The Daughters of Jacob series by Sharlene MacLaren

I can't begin to tell you have much I LOVED this series!  I read all 3 books in less than a week, which is a true accomplishment for me, and, these are some pretty thick books!  :)  I've decided to review them all in one post, instead of each book individually -- I hope y'all don't mind.

Aren't these covers absolutely stunning?  I think they fit each Kane sister perfectly!

Hannah Grace starts off the series, as she is the oldest of the 3 Kane sisters, and she's a real "outspoken" gal -- her story happens to be my favorite.  ;)

When we first meet Hannah, she's being courted by the town doctor, Ralston Van Huff, or "Huffy" as Maggie Rose calls him.  LOL  Her family really can't understand why she spends time with him as they are completely mismatched.  He is very self-centered and spends every spare moment talking about himself, and his plans for his practice.

Hannah enjoys spending time with her family, but especially running her father's general store, Kane's Whatnot.  It's here that she first meets Gabriel Devlin, and Jesse, under some pretty exciting circumstances.  However, her first impression of Gabriel has her judging him quite harshly.  It was so much fun watching Hannah and Gabe's relationship unfold, as well as Gabe and Jesse's.

Gabe and Jesse's budding relationship adds quite a bit of excitement to the story, and will keep you on the edge of your seat at times.  It all goes back to something Jesse saw in his past, but has buried so deeply that he doesn't remember the intimate details for quite some time.  He's such a sweet boy that I couldn't help falling in love with him from the very beginning -- in fact, the whole Kane family will work their way into your heart if you'll let them!

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Next is Maggie Rose's story, and it's quite riveting from the very first page!  Maggie Rose is the "entertainer" of the family, and she had me in tears (of laughter) more than once, especially with her many attempts at singing.  :)

She's always had a soft heart for children, and has been steadfastly praying for the Lord's guidance in her life.  As it turns out, He sees fit to send her to New York City to help out at an orphanage, Sheltering Arms Refuge.  Here she meets, and quickly falls in love, with a houseful of orphans who are waiting to find permanent families to love and care for them.  Sheltering Arms also transports these homeless children across the country, via the railroad, searching for qualified families.

Not long after arriving at Sheltering Arms, Maggie Rose meets Luke Madison.  Luke is a newspaper reporter who has been sent to write an article about the shelter, and their effort to match the orphans with loving families.  He isn't too thrilled about his new assignment as he would rather be working on another article that is close to his heart -- maybe too close, which is why his boss saw fit to relieve him of that particular duty.  He doesn't think Luke is capable of writing an unbiased story, as his heart is completely tied up in the tragic event.

Maggie Rose and Luke work together to help Maxine reunite with her dear friend, Clara, otherwise, she refuses to leave on the next orphan train.  She's not leaving without her!  Luke devises a plan to rescue Clara, and Maggie inadvertently ends up tagging along, much to Luke's dismay. Maxine and Clara's stories are heartbreaking, as are all the orphan's, but they make the overall story that much better, in my opinion.

You won't be able to help falling in love with these dear children!  They had me laughing, and crying, right along with them.  :)

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And last, but not least, we have the youngest Kane sister, Abbie Ann.  I would have to call her the "spitfire" of the family, as she leads her local Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WTCU) chapter.  They help promote women's suffrage and Prohibition.  It seems they have been ruffling a few feathers, as Abbie Ann has received several threats, which are being investigated by Sheriff Gabriel Devlin, Hannah Grace's husband.

When Abbie Ann meets Noah Carson, a renowned shipbuilder, and his adorable six-year-old son, Toby, they find themselves caught up in an instant attraction.  Abbie Ann tries her best to ignore her feelings, especially after she finds out Noah is a divorcee, nor does he seem to be a devoted Christian.  He is harboring hatred and unforgiveness towards his own father; not to mention his rage at the people involved in the events that caused his sudden and shocking divorce.  Along with his divorce, he also lost his lifelong best friend, and his highly successful shipworks business.  Needless to say, he arrives in town with a very sour outlook on life.

One of Abbie Ann's dreams for the WTCU is to eventually be able to open a shelter for battered and abused women.  She knows for a fact that there are a few living in her relatively small town, and would love nothing more than to be able to help them.  As she works hard to put her dream in motion, she is forced to deal with even more threats, which in turn cause her father and Sheriff Gabe to recommend she drop the WTCU meetings until things calm down.  They want nothing more than to keep her safe.

Though I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the Kane sisters, I have to tell you that Abbie Ann's story was my least favorite.  It seemed to move along much slower than the first two and I had to make myself buckle down and keep reading a few times.  I'm so glad I did though, because everything came together just fine in the end.  I'm really sorry to say good-bye to all the wonderful folks I met along the way -- I'll really miss them!

If you've not had the pleasure of reading Sharlene MacLaren's The Daughter's of Jacob Kane series, I highly recommend that you give them a try.  Be sure to check out Sharlene's website and blog to find out more about her and her books.

***A special "thank-you" to FIRST Wild Card Tours for providing my copy of Abbie Ann for review. ***