The Heart's Charge
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- Create Date：2021-06-02 14:31:07
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Karen Witemeyer
- ISBN：B08MY337F5
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Summary
Members of Hanger's Horsemen， Mark Wallace and Jonah Brooks arrive in Llano County， Texas， to deliver a steed， never expecting they'd deliver a baby as well。 Left with an infant to care for， they head to a nearby foundling home， where Mark encounters the woman he'd nearly married a decade ago。
After failing at love， Katherine Palmer dedicated her life to caring for children， teaming up with Eliza Southerland to start Harmony House。 From mixed ancestry， illegitimate， and female， Eliza understands the pain of not fitting society's mold。 Yet those are the very attributes that lead her to minister to outcast children。 The taciturn Jonah intrigues her with his courage and kindness， but there are secrets behind his eyes--ghosts from wars past and others still being waged。
However， when a handful of urchin children from the area go missing， a pair of Horsemen are exactly what the women need。 Working together to find the children， will these two couples find love as well？
After failing at love， Katherine Palmer dedicated her life to caring for children， teaming up with Eliza Southerland to start Harmony House。 From mixed ancestry， illegitimate， and female， Eliza understands the pain of not fitting society's mold。 Yet those are the very attributes that lead her to minister to outcast children。 The taciturn Jonah intrigues her with his courage and kindness， but there are secrets behind his eyes--ghosts from wars past and others still being waged。
However， when a handful of urchin children from the area go missing， a pair of Horsemen are exactly what the women need。 Working together to find the children， will these two couples find love as well？
Reviews
Dana Michael
，
What a fun read！！ This had two cowboy romances in one book！ This may be my favorite Karen Witemeyer book ever。 I highly recommend for anyone who likes adventure， humor and romance。*I was given a copy of this book by the publisher and this is my honest opinion。
Karen Martin
，
I love Karen Witemeyer's stories， and this one was no exception！ Even with four different POV characters， she manages to seamlessly weave the four together into one cohesive and captivating story。 Hanger's Horsemen exploded onto the page with the first book， and this one continued really nicely， following Mark and Jonas as adventure seems to find them。 Adventure， and a pair of fetching ladies， one of whom is straight from Mark's past。 The character development was so beautiful， for all four， and I love Karen Witemeyer's stories， and this one was no exception！ Even with four different POV characters， she manages to seamlessly weave the four together into one cohesive and captivating story。 Hanger's Horsemen exploded onto the page with the first book， and this one continued really nicely， following Mark and Jonas as adventure seems to find them。 Adventure， and a pair of fetching ladies， one of whom is straight from Mark's past。 The character development was so beautiful， for all four， and well mixed in with the mystery the men have been charged with solving。 Adventure and romance both fill the page with great messages of learning to trust God to heal the past and provide a future。 *Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book but was under no obligation to post a positive review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Monica
，
In The Heart's Charge， Mark Wallace and Jonah Brooks， two of Hanger's Horsemen， help deliver a baby。 Unfortunately， the baby's father recently passed away and the mother didn't feel she could handle the baby so they took the baby to a foundling home。 When they went there， Mark is amazed to find the woman that he almost married several years ago。 The Horsemen also discover that there are rumors of missing children in the area and they decide the stay and find out if there is any truth to the rumo In The Heart's Charge， Mark Wallace and Jonah Brooks， two of Hanger's Horsemen， help deliver a baby。 Unfortunately， the baby's father recently passed away and the mother didn't feel she could handle the baby so they took the baby to a foundling home。 When they went there， Mark is amazed to find the woman that he almost married several years ago。 The Horsemen also discover that there are rumors of missing children in the area and they decide the stay and find out if there is any truth to the rumors--and to help the ladies who run the foundling home with some needed repairs。The Heart's Charge by Karen Witemeyer was an enjoyable read that had both romance and a mystery。 I thought the characters in this book were great and I enjoyed Mark， Katherine， Jonah and Eliza all so much。 I also enjoyed the children in the book。 However， I didn't like the people who turned out to be the "bad guys，" but that is good thing right？ I did have an inkling of who the bad guys were but I still enjoyed following the book through to see if I was right。 I also liked how the romance played out between Mark and Katherine。 I loved how well they communicated about their past mistakes。 They were both straight forward and honest instead of playing games with each other。 Eliza and Jonah also had some honest communication going as they built respect for one another。 I liked how well they all put God first and tried to honor Him throughout the book。 The spiritual aspect wasn't forced and fit right in with the story so well。 I liked The Heart's Charge even better than the first book， but also liked that we got to see a glimpse of those main characters in this book too。 I received a copy of this book from the publisher。 All opinions within this review are my own。 。。。more
Christine
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I have been eagerly awaiting this book， having loved the first book in this series， and I was not disappointed。 This story was outstanding。。 It covers a range of difficult and emotional topics with love and care。 I highly recommend this book。*I was provided a copy by the publisher for review。 My opinions are my own。
Blessed & Bookish
