This was a sweet novel of overcoming prejudice of women doctors and overcoming family expectations. The love story is sweet. I enjoyed reading this story.

Amanda Cabot’s latest release is the second in her Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing series, Against The Wind, and she blows in small town intrigue like a dust storm. Louisa Vaughn has a heart for healing and wants to do that for the community where she grew up. However, in late 1800s Texas, a female doctor is a radical idea that gets people riled up. Sweetwater Crossing is no exception and the resistance varies from loud mumbling to gravely dangerous acts that put others in harm’s way to prove a point. But Louisa has the unwavering support of her sister and of her first solo patient, Josh Porter. Josh has problems of his own, though. Outsiders may be welcomed here, but certainly with a fair amount of caution. And the broken leg Louisa has set for him throws a kink in his plans to get home to New York in time to try to win control of the family legacy in the competition his grandfather set forth.

If you don’t already know Sweetwater Crossing like your own hometown from After The Shadows, the town and its residents will quickly become familiar, thanks to Cox’s careful addition of the locals and their various places. You are effortlessly transported to the lush Texas Hill Country, to a slower and more organic time and place, with the sun on your face and the wind in your hair. Against The Wind will easily pull you in and leave you longing for the next installment of the Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing.

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

I actually enjoyed this one more than the first one in the series. I also enjoyed that this one had a bit of a mystery.

Against the Wind is the second book in Amanda Cabot’s Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing series. I enjoyed how the characters storyline made them come to life and easy to follow.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All words are my own.

Against the Wind is book two in the Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing series. It picks up shortly after the events of After the Shadows, but you can read this as a standalone. Set in the hill country of Texas in the 1880s, this is a story of a young woman, Louisa, trying to defy societal norms by becoming a doctor. The author handles this topic well, showing her dedication and abilities without beating the reader over the head with it or being preachy.

Louisa is capable and kind, treating everyone with respect - even the ones who scoff at her or insult her publicly. This is a clean romance, and her love interest, Josh, is a man in town temporarily. He is competitive and loyal with a strong sense of duty. He isn't threatened by a strong woman, nor does he question her abilities or ambitions. There is a secondary storyline that is a bit of a mystery. My only quibble with the story is the resolution of the mystery. The motivation stretched the imagination a little too far for me.

This is Christian fiction so expect prayers and conversations about God.

Overall, I enjoyed it and would recommend for all readers.

Family friendly.

Louisa Vaughn decides to return to Sweetwater Crossing and take over as the town's doctor/midwife. On her way there, she runs across a man thrown from his horse with a broken leg, Josh Porter. She becomes his physician and is responsible for his care.

The storyline is filled with distrust, betrayal, joy, and loss. Louisa must be strong & forgiving. There were twists to the story and major lessons learned that affected the whole community. An inspirational and uplifting story that will tug at your heart. The secret was surprising and the ending wrapped everything up nicely.

I received a complimentary copy from Revell and Netgalley. A positive review is not required and all opinions are my own.

The Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing series continues with the story of Louisa as she returns to seek out her profession as a doctor. As many of the community show their distrust of a female doctor, a few will embrace her. Readers who love historical novels will enjoy this adventure set in Texas. A little romance and mystery makes for an enjoyable story. Looking forward to reading the next in the series as the third sister returns.

Louisa left Sweetwater Crossing a few years ago in anger. She wasn't too happy about returning. Josh was just passing through when tragedy struck.

I was happily surprised that this continued the story that started in a previous book by Amanda Cabot called After The Shadows. Louisa has two sisters. She is the youngest.

Louisa was stronger than she knew. She pulled up her bootstraps and did what she had to do. There were many situations where she could have lost it completely. She had a dream and she went for it.

Josh had no idea what he was in for after he was found on the side of the road with a broken leg. How lucky for him it was Louisa, a doctor in training.

How lucky for us that Amanda wrote this book. It was a page-turner. I loved the characters and the story.

I received this book to review from Revell.

Overall, I did enjoy the story. I think some of it could w fleshed out more - let me see the action through the eyes of the characters instead of A then B then C. That said, beautiful cover. Love Josh and Louisa, and I’d be interested to see Raymond’s story!

Good job, Amanda!

I love the Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing series and the Vaughn sisters. Amanda Cabot captures the essence of life in a small, fledgling town and its inhabitants. Louisa returns to her hometown to bring a friend there for a solemn event. She plans this to be a quick turnaround trip for both of them until she finds an injured man on the journey. She uses her medical skills to set his broken leg and feels it a necessity to remain for the entirety of his recovery process as there is no doctor in the area. She wonders if her sister, Emily, can forgive her and allow her to stay at their family home.
Joshua Porter is in a quandary. He is injured and has to postpone his quest to offer a proposal to win the right to take over his grandfather's business in New York City. Everything is on hold and his 'almost' fiancé waits back home for their life to move forward as planned by their elders. He scoffs at the romantic definition of love, calling the emotion a fairy tale.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley and this is my own unsolicited opinion of it. I really like that the sister's stories moved smoothly along after a seven-month absence for Louisa. The time period, prejudice against women in the medical field, and the way of life is well represented in this series. The characters tell their stories and reflect on histories that influence who they are during the present day. I enjoyed this very much and I can hardly wait for the return of the missing Vaughn sister. This is also a sweet romance with reasonable challenges along with a life-threatening mystery that blows open another secret for the characters. Readers who enjoy a mysterious atmosphere during an 1800's small town romance should enjoy this book. It is an excellent depiction of the need to move forward for women during the time period. They were more than wives and mothers. It's a five-star read for me.

