Can a Rough and Tumble Cowtown be Redeemed: Review and Guide for The Lady's Mine

K.L. Miracle
20 hours ago
3 min read

The Lady's Mine by Francine Rivers

Quick Summary

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Westerns

Recommended Age: Adult only (18+)

Possibly Concerning Content* (details below)

🤬 Language: Level 1

❤️ Romance: Level 4

🛡️Violence: Level 4

Review

This was my first read of a Francine Rivers book, so I had no expectations going in and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! From the sample, I already knew I'd like the writing style and the characters, I was smiling from ear to ear the moment Matthias and Kathryn met (it was so reminscent of Mr. Thorton and Margaret from Elizabeth Glaskell's North and South!) and eager to know who had killed her uncle and if they'd target her next! The mystery was SO good as well as the constant threat of retaliation every time she chose to write the truth in the newspaper, but the romance ALONE could have carried this book. I adored Matthias and Katie! There are some heavier themes in this that would be inappropriate for minors (check the Heads-up section for details) but they were all handled really well, more mentions than descriptions of anything. If you're looking for a sizzling romance between a western bar owner and the spitfire that comes to his coal town to stir up trouble, this is the book for you!

If you love

Historical fiction (set in the Gold Rush in California)
Clean romance
THE BANTER
Redemption arcs
Forgiveness
He calls her "your ladyship."
Women working for the right to vote and to make lives of others (not just women) around them better.
Christian author and Christian themes throughout

Official Blurb (dropdown)

"1875. When Kathryn Walsh arrives in tiny Calvada, a mining town nestled in the Sierra Nevadas, falling in love is the farthest thing from her mind. Banished from Boston by her wealthy stepfather, she has come to claim an inheritance from the uncle she never knew: a defunct newspaper office on a main street overflowing with brothels and saloons, and a seemingly worthless mine. Moved by the oppression of the local miners and their families, Kathryn decides to relaunch her uncle's newspaper―and then finds herself in the middle of a maelstrom, pitted against Calvada's most powerful men. But Kathryn intends to continue to say―and publish―whatever she pleases, especially when she knows she's right.

Matthias Beck, owner of a local saloon and hotel, has a special interest in the new lady in town. He instantly recognizes C. T. Walsh's same tenacity in the beautiful and outspoken redhead―and knows all too well how dangerous that family trait can be. While Kathryn may be right about Calvada's problems, her righteousness could also get her killed. But when the handsome hotelier keeps finding himself on the same side of the issues as the opinionated Miss Walsh, Matthias's restless search for purpose becomes all about answering the call of his heart.

Everyone may be looking to strike it rich in this lawless boomtown, but it's a love more precious than gold that will ultimately save them all." - From Amazon

Possibly Concerning Content*

Click on the dropdown icon for details. May contain spoilers.

🤬 Language Level 1

❤️ Romance Level 4

🛡️ Violence Level 4

‼️ Heads Up

There is a brothel in the town and married men have affairs there. Never described beyond a naked man chasing a laughing woman down the street. The 'dolls,' as they are called, are a major part of the story.
There is a lot of drinking and smoking
The MC drinks occasionally
A man attempts to sexually assault a woman (unsuccessful)
A man manhandles a woman (outside the above incident)
Grief - death of parent (past but the grief is fresh).
Grief - death of husbands (multiple widows lost husbands in the past).
Bad family dynamics: a father is verbally hurtful toward his son. A step-father is emotional distant and mistreats (never physically) his step-daughter. A husband verbally mistreats his wife until he's put in his place.

Grab your copy

Grab a copy on Amazon*

Grab a copy on Bookshop*

📍*Possibly Concerning Content Disclaimer: I try my best to include all relevant content notes, or possibly concerning content, but I may not catch everything and/or you may feel things are concerning that I do not. Please research individually if you’re sensitive to specific topics/subjects! 📍

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