Texas Roads

Cathy Bryant

City gal Dani Davis just wants to find a place to call home. Miller's Creek, Texas, with its country charm and quirky citizens seems like the perfect place to start over. Perfect, that is, except for the cowboy who gives her a ride into town... Dani secretly finances renovations to downtown Miller's Creek, but malicious rumors force her to choose between keeping her involvement a secret and the home for which she's always longed. Then the discovery of an age-old secret propel her down a road she never expected to travel. 

Steve Miller is determined to save his dying hometown. When vandalism jeopardizes the Miller's Creek restoration project, he can't help but suspect Dani, whose strange behavior has become fodder for local gossips. 

Will Steve and Dani be able to call a truce for a higher cause, and in the process help Dani understand the true meaning of home?

My Take:

First things first, if you don't like any Christian fiction, you will not like this book.  On the flip side, if you do enjoy that genre, this book is one to read because it is really at the top of it's class.  I really loved this simple little story; it was more than a romance, it was about a woman finding herself, finding family and most importantly-finding home.  The main character, Dani, has had her poor little heart broken so many times that you fall in love with her pretty quick.  I also really enjoyed the love interest, Steve.  Sometimes, in romances, the author makes the guy too perfect, or in an attempt to avoid that particular pitfall, the author goes too far in the other direction where the guy is such a jerk you cant imagine why the girl even likes him.  I found Steve to be just right, he was pretty wonderful, but he had his flaws.  At times he was a bit too willing to jump to conclusions and was a smidge on the prideful side (but come one, who isn't like that in some point in their lives).  What really made him great, was his ability to admit when he was wrong and apologise.  I loved the two characters together, and I can't wait to read the next book in the series to see where their romance goes.  I thought, for the most part, the pacing was good.  It got a bit slow in the middle, but spiced up pretty quick with some great twists in the story.  Some I saw coming, some I didn't, but the wonderful writing made it so that it didn't really much matter if you saw it coming or not.  This is truly a quality book that I'd recommend to any fan of Christian fiction.  I can't say it was perfect, but pretty dang close.  2, Borders with a Coupon

Do you agree with my review?  Do you think I'm totally off base?  Either way I'd love to hear from you, be sure to leave a comment and tell me how you feel!

Very chaste book, no sexual content with the exception of a VERY sanitized reference to a rape.  The words were "something that was taken and never offered", nothing beyond that

Now a few words with the author, Cathy Bryant:

The Book Buff: Where are you from?

Cathy Bryant: I'm a Texas gal through and through, and have lived in the Lone Star state my entire life.

TBB: What inspired you to write your Texas Roads?

CB: All my stories start with questions in my head and/or a spiritual issue that I've personally faced. The main storyline for Texas Roads arose from a drive-by situation where I felt like an animal on display in a zoo. If the incident left me irked, when I'd grown up in small towns, how would a city woman respond to a similar situation? The spiritual thread of the story is very much my personal journey of finding true home.

TBB: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

CB: Honestly, I can't remember a time when I didn't consider myself a writer. It's something I've always enjoyed doing.

TBB: What books have most influenced your life most?

CB: To Kill A Mockingbird, Anne of Green Gables, Redeeming Love.

TBB: What is the worst book you’ve ever read?

CB: Interesting question, because I only give a book 50 pages to pull me in. If it doesn't, I quit reading. That way I never read a book I don't enjoy.

TBB: Do you have something you are working on at the moment that you’d like to share with us?

CB: I'm currently in the edits and revision stage with Book Two in the Miller's Creek series, A Path Less Traveled. It tells the story of a young widow determined to make a way for herself and her son without being dependent on her friends and family.

TBB: Do you have any advice for other writers?

CB: Write and read voraciously, study the craft of writing, and pray.

TBB: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

CB: I've been so blessed by the encouraging comments of readers. A sincere word of thanks seems so inadequate, yet it's all I have.

TBB: Is there a website or page where readers can find out more about you and your work?

CB: www.CatBryant.com

***FTC Disclosure:  This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review, no other compensation was given, all opinions are my own***

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