Dangerous Heart by Tracey Bateman

Reviewed by April Gardner

"...thrilling yet tender, amusing yet sobering."

Ginger Freeman has grown up with her brothers and father and their band of outlaws. She’s everything you’d expect of a motherless, young woman on the American frontier. Tough and vindictive, Ginger is driven to make Dr. Grant Kelley pay for his part in the death of her brother. Tagging along on Grant’s wagon train bound for the west, she waits for just the right moment to kill him. What she doesn’t expect is her reaction to the love and acceptance of “normal society”. Receiving a taste of family life for the first time, she absorbs it up and under its care, matures like prairie grasses under a spring sun.

Perturbed by his growing feelings for this “stubborn, infuriating woman,” Grant is temporarily distracted by a devastatingly fatal epidemic that sweeps through the camp. The adventure has yet to begin, but he’s already exhausted from endless doctoring. Trying to keep his mind from wandering toward Ginger is another tedious task altogether.

The two are complete opposites in every sense and annoy each other to no end. I enjoyed watching them change beneath God’s gentle hand.

True to form of the “Westward Hearts” series, this third and final installment, Dangerous Heart, is thrilling yet tender, amusing yet sobering. I missed the second in the series, but didn’t even notice until halfway through this one. Well done for that, Tracey.

Dangerous Heart comes recommend to you for its believability and its fun romance, not to mention the experience of being part of a wagon train. I can still taste the dust in my mouth and smell the campfire smoke in my hair.

As always, Tracey Bateman’s story held me fast until the end. Fluent in an array of genres, she continues to be one of my favorite authors. You’ll never go wrong picking up one of her books.

April W Gardner writes adult and middle grade historical fiction. Her first novel, Wounded Spirits, releases with Vintage Romance Publishing in November of this year. She is a member of ACFW and reviews for Title Trakk, At Home With Christian Fiction, and FIRST Wild Card Blog Tours. A military spouse, April has performed the art of homemaking all over the world. Currently, she lives in Georgia with her darling Hubby. A homeschool mom, she fills her mornings talking fractions and phonics with her two sweet kiddos. In her free time, April enjoys reading, gardening, and DIY. In no particular order, she dreams of owning a horse, visiting all the national parks, and speaking Italian. Visit April's Website or her blog, A Writer's Journey. You can also get to know April on Facebook and Twitter.