Review: Love’s Silver Bullet by Julie Lessman

What a dynamic story full of not only humor, but deep issues, as well. The author blended a fun and loving family, who sometimes break out in over-the-top western phrases reminiscent of the TV westerns of days gone by, with a cast of characters who battle stubbornness, guilt, attraction, and a whole host of other human conditions.

I enjoyed reading about the closeness of the Donovan family, even as Sheridan’s brothers and uncle schemed to interfere with her love life. I thought the chemistry between Sheridan and Jake was great and learning the details of Jake’s past was simply heartbreaking. The author wove in many messages of faith throughout the novel, yet a certain conversation that Finn had with Jake perfectly summed up all that God has done for everyone. Simply beautiful!

Even though this novel is part of a series, I think it could be understood without having read the other books. However, readers who have read the earlier novels will enjoy getting to see Libby, Finn, Blaze, and Maggie return in Love’s Silver Bullet.

(5 stars)

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

She’s targeting his love. He’s aiming to steer clear.

Till true love picks them off in a bulls-eye of the heart

Eighteen-year-old Sheridan Donovan has been in love with Jake Sullivan since the age of four, when she used to tag after him and her big brothers on the Silver Lining Ranch. From little on, Jake had been her hero, convincing her brothers to play school and wedding with her whenever she’d begged and cried. From horsey rides and tickle fests to his sweet willingness to be her pretend groom, Jake’s gentleness and affection nurtured two dreams in Sheridan’s heart—becoming both a teacher and Mrs. Jake Sullivan, and preferably not in that order.

At the age of twenty-seven, Jake figured he pretty much had everything he’d ever need. A good job as the assistant foreman for Silver Lining Ranch, good friends in Blaze and Dash Donovan, and a true mentor in their uncle and owner of the ranch, Finn McShane, the man who’d given him a family to replace the one he lost. But when Finn’s niece, Sheridan—Blaze’s and Dash’s little sister to whom Jake became a big brother as well—turns eighteen, Jake discovers there’s one more thing he needs: distance and lots of it. From pinafores and bows at age six to overalls and dirt till age fifteen, the grown-up Sheridan looks nothing like the little girl who’d once been his constant shadow, now transformed into a young woman who races his heart. Painfully aware that Sheridan is determined to win his love, Jake is equally determined to keep a promise to her uncle, a promise that not only shoots a hole in his well-ordered life, but in his heart as well.

Purchase your own copy here.

Also available in Kindle Unlimited.

See the book trailer here.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Julie Lessman is an award-winning author whose tagline of “Passion With a Purpose” underscores her intense passion for both God and romance. A lover of all things Irish, she enjoys writing close-knit Irish family sagas that evolve into 3-D love stories: the hero, the heroine, and the God that brings them together.
Author of The Daughters of Boston, Winds of Change, Heart of San Francisco, Isle of Hope, and Silver Lining Ranch series, Julie was American Christian Fiction Writers 2009 Debut Author of the Year and has garnered over 18 Romance Writers of America and other awards.
Voted #1 Romance Author in Family Fiction magazine’s 2012 and 2011 Readers Choice Awards, Julie’s novels also made Family Fiction magazine’s Best of 2015, Best of 2014, and “Essential Christian Romance Authors” 2017, as well as Booklist’s 2010 Top 10 Inspirational Fiction and Borders Best Fiction. Her independent novel A Light in the Window was an International Digital Awards winner, a 2013 Readers’ Crown Award winner, and a 2013 Book Buyers Best Award winner.
Julie has also written a self-help workbook for writers entitled Romance-ology 101: Writing Romantic Tension for the Sweet and Inspirational Markets. Contact Julie through her website and read excerpts from each of her books at http://www.julielessman.com.