Oh how I loved this book! It was the perfect blend of cozy comfort, history and faith. I admit to reading this book quite a few months after receiving it, as I started at University. Therefore, I honestly could not remember being familiar with any other books in the series. Since I read it as a standalone, I can say with confidence that it can be read without being familiar with the series. However, Tracie Peterson has such an amazing ability at creating relatable, unforgettable characters that I will definitely want to check out the rest of the series, just so that I can hold onto these characters just a little bit longer. An amazing book with a fast-paced storyline. I highly recommend.

Due to the many books that I have started and not finished lately due to the unrealistic, cliche or unoriginal, or lacking a faith base in a book from a Christian author or publisher. I've found too many and am just leaving this book as a did not finish due to my not getting into the book... I have previously really enjoyed Tracie Peterson's books very, very much, she has been a favorite historical fiction author of myself and one of my sisters, however. This one and other more recent releases however have been repetitive and I haven't really gotten into them due to the fact that they seem like they were pieced together from her former works.

Constance Browning returns to the reservation where she grew up with her missionary parents in order to record the history of the native people, and clear the names of her parents who have been falsely accused of stirring up the Indians.

An engaging historical read, with likable main characters and familiar faces from previous books as well. I liked how Connie is passionate about helping the Indians record their story, and I liked her friendship with Tom. Tom doesn't share her faith, but he is trying and willing to challenge his own beliefs which I admired. Connie's family is welcoming to him, and I liked the ease with which her father ministers to the people he touches.

Overall, this was a welcomed historical read. I haven't read a Tracie Peterson in a while and this one reminded me about why I loved her so much growing up. I thought that Ms. Peterson did an excellent job of portraying the Native voices, showing how they had been wronged by what the government was doing to them. A well rounded read with excellent characters, strong elements of faith, romance, and mystery.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

In the late 1880s, Connie and Tom, coworkers from Washington, DC are sent on assignment to the Native American reservations in Oregon to collect oral histories from the tribes people. Connie grew up in the area as her family served as missionaries to the reservation for over twenty years. A childhood crush of Connie’s, Clint, is now the Indian Agent. Tom, though, pines for Connie. Clint seems to want to woo Connie back, though she is no longer an impressionable teen. The real story here is the interactions of the Native Americans, the Oregon settlers, the Army and other government officials.
The story has intrigue and family ties. It is the third in a series and I found it exceedingly helpful to have read book 2 right before book 3. Those two are tied together with the various family characters.

This is the third book in the Willamette Brides series for Peterson. There were characters that I could tell had stories written about them already, but I did not feel like that took away from my experience with the story. Though the characters mentioned seemed to be lovely people and from what I've read on reviews other readers loved their stories even more than this one.

"Forever By Your Side" is a story full of all the western setting, mystery, love and Christian themes. Connie is a strong heroine who has a job she wants to complete. Her love for her family and love for the Indian community drive her to put forth full effort in solving the problems that are placed before her. And it helps that she has a handsome helper, colleague and best friend, Tom who is there for better or worse. Tom is a reliable, handsome, and caring guy who you can't help falling in love with as you read their story.

What makes Tom an even more interesting character is you get to watch his journey to discovering God. It is a beautiful story and I really enjoyed the Christian themes throughout. Connie's struggle at the beginning of Tom's journey brings to perspective what many people face in their own personal journey and it is a good reminder for all. Peterson is a talented author who does a splendid job at mixing story and religious themes to create an even better story. This was a fun read, quick and action packed to keep you turning the page to see how the mysteries all come together in the end.

*I received a complimentary copy from the publishers/author(s) via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

I have loved the first two books from the Willamette Brides series and Forever by Your Side is my favorite of the series. I thought it was a great read and it gets five plus stars from me.

Tracie Peterson writes great Christian historical fiction. Her books are always very well researched, and I always come way feeling that I’ve learned something new about the time period in which she has set the story. That held true for this book, too. This book clearly shows the conflicts and difficulties that existed for the Native Americans who were placed on reservations. There’s an element of mystery to this story, and the character of Connie drew me into her story as she sought to clear the name of her parents. There’s also some romance in this book, too, and Connie finds that she must determine the state of her own heart. There’s been an on-going mystery in this series, and this book ties up those loose ends. I enjoyed this book that was written in Tracie Peterson’s classic style.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to Bethany House for the free review copy. All opinions are my own.

