Four romance novellas set in the late 1800's in the west. Three include stories of young women coming west (2 from the east and one from England). In the final story the main character is already homesteading in Idaho but waiting for a man to finish medical school back east. Usually with a set up like this I rank or star the individual stories. But I felt all were interesting and well written. Of course with novellas you always wish for more details.

I enjoyed the strong female leads, interesting plots, and endings with happy romance or potential happy every afters. All are clean with some kisses for fun. As always when I read westerns I'm grateful for my pioneer ancestors but glad I didn't live in those times. Thank you NetGalley and Covenant Communications for an ARC ebook in exchange for a honest review.

This was a fun group of western novellas, each with it's own spark. We have a reformed gambler, a reformed bank robber, a child running from his family, and a family starting over. I had some favorites, and some were harder to finish, but I am glad I did.
These anthologies are always fun and a welcome on days when you just need a quick pick me up.

As with most short story collections, some stories are good and some stories are bad. It’s an average collection considering the brevity and plot holes. The characters and plots were decent, especially in the first story.

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes I just want a quick story to keep me busy during an long afternoon. That is when I love to grab books like Heart of the Frontier, which have several novellas in a single book. I enjoyed all four stories, written by different authors, in this book. The stories often had a mix of western and English characters, a fun combination. Each one featured an adventure, expected or unplanned, and the way love finds you, right when you least expect it.

Heart of the Frontier is a wonderful collection of four novellas that are written by: Brittany Larsen, Jen Geigle Johnson, Jennie Hansen & Carolyn Twede Frank. This is an excellent group of historical fiction stories that collectively involve the western lands and experiences of four different women forging their own respective paths in the great American wild west.

I really enjoyed each short story individually, however I think their true delight is the collection as a whole. Yes, each are different: different women, different times, circumstances, and outcomes...yet they are all similar. Similar in the hopes, dreams, stacked odds, losses, slips, friendships and relationships forged, battles won...all the while each woman growing, changing, maturing, and evolving.

I cannot choose one I like the most, as they are all excellent in their own right. I highly recommend this collection for anyone that loves a good historical fiction and romance, especially ones that feature the American western frontier.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Covenant Communications for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately (as of 2/22/21 no BB listing has yet been created) and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 7/1/21.

Four marvelous books of new beginnings, hope and struggles
This collection is a wonderful read. Four stories all set in the west but all very distinct and individual. All four are strong, well-written stories that will pull you in and keep you reading. The first is a tale of an English aristocrat heading to the American West to make his fortune and those that would use his naivete against him and the young woman who has the education to help not only him but others around her. It is charming with a strong female lead. The second is of a doctor heading to the West with his daughter to help those in need. The daughter has been pining for her lost love who had left and not been in touch. When he appears in a strange and surprising way, she needs to decide where her heart and future lie. The third is a of a girl Sally who is unhappy with her father and her forced move from green England to her uncle’s ranch in the west where everything appears strange, gray and barren. Soon she discovers that things are different but not necessarily bad. That people there are ready to not only accept her and her father but welcome and include them. Mix in two handsome cowboys and the frontier does indeed look better. The last is a book about deciding what is important in life. Celia and her family have moves west while her fiancée, Wesley, completes medical school. Now it has been three years and Celia wonders if the engagement is still in place especially when a handsome, caring stranger is injured and needs to heal at the family home all while Wesley’s letters become more distant, disinterested and judgemental of all who do not meet his social standing. Now Celia must decide what her priorities and future should hold. A great read I highly recommend it. I was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

"Heart of the Frontier" by Brittany Larsen, Jen Geigle Johnson, Jennie Hansen, and Carolyn Twede Frank
Publication Date: 7.1.2021

This is a collection of four romantic novellas by written popular authors. Each short story focuses on a different person, sharing their life int he west. Of course, the stories were clean and ended with a happy ending. I really enjoyed "Her Frontier Bandit," sharing that love always finds a way.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. I enjoyed each of the four novellas written by different authors about women in the American West. Each story was unique and had clean romance. This was a quick read for me and would recommend it!