，
The Heart’s Charge by Karen Witemeyer is the second book in the Hanger’s Horsemen series。 This novel features Mark and Jonah with smaller appearances by the other Horseman。 In true Horsemen style， when Jonah hears about a series of kidnappings， the men volunteer to make repairs at a local foundling home while they investigate。 But Mark and Jonah find more than kidnappers， as they fall for the women who run the foundling home。Full disclosure。 I love all of Karen Witemeyer’s books。 And The Heart’s The Heart’s Charge by Karen Witemeyer is the second book in the Hanger’s Horsemen series。 This novel features Mark and Jonah with smaller appearances by the other Horseman。 In true Horsemen style， when Jonah hears about a series of kidnappings， the men volunteer to make repairs at a local foundling home while they investigate。 But Mark and Jonah find more than kidnappers， as they fall for the women who run the foundling home。Full disclosure。 I love all of Karen Witemeyer’s books。 And The Heart’s Charge is no different！ I fell in love with the Horsemen and their mission against injustice after reading the first novel， At Love’s Command。 And I enjoyed getting a chance to know more about the lives and history of Mark and Jonah。 Jonah， particularly， is always so stoic and quiet， so it was fun to get inside his head and find out he has such a teasing nature （especially when it comes to Eliza）。I love second chance romance， so watching Mark reunite with the woman he almost married so long ago was perfection。 I loved watching them get to know each other now that they were more mature and wise to the ways of the world。 And yet， they still fit together perfectly。But， my， oh my！ I loved Miss Eliza。 Her spunky spirit combined with her high intelligence was the perfect match against Jonah’s stubborn chivalry。 Their match was one forged on slow appreciation of each other’s strengths and weaknesses， and that made it all the more genuine and dear。One of my favorite parts of this story was the grit， bravery， and loyalty of the children。 Rawley and Abner were fantastic boys。 Boys who had been thrown away but showed us how very valuable and lovable they were。 In many scenes， these boys （and other children） stole the show， and I loved how the danger made the trust between the children and their guardians blossom。Overall， I was enraptured by The Heart’s Charge。 I might have missed the other Horsemen， especially their take charge captain， but Mark and Jonah came into their own as they tackled evil and injustice in true Horseman fashion。 I would highly recommend it to everyone who loves Christian historical romance！I was given a copy of this book by the publisher with no expectations of a positive review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Rachelle Sperling
，
The first book in this series， At Love’s Command took a bit of reading before I was engaged。 Not so with The Heart’s Charge。 From the beginning I was drawn into this tale that weaves itself around so many themes。 It is a testimony to the skill of Witmeyer’s writing that she can weave together two tales of romance， a mystery of missing children， the plight of the abandoned， the challenges of grief， and a story of racial tensions while developing each aspect of the story fully。 Men of integrity an The first book in this series， At Love’s Command took a bit of reading before I was engaged。 Not so with The Heart’s Charge。 From the beginning I was drawn into this tale that weaves itself around so many themes。 It is a testimony to the skill of Witmeyer’s writing that she can weave together two tales of romance， a mystery of missing children， the plight of the abandoned， the challenges of grief， and a story of racial tensions while developing each aspect of the story fully。 Men of integrity and women of compassion in a complicated world made for a thought provoking and engaging book which I can wholeheartedly recommend to you。Now that we’ve read about Matthew， Mark and Jonah there is only one horseman’s tale left to tell and I’ll be keeping my eye out for the next book in the series。I received a free digital galley of this book in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more
Keren Herrera-Lyles
，
The Heart's Charge the second book in the series by Karen Witemeyer is as wonderful as the first。 When I saw that Karen Witemeyer was bringing stories of Cowboys I was hooked。 And with the first book At Love's Command the Hanger's Horsemen got my undivided attention。 This is the story of two of them。。。 Mark and Jonah。 Being the gentlemen they are they help anyone in need and that's what happens here along with the thrill of Mystery and non stop action on these two can get into。。。 Or put into。 Wi The Heart's Charge the second book in the series by Karen Witemeyer is as wonderful as the first。 When I saw that Karen Witemeyer was bringing stories of Cowboys I was hooked。 And with the first book At Love's Command the Hanger's Horsemen got my undivided attention。 This is the story of two of them。。。 Mark and Jonah。 Being the gentlemen they are they help anyone in need and that's what happens here along with the thrill of Mystery and non stop action on these two can get into。。。 Or put into。 With Mark seeing his once sweetheart again after arriving at a Harmony House when they bring a newborn baby and Jonah meeting a strong girl they are only pulled into finding if what is being said about missing children are true and bring the criminals in。 I enjoy the way Karen Witemeyer stitches together each blend of Romance， strong characters and History perfectly into this story。 Set in Llano County Texas， this story will pull you in as much as the strong Cowboys will。 And Katherine and Eliza will make the story even stronger with each of their characters。 But will the Horsemen help solve the mystery and will they let their Heart's take charge。This story will pull you into it's Adventure as you open the cover and will keep you going until the last page。 For those who are History lovers， Cowboy lovers and just a mix of Romance， and God's love you won't want to miss this。 I received a Complimentary ARC of the book by the Publisher。 All comments here are my own。 I was not obligated to leave a review。 。。。more
