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The Blacksmith's Bravery
Ride shotgun alongside Vashti Edwards, saloon girl turned stagecoach driver, as she tries to redefine her life into a brave Christian citizen. Watch as Griffin Bane, local blacksmith and stagecoach manager, wrestles with his attraction to her. When a gang of outlaws target the stagecoach line, will The Ladies' Shooting Club come to their friends’ aid again, saving Vashti and Griffin to build a future together?
317 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2010
94 people are currently reading
240 people want to read
About the author
Susan Page Davis
176 books528 followersFROM AUTHOR'S WEBSITE: I'm a native of central Maine, and grew up on a small farm with a wonderful mom and dad, three sisters and a brother. Most of my books take place in small towns, many of them in Maine.
My husband, Jim, and I moved to his birth state, Oregon, for a while after we were married, but decided to move back to Maine and be near my family. It allowed our six children to grow up feeling close to their cousins and grandparents, and some of Jim's family have even moved to Maine!
Our children are all home-schooled. When Jim retired from his vocation as an editor at a daily newspaper, we moved from Maine to Kentucky.
I've always loved reading, history, and horses. These things come together in several of my historical books.
Another longtime hobby of mine is genealogy, which has led me down many fascinating paths. I'm proud to be a DAR member! Some of Jim's and my quirkier ancestors have inspired fictional characters.
For many years I worked for the Central Maine Morning Sentinel as a freelancer. This experience was a great help in developing fictional characters and writing realistic scenes. I also published nonfiction articles in several magazines and had several short stories appear in Woman's World, Grit, and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.
My husband, Jim, and I moved to his birth state, Oregon, for a while after we were married, but decided to move back to Maine and be near my family. It allowed our six children to grow up feeling close to their cousins and grandparents, and some of Jim's family have even moved to Maine!
Our children are all home-schooled. When Jim retired from his vocation as an editor at a daily newspaper, we moved from Maine to Kentucky.
I've always loved reading, history, and horses. These things come together in several of my historical books.
Another longtime hobby of mine is genealogy, which has led me down many fascinating paths. I'm proud to be a DAR member! Some of Jim's and my quirkier ancestors have inspired fictional characters.
For many years I worked for the Central Maine Morning Sentinel as a freelancer. This experience was a great help in developing fictional characters and writing realistic scenes. I also published nonfiction articles in several magazines and had several short stories appear in Woman's World, Grit, and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
October 10, 2017
Normally, I like to read series books in order; but I've made exceptions, and this is one of them. I picked up a copy of this book four years ago at a thrift store as a present for my wife, since I knew it would be right up her alley. (She's since read it twice, once to herself and once as an "organically-powered audio book" that I read to her. :-) ) My original intention was to get the first two books of the series and give her those first; but I then discovered that (at the time) they were out of print. So we approached this one as a stand-alone, and it works well that way. (The lead characters here are apparently minor characters in the first two books, and the major characters of the latter are secondary characters here; the relationships and any essential back story is introduced here effortlessly in passing, with no info-dumps, though it's probably helpful to have read the book descriptions for the previous volumes, in order to understand how and why the Ladies' Shooting Club was formed.) But in an interesting development, I've just learned that paperback copies of the first two books are again available, so they're going on my to-read shelf!
Our setting here is the fictional small town of Fergus, in the Idaho Territory (probably southern Idaho, going by the geographical proximity of Boise and Nampa) in the late 1880s. While I've classified this as a Western --and it is, since a gang of outlaws robbing the local stagecoach lines plays a major role in the plot-- Western "shoot-'em-up" action, while present, isn't a heavy part of the mix here, and much of it happens, as it were, off-stage. The focus is on the interactions of the characters as they live realistic life in a very well-evoked frontier community of that day (the Western genre is really a branch of the historical fiction genre that grew into a tree trunk of its own, and this is solidly-researched historical fiction.) Davis obviously knows the craft of blacksmithing inside and out, though (unlike some authors) she doesn't try to shoehorn in every bit of data that she knows; and the same can be said for driving four and six-animal stagecoach teams. (Personally, in my total ignorance, I had no clue that this required as much physical skill and dexterity in handling the different reins as it does; this book was a eye-opener in that respect.)
