Sometimes it takes a stranger to see you as you really are.
Born and raised on sprawling Texas land, Margaret O’Brien prides herself on her competence as a rancher. But her father believes she’s made for more than just dawn-to-dusk work. He wants her to have the love of a good man, to raise children, to build a life. But Margaret gave up such dreams years ago. She’s convinced no man would have her, that the ranch is her life now.
So when Margaret’s father hires Daniel Cutler as a new foreman, she’s frustrated and suspicious. Then an overheard conversation links him with a gang of bank robbers, and she’s downright worried. Daniel swears he’s not involved, but Margaret’s not convinced. She knows the man still has secrets. But would a criminal be so kind and talk so convincingly of his faith? As a series of tragic “accidents” threatens all she holds dear, Margaret must decide what to trust: her own ears, her best judgment . . . or what her heart keeps telling her.
There is much more to Safe in His Arms than meets the eye – just like there’s more to Margaret O’Brien than most people see. Coble masterfully portrays how one woman can be torn between visible reality and what her heart instincts are telling her, but there’s much more to this story. Coble adds layer after layer of emotional complications to the plot, fueling the fire with many twists and turns. The issues are true to life and paint feelings into every paragraph.
Most of us make assumptions based on how other people look, at least to some degree, but O’Brien receives these more than most. What makes this worse is that she has taken these negative assumptions to heart and now believes them. We say that beauty is irrelevant, but in reality we all want to be attractive in some way. O’Brien’s shunned femininity for practicality’s sake, in the hopes of pleasing her father, but as she develops her relationship with Daniel Cutler she begins to see herself in a new light. The lessons that O’Brien learns are ones that are valuable for us all.
Safe in His Arms is full of these deep lessons all wrapped up in the guise of a calico-wearing western. The suspense builds with each eavesdropped conversation and compliment from Cutler, while Margaret’s kind friends lend helping hands and wisdom.
I think that this would make a perfect book club selection. I would love to talk about it with a group of friends preferably over something chocolate-y. I love the leading ladies that Coble has created for the first two books in this series. I can’t wait to make a new friend in the next.
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Best-selling author Colleen Coble’s novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, ACFW Book of the Year, RWA’s RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers’ Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has nearly 2 million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers and is a member of Romance Writers of America. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana.
Find out more about Colleen at http://www.colleencoble.com/.
I received a free copy of Safe in His Arms from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.
