If you have read my other reviews of the books in the Heart of the Frontier series (‘Treasured Grace‘ and ‘Beloved Hope‘) you’ll notice that my review of each book was a bit more positive then the previous.  Perhaps because I grew to know the characters better with each addition.  Perhaps because the story line and the plot grew on me more.  Perhaps . . . Who knows, probably both those things and a myriad more I can’t think of right now.  I should try to remember to refrain from writing when I’m tired, but then I might never write!  It’s been seven years since the attack on the Whitman Mission.  Seven years of healing and growing and maturing.  Those hard topics still rise to the surface from time to time for the girls.  This time we get to see Mercy, now 20, find her way in the world.

Mercy, despite her tender age at the beginning of this trilogy, has become quite the firecracker.  She’s full of passion about what she believes is right and isn’t afraid to set anyone who crosses her on their ear.  She’s also full of compassion and yes even mercy.  Despite having lived through the Whitman massacre herself she has compassion and love for the natives of the region.  She has a servant’s heart that understands that not all things are black and white, despite the common outlook that differs from her’s.  It’s hard to believe she was once a child of 12, small for her age, that was protected by her sisters.  Especially as she finds herself again embroiled in an Indian uprising and again being held hostage (of sorts) in a half-constructed fort with a man she barely knows (yet loves!  don’t get me started, OK I’ll start in a minute) and her sister’s child.  She’s not being protected by her sister’s this time, she’s protecting.  She’s protecting a child (Faith) and her friends and her love and her ideals.

Insta-love is like the plague of books for me.  So many authors use it as a catalyst to get a story off the ground quickly and often it’s not done well and leaves me dissatisfied and frustrated.  It’s rare for ‘love at first sight’ or even love in a matter of weeks to be legitimate and lasting.  That being said, this book, while frustrating, didn’t totally turn me off.  Perhaps it was all the danger and craziness that went along with the insta-love.  Perhaps it was the fact that, at least for Mercy, she already knew about Adam and who he was.  Perhaps it was the fact that she got tired of waiting for him to step up and admit he had feelings and she proposed to him!  I told ya she was a firecracker.  Regardless, Mercy was the perfect ending to this trilogy.  However, I’m not convinced that she’s the best ending.  Faith has a story to tell.  Faith has been a silent, mostly unseen, part of this journey from near the beginning.  There needs to be just one more book.  The book of Faith.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by NetGalley. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.

Cherished Mercy by Tracie Peterson is a delightful Christian historical romance. It is the third book in the Heart Of The Frontier series but can be read as a stand-alone as the previous two books are incorporated in the story. I would recommend reading the previous two books first as they will help in the reader's understanding of character development and why some characters behave as they do.
This series has followed three sisters through the real life Whitman Mission massacre (1847) to this novel opening in 1855. This book is Mercy's story. The reader has seen her develop from a twelve year old to a young woman, still tender hearted but tough when she has to be. She is, as her name suggests, full of mercy. She realises that a heart full of hate is not productive, nor what God wants.
There are characters driven by hate and greed. Cherished Mercy has its focus on the Native Americans. Greed, ignorance and fear have driven many to hate. Vigilantes, sponsored by the government, show themselves to be blood thirsty murderers, content on lining their pockets rather than showing compassion to women, children and the elderly. Very few seem to be looking to God.
There are good people. "He doesn't let hatred control his actions, but seeks to do God's will." Hearts and motives of a few are pure.
The novel is about roots and heritage. No one can be blamed for the sins of their parents. We are all a unique and new creation under God.
Faith is another theme. "Faith isn't faith unless it's tested." When life is hard, we see where values lie.
Prayer is important. "Ain't never known anything that wasn't made better by prayer." When no other option is available, we can always pray and be sure that God hears us. "Prayer had been her refuge."
Family is precious - the blood family and the family of God.
This Heart Of The Frontier series has been fabulous. I have read the three books back to back for maximum enjoyment. It has been wonderful getting to know the sisters Grace, Hope and Mercy. To see their responses and watch their characters grow. I 'felt' a connection to them all.
Tracie Peterson is a marvellous and talented writer. Treat yourself today and buy all three Heart Of The Frontier novels. Settle back, forget the chores, and be transported to another time and place. Enjoy. I certainly did.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