This is the third book in the Willamette Bride series, and these books do need read in order.
This was a wonderful conclusion to this series. I enjoyed getting the wrap up of the mystery behind the smuggling of alcohol and guns onto reservation lands that had been building up in the books before this one. I also liked how Connie's explorations and learning to own her faith was explored. I think that Tom's journey of exploring God was also interesting and a refreshing POV in a book. I did want more of the romance in this book. It felt rushed.

This book also looks at the beginning of reservations and the harm that they have done to Native Americans from the beginning of their creation. It also explored why there is animosity between Natives and the white settlers of this time. I really like how Peterson explores topics like these in her books. They felt timely in that era but also now.

Forever by Your Side is the third book in Tracie Peterson's Willamette Bride series. While I have read many historical fiction novels set around this time, this is probably the first I have read about the relationship and tension between the Indian tribes and the white men during this particular period in history. You don't necessarily have to read the first 2 books in the series to enjoy this novel, but I highly recommend reading them to get more of a background on the situation and cast of characters. Plus they are great books!
Forever by Your Side follows the story of Connie Browning and her friend Thomas Lowell as they are given the task of recording the history of the Indian Tribes located in Oregon. Connie's parents, who have spent many years working with these tribes, have been accused of attempting to incite an Indian uprising. Unbeknownst to the Bureau of Ethnology, Connie and Tom's main goal is to clear the Browning's good name. From friendships to betrayals, from romance to family and God's redemption and grace, this book has it all!
I found the friends to lovers storyline in this book to be natural and well done, romantic without being overly cheesy. I also love how Tracie Peterson weaves Biblical truths throughout these novels, while bringing to light the injustices faced by the Indian tribes of our nation. I found myself wanting to research and learn more truths about this dark time in our nation's history. I would definitely recommend this book to those who love historical fiction and good clean love stories! Thank you netgalley and Bethany House publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy!

This was such a unique story. Being based in a time where there was tension between whites and the native tribes isn’t all that common of a setting. The fact that some of the main characters were a mix of white and native made it even more unusual. Having not read the previous books in this series it was interesting jumping into the third book, but I don’t feel that it was necessary to read the previous two in order to enjoy this one. Peterson painted a interesting and unique world, where the innocent can be assumed guilty, and where looks can be deceiving. I was taken on a roller coaster of emotions from being happy, to worried, and then to sad and back again. I could in no way guess where the story was going and enjoyed to journey. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Historical Fiction. I received a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishing and was in no way forced to post a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This novel is the third in the series which is a continuing of the three sisters who lived through the massacre of Marcus and Narcissa Whitman. This series follows the daughters of those three sisters. I found this one interesting because I haven't read much about what happened when the government was trying to herd Native Americans onto reservations and then was like oops their culture is dying, now let's document it.
Blacks weren't even allowed in the state of Oregon, so it's pretty incredible how far we've come when it comes to racial divisions when you read something like this and compare. It gives hope that people will one day all be treated equally without looking at skin color. Someday. This is an interesting read for just that alone. It's a little preachy at some points since one character is an agnostic who is trying to figure out what he believes. The romance and villain are predictable, but I still kept reading because there was enough suspense.
Overall, I love the first series by far, but I enjoyed seeing what happened to all the characters in this final wrap up. I feel like I learned a lot about history. And if someone has questions about God, a lot basic ones are answered in this book which is not always common.
I was given a copy of this novel by netgalley for my honest review.

This is the third book in the Willamette Brides series and while it can be read as a stand alone I do recommend reading the others in the series first I read the other books and they give you the back story of the characters and answer questions leading up to this book.
The series is full of love,mystery and plain excellent story telling that I found intriguing and easy to follow along with.
The author has written another well researched book with well developed characters.
Forever by your Side is vividly descriptive as the authors words bring this book to life and you'll think you are there experiencing all that happens.
There is a mystery that runs through all the books in the series finally getting solved in this last book.
I enjoyed the conclusion to this series and look forward to more by this author.

Pub Date: 06 Oct 2020
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Tracie Peterson's books are always an adventure. Love the historical setting--especially Oregon during this time period. Another wonderful story.

As soon as I saw this book available, I requested a copy. Tracie Peterson is one of my all-time favorite Christian fiction authors. I always love her books.

I didn't realize this was the third book in the series, Willamette Brides, but that was not a problem. I had already read the first two books, so I was familiar with the characters and the background story for the book.

A reader would probably enjoy this book without reading the first two in the series, but I'm not sure it would mean as much to them. Knowing the complete backstory, what brought us to this point in time on the Indian reservation, fills in what might otherwise be blanks in the book. I do recommend reading the first two books first, but you will definitely want to read the resolutions in "Forever By Your Side".


