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Love on the Range

by Jessica Nelson (Goodreads Author)

4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 · rating details · 61 ratings · 26 reviews

Any other socialite would view being packed off to a remote
Oregon ranch as a punishment. But Gracelyn Riley knows
that this is her opportunity to become a real reporter. If she
can make her name through an interview with the elusive hero
known as Striker, then she’ll never have to depend on anyone
ever again.

Rancher Trevor Cruz can’t believe his secret identity is being
endange...more

Paperback, 288 pages

Published April 3rd 2012 by Love Inspired (first published April 1st 2012)

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The Earl's Mistaken Bride by Abby Gaines

Official Best Love Inspired Romances 1997-2012

37th out of 198 books — 93 voters

Best Steeple Hill Historicals

25th out of 29 books — 42 voters

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(showing 1-30 of 359)

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Mar 15, 2012 Rachel Brand rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, net-galley, historical, romance, christian, love-inspired, harlequin-category-romances, harlequin, 2012

While writing my full review of this book I decided to bump my initial rating from 3.5 to 4. I guess I realised how much I truly enjoyed this book in retrospect :)

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GENRE: HISTORICAL ROMANCE
PUBLISHER: LOVE INSPIRED/HARLEQUIN
PUBLICATION DATE: APRIL 03, 2012
RATING: 4 OUT OF 5 – VERY GOOD

PROS: Unique heroine; unusual subject matter for a historical novel

CONS: Jumped point of view confusingly in the middle of scenes; action scenes were rushed

As much as Gracelyn Riley hates to be separated from her...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 31, 2012 Katie rated it 3 of 5 stars

First posted on my blog, Legacy of a Writer.

Love on the Range was a nice, one-time read that gave a very interesting view of ranching in the early 1900s when hoop skirts and horses were being replaced with short dresses and automobiles. I really enjoyed a peek at what ranch-life was like for people during this changing time in history.

Gracelyn was such a fun character! She had this bubbly way about her that I found instantly attractive and sweet and because she was such a talkative type...it led...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 03, 2012 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: western, read-2012

Hmm, this is kind of a tough one. Most of the time I really enjoyed it and thought it was a good story. But, there were a few times that the characters bugged me or something just didn’t feel right. For the most part though, I thought it was a good story. Our heroine Gracie was likable, a little jabber box. It was fun to see her sweep into town and talk everybody’s head off. She has come to stay with her Uncle Lou and try and track down FBI agent Striker. She needs an interview with Striker so s...more Hmm, this is kind of a tough one. Most of the time I really enjoyed it and thought it was a good story. But, there were a few times that the characters bugged me or something just didn’t feel right. For the most part though, I thought it was a good story. Our heroine Gracie was likable, a little jabber box. It was fun to see her sweep into town and talk everybody’s head off. She has come to stay with her Uncle Lou and try and track down FBI agent Striker. She needs an interview with Striker so she can become a real journalist and escape from her controlling parents and an unwanted engagement. Once there she meets Trevor Cruz, a brooding rancher who quickly sweeps her off her feet. I liked Trevor, although his troubling childhood did make me a little weary. While he appears mostly well adjusted (aside from a bunch of guilt over his job), I’d be worried about how his past was affecting him and how he’d really be as a husband and father. I liked Gracie and Trevor together; they have a few nice moments. It was nice to see Gracie’s calming effect on him and how she introduces him to God and how he is finally able to come to peace with his past.

The Christian elements were okay, I kept wishing I could take the characters aside and explain my beliefs on the topics, but for the most part I thought it was handled well and wasn’t overly preachy.

SPOILERS
Sometimes Gracie just rubbed me the wrong way. The Striker storyline was a bit underdeveloped and seemed to pop up when it became convenient. I wasn’t sure why she was so obsessed with him and even wanted to marry someone she never met. When it came to Striker and her safety she was incredibly naïve. And she was incredibly blind, he was literally right in front of her face from page one. Trevor had so many similarities to Striker and she never caught on? It would have been fun if she figured it out and didn’t let him know, or something. But, her spending months with him and never guessing was kind of dumb. I also didn’t get how it was so important for her to find him and she starts with all these intentions of tracking him down, but then she never leaves the ranch. And the two times she does she talks to like two people and that’s it. If we’re going to have the Striker storyline I would have liked it to be more present and actually see her trying to track him down. She was really halfhearted about the whole thing. And, I think at the end he should have given her an interview and we could have had an epilog or something with the actual interview. That would have been fun.

