The Hope of Azure Springs by Rachel Fordham

Em and her sister Lucy rode the orphan train from New York to Iowa after their parents passed away. Em had promised to keep her sister safe and she did--until they were separated on the adoption platform and Lucy was adopted before Em. Em's new home in Iowa is a rough one but she survives until her guardian is shot and killed. Em is also injured and finds herself in Azure Springs recuperating with a local family while the Sheriff seeks to solve her case. However, Sheriff Caleb Reynolds and Em may both find a few things they don't expect as they work to find the bad guys in The Hope of Azure Springs by Rachel Fordham.

I enjoyed The Hope of Azure Springs from the start until the last page. I was surprised to learn that this was Fordham's first book. I found the characters were well-developed. I liked most of them at the beginning and surprisingly a couple that I didn't like at first, I liked at the end. I especially liked how Fordham helped the characters handle gossip and the discussion that two of them had. I also liked how one character decided to change herself for the better after an earnest discussion. I think The Hope of Azure Springs would inspire a bit of hope in every reader. I also loved the happy ending that I thought came with a bit of an unexpected twist. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. The Hope of Azure Springs would also make a good book club discussion book and it comes with discussion questions in the back.

I purchased this book from Books A Million (BAM). All opinions are my own.