While the book isn't heavily "preachy," as a Christian writer, the author brings out in a positive way the role of the town's church in the community life, and of a Christian faith taken seriously in the lives of the principal characters. There's no bad language and no sex scenes. Some might classify the book as a "romance," since a clean romantic attraction grows and blossoms between a hero and a heroine who respect each other and appreciate each other for other qualities besides good looks (though they're not immune to appreciating those, either!); but if it is, it's the kind of "romance' that reminds us that the term doesn't have to be an epithet. :-) There's not much heart fluttering and daisy petal-pulling going on in the book, and plenty of more substantial and interesting things to flesh out the plot.
Rightly or wrongly, some readers have the impression that Christian fiction tends to reinforce male chauvinism and patriarchal gender role stereotypes, and to ignore ugly social realities (and to be sure, there are certainly Christians who confuse cultural stereotypes with mandates of their faith, and who don't want to be disturbed by the sinful world around them). That's not a charge that can stick well to this book, however. Vashti Edwards is a strong, independent woman who expects and wants to pull her own weight in life, and who knows what she wants and has the guts and discipline to train for it and to make it happen, even if it's doing well in a traditionally male job. Griffin Bane is the kind of male who can see the worth of that, and who wants an equal partner, not a serf. And Davis is the kind of writer who, without being unnecessarily graphic, can take a hard look at the evils of child sexual abuse and teen prostitution (and the prejudiced stereotyping and gender double standards that we subject the victims of it to).
A fair rating of this book would probably be four and a half stars, if I could split stars, and I suppose I do give out too many five-star ratings. Readers who demand a lot of action in a book might find this a bit slow-paced in places, and Davis could have used better editing. We learn early on that Griffin's newly-widowed sister lives in Cincinnati (which, obviously, is in Ohio), but when she fobs her teenage oldest son off on Griffin, a subsequent chapter puts his former stamping grounds in Pennsylvania, and that unexplained relocation is maintained through the rest of the book. And at one point, Vashti "stuck the holster [which she doesn't have] back in her belt." (The author obviously meant that our heroine stuck her Colt back in her belt, since she doesn't have a holster and usually packs her gun in her overnight bag, but had "holster' on the brain and wrote that instead.) That reflects poorly on Barbour Publishing, as does the fact that the binding on the book came loose and let the text block fall apart while I was reading it (though, granted, I didn't buy it new). But as a measure of my sheer enjoyment in reading it, I had to round up!
Our setting here is the fictional small town of Fergus, in the Idaho Territory (probably southern Idaho, going by the geographical proximity of Boise and Nampa) in the late 1880s. While I've classified this as a Western --and it is, since a gang of outlaws robbing the local stagecoach lines plays a major role in the plot-- Western "shoot-'em-up" action, while present, isn't a heavy part of the mix here, and much of it happens, as it were, off-stage. The focus is on the interactions of the characters as they live realistic life in a very well-evoked frontier community of that day (the Western genre is really a branch of the historical fiction genre that grew into a tree trunk of its own, and this is solidly-researched historical fiction.) Davis obviously knows the craft of blacksmithing inside and out, though (unlike some authors) she doesn't try to shoehorn in every bit of data that she knows; and the same can be said for driving four and six-animal stagecoach teams. (Personally, in my total ignorance, I had no clue that this required as much physical skill and dexterity in handling the different reins as it does; this book was a eye-opener in that respect.)
