A Worthy Pursuit
by Karen Witemeyer
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Release Date: June 2, 2015
Genres: Christian, Historical, Romance, Western
Pages: 352
Buy at: Amazon, CBD
Add on: Goodreads
Find the author at: website, Facebook
Rating: ★★★★ (4 out of 5 stars)
Stone Hammond is the best tracker in Texas. He never comes home empty-handed. So when a wealthy railroad investor hires him to find his abducted granddaughter, Stone eagerly accepts.
Charlotte Atherton, former headmistress of Sullivan’s Academy for Exceptional Youths, will do anything to keep her charges safe, especially the little girl entrusted to her care after her mother’s death. Charlotte promised Lily’s mother she’d keep the girl away from her unscrupulous grandfather, and nothing will stop Charlotte from fulfilling that pledge. Not even the handsome bounty hunter with surprisingly honest eyes who comes looking for them.
When the teacher he’s after produces documentation that shows she’s the little girl’s legal guardian, Stone must reevaluate everything he’s been led to believe. Is Miss Atherton villain or victim? She acts more like a loving mother than an abductress, and the children in her care clearly adore her.
Then a new danger threatens, and Charlotte is forced to trust the man sent to destroy her. Stone becomes determined to protect what he once sought to tear apart. Besides, he’s ready to start a new pursuit: winning Charlotte’s heart.
My Review:
I adore Karen Witemeyer’s novels. I started reading her books back in my early teenage years, starting with books like Head in the Clouds, A Tailor Made Bride, To Win Her Heart, and Short Straw Bride. She always manages to create these perfect characters that you insta-love in these wonderfully imagined historical settings. A Worthy Pursuit was no different–cutesy characters that you’ll adore and romance to make you swoon, mixing in some good ole’ Western action and suspense!
Charlotte “Miss Lottie” Atherton is a teacher at a school for exceptional youths. She is very attached to her students (three in particular) and even has legal guardianship of one named Lily. When the school’s headmaster unexpectedly (and suspiciously) closes the school mid-term, she knows she can’t leave Lily, Stephen, and John behind to find a new job. She decides takes them with her to a property her parents left her, but things quickly become very complicated. Lily’s unscrupulous grandfather makes up a story of how Charlotte kidnapped his granddaughter, and a “retriever” is sent after them. Stone Hammond thinks a little girl has been stolen, but he is very confused to find that Lily is perfectly content and happy with her kind, pretty “kidnapper.” He sets out to find proof of whether Charlotte’s legal guardianship of Lily is real. Can he trust her? And can she trust him when new dangerous forces head their way?
If you like historical, western, romance, or suspenseful fiction, then you should give A Worthy Pursuit a try! While vacationing in Arizona, I read this in the hot sun on a hammock and it. was. perfect. Cute, fun, inspirational, and all-around lovely, Karen Witemeyer has once again proven her historical romance writer prowess with this novel. I really enjoyed it, and now I’m about to go load the library system with holds on the rest of her books I haven’t yet read. 😉
Cool! Although I haven’t read any of Karen Witemeyer’s books, I have ordered this one from the library since I saw it on another review. I’m looking forward to reading it! 🙂
Oh, yay, you’re in for a treat if you like historical fiction! Karen writes amazzzzing historical romances. 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting, Sarah. Always nice to chat with you. 🙂
Sounds really cute! I don’t remember which of Karen’s I’ve read, but I seem to remember not holding them among my favorites though as you say, they are cute. And this cover = darling. Karen has the cutest cover designs. 🙂
It was just that, super cute and a light fun read, which was exactly what I was looking for at the time. 🙂 Agreed! Her covers are adorbs. Thanks for coming by!