Tara's Trials

Romance on the Oregon Trail, Book 4

By: Kathleen Ball

Narrated by: Denise Thistlewaite

Length: 3 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

Tara Carmichael watched her whole wagon party, including her father, get killed. She stayed hidden as the men ransacked the wagons searching. Later that evening, she heads back to Fort Bridger on the Oregon Trail.

Tara has no supplies, and the store clerk at Fort Bridger has no mercy. She sees a chance, and she takes it by hiding in the back of the wagon Zander is driving. She knows how to hunt, fish, make buckskins, and she’s good with a rifle and a knife. But she doesn’t know how to be a female men want to marry or a female other women want as a friend. Tara watches as other females in the wagon train party vie for Zander’s attention, and it hurts more than she can bear.

Zander Kennedy planned to start a ranch in Oregon with his two best friends, the Leary brothers. But he’s not sure that will happen since they both got married along the long, long trail. He’s been alone much of his life, and he is certain he’ll be alone again in Oregon.

Both Zander and Tara promise themselves they will never risk their hearts. They know how much it hurts when they are left by another. There is a spark between them, but they are firm in their resolve to keep their hearts frozen. They avoid each other as much as possible until a ten-year-old girl Rhetta is in danger living with Indians.

Her adoptive Indian father is willing to marry her off to Zander. The father is told Zander is married. Not believing Zander’s marital status, he wants witnesses watching Zander and Tara go into the wagon together and stay for the night. Both understand they must marry or risk Tara’s good name. They certainly don’t want the Indian tribe upset with them.

Join Zander, Tara, Heath, Dawn, Declan, Luella, Harrison, Cora and Essie as they travel to the end of the Oregon Trail. Feel the joy, danger, doubt, broken hearts, and love the experience along the way.

©2019 Kathleen Ball (P)2019 Kathleen Ball

Tara's Trials

Very good story. I enjoyed it very much. The only thing that would have made it better was an Irish accent. Other than that, the narration was good. Good clean romance.

Change of plans for Tara

Today it is hard to imagine the fear of going to a land unknown, and then to have her family killed. At least Tara was resortfull, in hiding in a wagon and continuing on. Seemed like both were loners, though sparks are there. When another needs help, it changes things. Another good story of how going to the west changes a person and one’s plans.Given ARC audio which was good for my voluntary review and my honest opinion

The other books were so good! This one was so unbelievable!

The only thing I don’t like about these books is that they act like everyone on the train was horrible people. Except for the people in their group Koren Harrison Llewellyn and Declan Donen eighth and now Tara and Xander. I have no problem spending believe when I read the story, But it seems like Kim Turner really wants to believe but when the wagon blew a wheel and she went to fix it and it fell on her with only her feet sticking out that no one in any wagon passing stop the helper none of the men ran to pick it up for nothing. Also, pour down who is taken by Indians in May to stand on hot coals before coming to the train got her feet all messed up no that was in the last book and then this one the story is moved ahead two or three months and yet they mentioned that her feet just on healing. Would that would be infected or have gangrene but despite even in a horrible situation eventually your body adjusts and if you don’t die from the injury you have gnarly scars. Trust me I know healing always takes place in 6 to 8 weeks. Unless you have a condition that prohibits it. Anyway I love the other books and I’m hoping I will love candle glow and mistletoe. I also found it unbelievable that once again they taking a woman that the whole train talks about and treats crappy I mean what kind of whore horrible people travel to the west? And every woman on this train has no problem telling the girl that she’s not wanted there as they did with Nolan and even Llewellyn who was from the train and despite the fact that Daddy abused her know the members of the wagon train so it’s fine if they to verbally abuse them. You know now that I think about it there’s a lot of things that just don’t make sense in this book. I still love the other books though and if you love old-time romance western or mail order bride stories you probably will love this story if you can suspend the leaf and also believe that 80% of people are mean and horrible.