What the Heart Holds

Brothers of Belle Fourche, Volume 2

By: Kari Trumbo

Narrated by: J. Scott Bennett

Arnold's first love died in the Cheyenne River.

He's sure he's had his one love. To guard his heart, he wants nothing to do with women. No one could ever compare to his Lynellen. He will work hard, be respectful, and never forget.

Stephenia is the new teacher in Belle Fourche when she almost meets her maker.

Arnold saved her life and maybe her heart. She's avoided relationships her whole life, afraid of the pain of loss. When she finally gives up on him, he has to choose between the love he's lost and the one who found him.

©2018 Kari Trumbo (P)2018 Kari Trumbo

Another Sweet Romance

This was another sweet romance about the Brothers of Belle Fourche. This was Arnold and Stephenia’s story. The story line is well developed and kept you wanting to keep reading to find out how the characters were going to make out. At times during the story I wanted to shake Arnold or give him a nudge or some advise. This is obviously a sign of a good author when the listener gets that involved in the story. I did find it a bit frustrating that it took him so long to come around though and it caused Stephenia so much heartache. As usual, J. Scott Bennett does a wonderful job with the narration bringing the story to life with all his amazing voices. I look forward to the next book in the series. I received a free copy of this audiobook and have voluntarily provided an unbiased review.

Pay the Teacher!

Modern folk are largely unaware of the complexities of education--we just take for granted that there will be a single teacher for the basics until a child reaches a certain age, and then there will be separate teachers for each subject, perhaps 20-30 pupils per schoolroom. We are rich with buildings and people (and school taxes reflect the profligacy of the school boards--not necessarily in salaries but in tremendously expensive infrastructure).

Okay--got a bit off topic and onto a hobby horse, but the point is 100+ years ago this was not the case. Outside the big cities most students who had access to learning went to a one-room schoolhouse where one teacher provided lessons for pupils of every age. Basic 3Rs plus some history and perhaps a bit of science. Let's call it five subjects. For each child. Most of whom were at different knowledge levels. Imagine the lesson plans required! Home schooling parents are aware of this but most folks ship the kids off without a thought to the teacher.

Now, realize, in many cases the teacher was responsible not just for her charges but for all aspects of the building as well, from cleaning and maintenance to heating. In rural communities, payment was often in produce rather than cash. While not a lot of time is devoted in the book to those exigencies, nonetheless these details form critical points on which areas of the plot turn and, for whatever reason, stuck with me long after the HEA had come to its conclusion.

This is the second tale in the series and references are made to previous incidents which set the stage, but the story stands alone quite nicely. I had the pleasure of hearing J. Scott Bennett individually voice the characters, turning the story into a "radio play."

Loving this series!

Such a lovely book. I love the characters and the stories. Looking forward to the next one!

Sweet story!

I really liked this story! I hadn't read the first book, so there were a few references that I felt a little left out on (though, surprise surprise, it makes me want to go get the first one), but for a sweet book with some unpredictable story items, I'm really pleased! The narrator sounds like my favorite uncle, just easy to follow. Definitely recommend this!

Sweet historical romance

What the Heart Holds is another sweet addition to the Brothers of Belle Fourche series by Kari Trumbo. Set in South Dakota at the end of the 19th century, readers are introduced to Stephania, a lovely new teacher in the town of Belle Fourche. She finds herself falling in love with one of the Oleson brothers, Arnold who is still pining over the love of his life that died in an accident. Watching their romance unfold was captivating as they seem to go back and forth in their interest for each other, trying to not be hurt or not give hope where there might not be any. Will they be able to move on from the past to have a future together. Although second in the series, it is easily a stand-alone story but I'd recommend reading the first as well. It is interesting to see the characters from the first book and the interaction with those in What the Heart Holds. Readers of historical romance books will not want to miss this one. I listened to a complimentary copy of the audioversion of the book and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own. J. Scott Bennett does a great job narrating Arnold and Stephenia's story, making for an enjoyable listening experience.