Arnold’s first love died in the Cheyenne river.He’s sure he’s had his one love. To guard his heart, he wants nothing to do with women. No one could ever compare to his Lynellen. He will work hard, be respectful, never forget.Stephenia is the new teacher in Belle Fourche when she almost meets her Maker.Arnold saved her life, and maybe her heart. She’s avoided relationships her whole life, afraid … She’s avoided relationships her whole life, afraid of the pain of loss. When she finally gives up on him, he has to choose between the love he’s lost and the one who found him.
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Great book! Cannot wait to read other books in this series. Thank you.
It’s not until the school teacher stops visiting him that Arnold starts to notice her.
Slowly he realizes he wants her by his side for the rest of his life…. hopefully, she hasn’t changed her mind!
Such a tender and heartfelt romance!
Stephenia knew Arnold was the one for her from the instant they met, but Arnold is convinced that his one and only chance at love died with Lynellen. Stephenia is determined to keep her distance until Arnold figures out how to move forward, but the more she pulls away, the more he’s drawn to her. I loved the way the author wrote these two vulnerable yet headstrong characters.
Arnold’s mother advises that, “What the heart holds on to is what becomes the fruit of your life.” This bit of wisdom not only helps guide our young couple to their HEA, but it’s well worth remembering for all stages of life. The faith of these characters is central to their daily lives without becoming preachy or cloying.
These are fully developed, three dimensional characters that really resonated with me. I loved every page of this book, and highly recommend you plan a trip to Belle Fourche, SD with this heartwarming series. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
This is a sweet easy to read inspirational story about learning to let go of the past and moving whole heartedly into a future path yet to be revealed. Sometimes it takes being willing to let go of the past in order to see the future that is right in front of you.
As I said easy to read (or listen) in an afternoon, well written with lovable imperfect characters. I received a copy of the audible version as a gift and enjoyed the narration.
This is a sweet story about a cowboy, Arnold who holds onto a lost love for too long because he is afraid to let anyone down. The new school teacher, Stephenia comes from a place of loss also and truly cares for Arnold but he is too afraid to give his heart away. Stephenia knows it’s a losing battle and draws away. Arnold starts to miss her but his dilly dallying may cost him a true love. I received a complimentary audio and I am voluntarily reviewing.
After been saved by Arnold Stephenia was lost, she couldn’t stop thinking about him. Arnold has lost love one time and had closed his heart.
Stephenia didn’t give up, till she finally did. But couldn’t he leave her alone? Was he too late when he opened his eyes for a new opportunity to love?
I really loved this story, it made he laugh out loud and cry. I couldn’t put it down. Can’t wait to read Eli’s story.
What the Heart Holds (Brothers of Belle Fourth #2) was another great read by Kari Trumbo. Arnold was in love before and unfortunately she died in the Cheyenne River. He’s decided that he wants nothing to do with women as a way to guard his heart. Stephenia is a new teacher in Belle Fourth and Arnold saves her life. She’s afraid of starting a relationship because she’s afraid of the pain. I can’t wait to read more by Kari Trumbo.
Stephenia Ford has hero worship for Arnold Oleson ever since he helped save her from the kidnapper at the school. She spends the summer walking to his house to give him a sweet roll from Isabelle’s bakery at the expense of not having enough money to buy food. It isn’t until she realizes that he doesn’t return her feelings and that he has never gotten over the young lady he loved who died in the river years before that she turns away from him. It isn’t until she stops coming around and another suitor starts calling on her, that Arnold starts to realize his feelings for her. But he doesn’t really act on it until he almost loses her to the river too. Arnold acted as young as her immature suitor did at times, telling her what she was doing wrong, not treating her like a lady, and not passing on her need for more wood because he was so focused on his competition. Stephania should have swallowed her pride and admitted sooner that she didn’t have enough food to eat and wood for heat. They both had some growing up to do in this story.
Pay the Teacher!
Modern folk are largely unaware of the complexities of education–we just take for granted that there will be a single teacher for the basics until a child reaches a certain age, and then there will be separate teachers for each subject, perhaps 20-30 pupils per schoolroom. We are rich with buildings and people (and school taxes reflect the profligacy of the school boards–not necessarily in salaries but in tremendously expensive infrastructure).
Okay–got a bit off topic and onto a hobby horse, but the point is 100+ years ago this was not the case. Outside the big cities most students who had access to learning went to a one-room schoolhouse where one teacher provided lessons for pupils of every age. Basic 3Rs plus some history and perhaps a bit of science. Let’s call it five subjects. For each child. Most of whom were at different knowledge levels. Imagine the lesson plans required! Home schooling parents are aware of this but most folks ship the kids off without a thought to the teacher.
Now, realize, in many cases the teacher was responsible not just for her charges but for all aspects of the building as well, from cleaning and maintenance to heating. In rural communities, payment was often in produce rather than cash. While not a lot of time is devoted in the book to those exigencies, nonetheless these details form critical points on which areas of the plot turn and, for whatever reason, stuck with me long after the HEA had come to its conclusion.