Another small thing that bugged me was Gracie’s kidnapping. I guessed from the beginning that something like that would happen, and thought the whole thing ended up being anticlimactic. But, my biggest complaint was when she escapes, in the middle of the night and injured, she decides to take her passed-out kidnapper with her. Literally dragging a 200ish pound man through the desert with her. How could a girl physically drag 200 lbs of dead weight while injured, and most importantly why would she? I get that she’s Christian, and I am to, but if a guy kidnapped me and threatened to sale me into prostitution, I wouldn’t worry about helping him. I would get to safety as quickly as possible and then send others back for them. I just didn’t get that.

Content: Clean.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jun 10, 2012 Iola rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, christian-fiction, historical-romance, kindle, netgalley

Gracelynn Riley has travelled from Boston to the wilds of Harney County, Oregon, in search of the mysterious and misunderstood Striker, lawman and protector of defenceless women. She hopes that finding and interviewing him will provide her with the opportunity to earn a job as a journalist at the Woman’s Liberator, as an alternative to the society marriage her parents have planned for her. Not to mention the fact that she is half in love with the unknown stranger...

It is 1918, and the country is...more

1 like · like · see review

May 17, 2012 Romancing the Book rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: cowboy, historical, inspirational, romance, western, christian

Posted on Romancing the Book's blog
Reviewed by Ursula
Review Copy Provided by the Author

Love on the Range is an inspired and clean Christian romance. Gracie is a naive and pampered socialite that is sent to stay with her uncle in Oregon to avoid the flu pandemic sweeping the nation. While she is naive and pampered, she is sweet and accepting of others.

In the beginning, she comes across as snobby, the way she ‘assumes’ certain things about people due to first impressions and appearances. Luckily s...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 28, 2012 Faye rated it 5 of 5 stars

Lucie's Review: A fresh western read.

Gracelyn Riley is a socialite from the big city, who dreams of becoming a reportor, and sees being sent off to her uncle's Oregon ranch as a prime opportunity to get an exclusive interview with the elusive hero, Striker.

Trevor Cruz, is a rancher with a secret alter-ego, who knows that Gracie's snooping might just get her into big trouble. And he intends to keep her as far away from trouble as he can.

This is, in my opinion, one of the best Love Inspired's I h...more

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 19, 2012 Tammy rated it 5 of 5 stars

It was 1918, WW1 was killing men overseas while the Spanish Influenza was killing Americans in their hometowns. Gracelyn Riley was sent her Uncle Lou’s in the desert of Oregon to avoid the influenza. She was a 20 year old Suffragist and news reporter who wanted 2 things: to get an interview with the elusive Striker and to gain independence from her parents. While in Oregon she searched for Striker, who, according to newspaper sources, was known to be there.

In Oregon, Gracelyn gained some freedom...more It was 1918, WW1 was killing men overseas while the Spanish Influenza was killing Americans in their hometowns. Gracelyn Riley was sent her Uncle Lou’s in the desert of Oregon to avoid the influenza. She was a 20 year old Suffragist and news reporter who wanted 2 things: to get an interview with the elusive Striker and to gain independence from her parents. While in Oregon she searched for Striker, who, according to newspaper sources, was known to be there.

In Oregon, Gracelyn gained some freedom from her parents, but also found friendship and discovered the value of hard work. This was quite an accomplishment for a Boston socialite who couldn't even light a stove to boil water. She began falling in love, but not with the man to whom she was engaged to be married.

Does Gracelyn ever find Striker? Does she gain her independence? Who was causing her to fall in love? Read Love On The Range to find out.

Gracelyn was quite a snob when the story began, but I still liked her. She was raised to be very proper and to always act in a proper way – no matter what. She had different plans for her life than her parents did. She believed in woman’s rights, a concept that didn’t held well with a lot of people. Trevor Cruz was also a main character in the story. He had a past he couldn’t let go. He was a broken man in need of love and forgiveness. Gracelyn showed him the way to both was through God. Uncle Lou, Mary, James, and Julia are minor characters in the story that I enjoyed getting to know. I could see spin-off books written about them.

