ShortHand Publishing - Review of "The Drifter"

Review of “The Drifter”

Lori Copeland

ISBN: 0-7394-5316-5

RATE: ♥♥♥♥♥

What can I say, this second in the “Men of the Saddle” series was wonderful – I couldn’t put it down!

The story of the Claxton boys continues with Beau Claxton’s story. Following a horrific turn of events in his seemingly perfect life, Beau becomes a drifter.

After a year of wondering across the country, he finds himself in a do-or-die situation, with no way out, that is until Charity Burk comes to his rescue. Although the timber wolf almost kills the drifter, Charity manages to drag the half dead Beau onto the bank beside the stream where he’d been attacked.

He fights her as she tries to clean his many wounds. As she patches him back together she begins to think this could be the answer to her prayers. Ferrand, Charity’s husband, had been killed four years earlier in the War of The States and now she’s left to tend their homestead. If she is unable to make the necessary improvements to the land by spring, she’ll lose their claim. Despite her strength, she isn’t able to plow the land, build a barn, set fence posts or plant wheat.

No, Charity needs a husband, and here the good Lord has dropped one into her lap, well, after she nurses him back to health that is. Could this drifter be the answer to her prayers?

By the time Charity manages to drag the stranger up the ravine, and then the quarter mile to her house, she’s gasping for air. The next few nights are touch and go for the stranger. Each night he survives, encourages Charity that this can only be the answer to her prayer.

In his feverish – delirious state Beau calls out for Betsy. Charity has no idea who Betsy could be, but she prays fervently it is not the man’s wife, that would ruin everything!

When Charity is called away to tend a sick friend will her future die while she is gone? What will happen to her land if she can’t find a husband to make the much needed improvements?

Again, I don’t want to spoil the plot, but this is a must read. It will have you wanting to peek ahead to find out what comes next. Ms Copeland has a way of keeping the reader in suspense. I love the sense of humor with which this story is told. There are fewer redundancies in this book than there were in the first, and they shouldn’t hinder the reader too much.

I can hardly wait the third installment in this series. Well done Ms Copeland!!