Robert came to Galveston to fulfill his promise to a dying man and look after his widow. He didn’t expect to find love in the unlikeliest of places.
Robert Truax, former Second Lieutenant and Confederate officer in the Civil War, made a promise to his comrade Phillip Markham. If anything happened to Phillip, Robert would look after his beloved wife, Miranda. She was his life, his world, his everything.
After the war, Robert is left to pick up the pieces and fulfill his pact. When he arrives at Miranda’s home in Galveston, Texas, things are worse than he imagined. Phillip’s name has been dragged through the mud, everyone in town believes him to be a traitor, and his widow is treated as an outcast. Even more disturbing is her emotional well-being. Miranda seems hopeless, lost, and so very alone.
Robert had thought his duty would be simple. He would help Miranda as quickly as possible in order to honor a promise. But the moment Robert laid eyes on her, his plans changed. He’s mesmerized by her beauty and yearns to help her in any way he can.
He makes it his duty to protect Miranda, turn her reputation around, and to find some way to help her smile again. But it doesn’t prove to be an easy task—Robert knows something about Phillip that could shake Miranda to the core and alter her view of the man she thought she knew so well.
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Sexual Content - 0/5
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Violence - 1/5
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Language - 0/5
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Drugs and Alcohol - 0/5
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Summary
Lieutenant Phillip Markham spoke incessantly of his lovely wife, even on his deathbed in a Union prison for Confederate officers on Johnson's Island, Ohio. His comrades made a pact among themselves; upon the conclusion of the war, they would ensure that Miranda Markham was cared for as Phillip would have wished. Having survived, the task is assigned to former second lieutenant Robert Truax.
Miranda Markham is a shadow of her former self. Steeped in grief and overcome with desperation, she valiantly attempts to maintain her residence on Galveston Island, Texas by turning the lovely waterfront home into a respectable inn. Cruel rumors about her husband's true loyalties have shunned her from those whom she used to call friends, making failure her constant companion. At the pinnacle of her despair, a handsome stranger shows up at her door, claiming that he needs accommodations while attending to business in the area. As Robert Truax slowly becomes a trusted friend, Miranda can only wonder if he harbors secrets, secrets that may crumble what little future she hopes to build. The threats against her livelihood have only gotten more serious since he arrived.
This lovely post Civil War story is exceptional on many levels, with its dual time lines, fascinating characters, elements of suspense and historical roots. Shelley Gray's debut novel in her "Lone Star Hero" series was a pleasure to read.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.