Forgiving

By: LaVyrle Spencer

Narrated by: Emily Sutton-Smith

When Sarah Merritt arrives in Dakota Territory in 1876, she steps off the dusty Cheyenne stagecoach determined to start this ramshackle gold-rush town's first newspaper. In Deadwood, her runaway younger sister, Addie, is living and working as domestic help at Mrs. Hossiter's boardinghouse, according to her letters. Five years after Addie's flight from home, Sarah is carrying the sad news that their one remaining parent, newspaper publisher Isaac Merritt, has died.

But when Sarah - tall, prim, and nearly a spinster at 25 - sets up her father's printing press in the middle of Main Street, she finds herself at loggerheads with Sheriff Noah Campbell. Headstrong and opinionated, with an auburn mustache and grinning gray eyes, he arrests her on the spot. And so begins an enmity between two willful individuals that can change only when they find themselves united in a common goal: to reclaim the Addie whom Sarah once knew.

But life is never simple. Mrs. Hossiter is more commonly known as Rosie in this bawdy frontier town, and Addie's work is as an "upstairs girl", not an upstairs maid. Addie is furious when Sarah turns up at the bordello - and she tells her proper sister to get out. What could have happened to change Addie so - and what can Sarah do to regain the sweet sister of her youth and bring her home again?

©1991 LaVyrle Spencer (P)2021 Tantor

An amazing love story and the power of forgiveness

This book has always been a favorite of mine. I love the characters and setting in Deadwood SD at a time of it’s early growth. Mrs. Spencer does a magnificent job of characterization, with her picturesque descriptions and weaving the theme of forgiveness through the entire book. I’m so glad to finally find her books coming out in audio. Good narration, too. Highly recommend this wonderful redeeming love story.

Enemies to Lovers

I am a fan of stories that start out contemptuous and end happily. This book did not disappoint for the genre. The characters were well developed. The narrator did an awesome job as well.

Deadwood Saga

Another interesting story by the author. She brings to life the characters and the times Very wonderful historical information. Very detailed.
The characters are also interesting it is apparent from the beginning, who will end up with whom at the end, but it is always fun to see how they get there.
I learned a lot about Deadwood, Arizona, life in a brothel and the building of a town from gold rush to the establishment of civilization .

Great Read!

My first book by this author- it was a great read with an interesting storyline that held my attention throughout. Characters were well drawn and authors strong writing skills deliver a detailed and compelling story on many levels. Narration was absolutely perfect.

Beautifull story!

Story telling at its best!
Slow burn and awesome.
About forgiving and moving forward from the heartache of their youth.
Brilliant narration

A good book with a great ending...

I agree that this isn't a typical LS book- but I still enjoyed it and don't agree with the other reviews downing it.
The setting is 1876 out west in Dakota Territory. Sarah Merritt has just buried her father and with a few belongs, including her father's newspaper printing press, sets out to find her lost sister Addie. She arrives in Deadwood- a minor's town full of nothing but mining bachelors and the sheriff Noah Campbell. She tracks her sister down living in the local brothel house, establishes a local newspaper with the help of a town drunk, and knocks heads with the sheriff every step of the way. Romance is begun between Sarah and Noah with plenty of ups and downs while Sarah tries to establish a relationship between she and Addie. Addie doesn't want see Sarah and Sarah never did understand why Addie ran away from home leaving no word- though she always did seem to be Father's favorite out of the 2. Addie left behind a sweetheart that still mourns for her love. Sarah sends word back home to Robert that she has found Addie- only for Robert to pick up stakes and come out to Dakota, too, hoping to find out why Addie left him. Just when things seem to be coming around the secret is out and Sarah has some facing to do about her past, as well as Addie facing her future. Though this one wasn't as powerful as LS's others I still enjoyed it and will recommend it to others to enjoy.

Emily Sutton-Smith was outstanding with the delivery of the story

Oh wow, I’m so frustrated!

This book had be so frustrated. I love this author. My favorite book is Years. Why was the heroine in this book so stupid? I wanted to pull the stick up out of her *$$ so bad. I can understand some of the things she was afraid about but some I just didn’t understand. I did have to skip over about 30 minutes because I was getting so frustrated. I just wanted to get to the end. Anyway I love the beginning of the book and enjoy the middle, but I think once they got their final hiccup/problem, i was over it.

Very Good Story

I liked this novel and its cast of believable characters. They were really well developed. Their relationships are complicated and so good to see them resolved. The performance by Ms. Sutton-Smith was perfect, as always. I love her narrations.

The details

Loved the story. But kind of drawed out and slow. Love that the books take place in the upper mid west

Thoroughly enjoyed!!!

Loved listening to this one. It’s amazing how LaVryle Spencer makes settings, time periods, and characters come alive! This one’s about the gold rush and how people flocked out west to the Dakotas and made a little ramshackle town, Deadwood, come alive. I could listen to her stories all day, not just because of the sweetness of her love stories but because of the historical aspects to them as well. Loved Sarah Merritt’s and Noah Campbell’s story, not to mention Sarah’s sister Addie and her beau’s story as well. You have two for one here, two intriguing love stories converging. Beautifully crafted and wonderfully told. Again, a stellar performance by Emily Sutton-Smith, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite narrators.