A Love to Last Forever
A Love to Last Forever, the second in the Brides of Gallatin County trilogy, focuses on Beth, the middle Gallatin sister. Beth is ready to settle down and find the love she reads about in romances, but is also dealing with guilt over her father’s death. Nick Lassiter, her neighbor, to whom she has long been attracted, has finally found faith, and she feels she can allow herself to turn to him. But just when they are on the verge of an engagement, Nick’s past returns to threaten their relationship.
Entwined with their romance are the ongoing troubles of the Montana frontier settlers, hoping that the railroad will choose a route through their fledgling town and ensure their prosperity. Parallel romances between Nick’s brother and a saloon girl, and Beth’s sister and the deputy sheriff investigating their father’s death, further season the plot.
Although the novel has no distinguishing elements, it was nevertheless engaging. Peterson creates characters with whom it is easy to empathize, whose struggles are not extraordinary yet are relatable. My only real complaint is that she leaves too many threads hanging in anticipation of the third book. A cozy, inspirational romance for a rainy afternoon.
