JOURNEY TO RIVERBEND by Henry McLaughlin

Michael Archer used to run wild, stealing, cheating and lying until it finally landed him in jail. Mostly he was running from the pain of a burden he carries with him. A certain preacher took an interest in him and finally lead him to the Lord. Now he finds himself doing that same thing for Ben Carstairs. He can't save him from being hanged but he's agreed to grant Ben's last request, to tell his father he was sorry and return his mother's necklace to him. So Michael heads for Riverbend to accomplish the task. He's not there too long before he meets the beautiful Rachel Stone. Rachel is drawn to Michael but she doesn't trust men and frankly when he finds out about her past he will definitely not be interested. But Michael is not like any man she's ever met. He's strong, gentle and protective of her. Could she ever have a normal relationship with a good man like Michael? Word finally reaches Riverbend that Ben's father was kidnapped from the stagecoach. Michael joins the posse and danger lurks everywhere. Michael wants to return to Rachel and see what God has in store but first he will have to face his deepest fear.

I must first off say that the cover of this novel is beautiful. It's what first made me want to read the book. The story itself was very good and held my interest the whole way through. In many ways I felt like I was watching a good western movie. The cast of characters were well drawn and definitely had life in them. The theme of trusting the Lord ran through the entire story. Many of the characters had pasts they were trying reconcile while learning about God's forgiveness. One thing that was a little frustrating for me was the ending. Although I liked it I wish, as a reader, it would have been more complete in how everything turned out. Almost like there should have been an epilogue. Overall it was a good story. I think Journey to Riverbend would appeal to both men and women. I look forward to future works by this author. A thank you goes to Tyndale (Booksneeze) for providing me with this complimentary review copy.