I really liked this book. I’m not a big fan of the westerns but the story pulled me in. The struggle Trevor had with his affections for Gracelyn were interesting. The author described the Oregon desert so well I felt I was there, along with the characters. This is an Inspirational Romance, so you know how things are going to end, but you’ll enjoy getting there. I would recommend this book for all those who enjoy romance mixed with a little mystery and adventure.

Visit Jessica at:
Website: http://www.jessicanelson.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJessicaNelson
Guest Post: tammy cook blogs books

I received a free copy of this book from the author for my honest opinion.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 03, 2012 Rhonda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Review:Love on the Range Jessica Nelson
4 STARS
A Good relaxing read about a bad time in history. It must have been scary seeing all the deaths from the Spanish influenza.
Gracelyn is from a rich old family Boston who are sending her out west so she won't get the flue. Grace only agreed to go because she found out that the goverment spy Striker lives out their and if she can interview him she will get a full time reporter job. She wants to be independant.
Her parents also arrainged a mairrage for h...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 03, 2012 Ausjenny rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical

Thanks to Netgalley for my review copy.
this is an interesting book set in 1918, in the last year of WW1 and when the Spanish influenza was rife throughout the world. Gracelyn is sent to Oregon from Boston to her uncles to keep her away from the influenza, by her socialite parents. Oregon is along way from Boston and is like a different planet. The class system doesn't hold sway here. Trevor is working for her uncle in more ways than one. We find out hes more than just a rancher but also an gover...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 19, 2012 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: romance, inspirational, western, suffragette

Weaving history into romance can be challenging when the era itself is a challenging one. Jessica Nelson, the author of Love on the Range, has risen to the challenge and created an engaging tale set in Oregon, circa 1918. While readers may be familiar with the pandemic and World War looming over the country at the time, Lange also brings other parts of this era to vivid life. Automobiles still compete with wagons, the formation of the FBI is at hand, and women fight for greater opportunities. Wh...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 18, 2012 Judy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Love on the Range by Jessica Nelson
Gracie Riley wants independence. She is the only child to a wealthy Boston couple. Gracie lives the socialite life at home but has a spark of adventure in her. Her parents shocked her by announcing her engagement to Hugh even after she had refused. Now she has a new goal...find Special Agent Striker, interview him and become a reporter for the woman’s magazine. If she can earn a living on her own she could break out of her gilded cage. Opportunities door just o...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 27, 2012 Julie Barrett rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Love on the Range by Jessica Nelson
ISBN: 9780373829149
Gracie has arrived by wagon and will stay with Uncle Lou. He has a ranch in Oregon and his housekeeper is Mary. Trevor who picked her up at the station is also watching Maryto be sure none kidnap her or do worse.
Gracie has escaped the disease in the East and hopes to meet the notorious Mr. Striker as she's written some articles for publication.
She can't believe they don't really pray at meals or go to church so she will tag along with Mary...more

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 18, 2012 Rie_dominique rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-novel, ada-di-rak-gw, ebook, fiksi, love-the-cover, family, netgalley, harlequin, romance

Gracelyn Riley, cewek kelas atas dari Boston, diungsikan oleh orangtuanya ke perternakan pamannya di Oregon untuk menghindari penyakit influenza yang sedang merebak dikota mereka.

Hal ini disambut dengan senang oleh Grace karena berdasarkan berita yang didapatkannya, Striker, si agen pemerintah yang misterius terlihat di Burns, Oregon, daerah yang ditujukan.
Grace berniat untuk mewawancarai Stiker yang sangat sulit ditemui untuk memastikan kedudukannya sebagai reporter investigasi dan melepaskan d...more

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Dec 22, 2012 Michele Minor rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian-fiction, e-books

