only a trickle of living water found its way through.

-Help me, Lord. Clear out the debris of pride and fear clogging my soul and let your river of living water flow through me unhindered. Help me trust that you are at work. That you will fight for Matthew, for justice. And should the worst happen, that you will fight for me too. That I might believe in your goodness even in the pit of despair.

At Love's Command had a lot going for it. Even though there was a mystery to solve or outlaws to overcome, the relationship between Josie and Matt felt like it was at the heart of the story and moved the events along rather than the story or other characters driving the bus. The side characters pop off the page just as much as the leads, and I can't wait to dive into each one's story. At Love's Command easily gets 4 Stars. Have you read At Love's Command? What did you think? Let me know!