Reviewer: Connie
Title: Prairie Wife
Author: Cheryl St.John
Publisher: Harlequin Historical
ISBN: 373-2933-9
Release Date: February 2005
Genre/Sub-genre: Historical Romance
Year/Setting: 1867 - Nebraska
Overall rating: 4.75
Sexual content rating: Subtle/Sensual
Cheryl's Website:
http://www.tlt.com/authors/cstjohn.htm
Ms. St. John has done it again with Prairie Wife. And so beautifully. She
somehow weaves a magical thread connecting her characters to the reader...
Jesse and Amy Shelby have lived through a tragedy, which causes their marriage to hang in the balance. Well, perhaps saying "lived" is too strong of a word. They each made separate decisions on how to handle their heartbreak, sometimes one taking their cue from the other, thus creating bigger chasms between the two.
Amy distances herself with a seemingly sense of apathy that causes Jesse to retreat and turn to something, under different circumstances, he’d never have turned to. Events and words continue to widen the rift between them until at long last Amy comes to the realization that all isn’t and doesn’t have to be as it seems or feels.
Each sequence of events affects the two in one way or another, either in a hurtful or helpful way, toward healing. Events such as train tracks being sabotaged by Indians, an orphaned nephew coming to live with them, a kidnapping, and a runaway just to name a few.
There were times where I had conflicting thoughts and feelings toward Amy and her behavior, and it’s very hard to verbalize exactly what those thoughts were. Maybe that she appeared cool--standoffish. My feelings about Jesse were different though. He had my complete sympathy until Cheryl St.John dropped pieces of the puzzle and things started to fall into place. It was then that I went, "a-ha!" and began to empathize with Amy. With both of them as a couple.
Not only was I entertained and caught up in the story, it also made me think...what would I do in a similar situation. How would I react?
Fast paced, packed with emotions, vivid characters and events, Prairie Wife was hard to put down.
Connie
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