This book does show the conflict of a young woman in the early twentieth century who is torn between the older generation of her wealthy parents who think that a young woman of their social status should marry a man who is socially acceptable and not work outside the home, while Gracelyn doesn't want to enter into a marriage where she is controlled by her husband and she wants to pursue a career instead. Her parents send her off to her Uncle Lou's ranch, which is close to where she has heard a s...more

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Jun 03, 2012 Abbie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, love-inspired-historical, western-romance, christian-historical-fiction, netgalley-read, blog-reviewed

Gracelyn is sent west to live with her uncle due to a bad out break of influenza. Gracelyn was not very happy about being sent away but once she found out that she was heading to the same area the mysterious special agent “Striker” is believed to be living she grows excited to find him and get an interview so that once she returns east she can get a job as a reporter and not have to live by her parents rules.

Trevor work at Gracelyn’s uncles ranch and when Gracelyn keeps trying to find Striker...more

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 28, 2012 Rea rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, netgalley

Full review can be found here.

I find myself very polarised about this book. On the one hand, I enjoyed the gist of the story, the characters and the narrative voice. On the other hand, I often found myself incredibly insulted by the religious messages that it was pushing. I’m going to start with these.

Gracie, the heroine, is a devout Christian who sees God’s hand in everything. That’s fine, especially considering that this is set in the early 1900’s. But as soon as she discovers that the three m...more Full review can be found here.

I find myself very polarised about this book. On the one hand, I enjoyed the gist of the story, the characters and the narrative voice. On the other hand, I often found myself incredibly insulted by the religious messages that it was pushing. I’m going to start with these.

Gracie, the heroine, is a devout Christian who sees God’s hand in everything. That’s fine, especially considering that this is set in the early 1900’s. But as soon as she discovers that the three male characters on the ranch do not share her beliefs she is shocked and tries to sway their opinion with some God babble. This clearly shows that Gracie has no respect for their beliefs – or lack thereof as the case may be. Even more frustratingly, the story goes down the path of “atheists don’t really not believe in God – they do believe in Him, they just hate Him”. That’s Gracie’s epiphany about Trevor, the hero. This stance annoys me to no end. If you don’t believe in God then you can’t hate Him because you don’t believe He exists. I’d really like to read a story where the religious and irreligious learn to see eye to eye without either giving up on their core beliefs, but I have yet to find one where both characters don’t end up Christian.

There’s a question at the end of the book:
7. Uncle Lou doesn’t talk about God or seem interested in Him. Do you know people like that? What makes someone uninterested in God? Is there a sensitive way to share faith with a person like Lou?
Yes I do – in fact, I know more people who aren’t interested in God than who are. I’m uninterested in Him because I’ve read enough of the Bible to know that I do not believe it to be divinely inspired. There are sensitive ways to share faith with people like Lou, like me, but this author does not manage to get anywhere close. Instead, she – through Gracie - is condescending and does not even try to look at things from the atheist’s point of view. She just pities them for not having her God in their life, not being able to turn to Him in their times of need. This annoyed me so much. I find it incredibly insulting. This is such a shame because when the story actually focused on the plot – Gracie’s desire to meet her hero, Striker, and Trevor’s determination to keep his alter ego from her all while exploring their budding attraction – I really enjoyed it all. But God always came back when you least expected Him. It got to the point where I was seriously tempted to skip whole portions of the story because of this. Instead I just allowed myself to get irritated.

The story itself was fairly transparent. As soon as Mendez, Striker’s enemy, and his means of crime are mentioned, it’s obvious how things will pan out at the climax. Most of the story focuses on Gracie discovering life in the Oregon desert – very different to the busy socialite existence that she was leading in Boston.

I enjoyed her evolution from shallow, annoying Gracie to a much more rounded, better grounded Gracie. The location was also perfect and very vividly drawn. Setting it all against the backdrop of the deadly Spanish flu allowed the author to keep the small number of characters very isolated, which worked in the story's favour. Even how Gracie was trapped in an existence she didn’t want by her over-bearing but well-meaning and old-fashioned parents lent an interesting side to the story as they prevented Gracie from really finding her own two feet. She would practically become another character around them: very quiet, demure and submitting to their wishes, however unwillingly.

Trevor was my favourite character. I liked how he had to battle the horrors of his past in order to be able to get to the point where he could accept the happiness offered to him in his present.

