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The Laramie Series #1
Lily's Sister
Read the book - and meet the woman - that started Karen J. Hasley's acclaimed Laramie Series.
Louisa Caldecott, a progressive woman and independent business owner in 1880 Kansas, is principled, strong-willed, passionate, and generous to a fault. Satisfied with her comfortable life, she's happy to live in her sister Lily's shadow. Until Lou meets John Rock Davis, Civil War veteran and man with a past. Until everything she loves is put at risk. Until she is forced to take a stand that threatens her safety, her happiness, and her future. Then all hell - but heaven, too - breaks loose, and self-sufficient Lou finally understands the cost of courage and the power of love.
Karen J. Hasley's books have been reviewed as "satisfying," "sparkling," and "captivating," her research described as "flawless." Discover why readers return to Karen J. Hasley's fiction again and again for authentic stories about compelling women in historical settings.
Louisa Caldecott, a progressive woman and independent business owner in 1880 Kansas, is principled, strong-willed, passionate, and generous to a fault. Satisfied with her comfortable life, she's happy to live in her sister Lily's shadow. Until Lou meets John Rock Davis, Civil War veteran and man with a past. Until everything she loves is put at risk. Until she is forced to take a stand that threatens her safety, her happiness, and her future. Then all hell - but heaven, too - breaks loose, and self-sufficient Lou finally understands the cost of courage and the power of love.
Karen J. Hasley's books have been reviewed as "satisfying," "sparkling," and "captivating," her research described as "flawless." Discover why readers return to Karen J. Hasley's fiction again and again for authentic stories about compelling women in historical settings.
233 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 19, 2006
251 people are currently reading
350 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
February 9, 2017
This is the first time I have read a book of this period of history and I must say I was hooked by the charming little town of Blessing, Kansas. The protagonist Lou was a strong, independent woman with an incredibly generous nature to the point of naivety at times. One thing that struck me as strange was the title of this book 'Lily's Sister', which was not justified at all owing to the highly strong character of Lou. And Lily was a minor character with no astonishing horrible qualities, just a vain and beautiful, materialistic woman with a selfish nature. All in all, this book was a great read, and it made me want to read the sequels too.
April 14, 2019
Lovely old fashioned story based on "the simple life". Get supplies at the only family owned General Store. Nonetheless times were changing and not always well received. Hard times led to equally tough decisions needing to be made.
Strong people and especially Ms. Lou struggled to understand motives for many families selling out and leaving "Blessing" (the town name).
And so it went. Will there be anyone or anything left in Blessing? I have no interest in spoiling the story as it plays out. That's up to you...
Strong people and especially Ms. Lou struggled to understand motives for many families selling out and leaving "Blessing" (the town name).
And so it went. Will there be anyone or anything left in Blessing? I have no interest in spoiling the story as it plays out. That's up to you...
September 7, 2017
Louisa Caldecott, a progressive woman and independent business owner in 1880 Kansas, is principled, strong-willed, passionate, and generous to a fault. Satisfied with her comfortable life, she's happy to live in her sister Lily's shadow. Until Lou meets John Rock Davis, Civil War veteran and man with a past. Until everything she loves is put at risk. Until she is forced to take a stand that threatens her safety, her happiness, and her future. Then all hell - but heaven, too - breaks loose, and self-sufficient Lou finally understands the cost of courage and the power of love.
October 15, 2015
*3.75 Having first read book 2, Waiting for Hope, I was anxious to get the back story on Louisa and John. The flow of the story is a bit choppy in the beginning but, overall, an engaging tale of love and loss in the late 1800's. Ms Hasley's writing style is a pleasure to read. Onto book 3!!
July 5, 2015
A beautiful story about a truly amazing woman. I was enchanted with her story from the beginning and delighted by how the story progressed.
June 23, 2020
This is a well-written love story with historical overtones. Not what I would normally choose, but I found it an excellent read. The characters are believable, well developed and I promise you will grow to love them or loath them.
March 15, 2024
Well written. I enjoyed story. Lou and John Rock are engaging. I highly recommend.
