Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Westward Winds #3

With Autumn's Return

Rate this book
Elizabeth Harding arrives in Cheyenne, Wyoming, to establish her medical practice thanks to the wooing of her two older sisters who extolled the beauty of the land. She's certain she'll have a line of patients eager for her expertise and gentle bedside manner. However, she soon discovers the town and its older doctor may not welcome a new physician. Even more frustrating, the handsome young attorney next door may not be ready for the idea of a woman doctor. For his part, Jason Nordling has nothing against women, but he's promised himself that the woman he marries will be a full-time mother.

Despite their firm principles, Elizabeth and Jason find that mutual attraction--and disdain from the community--is drawing them ever closer. And when the two find themselves working to save the life and tattered reputation of a local woman, they'll have to decide how far they're willing to go to find justice--and true love.

418 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 14, 2014

115 people are currently reading
1373 people want to read

About the author

Amanda Cabot

43 books991 followers
With both parents avid readers, it's no surprise that Amanda Cabot learned to read at an early age. From there it was only a small step to deciding to become a writer. Of course, deciding and becoming are two different things, as she soon discovered. Fortunately for the world, her first attempts at fiction were not published, but she did meet her goal of selling a novel by her thirtieth birthday. Since then she’s sold more than forty novels. When she’s not writing, Amanda enjoys sewing, cooking and – of course – reading.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
447 (41%)
4 stars
411 (38%)
3 stars
176 (16%)
2 stars
28 (2%)
1 star
10 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
Profile Image for Loraine.
3,397 reviews
January 1, 2016
SUMMARY: Elizabeth Harding arrives in Cheyenne, Wyoming, to establish her medical practice thanks to the wooing of her two older sisters who extolled the beauty of the land. She's certain she'll have a line of patients eager for her expertise and gentle bedside manner. However, she soon discovers the town and its older doctor may not welcome a new physician. Even more frustrating, the handsome young attorney next door may not be ready for the idea of a woman doctor. For his part, Jason Nordling has nothing against women, but he's promised himself that the woman he marries will be a full-time mother.

Despite their firm principles, Elizabeth and Jason find that mutual attraction--and disdain from the community--is drawing them ever closer. And when the two find themselves working to save the life and tattered reputation of a local woman, they'll have to decide how far they're willing to go to find justice--and true love.

REVIEW: This book was my favorite of this 3 book series. I loved the characters of Elizabeth and Jason. Both were struggling to find their ways in their careers especially Elizabeth as a doctor when women doctors were definitely frowned upon. The storyline kept my attention from start to finish with a sweetly developing romance, a bit of intrigue particularly in the conclusion, and an interesting subset of secondary characters - Miriam and Richard and Harrison and Gwen both added to the richness of the plot. The historical research was once again excellent, and I very much found the information on patent medicines and ergot very interesting. With murder, faith, budding romances, and a great storyline, Amanda Cabot gave a great finish to this series.

FAVORITE QUOTES: "I'll never forget the reverend telling me that children were a gift from God, even if the family only had that gift for a moment."

"The Bible tells us that God promises to turn even bad to good for us, but it doesn't always happen the way we would like or as quickly as we think it should."
277 reviews2 followers
February 8, 2021
Another reminder of the females before us who courageously broke stereotypes so that we could enjoy all the opportunities that we have today.
Profile Image for Nicole.
889 reviews22 followers
July 9, 2015
This is a really good series. I find that the second book is the best, but this was a really engaging read. The characters are good. The storyline believable. I recommend this book.
Profile Image for Sarita.
1,474 reviews653 followers
September 6, 2024
This was an enjoyable sweet historical romance, with a bit of mystery at the end which kept me wanting to speed up the my reading to see what happened.

There was a few characters from book two which got a bit more of their own story and I enjoyed the struggles the characters faced and the growth they endured and we as readers could be part of.
Profile Image for ✨ Gramy ✨ .
1,382 reviews
September 4, 2017
.
Even though Elizabeth Harding graduated in the top of her class to become a doctor, she still struggles to overcome the prejudices against women in the profession.

Encouraged by her sisters and the people she has met, she continues to serve those in need, no matter who they are.

This was clean and wholesome, able to stand on its own, and had a desirable HEA.
.
.
*** SPOILER ***
.
.
Through perservance, she proves herself and becomes an established doctor in the small town.
1,786 reviews23 followers
September 2, 2019
Elizabeth’s Story

I am so thankful for people like Elizabeth who didn’t let the stereotypes of her day hinder her from doing what God called her to do. What a lesson for all of us on change and how sometimes God really does bring it about for good. Jason learned that lesson really well. I loved that the Harding sisters were very gracious to girls like Leah and Phoebe. It just goes to show how loving GOd really is. Very well done!
Profile Image for Diane.
934 reviews14 followers
February 21, 2025
Christian historical romance set in Wyoming in late 1880s. Elizabeth Harding is not accepted by the town of Cheyenne as a young doctor. She faces opposition from the current town doctor as well as the young attorney whose office adjoins hers.
Profile Image for Kate (The Shelf Life).
387 reviews18 followers
January 27, 2014
With Autumn's Return is the first story I have read by Amanda Cabot and after finishing this story, I look forward to reading her other titles!