While the book isn't heavily "preachy," as a Christian writer, the author brings out in a positive way the role of the town's church in the community life, and of a Christian faith taken seriously in the lives of the principal characters. There's no bad language and no sex scenes. Some might classify the book as a "romance," since a clean romantic attraction grows and blossoms between a hero and a heroine who respect each other and appreciate each other for other qualities besides good looks (though they're not immune to appreciating those, either!); but if it is, it's the kind of "romance' that reminds us that the term doesn't have to be an epithet. :-) There's not much heart fluttering and daisy petal-pulling going on in the book, and plenty of more substantial and interesting things to flesh out the plot.
Rightly or wrongly, some readers have the impression that Christian fiction tends to reinforce male chauvinism and patriarchal gender role stereotypes, and to ignore ugly social realities (and to be sure, there are certainly Christians who confuse cultural stereotypes with mandates of their faith, and who don't want to be disturbed by the sinful world around them). That's not a charge that can stick well to this book, however. Vashti Edwards is a strong, independent woman who expects and wants to pull her own weight in life, and who knows what she wants and has the guts and discipline to train for it and to make it happen, even if it's doing well in a traditionally male job. Griffin Bane is the kind of male who can see the worth of that, and who wants an equal partner, not a serf. And Davis is the kind of writer who, without being unnecessarily graphic, can take a hard look at the evils of child sexual abuse and teen prostitution (and the prejudiced stereotyping and gender double standards that we subject the victims of it to).
A fair rating of this book would probably be four and a half stars, if I could split stars, and I suppose I do give out too many five-star ratings. Readers who demand a lot of action in a book might find this a bit slow-paced in places, and Davis could have used better editing. We learn early on that Griffin's newly-widowed sister lives in Cincinnati (which, obviously, is in Ohio), but when she fobs her teenage oldest son off on Griffin, a subsequent chapter puts his former stamping grounds in Pennsylvania, and that unexplained relocation is maintained through the rest of the book. And at one point, Vashti "stuck the holster [which she doesn't have] back in her belt." (The author obviously meant that our heroine stuck her Colt back in her belt, since she doesn't have a holster and usually packs her gun in her overnight bag, but had "holster' on the brain and wrote that instead.) That reflects poorly on Barbour Publishing, as does the fact that the binding on the book came loose and let the text block fall apart while I was reading it (though, granted, I didn't buy it new). But as a measure of my sheer enjoyment in reading it, I had to round up!
January 22, 2016
Griffin Bane is a busy man and a hard worker, managing three businesses in the town of Fergus, Idaho. Serving as the town smithy and livery owner, he also manages the local Wells Fargo stagecoach office. His life is further complicated with the arrival of an errant nephew to mentor and the ridiculous request from a former saloon girl; the alluring, but transformed version of Vashti Edwards wants to drive his stagecoaches.
Vashti is determined to follow her dream; driving horses along the famed Wells Fargo line, making an entirely new life for herself. It's going to take some work and a lot of practice, but some of the other drivers appear tolerant about giving "George" a fair chance. When the grumpy Mr. Bane offers her a part time job in the ticket office, Vashti quickly learns that wanting to drive and actually doing it, can be harder than she imagined; especially when a vicious road gang begins to rob coaches along their travel routes. Griffin becomes quite concerned about her safety because . . . . . . .. he cares?????
Enjoy this third installment of Susan Page Davis's "Ladies Shooting Club" series, reminiscing with former characters and getting to know new ones. Griffin and Vashti's road to success is riddled with some "wild rides" and heavy doses of danger, but in the end, there just might be a justifiable reward.
Vashti is determined to follow her dream; driving horses along the famed Wells Fargo line, making an entirely new life for herself. It's going to take some work and a lot of practice, but some of the other drivers appear tolerant about giving "George" a fair chance. When the grumpy Mr. Bane offers her a part time job in the ticket office, Vashti quickly learns that wanting to drive and actually doing it, can be harder than she imagined; especially when a vicious road gang begins to rob coaches along their travel routes. Griffin becomes quite concerned about her safety because . . . . . . .. he cares?????
