Series: Under Texas Stars #2
Sometimes it takes a stranger to see you as you really are.
Born and raised on sprawling Texas land, Margaret O’Brien prides herself on her competence as a rancher. But her father believes she’s made for more than just dawn-to-dusk work. He wants her to have the love of a good man, to raise children, to build a life. But Margaret gave up such dreams years ago. She’s convinced no man would have her, that the ranch is her life now.
So when Margaret’s father hires Daniel Cutler as a new foreman, she’s frustrated and suspicious. Then an overheard conversation links him with a gang of bank robbers, and she’s downright worried. Daniel swears he’s not involved, but Margaret’s not convinced. She knows the man still has secrets. But would a criminal be so kind and talk so convincingly of his faith? As a series of tragic “accidents” threatens all she holds dear, Margaret must decide what to trust: her own ears, her best judgment . . . or what her heart keeps telling her.
4 Drink Me Potions
Stuck on a bus for 12+ hours, Safe in His Arms quickly turned from a wondrous distraction to a novel that I just couldn’t put down even when I should have used the time to sleep a little.
Following Margaret as our protagonist was initially hard to swallow as she wasn’t portrayed as the nicest gals in the previous novel, Blue Moon Promise. However, under that tall and strong skin was a woman who thought she was unloveable, even to God, and only wished to gain others’ approval, in particular her father’s.
As a teenage girl once myself, I understood and immediately bonded with her over her insecurities, especially with her feminine attractiveness. She just couldn’t believe that any man would ever want her, and the only guy she thought would even consider marriage to her had fallen in love with a beautiful, dainty girl whom Margaret now called a best friend.
In came Daniel. It was hard to determine what he was up to in the beginning. The way Coble described his secretive plans for being in the town of Larson made him seem very sketchy indeed. I wasn’t certain if he was fully a good guy or not, or if his past was truly catching up to him.
Their attraction to each other felt natural. It may have started off as admiring the others’ outlook, but it became over time a product of mutual respect and reliance on one another. I loved the way Daniel got under Margaret’s defenses and tried to show her that she was a beautiful woman, inside and out. At the same time, the string of robberies around Larson and the secretive nature of Daniel’s ties to them were brewing and had me on the edge of my bus seat to determine how it could possibly end well for all of them.
The mystery wasn’t a huge highlight in the novel, and it did take a drastic turn that became predictable right before the end. However, I have to say that Colleen Coble’s done it again with amazing me with her amazing storytelling skills. I don’t really enjoy historical novels all that much, but with her? I absolutely adore them. That in itself already says a lot about this book.
Overall Recommendation:
Margaret was immediately a well-rounded character that I could easily connect with on her insecurities and wish to be loved and respected by the predominantly male characters in her life. Daniel was the perfect mix of a gentleman and mystery, with a dangerous past linked to his reasons for being at Margaret’s ranch. I loved the setting of Safe in His Arms and the overall lessons that Margaret had to learn about herself. The romance was absolutely a delight, and well-loved characters from the previous novel definitely make an appearance here too. I would most definitely recommend this cute duo series.
Down the Rabbit Hole 