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    The Loyal Heart: A Lone Star Hero’s Love Story
    Unavailable
    The Loyal Heart: A Lone Star Hero’s Love Story
    Unavailable
    The Loyal Heart: A Lone Star Hero’s Love Story
    Audiobook8 hours

    The Loyal Heart: A Lone Star Hero’s Love Story

    Written by Shelley Shepard Gray

    Narrated by Devon O'Day

    4.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Robert came to Galveston to fulfill his promise to a dying man and look after his widow. He didn’t expect to find love in the unlikeliest of places.

    Robert Truax, former Second Lieutenant and Confederate officer in the Civil War, made a promise to his comrade Phillip Markham. If anything happened to Phillip, Robert would look after his beloved wife, Miranda. She was his life, his world, his everything.

    After the war, Robert is left to pick up the pieces and fulfill his pact. When he arrives at Miranda's home in Galveston, Texas, things are worse than he imagined. Phillip's name has been dragged through the mud, everyone in town believes him to be a traitor, and his widow is treated as an outcast. Even more disturbing is her emotional well-being. Miranda seems hopeless, lost, and so very alone. 

    Robert had thought his duty would be simple. He would help Miranda as quickly as possible in order to honor a promise. But the moment Robert laid eyes on her, his plans changed. He's mesmerized by her beauty and yearns to help her in any way he can.

    He makes it his duty to protect Miranda, turn her reputation around, and to find some way to help her smile again. But it doesn't prove to be an easy task—Robert knows something about Phillip that could shake Miranda to the core and alter her view of the man she thought she knew so well. 

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherZondervan Audio
    Release dateJul 12, 2016
    ISBN9780310350620
    Unavailable
    The Loyal Heart: A Lone Star Hero’s Love Story
    Author

    Shelley Shepard Gray

    Shelley Shepard Gray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time HOLT Medallion winner. She lives in southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail.

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    Reviews for The Loyal Heart