Caitlyn Santi
，
An absolutely amazing second book in the Hanger's Horsemen series！ After reading and absolutely loving At Love's Command I was super psyched to dive into The Heart's Charge， and what a fantastic ride this story is！ I loved Mark and Jonah， they are both such fantastic heroes that I simply can't choose a favorite！ In my opinion the only thing better than a Karen Witemeyer written romance， is TWO Karen Witemeyer written romances in the same book！ I absolutely loved that we get both Mark and Kate's， An absolutely amazing second book in the Hanger's Horsemen series！ After reading and absolutely loving At Love's Command I was super psyched to dive into The Heart's Charge， and what a fantastic ride this story is！ I loved Mark and Jonah， they are both such fantastic heroes that I simply can't choose a favorite！ In my opinion the only thing better than a Karen Witemeyer written romance， is TWO Karen Witemeyer written romances in the same book！ I absolutely loved that we get both Mark and Kate's， and Jonah and Eliza's love stories， it added a whole other level of amazingness to this story！ And I LOVE that Ms。 Witemeyer chose to feature an African-American hero and heroine， Jonah and Eliza brought to this book a beautiful diversity that， in my opinion， we need more of in Christian fiction！ Oh， and I would be remiss if I didn't mention just how much I love that gorgeous cover！ I could stare at it for hours， and I wish there was a way I could frame it and hang it on my wall！ I've been absolutely mesmerized by this cover since the moment I first saw it， and it's one of my favorite covers of all time！ I absolutely adored everything about this book， and most highly recommend it！ The Heart's Charge is a fast paced read that will take you on a thrilling ride and leave you blissfully grinning， and eagerly anticipating Preach's story！I received an ebook copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley。 My review was not influenced in any way。 All thoughts and opinions are one hundred percent my own。 。。。more
Anne
，
The Heart's Chargeby Karen WitemeyerBack of the Book: “Members of Hanger's Horsemen， Mark Wallace and Jonah Brooks arrive in Llano County， Texas， to deliver a steed， never expecting they'd deliver a baby as well。 Left with an infant to care for， they head to a nearby foundling home， where Mark encounters the woman he'd nearly married a decade ago。After failing at love， Katherine Palmer dedicated her life to caring for children， teaming up with Eliza Southerland to start Harmony House。 From mixed The Heart's Chargeby Karen WitemeyerBack of the Book: “Members of Hanger's Horsemen， Mark Wallace and Jonah Brooks arrive in Llano County， Texas， to deliver a steed， never expecting they'd deliver a baby as well。 Left with an infant to care for， they head to a nearby foundling home， where Mark encounters the woman he'd nearly married a decade ago。After failing at love， Katherine Palmer dedicated her life to caring for children， teaming up with Eliza Southerland to start Harmony House。 From mixed ancestry， illegitimate， and female， Eliza understands the pain of not fitting society's mold。 Yet those are the very attributes that lead her to minister to outcast children。 The taciturn Jonah intrigues her with his courage and kindness， but there are secrets behind his eyes--ghosts from wars past and others still being waged。However， when a handful of urchin children from the area go missing， a pair of Horsemen are exactly what the women need。 Working together to find the children， will these two couples find love as well？”Impressions: This is the second novel to the Hanger’s Horsemen series however can be read as a stand-alone novel easily enough。 All in all， this was an exciting story with double the romance。Rated: Kisses， attempted murderLiked: Although there were multiple situations needing solving each one worked well together in the end and made the story more interesting。 The romances in this story were naturally interwoven within all the excitement。 In this story， however， the children stole the show for me。 The boxcar kids’ lifestyles were so intriguing。 Disliked: In the end， the rationale for the main perpetrator's actions was not convincing to me for the crime committed。Quotes: “You can’t control what people say， what they do， or how they think。 All you can control is what you say， do， and think。 Control the mind first， son， and the rest will follow。 Pain and anger narrow our vision。 Take a higher perspective。 Even the vilest man is made in the image of God and loved by Him。”“Eliza had fine-tuned her male-identification system， with the majority falling into one of three major categories。” – I laughed out loud that Eliza had a male identification system and you will just have to read the book for her fun personality descriptions she goes into。 I don’t blame her for being cautious at all but her bluntness was entertaining。“Ted， on the other hand， is a Texas tornado trapped in a four-year-old’s body。” – I’ve never been to Texas but I imagine that my youngest son could fill this description。 “Lessons taught from love bring wisdom。 Lessons spawned from fear and pain often come with cynicism and bitterness attached， which cloud the truth。” -I found this insightful。“Satan uses loneliness to isolate and depress。 But God uses it to build compassion。” – Amen to this！ Been there done that， attitude changes the way you process your feelings。 I can be down in the dumps about something or try to find others who might be experiencing the same thing and try to help each other through the struggle。 I can throw a pity party for myself or I lean into God and allow Him to show me His way。 I can then use this experience to give others hope。 “But if each man and woman were defined solely by their greatest sin， what hope would there be for any of us？”I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review shared here。 。。。more
Rachel Scott
，
