Dawn Comes Early by Margaret Brownley Reviewed by Noela Nancarrow

Dawn Comes Early

Dawn Comes Early

by Margaret Brownley
Thomas Nelson, 2012

Reviewed by Noela Nancarrow

5 stars~

Strap on your spurs for this wild ride into the desert of Arizona, and keep a look out for wild boars, deadly rattlesnakes, prickly cactus, a wannabe infamous outlaw, and the most intriguing array of characters… because you’ll meet them all and more at the Last Chance Ranch in Cactus Patch in the Cochise County of Arizona.  And try hard to stay seated in your saddle with the Laugh-Out-Loud humour that Margaret Brownley frequently and flawlessly weaves into this entertaining, yet heartwarming historical romance.

It’s 1895 and Kate Tenney a frustrated romance writer from Boston whose latest work was banned, reads an advertisement for a professional woman to be heiress to a cattle ranch. Desperate for work but mostly for the respectability and security that comes from owning land, she applies for the position. The no-nonsense owner of the ranch, widowed Eleanor Walker, is seeking an heir with a love for the land and similar hard-working ethics to her own.

Eleanor gives Kate four months to prove herself. If Kate then accepts the position, she will have to sign an agreement never to get married so that she may devote her life solely to the ranch. This is something that Kate has no problem with as she is very disillusioned with having had very poor examples of parents and having seen too many bad marriages. 

But can this educated lady from Boston even survive the extremely rigorous demands of ranch life? She will be sorely tested, but Kate is resolutely determined to succeed, even when Luke Adams the handsome blacksmith distracts her goals by threatening to dispel her beliefs that all men cannot be trusted.

Luke’s not as educated as Kate nor is he great with words, but that was part of his undeniable charm for me, as was his relationship with his loyal wolf dog, Homer.

On your venture into the West, you’ll also encounter the wonderfully memorable and unique characters of Cactus Patch, including Luke’s comical aunts, Bessie and Lula-Belle; the local bandit Cactus Joe, whose chief aim is to be revered as a serious outlaw such as Jesse James; and the sheriff Marshall Morris who relishes the idea of fame much more than unrecognized law work. The men at the Ranch were a fascinating bunch also, each with his own ‘barn name’ suiting his predominant characteristic.

This undertaking of Kate’s and her experiences with the Wild West, pushed her to her limits. Although often when that occurred and she had trouble coping, Kate resorted to her fictional character and imagined what the character would do. It put a great spin on the story and you’re rewarded at the beginning of each chapter with a few lines of the novel Kate’s writing which also had a relevant reference to her own life.

In this western romance novel, Margaret Brownley gives you the opportunity to gaze into the life and times of the late 1800’s in a small Arizona desert town and cattle ranch, while creating an authentic ambience of the era. There is also a great message on the effects of a terrible upbringing and how it is possible to learn to trust and have faith in people and in God again.

This really was a very rewarding and enjoyable story and I heartily recommend this book and series to everyone!

Buy Margaret's books at Amazon, CBD, and other bookstores.

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GIVEAWAYS: Margaret is generously giving away a copy of “Grieving God’s Way.” She is also giving away a copy of  “Waiting for Morning.” 

We are also giving away the choice of any of Margaret’s books this week, choice of format, to one of our commenters.

QUESTION: If you were to write a fiction story, in what part of the world would you like your setting to be? And what message would you wish to share or encourage your readers with?