Welcome to the blog tour and giveaway for Chasing the Wind by Paula Scott, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
Chasing the Wind
by Paula Scott
Series: California Rising #3
Published by West Butte Publishing
Publication Date March 20, 2018
Genres: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction
Setting: California Gold Rush Era - US - 1848 - 1855
Written for: Adults
Pages: 423
Synopsis:
A beautiful, half-Indian girl raised by the Californios finds her fate intertwined with an American frontiersman haunted by his past in 1850 California.
As California comes to statehood amidst the madness of the gold rush, Isabella Vasquez must wed a buckskin-clad American who wins her in a card game. Though their union is passionate, Isabella soon finds herself abandoned in a brothel, where she rises to fame as a singer known as the Bluebird. Yet because of her Indian blood, the Bluebird will always be bought and sold in the white man’s world. When more is demanded of the Bluebird than just singing, Isabella flees to Fort Ross in search of her Russian father and her own race of people.
Peter Brondi has battled Indians all his life. The last thing he wants is a half-Indian wife. While taming the West with Kit Carson and John C. Fremont, Peter has fought the Mexican War and lost his beloved fiancée, Maggie, to his half-Indian brother, Paul. To satisfy his father’s dying wish, Peter vows to find his brother and put an end to the hate that’s between them. But when history repeats itself and Paul steals Isabella away, Peter must come to terms with his past and the animosity he holds against all Indians, including his half-brother and the wife he has forsaken.
Chasing the Wind is the final story in the sweeping saga of California Rising, a tale of love, betrayal, and the ties that bind brothers together and California to the nation.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. This gift did not influence my opinion or review.
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Chasing the Wind has a strong message of God’s grace and forgiveness. The story had some elements of the Prodigal Son, though it was hard to tell if Peter was the Prodigal or the elder brother.
I was drawn into the story from the beginning. The style of writing was very engaging and it had an interesting plot. I liked the character development as well.
The story was not what I had been expecting. It was a lot rawer than I have come to expect from Christian fiction, and I have to confess that there was quite a bit in the book that turned my stomach. Though I liked Peter, he was a sinner and I did not at all like what he did at the beginning of the book when he left Isabelle behind in Marysville.
I would not recommend this book for a younger audience due to the subject matter. While the ending resolved the conflict, even it was harsh.
There were some closed door sex scenes in the book. While they were integral to the plot, I would have preferred the details to stop a little sooner than they did. There was also reference to a young girl who had been mistreated by at least one man and as a result did not speak and was troubled by a demon.
While I wouldn’t recommend this book to just anyone, readers who are not as squeamish as I am about reading about the uglier things of life would probably enjoy it.
Blog Stops
April 16
Remembrancy
Reflections From My Bookshelves
April 17
Among the Reads
Faithfully Bookish
April 18
Singing Librarian Books
The Christian Fiction Girl
Reading Is My SuperPower
April 19
A Baker’s Perspective
Melony Teague
April 20
All-of-a-kind Mom
Bibliophile Reviews
Giveaway
Paula Scott is giving away a signed print copy of Chasing the Wind! (US Only) Void where prohibited by law. Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
About Paula Scott
Paula began her writing career as a civilian contracted to write for the United States Air Force’s newspaper and magazines. Later, she wrote feature stories for a daily California newspaper. A fifth generation Californian, Paula’s great great grandmother came to California in a covered wagon and married a California farmer. Paula’s family has been farming ever since. Paula works on her family’s farm, writes historical fiction, and blogs about life, love, and farming at www.psbicknell.com
Thank you so much for posting, Phyllis! <3
[…] 17 Among the Reads Faithfully […]
Thank you so much for your thoughtful, honest review. Really appreciate you having Chasing the Wind on your wonderful blog!
Thank you, Paula. I do hope to read more of your books in the future.
Thank you for your honest review and information on “Chasing the Wind” by Paula Scott as well as for being part of the book tour. I’d love the opportunity to read this book.
2clowns at arkansas dot net