The Heart’s Charge by the amazing Karen Witemeyer is filled with SO much literary goodness！ Strong heroines， loyal heroes， a captivating plot sprinkled with moments that make me chuckle one second then swoon the next！ I totally love how this novel features not only one but TWO heroes。 Mark Wallace and Jonah Brooks， members of the Hanger Horsemen， find more than they bargain for when they knock on the Harmony House door。 Both Kate and Eliza are strong， capable caregivers of the foundling home who The Heart’s Charge by the amazing Karen Witemeyer is filled with SO much literary goodness！ Strong heroines， loyal heroes， a captivating plot sprinkled with moments that make me chuckle one second then swoon the next！ I totally love how this novel features not only one but TWO heroes。 Mark Wallace and Jonah Brooks， members of the Hanger Horsemen， find more than they bargain for when they knock on the Harmony House door。 Both Kate and Eliza are strong， capable caregivers of the foundling home whose lives are certainly changed with the appearance of horsemen。 The mystery lent to more of a serious tone， but the author balances the heavy with the light， utilizing her signature banter and giving the reader plenty of humorous scenes。 Also， the romance thread was perfection。 I really enjoyed getting all the varying points of views。 It was simple to follow along and made for a rich reading experience。 A theme that carries over from the last book is one of facing regret， and the author addresses it beautifully。 This is a story I highly recommend。 *I received this copy from Netgalley。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Madison
，
It is impossible to resist Karen Witemeyer's writing。 Once again she absorbed me into this story of adventure， romance， strong female characters and the men of integrity who love them。 The Heart's Charge provides us two stories in one。 We readers first met the Hanger's Horsemen in the first book in the series and in this second book we join up with two members of the group， Mark and Jonah。 Together， Mark and Jonah stumble upon a pregnant woman in labour。 They， reluctantly， assist in the birth an It is impossible to resist Karen Witemeyer's writing。 Once again she absorbed me into this story of adventure， romance， strong female characters and the men of integrity who love them。 The Heart's Charge provides us two stories in one。 We readers first met the Hanger's Horsemen in the first book in the series and in this second book we join up with two members of the group， Mark and Jonah。 Together， Mark and Jonah stumble upon a pregnant woman in labour。 They， reluctantly， assist in the birth and find themselves responsible for the care of the young infant。 This then leads them to Harmony House， a place where children of any race or background can find a home。 A surprise awaits them both。 Mark finds the woman he once wanted to marry and who broke his heart。 Jonah finds a strong and resilient Eliza who might just be the one woman who can work her way past his tough exterior。This is such a delightful story。 There are diverse characters （yay！）， incredibly strong female characters who work alongside the male characters to fight for justice for the children in their care。 There is action， a touch of mystery and suspense。 There is such sweet romance and two romance stories to enjoy。 The book touches on some important themes， including depression， grief， postpartum depression， racism， and the discrimination faced by African-Americans。 This is done well in the historic setting， acknowledging the time and views of that time but also allowing for today's more accepting and understanding approach， which is appropriate for modern readers。As all of Karen Witemeyer's books are， this is sensitive， beautiful， well written and thoroughly enjoyable。 Can't wait for the third book in the series where we get the fourth Horseman's story。The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes。 All opinions are my own 。。。more
Shirley Peters
，
Another amazing book from Karen Witemeyer。 Adventure packed from end to end。 And even though Jonah and Mark share a book for their stories， neither plotline felt rushed。
Kailey
，
I loved this book！ I have been loving this series and each of the Horsemen！ I really liked how the author combined the two couples in this book。 I didn’t want to put the book down。 The only bad thing is now that I finished it I have to wait for the third book。 I would definitely recommend this book！I received a complimentary copy from the publisher。 I was not required to write a positive review。 All opinions expressed are mine alone。
Jodi
，
The Heart's Charge is overflowing with daring cowboy adventures and not one， but two romantic storylines。 When I started this series， I figured each Horseman's journey to find love would be featured in his own book， so I was surprised when this book told of two Horseman and their ladies。 If you are a fan of Karen Witemeyer， then you will know that her stories are intriguing， her cast of characters are unique and diverse， and the quick paced plot will have you glued to the pages。 I thoroughly enj The Heart's Charge is overflowing with daring cowboy adventures and not one， but two romantic storylines。 When I started this series， I figured each Horseman's journey to find love would be featured in his own book， so I was surprised when this book told of two Horseman and their ladies。 If you are a fan of Karen Witemeyer， then you will know that her stories are intriguing， her cast of characters are unique and diverse， and the quick paced plot will have you glued to the pages。 I thoroughly enjoyed reading Mark and Jonah's story， there was never a dull moment！ I'm looking forward to reading Luke Davenport's story in the the third book of this series。Thank you Bethany House and Net Galley for the free DRC of this book。 The opinions expressed here are my own。 。。。more
Paula Shreckhise
，
