The Lieutenant’s Bargain is possibly the most anticipated book I’ve ever gotten my hands on. After reading Holding the Fort, the first book in the series, I began to love Jack Hennessey.
In the beginning, there’s action, which is always a plus for me. Hattie’s stagecoach is robbed, and she’s left the only survivor. She’s rescued by an Arapaho tribe, but she doesn’t realize she’s being rescued. That’s the first in a series of hilarious misunderstandings. I won’t go into more detail in order to avoid spoilers, but I did not see the result coming. But it leads Hattie and Jack to strike a bargain: she’ll help him, and in exchange, he’ll make sure she gets to Denver for her exhibition. If Hattie gets a painting in the exhibition, her parents won’t push her to get married, but Jack will have to sacrifice his future to ensure Hattie’s.
I think one of the things I really enjoyed about this book was watching both characters mature. Jack realizes that Hattie is in fact not perfect. And Hattie begins to realize she’s a mite selfish and shallow. Character arcs are my favorite part of any book, and watching these two grow was a treat. Regina Jennings does such a great job of painting character descriptions through their actions and choices rather than lengthy descriptions.
The mystery element was also intriguing with a plot twist I didn’t quite see coming. There were a couple of different mysteries that were woven together, and I enjoyed putting the pieces together before Jack and Hattie did. I also enjoyed Jack’s interaction with the Arapaho tribe, and Hattie’s growing respect for the tribe was powerful. It was a great reminder of how we should treat others, even if we don’t understand them.
Further Information
You can purchase a copy of The Lieutenant’s Bargain at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million, and Christianbook.com.
Check out my review of the next book in the series, The Major’s Daughter.
