Can runaway Libby Cantrell finally get a new start?
Libby Cantrell’s life has gone from bad to worse since her mother’s death. After working in a brothel to support her abusive father, she sees no hope for her future until one cold winter night when she finds the courage to escape. When she collapses in Portersfield, Texas, exhausted, ill, and hungry, Sheriff Cory Muldoon finds her and takes her to the doctor. Against Cory’s better judgment, Seth and Erin Winston take her in and offer her a job as a nanny for their young son. As a minister, Seth sees it as his duty to take care of her. As a deputy, Cory needs to know the truth about her even as he is attracted to the waif of a young woman.
As Cory’s feelings for her grow and winter becomes spring, will he be able to accept her as she is now and truly forget and forgive her sordid past?
Published May 15th 2012by Charisma House
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Martha Rogers is a former schoolteacher and English instructor. She served as a newsletter editor for the writer's organization, Inspirational Writers Alive! for six years and is the state president. She is also the director for the annual Texas Christian Writer's Conference and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.
Her first novel Not on the Menu (May 2007) is a part of Sugar and Grits, a novella collection with DiAnn Mills, Janice Thompson, and Kathleen Y'Barbo. Rogers has a Master's Degree in Education, worked for twenty-eight years as a secondary teacher, and has worked as a supervisory teacher at University of Houston Clear Lake and as an instructor of English Composition at Houston Community College. Martha and her husband live in Houston, Texas and have worked with teenagers at First Baptist Church for twenty-four years.
My Thoughts
Libby Cantrell has had a hard life ever since her mother's death four years ago. This left her with a grieving father that turned to alcohol and gambling. Then when he lost his job he put Libby to work in a saloon. She refused him and he beat her after that the beatings kept coming. One night he brought a man home and made her service the stranger. This was her life now selling her body and being abused. She tries to build up her courage to escape her father and the abuse. She can't bear for another man to ever touch her ever again.
Deputy Sheriff Cory Muldoon makes his night rounds in Porterfield, Texas and as he enters the alley he finds a young women wrapped in a quilt unconscious and burning up with fever. He carries her straight to Doc Jensen's infirmary. The doc not only finds she has a high fever and a bad cough, he also finds signs of being abuse with new marks and old scars from past beatings. The bruises are not reported to Deputy Muldoon but he could tell she was scared and running from something. He was determined to find out who she was and what she was running from.
Libby told the Doctor her name was Elizabeth Bradley because she did not trust anyone to know her real name for fear of her father finding her. Cory's sister was a nurse for the Doctor and came up with a plan to take Elizabeth to her parent's ranch, that way if someone came looing for her she would be well protected. Besides a stranger would not know to look for her on the ranch. Cory was not happy with this idea but how could he convince his mother and sister to abandon this plan. Will the people of Porterfield protect her once they find out who and what she really is or will they make her leave their town?
As bad as Cory wants to protect her he just seems to not trust her. But why does he keep thinking about her? Could he really be developing feeling for this young woman?
Women did not have many rights back in these days. They were at the mercy of their husbands and fathers. If they were beaten people would turn their heads. There were no laws against abuse. But some would do whatever they could to stop the abuse. There were also limited jobs available for women and they were looked down on if they tried to become doctors, nurses or lawyers.
The people of Porterfield had faith in God and went all out to disciple and minister to one and all without prejudice and if anyone tried to stop them they better change their mind real quick because the whole town will be praying for them.
From book one to book four the books just kept getting better. I enjoyed reading about the growth of Porterfield, Texas and also the spiritual growth of the community. I admired the bravery and fortitude of the women especially Ada Muldoon, Aunt Mae and let's not forget Kate Muldoon.
I am ready to read more of Martha Roger's books. I hope there will be a book five in this series.
I rated this book a 5 out of 5.
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Disclosure
I received a free copy of this book from Charisma House for review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