Great Cowboy adventure！ Ms。 Witemeyer usually highlights heroines in her stories but this series happily zeros in on a brotherhood of heroes。 After encountering a gun toting pregnant lady， Mark and Jonah are questioning what they got themselves into。 As half of Hanger’s Horsemen， they are on their way from a job。 Honorable men who retired from the Army， the Horsemen take on jobs to help the helpless。 Little did they know that Mark would reconnect with old friend Kate and Jonah would have his int Great Cowboy adventure！ Ms。 Witemeyer usually highlights heroines in her stories but this series happily zeros in on a brotherhood of heroes。 After encountering a gun toting pregnant lady， Mark and Jonah are questioning what they got themselves into。 As half of Hanger’s Horsemen， they are on their way from a job。 Honorable men who retired from the Army， the Horsemen take on jobs to help the helpless。 Little did they know that Mark would reconnect with old friend Kate and Jonah would have his interest piqued by the intriguing， independent headmistress of a foundling home， Miss Eliza。Kate and Eliza have a heart for orphans and encounter a band of rail-riding boys。 “As much as she appreciated cleanliness， Kate also realized that feral boys were about as fond of bathing as feral cats。”The witty exchanges and internal dialogue are never lacking as the two couples get to know each other amidst a scary mystery。 Kate muses about Mark: “After spending several hours in his company today， her urge to explore had expanded to Lewis and Clark proportions。”The faith element is strong， showing how the characters live out their Christianity。 “Leave tomorrow alone， girl。 The Lord is the only one strong enough to carry the future。 You will wear yourself out trying。” “Satan uses loneliness to isolate and depress。 But God uses it to build compassion。” This has been a great series。 I am anxious to see how the story plays out for Preacher， the remaining Horseman。 *I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House on behalf of the author。 I was not required to give a favorable review。 All opinions are my own。* 。。。more
Cara Putman
，
I loved this book and the way it featured two of Hanger's Horsemen。 Mark Wallace and Jonah Brooks find themselves in the middle of a mystery regarding missing children。。。 or are they？ No one seems to realize there are missing children。 While they try to unwind what's really happening， Mark is confronted by the one who got away。 Could this be his second chance at love？ Jonah finds a woman who doesn't need a man。 That indendepence tugs him to her。 Overall， this book is a lovely blend of romance， m I loved this book and the way it featured two of Hanger's Horsemen。 Mark Wallace and Jonah Brooks find themselves in the middle of a mystery regarding missing children。。。 or are they？ No one seems to realize there are missing children。 While they try to unwind what's really happening， Mark is confronted by the one who got away。 Could this be his second chance at love？ Jonah finds a woman who doesn't need a man。 That indendepence tugs him to her。 Overall， this book is a lovely blend of romance， mystery， and history。 I loved it！ 。。。more
Paula
，
I can't say enough about how much I really enjoyed this book！ Since reading "At Love's Command" last year， I have been anxiously awaiting for this story！ In the first book， we meet "Hangar's Horsemen" a group of four men that fight crime together for those that can't afford Pinkerton's， or the law isn't helping in their situations。 After delivering horses to their destinations， Mark Wallace， the youngest horseman， and Jonah Brooks， a black man and former Buffalo soldier， come across a woman in d I can't say enough about how much I really enjoyed this book！ Since reading "At Love's Command" last year， I have been anxiously awaiting for this story！ In the first book， we meet "Hangar's Horsemen" a group of four men that fight crime together for those that can't afford Pinkerton's， or the law isn't helping in their situations。 After delivering horses to their destinations， Mark Wallace， the youngest horseman， and Jonah Brooks， a black man and former Buffalo soldier， come across a woman in dire need， she is in labor， about to have her baby。 Jonah goes for the doctor， which leaves Mark to deliver this poor baby。 All goes well， except the mother is a grieving widow that wants nothing to do with the baby。 Mark and Jonah have to take the baby to the nearby foundling home。 When they arrive， Mark discovers that one of the owners， Kate， is the woman he loved ten years ago， in Boston。 Jonah notices the beautiful co owner， Eliza， a mulatto woman with a stern disposition。 While there， they both begin working on the building， and the grounds around it。 They discover that there are children being snatched away， and begin investigating。 The more they learn， the more they know they must do something about it。 The children being snatched are children that have no family connections in the area， so they are not being reported。 As the mystery unravels， the more danger they face。 Excellent story that， in my opinion， didn't last long enough！ Great story！ 。。。more
Elizabeth Richardson
，
In this second installment of her Hanger's Horsemen series， Karen Witemeyer uniquely tells the story of two couples: Mark Wallace and Katherine Palmer alongside Jonah Brooks and Eliza Southerland。 Before reading The Heart's Charge， I was skeptical on two counts: that telling two love stories simultaneously would prove confusing， and that Witemeyer， despite good intentions， would struggle writing a story from two black characters' perspectives。 Luckily， she proved me wrong on both counts。 I actua In this second installment of her Hanger's Horsemen series， Karen Witemeyer uniquely tells the story of two couples: Mark Wallace and Katherine Palmer alongside Jonah Brooks and Eliza Southerland。 Before reading The Heart's Charge， I was skeptical on two counts: that telling two love stories simultaneously would prove confusing， and that Witemeyer， despite good intentions， would struggle writing a story from two black characters' perspectives。 Luckily， she proved me wrong on both counts。 I actually enjoyed the double love story; it seemed to make the plot move more quickly， and there was no need to add pointless or frustrating obstacles for the characters to overcome before the "happily ever after。" Similarly， I thought Witemeyer handled the race issue beautifully。 She certainly didn't shy away from the struggles Eliza and Jonah had faced in society， history， culture， etc。 While I enjoyed At Love's Command， the first Hanger's Horseman novel， I definitely prefer this second one！ 。。。more
ELIZABETH RICHARDSON
，
