When Sadie Wagner receives news from her cousin Sid that his new hometown of Goldtree, Indiana has need of a clerk in a female-owned store and there's also an opera house in need of a singer, it seems like an answer to her prayer. Her beloved Papa is bedridden with an injury and the family needs the money. Sadie is eager to give back to her Papa who has given her so much and use her Fod-given talent for singing to make people happy. She arrives in Goldtree eager and excited to begin a new life and happy to see her old pal Sid. Sid is excited to have Sadie come to Goldtree. He dreams of a future together beyond mere friendship but doesn't know how to express himself easily. Thad McKane has recently been hired as the town sheriff to catch bootleggers. He knows first hand the evils of alcohol, for his father was a drunkard. Thad knows Jesus and knows that as soon as his job in Goldtree is done, he's off to become a preacher to atone for his father's sins. When he meets Sadie, he's instantly smitten with the beautiful, good-hearted girl who is also a friend of Jesus. Sadie enjoys working for the eccentric Baxter twins. At first she loves singing in the underground opera house, eager for the day when Mr. Baxter (brother of the twins) can build a regular opera house. Asa Baxter knows a good thing when he sees it and this young songbird is exactly where he wants her : front and center to distract anyone from anything else he might be up to. When he tells Sadie to learn some new songs for a special male-only night, she feels uncomfortable with the new repertoire. She also doesn't feel right wearing the bawdy dress Mr. Baxter picked out for her, but her family needs the money. If she quits, she'll have to leave Goldtree and leave Thad whom she has grown to love. Soon she finds herself involved in something far greater than she understands and it may jeopardize everything she's every worked for. This sappy, sentimental novel moves very slowly towards a predictable conclusion. The author lets the reader in on the villain's secret right away so there's no suspense until the end when Sadie becomes involved. I guessed the villain even before it was revealed so it made the plot extra tedious. I also guessed at Sid's feelings before they were revealed and as with the villain's plot, the author reveals Sid's feelings early on in the novel. Thad and Sadie's romance develops nicely and sweetly but I found them a bit too sickly sweet. I didn't really like either of them. They're self-righteous and think they know what's best for everyone. I did feel bad for Sadie being in a tough spot. She had a difficult decision and she was too naive to know how to deal with it. The author doesn't say that Kansas was a dry state until after the characters spout their overly moral feelings towards liquor and gambling which completely turned me off, though I am not interested in either of those things. I understand the reasons behind the Nineteenth Century Temperance movement and late in the novel I discovered that the villain is catering to men with addictive personalities so then I understood Sadie's feelings better. I think this book is best for Christians who enjoy sappy Inspirational romances. It is not good enough for someone who merely prefers clean romances. This is the second book by this publisher I have read and likely the last. Song of My HeartKim Vogel SawyerSummary: Sadie Wagner has always been devoted to her family. So when her stepfather is injured and can't work, she decides to leave home and accept a position as a clerk at the mercantile in Goldtree, Kansas. Goldtree also offers the opportunity to use her God-given singing talent--though the promised opera house is far different from what she imagined. With her family needing every cent she can provide, Sadie will do anything to keep her job. Thad McKane comes to Goldtree to investigate reports of a bootlegging operation. Once he earns enough money from the sheriff work, he plans to use it to pay for his training to become a minister. Thad is immediately drawn to the lovely young singer who performs in Asa Baxter's unusual opera house. But when he hears her practicing bawdy tunes, he wonders if she's far less innocent than she seems. And when Sadie appears to be part of the very crimes Thad has come to investigate, is there any hope the love blossoming between them will survive?I had a real difficult time getting into this book. I found Sadie at the beginning of this story to be unbelievable. I can see being self-sacrificing but not to the extent she was. I did not care much for Sid either. He was the kind of person to avoid. Self-serving and selfish therefore I could not understand the two ever being close. The characters grew quite a bit throughout the story and that mad continuing to read it worthwhile. I also found the swing in Sadie to be unlikely. To tolerate things that she knew to be wrong and would constantly repeat the things her father told her seemed to lend credence to the unlikeliness of these actions. Thad was the only main character I liked. He was driven to do right and never wavered from that. The Baxter sisters were great and provided the comic relief without being ogres as bosses. The ending was a little too convenient although finished the book nicely. I would like to thank Bethany House Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone.
What do You think about Song Of My Heart (2012)?
One of those stories where the main character has two men interested in her.
—Yeg
very good Very good Western romance between a shopgirl & a sheriff.
—agent