Synopsis of Forever By Your Side

Constance Browning is thrilled when she is hired to catalogue the history of the American Indians on the Oregon reservation, her own childhood home. Constance's parents are still missionaries there and she is excited to return after years away at school.

Tom Lowell, Connie's best friend, is the second half of the team hired to record the historical facts. Together, they travel from the East Coast to the Oregon reservation. Once there, they are welcomed to stay with Connie's parents instead of other government accommodations. This is an optimum arrangement for Connie & Tom since they also hope to find out who is supplying the Indians with whiskey and guns. It has been rumored that her parents are behind the shipments and are organizing an upraising.

Connie is certain her parents are not involved in anything that would put the Indians in danger. She knows their hearts and their mission to help the people they love. Unfortunately, her opinion doesn't matter when there is evidence that her father is part of the operation.

Since Connie knows some of the Indians, she & Tom plan to use their research as a cover for inquiring about a potential upraising. They are stunned by some old friends who now consider Connie's family the enemy.

Connie is equally surprised by the government agent, Clint Singleton, on the reservation who now expresses a romantic interest in her. She had a childhood crush on him years before and he had totally dismissed her then. She has to ask herself, is she still in love with Clint?

All the changes are confusing, but Connie is determined to prove her parents are innocent. With the evidence against her father, that won't be easy to do.


My Recommendation

As I stated in my introduction, while this could be a stand-alone book, I believe the entire series should be read in order. Connie's cousins, their marriages, and most especially one husband's murder, are important to understanding the entire Willamette Brides story plot and the resolutions in this book.

Personally, I was glad to finally know the true identity of Mr. Smith and the reasons behind his actions.

The previous books in the series, Secrets of My Heart and The Way of Love are wonderful books, full of love, mystery and an excellent story that carried through the series. I highly recommend the Willamette Brides series by Tracie Peterson, especially now that we have Forever By Your Side that provides the answers and resolutions.

I received an advance copy of "Forever by Your Side" to review from NetGalley. I would like to express my appreciation to Netgalley, the author, Tracie Peterson, and the publisher, Bethany House, for this opportunity.

The review above was published on 10/23/2020 on ReviewThisReviews. It was copied and pasted here per the Netgalley request.

This story has everything: mystery, intrigue, old flames, you name it. Constance Browning returns to Oregon Territory to do a job for the Bureau of Ethnoloogy. She grew up on the Indian reservation there where her parents are missionaries. This is an interesting 1880s frontier story and another well researched book by Tracie Peterson.

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Forever by Your Side the last in this series was well-written with developed characters. Peterson has a way with words in describing her characters and scenery that brings the people to life. You can tell that Peterson did her research for this series very well and is informative about the Native Americans. I appreciated the Author’s Note at the end telling of her research. You will read about many characters from the first two books in this series and even beyond from the previous series. I suggest reading previous books to have a better understanding of this one. They are all so interesting….. Connie Browning is a young independent woman who has been living with her aunt and uncle in Washington, D.C. for the last seven years. Her parents have been missionaries to the Native Americans for many years and now they are being accused of inciting war and providing the natives with weapons and whiskey. She is looking forward to returning to the reservation that she knew as a child and seeing old friends and also her beloved parents. Unbeknownst to all, she has a dual purpose, not only to learn and document the Native’s customs for the government, but to learn who the real criminals are and prove her parents not guilty of this horrible crime they are accused of……. I love reading about our Native Americans and their ways. I don’t believe they were treated fairly in the early time of the settling of America…..I was given an E copy of this book and this review is in my own words.

Forever by Your Side
by Tracie Peterson
Bethany House
Bethany House Publishers
Christian
Pub Date 06 Oct 2020



I am reviewing a copy of Forever by Your Side through Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley:


Constance Browning returns to Oregon after years of schooling on the East Coast. She returns the reservation where she grew up with her parents who were missionary. Accompanying her is Thomas Lowell, her best friend and colleague. They are there to on a project to catalogue the native peoples of Oregon for the Bureau of American Ethnology. Connie and Tom have another purpose for going as well to to prove her parents are not involved in a secret conspiracy to goad the oppressed tribes into a doomed war.




Connie finds that life on the reservation is far bleaker than she remembered and is grateful to have Tom by her side. But she has also become reacquainted with Clint Singleton, the government agent on whom she had a crush as a girl. She’s back now and all grown up and now it seems Clint has finally started to show interest in her, but Connie is no longer certain of her feelings




Soon tensions on the reservation are rising and war is looming even closer. Connie and Tom find themselves on the hunt for whoever is truly behind the uprising. With danger unfolding amid shocking revelations, Connie will also have a revelation of the heart.