For as long as I can remember I have loved western stories. Probably came after my introduction to the Louis L'Amor novels that may have jump started my love of the simple life but also a very difficult and hostile life as well. I have been honored to read all of the novels in Tracie Peterson's Heart of the Frontier series and her final one in the series is Cherished Mercy. Each of the novels have introduced the reader to the Flanagan sisters and the last one is the youngest Mercy. She has been working with her sister Grace at helping women during childbirth and also learning about herbal medicines that can help whatever ails most people on the frontier.

Just as she is about to come into her own, a family friend writes that his wife, Eletta is not doing well while expecting their first baby in March. They have asked if Mercy can come to stay with them and help with the birthing of the baby. Mercy fears the recent Rogue River Indians after just barely surviving her own Indian attack and being held hostage for over a month, during the Whitman Massacre has matured her and changed her. She now understands the Indian people a bit more, and has given them the benefit of the doubt since not all Indians are ruthless killers. These people merely want to exist but now it seems that the government has hired on a militia to kill any and all Indians they see, so for Mercy's family it feels like she would be well enough to go.

She believes God will watch over her and protect her as she heads to Gold Beach, Oregon to aid in any way she can to help Eletta get better. Her husband Isaac and herself were responsible for helping all three sisters make it to the west during the Oregon trail and she now feels God is calling her to help. She just doesn't expect to fall in love with Adam Browning, the younger brother of Isaac. She isn't looking for love and that is good, because Adam doesn't believe Mercy will be able to hack it in the rudimentary lodgings and working so closely with the Indian population near them. He believes once she arrives, she will be begging to head home. He isn't at all prepared for what she brings with her when she arrives at their homestead. Lots of gumption and grit for sure on both sides.

I received Cherished Mercy by Tracie Peterson compliments of NetGalley and Baker Publishing Group. I have read to many of Tracies's novel and they just welcome the reader on it. It's like a great friend, that you can curl up with her books and sit by the fire and lose yourself in the story. I have wanted to know what Mercy would turn up like after reading about her throughout all the novels up to this one and LOVE that she has a bit of sass about her. She isn't willing to put up with any man who thinks she needs someone to complete her and this is where it gets interesting so that you have to finish it before doing anything else. She's a spit fire for sure, but has she met her match? Pick this one up to find out. I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion and western romance lovers will want to pick up the entire series and carve out some time to enjoy each of them.

Tracie Peterson does it again with another book I couldn't put down. Well written and makes you feel like you are really in the book.

I absolutely adored this series by Tracie Peterson, and she capped it off with a wonderful tale about Mercy, the Flanagan's youngest sister.  All three Flanagans lived through the Whitman Massacre, but Mercy lived through another Indian uprising.  The missionary friends of the Flanagans, Isaac and Eletta Browning have asked that Mercy come to them to help Eletta with a difficult pregnancy.  While she was with the Brownings, many people were taking a vigilante approach to the Indians in the area--the only good Indian is a dead Indian kind of thinking. 

Mercy's name always seemed to fit her.  She was the most merciful of the sisters, quick to forgive and long-suffering in patience.  She also had many friends among the local Indians when she was living with the Brownings, she wanted them protected because they posed no threat.

This is also the story of Mercy falling in love with Adam, Isaac's brother; and the story of all they have overcome to get to where they are.  I was confused by the geography Tracie was describing.  She mentioned towns that I know but I couldn't figure out where they were in connection to the other towns she was describing.  That is my only criticism. 

It would be helpful to read Cherished Mercy after the other two books in the series, it's helpful to know the characters and what happened to them along the way.  Those experiences make the characters into who they are.

This is a five star book, two thumbs up, and a friend to walk with you along the way.

My thanks to Bethany House for allowing me to read and review this book.

