Behind His Blue Eyes
Kaki Warner      

Genre:
Historical
Heat Level: Mild
Rating:

Award-winning author Kaki Warner gives fans a reason to celebrate with the first in a brand-new Western trilogy set in Heartbreak, Colorado, starring an advance man for the railroad—and the woman whose trust (and heart) he longs to win.  For fans of Linda Lael Miller and Jodi Thomas...

Hoping to escape his past, Ethan Hardesty left a career as an architect and went to work for the railroad. Only two things impede his desire to transform Heartbreak Creek into a thriving town once again—a vandal bent on stopping the railroad, and the beautiful but hardheaded woman who won’t sign over the final right-of-way through the canyon.

Audra Pearsall has good reason for not allowing a train to pass within yards of her home, no matter how persuasive the handsome Mr. Hardesty can be. But when vandalism escalates to murder and fear stalks the canyon, Audra doesn’t know who to turn to—until the man she thought was her friend proves to be an enemy, and the man she wouldn’t allow herself to trust becomes her reluctant hero…

Review

We are back in the town of Heartbreak Creek with a new series and plenty of new characters. Ethan is a recent transport to Heartbreak Creek. Escaping a painful past, Ethan hopes that working on the railroad will help heal him. When Audra and her family arrive in town, he get the opportunity to set things right.

Audra Pearsall needs a quiet place to take care of her ailing father who suffers from Dementia. The town of Heartbreak Creek allows her the luxury of hiding out with her father and escaping some of the secrets that had her fleeing her hometown. To support them, she poses as a writer using her father’s name. Her life is content until Ethan shows up and shows her how a real man loves a woman.

Ms. Warner has the magical way of telling a story. I can honestly say that I’ve enjoyed the bulk of her books. The historical details of her Colorado town make me want to transport back in time to see how people really lived in the 1800s. While this one is still entertaining, it is a bit lackluster. The story lags in spots. This is not one of Ms. Warner’s best books but she throws in a slight twist with a decent villain and the effects of Dementia during this particular time in history.

The connection between the main characters is stilted. Ethan and Audra are great characters but together they left little to desire. I think I needed more heat and passion with them to make their love story more realistic. The love scenes are mild which didn’t help with the passion that I was seeking.

Overall, I still enjoy Ms. Warner’s writing. I love coming back to a town with familiar characters. However, I recommend that readers pick up her Heartbreak Creek series. Though this is the first book in a new series, there are references to many of the characters from the previous series.

Reviewed by Samantha