This was a beautiful story. I felt embraced by this story and didn't want to put it down. It ended way too soon for my liking.

When the youngest brother of Lark's family gambles away their home Lark becomes Clark and the adventure begins. Lark gets the home back, winning against the cheating poker player but has to leave town to avoid his wrath. I found the four sister's names quite unusual and was glad they each had a nickname. The story is enjoyable, some parts predictable but worthwhile. Looking forward to the next book to if the gambler catches up with Lark and more about the mysterious Isaac. Recommended.

Lauraine Snelling has written a fun read and it has made me snicker in most places.
My favorite thing about the whole book is the closeness of these sisters and their faith!
I also enjoyed their trip on the trail and allowed myself to "picture" what it might have been like for these ladies. I rather love the idea!
Imagine the view from their eyes instead of in the car like I did in 2005.
I didn't want this book to end. The adventure was awesome!
The one person that I didn't like was the preacher. I couldn't stand him and the way he treated Larkspur. So not fair!
I loved the girls' names too! They were certainly unusual. I very much enjoyed getting to know them.
Five stars for a well written storyline and for keeping my attention throughout the whole book.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review and all opinions are my own.

so enjoyed this read, and really didn't want it to end, but at least there is another book to look forward to.
The Nielson family is very close, and with danger lurking, Larkspur resumes being Clark, and they are off to a new life for the sisters. There are four sisters traveling and they increase there family along the way, they are willing to give it all for others.
I loved how the title of the read resonates in several ways, and also with help in their survival. These girls are will prepared for their journey because of the foresight of their parents, and they share their skills with others.
Such a heartwarming read, and they wear their faith and love of the Lord for all to see!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Bethany House, and was not required to give a positive review.

The Seeds of Change by Lauraine Snelling, with Kiersti Giron, is the first book in the Leah’s Garden series. This is a great story Christian Historical Fiction story of four sisters, all named after flowers, who flee their home after Larkspur wins back what her brother and his friends have lost in a poker game. Needing to change her identity, she dresses as a young man and goes by the name of Clark.

This is such a fun story to read. I enjoyed how the girls had so many talents and were so loving and caring to those they met.. Their father had taught them how to shot a gun and use a knife for hunting and safety. Their mother had taught them the love of flowers and music. I enjoyed the way music was used in this story. I also enjoyed the strength they had to build up the farm and make a home for themselves and the children they adopted. I look forward to reading the rest of this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this story from the publisher through Netgalley, this is my honest review.

THE SEEDS OF CHANGE is the first novel in the Leah's Garden series by LAURAINE SNELLING. It is the story of four sisters who go west in 1865 in order to escape an angry deacon and a humiliated poker player who have threatened Larkspur. The sisters, who all have the names of flowers, were well taught by their father and are tough, good shots and good at hunting. Lark, as she is called, becomes Clark in order to keep the four of them safe. The journey is full of calamities but the young women's faith in God helps them through. I like to see the way they help others on the wagon trail, especially the children.
They settle down well in Salton, where Lark buys land with her poker winnings, but letters from their older brother make them worry that the men who are after Lark still pose a threat.
It is an enjoyable read with romance, great characters and a good Christian message. I recommend The Seeds of Change to anyone who enjoys historical romance.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from bethany House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

A gentle love story set in the western US. It was slow, but the romance was sweet, so that kept me turning the pages. The christian aspect wasn't too heavy, so non=religious readers could find enjoyment in this one too.

Larkspur gets into a jam one night when she tries to help her younger brother out of a pickle he has gotten into at the local saloon with a card sharp. Larkspur, as well as being a member of the local church is also a great poker player. She enters the saloon on the way home from church one afternoon when said brother and his friend have lost big time. She fools the cardsharp into thinking she doesn't know how to play and then ends up taking the pot and getting her brother and his friends' property back as well as a tidy nest egg for herself. When she exposes how the man was cheating he vows revenge. He can't stand the fact that he was bested by a young female. Larkspur and her sisters, Forsythia, Delphenium and Lilac take off to join a wagon train on the Oregon Trail, leaving their older brother to run the family mercantile and take over the house their parents left them and also their younger brother who doesn't want to come along. They end up buying some property in a small town in Nebraska on the trail and settle there. This is a great tale of women that can do it all in a pinch and just an interesting look at life in a wagon train and in a small town / farm. With four sisters I'm thinking there will end up being four parts to this series and I look forward to reading them all.

I have voluntarily reivewed a copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Lauraine Snelling is a prolific author of historical romance, and she is well suited to the role. She excels at her craft which makes her books a delight to read. In her latest offering, she begins a new series and I cannot wait until the next one to come out.

Four sisters and two brothers live in Ohio working in the mercantile and growing gardens with the seeds their mother left behind for them. When the younger brother gambles away their home place, the oldest sister comes to the saloon to win back what he's lost. Larkspur, or Lark as she is called, figures out that the gambler has been cheating. When she calls him out on it, she makes an enemy, just as she had made an enemy of the deacon who had been leading the church since their pastor had met with an unfortunate accident. Fearing for her life, her older brother, Anders, sends her and their sisters to Nebraska to buy a farm and to settle in a new place. The trip to Nebraska is not without its difficulties: Lark masquerading as a man to protect her sisters, children who are suddenly orphaned, one of the sisters becoming ill, and disgruntled wagon train members. The girls take in the children and are befriended by a doctor and his nephew who were on their way to California. The one thing the girls want to do more than anything is to begin to grow and sell flower seeds. All of the girls have been named for various flowering plants and shrubs--Larkspur, Delphinium, Forsythia, and Lilac, and all of the girls are as pretty as their name-sakes.

There are twists and turns throughout the book that make it an engaging read. Like I said before, Lauraine excels at weaving a tale and I am sure that in the subsequent books, she will tie up all the loose ends quite well, because the gambler and the deposed deacon are still out to get Lark.

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a seed catalog to fulfill all of your floral dreams.

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.