High Desert Haven: A Christian Historical Western Romance (The Shepherd's Heart Book 2)
Is Jason Jordan really who he says he is?
Everything in Nicki’s life depends on the answer.
Oregon, 1887
When her husband dies in a mysterious riding accident, Nicki Trent is left with a toddler and a rundown ranch. Determined to bring her ranch back from the brink of death, Nicki hires handsome Jason Jordan to help. But when William, her neighbor, starts pressing for her hand in marriage, the bank calls in a loan she didn’t even know about, bullets start flying, and a burlap dummy with a knife in its chest shows up on her doorstep, Nicki wonders if this ranch is worth all the trouble.
To make matters worse, terrible things keep happening to her neighbors. When her friend’s homestead is burned to the ground and William lays the blame at Jason’s feet, Nicki wonders how well she knows her new hand…and her own heart.
A desperate need. Malicious adversaries. Enticing love.
Step into a day when outlaws ran free, the land was wild, and guns blazed at the drop of a hat.
Read all the Christian romance novels by bestselling author, Lynnette Bonner!
The Shepherd’s Heart Series
– Christian Historical Western Romance –
- Rocky Mountain Oasis
- High Desert Haven
- Fair Valley Refuge
- Spring Meadow Sanctuary
The Wyldhaven Series
– Christian Historical Western Romance –
- Not a Sparrow Falls
- On Eagles’ Wings
- Beauty from Ashes
The Sonnets of the Spice Isle Series
– Christian Historical Romance –
- On the Wings of a Whisper
- Lay Down Your Heart
- Made Perfect in Weakness
- A Walk Through the Waters
- The Trail of Chains
- The Joy of the Morning
The Pacific Shores Series
– Contemporary Small-Town Christian Romance –
- Beyond the Waves
- Caught in the Current
- Song of the Surf
- Written in the Sand
The Riversong Series
– Contemporary Small-Town Christian Romance –
- Angel Kisses and Riversong
- Soft Kisses and Birdsong
The Islands of Intrigue Series
– Contemporary Christian Romantic Suspense –
- The Unrelenting Tide
The San Juan Shadows Series
– Contemporary Christian Romantic Suspense –
- Fire
The Hearts of Hollywood Series
– Contemporary Christian Romance Novellas –
- My Blue Havyn
- Mistletoe and Mochas
- Kittens and Snow Flurries
Reviews (171)
3.52 stars: High Desert Haven by Lynnette Bonner
Nicki marries a stranger to help her family, but within a few years finds herself widowed and under threat from greedy men who want her land; Jason hires on as her ranch foreman, and quickly throws himself all in to help and protect her. Notes from June 2019: Plot and Setting: 3.5 -- More emphasis on the suspense-type elements of the plot, while the romance just kind of happens (quickly for Jason, with more resistance from Nicki). Lots of action, less depth. The historical basis for The Association is interesting. Some inconsistencies in plot points and timeline. Characters: 3.7 -- I didn't really connect with Nicki (her stubbornness, especially as it related to William, irked me), and only partially with Jason (I love how he's transformed since book 1, now that he's turned his life back over to God, but most of that growing apparently happened in the time between the 2 books, not in these pages). Minor characters are appropriately developed for the most part; some deeper emotional realism related to these smaller characters. Mechanics and Writing: 2.7 -- Decent writing. Scattered word and punctuation errors, mostly rather minor, though a few are more serious inconsistencies. I didn’t enjoy the use of a semi-universal third person POV. Redeeming Value: 4.2 -- Cruelty, destruction, and murder are dealt out by The Association to satisfy their own greed. I appreciated the neighborly spirit that arises in the community as they support each other in the face of these difficulties. Some good lessons in following God's direction, surrendering control to God, etc. Personal Enjoyment: 3.5
Nice, clean read
This is the second book in a series about the Jordan family. Jason Jordan was a minor character in book 1,
High Desert Haven
This story begins with sweat and toil for Dominique, or Nicki as she was called. As a consequence, she marries a man she doesn't even know or love. She knows he has cattle, but he is gone from early morning until late. When she finds out he has been killed and is told that it is an accident she doesn't know what she will do. Jason, who lives just accross the mountain is urged by his mother to go over and see if he can help this woman. She wants to keep the land but it seems everything is gone. Jason keeps checking until he finds a valuable asset, providing it can be reigned in and sold. He calls in Law Enforcement friends from his valley in the town of Shiloh. He doesn't trust the men here in Nicki's valley. There are those who do not want his intrusion and try to eliminate him. They will do anything to get their hands on all the land, even kill. This is a clean, sweet romance, as well as a lot of mystery, fighting, and intrigue. It's a good story. I'm going to buy the next in the series.
