A PROMISE TO BELIEVE IN by Tracie Peterson

This is book one in the "Brides of Gallatin County" series and we are off to a great beginning.  Tracie Peterson has always been an author I have enjoyed reading.  Her characters are people you can relate to, who struggle through hardships and sorrows, but endure through it and come out stronger.  The cover on these stories are also what drew me in - well done!

The three Gallatin sisters find their father accidentally shot and killed in a remote Montana town.  They own and run the roadhouse at the crossroads of two stage lines.  The oldest girl, Gwen, thinks she is "cursed" because death seems to follow her wherever she goes.  Her husband died on her wedding day several years ago.  Now her late husband's brother, Hank Bishop appears on the scene in search of his brother and the "stock certificates" he stole when he left home.  Gwen finds out her husband lied to her about who he was, so she feels she can't trust Hank now either when his feelings are declared.

The three sisters in the story have very different personalities and I enjoyed each of them equally.  They have a strong bond as sisters and some of their antics were hilarious when Hank first comes to town.  Each of these girls have things in their past that they are dealing with; having a mother who died and a father who moved them around a lot.  It was interesting to see how each one was affected by the life they grew up with.  The neighbor lady who helps them through their struggles had a lot of wisdom and good advice and I appreciated how she helped them and how she kept them focused from a biblical standpoint.  This was just an all-around good story with a lot going on, which kept the story moving.  I look forward to reading the next two stories in this series.