Wednesday, January 8, 2020

SPOTLIGHT TOUR - Pathfinder

DESCRIPTION:

Return to a time when the West was Wild...

Captain Max Winslow was once a pathfinder for the Army, blazing trails and keeping his brothers-in-arms safe. Now he's the star of a Wild West show, reminding curious audiences of days long gone. The world around him may be changing, but that doesn't mean he has to accept it―not when there are frontiers yet to be explored.


When Max first sets eyes on no-nonsense Harvey Girl Emma Elliot, he knows that anything between them would be impossible. She's a realist embracing what the future holds, while he's a dreamer, determined to preserve the West he once knew. And yet something about Emma's strength of will calls to him. It isn't long before Max must decide: is there room in his dream for love, or will his resolve to hang on to the past jeopardize their future?
MY THOUGHTS:

Title:   Pathfinder
Author:  Anna Schmidt
Series:  Cowboys & Harvey Girls #3
Genre:   Romance
Publisher:  Sourcebooks Casablanca
Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of Pages:   352
Date of Publication:   December 31, 2019
My Rating:   4 Stars

As the star of a Wild West show, Captain Max Winslow wants things as authentic as possible, and this includes having some Blackfoot Indians as part of his cast. Max has both educating and entertaining in mind. Max and some of the cast are staying in what was known at that time as the Harvey corporation in one of their hotels. Meeting Harvey Girl Emma Elliot proves to be the perfect distraction while in residence.

Max and Emma hit it off from the very beginning. However, there are plenty of obstacles in their path. For one thing, with Emma being house mother to the girls in residence leaves very little chance that anything blooming between her and Max could lead to anything long-term. Considering that Max and his show will eventually move on lends truth to that fact.

Despite that, the connection is there between Max and Emma. Emma cannot help but think of her friends Grace and Lily. This is because being a Harvey Girl precludes Emma finding long-term love, yet that is exactly what her friends did (in books one and two, Trailblazer and Renegade, respectively). Emma can't help but wonder if she too will find everlasting love when it comes to Max. Just when Emma thinks she can actually dream of such things, obstacles get in their way, and it is these very things that concern both her and Max.

This lovely romance by Anna Schmidt touches on serious issues, especially when it comes to the hatred of some of the Indians in Max's cast. That was rather heartbreaking for me to read, but I do applaud Ms. Schmidt for addressing the realities of things and keeping things as factually as possible. I do wish I had read the previous books in this story, although Pathfinder did perfectly well as a standalone. I am not certain if there will be more books in the series, but if there are, I certainly will be sure to read them. This engaging read had a wonderful conclusion.

Many thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.



Please enjoy the following excerpt:

Having practically counted the ticks of the large clock in the lobby, marking time until the supper shift ended, Emma changed out of her uniform, released her hair from the bonds of its chignon, and fastened it with a barrette at the nape of her neck. George had mentioned a surprise, but she wasn’t sure what she should do. Wait in her room? Wait outside the kitchen door where he had come before? Of course, the surprise might be tomorrow or next week for all she knew.
In the end, she settled on a compromise. She would sit in one of the rocking chairs on the hotel veranda. It was not at all unusual for her to do that before retiring for the night. No one would think it odd. Yes, that was the right choice. She carried along a basket of knitting. She could form stitches even in the dark if necessary, although there was always light coming from the lobby windows.
Knit one, purl one, repeat.
As she worked, she kept an eye out for Diablo. The stallion would be the clearest sign of Max’s arrival. As the minutes clicked away, she counted out the pattern, nodding politely to guests returning to the hotel for the night while she waited. She was about to pack up her yarn and needles when from behind her, she heard the unmistakable sound of dishes rattling on a metal tray.
She turned and saw Max struggling to keep two glass ice cream dishes plus spoons and napkins at an even keel.
“This is harder than it looks,” he grumbled.
Emma set her knitting aside and relieved him of the tray. “What on earth?”
“I promised you ice cream.”
“That you did,” she said, setting the tray on a small side table.
“I can’t take full credit. I had help. George is responsible for the whipped cream and the cherries. He insisted. Truth is, he was so set on getting it all perfect, I figured you’d be long gone by the time I got here.”
“How did you know where to find me?”
Max chuckled. “Folks tend to keep an eye on you, Emmie. One of the waitresses came through the kitchen while George was fussing with the sundaes, and I reckon she just assumed this was all for you. She reminded George vanilla is your favorite and then told me you were out here.” He handed her a cloth napkin and spoon, waited for her to drape the napkin over her lap, and then presented the stemmed glass bowl brimming with the sundae.
“Thank you. It looks delicious.”
“It’s not for admiring, Emmie. Take a bite before the whole thing melts.” As if to demonstrate, he filled his spoon with a heaping bite of his chocolate ice cream and savored it. “Mm-mm.”
Emma took a much smaller bite and relished the cold sweetness that filled her mouth. “Oh, that’s so good,” she murmured and quickly took another bite.
“If you think that’s good, try this,” he said, offering her a bite of his.
The gesture seemed far too intimate to be proper, and yet it was hard to resist his enthusiasm. She opened her mouth, and he slid the spoon between her parted lips. The chocolate was rich, almost decadent. She closed her eyes. Slowly, Max withdrew the spoon. When she opened her eyes, he was watching her, the spoon still suspended between them.
“Do you really prefer vanilla?” he asked, his voice husky.
“I prefer variety,” she replied and, to prove her point, took a bite of her ice cream.
“You could share.”
This was getting out of hand. She was not immune to the game he was playing, but really, they were seated in a public place where they might easily be observed by anyone. Instead of filling her spoon and feeding him, she handed him her dish. “Help yourself.”
He set his dish on the tray and accepted hers, filling his spoon not once but twice before she objected.
“I didn’t say take it all,” she protested with a laugh. When she reached for her dish, he turned away, protecting it. “Very well,” she announced. “Two can play this game.” She picked up his dessert. Caught up in the silliness of their contest, she ate three small bites of his chocolate sundae in quick succession, then closed her eyes as the cold went straight to her head, giving her a sudden headache.
Max set the dish he was holding aside and took hers from her, then clasped her hand. “Are you okay?”
She nodded and smiled as she shook off the headache. “One forgets ice cream is to be savored, not gobbled like a last meal.” She leaned back in her chair as did he. She noticed he did not let go of her hand. They set the rockers in motion.
After a moment, he said, “You gonna eat that last cherry?”
She laughed. “It’s all yours.” She watched him pop the fruit in his mouth. “How did the first show go?”
“I think we were a hit, as they say in this business. Folks were definitely on their feet cheering.”
“Someone mentioned they could hear the roar of the crowd all the way in town.”
Max chuckled. “I kind of doubt that, but it’s nice to think about. You should have seen Reba in that blouse you fixed up for her.”
“You didn’t tell her I did the work, did you?”
“No, but why shouldn’t I?”
“I just think Pearl should have the credit.”
She heard him let out a long breath. He sounded exhausted, and it occurred to her that if she thought her day had been long and hard, his had begun well before dawn and included not just the parade and the show but also the emergency of Reba’s costume. And that was just what she knew. Yet he’d made time to come to meet her.
She stood and set the dishes and her napkin on the tray. “Thank you, Max, for this lovely treat.”
“You’re leaving me here alone?”
She couldn’t help laughing. “Tomorrow is another day. I have four trainloads of people to serve, and you have two performances to deliver. I think we could both use some rest.”
“Are we still going to meet your friends a week from Sunday?”
“Are you sure you have time?”
“Show’s up and running, and we don’t perform on Sundays, so the answer is I’m looking forward to it.”
“Me too,” she admitted.
“I’ll rent a buggy if that suits.”
“That would be fine.” The playfulness they’d shared while eating their ice cream had disappeared. Emma wondered if there would ever come a time when they could be completely at ease in each other’s company.
Max took a step toward the back of the hotel.
“There’s no need to see me to the door,” Emma protested.
The lamplight from the lobby caught Max’s smile. “Now what kind of gentleman allows a lady to walk home alone?”
“It’s no more than a few steps,” she reminded him.
“You’d be surprised what can happen in just a few steps,” he replied.
They walked along the path that led around the side of the hotel and on to the kitchen entrance. Emma balanced the tray with their dishes while Max reached for the door
. “Well, here I am, safe and sound,” she said, wishing there were more time. “Good night. Thank you for the ice cream.”
“Emmie?”
She looked back at him with a questioning smile. Gently, he relieved her of the tray, setting it just inside the door, then took hold of her shoulders and turned her so their faces were only inches apart. He was wearing his hat, and his face was in shadow, and yet she knew what he wanted—what she wanted.
As if driven by outside forces, she placed her hand on the back of his neck and raised herself to her toes. “Yes,” she whispered, although he had not asked, at least not in words.
She felt the warmth of his breath and then the fullness of his lips meeting hers. She felt as if she could stand in that place all night.

***
Excerpted from Pathfinder by Anna Schmidt. © 2019 by Anna Schmidt. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Award-winning author ANNA SCHMIDT delights in creating stories where her characters must wrestle with the challenges of their times. Critics have consistently praised Schmidt for the reality of her characters—exposing their flaws as well as their strengths as she delivers strong tales of hope and love in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. She resides in Wisconsin and Florida.



5 comments:

  1. This author is new to me, thanx for the info

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  2. I am glad you had a good time with it. The story sounds interesting. I had the opportunity to review this one, but I passed on it. Makes me sorry now.😊

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  3. Amazing review Robin, this is also the first time I have heard or seen this book and author and it looks and sounds absolutely amazing and right up my alley as well. Thank you so much for sharing your awesome post.

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  4. Not my kind of book but I'm glad you enjoy it

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  5. Glad you enjoyed it, not my kind of read unfortunately.

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