HIS SWEET OBSESSION by Twilla Kay Lamm

Fiction, Historical Romance, Western

4****

Blurb: Following the Civil War, Captain Ethan Reed is recruited to find the truth behind the Lincoln Conspiracy. The facts are not as they appear. John Wilkes Booth pulled the trigger, but did someone else point the gun? Ethan’s job is to answer this question and see justice served, no matter the personal cost. Tormented with no answers about the death of her fiancé, Doctor Sabrina Clay seeks the truth—was it suicide or murder? If there is an answer, she must find it. On a hot day in Fort Hex, Kansas, Sabrina’s and Ethan’s lives intersect. They’re soon entangled in a web of deceit as attraction sparks. Will they discover the truth, even at the risk of their love?

THOUGHTS: This story takes place in 1866 in a western fort – Fort Greer – shortly after the end of the Civil War. Army Captain Ethan Reed has been assigned to investigate Lincoln’s assassination and the people involved. Booth may have fired the shot, but there were others who worked with him. His investigation leads him west to Fort Greer where the fort doctor has supposedly committed suicide. The doctor, William Nelson, was suspected of being a conspirator and Reed needs to discover the truth.

Meanwhile, Dr. Sabrina Clay refuses to believe her fiancé, William, killed himself so, with the blessings of the Secretary of War (a friend of the family) she heads west to find out what really happened. At first the head of the fort refuses to accept a woman as a doctor, but she saves the life of a woman giving birth as well as several injured men. Oh, and she saves a wolf who was attacking their horses! I loved that part!

The connection between Sabrina and Ethan is well-done, at least until she discovers he has lied to her about William from the beginning. I also love the relationship between Sabrina and her mother and sister. The way the author brought out the reasons behind her sister’s animosity was well done, as was the reason behind her mother’s “abandonment” when Sabrina was little.

I really enjoyed the story, the suspicions and suspects are multiple – and I actually did not really guess the perp! An unusual failing on my part so kudos to the author. The only thing I had a problem with was the ending. It just seemed abrupt to me. Yes, everything was wrapped up nicely, but… it just felt like there could have been more.

Still, recommended as a good read with a lot of suspense and a satisfying outcome.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”