I give Forever by Your Side five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Forever by Your Side
by Tracie Peterson
Back of the Book: “After years of schooling on the East Coast, Constance Browning returns to Oregon and the reservation where she grew up with her missionary parents. She is accompanied by Thomas Lowell, her best friend and colleague, and together they embark on a project to catalogue the native peoples of Oregon for the Bureau of American Ethnology. But Connie and Tom have another purpose--to prove her parents are not involved in a secret conspiracy to goad the oppressed tribes into a doomed war.
Connie finds life on the reservation much bleaker than she remembered, and she is glad to have Tom by her side. But she also becomes reacquainted with Clint Singleton, the government agent on whom she had a crush as a girl. Now that she's back, Clint finally seems interested in her, but Connie is no longer sure of her feelings. As tensions on the reservation rise and war looms ever closer, Connie and Tom search for whoever is truly behind the uprising. With danger unfolding amid shocking revelations, Connie will also have a revelation of the heart.”
Impressions: This was a slow start for me as I was trying to remember all the characters and their relationships from the previous books in this series. This is the third installment to the Willamette Brides Series. I would recommend this being read as a series and not a stand-alone novel.
Liked: I really enjoyed this story as well as the series. It had romance, intrigue and a solid spiritual foundation. I loved the historical basis of this series.
Disliked: I wouldn’t go so far as to say I disliked the beginning, but I struggled to set the scene mentally and get established in the story since it has been a bit since I read the previous books.
Learned: Love others. It is that simple.
Quotes: “Just remember, God is in charge. Not you.” – Why is this so simple but such a struggle?
“… I don’t understand why He (God) didn’t keep this from happening. I can’t see anything good in it.” “Perhaps the good will come later. Maybe through this, our faith will increase, and we will become stronger in the Lord.”
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review shared here.

Forever by Your Side by Tracie Peterson is the 3rd novel in Willamette Brides series. While this book can be read on its own, I recommend reading the series in order. There is a mystery that runs throughout the trilogy that gets resolved in Forever by Your Side. I thought Forever by Your Side was well-written with developed characters. The author provided word imagery that brings the scenery and people alive. I can tell that Tracie Peterson did her research for this series and I appreciated the Author’s Note at the end. Connie Browning is a smart, independent woman who has been living with her aunt and uncle in Washington, D.C. for the last seven years. Her parents have been missionaries to the Native Americans for many years and now they are being accused of inciting war and providing the natives with weapons and whiskey. Connie is using her new job with the Smithsonian Institute’s Bureau of Ethnology as a cover. Her work partner and friend, Tom Lowell is going to help her prove her parent’s innocence. The characters from the first two novels (Nancy, Faith, Seth, Andrew, the boarding house ladies) are present along with the evil Mr. Smith. We get to finally learn who is the mastermind behind the violence and plan. How the Indians were treated was terrible and the atrocities are highlighted in this book. Christian themes are present throughout. I like how the author incorporated them into the story. Romance is not at the forefront of Forever by Your Side which I appreciate. It plays out softly in the background with a lovely ending. I like how the title was incorporated at the end. I enjoyed the mystery and adventure in the story. Forever by Your Side was a great conclusion to the Willamette Brides trilogy.

Forever By Your Side by Tracie Peterson is the third book in the Brides of Willamette series. It can be read on its own but there are shared characters in all three novels, so reading them in order would be suggested.

Connie has returned to the Reservation where she grew up in the Pacific Northwest. She is accompanied by her best friend Tom. They are there to research Native American family histories and stories for the Bureau of Ethnicity. Connie has another purpose for returning. Her parents have been accused of trying to incite a war between the Indians and the government. Connie is determined to prove their innocence.

Forever by your Side is set in the 1880s and, through Connie's eyes, looks at the treatment of Native Americans after the Trail of Tears. While the horrors of the Trail of Tears have been well publicized, they did not end when the Native Americans arrived on the reservations. In this novel, Tracie Peterson takes a clear and honest look at the abuses and crimes that occurred against Native Americans and were often blessed by the government. Peterson also introduces a real life character, Helen Hunt Jackson, a poet who became an activist for the Indian tribes. Jackson wrote a book called A Century of Dishonor in 1881. Peterson refers to this book in Forever By Your Side.

Although this is primarily a historical fiction novel, it also involves romance, mystery, and crime. If you want to learn more about Native American history while reading well-written historical fiction, this book is for you.

I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House via Netgalley. My review is voluntary.