Francine Rivers has returned to her earlier historical romances, and this book did not disappoint. If I could have given it higher than a 5, I would have.

Kathryn is a woman from a wealthy Bostonian family but ahead of her time and speaks her own mind. After being kicked out of 3 boarding schools and speaking out as a suffragette, her stepfather has had enough. He gives her a train ticket and some money and sends her out to California to settle her uncle's estate. Little does she know that the mining town of Calvata will change her life forever.
Matthias Beck, owner of one of Calvata's saloons as well as a hotel, knows he's in trouble the minute that Kathryn steps off the stage in her fancy clothes and amazing beauty.

This book was so well written with a hint of mystery, a touch of humor, and sparkling with a one-sided romance that ends with a bet. Both Matthias and Kathryn were wonderful, realistic characters full of wit and flaws. Kathryn's grit and determination to hold her own place in life as well as better the town of Calvatta along with Matthias' desire to improve the town that would only die if the mines played out made them a perfect team. Throw in Morgan Smith a much needed villain in an old west romance novel, along with hard-done-by mining widows, a few ladies of the night and the cast was marvelous.

Another well done historical romance by Francine Rivers.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.

It is very hard to impress me with Christian fiction now, but Francine Rivers did not disappoint. I loved this story. The characters are well developed, and the mystery and history are excellent. The best part is how she cultivated the themes of women's suffrage, independence and other social justice issues very carefully and in doing so they make an impact in the story. This is excellent and I highly recommend it.

This was an absolutely fabulous read!! I wasn't sure about it when I picked it up, but within just a few pages I was hooked and all else was forgotten until the very last page. The dialog is witty and fun, while the storyline tackles the hard reality of life in a mining town, trust, and family drama. I loved the characters and enjoyed the journey the author took us on through their story.

I am not a huge fan of Christian fiction, particularly women’s fiction, because of the obvious cliches and overall poor writing. Francine Rivers is the exception. I loved The Lady’s Mine! I loved all the characters. I appreciate being given their backstories without devoting entire chapters or sections spelling it out for readers like we are incapable of keeping up. I loved the focus on women’s rights without an agenda being shoved down our throats. It was easy to read but full of depth and meaning. Five stars. Highly recommended.

Kathryn Walsh and Matthias Beck, from the moment these two meet sparks fly. This was such a fun book to read. 1865, Kathryn is banished to the town of Calvada in the Sierra Nevadas because she is too outspoken as a woman from an elite family in Boston. It doesn't take long for the citizens of Calvada to realize how outspoken she is and then the real action starts. If you're looking for something lighthearted to read then check this one out.

Kathryn, an independent Suffragette, is all but banished by her family to a California gold mine town to claim an "inheritance" left by an unknown uncle. She strives to make her way in this new environment and make a life for herself while fending off the advances of two men in town.

I really enjoyed the multiple facets and storylines of this book - although at times it bordered on too many diverging things. I appreciated the humor sprinkled throughout the dialogue and inner thoughts and found myself laughing out loud from time to time.

There are a few instances that those with modern sensibilities might be offended by the behavior of some of the male characters - though those behaviors are exactly in line with what most likely would have occurred in that time and place in history. They range from overtly criminal behaviors to others that would be deemed merely chauvinistic by today's standards.

One disappointing/deceptive wrinkle is the presentation of this book as an entirely new work. It seems to be a re-writing of the author's previous romance novel "A Fire in the Heart" with a Christian lens. In the Author's Notes, she calls it "my pandemic book," and while she says it "harkens back to my roots as a romance writer," it strongly implies that this is new story.

I have loved some of Francine Rivers' writing in the past, and while this was already not my favorite of her offerings, it seems to feel a bit "cheapened" by the discovery of that fact. By all accounts, the author took steps to attempt to remove the original work (wrote before her conversion to Christianity) from the market because some of the content is not in line with the Christian worldview and behavior. And this now seems as if it were an attempt to recycle that work into something palatable that that the author can present to her current audience.

Overall, I still enjoyed the story, the characters, and some reflections on life I gained along the way. I'm glad I have the opportunity to read it.

The Lady's Mine by Francine Rivers is a well-written, beautiful novel about Kathryn Walsh, who arrives in Calvada, a mining town, after her mother and stepfather banish her from their home. She has no idea what she will do when she gets there or who she will meet, but as she gets to know and learn more about the people in the town, she feels like she is home. Kathryn is determined to make the town better. I loved the reference to the title in the book! An absolutely great read!

I'm embarrassed to say that this was my first book by Francine Rivers. The Lady's Mine was SO GOOD! I did not want this book to end and I hope there is another one after it. I loved everything about the characters and the storyline. It felt like I was in the story as well!

Thank you Francine Rivers and Tyndale House Publishers for the ARC!

When Kathryn Walsh arrives in tiny Calvada in 1875, banished by her wealthy stepfather, she has come to claim an inheritance from the uncle she never knew: a defunct newspaper office on a main street overflowing with brothels and saloons, and a seemingly worthless mine. Moved by the oppression of the local miners and their families, Kathryn decides to relaunch her uncle’s newspaper and then finds herself in the middle, pitted against Calvada’s most powerful men. But Kathryn intends to continue to say―and publish―whatever she pleases. Matthias Beck, owner of a local saloon and hotel, has a special interest in the new lady in town. He instantly recognizes C. T. Walsh’s same tenacity in the beautiful and outspoken redhead―and knows all too well how dangerous that family trait can be. While Kathryn may be right about Calvada’s problems, her righteousness could also get her killed.