The story follows Elizabeth Harding as she tries her hardest to establish herself in the town of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Her two older sisters led the way to this town, and now that Elizabeth has finished her schooling, it is her turn to to join them. However, Elizabeth has a harder time than most. Even though she has a well established family in the community, it is her profession that keeps some people back. Elizabeth just graduated with her degree in medicine and is starting her career as a doctor in Cheyenne. She has heard many great things about the territory when she was back east and couldn't wait to move away from the prejudice she experienced. The truth quickly reveals its self and Elizabeth finds that Wyoming isn't as progressive as she hoped. Instead of a practice jumping off and running, she finds that she is moving at a snails pace. People just don't want to see a woman doctor. She is told on several occasions that she is nothing but a glorified midwife and that a woman's place is in the home. Instead of backing down, Elizabeth strengths her resolve and battles on.

At her first day in her new office, Elizabeth meets her new neighbor, a very young and handsome attorney, who is currently representing a man in court for murder. It is the biggest news story in the area. However, things do not go the way Jason Nordling expects in court and the day just seems to get worse when he introduces himself to Elizabeth. Jason is a strong character. Quick to stand up for what he believes is right, but he does waiver after an incident in court. He tries to not let it bother him, but the questions he faces, he knows he will have to deal with them.

When I started to the read the story, I wondered if it would be a strong push for the women's movement. I'm happy to say that, that wasn't the case with this story. Jason and Elizabeth each face the question, I know what want, but what is it that God has called me to do? Elizabeth has felt called to be a doctor, but she has always heard, she would have to make major sacrifices for it to happen. Elizabeth is certain marriage and family are not in her future. Jason believes that a woman needs to be in the home. He had a rough childhood without his mother and he knows he doesn't want his future children to have his childhood. They each have to search for the answers. In doing so, they gain a lot of wisdom and they grow.

The writing was fantastic. It was so easy to be captured into this story. There was a bit of mystery, to go with romance and it is all set in the west. It really was a wonderful mix. The characters were well developed and dealt with a lot of real life issues that are related to in this time.

Even though this was the third in a series, it was a fantastic stand-alone novel. There was no detachment or anything disjointed to make this story hard to read out of order. I look forward to going back and reading the first two books in the Westward Winds series.

Thank you to Revell Publishing Blog Tour, I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Melanie.
2,210 reviews599 followers
January 27, 2014
Review on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/review/RLZ8RBHL...
Review on my blog (to be posted 1/28): http://christianbookshelfreviews.blog...

After reading and loving the first two books in the Westward Winds series, I was looking forward to With Autumn's Return - the conclusion to the series. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the book as much as I had hoped.

With Autumn's Return started off really good and I thought it was going to be another great read, but then little things in the story started to frustrate me and hampered my enjoyment of it.

For instance, some things in the story seemed to be repeated several times. I'm fine with something being repeated once or twice for clarification or as a reminder, but otherwise I don't like it. I also felt that the ending wasn't much of a surprise and was predictable, for the most part. Another thing that bothered me was how we weren't told what happened with a certain character in the end.

It may not sound like it from above, but there were things I liked about With Autumn's Return. I really liked Gwen's and Harrison's story. I also liked how Elizabeth cared more about helping her patients and people in general than other people's opinions and gossip. Something else I liked was how Abigail and Charlotte(Elizabeth's sisters) were in this book (although I do wish they would have been in the story a little more). The writing was also very good.

Overall, With Autumn's Return was not my favorite in the series. There were things I liked and things I didn't. If you enjoy historical fiction, you might really enjoy this book, even though it wasn't a favorite of mine. There seems to be a lot of people who loved it.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*
Profile Image for My Book Addiction and More MBA.
1,958 reviews71 followers
January 23, 2014
WITH AUTUMN'S RETURN by Amanda Cabot is an exiting Inspirational Historical Romance set in 1887 Cheyenne, Wyoming. #3 in the "Westward Winds" Trilogy, but can be read as a stand alone. Although, I would suggest reading, "Summer of Promise" and "Waiting for Spring" as part of your reading pleasure. You will not regret your choice.

With this said, on to "With Autumn's Return". This is the last in this Trilogy and what a finale! I loved this story of Elizabeth Harding, a striving, confident, lady doctor. Yes, you heard it, a lady doctor. And Jason Nordling, a young attorney, who doesn't particular like Elizabeth's profession. But sparks fly with their very first meeting!

