The Star in the Meadow (The Spanish Brand Book 4)

Carla
Kelly
Genre: 
Historical

Living in the New World is a hard life, but for Catalina Ygnacio it is made even harder by the authorities’ continual harassment of her father, Fernando Ygnacio.  Years of prison followed by continual abuse have broken the once proud man.  Now they are being sent to Valle de Sol to conduct an audit of the colonists of the area.  Before leaving, the Ygnacios are warned that they are not expected to return alive from their trip.  As far as Catalina is concerned, the Valle De Sol is the Valley of Death.

When father and daughter arrive at their destination, they are surprised to be greeted with sympathy and compassion by Marco and Paloma Mondragon.  Forming a close bond with the people of Valle de Sol, Catalina and her father finally have hope that their life can get better.  That is, until Catalina and Paloma are kidnapped by the men sent to kill Fernando.

This story’s great strength is that it tells a darn good tale of romance and adventure in a pleasingly original way. The characters are fully formed human beings with their own strengths and weakness and history which combine to make a rich story. Ms. Kelly is a fantastic story teller and creates the right amount of drama with her descriptive prose. It is an immersive tale which keeps the reader engaged from the first page to the last!

Gwenellen Tarbet