More Than Meets the Eye (Patchwork Family #1)

Title: More Than Meets the Eye (Patchwork Family #1)

Author: Karen Witemeyer

Narrator: Stephanie Cozart

Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance

Audio Release: Jun 5, 2018 by Recorded Books

Length: 10hrs 58min

About the Book:

When her family is threatened, she doesn’t expect falling in love to be their best defense

Many consider Evangeline Hamilton cursed. Orphaned at a young age and possessing a pair of mismatched eyes—one bright blue, the other dark brown—Evangeline has fought to find her way in a world that constantly rejects her. Yet the support of even one person can help overcome the world’s judgments, and Evangeline has two—Seth and Zach, fellow orphans she now counts as brothers.

Seeking justice against the man who stole his birthright and destroyed his family, Logan Fowler arrives in 1880s Pecan Gap, Texas, to confront Zach Hamilton, the hardened criminal responsible for his father’s death. Only instead of finding a solitary ruthless gambler, he discovers a man not much older than himself with an unusual family. And when Hamilton’s unique sister, Evangeline, insists on dousing Logan with sunshine every time they cross paths, Logan finds his quest completely derailed. Who is truly responsible for his lost legacy, and will restoring the past satisfy if it means forfeiting a future with Evangeline?

My Review:

I’ve had this one sitting on my TBR pile for quite some time but noticing how quickly the release of book 2 was coming up I knew I needed to hurry up and read it. I listened to the audiobook version of it. I found the narrator’s voice to be entertaining and her enthusiasm matched the energy of the story.

Evangeline had an incredibly rough start to life. She lost her entire family at a very young age. The anomaly with her eyes only added to the obstacles she was facing. Being adopted into a make-shift family with two older orphan boys, she certainly ended up with a unique and interesting upbringing. It warmed my heart to see how close the three had bonded in their lifetime and how they considered each other and their needs before thinking of their own. Even though they all had their problems like everyone else, they’d managed to create a loving home despite their circumstances.

One thing that will stick with me is the how this book handled the issues of guilt, revenge, and forgiveness. Particularly in regards to Logan and Zach, there was quite the level of complexity when it came to the emotions they were dealing with. This would have been a very different read if either of them had acted on their feelings earlier in the story. While Logan had very valid reasons for being angry, his intent to seek revenge wasn’t as justified as he believed. The thing is though, he needed to heal from his anger and not just get over it. It was truly interesting to see how that whole situation played out.

This novel was stunningly written and highly engaging, and the characters were wonderfully developed. I felt as if I were standing right in the midst of the setting. It was full of twists and turns I wasn’t expecting and certainly contained a whole heap of action. I won’t spoil on the content, but I’m curious to see what’s next in store for these characters as the series continues!

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