Sarah is one of my new favorite authors. She writes historicals, and I love her storytelling. Healing Hearts is another Proper Romance from Shadow Mountain. This book follows the novel, The Sheriff of Savage Wells, also by Sarah M. Eden. (By the way, if you're interested in reading clean romances, check out the rest of Shadow Mountain's Proper Romances. I enjoy this line of books!)

This is a “mail-order bride” romance with a twist, which I loved. I didn’t read the summary first, so I was deducing, based on the symptoms, what the heroine faced. Well written!

Our heroine longs for freedom as she’s just come from a prison. I found her plight relatable in some ways—she didn’t leave one prison to land in another. I sympathized with her and rooted for her right away.

The hero is caught off guard when what he anticipated happening is interrupted, in several ways. He remains heroic and acts nobly in spite of his disappointments. I love that he was a "forward-thinking" doctor. That gave me hope throughout the story, letting readers see what he thought. (Which didn't always match what the heroine feared.)

I enjoyed reading the medical aspects of the West in the 1880s. The research seemed well done. I learned men could have their female family members committed to an asylum at any time, for any reason, and that women didn’t have the power or right to choose and live in freedom. That might be oversimplifying it, but I was surprised (and irritated—ha!) to read about this aspect. On the other hand, it provides a fantastic conflict for the heroine.

Sarah has a great writing voice. Her stories have strong pacing and delicious prose. I loved the humor. I’ve decided to track down more of Sarah’s novels because I consistently enjoy her work. At this moment, I have several of her books on loan from the library.

I enjoyed this book more than book one. (You can find my review of The Sheriff of Savage Wells here.) I recommend reading them in order, but since there is little mention of the personal lives of the characters from book one, you’ll probably be able to follow without having read book one first.

Recommended!

A beautiful novel showcasing excellent character development and intriguing story lines.
Sarah Eden has an accurate and realistic grasp of human nature and it makes her novels shine. You can see it in this novel as she uses this creative and unconventional mail order bride situation to pull out our greatest anxieties about relationships and confront them.
She reflects our own worst personal fears and brokenness back at us through Miriam's condition and then gives her powerful moments to succeed. Giving us the power to see more into the hearts of each characters and in ourselves.
Sarah Eden has no pretense of what should and is awkward and difficult, and is willing to write about it in beautiful stories and settings that are both entertaining and educational.

Healing Hearts is the second installment from Sarah M Eden’s Savage Wells series. I liked it a lot. Five plus stars.

3 1/2 - 4 stars. Another book from one of my favorite authors! This one had some terrifying moments documenting some horrific historical events that should never have been allowed. Stories like this make me SO grateful to live in a time when all people have more rights. The happy ending was a bit sappier than necessary, but another great offering from Sarah Eden!

Received an ARC copy from NetGalley for an honest review.

Full of heart and endearing characters but could use more passion

I would like to thank Sarah M. Eden, Shadow Mountain Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Minor spoilers

This was a great book! It was the right degree of dramatic, it had heaps of heart, and all of the characters were endearing. Well, except the villain, of course, but I even sympathized with Miriam’s father to a point, and he was a self-serving jerk. So kudos there, Eden. And when Rupert was so sick… I had tears in my eyes. If he’d died… I don’t want to think about it. I kept thinking, “Don’t you dare. Don’t you dare kill that precious child, Eden, I swear to god.” I loved that kid.

Oh, be aware that this book is the second in a series. The first was The Sheriffs of Savage Wells. I didn’t realize that when I started Healing Hearts, but as soon as you meet Cade you’re hit with a blast of charisma that makes it clear he’s a leading man. Then you meet Paisley, and there’s another blast of charisma. I’m very interested in their story.

Gideon was awesome. I loved him. He wasn’t a macho man oozing testosterone and going around intimidating people. He was quiet, gentle, kind, considerate, and intellectual—but by no means perfect. He had his moments of jealousy and insecurity and inadequacy. And he was a martyr, though he was aware of that. But he was mature and selfless in general.

I liked Miriam, too. Considering what she’d been through, her actions made sense to me. Also considering what she’d been through, she was pretty well-adjusted. Wary and secretive, but still friendly, kind, and selfless. Almost too well-adjusted, but that’s arguable. I thought her actions/reactions were appropriate. Maybe she should have been smart enough to change her name the first time…but I understand that the west seemed so far removed from eastern society that she probably thought she’d be well lost out there.

