"Caught in the Middle" by Regina Jennings

I was a little hesitant to read this final book in Regina Jennings' debut series, only because I had two very different feelings about the previous books. I'd loved the first one but felt the second one wasn't for me, and I also wasn't sure how Anne Tillerton would be as a main character. However, I'm pleased to report that "Caught in the Middle" captured my heart and it's one I would recommend to all fans of the historical or western genres.

Anne was a secondary character in the first two novels in this series, and her background is full of neglect, abuse, and sorrow. To escape from the public spectacle she had become in Texas and protect herself men who might try to repeat the crimes against her, Anne has left off anything womanly and is surviving as a buffalo hunter in Indian Territory. Thinking she's found freedom and peace at last, her world is turned upside down when an infant is left in her care. At first Anne wants nothing more than to find the boy's father and get back to the open range, but then her heart begins to hope that Sammy might be her chance to have a family of her own after all.

As a social-climbing, appearance-conscious entrepreneur, Nick Lovelace is intrigued when he recognizes Anne, who was friends with his sister back in Texas, while sharing a train ride with her. He's sheepish when Anne ends up saving his life when the train is held up, and offers to help her in any way possible in the future. When Anne shows up at his office in need of a job in town so she can take care of Sammy while searching for his father, Nick's social reputation is put on the line. While he enjoys Anne's unique perspective and keen mind, not everyone is thrilled that this businessman and aspiring politician employs a woman who dresses like a man and has a shady background.

As the story progresses, Nick and Anne must make sacrifices for each other and for Sammy as they work their way through issues that come up. When Nick's business is threatened and he discovers political corruption, there's no one he wants on his side more than Anne. Anne must decide how much she can trust Nick and trust the Lord on this new path she's on. When Sammy's family is finally found, she faces a crisis of will and emotion. Her heart caught in two places, the biggest challenge of her life is set before her.

I'm so glad I decided to give this book a shot. Once I started reading I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed seeing the names of different places in Indian Territory, as I grew up in Oklahoma and was familiar with the towns described. On a spiritual level, my heart beat strong with the theme that God may ask us to give up the things we think we want, but in the end His plans are above and beyond what we can imagine. Anne finds that He is trustworthy, and this is what I have found in my own life as well.