Maggie Blackbird

Today, I’m hosting author J.A. Boulet’s latest release Whichever Way the Road Leads, book one in The Eastman Saga series, a historical romance. Be sure to read my review. And don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway.

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Title: Whichever Way the Road Leads
Series: The Eastman Saga, book one
Author: J.A. Boulet
Genre: Historical Romance
Length: 313 pages
Release Date: June 20, 2024

From the Northwest Frontier to the War of 1812, two young people discover their own paths to freedom.

Blurb: Meet Jesse Eastman, a young man from a powerful and wealthy American family. When he joins a group of rough fur traders on a journey to open up the American Northwestern Frontier, Jesse thinks his days are numbered.

The looming War of 1812 and a rugged farm woman from Upper Canada may prove him right.

Zee Collard and her father, George, are half-American, and half-Canadian. They will stop at nothing to protect their livelihoods in Upper Canada. The Collard’s family history goes back to the Revolutionary War and their past is not something many Americans are keen on.

“Whichever Way The Road” Leads will pull you into the lives of two American families on both sides of the border who struggle as war breaks out in 1812. This engaging and graphic first book of The Eastman Saga will take you through raging mountainous rivers and early Northwestern Frontier landscapes to the bloody Niagara battlefields of 1812.

Be careful which road you take, you never know where it’ll lead.

Goodreads | Amazon

Jesse walked confidently to the group as the man spoke commandingly to him in the Arikaran language. Jesse looked at him in bewilderment.
 
“He said that he would take everyone into the village and save our lives in exchange for the bear pelt and the canoe,” the woman translated slowly.
 
The Arikara guard spoke again, quickly, almost jumbling over his words with passion.
 
“He also says that this is not a free stay. Everyone must work once they are healthy enough.” The woman explained the rest of the agreement and looked at Jesse for confirmation.
 
Jesse looked back at the stranded Overland Astorian group. They were probably three more days away from dying, he thought. Losing the bear pelt was nothing, but the canoe would be a huge sacrifice. “Tell him we will give him what he wants,” Jesse replied, rubbing his long beard. “But he must allow us to rebuild a new canoe with the surrounding trees. It is our only survival to return to St. Louis.”
 
The woman frowned, turned to the Arikara guard, and relayed the message in their native tongue.
 
The Arikara man’s mouth frowned in deliberation. Then, a half smile graced his face. He spoke rapidly to the woman, then turned to his group of guards, gesturing for them to grab the canoe and bear fur. They began approaching the Astorians as the native woman spoke to Jesse. “They have agreed,” she translated, with a funny grin on her face. “He also said that you are stupid and young.”
 
Jesse laughed and patted her on the shoulder. “Thank you,” he said. “You saved our lives.”
 
“No,” she replied. “You did, Jesse.”

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Historical romance is my favourite genre, and I was in when this came up to read and review.  I enjoy settings in Canada, especially the fur trade, and the bonus is the characters are thrust in the middle of the War of 1812. 

First off, the heroine, Zee.  I enjoyed her.  She’s a tough cookie who prefers farmhand work over baking.  She’s a gifted healer and takes care of the animals on the farm.  Her father wishes to marry her off, but not many men are keen on Zee because she won’t become what they deem a proper wife.  She’s a free spirit and follows her instincts, and this leads to a big problem down the road when her lust for life gets her into trouble.

Then there is Jesse.  He’s been tossed out of his home after daring to stand up to his father for doing the unthinkable.  Out in the Northwestern Frontier, he’s a pup with no skills that he must acquire quickly or he’ll perish.  He starts out as a hot-headed spoiled boy but quickly learns only men survive in the wilderness.

I really enjoyed the character arcs of the two main leads.  Each comes into their own through circumstances beyond their control.  They possess a keen will to survive, and this shapes them into the people they will become.

The settings come alive in this novel.  The author did a great job with her research.  I did feel as if I was in the canoe with the hero, who battled raging waters, and the war came alive right on the page.  Historical figures also abound.  Loved the mention of Laura Secord.  Of course, it made me think of the chocolates right away LOL.

As for the romance, this happened naturally, and I enjoyed the chemistry and bond formed between Zee and Jesse.  Many lessons are learned.  The author takes you deep into how war affects the lives of ordinary people.

It’s not a long read, but the author captures the feel of an epic novel in 166 pages.  Do yourself a favour and get a copy.

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J. A. Boulet is the passionate author of six historical fiction novels. Raised in a Hungarian refugee family, J. A. was born and grew up in Canada with a strong moral foundation, which she has stood behind all her life. Ms. Boulet began writing poetry at a very young age and progressed to short stories and novels easily. She quickly became a history geek and became fascinated with ancestry and the rough path of immigration. Her university studies ranged from photojournalism to accounting. After decades of working in accounting, J. A. published her first book in 2020 and has since published one to two books annually.

She lives in the Niagara region of Canada with her two sons, a crested gecko, a large Doberdor dog, and a small orchard of fruit trees.

Follow J.A.:  Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Reddit | Amazon

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