Let me give my compliments before my concerns.
I liked the premise, the characters, and the town.
I struggled with the writing. I'm not sure what happened with Ms. Osbourne's crafting of the story. I've read other books by her and not encountered these same issues.
Head hopping was the worst offender. I'd be reading a chapter started in Beatrice's head then suddenly find myself in Arthur's head without any scene or chapter break. Confusing and irritating. I get that this was written in 2017, but head hopping by that point wasn't really what was done by the writing community anymore.
Grief takes many forms but Beatrice was far too cheerful for a young woman who lost her parents to a tragic accident before entering town and being married to a stranger.
Editing, or rather, lack thereof. Nearly an error on every page.
I'm grateful I started in the middle of the series and not with this book, the first book. Had I started here, I probably wouldn't have read the rest of the series, which would've been a shame as the other books so far haven't shared these problems.
Other than setting up the town, you really don't need to read this book to read the rest of the series. I do recommend reading them in order, if you can, as each book builds on the previous cast of characters. I'd suggest starting with book 2.
I'm sad to leave a review like this as it takes a great deal of effort and time to produce a story.
Beatrice Hart loves her life as a teacher in Missouri. When her parents tell her they’re moving to Creede, Colorado, she goes with them, having nothing else to do. Just before they reach town, her parents plummet to their deaths, leaving her alone to face the world and an entire town of men.
When telegraph operator Arthur Jameson sees a young lady crying on a bench in town, he immediately goes to her to try to make things better. An hour later he finds himself married to her, wondering what had gotten into him. Together, two strangers try to navigate their way through marriage and life. Beatrice hates that she’s not allowed to go out because of the dangers presented by the town of Creede. Will the two of them learn to compromise? Or will they spend their lives in a loveless marriage?
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