The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn by Lori Benton - A book review

The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn is a beautifully written and poetic novel based during the frontier times in early America.  This is actually not my first Lori Benton novel, so I knew I was likely going to really enjoy this read before I even started it.

Tamsen Littlejohn has been living under a harsh life with a not so kind stepfather who expects her to do everything she is told and exactly as he wishes.  He's also been an abusive husband to her mother and Tamsen has longed for escape.
When her stepfather pushes the limits by setting up an arranged marriage, Tamsen knows she must get out. Unfortunately attempts on her own do not go as planned.  But when the most horrible thing she could ever imagine happens, she is accepts help from a stranger and frontiersman Jesse Bird and puts her life and fate into his hands.
With nothing more than the clothes on her back, and her own secret treasure together they venture into the wilderness and begin crossing the mountains to escape the stepfather who could be onto them at any time.

Her stepfather and the man he has chosen as her suitor are convinced that Tamsen must have been kidnapped and together they enlist a tracker and head out to bring her back.  But her stepfather has hidden motives for wanting her back, and those motives put her life at complete risk if she is found.

Jesse and his father have been on their own since they left the Shawnee and decided to make their way as frontiersman.  They are highly respected and are known for being able to get a job done, even in dangerous Indian territory.  From the minute Jesse saw Tamsen running out into the street, he was taken by her.  Which is why when he realized the danger she was in, and the help she needed, he didn't hesitate to offer his assistance.  He wasn't sure what would happen next, but one thing has been certain, each day he spends with her, his heart grows fonder and fonder.

Tamsen and Jesse have a rough start, but one thing Tamsen decides early on.  She knows in her heart she can trust Jesse.  Nothing goes exactly as they both hope, but even with all of the bad.  They begin to find friendship in one another.  Jesse knows where his heart is, but is unsure if Tamsen will ever find her way in her heart to that same place.

The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn, is full of adventure.  Lot's of historically accurate points, that intrigue the mind.  With an early American and Indian frontier timeline.  However, there is no overload of facts.  Lori Benton does a beautiful job of weaving the historical information into her storyline. In other words, you'll feel like you are in full on story, not a bunch of information dump pages!  Additionally, this book has several twists and suspense.
I loved it from beginning to end, this is one of those books that I know I will keep and read again in the future, I enjoyed it so much!  This book is appropriate for any audience, but will probably be more enjoyed by adults or anyone over 16.

VISIT THE AUTHORS WEBSITE HERE

YOU CAN READ THE FIRST CHAPTER HERE

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS BOOK HERE

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Disclaimer: I was provided a complimentary copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing for my honest review.  I was not asked to write a positive review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.