With murder, a budding relationship, faith, mystery, deceit, and falling in love, you will not regret your choice to read "With Autumn's Return". Once again, Ms.Cabot will capture her readers by surprise with her wonderful storytelling, her enduring and engaging characters and her fantastic storyline. What a great finale to the "Westward Winds" Trilogy!

Another must read for anyone who enjoys Historical Romance, American Frontier, life on the plains in the 1880's and finding faith, healing, forgiveness and along the way finding the love of your life. What a story! Received for an honest review from the publisher for their January Blog tour.

*Coming from Revell Books in January*

RATING: 4

HEAT RATING: SWEET

REVIEWED BY: AprilR, courtesy of My Book Addiction and More
Profile Image for Laura.
Author 39 books653 followers
January 24, 2014
WITH AUTUMN'S RETURN is beyond a shadow of a doubt, Ms. Cabot's best book yet. I couldn't put it down! Elizabeth is a female doctor, struggling to make it in a man's world, but unlike other books I read with historical female doctors, Elizabeth is friendly, approachable, quick to forgive, and beautiful. Not only that, but she is ready and willing to defend her position in the medical world, and yet willing to take patients most respectable women shy away from.

Jason is an attorney, and as the book opens he is in court defending a man accused of murdering his wife. Only after the trial ends, he learns the man was not innocent, and he was duped--big time. Now the town is torn in whether to trust him or not. A lot of the town folk openly shun him.

There is a hint of a suspense in the pages. People are being murdered--who will turn up dead next?

When I opened this book I thought - oh, no. Another female doctor. But Elizabeth and Jason won my heart. This it the third book in Ms. Cabot's Westward Winds series. Even though it stands alone, readers will want to read Summer of Promise and Waiting for Spring first. This series and especially WITH AUTUMN'S RETURN is highly recommended.
Profile Image for Megan.
1,731 reviews200 followers
September 2, 2016
The romance was sweet and I loved the scenes with the two main characters together. There's also a secondary romance story and I almost enjoyed that one more, it was so heartwarming!

I haven't read the first two books in this series, but I don't think that hindered me at all, so I don't think you have to read the books in order. However, it sounds as though each book does focus on a different one of the three Harding sisters so you may want to read them in order.

If the synopsis sounds interesting to you, and you enjoyed historical fiction, I recommend you read With Autumn's Return.

I received a complimentary copy of this book to review. I was asked to give my honest opinion of the book - which I have done.
Profile Image for Sherri.
1,548 reviews
May 26, 2014
I enjoy Cabot's writings. Sometimes when I think it's taking too long for 300+pages, I remind myself how fast it seems to be reading though. Just enough suspense to keep you wondering and sweet romance to keep you interested.

The growth of the characters in her books of both themselves and their faith is either the A or B storyline depending on you look at it.
Profile Image for Jack Vasen.
924 reviews8 followers
May 28, 2019
This is the last of the Wesward Winds series and it tells a complete story. It builds on Gwen's story in the previous book while focusing on Dr. Elizabeth's story. It could stand alone but then some of Gwen's motivation would be incomplete.

This is mostly a vanilla romance with few secrets but it does have the attraction of watching at least two couples. There are few black clouds in this story although maybe a couple of grey ones. There is much positive as Elizabeth is able to do some good things even though some 19th century prejudices pose a minor threat to her career. One of those which is mostly handled early on is the fact that she is a woman doctor. There is a dangerous conflict near the end, but the buildup and conclusion are fairly rapid. I wouldn't call it a twist but it seems like it comes almost out of nowhere.

Like many other books by AC, the two main protagonists are almost too good to be true. Elizabeth may have a couple of minor flaws, but she overwhelms in generosity and compassion. Jason is similar. Gwen is almost equally kind hearted but she has huge issues in terms of confidence which are more easily understood if you followed her sorrows in book 2.

There are several antagonists and they are all one dimensional. Mostly, with one exception, they are minor thorns. There is also a character that presents difficulties at times but has many positive qualities which outweigh her negative qualities.

This is a Christian book with almost no preaching. A very few characters resort to prayer for guidance and occasionally supernatural intervention.

