I have always loved westerns so when I saw this title I knew I had to read it. The book has a strong sense of place and I was pulled right into Carrie's, the young midwife's, journey from New York to the Santa Fe Territory. The author also brings in characters from her previous books but it isn't necessary to have read them before reading this book. I will post a longer review on my book review blog closer to the publication date and will share it on social media..

I did not realize that this book was a continuation of a previous series. I’m going to read the earlier books first and then come back to this one. It looks like a great saga!

Donati delivers another sweeping and satisfying tale in The Sweet Blue Distance. Returning readers will appreciate the ways the heroes of the previous sagas enter into this tale. Our new hero is a branch off a very familiar tree and her journey is a captivating adventure that makes the pages turn. When this hefty tale ends, you’ll only want more. Recommended reading for those who already love Donati and for those who haven’t yet taken the plunge.

I finished this book weeks ago, but had to think on how to write a review that was not just all the superlatives like masterful, and well-executed and a page-turner. All of those things are true, and if you have read Donati's Wilderness series, you already know masterful storytelling. I can say I believe she is immaculate in her research, and an expert in character development, but that still falls short. This does not have to be a first of a new adventure saga, although I know we hope it will be the beginning. It will make us all reread the other series to get that feeling of wonder and satisfaction of a story told flawlessly. I thank Donati for writing so well that I am always sorry the story ends. I carry the Bonner family line in my heart now. Thanks to the publisher for the Netgalley arc, but I will need to buy many copies to keep and lend and give away.

The Sweet Blue Distance is everything I thought it would be in more. If you like midwives, traveling the plains, historical romance, hearty characters and finding your people you will adore this book. I've been a fan of Donati's for many years and this saga doesn't disappoint.

The Sweet Blue Distance by Sara Donati

4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Historical Fiction Romance
Format: ebook ARC (thanks Berkley and NetGallery)

Loved:
*Seeing the Bonner/Ballantyne/Savard crew again
*Fantastic character development
*Midwest setting
*Not too spicy with few curse words
*Carrie's character

Loved Less:
*Slow-paced at times

Description:
Carrie Ballentyne’s life was upended in 1845 when she had to leave the only home she’d ever known in the mountains of upstate New York and the separation from Bonner, Ballentyne, and Savard relatives weighs heavily.  In time, Carrie finds footing as a midwife and nurse, but she never feels at ease in the city. So when, a decade later, she receives an invitation from a doctor in Santa Fe to join him at his practice, she readily accepts.
 The trip across the country is long and often dangerous. On that journey, she makes friends with Eva, a young widow; and Eli, an experienced surveyor. Once Carrie is established in Santa Fe, it becomes clear that her employer is not everything she was led to believe, and she is forced to face far more challenges and responsibilities than she anticipated. But she dedicates herself to the work and the women, providing health care, delivering babies, and earning the trust of her patients.
 In the course of that first summer in New Mexico, determined to make a life for herself in a new kind of wilderness far beyond her imagination, Carrie finds friendship, support, and even love where she least expected.

My opinion:
Awesome storyline with well developed characters who continue to grow. Carrie is such a well-written female main character who is strong, vocal, and not prejudiced in a very prejudiced time period. I absolutely adored getting to see all of the families (that I had already fallen in love with) from Donati's other series, again. Donati is great with painting pictures of the wilderness, but this can sometimes be a little too much for me as I'm into reading for the "action" more so than the scenery. I'm really hoping we will get another book added to this series since I have thoroughly enjoyed all of Donati's novels I've read.

I really loved the first 2 books of this series. Was eagerly awaiting the 3rd book, The Sweet Blue Distance. I received an advance copy of the book, and couldn't wait to read it. I was sorely disappointed, I tried several times to read it, but finally gave up. I thought some of the descriptive scenes were just too long. I'm not a horse person, the characters I just couldn't relate too at all. I felt the writing was disjointed, and just not that great. I was hoping to write a positive review, but just couldn't!

Wonderful book. I will be buying this book for my private collection. (I have all of her other books). PS name should have stayed “Little Birds” … JMHO.

I will be recommending to my friends. Can definitely be read as a stand alone… but exciting to get a glimpse of Anna and Hannah and the rest of her family. I see a re-read of the first five in my near future. Thank you for letting me download this book.

