Once upon a time, there was an awkward teen named Sheridan. Her love for romance fiction blossomed during her teenage years, but once she finished Year 12, life led her on a new path, and reading became a challenge. She met and married Mr Wonderful, popped out a bunch of children, and ignored the novels on her bookshelf.
Yes, it’s true. There was an enormous chunk of time in my life when I didn’t read fiction. But it all changed in late 2018, when I “discovered” Kindle Unlimited through a free 3-month trial and borrowed my first ebook.
Karen Witemeyer’s Head in the Clouds (a wonderful book, by the way) started me on a journey I never imagined I’d be living five years later. Ms Witemeyer is a fabulous historical Christian fiction author, and during this past week, I reread her Archer Brothers series.
Now I recall why I loved those Archer men so much.
Short-Straw Bride tells the story of the Archer brothers who protect their Texas family property in the late-1800s. Travis, Crockett, Jim and Neill have lived in isolation for over a decade, so it’s a good thing Meredith trespasses to warn them of impending trouble. She upends Travis’s world, opening the door to life outside Archer land… and a lot of adventure. Oh yes, and danger. Ms Witemeyer is skilled at helping her characters into sticky situations, and she’s even better at weaving a romantic tale. 😉
Stealing the Preacher follows Crockett’s journey off Archer land, where he ends up in Joanna’s town. Their meet cute is comical and their romance is sweet. But don’t be fooled, this marvellous story offers serious depth, several characters I wanted to strangle, and a few moments I fretted over one of my favourite Archer men (okay, I love them equally… I think. Hmm, maybe Neill wins).
A Cowboy Unmatched is a quicker read than the previous stories, but Neill’s tale is action-packed and unexpected. I loved getting to know the youngest Archer as a man, more mature than he was in Travis’s story, and see his heart and his work ethic in action. He was sweet with Clara, yet able to stand up for her when danger lurked.
An Old-Fashioned Texas Christmas includes An Archer Family Christmas, a novella about Jim and his wife. Their relationship blooms in Short-Straw Bride, so seeing them years later was a joy to read, even if the content wasn’t always joyful. Ms Witemeyer took extraordinary measures to put my beloved Archers at risk in this story. Good thing there’s a happy ending. 😉
If you want thrilling Christian historical romances with relatable characters, action, and adventure, check out this series. You’ll love the four brave Archer men and their strong-willed love interests.
Have you read any stories written by Karen Witemeyer? Let me know in the comments.
Until next time,
