A fun historical romance with spunky characters. There’s a little mystery and drama as well. If you enjoy American history, you’ll probably find this book interesting as it’s set doing the land race that took place in Oklahoma. You’ll enjoy learning about the boomers and the sooners as you read this light hearted romance.

THE MAJOR'S DAUGHTER by REGINA JENNINGS is the third novel in the Fort Reno series, in which the author combines history and romance with a good bit of humour and some biblical truths to make an excellent read. Although it is better to read the novels in sequence, each book can easily stand alone.
The story takes place in Oklahoma during the 1889 Land Run. I love the descriptions of the race and of the building up of Plainview. We see the baseness of human nature in those who use their position of authority to cheat, even taking over the important positions in the community. These "sooners" are compared with the honest folk who just wanted a chance to have a place of their own.
When Frisco Smith is thwarted in his dream to build the town of Redhawk by major Adams' lovely daughter, Caroline, he is devastated for three reasons. First of all, because of his past he yearns to have his own home and belong somewhere, secondly, he has already sold plots to settlers and thirdly, he has made many improvements on the land.
Caroline is a feisty young lady who wants to be independant of her parents and has plans to run a boardinghouse with a big garden where she can grow herbs and lavender. I like the way she and her best friend, Amber Herald, take part in the race and do their best to survive in difficult circumstances.
The story is well told, the characters well portrayed and the interaction between them is often amusing. It is altogether an enjoyable read.
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 Major's Daughter by Regina Jennings finds Caroline Adams returning to Fort Reno after living in Society for a while. She and her friend Amber are just days away from the land rush of the Oklahoma territory. Being eager to strike out on her own, Caroline has it in her mind to claim land, and establish an Inn for travelers to the growing territory.

Things go a little awry when Caroline claims the land that Frisco Smith had been improving over the years, and had set his sight on claiming it to establish a town.

Things get complicated when some men, claiming they were the first to arrive, start manipulating their towns politics. Frisco, having managed to obtain a small plot in this town, uses his law degree to settle differences, while he still tries to claim the land Caroline staked.

I really enjoyed this story. Not knowing much about how the west was opened up, it was enlightening to see how things might have been in 1889.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Net Galley and the publisher. All views expressed are my honest opinion.

Caroline Adams returns home to Fort Reno with her friend Amber Hardy (?) just days before the official opening of the unclaimed lands in Oklahoma Territory. When Amber’s fiancé finds out he has to guard the line and won’t be able to lay a claim, Caroline and Amber concoct a plan to join the race. Caroline, eager to strike out on her own and test her mettle, knows a shortcut through rough terrain that should guarantee her a chance to prove up on her 160 acre claim.

Frisco Smith has longed for home and community ever since he could remember. Growing up in a foundling house, he never had the opportunity to belong to anything for any length of time. His solution? Take his chance at starting a town in the unclaimed lands of Oklahoma Territory. He makes forays into the territory to scout and plan. Although he often risks capture by the soldiers at Fort Reno, he knows his advocacy of opening up the territory will benefit thousands of people. He also knows a shortcut that will get him to his planned townsite ahead of the crowd—without resorting to cheating.

But what happens when two determined people claim the same section of land? Especially when they have known each other for years? Will they find their true selves amidst the turmoil of the land stampede?

Jennings features the beautiful (and apparently spoiled) Caroline Adams in this third installment of the Fort Reno series. History buffs will love the detailed research the author does into the Oklahoma land race. Romance enthusiasts will love the sparks that fly between two strong characters that appear to have little in common.

Regina Jennings' latest book, The Major's Daughter takes readers to the Oklahoma territory for the 1889 land rush. Caroline, the daughter of the major in charge at the local military fort is a mix of a frontier woman and high society. When her goals rub up against those of boomer Frisco Smith, who she secretly admired when she was younger, it's a battle of wills. This historical novel draws upon a rich frontier setting and pulls in enjoyable and believable characters to make for a light-hearted but fun read. I'll be sure to pick up other Regina Jennings novels in the future. It's fiction that's clean, historically accurate, fun, and believable--everything you want in a Christian novel.

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for this honest review.

The Major’s Daughter
By Regina Jennings
The excitement of this book kept me up all night reading.
Caught up in the excitement Caroline Adams decides to make her own way and stake her claim in the land run. The challenges ahead are not on her mind as she stakes her claim. The territory is lonely and cultivating the land is no easy task.
Always looking for “home” Frisco Smith is determined to build a town and create what he has never had… family. Frisco is no greenhorn to the unassigned land; he has been squatting on this land for years. After getting his law degree and fighting for the unassigned lands to be opened to claim Frisco will now legally be able to claim the land, he plans to call home. One small problem, someone has already claimed his land.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and even now the adventure that was brought alive in these pages gives me a jolt of excitement.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The historical background for this book was really interesting. Seeing people who wanted a chance at claiming the land and their struggles was captivating, from those like Caroline who were successful in claiming the land but then needed to actually get to work settling there, to those like Frisco who didn't get the opportunity they so desperately wanted but were still trying to find a way to be successful. I also enjoyed the plot line with Frisco, a lawyer, trying to figure out if the very men who settled the town where he managed to buy his small plot did so legally or if they started out early in order to stake a claim. The romance angle wasn't quite as appealing to me as the other romances in this series, but all in all, it made for a good read.
3.5 stars.
I read a copy of the book provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.