Enjoy this third installment of Susan Page Davis's "Ladies Shooting Club" series, reminiscing with former characters and getting to know new ones. Griffin and Vashti's road to success is riddled with some "wild rides" and heavy doses of danger, but in the end, there just might be a justifiable reward.
April 10, 2011
I have been a fan of this series since day one! I have especially wished to JOIN the Ladies Shooting Club, but then, I'd have to live to Fergus, Idaho in the late 1800's (on second thought, maybe I'd like to keep my indoor plumbing). Oh, well...I've been able to live vicariously through Trudy, Libby, and now Vashti through all three of these books, and each one has been a real treat.
Vashti was feisty with a capital F. No way, no how was she going to let Griffin Bane talk her out of one day being a stagecoach driver. Now I have to admit that a job like that is definitely not for the faint of heart, but Vashti filled the role beautifully. All she wanted was to be known for something other than a gentleman entertainer, which was part of her past. She knew that she'd never be looked upon as one of the finer ladies of Fergus, but she still craved a fresh start. That part of the story really stood out to me because, just like most people, I've done things in my life that I'm not proud of and wished for my slate to be wiped clean. That's not always possible in the human world, but for Vashti, she managed to earn the respect of several members of the town, and by the book's end, a few were even willing to risk their lives!
And Griffin....my, my, that fella just about made me swoon! He was a big hunk of a guy that deep down, had such a soft heart. I loved the addition of his nephew, Justin, to the story because in some ways, that forced Griffin to care for someone other than himself. Poor guy really was a loner until Justin and Vashti stepped into the picture!
I hate that this was the last I'll hear from the little town of Fergus, Idaho! I loved these characters and the originality of each story. Oh, and did I mention that I loved the Ladies Shooting Club? :o) Those gals were as reliable as the U.S. Mail, and always ready to do their part to protect their town, no matter what. The Blacksmith's Bravery gets a rating of 4 stars, and the hope that someday, there will be a 4th book to this great series. :o)
Vashti was feisty with a capital F. No way, no how was she going to let Griffin Bane talk her out of one day being a stagecoach driver. Now I have to admit that a job like that is definitely not for the faint of heart, but Vashti filled the role beautifully. All she wanted was to be known for something other than a gentleman entertainer, which was part of her past. She knew that she'd never be looked upon as one of the finer ladies of Fergus, but she still craved a fresh start. That part of the story really stood out to me because, just like most people, I've done things in my life that I'm not proud of and wished for my slate to be wiped clean. That's not always possible in the human world, but for Vashti, she managed to earn the respect of several members of the town, and by the book's end, a few were even willing to risk their lives!
And Griffin....my, my, that fella just about made me swoon! He was a big hunk of a guy that deep down, had such a soft heart. I loved the addition of his nephew, Justin, to the story because in some ways, that forced Griffin to care for someone other than himself. Poor guy really was a loner until Justin and Vashti stepped into the picture!
I hate that this was the last I'll hear from the little town of Fergus, Idaho! I loved these characters and the originality of each story. Oh, and did I mention that I loved the Ladies Shooting Club? :o) Those gals were as reliable as the U.S. Mail, and always ready to do their part to protect their town, no matter what. The Blacksmith's Bravery gets a rating of 4 stars, and the hope that someday, there will be a 4th book to this great series. :o)
May 20, 2021
"The Blacksmith's Bravery" is a Christian romance (with some suspense) set in 1887 in Idaho. This is the third book in a series. You can understand what's going on without reading the previous books. The main events in the previous books were not spoiled in this one.
The author wove interesting historical details about stagecoach lines into the story. The suspense came from the real threat of stagecoach robbers, making Griffin worry about Vashti's safety while at the same time admiring her enough that he wants to allow her to drive the stagecoaches if it can be done somewhat safely. Griffin also had to figure out how to raise a teenaged nephew who was giving trouble back at home. The main characters were capable, likable characters that supported each other.
Having read the series, I thought it was interesting that one character at the beginning wanted to influence the whole town. However, quiet and humble Hiram is really the man who changed the town through his influence. He supported his sister becoming a crack shot and teaching the other woman to shoot well. He didn't feel the need to put himself forward to shine in the shooting contest, allowing the women to gain some respect for their shooting. Following his example, at the end, even those who were good shots were more concerned about getting the job done than getting the glory. It was interesting how the whole town subtly but noticeably changed throughout the series.
There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I recommend this enjoyable novel.
The author wove interesting historical details about stagecoach lines into the story. The suspense came from the real threat of stagecoach robbers, making Griffin worry about Vashti's safety while at the same time admiring her enough that he wants to allow her to drive the stagecoaches if it can be done somewhat safely. Griffin also had to figure out how to raise a teenaged nephew who was giving trouble back at home. The main characters were capable, likable characters that supported each other.
Having read the series, I thought it was interesting that one character at the beginning wanted to influence the whole town. However, quiet and humble Hiram is really the man who changed the town through his influence. He supported his sister becoming a crack shot and teaching the other woman to shoot well. He didn't feel the need to put himself forward to shine in the shooting contest, allowing the women to gain some respect for their shooting. Following his example, at the end, even those who were good shots were more concerned about getting the job done than getting the glory. It was interesting how the whole town subtly but noticeably changed throughout the series.
There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I recommend this enjoyable novel.
May 12, 2013
Love love love! I have loved every book in this series! I was so happy that this one was just like the other two. I giggled a few times and enjoyed the characters immensely!
May 4, 2012
Vashti is a former saloon girl who wants to be a stage coach driver. She is trying hard to over come her past she just has to convince the stage owner she can do it.
Griffin is the stage coach owner. He also finds himself taking in his nephew who’s father has died and Griddin’s sister needs help with the teenager. At first he turns Vashti away no way can a girl drive his stage coach but the more she pushes the more he gets to know her and soon finds himself with feeling for her. Will this unlikely couple find love or will Vashti’s past stand in the way?
When I first started reading this book I was quite interested. I have never read about stage coaches before and it was very interesting. I thought the idea of a female driver was going to make for a fun read. I was disappointed. The one thing that I found was this book was long and could have been edited down some. We went through many runs of the stage which was interesting at first but after a while I expected more of the plot to be played out on the runs and it wasn’t.
I also felt the romance between the two never really got interesting. One minute they don’t really like each other then all the sudden they cared for each other. It just felt very bland to me. I did like the characters though. Vashti was once a saloon girl and now she wants to fit in and reading about that process was interesting. She also really wanted to drive the stage and worked hard to get there.
Griffin was working hard to keep his business alive and he also had to start raising his nephew. He was a like able guy with a good heart.
This is book 3 in the series and I don’t plan at this time to go back and read the other two. If you like historical fiction more then romance you may really enjoy this book for the history about the stage coach and how they operated I found fascinating which helped me get through the book. Otherwise this was just an okay book for me.
http://abbiesreadingcorner.com/2011/0...
Griffin is the stage coach owner. He also finds himself taking in his nephew who’s father has died and Griddin’s sister needs help with the teenager. At first he turns Vashti away no way can a girl drive his stage coach but the more she pushes the more he gets to know her and soon finds himself with feeling for her. Will this unlikely couple find love or will Vashti’s past stand in the way?
When I first started reading this book I was quite interested. I have never read about stage coaches before and it was very interesting. I thought the idea of a female driver was going to make for a fun read. I was disappointed. The one thing that I found was this book was long and could have been edited down some. We went through many runs of the stage which was interesting at first but after a while I expected more of the plot to be played out on the runs and it wasn’t.
I also felt the romance between the two never really got interesting. One minute they don’t really like each other then all the sudden they cared for each other. It just felt very bland to me. I did like the characters though. Vashti was once a saloon girl and now she wants to fit in and reading about that process was interesting. She also really wanted to drive the stage and worked hard to get there.
