Borrowed Light

Borrowed Light
by Carla Kelly
Bonneville Books, 2011. 410 pgs. Romance

When Julia Darling finds an advertisement in the paper looking for a cook at a remote ranch in Wyoming, she realizes that this could be the perfect escape for her from the humiliation of a broken engagement and life as a single woman in turn-of-the-century Salt Lake City. Life on the ranch is nothing like she expected, with its uncivilized cowboys, harsh weather, and mysterious owner Mr. Otto, who is hiding secrets from his past. The biggest challenge for Julia, however, is learning to find her own relationship with God and a sense of her own place in the world.

Carla Kelly is an experienced historical romance writer, so the plot of this book and its historical details are one of its strong points. The characters are all different and well-developed and I was sad to say goodbye to them at the end of the book. The thing I liked most about this book was the depth of the story, because the romance is secondary to the story of a young woman growing up and discovering her true self.

JC