Cassie Lockwood takes up her home as half owner of the
Bar E Ranch in S. Dakota after the Wild West Show she
performs in has closed down. Her father was part owner in
the show where she grew from a child. With both parents
deceased
now and her shooting and riding act no longer needed, the
Engstrom family is honored to take her in as part owner of
the ranch. Cassie has brought the livestock, horse and guns
with her but lost the wagon she lived in to a fire caused by
a drunken raid.
Lucas Engstrom fancies himself in love with Cassie,
albeit shortly following a broken relationship with a
neighboring girl, Betsy. Cassie has taken a long time to
accept the proposal and has finally prayed to God for an
answer. Lucas has an older brother, Ransom, who shoulders
most of the responsibility of the ranch and finds it hard to
seek enjoyment from life filled with laughter and fun.
Their mother, Mavis, is proud of her sons and daughter,
Gretchen, and is the ideal God-loving mother who teaches
Cassie all about being a homemaker. Just before the
scheduled wedding, Lucas and Betsy steal away in the middle
of the night leaving Cassie humiliated, but by no means
heartbroken. This leads her to believe that this might not
be what was intended by God and love was not what she felt.
As a family they struggled through the hardships of winter
with every disaster available which only draws them closer
as a family. Cassie has begun to question her feelings for
Ransom but knows he dislikes her. A contract presented to
Cassie to travel the summer as the star of a wild west show
is the final straw for Ransom. It's either man up and face
his feelings or lose the love of his life.
Set in the Wild West Mountains during early 1900, this
story portrays the hardships faced by the families of this
time as well as the closeness within the families. A young
woman striving to find herself a place where she can truly
belong faces many trials and errors throughout her search.
Lauraine Snelling has created a story that certainly fits
and definitely describes the actual life of our ancestors.
A PLACE TO BELONG is the first I have had the pleasure of
reading/reviewing by this author, but I will certainly make
it a priority to rectify that error. I thoroughly enjoyed
this nostalgic and heartwarming tale.
The Exciting Conclusion to Lauraine Snelling's WILD WEST
WIND SeriesAs winter settles over the ranch, the Engstrom
brothers are much on the mind of Cassie Lockwood. The way
Lucas smiles at her should set her heart to tripping. But it
doesn't. Shouldn't there be some attraction to him if they
are going to be married? His vow to make her love him does
not seem to be working, no matter how considerate and
charming he is.Ransom Engstrom is another matter. After
Cassie's train trip to a shooting competition, she realizes
she misses Ransom more than Lucas. And then there's the look
she caught Lucas sending Betsy Hudson at church one Sunday.
Are she and Lucas drifting apart?Meanwhile, Ransom has
discovered that he cares for Cassie but can't bring himself
to express his true feelings to her. When she leaves to join
a Wild West show for the summer, will Ransom summon the
courage to go after her?