The Crossing at Cypress Creek is the third book in the Natchez Trace Series, and if you haven’t read the first two, you might not want to read this review because it may have spoilers. The Promise of Breeze Hill, the first installment, was listed on my 2018 Best Books I Read This Year.
If you don’t mind spoilers, then let us continue.
The Promise of Breeze Hill features the oldest brother, Connor, who has come to America after a mistake forces him to leave Ireland. The Road to Magnolia Glen features his brother, Quinn, who is resentful that Connor left him to take care of his brothers and that their brother Caleb also took off to parts unknown.
Now we finally know what happened to Caleb!
One of the things I loved about this book was that it didn’t just focus on Caleb’s romance with apprentice healer Alanah Adams. Hillman does a great job also focusing on the relationship with Caleb and his brothers. Connor and Quinn both had issues to deal with in their respective books, but now they are all together to work out their relationship. I really enjoyed seeing the brothers work through the resentment and regrets the way only brothers can.
I also enjoyed Alanah’s relationship with her sister Betsy. I appreciated the time Hillman spent focusing on the aftermath of Betsy’s abduction and how the trauma not only affected Betsy but Alanah, too. This provided a really good arc for Alanah as she learned how to trust Caleb. And then there’s her relationship with Lydia. Lydia is mixed race, with some Choctaw in her heritage, and while others seem to assume Lydia is the family’s slave, Alanah treats her with a great deal of respect. The dynamic between these two characters made me like Alanah even more.
There’s also plenty of action as they face off against river pirates and the evil Micaiah Jones. Micaiah is a villian I loved to hate, and Hillman has a fantastic build-up to the final showdown between Micaiah and the others that kept me turning pages until late in the night.
I have to say I was a bit disappointed when I heard this was the last book in the series. After all, there are two more O’Connor brothers. But I will say that The Crossing at Cypress Creek has a nice epilogue at the end that gave me enough closure to be satisfied when I finished the book. Although, if Pam Hillman decided to write two more books, I would not complain. I would also snatch them up ASAP.
Want to read it yourself? Click on the image to get your own copy at Christian Book Distributors or check with your local library.
