Texas Reclaimed (Lone Star Redemption) by Sherry Shindelar
Texas Reclaimed (Buy Now)
Sherry Shindelar
January 30, 2026
400 pages
Wild Heart Books
Can love blossom between a woman haunted by her family's past and a man with a war-scarred heart?
Cora Scott is determined to hold onto
her family's Texas ranch and provide a stable home for her young half-brother,
Charlie, despite the mounting challenges of post-Civil War frontier life. But
when a scheming creditor threatens to seize their land, she must accept help
from Ben McKenzie, a former Yankee soldier sent by her late brother. Though
Ben's generosity and strength draw her, the man's private struggle she stumbles
upon—too reminiscent of her father's alcoholism—makes her question whether she
can trust her heart to him.
Ben McKenzie arrives in Texas intent on
fulfilling his promise to his dying friend to protect Cora and Charlie. While
using his inheritance to save their ranch, he battles not only the loss of
their cattle but also his dependency on laudanum—a medicine that turned into a
curse after his imprisonment at Andersonville. As his feelings for Cora deepen,
he must choose between his promise to his father to take over their
Philadelphia newspaper and his growing dream of a life with Cora in Texas.
When
a Comanche warrior begins courting Cora and Ben's responsibilities in
Philadelphia threaten to tear them apart, they must decide if their love is
strong enough to overcome their fears and forge a future together on the Texas
frontier.
Reviewer’s Comment:
Texas Reclaimed by Sherry Shindelar starts out after the Civil
War in 1866, Philadelphia, PA. Ben McKenzie still fighting the effects from the
pain of the war and is hooked on laudanum but trying to set himself free from
this “tincture of alcohol and opium.” Yet the night his engagement was to be
announced to Olivia, who had waited years for him to come home from the war and
now when her parents and his parents, owners of the Philadelphia Sentinel, are
ready to announce the engagement, a promise that Ben made to Lieutenant Jeb Scott
while they were still in Andersonville Prison Camp, came back to haunt Ben. His
gut wouldn’t leave him alone until he kept his promise to his dying friend and made
sure Scott’s mother and sister were taken care of. Olivia is anything but
understanding of Ben’s plight of wanting to honor his friend’s dying request. But
Ben had promised, and when he arrived in Texas, he ran into Jeb’s sister Cora
Scott, trying to pay a debt and save her land that her drunken father had
gambled away. Ben admires Cora’s grit, spunk and gumption but follows her home
from Weatherford at a distance to let her cool off before he introduces himself. Women who have fended for themselves are not always anxious to let strangers help...From here, get ready for an emotional, yet delightful story.
This well-written story captures life in the post-Civil War era,
and Shindelar’s extraordinarily engaging prose delve into a courageous story
of endurance, learning to cope and adjust to a post-war society with a new set
of problems, which brings the reader closer to the people and what life was
like in this beautiful and compelling story. Great suspense and good characterization. Highly recommended.
About the Author:
