Frontier Courtship and The Journey Home

The only romance genre I don't read is Inspirational. So guess what Harlequin sends me to review? Yep, two inspirationals. They are both part of the Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historical line. The two books are Frontier Courtship by Valerie Hansen and The Journey Home by Linda Ford. They are both set in the Western United States. I tried very hard to read them with an open mind but not being a Christian, I am definitely not in their target market.

Frontier Courtship was the better of the two books. I thought it was quite well written and the religious platitudes were minimal. It takes place in 1850, on a trip from Ohio to California. I thought the historical aspects were done well and there was a real sense of the time period. The interaction with the Cheyenne tribe was one of the most interesting parts of the book. It was a fast moving book with a lot of action and some surprises along the way.

The hero and heroine were both likable, although the hero, Connell, was just a little bit too perfect to seem real. He was strong, brave and honorable, but not very emotional. The heroine, Faith, was more interesting. She was strong and brave, but flawed and well aware of it. It was interesting to watch her grow during the book. I'd rate this book a 7.0 out of 10, and for readers who like westerns and inspirationals, it is a recommended read.

The Journey Home, on the other hand, drove me up a wall. Not only were the religious aspects overwhelming, the two main characters were unsympathetic and just plain annoying. The hero, Kody, is half Native American and half white and has experienced a lot of prejudice in his life. Unfortunately he can't seem to get past that and makes everyone in his life who loves him suffer for it. I prefer my heroes to be strong and self-confident.

The heroine, Charlotte, was even worse. She was so self-righteous and pious I just wanted to...well, let's just say it wouldn't be pretty. I don't know how Kody could stand being around her, especially since she was always telling him what he was doing wrong. The plot line with Kody's crippled child was sweet, if a bit hackneyed. The book could have used more action and less "woe is me." I'd rate this book a 3.0 out of 10.