Twenty-six-year-old Katie Macauley has placed all her hope in Hope Springs, a small town in the 1870 Wyoming Territory. But if she wants to return home to Ireland to make amends with her estranged family, she’ll need to convince the influential Joseph Archer to hold true to his word and keep her on his payroll as his housekeeper despite her Irish roots. The town is caught in an ongoing feud … between the Irish and the “Reds” the frontiersmen who would rather see all the Irish run out of town and the Irish immigrants who are fighting to make a home for themselves in the New World. When Joseph agrees to keep Katie on as his housekeeper, the feud erupts anew, and Katie becomes the reluctant figurehead for the Irish townsfolk. As the violence escalates throughout the town, Katie must choose between the two men who have been vying for her love though only one might be able to restore hope to her heart.
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2019 REVIEW:
This is my second reading of this book and I love it just as much this time as I did the first. Beautiful story, well-turned characters, good time line, great character and plot development. It’s a favorite Eden book, for sure.
Note: Very clean book. Hand holding. A kiss. A few unkind remarks about Irish, but nothing overly derogatory or harsh.
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Read by Sandra Campbell. I’ve listened to several books narrates by Sandra and she does a good job with those. She has pretty good voices for the different characters, and though I am by no means an expert on accents, I thought she did a fair job with the Irish accent of all the Irish characters.
2016 REVIEW:
I really loved this book! The pacing felt perfect, the writing and language is lovely. The mystery surrounding the story is intriguing and yet you’re given enough as you go along not to feel frustrated at the not knowing. I love Katie, Joseph, Tavish, and Biddy. Such beautiful characters! I cannot believe it took me this long to read this great book—and now I can’t wait to read the sequel.
I loved the Irish aspect of this book! It was interesting to see that Irish people were not accepted anywhere. I liked the town and the Irish side of town. It’s hard to like the “Reds” side. About a town in Wyoming that’s split down the middle between the Irish and the not Irish. An Irish girl moves into the Red side of town and messes up the balance. There’s romance and action. I struggled getting into it and was upset with who I felt like she was favoring, so it was hard for me to read sometimes. I did like the ending though and will look forward to reading the rest of the series!
Katie Macauley has been working since she was a child, trying to earn enough money for her family’s forgiveness. She arrives in Hope Springs, a Wyoming town deeply divided between those who hate the Irish and the Irish trying to make the place a home. Two men, as a different as can be, vie for her heart amidst the feud, and Katie finds making a decision harder than ever.
I will admit I had this sitting on my shelf for several months before my mom insisted I had to read it. Other books kept getting shifted to a higher priority on my reading list, but with Mom finishing the series and telling me details, I had to read it. And am I glad I did!
From the start, these characters came to life. Katie uses her wits to keep a place in Hope Springs, and it’s not an easy path for her. Each of the men who intrigue her is right for her in different ways, and her struggles to understand what she needs makes her even more sympathetic to the reader.
The plot moves at a good place, lingering when it needs to and going fast as tensions rise in the town. There is a town full of characters that I want to know more about, especially among the O’Conner family. The end left me a bit disappointed but the second book picks up right where the first ends.
This is a series I would highly recommend to readers of historical fiction.
Irish girl put in Wyoming In a strange situation
First off, let me tell you that Sarah is a phenomenal writer. I have loved every book she has written. Her attention to detail and incredible gift at crafting historical romances never ceases to amaze me.
After reading Longing For Home, I have a hankering to visit Ireland, and I’m betting you will too! I love a good romance, but the plot must have some meat in it for me to chew on while reading. Sarah provides a backdrop from history of the discrimination the Irish faced upon landing on American soil. Katie is a heroine full of spunk and Irish fire and I loved everything she had to say.
This book will warm your heart, stir the embers of history, and leave you longing for more, which Sarah delivers in the sequel.
I read this one back in 2016, and I rarely ever enjoy a book better the second time than I do the first. The original time I read this, I liked it but didn’t love it. This go around, I loved it. My previous review didn’t do justice to this story. Perhaps because this is a different western romance than you find out there, and my expectations colored my perceptions.
It’s hard to separate this review from the next book in the series because it’s a duology that has to be read together. This isn’t a complete story without the second book. That said, I’ll be a little more general with this review.
I love the characters in this book. I just love them. And usually, I’m not a fan of love triangles, but this one is done well and I actually enjoyed it. Granted, it is hard to sympathize too much with a woman who has two amazing guys vying for her affection (come on, you greedy girl), but the heroine is so likable and has such a tragic backstory, I found myself rooting for her every step of the way.
So, yeah. I thought it was okay during the first read, but this time, I really fell in love with the story.