My biggest problem with the book—pretty much my only real problem—was that I didn’t feel they’d earned their love at the end. They barely knew anything about each other; for most of the book they tiptoed around each other, and for the rest they were too busy dealing with everything to have a decent conversation. By the end they knew the important superficial information about one another, but most of it had been revealed and discussed by other people, not in earnest conversations between the two of them. This means that some of their intimate gestures also felt unearned, such as when Gideon cupped her face in his hands about halfway through the book. I would have bought it more if Miriam had reacted with startlement or resistance, because at that point she didn’t have any idea how much he’d come to care for her, but she acted like it was no big deal.

Speaking of—I was shocked when she had absolutely no reaction the first time Gideon said he loved her at about 77% progress. Just nothing. I remember thinking, “Maybe that was supposed to have been cut,” because that’s how Miriam reacted—as if it hadn’t been said. It was rather bizarre.

Furthermore, I understand that when he declares to her, “None of that matters without you”—referring to all of his friends and responsibilities, in light of Miriam running for her life—that it was supposed to be a very symbolic gesture on his part. Up to that point, nothing mattered more to him than the town/his patients—he’d already sacrificed the privacy of his music to her—and the moment he says the above, it’s supposed to signify that he loves her enough to give all that up. I bought when he gave up his cello secret for her, that was small-time, but as I was saying, I didn’t buy their love, so I didn’t buy this moment, and I made a doubtful “Seriously?” face when I read it. I wasn’t convinced that Miriam meant that much to him.

Why wasn’t I convinced? Well, this was a chaste romance, but of course that in itself is not why it didn’t work. It didn’t work for me because it was chaste to the point that they didn’t seem to express any attraction to one other beyond the general thought that he’s handsome, on her part, and that her curly red hair is becoming, on his. They never checked each other out that I recall, never wondered what it would be like to kiss passionately, never wondered anything that would suggest they wanted to be more than friends. They came to care about each other, sure, but it didn’t seem much different from how they cared about their friends or the children. The only thing that suggested Gideon was falling in love was when he got jealous of Hawk showing interest in Miriam. Yes, Gideon and Miriam were embracing tightly and kissing a little by the end, but that’s expected, and it…didn’t feel obligatory per se, but kind of like a going-through-the-motions-because-it’s-a-romance thing. I just didn’t feel any passion between them, so their getting together wasn’t as satisfying as I’d hoped it would be.

There was one other line that made me frown in confusion. When Miriam says, “I won’t make you my shield. Your life is not worth mine.” I know what was meant, but phrasing it that way makes it sound as if Miriam is saying Paisley’s life isn’t worth as much as Miriam’s. It would make more sense to invert it: “My life isn’t worth yours,” “I’m not worth your life,” or something like that.

Other than that, I enjoyed this book very much. I had a hard time putting it down and devoured it within two days. Eden is a very good writer and capable of not only humor but powerful analogies, such as: “To say Mother was, at times, a bit overbearing was like saying the ocean was, at times, a bit wet. And Gideon could feel himself drowning.” I liked that line so much I reread it three times before moving on.

If I have one suggestion for Eden, other than the passion thing, is to not be afraid to give her characters dark sides. We want them to be morally upstanding in general, but few readers can relate to saints.

I don’t know if Eden plans to continue writing about Savage Wells, but if she did, I’d certainly request those ARCs. I see prime protagonist candidates in Hawk, Tansy, Andrew, and even Mr. Larson. I did get the feeling like I was supposed to already be acquainted with Tansy, so I’m not sure if she played a part in the first book or what. Regardless, I’d like to know her better.

And…*gasp* My library has some of Eden’s other books! Yesssss *does happy dance*

noapologybookreviews.com

I so enjoyed this book! I can't wait to read more from this author. Miriam is on the run and when she gets to the town she thinks she is there for a job. Unknown to her that she was actually a mail order bride. After much confusion, the people of Savage Wells start to warm up to Miriam after illness affects the town. Just when people are excepting and she starts to feel like this is home her past comes back to haunt her. I loved how the characters are written and I can't wait to read about the others.

Sarah M. Eden never disappoints. Healing Hearts is a wonderfully written romance with a unique insight into the treatment of people with misunderstood illnesses. Gideon and Miriam are wonderful characters and the premise of an mail order bride who doesn't know that's what she's been brought to town for is a lot of fun.

I really enjoyed every aspect of this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, interesting and clean romance. Enjoy!

