About the Book

Title: To Claim Her Heart
Author: Jodie Wolfe
Release Date: May 14, 2018
Genre: Historical Romance

In 1893, on the eve of the great race for land, Benjamin David prays for God to guide him to his ‘Promised Land’. Finding property and preaching to the lost are his only ways of honoring his deceased fiancee, but he didn’t count on Elmer (Elsie) Smith claiming the same plot and refusing to leave. Not only is she a burr in his side, but she is full of the homesteading know-how he sadly lacks. Obtaining a claim in the Cherokee Strip Land Run is Elsie Smith’s only hope for survival, but not just any plot will do. She has a specific one in mind. The plot’s not only a way to honor her pa and his life, but also to provide a livelihood for herself. Elsie’s willing to do whatever it takes to get that piece of property, and she determined to keep it, but she wasn’t planning on a kind, handsome preacher standing in her way. Her bitterness is what protects her, and she has not intentions of allowing that preacher to lay claim to her land … or her heart.

My Thoughts:

I truly enjoyed this book.  Elsie is a spitfire and I just loved her.  I didn't necessarily

agree with everything she did but she was a great character.  Benjamin, I absolutely

loved!  He was such a sweetheart and tried his best to do what God wanted him

to do.  The loving your neighbor part may have been gradual but it was there :)

The nighbors overall were great.  I loved the one part with Benjamin and John, it

made me giggle just a bit.  The other neighbors were wonderful examples of how

we should treat each other.  I completely enjoyed watching Elsie grow and change

as a character.  Benjamin changed too but Elsie's change was the biggest.

It was a 5/5.  I really enjoyed it and loved the characters!

Thank you to the author for the review copy (via Celebrate Lit).  I received this book in exchange

for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

About the Author

Jodie Wolfe got bitten by the writing bug as a young girl after reading and watching Little House on the Prairie. She creates novels where hope and quirky meet. The power of story to influence lives and change hearts is what motivates her to weave tales that tell of the Savior’s faithfulness and forgiveness. When not writing, she enjoys spending time with her husband in Pennsylvania, reading, walking, and being a Grammie. Learn more at www.jodiewolfe.com.

Guest Post from Jodie Wolfe

The Heart of a Book

I think there’s always a little bit of the author in each book they write, but sometimes something deeper and very close to the author is wrapped up in the pages of a story. That’s the case for To Claim Her Heart. This is the tale that my mother-in-law always wanted me to write. She was so proud of her family heritage and almost twenty years ago, she was anxious to share it with me. We visited Oklahoma where several of her relatives had staked claims in the last great race for land in our country – the Cherokee Strip Land Run of 1893. This September will mark the 125th anniversary of the land race. While it saddens me that my dear mother-in-law never lived long enough to see this story in print, I’m thankful that she shared her rich heritage with me. In To Claim Her Heart I was able to mention a recipe passed down through her family for prune cake. I also made sure the heroine had a Rose of Sharon quilt that was given to her. My mother-in-law gave me this quilt dating back as early as 1834 when it was stitched by my husband’s great, great, great, great grandmother. It’s been passed down to the oldest daughter for generations. But, I think one of my favorite memories is the one that concerns outlaws and how my husband’s great, great, great grandmother dealt with them. To find out more about this actual encounter, you’ll have to read To Claim Her Heart. I hope your heart will be as touched by these stories as mine was when my mother-in-law shared them. Enjoy!