This is the second tale in the series and references are made to previous incidents which set the stage, but the story stands alone quite nicely. I had the pleasure of hearing J. Scott Bennett individually voice the characters, turning the story into a “radio play.”
What the Heart Holds is a wonderful Christian Romance from Kari Trumbo. The characters are fun, interesting and lovable. The plot is unusual for that time period as Stephenia was actively pursuing Arnold. This was a refreshing change and made the book a bit humorous.This series – The Brothers of Belle Fourche – is well worth your time.
I read books 2 and 3 out of order, but a lot of things make more sense now! Kari does a brilliant job taking misunderstandings, and blowing them so far out of proportion, that they make for a great story! (I love that Stephania starts out chasing Arnold!)
This is a wonderful story about love at a distance. The towns school teacher is unabashedly in love with one of the brothers at the Olesen Ranch and he doesn’t want anything to do with her. She has been walking out to the ranch everyday all summer long with no avail. She finally gets the message when he constantly tells her not to come out and never invites her into the house.
What her heart wants and can’t have is the problem and with a man who can’t forget his first love and never love another. But he can’t seem to stay away from her either.
He won’t commit but seems to really like her spunk and he can’t get her out of his mind.
Love, adventure, an unruly cowboy who thinks he owns the teacher just because in her confusing she agrees to bake him pie.
I love this hero and heroine and the entire story was good. I felt it a slow start but it picked up fairly quickly.
I love Ms. Trumbo’s other stories I have read and this one was also very good and a quick read with a happy ending.
I encourage you to get this book as the fourth in this series.
I was offered this book as an ARC but was in no way compensated for reading this for my review. This was a good book and I wanted to leave my honest opinion for a review.
This is the first Kari Trumbo book that I have read and I’m so happy that I picked it up. This is book 2 of Brothers of Belle Fourche series but can definitely be read as a stand-alone. The story is easy-to-read, the characters are fun and lovable, and the small town of Belle Fourche, South Dakota right at the turn of 20th century is charming.
Arnold is a heart-broken bachelor cowboy who has lost his first love to an accident long ago. He is a stubborn alpha male who has no clue how to treat a woman but nonetheless is loyal to family and endearing. Stephenia is the new school teacher who is infatuated with Arnold ever since he and his brother Eli rescued her from a gunman. Stephenia is tender-hearted and sweet though somewhat spontaneous. Stephenia chases Arnold but he doesn’t show much interest until Arnold unwittingly becomes the chaser.
The story also has fun secondary characters who most likely will take the spotlight in the next book of the series. The entire Oleson family is a great and lovable clan; I definitely need to read the first book in the series now to get the story behind Arnold’s two married brothers.
I received a copy of this book from the author and was under no obligation to post a review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.
After a daring rescue by a handsome cowboy, new teacher Stephenia Forde falls head over heels for Arnold Oleson. However, he’s still hung up on a lost childhood crush and his fears of loss. Will Stephenia’s tender pursuit warm it’s way past his fears or will Arnold’s wall of control keep him locked away from finding freedom in love?
This fun, engaging story is sure to keep you turning pages to find out what happens next! With delightful characters, a wonderful setting, a plot-line that keeps you guessing, and just the right amount of romance, this is a story that you are sure to enjoy.
I enjoyed spending time in the small western town of Belle Fourche and I’m looking forward to reading Eli’s story!
(I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own.)
A wonderful continuation of the Brothers of Belle Fourche series. This is Arnold Oleson and Stephenia Forde’s story. Such wonderful characters. Arnold hardens his heart to love after losing his first love Lynellen. He believes he will never love again. Stephenia is interested in Arnold and would love nothing more to be with her rescuer. This is a beautiful story about the healing power of love!
What a beautiful story! I love reading beautiful stories where I come away inspired and with a positive thought to keep with me! This was a wonderful small town, with fascinating people, and a very special family. It’s kind of funny how love can almost sneak up on you sometimes when you think you want something else. The Lord always knows what’s best for us if we’ll only open our hearts to Him!
What the Heart Holds is a well-written historical western romance. I liked the main characters. Kari Trumbo did a good job developing them. The pacing of the story was just right for this sweet romance. There is some adventure that added excitement to the book. There is a tender HEA. I enjoyed reading this book and plan to read more of Kari Trumbo’s work.
I received an ARC. I chose to write a review and share my opinion.
What the Heart Holds is another sweet addition to the Brothers of Belle Fourche series by Kari Trumbo. Set in South Dakota at the end of the 19th century, readers are introduced to Stephania, a lovely new teacher in the town of Belle Fourche. She finds herself falling in love with one of the Oleson brothers, Arnold who is still pining over the love of his life that died in an accident. Watching their romance unfold was captivating as they seem to go back and forth in their interest for each other, trying to not be hurt or not give hope where there might not be any. Will they be able to move on from the past to have a future together. Although second in the series, it is easily a stand-alone story but I’d recommend reading the first as well. It is interesting to see the characters from the first book and the interaction with those in What the Heart Holds. Readers of historical romance books will not want to miss this one. I listened to a complimentary copy of the audio version of the book and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own. J. Scott Bennett does a great job narrating Arnold and Stephenia’s story, making for an enjoyable listening experience.