Another entertaining historical romance from Susan Page Davis

A Lady in The Making (Prairie Dreams #3) by Susan Page Davis
Barbour Books October 1, 2012
Paperback 320 pages
Review copy via NetGalley, thank you!
Burton Book Review Rating: 4 stars



This is the second novel I've read from this author, and I love her quick pace and realistic storytelling. This is book #3 in the Prairie Dreams series and follows along with the characters that were previously introduced to us in the prior book, Lady Anne's Quest, which I reviewed here on Burton Book Review. This is a series that I would recommend reading in sequential order, even though I had not read book one I felt I missed out on something while reading book 2.

Lady Anne's Quest followed the storyline of Anne in pursuit of her Uncle David in America, and now A Lady in the Making features David making his way back to England to claim his estate as Earl of Stoneford. Millie Evans is back, but better than ever as a reformed woman making her way back to Pennsylvania to make a new start for herself. Coincidence puts both David and Millie on the same stagecoach, and when an accident occurs it falls to Millie to take care of David.

Millie is still in love with David, but David wants nothing to do with her as she was the woman who almost brought him to his death in book two. The story follows the two as they are forced to deal with each other during their travels though they hold each other at arm's length. Behind the scenes, a greedy cousin wants David to not make it to his destination in England, and it is only a matter of time before a showdown occurs. Millie and David are brought together as a tentative alliance, and only time will tell if they can overcome their past and look towards the future. A romance between a common woman and a potential earl would certainly raise a few eyebrows back in England, and David may have to choose between love and the status quo if he can open his eyes to Millie's redeeming qualities.

I loved the atmospheric western tone of traveling through America in the 1850's with fear of outlaws, and this was another entertaining and quick read from Susan Page Davis. Those who fear a preachy tone from a Christian or inspirational genre should not be wary of this novel, as it is something that is lightly laced throughout the novel but not a major plot point. The series is a fun western historical romance with a touch of British class that I would highly recommend.

For the rest of June, Mailbox Monday will be hosted right here at Burton Book Review.

Welcome to Mailbox Monday, the weekly meme created by Marcia from A girl and her books (formerly The Printed Page) where book lovers share the titles they received for review, purchased, or otherwise obtained over the past week. Mailbox Monday is now on tour, and June's Host is www.BurtonBookReview.com

I just read and reviewed Gilbert Morris' new release, The River Rose, and I had to download the first book in the series, even though it is a stand alone:


The River Queen by Gilbert Morris
Julienne Ashby, 24, must change her pampered ways after her father, a prominent businessman in Natchez, Mississippi, loses their fortune and family home to a bad gambling habit in 1850. Like a fish out of water, she aims to refit their one remaining possession, an old riverboat, in hopes of making a profit and restoring the Cuvier name along the mighty Mississippi.

And another author that I have read and realllllly enjoyed is Leila Meacham, (see my Roses review)


Tumbleweeds by Leila Meacham (June 2012)
Recently orphaned, eleven-year-old Cathy Benson feels she has been dropped into a cultural and intellectual wasteland when she is forced to move from her academically privileged life in California to the small town of Kersey in the Texas Panhandle where the sport of football reigns supreme. She is quickly taken under the unlikely wings of up-and-coming gridiron stars and classmates John Caldwell and Trey Don Hall, orphans like herself, with whom she forms a friendship and eventual love triangle that will determine the course of the rest of their lives.
Taking the three friends through their growing up years until their high school graduations when several tragic events uproot and break them apart, the novel expands to follow their careers and futures until they reunite in Kersey at forty years of age. Told with all of Meacham's signature drama, unforgettable characters, and plot twists, readers will be turning the pages, desperate to learn how it all plays out.
See my previous Leila Meacham posts which includes when I met her!
Also you may want to Enter the Goodreads Giveaway!



A Lady in The Making by Susan Page Davis (October 2012; read my review of the previous novel in the Prairie Dreams series, Lady Anne's Quest, featuring the same characters).

Millie Evans has changed, choosing to leave rather than join an outlaw gang with her brother. Hoping for a new future, she boards a stagecoach but runs into her past and David Stone—a man she and her brother once tried to swindle. As she tries to convince David she’s changed, her brother’s gang holds up the stagecoach. Fighting beside David goes a long way to softening his heart, but he’s still not convinced. Millie must trust God to show David the truth, but will he see before it’s too late?

Enter Your Mailbox Monday Links here:



A page-turning Western!

Lady Anne's Quest (Prairie Dreams #2) by Susan Page Davis
Barbour Publishing, April 1 2012
Paperback 320 pages
Historical (Christian?) Fiction
Review copy received from the publisher via NetGalley, thank you!
Burton Book Review Rating: 4.5 stars, enjoyed the story very much!

Love Lost. . .and Found

Lady Anne Stone believes her prayers are answered and she’s at last found her long lost uncle. Unwilling to let her meet him on her own, Daniel Adams accompanies her to her uncle’s ranch. But instead of answers, Anne is left with more questions. Both Dan and Anne are convinced the man introduced as her uncle is an impostor and decide to continue the search for the new Earl of Stoneford.

But now the swindler is on their trail, hoping to steal Uncle David’s inheritance. Dan has his hands full trying to protect Anne, but he finds he must guard his heart just as carefully. Even though he’s good at keeping her safe, he knows he’ll never convince Anne to become a farmer’s wife in Oregon when she has her sights set on returning to her home in England. But as Anne’s quest becomes even more difficult — and dangerous — Anne begins to see Dan differently. Will she soon be envisioning a new life in America?

This is the second book in Susan Page Davis' Prairie Dreams series, which I was unaware of until I started reading it. However, not reading the first book, The Lady's Maid, did not cause confusion with this novel. It seems the first novel followed more closely the story of Elise, the maid to Lady Anne, as they traveled to Oregon via wagon trail in search for Uncle David. This second installment picks up the story where the first left off, this time focusing on the story of Lady Anne and her ongoing search for Uncle David.

During the journey, Anne is accompanied by loyal friend and admirer Dan Adams, who protects and leads her as Anne gets closer to finding the elusive Uncle David. It's circa 1855, and a simple phone call just isn't possible to let Uncle David know that he is the new Earl of Stoneford back in England. Lady Anne is on Uncle David's trail, but she is impeded by impostors and reprehensible characters along the way. And it turns out that a murderer from the first book is also on Lady Anne's trail again. They come across some helpful folks to help them find the real Uncle David, until disaster occurs and the given trust proves unwarranted.

There are several intriguing characters in Lady Anne's Quest, including Millie and Sam being the two scoundrels that seek to hinder the journey of Lady Anne. Millie reaches Uncle David first, and the consequences of that meeting threaten everything that Lady Anne has worked for. Behind the scenes is Anne's fellow traveler, Dan, who we know loves Anne sincerely and deeply. The romance portion of the novel is very discreet and unnoticeable, as the key to this story is the search for Uncle David. With all the plot twists, it reads more like a mystery, with very gentle undertones of the Christian fiction theme. Lady Anne's Quest was a page-turner embracing the historical setting of the Oregon trail and the quaint hotels along the way. Very well-written, I would recommend Lady Anne's Quest for readers of historical fiction who would enjoy its Western theme.

If I could do it over again, I would read The Lady's Maid first. Chronological events are evident in book two that would probably hinder my ability of enjoying of the first book after the second. But, I will definitely look up the rest of the novels that are written by Susan Page Davis to see what others to add to my to-be-read pile. And I will be reading book number three, A Lady in the Making (October 2012), which finally follows more of Uncle David's character.