Sam and Susanna are from different areas of the same side. Sam is skilled and takes his position seriously but is still faced with prejudice as the son of a Cherokee chief - on both sides of his mixed race. The story takes place at a wilderness fort. Susanna's stepmother is Cherokee and she would really like to be more like her. Her father prefers an older doctor for her, but after meeting Sam - well, you know. She's captured and Sam risks all to bring her back. As their attraction grows, they discover that they share values and draw closer, but the Creek war and prejudices against them don't make it easy. So well told, you look forward to getting back to the story each time you have to put it down.
I received this book free from the author, publisher and CelebrateLit book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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About the Book
Book: A Contrary Betrothal
Author: Denise Farnsworth writing as Denise Weimer
Genre: Christian Historical Romance
Release Date: August 18, 2026
A Cherokee lieutenant, a colonel’s daughter, and a desperate fight to protect both land and love.
Sam Hicks may be the educated son of a Cherokee chief, but his command of multiple languages and diplomatic skills can’t erase the prejudice he faces as a mixed-blood warrior. When he’s tasked with guarding Colonel Moore’s spirited daughter, Susanna, at a wilderness fort, he never expects to lose his heart to a woman he can never have.
Susanna Moore dreams of making her own way on the frontier like her Cherokee stepmother. The last thing she wants is an arranged marriage to the fort’s stuffy doctor—especially after she meets the noble and intelligent Sam Hicks. When she’s captured by a turncoat warrior during a Creek uprising, Sam risks everything to save her.
Their shared values and growing love give them hope—but with the Creek War raging and cultural pressures mounting, can a Cherokee lieutenant and a colonel’s daughter overcome the loyalties and prejudices set against them?
Click here to get your copy!
About the Author
North Georgia native Denise Farnsworth, formerly Denise Weimer, has authored over twenty traditionally published novels and novellas—historical and contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and time slip. As a freelance editor and Acquisitions & Editorial Liaison for Wild Heart Books, she’s helped other authors reach their publishing dreams. A wife and mother of two adult daughters, Denise always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old houses.
More from Denise
The seed idea for A Contrary Betrothal came from another author a number of years ago. She proposed a collection of stories in which the heroes were all Native Americans who served their country in different wars. I still love the idea even though it never came to pass! In fact, I loved it so much, I went ahead and wrote my story. And that story became Bent Tree Bride, first published with Smitten Romance. Now, it’s joining my Scouts of the Georgia Frontier series as book six.
Many people are unaware that the Cherokees fought alongside American troops under Andrew Jackson during the Creek War or Red Stick War, a portion of the War of 1812 that occurred in present-day Alabama. The Creek people were allied to the British, as the Cherokees themselves had been during the American Revolution. The motivation for this was, of course, to keep their land. Their warriors were so valuable to Jackson that they broke the ineffective cannonade on the town of Tohopeka, swimming across the river from behind and making the victory possible that ended the war at Horseshoe Bend.
Sam Hicks, the hero of A Contrary Betrothal, is a mixed-blood Cherokee lieutenant with the head of a scholar and the heart of a warrior. His struggle to intermingle the old ways and the new ways proves reflective of the metamorphosis of his people. Even though he’s been educated as the wealthy son of a chief, he knows his white colonel’s daughter, Susanna Moore, is out of his reach. But when he’s assigned to guard her and her little brother at a wilderness fort, he can no longer deny his attraction to the feisty young woman who’s determined to convince her father she can survive on the frontier as well as her Cherokee stepmother.
A Contrary Betrothal will resonate with readers who enjoy stories by authors like Laura Frantz, Shannon McNear, Michelle Griep, and Lori Benton. The forbidden love and fish out of water tropes create plenty of angst, and the battlefield scenes echo Last of the Mohicans. When people have asked me which of my books would translate well onto the big screen, in fact, this is one I think of. I invite you, dear reader, to be swept away by the action and romance of my final book of the Scouts of the Georgia Frontier.
Blog Stops
lakesidelivingsite, August 26
Books, Books, & More Books, August 27 (Author Interview)
For Him and My Family, August 27
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, August 28
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 29
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 30
Cover Lover Book Review, August 31
Jeanette’s Thoughts , September 1
Books You Can Feel Good About, September 2
Connie’s History Classroom, September 3
Simple Harvest Reads, September 4 (Guest Review from Donna)
Blossoms and Blessings, September 5
Life on Chickadee Lane, September 6
Holly’s Book Corner, September 7
Pause for Tales, September 7
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Denise is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://gleam.io/7zfBE/a-contrary-betrothal-celebration-tour-giveaway
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