**I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review. The opinions expressed are my own.**

Healing hearts is a story about a misunderstanding between a young nurse looking to hide and a handsome doctor who is overworked and needing help. They come together when Miriam lands in the town of Savage Wells, thinking she is there to start a new job as the nurse for the town doctor, while Gideon is eagerly awaiting him thinking he is about to meet his new bride (and nurse). Obviously when they realise there has been something lost in translation neither party is all that happy. However, both making the best out of a bad situation Gideon offers Miriam work anyway as his nurse, which she accepts.
What follows is a slow but steady road to love with gradual steps of respect, trust, friendship and attraction. I feel it is safe to say these steps are reached quicker with Gideon but Miriam does slowly let her guard down. I don’t want to give any more away about the actual plot as to what is pushing Miriam into hiding but I did find it to be very interesting and gave me a look into an aspect of history that I find fascinating but also know little about.
I have read a lot of Sarah M Eden’s work and always find it enjoyable. I have to say this one did miss the mark for me, just a little. I can’t even put my finger on what it is that didn’t work for me except (and I know this will sound ridiculous) because I love all of her regency work set in the UK so maybe the more rugged setting wasn’t as captivating…. Like I said I know that sounds odd, but I love picturing the gorgeous green beauty of England and reading about the gentry and etiquette etc. And as I said I really can’t put my finger on anything else it could be. I still read it very quickly and enjoyed doing so, therefore it is hardly a serious complaint. I guess it just means that comparatively for me I simply preferred her Jonquil Brothers or Lancaster Family series. So I guess just take this review with a grain of salt (as I would always recommend anyway), and particularly if you haven’t read any of Sarah’s work yet I would definitely recommend reading this story.
Also, can I finish with how much I loved the townspeople? In particular their love and loyalty for Gideon, I thought it was adorable how heartbroken they were for him when Miriam refuses to marry him.
Thanks to Netgalley, Publisher and Author for ARC

I desperately wanted to like this book, but alas it was not to be.. It is supremely difficult to find an engaging, well-written western romance with likable characters. Healing Hearts was only able to meet one of those requirements. It is well-written by western romance standards. I have read one other book of Sarah Eden's and can count on her to have romances that are readable but a bit bland. I find her characters to be lackluster and uninspiring. Gideon is a nice, polite gentleman. Miriam (I had to look up her name just now as she she was just not memorable) is the competent nurse with a sob story. Cue the snooze. Plot-wise, I felt it had great potential - lone doctor and nurse in the West! Asylum! Medical procedures! But it was not to be. I would recommend Healing Hands and Sarah Eden's books in general when you are looking for historical romances and have already gone through the major authors of the genre as that is when I find myself reaching for her books.

This was such a precious and tender book that I don't even know how to describe it.

Both characters were so genuine and their characters stayed true throughout the entire book so much that it was more like watching a movie than reading a book. I could imagine all the settings and the character interactions really vividly.

While I also very much loved the characters and the romance what I loved more it that it touched on a very real issue that happened quite often in these days. Women being sent to institutions because their family members consider them hysterical. I remember learning about this in school growing up about how women were essentially on guard constantly because the simplest and stupidest reason could be enough to send them to an institution. It's pretty disgusting to think that society used to be like this and I really liked that Sarah Eden wrote about it in both a way that was important to the story but also shed light into the reality some women dealt with.

This was such a good book.

This is in classic Eden style. A very sad story for our leading lady which makes the endings so much sweeter. Her Heroines really do get drug threw the 'mud', the poor things. I think this might have been the most beat up Heroine yet. Don't worry all ends happily. This was a sweet romance. I enjoyed going back to Savage Wells. I liked those characters much more as side characters. This is chaste and teens could read it. There is talk of insane asylums and abuse.

This story is so amazingly wonderful! I loved each and every word! Such a GREAT book! I highly recommend this one!

This books is the first I've read by Eden and I truly enjoyed it. These characters have depth and I began to care for these characters from the very beginning. The plot kept me interested and wondering what would happen. Both of these characters are flawed and perfect for each other. There is difficult subject matter in this book and this author addressed it very well. I can't wait to read more by this author.

Healing Hearts⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️by Sarah M. Eden

Dr. Gideon MacNamara decides to seek out a matchmaking service. He is looking for wife that also has nursing experience. The day his future bride steps off the train she is swept away to the alter as Miriam realizes she is suppose to marry the doctor she halts the wedding and runs from the church. When the Doctor finds her she explains she was here for the nursing job not marriage. Gideon being a forward thinking man asks her to stay on as his nurse. Of course, the town is angered by her treatment of their beloved doctor but soon realize what a wonderful nurse and person she turns out to be.

Miriam hides something from the doctor about her health. Miriam suffers from seizures which is at this time in medical science are quite the mystery. This illness is hardly a sidebar in the story and very informative of the way mental illness was treated in this time period. Parts of this books are very concerning and sad but overall I thought this story very good and enlightening.

Sarah Eden knocked it out of the park with this one! I absolutely adored Gideon and Miriam's story! From the mistaken mail-order bride, to Miriam's medical issues, to Gideon's compassion. This was a well-rounded love story addressing the lack of rights women had during that time frame. Every member of the town in Savage Wells is lovely and I admire the small town coming together to protect one of their own from a horrendous villain. Beautiful, beautiful story.

