Joshua Blaines Crandal had done a lot of things in his life, but being a clown kicked out of a traveling circus had to be the ultimate humiliation, or so he thought. Stranded in the middle of the desert, miles from civilization, the last thing he expected to do was stumble upon a trio of women preaching the Lord's gospel. Agreeing to fix a wagon wheel in return for food and clothing, he tried to dissuade them from traveling to Contention--the wildest mining town in Arizona territory--to spread The Word.

Harriet Goodspell, a no-nonsense, stiff-necked, self-proclaimed preacher woman headed up this unlikely trio of misplaced women. The daughter of a preacher, it was her mission in life to see that the Good Book reached all those sinners just begging to be redeemed. When the Lord saw fit to place a poor excuse of a man across her path, she began to question, not her faith, but herself. Surely a righteous woman such as herself was destined for spinsterhood, to give her life in pursuit of redemption? Surely it was a sin to want to explore the feelings that this enigma had aroused?

Trials were thrown in Harriet's path ranging from Indians and floods to lost souls. The serenity in which she dealt with each event was enough to send Joshua around the bend. Didn't she have any sense? Didn't she know the meaning of cautious? But in an attempt to save her from herself, and trying to retrieve his stolen property at the same time, it was he that wound up needing saving. Add a handsome cavalry captain and mixed signals, and where everyone ends up is anyone's guess.

TRAIL TO BLISS begins as a humorous read, trailing off to reveal the irony in the characters' individual perceptions. Though Christian Romances are not my favorite, Jeannine D. Van Eperen has concocted a credible tale of what life would have really been like back in the days when box cameras and steam trains were still a novelty. What she has demonstrated perfectly is that the differences in men's and women's perceptions of things have not altered one whit throughout the centuries. TRAIL TO BLISS is recommended for those who would like to read a simple Romance without the obligatory sex scene that is so prevalent in today's Romances. It is a feel good read.

Emilie Spargo
© October 2004