Heart of Gold

   Here is the latest and, in my opinion, probably the best romance I have ever read. This one is set back in 1864, during the Civil War Era. A pastor from Virginia moves to "rough-and-tumble" Grand Coeur, Idaho to open a church there and to try to keep his daughter, Shannon, safe from the war. She, naturally, hates it there and only wants to move back to the more "civilized" land that she calls home.
   The stage coach driver that brings them to Grand Coeur is temporarily retiring from driving stage coaches for Well Fargo and is taking a "desk job" so that he can care for his ailing sister and her 10 year old son. He figures he will start driving again once his sister is back in good health.
   Enter the suave Southern gentleman that Shannon feels she has something in common with (after all, he is the only other Southerner in that primitive town), and he understands her feelings about the "Yankees" and how she misses her home.
   This is a story of how God's plans are not always what we have planned for our lives. But His plans ARE always the best thing for us.
   This isn't just a typical falling in love story. There is a story of growth, and of how life changes us and how we look at things. There is also a mystery to be solved...who is robbing the stage and how to stop them before someone gets killed. The romance takes place in the midst of the story of friendships grown, loss of loved ones, and trying to find out who the "bad guys" are. It has a real feel to it that most "romances" are sadly lacking.
   I will be on the lookout for more books by Robin Lee Hatcher. She is a brilliant novelist and I would recommend her books to everyone. (Now I have to make a trip to the library to look for more books by her, so see you all next time and God bless you all.)