"a moment in time" by tracie peterson

About the book (from Amazon): Alice Chesterfield is a woman pursued. Having survived an attack that left her scarred and her father dead, she is never free from the fear and memories of the man who is responsible.

Texas seems to be an answer to Alice's prayers, and when she has the opportunity to relocate to a ranch near Dallas, Robert Barnett captures her attention. Unlike any man Alice has ever known, Robert doesn't worry about the obstacles that stand in their way—and he hardly seems to notice the scar she bears.

But there are storm clouds gathering; devastating information about her family comes to light, threatening Alice's peaceful sanctuary. Disillusioned, Alice must learn to place her trust in God as she seeks a measure of peace for her future...and for her heart.

My take: I must admit, I have mixed feelings about A Moment in Time. It's the second book in Peterson's Texas Brides series, and I really enjoyed the book one, A Sensible Arrangement, so I highly anticipated continuing Jake, Marty, and Alice's story. At first, I was incredibly frustrated as I read—Marty made so much progress in the first book, and when this one started, it was like she had completely regressed. I understand that she didn't want to go back to Texas, but the Marty at the end of A Sensible Arrangement would not have had the spoiled brat/childish reaction to Jake's announcement that he was going to look for work in Texas that this Marty had.

Once the characters actually got to Texas (more than one third of the way through the book), I started enjoying it more. Marty's character became more like the Marty at the end of A Sensible Arrangement (finally!), and Alice and Robert met, which introduced the novel's love story. They had a sweet romance, and of course I was pulling for her to get her happily ever after. Some of the conflict in their relationship, though, could have been solved by simply talking to one another—that's my least favorite type of conflict in romance, as I just want to shake the couple and yell, "Just talk about it!"

Everything wraps up in a satisfying manner, though a couple threads are left open for future novels. I think the reason I struggled so much with this book is that I was anticipating it greatly, as I'd really enjoyed book one in the series, so perhaps my expectations were too high. This is a good book, and, despite my criticisms, I enjoyed it—just not as much as I'd hoped to. I will still come back for the next in the series, as I do like the characters, and I still want to know how those unresolved threads will turn out!

My rating: 3-1/2 stars

Buy the book.
Read my reviews of Peterson's A Sensible Arrangement and House of Secrets.

About the author: Tracie Peterson is the award-winning author of over 100 novels, both historical and contemporary. Her avid research resonates in her stories, as seen in her bestselling Heirs of Montana, and Alaskan Quest series. Tracie and her family make their home in Montana.
Learn more about Tracie at www.traciepeterson.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free for review from Bethany House Publishers through its book reviewer program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."