This book is beautifully designed from the front cover, to the spine, back cover, and interior. The story was gripping but felt like it was missing something. The characters were described in a way that made them relatable but they still fell flat.
The plot was good for the most part, dragging only on occasion.
I really liked the storytelling of Aimee's character and search. It added a breath of fresh air to the novel and I found myself eager to see what would happen next within Aimee’s story.
This book can be read as a standalone.

Personal Rating: 4 Stars
Content Rating: 4 Stars

*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required. ( )

Ms. Cabot is an author I truly enjoy. Her historical fiction is wholesome and entertaining. This is her third in the Cimarron Creek Trilogy. I have read the other two and could not wait to read this one! I am sorry to see the series come to an end. This can easily be read as a stand alone
Thea arrives in Cimarron Creek, Texas, recently hired as the new midwife. It is the late 1800’s. She comes here hoping for a fresh start. Her husband has died and she has also lost her child at birth. Her hopes are to go about a job she loves and keep to herself. The wounds are fresh and her heart is raw. Unbeknownst to her, this fresh start drags along part of her past, some of which she had no clue. A Texas Ranger named Jackson is on the hunt for outlaws that killed his brother and badly hurt is partner. While out searching for clues he finds a newborn left in the middle of nowhere. He brings the babe to the only person he knows can care for it, the new midwife.
The vast range of emotions of each character and the detailed description of their lives and experiences make the story enjoyable and inviting. As with all of Ms. Cabot’s writings the importance of God runs strong throughout the book. Something that jumped out to me as a reminder and lesson for my life is the miscommunication and misunderstandings between people when they assume but never talk about it or ask. This book made it hard for me to turn out the light at night and go to bed! I just kept saying I would read one more page!!! ( )

This is the third book in the Cimarron Creek series. It was able to be red as a stand-alone novel. It had a good story line and interesting characters but it didn't hold my interest throughout. It seemed to drag at times. I am sure many fans of this style of book would find it more enjoyable.

After the death of her husband, midwife Thea Michener, along with Aimee Jarre (who is looking for her birth mother) moves to Cimarron Creek for a fresh start. While she suspects her husband may have been unfaithful, she has no idea that he was part of the gang that killed the brother of Texas Ranger Jackson Guthrie and that Jackson thinks she may know where the rest of the gang is. When Jackson meets Thea, he begins to realize she may not have the answers he is looking for but the answer that he needs.

“A Tender Hope” is a nicely done romance by Amanda Cabot. I have not read either of the first two books in Cabot’s Cimarron Creek trilogy but if they are as good as this one I will be reading them. I do wish Cabot had taken some time to briefly explain what happened in earlier books as I felt lost at times - like what exactly happened to Warner Gray’s family? Despite that, I thoroughly enjoyed this book - both the setting and the characters. Cabot lets the romance between Jackson and Thea build up slowly throughout the course of the book - this is very believably done as Thea is still mourning the loss of her husband Jackson his brother. It is fun watching the two as their love grows. Besides their romance there are two other romances in the book - they are smaller but fun to read. Mixed in with the romance is the story of the Gang of Four - Cabot handles this well with a very real sense of danger. The violence remains largely off page- Cabot gives you just enough information to realize how dangerous this gang is. This is very well done. All in all , enjoyed this book and while I was quite happy at the ending I was sad to let these characters go.

“A Tender Hope” is a nicely done romance. ( )

DNF at about 60%

I had high hopes for this story; both the synopsis and the cover immediately grabbed my attention when I first saw it. Unfortunately, it just didn't hit the mark for me. The main characters, Jackson and Thea, both had the potential to be very realistic and relatable characters, but I feel like they were straight out of a Hallmark movie. I was expecting a sweet, small-town historical romance, but about 40% through, this basically turned into a murder mystery, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. But to be honest, as gripping as you think that kind of storyline would be, I just really wasn't interested enough in the story or the characters to keep reading. Add in the cheesyunrealistic romance (Everyone else thinking the main couple is in love before they themselves even think of each other in a romantic light? Please.), and you lost me.

I think Cabot is a very promising author, and I definitely will still be checking out some of her other works, but this one just wasn't for me.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and LibraryThing. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions. ( )