I came across the first book in the series, Treasured Grace, by chance and I became invested in the lives of the Flanagan Sisters. This book was focused on Mercy, the youngest of the sisters, and it was a very fitting end to the series. 
Mercy, who was quite young in the first book, has grown up quite a bit since I last saw her (I haven’t yet read the second book in the series so that was quite a while ago). Both her sisters have married and have a family, in fact at the beginning of the book, her sister Hope was welcoming another one into the family. When their old friend, Eletta, requests Mercy’s help at the mission she and her husband Isaac were, Mercy goes over there to help but not without her family stating their concern about her going, what with the fights going on between the Indians that side and the whites, especially after what she went through in the first book.
Adam, Isaac’s brother, is also at the mission with his brother and his family also spreading the Good News to the Indians in that area. At first he’s weary of having, what he thinks will be a flirty, silly, woman from the city, come and help them in their primitive setting but he soon learns Mercy is nothing like what he expects. Mercy goes over there to help and becomes friends with the peaceful Indian tribe there, the Tututni, as well as Eletta and Isaac’s daughter, seven year old Faith.
Overtime, despite the peacefulness of the Indian tribe around them, the unrest and trouble in other parts came their way and Mercy was thrust back in a situation much like the Whitman massacre.
This book highlighted the reality of the wars between the whites and the Indians at that time. There was a lot of animosity, the Indians where not even viewed as humans by many people. My heart bled for the Indians most of all because the life they knew was being upended as people were spreading out looking for land, many not even willing to pay them as they ought to, many not understanding why they’d rather fight for the land and the life they had always known than to go to a reserve. And as the girls uncle Edward Marsh stated, it hadn’t been that long since they themselves fought for independence. It was easier to view them as less than human, as wild creatures that resorted to violence at every turn than to put themselves in their shoes, to understand that many of them to preserve the life they had known for centuries that was being threatened. Even in the midst of all that despair there were a couple of characters who saw them as humans. From Alex, in the first book who had lived among them and changed Grace’s wrong view of them to Isaac, Eletta and Adam who had gone to live among them to spread the Good News, not imposing their ideas on them but living their lives as an example, sacrificing. Hope and Mercy, who despite all they had been through, still viewed them as human. There was hope in the midst of it all.
Thanks to Netgalley and Baker Publishing for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

The award-winning Tracie Peterson has done it once again - she has by her masterful craft of weaving the written word and her intense study of history. Created a work of art that takes the reader on the Oregon Trail to settle in forests amongst the tribes of Rogue River Indians she weaves this tale of fear and love of sacrifice and hatred, life, and death. Received this book from the publisher for our honest review

A romance that will keep you turning the pages.  The characters were so well done you wanted to see what happens in the end.
An author I will be checking out again.

Cherished Mercy is the final novel in a series by Tracie Peterson about the early pioneers on the Oregon Trail and the historical events such as the Massacre at the Whitman Mission. Mercy is the youngest sister who survived and is now grown. She has been asked to join some missionary friends, the Brownings in a much more primitive area to aid the wife. Eletta, in her pregnancy. The area is in turmoil as the Indians and white settlers are in conflict. Her family encouraged her not to go but she feels called and her faith leads her to trust her instincts and help her friends


Adam Browning is the brother of Eletta's husband. He has Indian blood himself and has bitter feelings from an earlier rejection by his fiancee when his heritage was revealed. He doesn't want another relationship and further he doesn't trust that Mercy has the strength or right motive for coming.


Complicating matters, the Brownings are the adoptive parents of Mercy's sister Hope's daughter born of rape during the massacre. Though Mercy is aware of the child's heritage, the Brownings don't realize she knows.


So Adam and Mercy, both, have traumatic pasts and complicated feelings filtered through misinformation that makes any relationship for them difficult; however as things come to a head and a tragedy strikes, they must learn to trust in and lean on each other.


This was an enjoyable read that created great closure to a very informative historical series. I received this novel form Netgalley for an honest review. I recommend this series if you enjoy historical romance.