September 17, 2021
Hmm.
I really enjoyed this as I was reading it. Hasley writes good prose and she's good with dialogue. Her characters have a way of speaking with subtlety and nuance that I enjoy reading, and that I think is somewhat accurate for the time period (a death threat might be something like "It would sure be a shame if something happened to that pretty face of yours" instead of the "I'm gonna f-ing kill you" that you'd hear today). And the characters pick up on what each other are inferring and react accordingly, without things needing to be stated explicitly. They are smart in that way. I like that.
I also read Hasley's "Etta Capstone" book, and in both books, I really liked her heroines. Lou and Etta were both smart, capable women who I could relate to. They were hard working and thought about things a lot and both had real jobs that they had to balance with the drama of events. They had similar thoughts that I would have had in some situations. And they both seemed like normal people trying to do the right thing, not superheroes or anything.
All that being said, I think in this book and in Etta Capstone, Hasley's weakness is plot. Moment to moment, I did mostly know what was happening, and the building of events here kept it mostly interesting. BUT. It just seemed like there were so many ways out of the situation that the characters never attempted.
Also, I didn't really like the ending, and I liked the epilogue even less. That epilogue went on FOREVER.
If not for the end, this would have been 4 stars. In the middle of the book, when everything was building so nicely, I thought it might even be 5 stars. But the climax did not deliver very well and the characterization got muddled as the story went on. So 3 stars.
I really enjoyed this as I was reading it. Hasley writes good prose and she's good with dialogue. Her characters have a way of speaking with subtlety and nuance that I enjoy reading, and that I think is somewhat accurate for the time period (a death threat might be something like "It would sure be a shame if something happened to that pretty face of yours" instead of the "I'm gonna f-ing kill you" that you'd hear today). And the characters pick up on what each other are inferring and react accordingly, without things needing to be stated explicitly. They are smart in that way. I like that.
I also read Hasley's "Etta Capstone" book, and in both books, I really liked her heroines. Lou and Etta were both smart, capable women who I could relate to. They were hard working and thought about things a lot and both had real jobs that they had to balance with the drama of events. They had similar thoughts that I would have had in some situations. And they both seemed like normal people trying to do the right thing, not superheroes or anything.
All that being said, I think in this book and in Etta Capstone, Hasley's weakness is plot. Moment to moment, I did mostly know what was happening, and the building of events here kept it mostly interesting. BUT. It just seemed like there were so many ways out of the situation that the characters never attempted.
Also, I didn't really like the ending, and I liked the epilogue even less. That epilogue went on FOREVER.
If not for the end, this would have been 4 stars. In the middle of the book, when everything was building so nicely, I thought it might even be 5 stars. But the climax did not deliver very well and the characterization got muddled as the story went on. So 3 stars.
December 25, 2016
Awesome book. Wouldn't call it a Christian fiction book, but it was very clean aside from a couple minor swear words. Great story about a young woman named Lou who's father left her their store, because she had a head for business, and who's sister was left the family's lovely home, because she just wanted lovely things.
Their father asked Lou to always take care of Lily, even though Lily was older. It was a last-wish she took very seriously. Plus she took care of a simple-minded boy who was orphaned. She was kind and loved by nearly everyone.
Along comes John Rock Davis and her orderly little world, and the sweet town of Blessing, are changed all together.
Loved this book. My only problem was the sister she loved so dearly was in my estimation unlovable. She was conceited, materialistic, a virtual whore, and she didn't seem to care for Lou at all. Why this story is called Lily's sister is a mystery. She was not someone people admired, like Lou was. Lily was just not someone who should be the main part of the book's title.
Ah well, it was still a very good book.
Their father asked Lou to always take care of Lily, even though Lily was older. It was a last-wish she took very seriously. Plus she took care of a simple-minded boy who was orphaned. She was kind and loved by nearly everyone.
Along comes John Rock Davis and her orderly little world, and the sweet town of Blessing, are changed all together.
