A Treasure Concealed | Book Review

Emily Carver wants a home where she can put down roots instead of following her gold-hungry father from one mining camp to another. She also longs for tenderness and love, both of which are missing in her life. Yet when she realizes she's losing her heart to the intriguing new man in camp, she fiercely fights her feelings, afraid that love will only result in disappointment and heartache.

Caeden Thibault, a young geologist, comes to Montana to catalog minerals indigenous to the state. He's a serious and guarded young man trying to escape the pain of his past. He has avoided all romantic entanglements, fearing he might become like his abusive father. But something about Emily Carver has caught his attention, something he never expected. . . .

Will these two broken souls allow God to bring healing and hope to their hurting hearts?

Synopsis via Amazon 

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The brief summary I read before requesting this book to review sounded like a lot of other Christian romance books out there - pretty much just fluffy and sappy. But the setting - gold mining in Montana in the Old West - intrigued me, so I went for it. So I was surprised when I really, really liked this book!

I enjoyed the character development immensely. Emily is a likable young lady, selfless in caring for her invalid mother, and searching for gold with her father. She longs for a home of her own, one that she won't have to pack up and leave in search of gold. Although her parent's are both strong Christians, she struggles with her own faith, wondering if God really does care about her.

Caeden, thought quite well off financially, comes from a broken family. His father was never there for him, and he hates the fact that his mother died unloved. Meeting Emily's family starts him down a path of discovery and faith.

I thought the Christian message was quite good throughout the story. The turning point for Emily was when she realized she was hanging onto her parent's faith, and hadn't accepted Christ for herself. I think a lot of us who where raised in a Christian home have a moment like that. Our salvation story isn't spectacular, but is simply the realization that we need Christ for ourselves.  Caeden's turning point was when he realized he was not like his dad (abusive, greedy, and scheming), that he could use his wealth for good, and most importantly that he needed Christ. 

There was still the oftentimes sappy romance...but that's not always a bad thing. :smile: Plus, it wasn't a "love at first sight" scenario.  The characters grew to love each other, which is much more enjoyable for me.  On the whole I found this to be a well written, charming, and encouraging read which I enjoyed for much.  I look forward to reading the next book in this series!

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Do you enjoy historical fiction? Christian romance? The gold rush? I want to know!

: : I received this book for free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review. : :