“I’ll definitely be praying. Ain’t never known anything that wasn’t made better by prayer.”
                                                                      -Uncle Edward

Cherished Mercy, book three in the Heart of the Frontier series, focuses on Mercy Flanagan, the youngest of the three Flanagan sisters whom we met in the previous two books of the series. The sisters survived the Whitman Massacre and settled with their uncle Edward in Oregon City. The year is now 1855 and Hope and Grace Flanagan are married with children and busy lives. Mercy lives with Grace and Alex and keeps busy helping her older sisters. 

This story focuses on Mercy’s quest to help the family friends, Isaac and Eletta, missionaries to the Indians along the Oregon frontier. Mercy goes to the mission with an open mind and heart to do her part. Upon arriving, she comes face to face with Adam Browning, Isaac’s brother. Adam carries a grudge against her before she ever arrives because of his own personal history and his unwillingness to see beyond it. Mercy’s arrival brings a far different person than Adam expected. 

The story encompasses so many characters that will touch the reader’s heart. This third story blends family, friends, and shared histories together in a very touching way. Sad in many ways, poignant in others, and inspiring all the way through, Cherished Mercy will engage your attention all the way through! 

A thoroughly enjoyable and emotional story and a fitting end to a great series! I think this series was one of Tracie Peterson’s finest. If you haven’t read books one and two, take the time to read those stories as well. 

This ARC copy was received from Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. The above thoughts and opinions are wholly my own. 
****

I was so glad to see that the third book in this series was available since we had read the first two previously.  While this book serves as a stand alone, having read the other 2 books in the series helped me know the "back story".  

Mercy Flanagan was twenty and unmarried and wasn't courting anyone because it didn't seem like anyone in Oregon City could catch her attention. She had been praying to God to show her what she needed to do next.  Because she needs a change of "scenery", when she learns that family friend Eletta Browning is pregnant, she goes to the Rogue River Valley to help.

Cherished Mercy was definitely a great read.  It is also an excellent reminder of how important prayer is in our daily lives. It also reminds us that our faith isn’t faith unless it’s tested and God always has a plan, as I am always reminded in my favorite verse, Jeremiah 29:11.

I received an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review. I was not required to leave a positive review, but chose to as the book was awesome!

A wonderful conclusion to the Heart of Frontier  series! There was much heartbreak and sadness in this series. The dependence on God in the frontier is such an encouragement. It's easy to be drawn into the drama of just enduring life. I enjoyed getting to know Mercy and her giving heart in this novel. Highly recommended!

Have you ever read a story that you didn't want to end? Do you mourn over the loss of characters from a story once you finish a book? That's where I'm at right now!! I have anxiously been awaiting the release of the third book in the Heart of the Frontier series by Tracie Peterson. I finally took the time to read this book today. It only took me 5 hours to reunite with Mercy, fall in love with Adam, and grow a great appreciation of Hope, Grace, and Faith. I probably cried 2 of the 5 hours reading this fabulous book, so fair warning, have tissues handy!!

Mercy has been called upon to go to Issac and Eletta's to assist Eletta in her final days of pregnancy. She is excited about the prospect of going but with all the unrest between the Indians and the white man, there is a lot of fear and trepidation facing her. She's also likely to miss the birth of another niece or nephew while gone, and Mercy feels a bit torn about leaving her sisters and going so far away. However, her faith in God gives her the courage to travel to see her life-long family friends. 

Eletta and Issac are thrilled with this new life they are bringing into the world but they have no idea if Mercy is going to be able to come and assist them. The Indian tribes are warring daily with the white man and the tensions are higher with each passing day. When Mercy arrives, it gives both Eletta and Issac a peace knowing she is there and can help assist with day-to-day chores and helping with Faith. 

Adam is the brother of Issac. He's also a minister of the Word like Issac and teaches the children in Eletta's absence from the school. He's had a pretty tough go of things lately and has no interest in doing anything other than serving the Lord. He's concerned about the increased tensions between the Indians and white man and is doing this best to keep the peace. His internal peace is stirred when he meets Mercy and he wonders if he can keep his focus on important matters. 

This story is a true page turner and it's a little difficult for me to say much more about this story without giving away too many things. This book is full of hope, grace, mercy, faith, forgiveness, love, and compassion but also has a darker side of rape, murder, and racism. While I read the first two books out of order, I would definitely recommend reading the first two books before reading this one to get the full back story on Mercy. I love how the Flanagan sisters' story came full circle here and I will miss reading more about them. 