Loved this book. My only problem was the sister she loved so dearly was in my estimation unlovable. She was conceited, materialistic, a virtual whore, and she didn't seem to care for Lou at all. Why this story is called Lily's sister is a mystery. She was not someone people admired, like Lou was. Lily was just not someone who should be the main part of the book's title.
Ah well, it was still a very good book.
November 20, 2015
True. Gripping. Heartfelt. Will remember this story for a long time to come....
At first I felt she was just a stick in the mud .... turns out, her story, and the story of her people in Blessing, were wonderful and real and almost came off the pages to stand in front of me to be admired..... love this story and will definitely look for the rest of the books in this series.....
At first I felt she was just a stick in the mud .... turns out, her story, and the story of her people in Blessing, were wonderful and real and almost came off the pages to stand in front of me to be admired..... love this story and will definitely look for the rest of the books in this series.....
October 13, 2015
Well done.
The story of Lily's Sister is well-written and well-edited. I love the first person telling of Lou's world, Blessing, Kansas, and the harm that befallen her little town when greed gets out of hand. Throw in a little mystery, a little romance and you've got a book you won't want to put down.
The story of Lily's Sister is well-written and well-edited. I love the first person telling of Lou's world, Blessing, Kansas, and the harm that befallen her little town when greed gets out of hand. Throw in a little mystery, a little romance and you've got a book you won't want to put down.
July 23, 2017
I read this book after the second in the series. It can stand alone so the reader doesn't lose any information reading this book alone or out of order. The first 3 books in this series have been great reads with good storytelling and interesting characters! I've found myself with both smiles and tears at different junctures. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
July 26, 2017
I felt ho-hum about reading this book, but it turned out that I really enjoyed it. I love stories about strong women set in the 1800s. Lily's sister Lou certainly fits the bill. It was a fairly quick read and was perfect for a lazy summer day. I will definitely read the other stories in the Laramie series in the future.
August 8, 2015
A testament to western Kansa
Born and raised in the area described. There were very accurate descriptions of the homesteaders their nationalities and the land. It was the same as told by my great grandparents and grandparents.
Born and raised in the area described. There were very accurate descriptions of the homesteaders their nationalities and the land. It was the same as told by my great grandparents and grandparents.
May 30, 2015
Quite different from the usual thrillers and mysteries that I read, but enjoyable nonetheless. It will be fun to follow the rest of the Davis clan into the next books.
July 30, 2017
Hadley fan!
I read the 2nd in the series first. I was hooked. Love Ms. Hadley's literary style. A gifted story weaver and teller.
I read the 2nd in the series first. I was hooked. Love Ms. Hadley's literary style. A gifted story weaver and teller.
August 2, 2017
Easy Reading
Took several days to finish but reading slow just seemed to be the way to read this book. Very enjoyable. Will read series.
Took several days to finish but reading slow just seemed to be the way to read this book. Very enjoyable. Will read series.
October 1, 2018
I'm so happy I found this author. Great stories. To the point without being wordy or overly detailed.
December 27, 2025
Well written. I enjoyed story. Lou and John Rock are engaging. I highly recommend.
July 14, 2020
The first book in the series was a good read. I enjoyed it and skimmed only a few passages that became too wordy.
The story progressed nicely and kept me interested the whole book. A few times I was on the edge of my seat wanting to know what happened next; a few times I was sad with the events that happened and close to tears; and a few times I was so frustrated with the naivety of the character; and one time I gasped at the events. All together it was a good story and I'm glad I took the time to read it.
The ending is what I didn't enjoy. Not the words or even the events, but how they were portrayed. The entire story is about a short time in Lou's life and then the last chapter speeds through about 25 years of her life all at once. I would have loved another book instead that went more slowly and in detail through their lives.
I did purchase the second book in the series and am interested to see what happens. I know that it can be stand alone from the first book but also has some entanglement with the original characters.
The story progressed nicely and kept me interested the whole book. A few times I was on the edge of my seat wanting to know what happened next; a few times I was sad with the events that happened and close to tears; and a few times I was so frustrated with the naivety of the character; and one time I gasped at the events. All together it was a good story and I'm glad I took the time to read it.
