Cassidy by Lori Wick

Reviewed by Sheryl Root

"...introduces a large cast of wonderful characters that I quickly came to care about."

Lori Wick is the prolific author of both contemporary and historical romance titles such as Pretense (one of my all time favorite books) and The Tucker Mills trilogy. Cassidy is her latest book, first in the Big Sky Dreams series set in 1880s Montana territory.

Cassidy Norton enjoys her busy life in the bustling frontier town of Token Creek. Between running her own business, Token Creek Apparel, her church responsibilities, and time with friends, Cassidy has little time to think about the past she has left behind. While Cassidy has shared her secret with one or two people, she struggles to decide if she should share it with all of those who have become like family to her. When what Cassidy fears happens, and the past shows up on her doorstep, she soon finds that even the worst circumstances cannot change the way God, and her friends, feel about her.

I enjoyed reading Cassidy, although it was a bit slower paced, and in a way, hard to classify genre wise. There is romance, although not until the latter part of the book, and it transpires rather abruptly. There is some suspense, as we discover what Cassidy’s secret is. It could be women’s fiction, because much of the story is Cassidy’s struggle to accept herself and trust God’s love for her, but most women’s fiction is told with fewer viewpoints. In the end, I guess it’s a little of all of the above.

While it might have been a stronger story with a more deliberate focus, Cassidy introduces a large cast of wonderful characters that I quickly came to care about. There’s Cassidy’s best friend, Meg, and her husband Brad, who are expecting their first baby; Brad’s brother Trace, whose strong and steady friendship is a lifeline to Cassidy; Pastor Rylan Jarvik, a man whose large size is nothing compared to the huge heart he has for the people of Token Creek; and Jeanette Fulbright, Brad and Trace’s aunt who is the rock for her family and a faithful friend to Cassidy.

I look forward to returning to Token Creek in future Big Sky Dreams books and discovering what plans Lori has for the inhabitants there.

Sheryl Root is a voracious reader and aspiring author who started writing book reviews to ease her guilt about all the time she spends reading. In addition to this purely selfish reason for reviewing, she loves to be able to support Christian authors and spread the word on great books. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, a wonderful community of published and yet to be published writers, where she learns an amazing amount of practical wisdom to help in her writing journey. Sheryl has also written reviews for Armchair Interviews.com.