This is a fabulously well-written Christian historical novel with marvelous men and women of faith, suspense, and romance. It is the first novel I have read about wild west trick riders and their unique horses and found it fascinating and hard-to-put-down. The author shares a wonderful story in which we see how Christians react in situations that are beyond their ability to go through in their own strength.

In 1900, the Brookstone family travels the country in their rail cars to present the Brookstone Wild West Extravaganza, the only all-female show of its kind. Mark and Oliver Brookstone, brothers, Rebecca, Mark’s wife, and Lizzy, their daughter are the heart of the show. Mark passed away of a heart attack on the tour; he made them promise to finish the year’s schedule. This will be Rebecca’s final tour.

Lizzy, an accomplished trick rider, is the long-time main attraction. Other ladies in the show include a sharpshooter and Roman riders. Lizzy loves this life on the rails, has performed for three presidents, and seen countless historical sites. She will stop traveling after this tour, also, partly because she’s lost heart for it after losing her dad.

Oliver and Mark sold a part of their show to Henry Adler, who had given them financial means to start the show after saving his life. His son Jason joins them on the tour to help Oliver manage the finances and learn the business. He is attracted to Lizzy, but her heart belongs to another. Wes, the foreman at the Brookstone ranch, started working there when she was young. She followed him everywhere; he saw her almost like a little sister. Her feelings ran far deeper for him. When he married a girl about her age, her heart was broken. His wife passed away a couple years ago and he has avoided her since. Between that and watching her mother grieve for her father, Lizzy hardens her heart to ever marrying.

The tour stops in Kentucky to pick up twin mares her father purchased from the Fleming horse farm. Lizzy and his daughter, Ella, are close friends. Ella talks with her about running away to avoid marrying the man her father has arranged for her. Jefferson has several mistresses, is twice her age, and is ruthless and cruel. She planned to meet up with them before their train left, escorted by August, the Brookstone’s wrangler. August had an accident at Fleming’s, however, and was trampled to death by a horse. Ella arrives alone and hopes her father and fiancé can’t track her down.

Oliver, Jason, Lizzy and Ella pay their respects to August’s family. His sister, Mary, was the best sharpshooter they ever had and she is going to re-join the show. Mary knows how well August knew horses and is convinced his death is no accident. Being back on the show will help her ask questions and find the truth.

Each character is defined with care. With few exceptions, these are folks I would want to have as friends. It is one of the best Christian novels I have read this year, based on how the characters are transparent to each other in terms of their faith or struggles. The plot twists, mystery, fear of Ella’s father and fiancé finding them, and how each of the primary characters interact with each other is amazing; I can’t say enough good about it! I highly recommend this novel to women of all ages who appreciate Christian historical fiction, westerns, and are fans of this author.

From a grateful heart: I received an e-ARC of this from the publisher and CelebrateLit; a positive review was not required.

When You are Near
By Tracie Peterson
I enjoyed this story and the inside view of traveling around the country in a western show. It was an easy read with spiritual wisdom sprinkled throughout.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion which I share here. https://simplyannehere.wordpress.com

Do you wish you could go back in time and see Buffalo Bill's Wild West show that featured people such as Annie Oakley, and Wild Bill Hickock? I know my answer is "Yes!" Well, even though I can't go back in time to see the show, Tracie Peterson enabled me to read about a similar show in When You Are Near. Not only did I get to experience an old Wild West show, I even got to read about a mystery and a romance taking place all at the same time!  I enjoyed this book because I have always loved horses. I enjoyed reading about the different types of horses that are used for trick riding. I even had to pause the book to go look up more information on the subject because I was fascinated! I also enjoyed how the characters grew. They were all dealing with hard circumstances and losses but they learned to rely on God for strength. Lastly, I enjoyed the thought that this book is only the beginning of the series. There will be more coming which I am super excited about because I didn't want to leave the Brookstone Extravaganza when the book was finished. 

I would recommend this book for those who enjoy historical fiction, horses. Wild West shows and mystery. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Lizzie Brookstone takes over management of the Brookstone Wild West Extravaganza after the death of her father. She is a star trick rider, and since taking over control of the show, she is discovering the ins and outs of the business side of things. Lizzie finds herself torn between an old flame and the new accountant who has come to help them sort out their financial difficulties.



Old friends and new friends join the show, and suspicious events plague them. Can Lizzie fill her father's shoes, making the ranch and show a success?



There is a lot going on from the ranch to the wild west show. Lizzie helps Ella escape an arranged marriage, and teaches her how to trick ride. Mary is a sharpshooter who returns to the show after the suspicious death of her brother who was one of the wranglers. Lizzie and her mother struggle with the loss of her father, holding to their faith, and having the courage to love.



