A Promise to Believe In

Title: A PROMISE TO BELIEVE IN
Author: Tracie Peterson
Publisher: Bethany House
September 2008
ISBN: 978-0-7642-0148-6
Genre: Inspirational/historical

Gwen Gallatin and her sisters, Lacy and Beth, are stunned when an extremely rude traveler storms into their stage house, demanding to know which one of the “hussies” had married and murdered his younger brother. Gwen had been previously married, but her husband contracted measles on their wedding night and the marriage had never been consummated before her husband’s untimely death.

Hank Bishop has been trailing his brother for sometime, because Harvey stole important papers and jewelry that his mother needs to be able to afford to live after their step-father’s death. But Gwen Gallatin, while admitting to having married Harvey, insists that she has never seen the papers. Hank believes she is lying at first, but as time goes on and no papers show up, he begins to believe that maybe she doesn’t know anything about them.

Beth and Lacy are not overly thrilled with the rude stranger in their midst and go out of their way to cause trouble for Hank hoping to drive him off. Will they succeed in running Hank out of town, or will he be successful in finding out what really happened to his brother and the documents?

A PROMISE TO BELIEVE IN is the first book in Ms. Peterson’s Brides of Gallatin County series, based on the lives of three sisters. I enjoyed getting to know the characters of this fictional town and the issues that surrounded it. I especially enjoyed getting to know the Gallatin sisters and some of the pranks they pulled were absolutely hilarious.

Gwen and Hank both struggled with some very strong issues. I hoped that they would be able to work them out and to find what they were looking for. I see the hints of romance beginning in the other two Gallatin sisters’ lives, plus in one of the secondary characters. I’m looking forward to reading the other books in this series to see what happens next, especially as there is the hint of a very strong conflict beginning in the next book. $13.99. 364 pages.