Review: The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn by Lori Benton

After reading rave review after rave review of this author, my interest was piqued to say the least. And I am quite happy to say that all the acclamation is well deserved! This being only her second published novel, Ms. Benton is most certainly an incredible writer. Her words flow so well that you forget you're reading a story and instead feel swept away into Tamsen's life. As if she's real and all the excitement happening around her is actually happening to you! I love when an author can do that for me. Where I actually have to acclimate back to real life once the story is over. :)

We get dropped into Tamsen and Jesse's lives at crucial moments for the two. Their lives are changing and neither has any clue of this until we do as well. I so enjoy stories where we figure things out along with the characters. It makes the mysteries more mysterious and tension-filled, the romance more sweet and sigh-worthy, and the journey so much more adventurous and fun!

Thrown together unexpectedly, these two have to fight the elements (of which Tamsen has had little to no experience dealing with) as well as a developing attraction. And they live in a period of history where the US and much of its citizens are moving, fighting, settling, and all about change. Unrest is everywhere, yet peace is there too. And searching for and finding their piece of it is wonderful to watch. Tamsen herself is struggling to find out exactly who she is. Literally, as her mother kept many secrets from her.

With a slow-developing romance that will make you smile, as well as adventure and another clue always just around the next corner, this is a story you don't want to miss! Tamsen and Jesse's journey is bittersweet at moments, yet filled with heart and sweetness at the same time. It will sweep you up and deposit you on the other side of such beautiful moments that will make you want to immediately skim back over certain passages again. Having heard this compared to Laura Frantz's Courting Morrow Little, I have to agree. Fans of Ms. Frantz or historical fiction will enjoy this wonderful story.

*I received this book from Blogging For Books for free in exchange for my honest review.

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Jesse had dropped both horses' reins to gape. "Did you...? Have you ever...?"
Cade fetched the reins and looked down his long nose, taking full advantage of the inch of height he had on Jesse. "Did I? Have I? All that book learning I got you, and you can't find a single word to describe a chit of a girl?"
"A chit of a...? Did you see her?"
"I saw a fancy gown, a pretty face. What'd you see?" Cade's eyes danced with amusement. "Give me words, boy. Or did she knock 'em clean out of your head?"
She doth teach the torches to burn bright.
Not a chance he'd stitched such words together of his own wits. He must have read them somewhere. But if he spouted them now, Cade would think him addled, right enough. What, then, could he say? He'd read himself a heap of books, and the Good Book twice through, but heaven help him could he call to mind another phrase better fitting what he'd just seen.