Rainy Day Dreams-Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith

Rainy Day Dreams Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith Harvest House, Apr 1 2014, $13.99 ISBN: 9780736953498 In 1852 the Burgert patriarch relocates his family from San Francisco to Seattle. His daughter Kathryn is upset with the move as she enjoyed the pleasures of culturally rich San Francisco but now resides in a mud hovel. On the bright side, Kathryn thinks her dad appointed her to manage Faulkner House; but that dream turns into a nightmare when she learns he expects her to be a maid. Kathryn’s spirits lift again when she meets hotel guest widower Jason Gates; but that turns into a nightmare when the lumberjack makes it clear he is uninterested in her or any woman; though he conceals from her that he fears life in the Pacific Northwest too harsh for females. As Kathryn and Jason fall in love in spite of his efforts to shutter his heart, the new sawmill brings hope to many residents although some plan to sabotage it as a means to destroy Seattle. The second Seattle Brides inspirational saga (see A Bride For Noah) is a strong historical romance that once again uses the founding of the Pacific Northwest city as a fabulous background. The protagonists are a delightful pairing as she needs to mature and he needs to complete his grief if they are going to make it together. However, it is the beginnings of the logging industry that enable backwater Seattle to survive and show early signs of thriving if adversaries allow it that make this a superb historical Christian mid-nineteenth century Americana. Harriet Klausner