The Lieutenant's Bargain by Regina Jennings

About the Book
Hattie Walker dreams of becoming a painter, while her parents want her to settle down. As a compromise, they give her two months to head to Denver and place her works in an exhibition or give up the dream forever. Her journey is derailed when a gunman attacks her stagecoach, leaving her to be rescued by a group of Arapaho . . . but she's too terrified to recognize them as friendly.
Confirmed bachelor Lieutenant Jack Hennessey has long worked with the tribe and is tasked with trying to convince them that the mission school at Fort Reno can help their children. When a message arrives about a recovered survivor, Jack heads out to take her home--and plead his case once more.
He's stunned to run into Hattie Walker, the girl who shattered his heart--but quickly realizes he has a chance to impress her. When his plan gets tangled through translation, Jack and Hattie end up in a mess that puts her dreams in peril--and tests Jack's resolve to remain single.

My Thoughts
I have been excited for this story since the moment I found out it was going to be about Jack! I loved him in the first book and couldn’t wait for his story! I loved him even more in this story. He was adorably nerdy while being a strong soldier, he was all business about important things but had an entertaining sense of humor, and he had a strong devotion. I loved how sacrificial he was through all the crazy circumstances, even though he would have to leave his whole life he cared more about the effects on the people he loved. He could have gotten upset on more than one occasion but he always chose to look at things from the other people’s perspective.
Hattie honestly annoyed me a bit at the beginning but I enjoyed seeing her character grow. She was an only child who had always gotten what she wanted and while she wasn’t a snob her upbringing definitely showed. Life at Fort Reno gave her a new perspective and she started to see life differently. It also made her see Jack as the man he’d become instead of just her know-it-all former classmate. She took a bit to come around but I loved seeing her slowly fall in love with who Jack was not for what he could or couldn’t give her.
It was fun to see the characters from the previous stories and get to spend more time at the fort! I also enjoyed learning details about the history of that time.

This was a great read and while it does take place around Christmas I’m sure it would be enjoyable anytime of the year!

Meet the Author
Regina Jennings is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University with a degree in English and a history minor. She is the author of numerous novels, including For the Record, A Most Inconvenient Marriage, Sixty Acres and a Bride, and Caught in the Middle, and contributed a novella to A Match Made in Texas. She now lives outside Oklahoma City with her husband and four children and can be found online at www.reginajennings.com.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.