This was a beautifully inspiring story of how two individuals overcame society's prejudice together. Luke was an illustrator for a St. Louis newspaper. He really was an artist with an incredible talent but who couldn't fully see the gift he possessed. He was weighed down by the perception that his Irish heritage made his less than desirable by society. He was assigned to visit Ketchum, Idaho in the Sawtooth Mountain Range area for the state's entry into statehood and to document what he found through his illustrations.

Dawn was the daughter of a rising politician in New York who had a deformed leg and who had allowed that deformity to define who she was as a less than desirable woman. She was heavily involved in her father's political career and had no interest in marriage. They had traveled by train to Ketchum, Idaho to be there for the state's entry into statehood and she was frustrated by the delay this seemed to cause her father's political career.

While at the guest ranch they stayed at, Dawn and Luke both discovered that there was more to who they were than what they allowed society to dictate.

This was a sweet, clean romance with a Wild West flair. The characters were wonderfully developed and added so much depth to an amazing tale.

I was given an arc copy of this book and I willingly offer my honest review.

It took me a long time to get into this book. The characters were interesting and there was a story to them. I enjoyed the description of the areas but this was a book that I could not truthfully say l enjoyed Sorry.

"A Portrait of Dawn" is a romance set in 1890 in Idaho. This novel is the fifth in a series. Characters from the previous novels played a role in this one (so you may be interested in Alena's continuing story), but you don't need to read the previous novels to understand this one.

The main characters had depth and grew as people during the story. They acted realistically, and I cared what happened to them. But most of the "falling in love" happened off screen. We're told that they had a long, personal conversation where they learned about shared interests and what kindred spirits they were. During their shown interactions, though, all I saw was maybe a potential friendship. Dawn told Luke that he was the only person standing in the way of his dreams, so stop making excuses. He appreciated her beauty and how she was awed by his art (which gave him more confidence in his skill). But most of the time, Luke was off drawing or learning how to survive in the wilderness, not spending time with Dawn.

I was concerned when one character basically said that if you kiss another person and lust after them, then you'll know that marriage to that person will be based on life-long love. Er, really? That character was single, but Dawn took his advice seriously. Historical details about Idaho's statehood celebrations were woven into the story. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable story, but I didn't enjoy it as much as the other books I've read in the series.

A Portrait Of Dawn is the fifth book in the Sawtooth Range. Samantha St. Claire will take you on an unforgettable journey. Join Dawn Fairburn and Luke Brennan and the rest of the crew at the Hartmann Guest Ranch in 1890, just before the Idaho Territory's statehood. This was a story that kept me guessing until the end, laced with romance. Luke has a heart of gold and he will melt yours. Each character has artfully been developed. Fans of Christian historical romance will not be disappointed with Samantha's new book. I received a copy of this book from River's End Books through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.