In this second installment of her Hanger's Horsemen series， Karen Witemeyer uniquely tells the story of two couples: Mark Wallace and Katherine Palmer alongside Jonah Brooks and Eliza Southerland。 Before reading The Heart's Charge， I was skeptical on two counts: that telling two love stories simultaneously would prove confusing， and that Witemeyer， despite good intentions， would struggle writing a story from two black characters' perspectives。 Luckily， she proved me wrong on both counts。 I actua In this second installment of her Hanger's Horsemen series， Karen Witemeyer uniquely tells the story of two couples: Mark Wallace and Katherine Palmer alongside Jonah Brooks and Eliza Southerland。 Before reading The Heart's Charge， I was skeptical on two counts: that telling two love stories simultaneously would prove confusing， and that Witemeyer， despite good intentions， would struggle writing a story from two black characters' perspectives。 Luckily， she proved me wrong on both counts。 I actually enjoyed the double love story; it seemed to make the plot move more quickly， and there was no need to add pointless or frustrating obstacles for the characters to overcome before the "happily ever after。" Similarly， I thought Witemeyer handled the race issue beautifully。 She certainly didn't shy away from the struggles Eliza and Jonah had faced in society， history， culture， etc。 While I enjoyed At Love's Command， the first Hanger's Horseman novel， I definitely prefer this second one！ 。。。more
Valri Western
，
I can't say enough about this story。 It's really a 2 for 1 deal in that it's written about two couples and the author develops all 4 people so well。 Not a lot of authors could do that in the length of one novel。 However， both couples were given enough "page space" to be well represented and well developed。 I felt I knew each of the 4 protagonists very well， including their backstories and their feelings。 That's not to say that there wasn't enough room for the current story too！ It was a great on I can't say enough about this story。 It's really a 2 for 1 deal in that it's written about two couples and the author develops all 4 people so well。 Not a lot of authors could do that in the length of one novel。 However， both couples were given enough "page space" to be well represented and well developed。 I felt I knew each of the 4 protagonists very well， including their backstories and their feelings。 That's not to say that there wasn't enough room for the current story too！ It was a great one！ There are missing children， children that no one really "misses" because they are the ones without families and are in the shadows。 However， Mark and Jonah， two of Hanger's Horsemen， are going to investigate and it just might do them in！ Katherine and Eliza， who run a foundling home， will help them and along the way， become embroiled in this investigation。 There is so much to love about this story。 Mark almost married Katherine 10 years ago back East and he can't believe it when he sees her again in Texas！ Jonah has always thought he'd be single until he meets Eliza who changes his world！ I。 Love。 This。 Book！ 。。。more
Meghan
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This book began in an exciting way that immediately had me leaning forward and wanting to never put it down！ Karen Witemeyer has a gift of creating characters who feel real and comfortable， and I thought this book did a fantastic job of bringing the stark truth of the time period （the inhumane treatment of the Native American population and the racism against African American people） to a story that showed that humanity was not all lost。 We get two romance stories in one here， with a whopping fo This book began in an exciting way that immediately had me leaning forward and wanting to never put it down！ Karen Witemeyer has a gift of creating characters who feel real and comfortable， and I thought this book did a fantastic job of bringing the stark truth of the time period （the inhumane treatment of the Native American population and the racism against African American people） to a story that showed that humanity was not all lost。 We get two romance stories in one here， with a whopping four POVs， which at times felt difficult to follow。 I usually have a max of two POVs before my brain has some trouble keeping everyone straight。 Particularly for the purposes of reviewing。 However， I was so glad we got to see both couples get their happily ever after， and I only wish Eliza and Jonah had their own book， so we could see even more detail in how they fell in love。 Mark Wallace never expected to hold a baby in his arms， at least not this way。 Returning home after delivering a horse， he and his partner， Jonah Brooks， come across a woman in distress。 She is about to have a baby， and she is in no condition to take care of things on her own。 After successfully delivering the baby， the mother isn't able to take care of her properly， and so they must take the baby to a nearby foundling home。 Upon arrival， Mark sees Katherine Palmer for the first time in ten years， the woman he proposed to and who in turn rejected him， pushing him to join the army and leave home for good。 Katherine is both elated and devastated to see Mark again。 They have so much past between them， and her life has taken a path away from marriage with assisting her friend， Eliza Southerland， with the home for unwanted children。 Marriage is not in her plans， but God has His own plan that sets in motion a journey for the four people suddenly thrown together by fate。Mark was genuinely one of the nicest men I have seen written in a while。 Essentially without flaws， I found him almost too good to believe。 He was a kind young man when he knew Katherine when they were children， and he grew to love her as they spent more time together。 Unfortunately， Katherine didn't see past the flirtations the other girls in town flung at Mark， and she got herself in a predicament that ultimately led to them being separated。 It was wonderful to see them get their second chance at love， even if Katherine was resistant at first。 Jonah Brooks was the other hero of the story， though his romance was not the primary one of the book。 He was a black man with walls sky high， partially from how he was treated due to his skin color but also because of his emotional scars after being a sharpshooter。 Wounded Knee affected him deeply， and so that's why it was even more romantic to see his romance with Eliza Southerland， the illegitimate daughter of a slave woman who was eventually freed by Eliza's father。 Eliza was hardened yet kind， and I loved her character so much。 I found her and Jonah to be the more interesting couple， mainly because of their hardships and backstories。 I so admired how much good they had done despite the bad done to them。 Woven into the story was a mystery plot of disappearing children， and I liked seeing Mark and Jonah take the lead in finding the children， even at their own peril。 They had such strength of character and were very admirable men throughout the book。I always love reading Karen Witemeyer and look forward to what comes next！**I received a free copy via NetGalley and this is my honest review。** 。。。more
