A Place Called Harmony

By Jodi Thomas

ISBN# 9780425250785

Author’s Website:  http://www.jodithomas.com

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

Synopsis:

New York Times bestselling author Jodi Thomas has captivated America with her novels set in the small town of Harmony, Texas. Now she tells the story of the three hard-luck men who first settled the town, a place where last chances and long-awaited dreams collide…

Desperate to escape his overbearing father, Patrick McAllen disappears with his bride, heading north to build a new town—discovering strength, honor and true love along the way.

After drinking away the grief from his family’s death, Clint Truman avoids jail by taking a job in North Texas and settling down with a woman he vows to protect but never love—until her quiet compassion slowly breaks his hardened heart wide open…

All Gillian Matheson has ever known is Army life, leaving his true love to be a part-time spouse. But when a wounded Gillian returns home to find her desperately fighting to save their marriage, he’s determined to become the husband she deserves.

Amidst storms, outlaws, and unwelcome relatives, the three couples band together to build a town—and form a bond that breathes life into the place that will forever be called Harmony (Goodreads).

Review:

For everyone who has loved Jodi Thomas’ Harmony series, this feel-good novel will show you how the town of Harmony started and where the name came from.  For those of us who have not yet read the series, it is a great introduction!

Harmon Ely purchased a lot of land after the Civil War in the panhandle of Texas, and now hopes to settle a town there.  He has offered forty acres and a house to those who are willing to live and work in this dusty burg for two years where his trading post is the only place for many miles around.  Those coming also have to be married, with or without children.

The first three couples to move there include Clint Truman and his new bride, Karissa.  He is going to be the new sheriff there.  His military time has proven him to be a crack shot.  Clint and Karissa are two people with separate sets of heartache and secrets that they may never know about the other.  His bride also has a new baby boy, whose background is also a secret.  As long as he promises to keep her safe and his past doesn’t catch up to them, their marriage will be a success.

The second couple that shows up is Patrick McAllen and his new bride, Annie.  They have known each other for years, but never dated or knew much about each other.  Patrick had promised her, though, that if he ever had the opportunity to leave town, he would take her with him.  A long trip across the rugged, uninhabited parts of Texas certainly helps them learn more about each other.  Yet, Patrick has his own past that might gallop across the desert to catch up to him; his past could destroy Annie and many in the new settlement.

The third couple comes in a slightly different manner, and brings the next generation with them.  Gillian and Daisy Matheson and their four tornados – sons – are ready to help plant this new town in the Texas panhandle.

Jodi Thomas brings a delightful, feel-good novel of a challenging life in one of the wilder parts of the west in post-Civil War Texas.  The characters are an interesting and unlikely lot to start up the town, but with the promise of 40 acres and a home, free and clear, in two years – it is well-worth working toward.  It is easy to see how the Harmony series is such a runaway success, as almost every person is so likeable in spite of their rough spots, bumps, and bruises.  With the exception of the gunslingers who threaten Clint Truman and any person or thing he is in association with, and the one who would make Patrick pay for his actions, these are people I would enjoy seeing in my neighborhood.  Secrets?  We all have them.  Yet in spite of where they’ve been or what they’ve done, every one of the new settlers are well-rounded individuals who have what it takes to help establish this community.

The plot was well-thought-through and executed.  It is a story that catches up the reader from the beginning and keeps one’s attention through the very end, leaving one ready to read the first novel in the Harmony series of the present day.  It also leaves the potential for novels to bridge the gap between this historical tale and the present day stories.  In any event, I thoroughly enjoyed A Place Called Harmony!  I highly recommend it for women of all ages who appreciate romances with a historic setting, western drama, and love scenes that leave most activity to the imagination.  From start to finish, it is somewhat unpredictable and completely captivating, with characters that will send one shopping for the rest of the series.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*