Yours Truly, Thomas by Rachel Fordham is a delightful western tale of romance through letters and a chance encounter. The writing is beautiful and Fordham does a wonderful job at creating a tale of romance and learning to move on from past mistakes. The plot moved seamlessly and captured my attention. It is a predictable romance with the predictable happily-ever-after. Thomas is a hero who needs to learn from his mistakes and comes out a better man on the other side. While I enjoyed seeing who Thomas was and learning about his past, I would have liked to see personally who he was before, so the transformation would have been a little more fulfilling. As for Penny, she is a brave woman to travel to a place unknown just because of a letter. I would like to have seen more of her past too. It seems readers are thrown into the middle of the transformation story while it is occurring without the beginning to show the transformation. Overall, Yours Truly, Thomas by Rachel Fordham is a captivating western romance. Fans of Karen Witemeyer, Mary Conneally, and Regina Jennings would, I believe, enjoy this novel.

I received a complimentary copy of Yours Truly, Thomas by Rachel Fordham from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

Rachel Fordham's sophomore novel, Yours Truly, Thomas, is as delightful as her debut, The Hope of Azure Springs! From cover to interior formatting to the story itself, this historical fiction novel is a beautiful journey.

Penny and Thomas are wonderfully realistic and charming characters. I must admit, I struggled to get into the story in the beginning, but a few chapters in and I was hooked. Penny is a bit naive, but I think that only adds to the attractiveness of her character. Thomas is running from his painful past, and is finally ready to put it behind him when he reaches the small town of Azure Springs. These characters are quite the opposites, which brings about an engaging story.

Fordham's writing style is very simplistic and perhaps a bit unsophisticated, which is not usually my favorite style to read, but I think it lends a great deal of charm to the historical setting of her novels. And her descriptions are nonetheless beautiful and enjoyable. The small town of Azure Springs and its people that she has created (which is also featured prominently in her debut novel) is so darling and enchanting, I wish it were a real town I could visit. The supporting cast of characters from Margaret, Abraham, the twin girls, Dinah, and even Jeb and Eliza is unique and colorful, lending diversity to the story.

There is a bit of a mystery thread to the story that had me very intrigued, and the action towards the end wrapped up the story well. I won't lie, I'm a sucker for a sweet romantic storyline, and while it was not the main feature, the romance was incredibly sweet, pure, and realistic. I think that romantic storylines may be Fordham's greatest strength. I also enjoyed the inside look into the United States Postal Service's Dead Letter Office. That is a subject that has always fascinated me, and in this historical setting, even more so.

All in all, I highly enjoyed Yours Truly, Thomas and recommend it to all lovers of historical fiction and sweet romance.