Deborah Andreasen
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This second installment in the Hanger's Horsemen series was phenomenal。 I daresay I enjoyed it more than the first。 （I know， impossible， right？！） I loved spending time with Jonah and Mark。 Karen is great at weaving more than one love story into a book and making them work so well together。 Honestly， I enjoyed this book so much I'm making my Old Western movie loving husband read it。 This is a clean， Christian romance。 I read it all in one day because I was enraptured and wanted to know what happe This second installment in the Hanger's Horsemen series was phenomenal。 I daresay I enjoyed it more than the first。 （I know， impossible， right？！） I loved spending time with Jonah and Mark。 Karen is great at weaving more than one love story into a book and making them work so well together。 Honestly， I enjoyed this book so much I'm making my Old Western movie loving husband read it。 This is a clean， Christian romance。 I read it all in one day because I was enraptured and wanted to know what happened next。 It's been a long time since I've done that with a book！ 。。。more
Kai
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Karen Witemeyer is the reason I stepped outside my Historical Regency comfort zone and started reading Westerns。 Books like this are exactly why I now love Westerns！The theme of this story was very important to me。 God has called us to help the orphans no matter who they are or where they are from。 Stories like the one Abner shared are so heartbreaking。 Eliza’s story was also heartbreaking， and far too common。It’s often tough to have a book written with four lead characters who are equally impor Karen Witemeyer is the reason I stepped outside my Historical Regency comfort zone and started reading Westerns。 Books like this are exactly why I now love Westerns！The theme of this story was very important to me。 God has called us to help the orphans no matter who they are or where they are from。 Stories like the one Abner shared are so heartbreaking。 Eliza’s story was also heartbreaking， and far too common。It’s often tough to have a book written with four lead characters who are equally important and fully developed。 Witemeyer has accomplished this so well。 There was also a mystery and some action in this book along with the romance of the two couples。This book can be read as a standalone， but if you read the first book in the series （At Love’s Command） you can learn more about the history of the horsemen。I loved the plot and the characters。 I read through the book at a fast pace but then read the end slowly because I wanted to savor it。 I can’t wait for Preach’s story！ 。。。more
Doreen
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I thoroughly enjoyed this book。 It had a lot of action from the first moment to the last。 I enjoy when independent females who don't have room for a man in their lives are flummoxed by a man who doesn't fit any of their categories。 There was a ton of fun banter between Eliza and Jonah。 The writing was witty。 There were many poignant moments like when Mark gave a blessing over baby Sarah or when Jonah talked to Abner about his identity。 There were a bunch of rascally boys who had formed a family I thoroughly enjoyed this book。 It had a lot of action from the first moment to the last。 I enjoy when independent females who don't have room for a man in their lives are flummoxed by a man who doesn't fit any of their categories。 There was a ton of fun banter between Eliza and Jonah。 The writing was witty。 There were many poignant moments like when Mark gave a blessing over baby Sarah or when Jonah talked to Abner about his identity。 There were a bunch of rascally boys who had formed a family and worked to protect each other。 There were moments of epic bravery and sacrifice as well as ingenuity。 It was an all around great book。 I can't wait to read the next one in the series。Thank you to Bethany House for providing me with a free copy of this book。 I loved it！ All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Adrienne
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I was a little worried about there being four protagonists in this story， particularly about whether they would all feel like well-developed characters， but I should have known better。 While I would have loved to have two separate books so each character could have more "page time，" that's simply a reflection of how much I liked the characters and would have loved to spend even more time with them。 With four characters， their backstory， the current plot， and a lot of serious topics （kidnapping， I was a little worried about there being four protagonists in this story， particularly about whether they would all feel like well-developed characters， but I should have known better。 While I would have loved to have two separate books so each character could have more "page time，" that's simply a reflection of how much I liked the characters and would have loved to spend even more time with them。 With four characters， their backstory， the current plot， and a lot of serious topics （kidnapping， depression/suicidal thoughts， and slavery among them）， it takes skillful writing to balance it all--and Karen Witemeyer totally pulled it off。 The book flows really well， the characters are beautifully written and totally lovable， the themes and messages thought-provoking but not overbearing， and the whole book was just a delight to read。 4。5 stars。I read an ARC provided by the publisher via #NetGalley。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Alissa Peppo （bookstagrambyalissamorgan）
