Hearts Stolen by Caryl McAdoo

I laughed, cried, cheered, and flinched with these characters. I hated saying goodbye and hope to read more about them. Hearts Stolen is a historical Christian fiction book, the second in the series. Vow Unbroken is the first, but you don’t need to read it first in order to enjoy Hearts Stolen. But now that I’ve read Hearts Stolen, I have to go back and read Vow Unbroken just because I’m not ready for the story to end. Be ready to start a story you won’t want to finish.

Rosaleen “Sassy” Fogelsong Nightengale’s husband Charles told her not to go visiting her mother. This is in the early 1800s in Texas. She didn’t listen and is kidnapped by Indians. Sassy is a wonderful character. She has smarts, isn’t afraid, and is a very likeable heroine. Her faith in God kept her through her captivity of 5 years, until one day Levi Baylor shows up to rescue her and her child.

Charley Nightengale is Sassy’s son born soon after she is captured by the Indians while she was the third wife to Bold Eagle. He is a fun character. After Levi rescues them and they travel back to Texas, Charley’s dialogues and ways of thinking had me laughing. I’d love to see this as a movie. He’d steal the show.

Levi Baylor is a Texas Ranger. As he and his fellow Ranger Wallace Lusk transport Sassy and the other women back home, it is fun being along for the ride. You feel like you are really there. Levi and Sassy are great characters together and you are rooting for them to get together, but she is still married to Charles. What will happen when he delivers her home? Will Charles still want her after she’d been the wife of an Indian? How will she now fit into society? A fellow captive, Laura, has her baby after they rescue her. Wallace is enraptured. But is that love strong enough when he finally meets Levi’s cousin Rebecca? Will these two end up together, or will his cousin come between them?

What happens with God in the mix? I loved this angle of the story. The hearts of these men are so great, and the love for their women so strong, they’ll go through anything to keep them safe.

All the characters have to learn they have their pasts and none of them are perfect. But with God, peace and love reign no matter what you are going through. Peace like one of Sassy’s Granny’s heavy quilts. Now that’s peace! I thoroughly enjoyed this story by Caryl McAdoo and can’t wait to read more. The dialogue is engaging, the characters are unforgettable, the setting and descriptions move the story along without taking away from the story.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.