I would have to say that, so far, this is my favorite book of 2017!!!

Cherished Mercy is such a cherish-able story.  You have Incredible Mercy who has already gone through so very much in her life - has decided to move on from her past - which is so unreal - and move from the mission so was in that saved her before and is now living in - to another one - and there she met Adam - the Minister - Mercy's heart and prayers are for the Natives and the Missionaries and the peoples to get along - she prays for that heartily.  Now that she is in a new Mission something serious happens and it blows the mind - you cannot believe it - and I cannot share it with you - though I would love to - you know I would.........this book is authentic, full of love, raith, enjoyment and so much panache the author put in throughout the book.

This is book three in the Heart of the Frontier series and suppose to be the last of the series. It would be good to see a book on Faith, the half breed daughter that was given to a missionary couple working with the Indians I’ve read Treasured Grace and Beloved Hope in this series. They are all exceptional.

The book setting is in the Oregon Territory in the mid 1800s during a time of great unrest between the Native Americans and the white settlers. This is the story of Mercy Flanagan the youngest of the three sisters. Mercy agrees to help her sister’s dear friend Eletta as she is having a difficult pregnancy and sent a letter requesting Mercy to come and help her. Eletta and her husband Isaac are serving in a mission to the native Tututni Indians. This is during a time when Native Americans are being pursued by the US government and either captured or killed in an effort to reclaim the land and relocate many to reservations. Mercy is very tender hearted and God fearing and she fits right in with the Brownings as they worked with the Tututni. She also loves Faith, her niece that the Brownings have adopted. Adam, the brother of Isaac returns to the mission and there is an instant attraction between them. Adam feels like nothing can come of this because his mother was half Indian, and feels like no white woman would accept him….. I loved reading the history that Peterson details in her books and this one is no exception. Adam and Mercy overcome many obstacles as they seek to help the natives. A lot of heartaches and sorrows as the story unfolds but ends beautifully…….
Disclaimer: I received this Book from the publisher, Bethany House, for free to read and review through the blogger review program. I was not required to give a favorable review only an honest review, nor was I compensated for my review. All thoughts and comments in this review are my own.

First sentence: "Push, Hope. You have to push," Grace commanded. Mercy Flanagan wiped her sister's forehead as she labored to give birth to her baby. After ten hours of intense pain, Hope had clearly weakened.

Premise/plot: Cherished Mercy is the third book in Tracie Peterson's Heart of the Frontier series. Previous books in the series have focused on Grace and Hope, Mercy's two older sisters. In the novel, Mercy follows her heart and goes to help a friend in need even though there is some risk involved. Eletta is pregnant and her husband, Isaac, is very worried about her because the pregnancy is proving to be so difficult and dangerous. 

The risk involved? Well, traveling throughout Oregon territory with the tension and unrest of the region. There are many--particularly in the army, particularly the government--who believe the Native Americans should be gotten out of the way. The nicest want the Indians kept on a reservation out of their way. The cruelest? Well, they subscribe to the notion that the only good Indian is a dead one. On her travels, Mercy meets some cruel men who are eager and excited at the idea of killing Indians. 

Mercy moves in with Eletta, Isaac, their daughter Faith, and Adam (Isaac's brother). She comes to love them and their community. Isaac, Eletta, and Adam work very closely with one (maybe two) of the Native tribes. The ties of friendship are strong. But a series of worse case scenarios happens...leaving plenty of questions about what will happen next. 

My thoughts: I've enjoyed the other books in the series. But I really loved, loved, loved Cherished Mercy. I think I loved Mercy the best of all the sisters. I love her compassionate spirit; I love her bravery. I love her honesty and genuineness. I also came to love Adam. The characterization is so good in this series. I almost hate for the series to end. I would definitely recommend the trilogy.

