The Major's Daughter

The Major's Daughter (Fort Reno #3)
By Regina Jennings
Published by Bethany House
Publication date: December 3, 2019

Caroline Adams is restless and wants to find a path for herself that isn't defined by her position as the major's daughter. When the president signs off on a bill to allow the Unassigned Lands in Oklahoma territory to be claimed by homesteaders, Caroline decides this is her chance. She'll stake a claim and establish a boardinghouse. She even finds the perfect place--only realizing after she has claimed it (and there are no other plots to be claimed) that it's the exact spot Frisco Smith had picked out for himself.
Frisco, who has long been trying to settle in the unassigned lands, was instrumental in getting the territory opened for settlers--and he's picked out the perfect spot to set up a town. He even started building, put in a garden, and sold plots to others who will come to settle the land after he claims. On race day, however, he's held up at the starting line, trying to establish who was really there and who might have left early to stake a claim dishonestly--so Caroline reaches the land before he does. He desperately needs to convince Caroline to let him have the land and tries everything he can think of to get her to trade him for the small plot he claims in a neighboring developing town. She's equally determined to hold on to her dream and it seems one of them is bound to be a loser--unless they can find a way to work together.

The historical background for this book was really interesting. Seeing people who wanted a chance at claiming the land and their struggles was captivating, from those like Caroline who were successful in claiming the land but then needed to actually get to work settling there, to those like Frisco who didn't get the opportunity they so desperately wanted but were still trying to find a way to be successful. I also enjoyed the plot line with Frisco, a lawyer, trying to figure out if the very men who settled the town where he managed to buy his small plot did so legally or if they started out early in order to stake a claim. The romance angle wasn't quite as appealing to me as the other romances in this series, but all in all, it made for a good read.
3.5 stars.
I read a copy of the book provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.