Thank you to Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley for an early eARC.

Books by Sarah M. Eden never disappoint! Although her Jonquil series continues to be my favorite, I really enjoyed this addition to her Savage Wells series...and I loved catching up with characters from the first book in the series! Miriam and Gideon are incredibly likable and sympathetic characters...I loved the unique angles of Miriam's illness and past experience with an asylum. Definitely a great addition to my ever-growing library of Sarah. M Eden books!

Gideon MacNamara is a doctor in Salvage Wells. He is limited in the amount of women to pick for a bride so he sends for a mail order bride. He picks one that is a Nurse so she can help him in his overwhelming practice. When Miriam arrives by stagecoach not knowing she is to be a bride . When she meets Gideon and the wedding starts she runs off. This is the second time Gideon"s wedding plans do not go off. The town is upset with her but Gideon hires her to be his Nurse anyway. Miriam ran away from her last town holding a secret and is afraid that he may find out and get rid of her. This is a great book with a lot of interesting turns. This is the first book I read of this Author and I will be looking for more. Thanks NetGalley.

Well, I personally couldn’t be happier that Sarah Eden took us back to Savage Wells! ‘Sheriffs’ was a story full of spunk, fun with that added tender element concerning Paisley’s father, and dementia. It was the first time I’d been able to complete a book that touched on this subject. I lost my mum in her mid 60s, to this terrible disease, and usually I can’t bear reading about it in a novel. I appreciated so much the sensitivity in which Sarah writes. In fact if you are an avid reader of hers, you will know that she approaches these things just right.

This second time around in Savage Wells is no different. Again, she tackles the real issues of the day with an disease that Little was known about, yet treated in such horrific ways. I’ve read a few books now that centre around Asylums, and the sense of being trapped that many of those living there felt. Women sent there for all kinds of reasons and always their pleas and denials taken by the doctors as a sure sign of their madness. I cannot even abide the thought of how that must have felt to someone with depression, or another ailment that didn’t need to be treated in that manner. It seems to be society’s scapegoat for these illnesses and disabilities no one understood. Trying to keep that ‘perfect’ image.

This story is about two people, one physically running from the past and another mentally running from his past. Everything about the way this beautiful story progresses and is enriched by all the other wonderful characters was just such a joy to read. So many moments, leaving you on the edge of your seat. Feeling empathy for Miriam’s plight. Hope that she will see the good in Gideon. The concern for the town later on in the story, and the continuing tale of Andrew & Mr Bell. So much goodness in the people of this town and I love the way they all rallied together at the end. Fantastic story, that I could not put down! Please write a story for Hawk! His character is so much fun, and I loved the way he so gracefully bowed out.

I received this complimentary eARC from Netgalley & Shadow Mountain. This is my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was hard to put down and I found myself thinking about it when I wasn’t reading it.

We revisit Savage Wells in “Healingn Hearts, “ following Gideon MacNamara and Miriam Bricks. Gideon sent for a mail order bride to act as a nurse for his medical practice. Miriam arrived only aware of the nurse position. They find a way to work together but it quickly becomes apparent that Miriam has secrets she isn’t telling.

I enjoyed reading this book. Sarah Eden does a great job finding interesting tidbits of history and weaving them into her stories seamlessly.

The characters came alive in this book. I would HIGHLY recommend you read the “Sheriffs of Savage Wells” before you read this book. Many of the characters from that book feature prominently in this book and it would be helpful to know their backgrounds. I will say those characters are much more caricatures in “Sheriffs.” In “Healing Hearts” they are more realisitc. I actually think this is interesting-when we initially meet someone we tend to notice one or two things about them and characterize them as such. As we come to know them better they become deeper and multi-faceted. I don’t know if this was part of Eden’s purpose or not, but I enjoyed getting to better know the depth of the characters.

I had read one of Sarah Eden’s regency collections books but never had read one of her westerns. I was not dissapointed. This book had me glued to it from start to finish and by the end I was in happy tears. This story was so moving. I knew little about doctors in the Wild West, let alone asylums or mental illness. Although the story touched some very sad issues like lack of patient rights and misdiagnosis problems, the book overall was delightful. It was full of hope, kindness, and love. Also I appreciated that this was a clean book with no swearing or sex.
This story about Gideon and Miriam is an example of mail order bride/ job placement agency error. It’s humorous how the story unfolds. There is definitely chemistry between the two and I love the dry humor they shared. After she had dashed their dear doctors hopes of marriage to her on her arrival the town did not look kindly on her. It took an epidemic for the town to embrace her. I love how the story unfolded. It was truly a delight to read. I can’t wait to read more stories about this cute town and the people who live there.