A Story That's Hard to Put Down
Dominique Trent finds out her ranch is mortgaged after her husband mysteriously dies in a riding accident. She has no idea how she can possibly come up with $5,000.00, but Jason Jordan, the new ranch foreman she hired to help her, vows he will come up with something. In the meantime, someone shoots at Nicki, attempts to do in her two hired hands, tries to get the drop on Jason, and starts terrorizing the neighbors' small spreads. If that isn't enough trouble, William, a rich rancher, keeps pressuring her to marry him as her feelings for Jason grow. The only thing she knows to do is lean on her faith to see her through. This is a well-written novel. The only grammatical mistake I found was "...with Conner and I." In the prologue, Nicki expects her father to be arrested for not being able to pay his debts, but they live in California, which was a state then. In the U.S. you can't be arrested for debts. All your property can be taken, but you can't be arrested. The book was still quite a treat to read. In places the writing flowed beautifully. Lynnette Bonner's novels always have a strong element of faith in them, and I like that. Sometimes, however, her plots seem rather dark, as only bad things happen to her characters until the ending. I look forward to her books, however, because they contain characters I can empathize with, a plot that keeps the tension high, and a story that's almost impossible to put down.
I've found a new Favorite Author!!
Having read and thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in this series I applaud Lynnette for how she shares her Christian witness throughout her stories. First with the plan of salvation then how that decision to accept Christ will influence the rest of your life. The stories are filled with many varied and interesting characters and circumstances that add a lot of 'meat' to them. They are hard to lay down which explained why I stayed up last evening until 3:30 AM!!
A Pastors Thoughts
This is the second book in the Shepherds Heart series. I read the first one and reviewed it and highly recommend if you haven't read the first one you should. This book stands alone and is highly entertaining. I read it all in one setting. I didn't want to put it down and when it was over I was wishing it wasn't. But unlike most reviewers I pride myself on giving you the pastor's view on Christian fiction. So with that let me give you the skinny on High Desert Haven. This book takes on several different "moral" lessons and could have been quite preachy but it isn't. Yet it helps the reader want to live a life of integrity by the example of the Male and Female MCs. It deals with forgiveness and listening for God's leading in our everyday life decisions. There are examples of mans depravity and God's offer of forgiveness. There is a sub-theme of you reap what you sow as well. Finally it also tackles being in the author's own words "being Jesus with skin on." Yet all of these are wrapped in what is a great western and suspenseful romantic read. Not once did it feel like I was being preached to the messages were just a honest result of the characters life. I know Lynette has at least two more books in this series and I for one will be buying them. When I do I will review it for you as well. PG
Closer to God
I read Lynnette Bonner's first book in this series, Rocky Mountain Oasis, which led me to buy this book. I love that while reading the story I felt closer to God. As the characters communicate their prayers and faith I found myself reflecting upon my own relationship with God. I also really enjoyed the authors rich historical descriptions which allowed me to imagine what it may have been like to live during that time. Reading the series in order is always important to me since I like to be a part of the author's storytelling journey as they develop the characters. However this series is written such that they could be read independently. Speaking of series books, I like when authors keep the characters of a prior book deeply involved in the following storyline. I want to see their relationship grow, their involvement in family dynamics, and how the new story impacts their lives. So, if an author is reading this and feels the need to write a series, I would be happy to support you by buying every book!
Missed the first one but still enjoyed this one.
When I downloaded this book I didn't pay any attention to the fact that it was the second in a series, but it didn't matter in the end. The book stood alone just fine and I found it to be a pretty enjoyable read. The descriptions are A+ and the author seems to have a good sense of how the characters would have lived and behaved in that era. I really liked the main character and her growth over the course of the novel. The beginning of the book may light a few fires under the particularly strict religious folks who read this, but as I am not one of them, I was able to enjoy the story without too much consideration of the idea. What I liked most about this was the action. There is always something waiting around the corner for the reader to discover and enjoy. Just when you think the dust is about to settle and there is nothing else going to happen in the current chapter, the author surprises you once again. I would definitely read other books by this author. I enjoyed this much more than I had expected I would after reading and eye rolling over many other books in this same genre. This is one worth checking out.
favorite of the series
Nicki Trent is a true heroine from the very first page, willing to sacrifice herself in order to save those she loves. Thus she is separated from her family and soon finds herself raising a toddler while her husband does a poor job managing their ranch. When he is killed in an `accident', Nicki rejects an offer to marry a neighbor, though it seems unlikely she can make the ranch profitable. Jason Jordan answers her ad for a foreman, and from the first moment on, realizes that Nicki is battling more than the natural elements. This book has villains who are based on actual figures from history, and more than once, they made my blood run cold! Nicki is an amazing character and an inspiration in every way. In moments of incredible suspense, I could only hold my breath and speed read, but Nicki doesn't give in or give up - she continues to fight back. I've read all four books in this series, and this one is my absolute favorite!
Well done! Anxious for book #3.
Dominique (Nicki) Noel Trent stands at her husband's graveside in dismay. Even though theirs had been a loveless marriage, she is left, because of John Trent's mysterious accidental death, with a toddler to raise and a rundown ranch to bring back from near ruin. When she hires Jason Jordan to manage her ranch, unusual events begin to happen. Bullets whistle through her yard. A dummy that's about her son's size appears on her doorstep with a knife through its heart. The Stockman's Association meets in secret. William, her neighbor, urges her to marry him. A neighbor's home burns to the ground. The bank calls in a loan that she didn't know existed. Is Jason the evil adversary that William implies he is? And is William the romantic protector that he seems? HIGH DESERT HAVEN, a historical romance set in eastern Oregon, will hold your interest from start to finish. It's a western romance with all the wonderful ingredients to make you sigh with regret when you read "The End."