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Karen Witemeyer has hit the nail on the head once again and provided yet another delightful Western romance with plenty of adventure。 I truly adored this book and read it in one sitting！ Karen Witemeyer has a way of providing swoon-worthy romance and riveting adventure in a single book that makes me unable to put down it down。 She also manages to teach deep and meaningful spiritual lessons through her writing， and they always seem to speak straight to my heart。 I loved that The Heart’s Charge wa Karen Witemeyer has hit the nail on the head once again and provided yet another delightful Western romance with plenty of adventure。 I truly adored this book and read it in one sitting！ Karen Witemeyer has a way of providing swoon-worthy romance and riveting adventure in a single book that makes me unable to put down it down。 She also manages to teach deep and meaningful spiritual lessons through her writing， and they always seem to speak straight to my heart。 I loved that The Heart’s Charge was two love stories in one book， and I thought that there was a good balance between the two relationships in the storyline。 Mark and Kate already knew each other， and their romance moved quickly。 Their relationship was sweet with some wonderfully romantic moments， and their story was my favorite of the two。 The other couple， Eliza and Jonah， met at the beginning of the book and their relationship was a slow burn ending in love and an adorable courtship。 Having two main characters who are persons of color during the late 1800s in Texas is rare for Christian fiction， and I thought the author handled Jonah and Eliza’s story extremely well while providing a wonderful perspective。 Best of all--and in true Karen Witemeyer style--the adventure in the story was captivating and included everything from outrunning trains to being kidnapped by outlaws。 I could not put down this story and thoroughly loved it！ I highly recommend The Heart’s Charge like I highly recommend all of Karen Witemeyer’s books， and I enthusiastically give it 5 stars。I received a copy of this book from the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review， and my thoughts are my own。 I truly did love it！ 。。。more
Maggie Boyd
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I was really disappointed in this Inspirational Romance， which had flashes of Witemeyer's standard humor and sweetness but combined them with some really questionable theology。 I was really disappointed in this Inspirational Romance， which had flashes of Witemeyer's standard humor and sweetness but combined them with some really questionable theology。 。。。more
Pam
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Having read the first Hanger's Horsemen book， At Love's Command， and very intrigued with the Horsemen （Captain Matthew Hanger， Luke "Preach" Davenport， Jonah Brooks， and Mark Wallace）， reading The Heart's Charge was a must for me。 Mark and Jonah are such a great combination of manly toughness encasing hearts that become tender in response to the right women。 Kate and Eliza have committed to caring for unwanted children in their home， Harmony House， and were not looking for love any more than the Having read the first Hanger's Horsemen book， At Love's Command， and very intrigued with the Horsemen （Captain Matthew Hanger， Luke "Preach" Davenport， Jonah Brooks， and Mark Wallace）， reading The Heart's Charge was a must for me。 Mark and Jonah are such a great combination of manly toughness encasing hearts that become tender in response to the right women。 Kate and Eliza have committed to caring for unwanted children in their home， Harmony House， and were not looking for love any more than the men were。 Strong， courageous， compassionate， and full of faith are words that help describe these women。 When children go missing from the area， Mark and Jonah are committed to finding them。 There are some unexpected twists and action， words of wisdom between the men and boys， a strong faith message， and blossoming romance。 I highly recommend The Heart's Charge。 Now I can hardly wait for the third book。 。。。more
R。j。
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“Satan uses loneliness to isolate and depress。 But God uses it to build compassion。” P 130I got this book in the second week of a quarantine。 Yay COVID。 But this last year has made me feel very alone， like I don’t really have many friends。 And I have a son with ASD， which add a whole new can of crazy onto things。 Which is why this quote resonates with me so much。 More review coming soon
Angie
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The Heart's Charge is Karen Witemeyer's newest novel and the second in the Hanger's Horsemen series。 This one focuses on two couples， rather than just one， which I thought worked well。 I also appreciate that Witemeyer tackled some deeper issues in this book， including child abandonment and suicidal thoughts， that most Christian authors shy away from。 Karen Witemeyer is one of a handful of authors that I will automatically read their latest novels and this book is a good reason why。I received an The Heart's Charge is Karen Witemeyer's newest novel and the second in the Hanger's Horsemen series。 This one focuses on two couples， rather than just one， which I thought worked well。 I also appreciate that Witemeyer tackled some deeper issues in this book， including child abandonment and suicidal thoughts， that most Christian authors shy away from。 Karen Witemeyer is one of a handful of authors that I will automatically read their latest novels and this book is a good reason why。I received an advance reader copy of this title from the publisher。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Heart's Charge
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Heart's Charge&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Heart's Charge&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0