The ending is what I didn't enjoy. Not the words or even the events, but how they were portrayed. The entire story is about a short time in Lou's life and then the last chapter speeds through about 25 years of her life all at once. I would have loved another book instead that went more slowly and in detail through their lives.
I did purchase the second book in the series and am interested to see what happens. I know that it can be stand alone from the first book but also has some entanglement with the original characters.
June 29, 2021
I read this series out of order. I ended up reading the 3rd book first since it seems from what I read that they were good as stand-alones. They definitely are. You can read one book in the series and not feel like you are left on a cliffhanger. Each one does come to a clear conclusion. It does follow some of the same characters though so with this one it was interesting to see some of the backstory from the 3rd book. I will definitely keep going with the series. They are good stories and also offer a bit of a history lesson - some of it kind of frustrating (like why would anyone not call the police - or sheriff - if someone was assaulting people in your town?!).
May 2, 2019
A strong-willed, confident, independent woman, Lou, is the main charecter of this story set in post-Civil War Kansas. The author is generous sharing all of Lou's personality with us - her faults as well as her attributes, her failings as well as her successes. Just enough romance to make the story believable, but not so much that it dominates everything else going on in the story and in Lou's life. The events and people of Blessing, Kansas will stay with me for a while, and I welcome the company.
August 1, 2017
I read the second book in this series first (Waiting for Hope), and having thoroughly enjoying it, was pleased to find it was part of a series. Lily's Sister was just as enjoyable, and tells the tale of many of the characters in Waiting for Hope, prior to that story. If you like strong women, as I do, and historical fiction (again a plus for me), you will enjoy both of these books. I am now reading
the third book in the series.
the third book in the series.
December 23, 2025
Deep characterization
Filled with emotions—pride, fear, satisfaction, tension, and love—the story of Lou Caldecott jumps into your heart. A woman ahead of her time, she makes her way in small-town business with forcefulness and integrity until a bad element comes to town to threaten her very existence. Thankfully, so does an equally good element. I’m off to get the next book in the series.
Filled with emotions—pride, fear, satisfaction, tension, and love—the story of Lou Caldecott jumps into your heart. A woman ahead of her time, she makes her way in small-town business with forcefulness and integrity until a bad element comes to town to threaten her very existence. Thankfully, so does an equally good element. I’m off to get the next book in the series.
June 24, 2020
Escaping bad times
Book 2, Waiting for Hope was a great read and book 1, Lilly’s Sister was better since it reveled the past and the move to Laramie. Wonderful characters and exciting, unpredictable plot made this book a page turner I could not put down.
Look forward to reading more of the Laramie Series.
Book 2, Waiting for Hope was a great read and book 1, Lilly’s Sister was better since it reveled the past and the move to Laramie. Wonderful characters and exciting, unpredictable plot made this book a page turner I could not put down.
Look forward to reading more of the Laramie Series.
February 5, 2021
Enjoyed this book and will probably read the series. The story is set in Blessing, KS in the 1880's. It involves a strong woman, Louisa, and a man who comes into the town working for the railroad who both saves her from the bad guys but also becomes a special part of her life. Before him, the general store she ran was the only purpose of her life.
May 19, 2022
Having read the last book in the series first, I was delighted to know that there were more books to read. This book was a little less strong in some areas, but I loved the characters Lou and John and a few of the others. Lily was a harder character to like, but the story was enthralling and overall worth the 5 stars.
April 1, 2018
Good depiction of old west .
This book tells of strength of character from a woman. It covers a lot of different aspects of life family siblings It also shows the hard work involved in running a general store.
This book tells of strength of character from a woman. It covers a lot of different aspects of life family siblings It also shows the hard work involved in running a general store.
September 1, 2020
I loved this book. Easy reading and a very interesting story about a woman in Kansas in the 1800s and issues she faced. There is a whole series of Laramie books and I am on Book 2. I'll let you know if I like it as much.
June 22, 2017
Very intense. So well written. Not a single highlight. 4.5 star maybe more
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews