Aundy

This insipid historical romance from Hatfield (the Pendleton Petticoats series) lacks the development that would let the reader connect to the characters. In 1899, Aundy Thorsen arrives in Pendleton, Ore., after answering an ad for a mail-order bride. When an accident leaves her a widow on her wedding day, she sets out to run the farm left to her by her husband, despite her lack of farm knowledge—but she’s rejected by farmhands and neighbors who don’t feel it’s appropriate for a woman to be in charge. Aundy’s neighbor, Garrett Nash, knows the obstacles Aundy will face, and he does all he can to assist her, despite her claims that she can fend for herself. When danger becomes apparent, and her attraction to the handsome rancher becomes too great to ignore, Aundy must swallow her pride and let go of her past, in order to grab hold of a brighter future. The chemistry between Aundy and Garrett is drowned out by lengthy descriptions of farm chores, and the slow pace and dull narrative will fail to hold the reader’s interest. [em](BookLife) [/em]