In all, I ended up with two conflicting feelings about the book. I suspect that it will really appeal to Christian readers, but as an atheist, I ended up feeling insulted by its religious message and its treatment of the topic. I wish the author had kept religion out of it all: then it could have been a lovely romance that I would display with some pride on my shelves! It’s a shame that the religious message ruined it for me.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Apr 05, 2012 K. Chase rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

I've recently finished debut author Jessica Nelson's recently released Love Inspired Historical, Love on the Range. Set during the flu epidemic of the early 1900's, a young socialite sets out for the West to make a name for herself by finding an elusive lawman, Striker, to interview. She hopes by securing an exclusive with the man both rumored to be a child-killer and the savior of kidnapped women, she would earn a position at a prominent paper and live her life as she pleased, instead of marryi...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 05, 2012 Camille Eide rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed the characters in this short historical, set in eastern Oregon's rugged high desert in 1918. Gracie is an engaging heroine - lively and a little outspoken for a young woman of her day, but also endearing with her quick, tender heart. Consumed with finding the elusive government agent "Striker," Gracie faces challenges and truths about people that test what she's really made of. She finds herself growing away from sheltered, pampered socialite and into a young woman of grace and...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 15, 2012 IrenesChristianReviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

Do you like westerns? What if the author threw in a little mystery and some romance too? If you like any of those three plots in a book you will enjoy this adventure set in the early 1900’s. Gracelyn Riley has been sent to her uncle’s house in a remote area of Oregon. While there she decides to do some research and write an article about a hero from the West call “Striker.” One thing not on her agenda is to fall in love, but feelings for a certain rancher begin to surface! Rancher Trevor Cruz is...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 19, 2012 Melanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-books

Review on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3IZPY9N...
Review to be posted on my blog 9/29: http://christianbookshelfreviews.blog...

Love on the Range is Jessica Nelson's debut novel and I found it to be a good read! I liked the characters (especially Trevor and Gracie) and I loved the little bit of history that was in Love on the Range.

I liked the mystery that was surrounding who Striker was - I had my guesses, but it wasn't until later in the book that I knew for SURE.

I will say, though, at...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 08, 2012 Carole rated it 2 of 5 stars

I though the book was a bit tedious to read. I usually read a book in one to two days unless busy with things away from home, but this one took me four days to read and I kept getting bored with it. Wanted to smack someone upside the head to get it going at times. Sorry, just don't think it's one of the best that I've ever read.

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Jul 22, 2012 Jennifer Shirk rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: category-romance, christian, inspirational-romance, historical-romance, ebooks

Really enjoyed this! Loved the feisty heroine matched with the quiet, brooding hero. Also, I found the historical time period the author chose to be interesting and refreshing too.

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 05, 2012 Ursula Gorman rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: christanity, christian, faith, family, forgiveness, friendship, grief, hero, historical, kidnapping, marriage, memories, multiple-story-lines, romance, quick-read

Review will be available at the blog, Romancing the Book. Follow the blog to see reviews you can't find on Goodreads.

1 like · like · see review

Apr 16, 2012 A.G. Howard rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book long before it ever found a publishing home, and even then I saw the magic. I'm a huge fan of historical romance, and this story tackles an unusual era: 1918 during the Spanish influenza, when WWI is about to end. The hero is sexy, secretive, and protective and the heroine has a backbone. What more could anyone want from a romance? Miss Nelson has a gift for making her characters real, flawed, and relatable. Her debut novel has won a lasting fan in me.

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 03, 2012 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: own-not-read

I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads.

True to its genre of being about romance, but with religious undertones. Not filled with sex scenes.

1 like · like · see review

Jul 08, 2012 Kris rated it 4 of 5 stars

I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway. I really enjoyed this book. There was mystery, suspense, humor and romance. All the makings of a good read!

1 like · like · see review

May 22, 2013 Mila marked it as to-read

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About Jessica Nelson

My heart is filled with romantic stories, my shelves are loaded with chocolate and my lips are always longing for one more cup of Starbucks. Besides that, I write for Love Inspired Historical and am a happy mom to a bunch of little boys. I love connecting with readers and writers.

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