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The initial plot was good, and I enjoyed the two main characters and their chemistry. I was also pleased that the Christianity component was understated. Unfortunately, it was a little too bland to keep my attention and the secondary (and very predictable) plot line began to take over the better story line. I ended up skimming the last half of the book.

Part Christian romance, part historical adventure novel, Snow Angel features an indomitable female protagonist in the orphaned Elizabeth Greyson and a worthy love interest in mountain man Noah Wesley. These two forces of nature collide when Elizabeth collapses on the doorstep of Noah's remote cabin during an Alaskan blizzard. While reviving her, Noah becomes entranced by the unlikely contrast between this beautiful young woman's delicate appearance and her hardy, adventure-seeking constitution.

As Elizabeth regains her strength, however, Noah finds his romantic intentions spurned by Elizabeth's desire to shield him from her spotty past and pursue her dream of striking it rich as a gold prospector. The suspense mounts as Noah sets off across the Alaskan tundra in desperate pursuit of Elizabeth, who herself is being pursued by an unsavory figure from her past.

Set during the Yukon Gold Rush at the turn of the century, author Jamie Carie evokes a strong sense of time and place with her poetic writing style and discriminating use of historical details. The romantic tension between Noah, who represents the Christian ideal, and Elizabeth, whose tragic circumstances have led her morally astray, is both powerful and convincing. Carie illuminates various facets of Elizabeth's hard-luck story through several point-of-view characters, including Elizabeth's mother who has spent years searching for the daughter who was taken from her at age two.

While melodramatic in places and lacking the heated passion some romance readers may expect, Snow Angel will resonate with fans of religious-based love stories and historical fiction. ( )

Jamie Carie's first novel is a huge success. She has created characters with depth and conviction and have placed them in the beautiful, rugged and sometimes harsh Alaskan territory.
I loved the part where Elizabeth, determined to find gold, joins a team of prospectors disguised as a man. When they find out she is a woman, they expect her to cook, but she can't! ( )