I liked the friendship between the women, as well as how everyone works together to make the show and ranch a success. This is a good start to an exciting new series and I can't wait to read the next installments as they release this year. I liked the strong faith woven into the story, and found it to be an enjoyable read. I guess the only thing that was lacking was more interaction between Lizzie and the man she does end up with, because I felt like much of the relationship was built on parts we didn't see in this book.



Overall, a fun read and I really liked the idea of an all female wild west show. I can't wait to see what is in store for the ladies of the Brookstone Wild West Show!



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."

Another great book by Tracie Peterson! Loved the storyline and the different characters. Interesting history on traveling shows, trick riding and rodeos.

I'm looking forward to the next book and wondering if it will follow the stories of Elle and Mary...

When You Are Near by Tracie Peterson

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Story Notes

Tracie Peterson’s excellent writing style comes shining through in the first book of her latest series and will have readers more than ready to read the next.

Tracie Peterson has a way of telling stories that make you feel like you’ve stepped into the characters world. I could almost smell and taste the dust thrown up by the horses as the trick riders rode through their performances. And how fun to read about a show that is fully comprised of female performers! Not that there weren’t plenty of male characters as well that contributed plenty to the plot lines. Ms. Peterson begins her story with the performance of her heroine, Lizzy Brookstone. As the main attraction of the Brookstone Wild West Extravaganza, Lizzy makes it her practice to perform a series of actions that look death defying all while atop a galloping steed. Loving the rush of adrenaline and familiar strain to her muscles to complete her moves, Lizzy gives her all in each show. But the joy she once found is lacking since the recent death of her father, Mark Brookstone. Before his death, Mark extracted a promise from his family that they would complete the show season, whether he was there or not. Hoping to honor him in the best way, they have carried on with the season but not without feeling the strain of grief and loss. Lizzy and her mother are looking forward to the upcoming break and have both decided they will remain at the family ranch when the show sets out for its next season. However, when Lizzy becomes aware of necessary changes for the show’s continuance, she will find herself convinced to return for one more season. Jason Adler, the man responsible for helping them make the new adjustments is thrilled with the chance to spend more time with Lizzy, despite her strong protests that they will never be more than friends. Lizzy has long since lost her heart to their ranch foreman, Wesley DeShazer, and life with him would be a dream come true. But Lizzy is sure he will never really care for her in that way, given he married another while she had been on tour ten years before. That he is a widower now makes no difference to Lizzy, Wesley betrayed her and she’s not ready to take a chance on loving him so fully again. But tragedy strikes the show when they are visiting a farm to purchase new horses – a tragedy that will lead to the addition of two friends to the show’s makeup, Ella Fleming and Mary Reichert. Ella Fleming is the sheltered daughter of one of the best horse breeders in Kentucky but she is looking to run away from home. Expected to marry a man known for his cruelty and lewdness, Ella takes a chance on sharing her situation with Lizzy. Lizzy feels compassion for this sweet young woman and vows to help her. But as they make their plans, the head horse wrangler for the show, August Reichert, winds up kicked to death by unbroken colts. Everyone is suspicious of the “accidental happening” but without proof they cannot do anything about it. Getting Ella away is still the priority so Lizzy sneaks her aboard the family train car. Ella hopes to pay everyone back for their kindness by using her riding skills to benefit the show. She agrees with Lizzy that learning the main performer’s ride would be the best fit and allow Lizzy to step down after the next season. Now if she can stay hidden from her father/fiance until she turns twenty one soon she will be able to make her own way in life. Mary Reichert is a former shooting performer in the show who is looking to rejoin. Having recently extricated herself from an engagement, Mary wants to get away for a time and think. Plus, she wants to find out what really happened to her brother. August would have never gotten himself into a situation with unbroken colts that would have lead to his death, Mary is quite sure. But the answers she seeks are not easy to find as no one is able or willing to say what really happened. As everything comes to a head, all three young women will have to make decisions about the direction their lives will take. Will Lizzy take a chance on love with Wesley or is a life alone the better option? Will Ella be able to stand strong for herself when faced with the fears of her past? And will Mary find the answers she needs so she can move beyond her brother’s tragic death? The answers will mean both sacrifice and joy for each and bring them to a new way of living in the love of Christ. I loved the characters that Ms. Peterson created in this story. The three young women featured in the story were similar but had very different approaches to their situations. Lizzy’s inability to let anyone close was a shield she carried to protect her from loss, but it also meant she was very lonely. Ella’s lack of courage came from letting everyone tell her how to live her life without taking a stand for what she wanted. And Mary showed courage and strength with her life but needed to set aside her anger for forgiveness in order to move beyond her brother’s death. Each of them were on a spiritual journey as well and while Ella and Mary did not move as much as Lizzy, they were all a good bit changed by the end of the story. Ms. Peterson’s “bad guy” was also a very well created character. Every scene he was in just made me shiver in revulsion, especially the one where he creepily licked Ella’s knuckles – soooo gross! But he got his due in the end so I was pleased with that. I’m very curious to see where Ms. Peterson will take the series next and which young lady will be the focus. Lizzy was most prominent here so I’ll be glad to see what happens with Ella and Mary in their own stories. I will certainly be recommending this book to others as I’m sure they will enjoy it as I did.

