Book Review: "Chasing The Sun" by Tracie Peterson

photo courtesy of traciepeterson.com

It's book review time guys and dolls! Today we're taking a look at Chasing The Sun by Tracie Peterson. This is book one of the "Land of the Lone Star" Series.   Here is the description from Tracie Peterson's website, http://www.traciepeterson.com . (Incidentally, you can also purchase the book there. :o) )

    
"When her father disappears in war-torn Mississippi, Hannah Dandridge finds herself responsible not only for her younger siblings but for the ranch her father recently acquired on the Texas plains. Though a marriage of convenience could ease her predicament, she determines to trust God for direction.
 Wounded soldier William Barnett returns to his home only to discover that his family's ranch has been seized. Though angry and bitter at this turn of events, he's surprised to discover that it is a beautiful young woman with amazing fortitude who is struggling to keep the place running.
Hannah, desperate for help, and William, desperate to regain his family's land, form an uneasy truce. But nearby Comanche tribes, the arrival of Confederate soldiers, and a persistent suitor all threaten the growing attraction that builds between them. Will they be able to set aside their own dreams and embrace the promise of a future together?"

Isn't that appetizing?  I thought so, too. That's why I selected this book to review. I am an absolute Historical Fiction Hog.  My poor husband would become a Historical-Fiction Widower if I didn't purpose to limit my intake. However, this certified HFH has a very big pet peeve. I cannot stand a writer who does not check their historical fact. You can tell when an author has not done adequate research because you begin to see contradictions in their work. I am very happy to say that Tracie Peterson is NOT one of these authors. She very clearly researches well in preparation for her books and she weaves the facts into the lives of her characters beautifully. I don't want to spoil the book for you so I will keep my examples vague.  In this book you will learn a little about the time when a wild Texas belonged, not only to Mexico, but to itself as a republic. You will also hear mentioned the name of Sam Houston, the first and third President of the Republic of Texas and a very influential man in the history of Texas. You will certainly learn something of the Civil War and of the dynamic between white settlers and the Native Americans of the time period who were facing a battle of their own.

So, I think I've made it pretty clear that I applaud Tracie for her historical accuracy. Now I'll mention a few other things I appreciated about Chasing the Sun.  I enjoyed getting to know the main character, Hannah. It was a pleasure to see how she grew and changed in the face of challenge and danger, and how she drew on her relationship with the Lord to keep her focus on what was right.  I also liked that the other main character, William, was very "real." He wasn't one of those characters that either starts out extremely villainous and becomes Prince Charming or one of those annoying ones that has it all together and patiently waits until the misguided female gets it together. He was a more believable kind of guy and that made him more exciting to get to know.   Tracie also did a great job on leaving the ending open to more books in the series, but not leaving you hanging so much that you get frustrated. I don't like cliffhangers, can you tell?  So, thank you very much, Tracie Peterson, for not making me crazy with the ending of the book. I love when it ends with loads of promise and not one speck of a loose end. :o)

And now, to make this as balanced as possible, I'll tell you what I didn't like.  There isn't much, really, but  I thought that Tracie could have described the setting a little better. I didn't get a sense of what the ranch or the town was like. I enjoy it when a writer makes me feel like I've been dropped into the prairie with the covered wagons.  I like to have the scene described so well, that I can almost smell the bread baking in the big iron stove of the rustic kitchen. I want to feel the hot wind blowing the dust in my face and hear the cows low during round up. Get my drift? 

In summary, I felt like this book was well researched and well written. It had deep and believable characters that I will enjoy reading about in future books and the plot was a great foundation for further storylines.  If you're an HFH like me, and you like a good love story I recommend picking up this book.  Enjoy!