Willow Springs by Carolyn Steele

             

              Crissa stared at them with vacant, horrified eyes before shooting out of bed to stand, shaking, in the middle of the room. "Molly!  Something has happened to Molly!  I must leave here. I must get to Molly!"

            "Cristalina, älsking, your friend is fine. It was only a bad dream."

            "No, Signe, it was more than that. It was a warning. A tecken. I must get back to Willow Springs immediately."

Crissa Engleson, an immigrant from Sweden, fled Boston hoping to start a new life, unknown and unencumbered, in the West. The quiet Pony Express town of Willow Springs in the Utah desert seemed the perfect spot until the intrigue of her past and rivalries of the town’s leading families envelope her. She falls in love with an Express rider, Drake Adams, but their courtship is thwarted by blackmail and treachery. Crissa must decide which is stronger: her desire for Drake, her own safety, or her love for the two young children left in her charge.

Willow Springs is written for anyone who enjoys Westerns, History, Romance or Intrigue. Men and women alike have expressed great interest in this story.

My Review

Set in the old west in Utah, Crissa, an immigrant from Sweden is hiding from her past. However, her unusual beauty attracts attention from too many of the males in town—including the handsome Drake and the drunken Garth.

A series of events causes Crissa to end up married to a man she would never have picked on her own, and though he promises to be a good husband, he can’t seem to control his temper. Nor can Crissa forget her love for Drake.

A grand, sweeping adventure that brings the old west to life, with characters whose share of problems continue to get in the way of their happiness. Steele manages to make her characters—even those who are secondary—feel alive and current. Crissa’s growth and maturity from her childhood in Sweden, to her tragic time in Boston, her hearbreaking crossing with a group of Mormon pioneers, and finally her life that she builds in Utah will have you crossing your fingers for her deserved happiness.

Meet the Author:

Born and raised in Utah, Carolyn Steele was introduced to western novels at a very young age by her grandfather, the son of a gold miner. She has been writing technical and marketing communications for most of her adult life. Her nonfiction articles have appeared in numerous national magazines. She earned her undergraduate degree in Communications from the University of Utah. Married and living in Salt Lake City, Utah, Carolyn loves researching obscure history then weaving it into stories. She also enjoys family dinners with her children and grandchildren, photography, travel, golf, reading, and all forms of needlework.