I read the entire Wilderness series by this author and really enjoyed it. This book just didn't seem as engaging. I found it to be really lengthy and overly descriptive in some places. It just seemed to drag out and caused me to lose interest.

I had almost given up on a new Sara Donati novel! Loved the new adventures heading West in the run up to the Civil War. Of course the research is meticulous and blended into the storyline seamlessly.

Learn from my mistake and do a quick re-read of The Endless Forest as refresh of the characters and connections. I was able to pick up on a lot but feel a new reader would find some of the background fuzzy.

Sara Donati continues her writing featuring a new generation In The Sweet Blue Distance Carrie Ballentyne, the granddaughter of Nathaniel and Elizabeth from her book series Into the Wilderness is a mid-wife who agrees to leave New York and take a job in Santa Fe. After an eventful trip across the country, taking every sort of transportation available, she finally arrives in Santa Fe to find the situation isn't what she expected it to be. Carrie isn't what the Dr. who invited her expected either. If you're looking for a nice long novel this one is for you. There are quite a few characters and they are all interesting.

This was a long read, and I enjoyed almost all of it, but i think I would have enjoyed it more had it been about 250 pages less. I love a big, sweeping historical fiction novel, having only read the first of into the wilderness saga, many of the flashbacks or character mentions from the previous books didn’t mean much to me. That’s not to say you have to have read the other books to read this one, as it can definitely be read as a standalone—just know that you’ll be in the dark about a few side stories from Carrie’s family back East. Great sense of place and people—I loved exploring this time period and particularly like the details about midwifery and an approximation of 1850s life for various Indian tribes in the area.

I loved this sprawling historical novel and was thrilled to receive an advance copy. My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. This was a perfect read for over the holidays and I look forward to recommending it to others.

What Sara Donati writes, I read. This is one of the basic rules of my life, and I am never disappointed! Her novels have everything one could want: romance, mystery, stellar historical accuracy, deeply drawn characters that you come to love (and wish you could be friends with), and this latest book of hers is no different. A woman travels to the wild west to become her truest self and meets with adventure and danger = what isn't there to love? This book has so much more than that, and it was just such a wonderful journey from start to finish that I enjoyed so much. I didn't want it to end. This might just be my new favorite Sara Donati book and I HIGHLY recommend it!

“The Sweet Blue Distance” is exactly the big, juicy, page-turner you want in an 800 page historical romance. Sara Donati is a master of this form and her latest does not disappoint. She shifts the action from the Northeast of her earlier series to 1850s New Mexico Territory, where Carrie Ballantyne has taken a job as nurse-midwife to a doctor in Santa Fe. Carrie comes from the world of the Wilderness and Waverly Place books, where women are capable of anything and manage to find men who support them, something rare as hen’s teeth in those time periods. Often that man is of mixed race or another race altogether which gives Donati the opportunity to explore different cultures.

The first part of the novel covers Carrie and her brother Nathan’s journey from Manhattan to Santa Fe. It’s grueling, requiring trains, stagecoaches, steamboats, and finally a covered wagon. Every step of the way is an adventure for both Carrie and her curious, charming younger brother who introduces the shyer Carrie to a variety of fellow travelers. Has she met the romantic interest yet? Or will that happen in Santa Fe?

In the second part of “The Sweet Blue Distance” relishes Santa Fe and its people as Carrie grapples with challenges in the job she’s crossed the country to take. Donati weaves stories and discoveries into every page: we learn about the great diversity of people in town, their many languages and customs. Don’t be concerned about the pages of characters at the start of the book; Donati introduces them all in the most natural way, a way you won’t forget.

The final section is to tie things up in a satisfying way and put feelers out for what will happen in what I hope is the next book.

Carrie herself is a little stiff and over-serious but we see her begin to loosen up as she finds her way in Santa Fe. She’s an appealing hero, especially for her openness to other cultures and her willingness to explore her new world. Her male counterpart is very appealing and the lovemaking scenes are great.

We’ve seen fewer and fewer books about people heading west, perhaps because of the concern about representing colonialism, but Sara Donati takes it head on. Santa Fe has had colonialism coming at it from all directions—Americans, Mexicans, Spaniards, and tribes. Carrie’s background coming from a family consisting of white, black, and native people means that she’s open to the expectations and distinctions of those groups.

“The Sweet Blue Distance” is deeply researched and rich in adventure. What a treat for readers.