    4.5/5

    28 ratings6 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Book one in this series and I like the scenario of this series; where a group of men, prisoners in the Civil War, make a pact to look out for one another and their families after the war ends. I look forward to reading all 3 of these 'Lone Star Hero's Love' stories.Robert Truax, former Confederate officer in the Civil War is called upon to pay a visit of former comrade Phillip Markham's widow. It was a promise they made to him before he died in prison. Miranda, the widow, was the love of his life and everyone in prison heard about her and his love for her. But when Robert arrives in town he finds Miranda not wanting to live, as the whole town of Galveston, Texas has turned against her, thinking her husband was a traitor. She is an outcast in her own town. As soon as Robert meets her, he is taken by her beauty and sets out to help her regain her respect in a town that only believes lies. Add to that , she is receiving threatening letters and Robert has his work cut out for him.There was a tender love story brewing throughout this story that barely comes to being resolved by the final page (and I liked the way it ended). Getting to know both Miranda and Robert and their backgrounds, as the story would go back in time and bring you to the present, was very enjoyable and helped me understand and appreciate them all the more. The way the town treated her was appalling and made me angry. This was a great beginning to a series I look forward to finishing.
    • 5/5
      Is it possible to love a book so much that you want to re read it or even beg for it to be made into a movie? This book is exactly the book I am talking about. It has all the elements for a beautiful film to be made and watch the story come to life. With the author's wonderful writing style, I can visualize the story vividly. I loved the historical seeting and great detail that was given . I may be a bit partial to the setting of Galveston, Texas since I live so close to it. As the characters walked the strand, I saw the majestic buildings that graced the town. There are many historical houses there and I loved the description of Miranda's house. When a group of Confederate soldiers are thrown together in a prison cell on an Island in Lake Erie, they become very close. It is a hard life and at times they wonder if they will survive and get to see freedom. I thought that the bond the men had was written with such grace and showed how trust can help you get through tough times. As they sit there in prison, they make a pact to each other. They agree from this day forward until the war is over, they are to look out for each other and their wives. I could see them gathered in a small cell each looking at each other with determination and a look of comradely in their eyes. When one of the men does not make it out alive, Robert Truax is sent to check on the man's wife. He is a great character with charm, integrity and a mission to fulfill. When he arrives in Galveston to see Miranda , the wife of the fallen soldier, he is surrounded by horrible gossip being spread about his fallen friend. Where are these vicious rumors coming from? He finds Miranda barely hanging on as the gossip has taken a toll on her. She knows in her heart that her husband has not done the horrible things being said about him. She has become frail and withdrawn. Is someone trying to run her out of town , so they can get her house? Is her life in danger? The story is well written with a theme of intrigue, deceit, forgiveness, trust and loyalty. How far will Robert go to protect Miranda and honor his pact made in a prison cell? I loved the suspense around the mysterious letters that are being sent to Miranda. What is in those letters that scare her and makes Robert angry? Can Phillips's good name be restored ? The story is well written and the characters come to life in this intriguing story that shows the importance of loyalty and trust. How far would you go to be loyal to your family , friends and God? I received a copy of this book from the author for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      Saturday, September 10, 2016The Loyal Heart by Shelley Shepard Gray, © 2016Lone Star Hero's Love Story, Book 1Historical fiction is my very favorite genre. I appreciate the research the authors do to place their characters within the happenings/events of the time period. So much more than we might have learned in school. This story is centered in two locations; an officer prisoner of war camp in Ohio and two years later at the Texas home of the widow of a perished officer. The story gives an insight into both locations as a backstory.Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Psalm 51:10Miranda Markham: I have lost so much in my life ~ my husband to the turbulence of war, my reputation to rumors, my solitude becoming a prison of sorts, especially with my best friend, Mercy Jackson, turning her back on me. Nowhere to turn, so little to look forward to ~ a dim day indeed.Robert Truax: The Civil War has ended and regathering hope for many lost. I was with Phillip Markham near the end of his life. He loved his wife Miranda so ~ regaling her virtues to us, her kindness, her concern for others. The five of us made a pact together that we would uphold those left behind after the war. It is requested that I be the one to go to see about Miranda Markham, Phillip's widow. Their home in Galveston, Texas, known as the Iron Rail, is now a boardinghouse, a shelter to those in need of a resting place.Winter, 1867 ~ A warring at home continues as hostility and contention nurture mistrust along the Strand in Galveston, Texas, crowding out faith and rebuilding. There is some repetition within the story as different characters are told what is happening. The house staff is concerned as the ups and downs in moods of their employer are seen. Mrs. Markham has a lot to consider as she is taunted when she goes out in public as if she doesn't exist. Being alone without just cause and being labeled from opinion causes her to use caution in whom to trust. Reaching out to the law enforcement initially does not get a positive response. A woman alone making choices and apparently without funding beyond her own means and decisions. Instead of coming alongside, the town seems divisive without a spokesperson willing to seek truth in place of hearsay.***Thank you to Fiction Guild for sending a review copy to me of Shelley Shepard Gray's first book in her new series, A Lone Star Hero's Love Story. This review was written in my own words. No other compensation was received.***
    • 5/5
      Miranda Markham is having a rough time, and has seriously considered taking her life, she can’t take it any more, but who is sending the letters that are pulling her down. She also has to deal with her late husbands, Lieutenant Phillip Markham a Confederate Officer in the Civil War, Mother and Sister. They are angry and nasty women, but do they have a right, the house they want back was built by Phillips father, and has always been their home.There is some help on the horizon for Miranda when Robert Truax, a Second Lieutenant, and friend of Phillips. Unknown to Miranda the men Phillip served with made a pack to help each other families if the unimaginable happened. So when word reaches the men Robert is sent to look into the situation, and you will not believe how a southern city of Galveston, Texas is treating a war hero’s widow!Will help come in time to save Miranda and her beloved help that run her boarding house with her? Who is so evil to want to take her home, when she has actually made the ultimate sacrifice? Answers are here and you are going to be surprised why this is happening, or maybe not, but once that first page is turned you will not want to put it down.I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Zondervan, and was not required to give a positive review.
    • 5/5
      Title: The Loyal Heart (A Lone Star Hero’s Love Story)Author: Shelley Shepard GrayPages: 320Year: 2016Publisher: ZondervanMy rating is 5 stars.The story begins with Confederate soldiers in prison on an island on Lake Erie. While many are just trying to survive, a small group of men from one unit make a pact. The pact is that should anything happen to the remainder of the men alive from now until the end of the war they would look out for each other, including all their wives. Lieutenant Phillip Markham hoped to be reunited with his wife Miranda; sadly he didn’t get that wish. Now a member of the group of men, who made the promise, Robert Truax, is sent to check on Miranda.When Robert gets to Galveston, from the moment he gets off the boat he becomes inundated with hearing how Lt. Phillip Markham was a traitor. Since the rumors are so numerous, Miranda has been secluded in her home, which she has turned into a boarding house. Rumors about Miranda are vicious and Robert’s job is to find out who or where these rumors came from and stop them. At first, Miranda has no idea who Robert really is and why he suddenly showed up at her boarding house to befriend her.What follows is an exciting tale of romance, heroism and restored faith in God. I love how Robert Truax is such a strong and quiet man who at the beginning of the novel has a character that is less than stellar. Phillip Markham’s mother and sister eventually come in to the mix as sinister as they are destitute inwardly speaking. Miranda endures hate-filled, threatening letters. As I progressed through the book, I found the mystery as to who wrote those letters really was exciting.I hope more stories like this come from the author as she is a favorite of mine due to her creative way of crafting a good story. It was intriguing, engaging and suspenseful, especially toward the conclusion!Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
    • 5/5
      Title: The Loyal Heart (A Lone Star Hero’s Love Story)Author: Shelley Shepard GrayPages: 320Year: 2016Publisher: ZondervanMy rating is 5 stars.The story begins with Confederate soldiers in prison on an island on Lake Erie. While many are just trying to survive, a small group of men from one unit make a pact. The pact is that should anything happen to the remainder of the men alive from now until the end of the war they would look out for each other, including all their wives. Lieutenant Phillip Markham hoped to be reunited with his wife Miranda; sadly he didn’t get that wish. Now a member of the group of men, who made the promise, Robert Truax, is sent to check on Miranda.When Robert gets to Galveston, from the moment he gets off the boat he becomes inundated with hearing how Lt. Phillip Markham was a traitor. Since the rumors are so numerous, Miranda has been secluded in her home, which she has turned into a boarding house. Rumors about Miranda are vicious and Robert’s job is to find out who or where these rumors came from and stop them. At first, Miranda has no idea who Robert really is and why he suddenly showed up at her boarding house to befriend her.What follows is an exciting tale of romance, heroism and restored faith in God. I love how Robert Truax is such a strong and quiet man who at the beginning of the novel has a character that is less than stellar. Phillip Markham’s mother and sister eventually come in to the mix as sinister as they are destitute inwardly speaking. Miranda endures hate-filled, threatening letters. As I progressed through the book, I found the mystery as to who wrote those letters really was exciting.I hope more stories like this come from the author as she is a favorite of mine due to her creative way of crafting a good story. It was intriguing, engaging and suspenseful, especially toward the conclusion!Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”