Griffin was working hard to keep his business alive and he also had to start raising his nephew. He was a like able guy with a good heart.
This is book 3 in the series and I don’t plan at this time to go back and read the other two. If you like historical fiction more then romance you may really enjoy this book for the history about the stage coach and how they operated I found fascinating which helped me get through the book. Otherwise this was just an okay book for me.
http://abbiesreadingcorner.com/2011/0...
May 11, 2011
(RATING:4.5)THE BLACKSMITH'S BRAVERY by Susan Page Davis is a wonderful inspirational histoical romance set in 1887 Fergus Idaho.It is Book 3 of "The Ladies' Shooting Club",but can be read as a stand alone. Sheriff's Surrender, Book 1 of The Ladies' Shooting Club, Gunsmith's Gallantry, Book 2 of The Ladies' Shooting Club.This is a story of not bravery,courage,but also of second chances,faith,
hope,love,community,and family.This is the story of Vashti,an ex saloon girl who desires to be a stagecoach driver while she grows in her christian faith.And Griffin, the owner of the blacksmith shop and the manager of the stagecoach line,who insists Vashti will not drive a team of horses with his stagecoach.But...This story is full of adventure,wit,romance,faith,a few outlaws,charm, and of course The Ladies' Shooting Club to the rescue.While Vashti and Griffin fight their attraction to each other,Griffin's nephrew comes to live with him for a while(his father just died and his mother sends him to her brother to keep him out of trouble),and Vashti and Griffin must fight off outlaws too. This is a fast paced,action packed story of forgiveness,moving forward,redemption,romance,community and family.And of course the story of how love can grow between an ex-saloon girl and a tough blacksmith owner who is also brave.If you enjoy historical romance with inspiration aspects and that is full of adventure would will enjoy this one.What a great series "The Ladies' Shooting Club has been.A must read for all historical romance readers and readers of westerns.This book was received for the purpose of review from Net Galley and the publisher and details can be found at Barbour Publishing and My Book Addiction Reviews.
hope,love,community,and family.This is the story of Vashti,an ex saloon girl who desires to be a stagecoach driver while she grows in her christian faith.And Griffin, the owner of the blacksmith shop and the manager of the stagecoach line,who insists Vashti will not drive a team of horses with his stagecoach.But...This story is full of adventure,wit,romance,faith,a few outlaws,charm, and of course The Ladies' Shooting Club to the rescue.While Vashti and Griffin fight their attraction to each other,Griffin's nephrew comes to live with him for a while(his father just died and his mother sends him to her brother to keep him out of trouble),and Vashti and Griffin must fight off outlaws too. This is a fast paced,action packed story of forgiveness,moving forward,redemption,romance,community and family.And of course the story of how love can grow between an ex-saloon girl and a tough blacksmith owner who is also brave.If you enjoy historical romance with inspiration aspects and that is full of adventure would will enjoy this one.What a great series "The Ladies' Shooting Club has been.A must read for all historical romance readers and readers of westerns.This book was received for the purpose of review from Net Galley and the publisher and details can be found at Barbour Publishing and My Book Addiction Reviews.
September 12, 2013
The title took me awhile to decipher. The heroine Vasthi has a desire to be a stage coach driver. A very unwomanly profession. Griffin is the blacksmith with courage enough to give her a chance. This is book #3 in the Ladies Shooting Club series. Although I have never read the other two I found the story line easy to follow because the author filled in details from the previous books as needed.
I love books with strong women taking on unconventional roles especially in historic novels. Knowing there really were women who drove the stage coaches makes this story all the more compelling.
Vashti is more than a pretty face and an excellent driver. Susan has given her depth and wisdom. Griff is not just some handsome guy-actually a full beard and shaggy hair doesn't make him very appealing. He too is more than just brawn in this tale.
