Rebecca Maney reviews Blue Moon Promise by Colleen Coble

About the Book

Lucy Marsh's worldly resources are running out, but she's fiercely determined to care for her younger brother and sister. When she discovers that their father's recent death was no accident, Lucy is eager to leave town. She accepts a proxy marriage she believes will provide safe refuge. But trouble follows her to Texas where her new husband is surprised to suddenly have a wife and children to care for.

Nate Stanton always hoped he'd marry someday, but running the family ranch meant he had no time for romance. When his father deposits Lucy Marsh—a city girl—on his doorstep, with two siblings in the bargain, he expects ranch life will send her running on the first train out of town. But Lucy is made of tougher stuff than Nate imagined. When danger moves in, Nate finds he'd give anything to protect Lucy and the children he's grown to love. Even if it means giving up his ranch.

Blue Moon Promise is a story of hope, romance, and suspense . . . immersing the reader in a rich historical tale set under Texas stars.

Review by Rebecca Maney

Just the mention of Texas screams adventure. The lure of star-filled nights, cacophonies of wild life and wide open spaces (not to mention tall, handsome cowboys) spark the sense of pioneer in just about every reader.

But imagine arriving in this western paradise under a marriage-by-contract; bringing along two young siblings only to be shunned by a handsome stranger who happens to be your husband. This is exactly the predicament that Lucy Marsh finds herself in when she arrives at Stars Above Ranch with a father-in-law who has actually deceived both his son and new daughter-in-law with secrets of his own. Lucy felt that she had no choice; following the death of her father, the sole responsibility of raising her brother and sister fell upon her shoulders. At the point of destitution and stalked by shadows of her father’s past, Lucy determines to prove herself to her new husband and family, only to discover that trouble has followed her to Texas.

Lucy and Nate soon realize that their initial shock over an arranged marriage has transformed into a fragile, tender friendship. Each acknowledges inwardly that they want to move the relationship forward. Nate loves coming home to a warm, clean house, excellent cooking, a ready-made family and a wife that intrigues him; Lucy has fallen in love with her once-gruff, now protective and very loyal husband. On the banks of the Red River, they give themselves a “blue moon promise”; that when the moon turns “blue”, (the third moon in a quarter when there are four full moons in a season; really???) they will decide if their marriage is strong enough to fully consummate. Little do they know, that promise will be severely tested. Family feuds, stolen treasure, lost land deeds, and a near-brush with death from a snake bite; all contribute to building the foundation of a long-lasting relationship.

Admittedly, Blue Moon Promise lacks the well-crafted story lines that Coble is so well known for in her previous series; the plot is a little too predictable and the dialogue is stilted and awkward through-out. But I have full confidence that as this author digs into the series and endears herself to the setting and her characters that the ensuing books will be the quality that we all associate with Colleen Coble. However, she does a wonderful job of unraveling many spiritual struggles that are universal to her readers. Our human pride and desire to prove our self-worth, a hesitancy to trust in the people who love us the most and our deep hurt when those we trust betray us; the reminder that marriage is a relationship that must be built on friendship and determination in addition to unconditional love; these are all topics that Coble beautifully dissects and re-builds through-out the pages of a Blue Moon Promise. Loving and trusting a God who is worthy of our praise; there are reminders everywhere in Blue Moon Promise.

Have you read Blue Moon Promise? If so, we would love for you to share your thoughts!