Against the Wind was such a sweet romance—I didn’t want the book to end! Louisa is such a strong, yet wounded, heroine. And Josh is a complete package, including patience (which he needs because Louisa is very strong-willed, but in a good way). I love how they work together well and face, what seems to be, insurmountable obstacles throughout the entire story. Somehow Amanda Cabot’s novels are getting better and better!

Doctor-in-training Louisa Vaughn is determined to leave Sweetwater Crossing but stays to help Josh Porter, when his leg is broken. She decides to work as the town’s doctor and midwife, whilst his leg heals. Josh’s plans are also overturned by his injury as he has planned to gain full control of the family business and fulfil his father’s wishes. Yet when she is criticised for her work and she begins to receive threatening notes, Josh is determined to help her.
This was a sweet romance with a twist of mystery. I enjoyed reading how the relationship between Josh and Louisa developed. There were some interesting secondary characters and the author, clearly outlined some of unpleasantness of humankind by the way in which Louisa is treated. Whilst this book is considered a standalone book, I did find the beginning few chapters quite detailed in trying to convey all the characters from the first book in the series ‘Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing’.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the second book in the Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing series. It's not necessary to read the first book to read this one. Book one is good so I would recommend reading it.

This book is about, Louisa, a woman who wants to be a doctor in the old West. It was a time when women were expected to be nothing more that a wife and mother. Louisa wants that also. But she has wanted to be a doctor since she was very little. Sweetwater crossing is not very receptive to her being a doctor. Even with her successes the people don't think she has any business being there. Josh is one of her success stories. He was thrown from his horse and broke his leg. She came across him in the road and took him home and fixed him up. Josh is on a mission to come up with an idea to propose to his grandfather so he can be the one to take over the store in New York instead of his cousin. This is Louisa's journey to become a doctor against all kinds of odds. Josh has to learn what he wants to do rather than what his grandfather expects of him. Then have the courage to do something about it.

I also recommend this book to anyone who likes a good read.

I received this book from Revell Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.

Against the Wind by Amanda Cabot is the second installment of her Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing series. Her characters are so well written, faults and all. They feel so true, so real, the reader finds themselves rooting for their good all through the story. The themes of forgiveness and living in God’s will are evident throughout. If you haven’t read any of this series, you are missing out.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions expressed are completely my own.

I have enjoyed several Amanda Cabot books. This one included. In Against the Wind, the author returns to Sweetwater Crossing where book one left off. In book two, Louisa returns with no intention of staying until she finds a man by the road who needs help. Josh Porter finds himself in this small town, a thousand miles from home, unable to take care of himself. I love the tenacity of Louisa and her caring and determined heart. She wants so much to be accepted as a doctor in the small town, but fights against the opinions of others and some tragic events. Josh wants to please his grandfather, but he's not sure it's the best path for his life. With a strong faith thread, the two discover life is filled with surprises, struggles, and difficult decisions. I enjoyed the story and the characters. I received a free copy with no expectations, and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this read. The youngest sister, Louisa, comes home, trying to start up her medical practice. After tragic loss, it seems the town will not accept a woman doctor.
Meanwhile, Jake is stuck in a small town waiting for his broken leg to heal.
A little mystery, sprinkled with love, finds Jake and Louisa with some serious decisions to make.

As expected, I was not disappointed in this story. The only complaint I have is that there was not an epilogue. I did not want the story to end. I am looking forward to the 3rd book in the series.

The main characters were quite well-developed and easy to relate to. The background characters were interesting also. In fact, there is a bit of a surprise with some of these characters.

The story flowed well and kept my interest throughout. In fact, I finished this book in record time as I wanted to see how things turned out.

This was an advanced copy, but even so, the editing was well done. Poor editing can ruin a book but this was not an issue.

I received my copy through the Revell Reads program. I am not required to leave a positive review. This review is totally my own opinion.

Against the Wind is a very well written book. I enjoyed the plot and character dynamics. I definitely recommend this book.

Louisa never intended to return to Sweetwater Crossing, but when the death of the town doctor forces her to accompany his widow home, she realises that maybe home is where she was meant to be. And the discovery of an injured man on the road whom only she can help prods her to stay at least until he's healed. Ever since his parents' deaths, Josh has been trying to fulfil a promise to his father, and the goal was finally in sight when a fall from his horse and the disappearance of the horse destroys his hopes by landing him in a backwoods town for weeks and losing the recipes he's been collecting. But spending time with Louisa and helping her reach for her dream inspires a dream or two of his own...

Louisa didn't make herself particularly well-loved in the little she showed up in the previous book, but it was good to see a better side of her when the dust has settled - and satisfying to see the sisters make peace. As for Josh, I enjoyed getting to know him, but I was starting to wonder whether he'd ever overcome his obsession with winning the store! However, it was great to see his support of Louisa in so many ways - and hers of him. The thread of suspense was well done, neatly woven so as not to take over the story but add a certain something to it. I also appreciated the way that the life of a doctor wasn't shown as all roses, but with some tragedy mixed in as well (sad though that is). Now I'm intrigued to see what's going on with Joanna... The next book can't come too soon.

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

This installation of Sweetwater Crossing series features Louisa, who is coming back with Mrs. Sheridan for her husband's funeral. On the way, the come across Josh, who has been injured. Louisa steps in to take care of him. Sweetwater is still very biased against female doctors and this story takes us through her trials and tribulations while she fights to prove her worth. Josh is on him own mission and doesn't really have time to be held back for his broken leg, but he settles in to heal and to be there for Louisa, while working on some ideas for the challenge his grandfather issued to him and his cousin Jeb. We also see Craig, Emily, Noah, Mrs Carmichael as well as other townsfolk, like Tina, Adam, Gertrude, Caroline and April, among others. Page turning story, with everything wrapped up neatly at the end.

A complimentary copy was provided by Revell via NetGalley. A review was not required and all thoughts and opinions are my own.