Love at Any Cost by Julie Lessman

Description:

 Jilted by a fortune hunter, cowgirl Cassidy McClare is a spunky Texas oil heiress without a fortune who would just as soon hogtie a man as look at him. Hoping a summer visit with her wealthy cousins in San Francisco will help her forget her heartache, Cassidy travels west. But no sooner is she settled in beautiful California than Jamie McKenna, a handsome pauper looking to marry well, captures her heart. When Jamie discovers the woman he loves is poorer than he is, Cassidy finds herself bucked by love a second time. Will Jamie discover that money can't buy love after all? And can Cassidy ever learn to fully trust her heart to a man?
With delectable descriptions and a romantic sensibility, bestselling author Julie Lessman brings the Gilded Age to life in this sumptuous new series. Readers will faithfully follow Lessman to the West Coast for more romance, passion, and surprising revelations found in "Love at Any Cost."

My Opinion: 

I was a little hesitant to start this series because I didn't think that it could stand up to my expectations from Julie's past series that I loved so much. Their was so much depth in the characters, especially after reading book after book about the same people. It got to where I felt connected to them, like I actually KNEW them. That's what Julie is great at-- developing characters until they actually feel like your family. 

Cassie and Jamie were such interesting characters to read about, and Julie threw in so many spins and turns that I had no idea what was going to happen in the end, and BOY was a surprised! She is so good at infuriating me over the decisions her characters make, but some how she sneaks her way back in as one of my favorite authors by the end. I never find a flaw in her writing, no matter how tangled up things end up being. And yes, Their is a lot of heartbreak, to the point where sometimes I thought I couldn't finish, but trust me, it's worth it in the end!

I love how she writes passionate books, but still has plenty soul searching for me and the characters. I learn so much, about how to: forgive, forget, repent, cherish... so on and so forth. Best of all, I love how her books focus on God and the family at the top of her important list. That's where they SHOULD be!

On top of this, I unexpectedly found Dare to Love Again, the second book, in my mail today!!! I found out that the second book is about the same family, so there will be more character development! Cassie and Jamie are not gone from my heart, they are here to stay!

Rating: 5 Stars