I received this E-book free of charge from Bethany House Publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation from either company for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

I loved the setting of this book. I grew up going to horse shows and rodeos and loved seeing the trick riders. I still do. I wish there were more Wild West shows today with sharpshooters and all the hoopla. The story did a great job of conveying the danger and excitement of the arena. When I finished the book, I had to google some trick riding videos. People who do this are amazingly brave and maybe a little bit crazy.
I enjoyed the action and the story line. Ella’s father is perhaps the vilest father I have ever encountered. I can’t begin to understand what hold Jefferson must have on Mr. Fleming that fuels his decisions regarding Ella.
Many are dealing with the loss of Lizzy’s father, each in their own way. Lizzy’s mom is a wonderful example of someone who both grieves and loves deeply and trusts God through it all. She’s a wise woman.
The story ended a little too early for me. I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen. I hope the next book comes out quickly.
Thank you to Bethany House for providing me with a complimentary e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Tracie Peterson does it again! I enjoyed reading this book so much. She took me through a huge variety of emotions. And I had no clue what was going to happen next. I had so much fun visiting the all women Wild West show. I could picture the action and had a hard time putting the book down. It was easy to love Lizzy and want to be strong like her, but if you can’t tell I choose to read instead of workout. Wesley was swoon worthy when he put his mind to it. I loved seeing the strong women characters making their way in the world, and not being afraid to fight for what they want. Peterson had just the right amount of romance and suspense. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Historical Romance. I received a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers and was in no way forced to post a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoyed this historical fiction. The storyline was new and fresh, subject matter that I haven't read about yet in a book. There was murder, romance, suspense, humor and a lot of good action. All combined in a clean and entertaining read. I loved the prayers.

I enjoyed the train setting and how they lived in the train during the course of their show travels. I saw the images that went through my mind as I imagined I was watching the shows and the intricate tricks that Lizzy did as she rode around in the ring. You could truly visualize the show through her descriptive writing. You won't want to miss the show!

Loved it.

I received an ebook copy from NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

Another lovely story from Tracie Peterson! I enjoyed the story, about a traveling ladies trick riding group, that traveled over the country entertaining with trick riding as well as other acts. The primary story was about the main trick rider that had a mad crush on a ranch worker at her family's ranch. She didn't think he had feelings for her since he had married another girl, who died. As their story unfolds, it's clear that he does have some feelings for her that he hadn't come to terms with. A very entertaining story that I greatly enjoyed!

Brookstone Wild West Extravaganza - a female wild west show
Lizzy is a trick rider who has a story everyone will want to read.


Tracie Peterson is one of the best inspirational authors.
This ARC had many technical issues and I was unable to read the complete story
I will be reading the physical book to complete my review

Thank you Bethany House for the free review copy. All opinions are my own.

Trick riding, a family show, drama, murder, mystery, friendship, and romance make up this fantastic novel that I could not finish quick enough. I liked reading about the family's wild west show and all of the acts that is in it. I would definitely go see a show like this. I also enjoyed the mystery that was presented in the beginning of the novel and the different character's reactions to what had happened. 

Lizzy is a great character. I loved her strong, independent nature. She was a determined woman, and I enjoyed reading about how she was not going to let people change her mind about some of the problems presented in the book. I also think that her breakthrough with God was so important. There is much grace and pure love throughout this book. 

I am so excited that the other two books of this series will be published later this year. I can't wait to figure out what is going to happen in the other character's stories.

Those that know me, know I love to read Historical novels, so it will come as no surprise at all that I love this novel. It’s my first Peterson novel in a long time, and I was excited to see what she had in store for her readers with this one. Let me tell, I was taken on a whirl wind ride with this one and I loved every minute of it! Those that know me, also know that I love to be around horses and ride them (though it’s been a while since I’ve ridden one!), so I definitely enjoyed this book for that aspect alone.

I adored Lizzy’s character. She’s beautifully chiseled and I loved that she was a trick rider in this story! I haven’t read a book like this one, about women trick rider’s, so it made Lizzy’s story that much more fun for me. I felt a connection with Lizzy, having lost my mother a few years back, and I dealt with my own pain and struggles much like Lizzy did. Watching her blossom from that pain and struggle, seeing her connection with her horse, seeing how she realized that love is what she truly needs to get through it all, was a fantastic experience!

