Rachel

Springwater #2

by Linda Lael Miller

Rachel English as traveled to Springwater to take a post as the frontier teacher. Although the ramshackle schoolhouse -- and her half-wild pupils -- are not what she had envisioned, Rachel spiritedly makes the best of her new surroundings. But when she takes a stand against the scandalous saloon across the road from the school, she is more that surprised by her own powerful attraction to the bar's part-owner, handsome widower Trey Hargreaves.

The father of a beautiful part-Lakota Sioux girl, Trey appears to be everything that Rachel, with her proper Eastern upbringing, should avoid. When Rachel's fianc?ied during the Civil War, she turned her passions to teaching, and closed a door in her heart. Now Trey, with his troubled past, is the the only man who can soothe her hidden sorrow, and give Rachel a chance to embrace the love of a lifetime.

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Western Romance, Westerns, Fiction, Historical, Historical Fiction

160 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

The daughter of a town marshal, Linda Lael Miller is a #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than 100 historical and contemporary novels, most of which reflect her love of the West. Raised in Northport, Washington, Linda pursued her wanderlust, living in London and Arizona and traveling the world before returning to the state of her birth to settle down on a spacious property outside Spokane.
Linda traces the birth of her writing career to the day when a Northport teacher told her that the stories she was writing were good, that she just might have a future in writing. Later, when she decided to write novels, she endured her share of rejection before she sold Fletcher’s Woman in 1983 to Pocket Books. Since then, Linda has successfully published historicals, contemporaries, paranormals, mysteries and thrillers before coming home, in a literal sense, and concentrating on novels with a Western flavor. For her devotion to her craft, the Romance Writers of America awarded her their prestigious Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.
Long a passionate Civil War buff, Linda has studied the era avidly for almost thirty years. She has read literally hundreds of books on the subject, explored numerous battlegrounds and made many visits to her favorite, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where she has witnessed re-enactments of the legendary clash between North and South. Linda explores that turbulent time in The Yankee Widow, a May 7, 2019 MIRA Books hardcover, also available in digital and audiobook formats.
Dedicated to helping others, “The First Lady of the West” personally financed fifteen years of her Linda Lael Miller Scholarships for Women, which she awarded to women 25 years and older who were seeking to improve their lot in life through education. She anticipates that her next charitable endeavors will benefit four-legged critters.
More information about Linda and her novels is available at www.lindalaelmiller.com, on Facebook and from Nancy Berland Public Relations, nancy@nancyberland.com, 405-206-4748.

Reviews

[Mary23nm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story, but a little short.

[Rachel May Diva · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good

[Prairie Lover · Rating 2 out of 5]

Springwater #1 was a hard act to follow. In the first book of the series, the relationship between the primary characters developed layer by layer. The author didn't need to declare a character's internal thoughts and feelings so that the reader could understand and recognize them. Their feelings were revealed through the story-line, made evident through a character's actions and by the words each one spoke aloud. This first sequel however seemed a little more contrived. The book was simply too short to develop any sort of relationship between the hero and heroine; especially when a portion of the plot is devoted to the introduction of new characters intended to play a starring role in later installments. Owing to its brevity, the story seemed rushed and I found it difficult to comprehend any basis for the love that each character declared for the other. In fact, I felt that the heroine was a bit too overbearing and judgmental of the hero's lifestyle to pave the way for any feelings on his part other than anger and resentment. I could see where Rachel might find Trey attractive and intriguing though. The story did manage to paint the picture of a man protected by a tough and resilient (albeit artificial) exterior, which he himself has erected to conceal the softer soul beneath it. But what was so lovable about Rachel? She regularly articulated her disdain for Trey's occupation and the manner in which he raises his daughter. It was as if she marched into town and appointed herself the savior of Springwater's youth and the sole authority on how to save them (mostly from their own parents). This sparks a series of clashes between Rachel and Trey but the story is simply too short to provide any sort of resolution. Thus the author is forced to provide us with 'mind reading' dialogue. It's a common tool found in the shed of lesser skilled romance writers, but not Linda Lael Miller. If I hadn't known otherwise, I would have thought that I accidentally downloaded my copy from Reader's Digest.

I'll keep reading Linda Lael Miller in general and the remainder of this series in particular; but I'll lower my expectations for installment 3. The first story was just so rich and heartwarming that I was hoping (more accurately I was expecting) a sequel of equal caliber. While this wasn't it, the story wasn't so flawed that I want to give up on the series entirely. I suppose the wisdom of my pardon will reveal itself in due time.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reminded me a little of 'When Calls The Heart'. I Enjoyed it.

[TinaMarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

School teacher from east meets Saloon owner in her new town of Springwater. Sparring through most of the book the declarations of love were surprising.

[Laura Aase · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short trite few historical details and limited characters er development. Emma was the only good part. Such a disappointment!

[Angela]

5

[Simara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A schoolteacher and a saloon owner meet and an unlikely match forms. Great continuation of the series. Great buildup and emotion. Very good narration as well.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good but a bit too short. I love how she sets the scene.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The “Seasons” stories are novellas between the big stories. This one was fine but odd how the relationship between the two main characters developed.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first of the follow up books of the Springwater series. It was awfully short. I think the stories of the 4 girls perhaps could have been combined in one book!

[Lace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had anticipated this book to be a bit of a challenge for me. I don’t often find myself captivated by anything remotely related to older western-style things, and it was plain to see that this book was of that nature. Surprisingly, I was immediately sucked right into the storyline! Only a few hours over the course of two days had me finished with this book and hoping to eventually get my hands on some more of Ms. Miller’s novels.
The novel begins with the main character, Rachel, moving out west to a small town in order to set up a school for the local children. She encounters many obstacles while attempting this task, mainly with the town’s lack of funding as well as some set-in-their-ways older folks who believe that schooling is simply a waste of time. Ultimately, Rachel accomplishes her goal, helping out each of the local children in one way or another and falling in love along the way.
A typical romance, yes, but a heartwarming story and a very quick read!

[penelopewanders · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second in this series. Almost too short to get into - the premise was great, saloon owner, prim schoolmarm from back East, half-breed (beautiful, brilliant) daughter... but we swept through the whole thing like a flood in Spring. Enjoyable, but felt a little like a summary rather than full book.

[Jane(Janelba) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story about a saloon owner and the school teacher.

[Cecelia]

Like the other books in the series I think it is too short. The romance doesn't have time to develop. That said, the charachters are wonderful and engaging.

[Tori (Book Chick) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super quick read. Cute love story but so short I didn't really feel like I knew the characters- kind of seemed like a Cliff Notes version. However reading it was a nice 2 hour break this afternoon.

[K-Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a short book that was a bit like eating potato chips. Not a lot of substance and did not take not to finish... but of course I went on to the next one in the series right away.

[Betsy Rinaldi · Rating 3 out of 5]

enjoyable, quick read

[Lori D · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so loving this series and how Rachel and Trey met and their journey to happy ever after! Love revisiting the characters and all the new ones introduced! Do not miss!

[Phyllis Wiley]

good