HOLDING THE FORT

The Fort Reno Series, Book 1

by

REGINA JENNINGS

  Genre: Historical Western Christian Romance

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

Date of Publication: December 5, 2017

Number of Pages: 353

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With Miss Bell as the Teacher, Everyone’s Bound to Learn an Interesting Lesson

Dance hall singer Louisa Bell has always lived one step from destitution. When she loses her job at the Cat-Eye Saloon, she has nowhere else to go but to her brother, a cavalry soldier stationed in Indian Territory. But he’s run afoul of his commanding officer. Unsure what she can do to help him and desperate for a job, she doesn’t protest when she’s mistaken for a governess at the fort. How hard can teaching really be?

Major Daniel Adams has his hands full at Fort Reno, especially raising two adolescent daughters alone. If this new governess doesn’t work out, his mother-in-law insists she’ll raise the girls herself–far away from the fort. Miss Bell bears little resemblance to Daniel’s notion of a governess–they’re not supposed to be so blamed pretty–but he finds himself turning a blind eye to her unconventional methods. Louisa has never faced so important a performance. Can she keep her act together long enough to help her brother and to secure the respectable future she’s sought for so long?

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PRAISE FOR HOLDING THE FORT & THE FORT RENO SERIES:

“The first book in Jennings’ new Fort Reno series is a delightful read that helps solidify what a wonderful and imaginative writer Jennings is. She manages to create unique stories with interesting and well-developed characters while combining humor, mystery and a sprinkle of faith.” –RT Book Reviews

“In this character-driven series launch, Jennings offers a powerful lesson on the freedom of truth and forgiveness wrappd in a delightful story of love against the odds.” —Publishers Weekly

“This series launch is a charming historical romance set in 1880s Fort Reno, OK. . . . Jennings kicks off a new series with a light and enjoyable tale that will delight her fans as well as lovers of historical romance.” —Library Journal

When you are in the mood for a trip to the old west, life in a fort, and a sweet story about faith, love and forgiveness then this should be one of the books you pick up to indulge that feeling.

While this book is labeled as western Christian romance, it is not heavy on the religious aspect.  There is the right balance of faith/religion, love, action and the wisdom of two young ladies.

This story touched my heart in many ways.  Louisa was way out of her element pretending to be a governess to the Major’s two daughters.  But she would stay up reading ahead so that she could instruct these young ladies in their studies.  Don’t get me wrong, she was not unintelligent, she had just not gone very far in school which is not surprising for the time. But when it came to instruction on areas such as singing – this is where she excelled.  The way Louisa handled herself in various difficult situations was admirable…however, she probably should have come clean much sooner about who she was and why she was at the fort.  Daniel (the Major) was a widower trying to do his best in raising two rambunctious girls, away from civilization…and with an overbearing mother-in-law that wanted the girls to live with her.  He is strong in his faith which is what ultimately helps Louisa admit her past and accept her destiny.  I cringed at the thought of how Daniel would react when the truth came out about Louisa.  However, his reaction was that of a Godly man that believed in truth and forgiveness.  I laughed along with Daisy and Caroline as they fought against instruction from Louisa, but came to love her in the end.  Daisy’s innocence is quite captivating as she has no filters on what comes out of her mouth.  As they say, “out of the mouths of babes!”  But I felt this just added to the complexity of the characters and the situations they faced.

This story was also educational as it depicted life in a fort during the late 1800’s.  There were Indian raids from those tribes not wanting to change their ways.  The author researched the background on this story quite well and I might have even learned a few things.

Overall a very enjoyable read and we give it 4 paws up.

Regina Jennings is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University with a degree in English and a minor in history. She’s the winner of the National Readers’ Choice Award, a two-time Golden Quill finalist and a finalist for the Oklahoma Book of the Year Award. Regina has worked at the Mustang News and at First Baptist Church of Mustang, along with time at the Oklahoma National Stockyards and various livestock shows. She lives outside of Oklahoma City with her husband and four children.

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