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Calico Christmas at Dry Creek (Dry Creek Historical Series, Book 1) (Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historical #19) | 
 enlarge | Author: Janet Tronstad
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Category: Book
List Price: $5.50
Buy New: $2.68
You Save: $2.82 (51%)
New (25) Used (9) from $2.40
Rating:  3 reviews
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 288
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 6.6 x 4.1 x 0.7
ISBN: 0373827997
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780373827992
Publication Date: November 11, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New, Perfect Condition, Please allow 4-14 business days for delivery. 100% Money Back Guarantee, Over 1,000,000 customers served.
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Product Description
The Montana territory was supposed to be the land of dreams for Elizabeth O'Brian. But when influenza claims her husband and baby, Elizabeth doesn't know if she can go on. Then a stranger approaches her with a plea she can't ignore.Jake Hargrove is desperate. His brother's death left him in charge of his two part-Sioux nieces—one an infant. Jake knows the baby can't survive the harsh western winter without a wet nurse. A marriage of convenience with this grieving mother seems to be the only answer. Fighting for the acceptance of their charges gives Jake and Elizabeth new purpose. With the Christmas season approaching, dare they hope that they also could receive the gift of love?
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| Customer Reviews:
A great addition to the Dry Creek contemporary books January 1, 2009
Anita Draper (Saskatchewan, Canada)
This is a great book for Ms Tronstad's foray into the Historical Inspirational market. After 14 contemporary Dry Creek books, the author has gone back 130 yrs to the beginning of this small Montana town. Her refreshing story had me smiling because I could picture it all as the story unfolds including the determination of the heroine as she sat waiting for God to come and claim her.
Elizabeth O'Brian has lost her husband and infant to the influenza and is waiting for her turn to die. She sits in her tent and waits. And waits.
Jake Hargrove has inherited his half-brother's part-Sioux daughters. The youngest is just weeks old and desperately needs nourishment. Jake has heard that Elizabeth has lost her baby and might be receptive to nursing his infant niece. After 10 days without her own baby, all it takes is the wail of Jake's niece to start her milk flowing again. In order to ensure the baby has nourishment until it can take solid food, Jake offers a temporary marriage to Elizabeth.
Elizabeth doesn't want to forget her first husband, but she takes on the raising of the 2 young girls including the trials of the older sister as she tries to attend an all-white school. Elizabeth must use all her matronly skills to make this a special Christmas for everyone and avert a community disaster.
When Elizabeth starts having feelings toward Jake, she pulls back in guilt. How can she feel like this for another man when her first husband hasn't been in the grave very long? But most disturbing of all is the fact she never felt like this before.
Heat level: Affectionate
 Unmemorable, thin story December 17, 2008
Susan Smith (A small rural village in the English Midlands)
I do not usually read in the inspirational sub-genre although I have on a number of occasions encountered some real gems. Sadly, I do not think this book was particularly satisfying or memorable. First of all, I would say it is really more of a YA than for grown-ups and is something I would be happy to give to a 12 year old reader. This does not mean that sexy scenes are requisite for me; indeed not for the right sort of romantic tension in a story can be extremely attractive on its own. My problem with this book was threefold:
1 - Elizabeth - I could not warm to her. She was initially unbending and stiff and did not have qualities that allowed me to like her; indeed, I don't think she particularly liked herself.
2 - Jake - we really needed a lot more background on his life to understand him and how he had lived his live prior to the action in the book.
3 - The children - Spotted Deer was worth developing far more and we never really understood her history and background which would have helped in rounding her out; she was an important part of the story but did not get enough attention. We could have done with a better presentation of Mary and the bonding between her and Elizabeth; she came across as a plot device that was merely a bundle to be handed round between the adults.
Finally, the story's action was fine and the plot moved along well but the supporting characters were a little two-dimensional and seemed like cut-out villains or heroes.
I don't think I will look for anything else by the author. This was a nice enough story but it was a bit superficial and I did not particularly think the questions asked at the back of the book were necessary; they were suitable for a discussion amongst 12 year olds perhaps but not adults.
 A heartwarming historical romance. November 8, 2008
Rebecca Herman (USA)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Elizabeth O'Brien and her husband hoped to build a new life for themselves and their baby daughter in 1879 Montana Territory. But that dream was shattered when fever took claimed the lives of her husband and child, leaving Elizabeth a grieving widow alone on the frontier.
Jake Hargrove's brother has recently died, leaving him with custody of his two part-Sioux nieces, one of whom is just a baby. In order to give his tiny niece a chance at survival, he proposes a marriage of convenience to Elizabeth, who can nurse and care for the baby. But despite her grief for her lost husband and child, the arrangement leads to Elizabeth growing close to the two little girls, and developing feelings for Jake as well.
A heartwarming story of love and family, Calico Christmas at Dry Creek is sure to appeal to fans of both inspirational and sweet historical romances. I highly recommend it to readers who enjoyed other Love Inspired Historical romances.
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