Well-developed characters and a fun read. I think I'll be looking to go back and read the first two.
I love books with strong women taking on unconventional roles especially in historic novels. Knowing there really were women who drove the stage coaches makes this story all the more compelling.
Vashti is more than a pretty face and an excellent driver. Susan has given her depth and wisdom. Griff is not just some handsome guy-actually a full beard and shaggy hair doesn't make him very appealing. He too is more than just brawn in this tale.
Well-developed characters and a fun read. I think I'll be looking to go back and read the first two.
June 30, 2023
Fairly good ending to the trilogy. This story took off in a different direction than I expected. When we left book 2, Isabel was not settled. I expected that to happen in book 3, but we don't hear to much about her other than who she's interested in. Anyhow, Vashti's story & her strong desire to drive a stagecoach was very interesting. Lots of Western flair and continuation of the townspeople's lives. The giant of a blacksmith, Griffen, unexpectedly gains custody of his wayward nephew. That was a sweet relationship as they found their footing. Faith sprinkled throughout the town of Fergus, ID 1887.
Recommended!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ = Very Good
I purchased a paperback. All opinions are mine alone without expectation or compensation.
𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 42𝓖𝓸𝓸𝓭𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓼 𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓷𝓰𝓮 📚 2023
Recommended!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ = Very Good
I purchased a paperback. All opinions are mine alone without expectation or compensation.
𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 42𝓖𝓸𝓸𝓭𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓼 𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓷𝓰𝓮 📚 2023
April 7, 2011
To be honest, I'd put off reading this book fearing it would be the all-too-typical tale of a masculine-light female lead who does it all better than the men of the Old West. Wrong! Susan Page Davis put together a cast of characters who are believable, likable, and find themselves in situations realistic for the time period of the book. Three cheers! This is the third book in a series and it reads fine as a stand alone. I haven't read the first two yet, but I will! I highly recommend this one if you enjoy a good western with a touch of romance. Content wise, it's suitable for teenagers on up. The spiritual message is subtle, not preachy, and woven deftly throughout the book.
August 14, 2011
So, another light-hearted mushy-gush history, but I have to say I liked it better than the previous one. The Gunsmith's Gallantry was mostly about the mushy-gush; there were other plots, but the mushy-gush-ness took up the most time. The Blacksmith's Bravery was about a girl who wants to drive a stage, a job for men at the time. The mushy-gush kind of took a back seat to the stage driving and bandits, which is really just how I like my mush. So if you like girls who won't accept that something is "man's work," guns, and/or westerns, and aren't worried about being one of the big brainiac literati, this should be an enjoyable two- or three-day mental vacation from real life.
May 31, 2021
This is a cute story of a young lady who is determined to be a stage coach driver. Vashi Edwards was orphaned at 12 and after escaping from a brothel owner winds up in Fergus, Idaho where she’s found faith and new friends. She needs work and dreams of being a stage coach driver. Grif Bane who operates the stage line in Fergus resists her pleas at first and finally lets her start driving one of the stage coach routes and she excels at it but soon the company is dealing with stage coach robbery’s. They but heads at first but soon begin to have feelings for each other. It’s not only a cute love story but hard to put down after you start reading and has a feel good ending.
June 2, 2017
I enjoyed this last book in the series, but not quite as much as the first two. While Griff was one of what I'd consider the main cast of characters, I didn't feel the same for Vashti. She is in the other books of course, but just not in the same capacity as the stars of the other books in my opinion. That led to not as many appearances of the ones I grew to love previously. They are still there along with the other citizens of Fergus though.
May 21, 2019
Griffin and Georgia/ Vashti
Griffin was the town blacksmith and Vashti was a spoiled dove working on a better future. They have so many ups and downs but the keep praying for their happily ever after. They just don't realize that it might be together. I have loved each of the three stories in this series. I just wish it could continue with more folks in this town.
