A Place Called Harmony by Jodi Thomas
Historical Romance Contemporary
October 7, 2014
Berkley
Reviewed by Tori
Harmon Ely had a dream. A dream to establish his own town smack dab in the middle of Texas but first, he had to find the right men and women to help make his dream a reality. Forty acres and a home is his offer to anyone brave enough to come settle in this forsaken land. All they need to bring is their willingness to work… and a wife.
Three men take him up on his offer-Patrick McAllen, Clint Truman, and Gillian Matheson. Patrick McAllen, the youngest son of an abusive religious leader, sneaks out of his father’s home in the middle of the night with his best friend and soon to be wife, Anne Spencer, and heads towards Ely’s trading post. A master carpenter, Patrick has no doubts he can be an asset to the town, but Patrick knows his father will be coming for him and this time escape may not possible.
Clint Truman, a former Texas Ranger, has already buried one family and is slowly following them into an early grave one drink at a time. His best friend, Sheriff Lightstone, knows he has only one chance to save Clint from himself and tells him of Ely’s offer. Clint doesn’t want another wife but when his friend takes him to meet a young mother whose situation in-flames Clint’s protective nature, Clint agrees to marry her and help her raise her newborn son if she is willing to trust him and help build a new life for the three of them.
Captain Gillian Matheson has no idea why his wife Daisy has insisted he come meet her and their sons at Harmon’s Ely’s Trading Post but he fears the worse. Married for five years, Gillian and his wife has spent more time apart then together as he refused to leave the Army and she refused to leave her family and follow him from post to post. Commissioned to take a young girl to safety before heading to meet his wife, Gillian is injured and wakes to find himself at the trading post with a parcel of strangers and a wife with some interesting news.
Jodi Thomas’s small town contemporary romance series, Harmony, just keeps getting better and better with each new installment. A tried and true contemporary with a strong ongoing arc written in an entertaining conversational “soap opera” style. After seven books, I can honestly say my attention hasn’t even begun to falter.
Set in Harmony Texas, this humorous and bittersweet series follows the lives and loves of the town residents and its three founding families-the McAllen’s, the Matheson’s, and the Truman’s. I adore the continuously evolving small town story arc and the eclectic characters who live there. Brimming with gossip, news of family, and well wishes, Thomas’s stories remind you of letters from home and leave you impatiently waiting for the next one to arrive.
A Place Called Harmony takes us to the very beginning. We meet the founding families of Harmony as Thomas transports us back in time when the law was the man with the quickest draw and towns were built on wing and a prayer. A time when men and women struck out with with nothing but the clothes on their backs and a dream to build a life that would last for generations.
Action, suspense, and some lovely surprises build a solid storyline, creating an intriguing read that fills you with strong emotions as you read how these fearless men and women took a man on nothing but his word and left everything familiar to build a new life. Ms. Thomas continues to create multi dimensional characters, expanding and evolving their lives and the world they live in. Not one of them is perfect though each one is a vibrant personality that takes command and dominates the scenes they are in. Ms. Thomas has such a wonderful gift for creating memorable and witty characters. She writes with such intimacy that we are instantly drawn into their lives. These are folks you can find anywhere. They are your friends and loved ones.
This series continues to delight me and fans of small town contemporary series will love the realistic characters, charming romances, strong friendships, and interesting lives. This can be read as a stand alone.
RATING: B
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