Francine Rivers never disappoints, and this is no exception. Although it was pretty obvious early in the book that Matthias and Kathryn would end up together, the telling of the story as to how they get there was very enjoyable. It aptly describes a mining town of mostly men, and how women are regarded. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read the latest book by this wonderful author.

I didn't want this book to end! It is a clean wholesome romance, set in the 1800s in a mining town in California. The love story was sweet and the town was very interesting. I would love to see more from Calvada with other couples from the town in future books.

Interesting piece of historical fiction - not my cup of tea, but she's a strong writer and I would recommend this book to others.

Francine Rivers is one one of my absolute favorite authors. I love everything she has written. She is tops. The Lady’s Mine is right up there with the best. I could not put it down. She describes her characters and scenes so vividly that you have no trouble picturing it in your mind as if you were right there. There are very few books that I will read a second time but Rivers books are worth a second read. There is so much to this book that I can’t just pick out a scene or happening, you must read it for yourself. You will certainly find out what I am speaking of. If I could give it more than 5 stars , I would…..I was gifted a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and I am happy to leave a review.

I am a big fan of Francine Rivers books. While I found this story enjoyable, I felt it was very predictable and a bit of a canned romance novel.
After being banished by her stepfather, Kathryn Walsh sets out on a quest to claim an inheritance from a long lost Uncle in the town of Calvada – a small mining town set in the Sierra Nevadas. Upon arrival in Calvada, Kathryn finds things aren’t as she thought they would be. The mining town is filled with saloons, brothels and a lot of men who would like to marry her on the spot. Kathryn relaunches her uncle’s newspaper which stirs a lot of controversy in town.
The story centers on two men who fight for the affection of spunky and delightful Kathryn. The story does pack some tension, pinning for one another and some good clean romance. Who will win her affection in the end? Read it and find out.
Thank you NetGallery for the advanced copy of the book.

This was such a fun story. I loved the way Kathryn faced life and challenges head-on. Some hard subjects were addressed such as bullying, abuse and prostitution. Also, women's rights played a big part throughout. A little different from other books by this author but enjoyable. Recommended!

I really enjoyed the writing, the realistic setting, the mysteries, and the overall plot of this book. If I could have read it just for Kathryn's story, I would have loved it, but Matthias ruined it for me. I knew I was supposed to like him, but he was a horrible bully and the way he treats her for most of the book is nothing less than sexual harassment, from forcing his way into her home, backing her into corners and kissing her, and picking her up and carrying her across the street to her house - all while she is telling him no repeatedly. I'm not a fan of the guy thinking he knows what the girl really wants and that pretty much is the whole "romance" storyline of this book. It was infuriating to me when she finally "gave in" and admitted he was right all along.

I loved the character of Kathryn - her compassion and creativity to love people well, the way she took harsh criticism to the Lord and released what was mean-spirited and held onto any nuggets of truth and made changes in her life, her refusal to accept injustice, her courage to do what was right, her kindness despite the harassment and abuse she suffered - she really is a great character. I just wished she had either stayed single, found a better man, or that the guy she ended up with had changed a whole lot more, apologized, repented, etc for the awful, sinful way he treated her for most of the story.

I received a complimentary electronic copy of this book from NetGalley.

Francine Rivers is one of my favorite authors. I’ve been impatiently waiting for the release of “A Lady’s Mine,” and I wasn’t disappointed. I liked Kathryn from the start. She fought against discrimination from the time she stepped off the stagecoach. Mathias’s interest in her was cloaked in humor in the first part of the book. I think her determination and her will to succeed showed him a different side of her. It was evident that both characters grew over the course of the book. The faith aspect of the book was a nice balance. It was obvious but not overbearing.

I was provided a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I appreciate the opportunity to have the chance to read The Lady's Mine before publication. Unfortunately at the point it's a DNF, the writing is decent I just struggled to get into it. Hopefully I can try again at a later date and I'll update my review at that time.

This was my first time reading a Francine Rivers story and I really enjoyed it. I love how detailed she is without going over board. I really felt immersed in the town of Calvada and I liked getting both Kathryn’s and Matthias’s POVs. This story had romance and a bit of suspense along with some not so savory characters. Rivers really brought all of the characters to life. So much so that I could believe they truly existed at one time. I loved the subtlety of faith woven through the story. Kathryn’s development as well as Matthias’s is what I enjoyed most. They both learned things about themselves and the other sex. Their views on certain matters changed as the story progressed and it was steady and believable. I thought the epilogue was the icing on the cake.

I loved the mining town setting and the added mystery of mysterious deaths. I’ve always had a soft spot for Western style storylines, I just love the tough men and women from that time period. I can’t express just how much I love Kathryn Walsh in this story! She is strong, independent and passionate. It was so nice to see a woman with strong leadership qualitites be celebrated, even if it took most of the book for everyone to appreciate it. If I had to pick a flaw in the book, I’d say it’s Matthias Beck, which is unusual for me because I always love the male MCs. I’m not a big fan of enemies-to-lovers tropes because there’s always so much emotion, mainly anger, arguments and yelling. There was too much of it in this book for my taste and most of it came from Matthias. He eventually comes to his senses and learns to appreciate Kathryn’s strong personality and independent spirit but it’s a little too late for me. Once they’re no longer enemies, the romance is very endearing and the kisses had me needing a fan!

I was gifted a copy of this book but all views and opinions expressed are my own.

If you like western romance set in the 1875, you’ll enjoy The Lady’s Mine! This is the first novel I’ve read set in this time period and I liked it! A Francine Rivers novel is always enjoyable, and this was no different. I enjoyed the independence and wit of Kathryn Walsh as she learns how to make it in a man’s Wild West while resisting the attention of every man until she can’t ignore one man’s love and devotion.

I received a copy from the publisher.