A Book Review for Over the Horizon by Penny Zeller

My Rating: 4 of 5 stars

About Over the Horizon

A most unusual proposal…

Alone in 1870s Idaho Territory, Paisley Abbott has nowhere to turn. With no other options, she finds herself consenting to an unconventional, but mutually beneficial agreement.

During an unplanned return to his family’s farm, prodigal Tyler Shepherdson inherits three orphans. When Tyler finds a woman hiding in the back of his wagon, an idea begins to form and he makes a rash decision that results in perhaps one of the most spontaneous marriages of convenience ever.

Despite an unorthodox beginning to their marriage, will Paisley and Tyler trust God as they forge ahead to create a home for three children? Will love arise from a desperate situation?

In the first book in the Horizon Series, travel to the late 1800s to the town of Horizon in the Idaho Territory with a cast of unforgettable characters, journeys of faith, and abundant humor.

My Thoughts

Horizon is a town that will definitely make you want to return for a visit! Full of fun characters (my favorite was the boardinghouse owner–she was priceless) and a close-knit feel, it makes for a great setting.

The opening chapter was definitely a hook. Questions always follow when a woman is running down a street searching for a place to hide. There was no putting the book down at that point.

Tyler and Paisley were both loveable characters. And the kids! I loved how many flaws Penny gave them. Those kids each reminded me of real-life kids I’ve dealt with before, and I could just feel the frustration they caused–and the love that they inspired as well.

Most of all, I appreciated the depth of faith that Penny wove into her story, and the clean quality of her romance as well.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book, but my thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

Quote From Over the Horizon

Tyler studied her. A slender woman with long, disheveled, fawn-colored hair and suspicious hazel eyes that stared back at him. Her jaw was clenched, her mouth formed a straight line, and her determination and fortitude amused him. She might be beautiful had her hair been combed and her frown replaced with a smile.

As if Tyler’s life hadn’t taken enough unexpected turns in recent days, now he had to contend with this?

Grab a copy of Over the Horizon!

About the Author

Penny Zeller is known for her heartfelt stories of faith, love, and humor and her passion to impact lives for Christ through fiction. While she has had a love for writing since childhood, she began her adult writing career penning articles for national and regional publications on a wide variety of topics and is now the author of nearly two dozen books. Penny is also a fitness instructor and resides with her husband and two daughters in small-town America.

More From Penny

When I was a child growing up in a small farming community, one of our highlights was cramming into my aunt’s “White Machine”, her old, white, 1980s Mercury Monarch that sunk low in the back and higher in the front—all six, sometimes seven, of us, along with my mom and aunt. It was a crowded affair, with those of us who were oldest (me included) on the bottom, and the youngers piled on top, sometimes stacked three-high so we could all fit. My two siblings, along with my three, sometimes four, cousins looked forward to this event. We didn’t have a lot of money in those days, so scraping up the necessary funds proved challenging at times.

We’d cruise up to the local fast-food restaurant, and for twenty cents, my mom and aunt would treat us to ice cream cones, and they would order Tab sodas. The woman at the drive-thru had it memorized so she knew exactly what flavors and how many of each.

I was always one of the vanillas. The three boys (my brother and two cousins) had eating, or rather, inhaling contests, to see who could eat their ice cream the fastest, along with a brain freeze included at no extra charge.

Ice cream makes an appearance in Over the Horizon. My novel takes place in the 1870s in the Idaho Territory, and during my research, I discovered that a man named J. Easley owned an “Ice Cream Saloon and Confectionery Shop” in Idaho City in 1868. His advertisement provided inspiration for the fictional O’Dell’s Soda Fountain and Confectionery in the book.

Some other things I recently discovered about ice cream:

• Ronald Reagan signed into effect National Ice Cream Day.

• According to the International Dairy Foods Association, the top three favorite types of ice cream are chocolate, cookies n’ cream, and vanilla.

• Most folks enjoy pizza and ice cream, but they may not like the combined flavors. Yes, there is pizza-flavored ice cream.

• The ice cream cone was invented in 1904 by Syrian, Ernest E. Hamwi.

Over the Horizon includes a memorable cast of characters, all with their own distinct personalities. As such, it was fun to create a short character quiz, featured below, that includes a question about ice cream.  I’d love to hear from you about which character you are most like, so be sure to take the quiz and let me know in the comments!

Penny Zeller

Giveaway Opportunity

To celebrate her tour, Penny is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/285e2/over-the-horizon-celebration-tour-giveaway

Blog Stops For the Tour

She Lives To Read, October 9

Exploring the Written Word, October 9

Madi’s Musings, October 10

lakesidelivingsite, October 11

Alena Mentink, October 11 (You are currently here)

Lighthouse Academy Blog, October 12 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 13

Mary Hake, October 13

Vicky Sluiter, October 14

Cover Lover Book Review, October 15

EmpowerMoms, October 15

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 16

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 17

Pause for Tales, October 17

Texas Book-aholic, October 18

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, October 19

For Him and My Family, October 20

Connie’s History Classroom, October 20

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 21

Holly’s Book Corner, October 22