Griffin was the town blacksmith and Vashti was a spoiled dove working on a better future. They have so many ups and downs but the keep praying for their happily ever after. They just don't realize that it might be together. I have loved each of the three stories in this series. I just wish it could continue with more folks in this town.
November 2, 2011
WILLA
Vashti wants to ride the stagecoach team in 1887 Idaho. The blacksmith, Griffin, finally lets her, and on her first ride they're robbed. Griffin and Vashti take their time falling in love. A nice read.
Vashti wants to ride the stagecoach team in 1887 Idaho. The blacksmith, Griffin, finally lets her, and on her first ride they're robbed. Griffin and Vashti take their time falling in love. A nice read.
September 29, 2012
Griffan Bane needs help with his expanded business and Vashti is ready for the challenge to drive the stagecoach. As a member of the Ladies Shooting Club she has the skills to do it and just might grab Griffan's heart.
Is there a book 4? Way too many loose ends in Fegus, Idaho.
317 pages
Is there a book 4? Way too many loose ends in Fegus, Idaho.
317 pages
August 20, 2017
Good
I think this book series was good overall the characters grew on me. It seem it took a little while to get into each book in this series versus the series I really enjoyed The Lady 's Maid.
I think this book series was good overall the characters grew on me. It seem it took a little while to get into each book in this series versus the series I really enjoyed The Lady 's Maid.
February 2, 2020
Loved this trilogy
Nice story wraps up the trilogy with themes of forgiveness, God’s wiping our slate clean, and the importance of family, found or birth.
Hope there are more books set in this town.
Nice story wraps up the trilogy with themes of forgiveness, God’s wiping our slate clean, and the importance of family, found or birth.
Hope there are more books set in this town.
November 6, 2020
The Blacksmith 's Bravery(The Ladies Shooting Club Book 3)
This is the third book in this series and it is a good story about it blacksmith that hired a young woman to drive the stage and he finds love
This is the third book in this series and it is a good story about it blacksmith that hired a young woman to drive the stage and he finds love
November 18, 2020
Great book!
So far the three books have been delightful. The blacksmith seem to be a brute but is a gentle giant. And Georgia is a thorn and in his side at times but they compliment each other.
So far the three books have been delightful. The blacksmith seem to be a brute but is a gentle giant. And Georgia is a thorn and in his side at times but they compliment each other.
February 10, 2021
Bittersweet
Finally a story about Vashti. It answered all of my questions about her. And I totally loved her character. It was a very rough ride for her. But I really enjoyed the ending.
Finally a story about Vashti. It answered all of my questions about her. And I totally loved her character. It was a very rough ride for her. But I really enjoyed the ending.
June 9, 2021
Great story, very hard to put down, so I did not put down often.
Great story, very hard to put down often. Highly recommend this story to everyone. I really enjoyed this one. Highly recommend to everyone.
Great story, very hard to put down often. Highly recommend this story to everyone. I really enjoyed this one. Highly recommend to everyone.
April 5, 2022
Great series!
I enjoyed this book so much that I decided to read the first 2 books in the series. Then I read this one again. It is a stand alone novel, but was more fun to read again when I knew about all of the characters.
I enjoyed this book so much that I decided to read the first 2 books in the series. Then I read this one again. It is a stand alone novel, but was more fun to read again when I knew about all of the characters.
June 25, 2024
Good for Georgie for sticking up for her wants and desires! Great read, although I wonder how many women really got to drive back in those times. I think I'll do some research on this subject! Thanks for stirring up my mind.
January 22, 2011
I was a bit disappointed in this book. It was definitely not as good as the first two in the series.
May 19, 2020
Book 3 of 3
March 24, 2011
3.75 stars. Cute three book series.
January 1, 2016
Loved the whole series! Sad to say goodbye to the town of Ferguson.
May 12, 2025
great read
January 27, 2015
Great lighthearted western with a touch of romance. I love the idea of women standing up for themselves in this time.
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