Paper Roses

Title: PAPER ROSES
Author: Amanda Cabot
Publisher: Revell Books
2009
ISBN: 978-0-8007-332407
Genre: Inspirational/historical

Sarah Dobbs is anxious to leave behind her Philadelphia life and start over as a mail-order bride in Texas. She has her young sister, Thea, to consider, and there is no way to earn a living for herself and Thea in Philadelphia. But her groom, Austin Canfield is late to arrive at the station and Sarah isn’t sure what she’ll do if he doesn’t come.

Clay Canfield is late arriving at the station. He’d hoped to arrive before the stage coach left, so Austin’s bride could just get back on and travel on. Instead, not only is he forced to break the news that Austin is dead, but he has to entertain Austin’s intended for several weeks, while they wait for the stage to return.

But Sarah has no intentions of going back to Philadelphia. She finds a job in their small town, working in a mercantile. She even finds a babysitter for her young sister, Thea. If only Clay’s plans to find his brother’s murderer would progress so smoothly. Could Clay find love instead?

To my knowledge PAPER ROSES is the first book I’ve read by Amanda Cabot, though I may be wrong, because the book says she’s an accomplished author writing under various pen names. Historicals usually are not my favorite genre, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading PAPER ROSES. I expected Sarah to arrive and find her groom dead, but there was enough surprising twists included in this book to take and over-done scenario and give it a new and engaging life.

I enjoyed getting to know Sarah, and her young sister, Thea, and even angry Clay found his way into my heart. I enjoyed how Sarah referred to her letters as “paper roses” giving the book its title. PAPER ROSES is the first book in the Texas Dreams series, and if Ms. Cabot is the author of all of them, I hope I can have to opportunity to read the others in this series. I didn’t even begin to guess who the murderer was until the very end of the book. $13.99. 375 pages.