Song Of My Heart by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Sadie Wagner has always been devoted to her family. So when her stepfather is injured in a mining accident and is unable to work, she decides to leave home and accept a position as a clerk at a mercantile in Goldtree, Kansas. Goldtree also offers the opportunity for Sadie to use her God-given singing talent -though the promised opera house is far different from what she imagined. With her family needing every cent she can provide, Sadie will do anything to keep her job.

Thad McKane comes to Goldtree to investigate reports of an illegal bootlegging operation. Once he finds the culprits and earns enough money from his work as sheriff, he plans to use it to play for his training to become a minister so that he can clean up the reputation left by his alcoholic father.

Thad is immediately drawn to the lovely young singer who performs in Asa Baxter's unusual opera house. However, when he hears her practicing bawdy tunes, he begins to winder if she is far less innocent and godly than she seems. And when Sadie appears to be part of the very crimes that Thad has come to investigate, is there any hope for the Love blossoming between them?

 Song of My Heart was a well written and extremely interesting novel. The plot was well developed and progressed smoothly. It had many of the same characteristics as other Christian, historical romance novels, but it did have some unexpected twists. The characters were interesting and likable. Sadie's cousin, Sid, changes from a love besotted, brooding teenager to a responsible and smart man during the novel. Sadie and Thad also grow during the novel and understand more about grace, forgiveness, and trusting God as the book progresses and as they face trials they cannot master alone. Both characters, but especially Sadie, have to deal with significant flaws in their own characters and only come to a proper understanding of their failings when they come before God. The growth that these characters experience was my favorite portion of the book. I enjoyed seeing the characters' development, and many of the lessons that they learned can easily be applied to our everyday lives. Overall, the novel was well written, the characters were dynamic, and the themes were clear and applicable. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a new novel to read.

I received this novel for free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.