About the Book:
After surviving the Whitman Massacre as a child, Mercy Flanagan is all grown up with a strong faith and generous spirit. So when family friend, Eletta Browning, who is suffering from a difficult pregnancy asks for Mercy's help, she is more than willing to move to the Rogue River Valley and the Browning Mission to lend a hand. Adam Browning, one of the on-site preachers and brother to the founding missionary, is skeptical, however, that bringing a "city girl" to the mission will do nothing but cause problems. But, Mercy quickly befriends many of the Tututni Indians and shows she is not afraid of hard work and sacrifice. Adam and Mercy quickly fall in love, but Adam is reluctant to express his feelings because he fears Mercy will reject him once she learns the truth of his lineage. As tensions rise between white settlers and the natives, the Browning Mission is placed in the middle and Adam's brother, Isaac, is killed. After finally having to flee for their safety and Mercy's assurance that Adam's lineage does not trump her love, they are wed and begin their trek back to Oregon City with their niece, Faith, after Eletta dies from complications in her pregnancy. Not only is the journey long and arduous, but Mercy also worries that Faith will be rejected by her sister, Hope, who is Faith's biological mother.

My Thoughts:
Cherished Mercy  provided an intimate look into Mercy's search for purpose, finding true love, and the hope and healing that can be found in showing compassion. Her strength in protecting the Tututni women and children during the attack and the love and acceptance she showed Faith were truly remarkable. Although I wish more time had been spent in developing Adam and Mercy's budding relationship in the early phases, I enjoyed the growth they showed as the plot progressed. They displayed a very sweet and tender love for one that was solidified even more through the trials they persevered through together. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. However, this review reflects an honest view of my own thoughts and opinions regarding this book.

Mercy Flanagan, at the tender age of 20, is wise beyond her years and seemingly very capable as a homemaker and teacher. She credits her older sisters, Grace and Hope, with her preparatory years. She is a survivor of the Whitman mission massacre and tender-hearted toward the plight of the various Indian nations in the Northwest territories. A favor to help family friend Eletta Browning with her difficult pregnancy puts Mercy in the Rouge River Valley. Her counterpart, Adam Browning, is a pastor and social worker for the Indian nations. One-quarter Indian, Adam is afraid to reveal that to Mercy lest she regard him with disdain.
Readers of earlier books in the series will recognize the characters in the Rouge River Valley, including 7 year old Faith Browning.
The story reveals the westward expansion greed of the new United States and how its greed negatively impacted relations with the Indian tribes.

Cherished Mercy, the third book in Tracie Peterson’s Heart of the Frontier series, was another couldn’t-put-it-down book. I finished this one in less than 24 hours.

Mercy is the sister who believes all people have some good in them. In spite of her deplorable experiences as a twelve-year-old during the Whitman Mission massacre, she is ready to move on. Now at age 20, she wants to find God’s purpose for her life and leaves her sisters to assist the friend who had adopted Faith, the child born to Mercy's sister Hope who was raped by a Cayuse during those Whitman attacks.

The Native Americans in the area where Faith's adopted mother lives are in turmoil as the government tries to move them out of their home places onto the reservations. The whites who want to take over the land have signed up to move the natives, but in reality they are more interested in killing them. This attitude troubles Mercy to no end, and she finds herself in even worse straits than what she experienced in the Whitman attacks and develops an attitude devoid of mercy where some people are concerned. Mercy’s sisters have wanted her to find a husband, and the possibilities arise in her new environment, but even courtship presents its challenges.

Having never read the first book in this series, I did go back and read Treasured Grace. While Peterson does an excellent job of presenting what happened in earlier books throughout her sequels, this first book provided more detail and gave me that sense of being there, a characteristic this author applies in all of her books.

I hope that this is not the last book in the series and that someday we may learn what happens as Faith grows into adulthood.

I received a free electronic copy of this from Bethany House Publishers. No review, positive or otherwise, was required. All opinions are my own

I'm sad to say that I have a few books from Netgalley that I DNF on... either it didn't hook me into the story and I lost least or I found out that there is more to the series and can't get the first and so on book from that series... Yup here it goes, Don't believe me wash the dishes! Look at the website: http://fkrants.blogspot.com/2017/09/ng-dnf-sept-edition.html