If you love novels that are beautifully written, filled with rich Historical detail, and filled with characters that come to life, then you need not look any further than Peterson’s new novel. She has tremendous talent and fills her books with hope, understanding and love, along with some powerful messages for her readers. This book is fast paced, and before I knew it, it was over, so I’m highly anxious to get book 2 in this series, as I am not yet done with these trick riders and their stunning horses! Grab this 4 star novel now and see what I’m talking about! You won’t be sorry.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*

What a lovely and enjoyable way to spend a snowy day! With plenty of detail, the author brings us into the life and world of trick riding and the Wild West show of days gone by. You could feel the awe, and perhaps even held your breath with the audience, as you read about the dangerous stunts these beautiful ladies would do with their trusty and well trained horses. I loved all the particulars about the horses especially how loved they were. Lizzy, perhaps the best of the riders, is struggling with the loss of her father, compounded by the earlier deaths of her grandparents. Unfortunately, this has created a wall between her and all those who love her. Will she ever learn that love is worth it all?
I received this ARC through CelebrateLit. The impressions and opinions are my own.

Totally cool novel set in 1900 Montana. Get to know a bit more about trick horse riding than you probably know now. Really interesting story about a family of trick riders who have a travelling show similar to Buffalo Bill's or Wild Bill Hickock's, only this show has women performers, including trick shooters. See what I mean by cool? Lizzy is the main trick rider. She and her mother are dealing with the death of her father, who had made them promise to continue with the show till the end of the season. Lizzy shuts everyone out thinking she'll feel less pain, but luckily has good people around her to help and teach her and get through this. Beautifully told with lots of interesting characters, murder, mystery and romance. Even an English gentleman in the mix. You can never go wrong with one of Tracy's books. Would you expect anything less than 5 Stars? Deeply emotional and entertaining, with a strong Christian message. The first in a new series - looking forward to the next!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

When You Are Near is the first in Tracie Peterson's Brookstone Brides series and I can't wait for the rest of the series. I have not read much of Peterson's work in the past but her name would always catch my eye and I'd think, I have to get that book and read it. After reading this one I realize I have a lot of catching up to do! When You Are Near is a book that touches on real-life difficulties. The characters struggle with feelings of fear and guilt that readers can easily relate to. I like how the author helps each of them work through those struggles with the help of family, friends and their faith. The author gives lots of background regarding the travels, trials, and triumphs of a Wild-West show which was interesting and kept my pages turning. So looking forward to the next book...who will be Brookstone Bride #2?
I received a complimentary copy of this book via CelebrateLit. A favorable review was not required and opinions are my own. This review is part of a CelebrateLit blog tour.

WHEN YOU ARE NEAR by TRACIE PETERSON is an exciting romance novel that takes place at the beginning of the twentieth century.
Lizzie Brookstone is the most popular and daring trick rider in the Brookstone Wild West Extravagaza. She and her Morgan-Quarter horses, Longfellow and Thoreau, cause ladies to faint and men to propose to her!
Lizzie, who has been in love with Wes since she was young, is determined to never give in to love or get married because she has seen her mother's grief on losing her husband. She misses her father terribly, but is determined to be strong.
There is a great deal of action in the story, and not only in the ring! I am not going to tell you any more as I do not want to spoil the read for you, except to say that I love the whole Wild West theme and also the strong Christian message throughout the book.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

The first book in a new series, The Brookstone Brides. Lizzy and her family run an all woman wild west touring group. Much like a circus, the group tours for most of the year and winters at the family ranch. The book addresses grief throughout from a Christian perspective as Lizzy's dad had recently passed. Also, a little mystery will keep readers wondering about a horse ranch in Kentucky when the owner's daughter, Ella escapes from her wicked father and soon to be husband. This book introduces other characters and events that will make readers anxious for next in the series. Very enjoyable book! Highly recommended!

When You Are Near begins a new series by Tracie Peterson, Brookstone Brides. I enjoyed this adventurous, fun and exciting story. I loved all of the characters and I hope to see them more in the upcoming releases.

I give When You Are Near four stars. I can not wait to read the next installment in the Brookstone Brides series.

I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

When You Are Near by Tracie Peterson is an interesting look on the inside of Wild West Shows. Lizzy, a master at horse tricks, is a brave and strong heroine who ignores looking for love because every time she loves someone they end up dead. Why allow her heart to be bruised? This novel takes place in Montana and on the Wild West show circuit. The plot moves nicely along. I had a wonderful time with Lizzy and her family as well as a strong cast of other characters. There is a secondary storyline with a mystery or running from the future aspect that I liked and wished for more. I really enjoyed the story, and I can't wait to see what else comes up in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of When You Are Near by Tracie Peterson from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.