Mature themes: not really. There is no sex other than references to a brothel which focus more on the characters than activity. There is at least one murder which includes a brief and mild description of finding the body.
Profile Image for Melanie Taylor.
80 reviews24 followers
May 25, 2018
This was a breath of fresh air. I'v been reading a lot of fantasy and fast pace books lately. To pick this one up and slow down a little was very nice. These types of books are always going to be close to my heart. I wish that love, relationships and dating was as simple as it use to be. I wish that ppl were not afraid to speak about their feelings and let ppl they care about know about it. The simplicity of their life back then, in terms of socially, must have been nice.
I really enjoyed this story. I look forward to reading more of Amanda Cabot's books.
269 reviews
February 7, 2018
I liked it, especially because it was a clean and Christian romance. I took longer to finish reading it than usual, though I am a fast reader, but it didn't capture my attention as it should have and I kept finding other things to do. That made it only 3 stars for me
717 reviews
March 7, 2020
Good read. I didn't like one of the other books in this series, but mostly because it was about a soldier. It's just not a genre I like and I was interrupted often reading it. I only got half way through
and quit.
Profile Image for Melissa Grace.
236 reviews3 followers
March 25, 2020
I’ve always been fascinated by the law and by the medical field so this was a definite treat! Suspense with a hint of mystery was icing on the cake! The author made it so you loved characters but loathed others!
Profile Image for cheryl doerr.
266 reviews3 followers
June 16, 2020
Beautifully written

I have read all three books of Westward winds books. I loved all 3. Can't wait to start a new series. I loved just as much as I did the other two.
99 reviews
July 31, 2021
Lasr book in this sweet trilogy. One doesn't have to read them in order to appreciate the stories.
2,821 reviews
April 19, 2022
Nothing to write home about.
249 reviews1 follower
October 22, 2022
Really enjoyed this book! It was a great way to end the series
Profile Image for Mark.
2,360 reviews50 followers
April 18, 2023
Loved this series. All 3 books had great characters, plot, and an element of suspense. I just recently started reading this author's books, and have been enjoying every one I have read
Profile Image for Sylvia Rodriguez.
58 reviews3 followers
June 9, 2024
I loved this series and was so happy to see an epilogue to wrap it up. I was surprised by the ending but it was so good for this story!
Profile Image for Wanda.
155 reviews40 followers
January 27, 2014
This was my first book by Amanda Cabot. It is book three in the Westward Winds series, each one being about one of the Harding sisters--Charlotte, Amelia and Elizabeth. With Autumn's Return was set in 1887 in Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory and was about Elizabeth Harding. Elizabeth was fresh out of medical school where she studied to be a doctor. The people of Cheyenne were not very accepting of a female doctor but Elizabeth was dedicated to healing and determined to start her practice in the town where she would live with her two sisters. I loved Elizabeth's strength and determination. Her heart was in her profession. God had given her the talent and desire to heal and she was willing to fight for it. What impressed me the most was the way she stated her case to anyone that dared say women couldn't be doctors. In a steady and calm voice she countered every reason they gave. No shouting or arguing. She conducted herself like a lady even though she felt like doing otherwise. I loved it when she took Dr. Worland down a peg or two!

Jason Nordling had been living in Cheyenne about a year and his law practice was fairly successful. He had some past grievances with his father he had carried since childhood that tended to stand in the way of his relationship with Elizabeth at first. Jason was a complete gentleman. Very humble and caring. I love the beginning of Jason and Elizabeth's relationship almost as much as the end. When the people of Cheyenne started snubbing Jason because of a trial win that was based on lies, Elizabeth was quick to stand up and defend Jason. And when Elizabeth was verbally fighting for her right to be a doctor Jason watched her with pride, knowing she could fight her own battles. Although there were some things that hindered their romance from time to time it was a very sweet romance and I loved watching it unfold.

Book Quote:

"Elizabeth tried to keep a smile on her face as she reached for her hat and gloves. Mama had told her daughters that if they smiled on the outside, they'd soon be smiling on the inside."

There were several characters I loved in this book, one being Gwen Amos. I connected with Gwen on a personal level. Gwen wasn't a beautiful woman, although she had a beautiful heart, and she was a little overweight. What Gwen lacked in physical beauty she made up for with inner beauty. Her struggle with her weight clouded her perception of what others thought of her, I can relate to that, but it drove Gwen to take some drastic measures. I also liked Phoebe Simcoe. Phoebe was a bordello owner whose feelings were often misread and underestimated. Sure she ran a bordello and some of her decisions angered me but deep down Phoebe had a heart and cared more than people realized. My most beloved characters were three precious little girls named Rachel, Rebecca and Ruby. They were the daughters of widower Kevin Granger, a local Sheep rancher. When they spoke you couldn't help but listen.

Book Quote:

"We heard hammers." Not surprisingly, it was Rebecca, the older one, who answered. "We thought they might be building a stairway."
That was one thing that was not included in the building renovation. Barrett had seen no need for an interior staircase. "There are already two on the outside," Harrison said, pointing to the one that lead to his apartment. A matching stairway on the opposite side of the building led to the apartment Gwen and Rose shared with Elizabeth Harding.
"We saw that, but it only goes to the second floor." Rachel's expression said that Harrison should realize how inadequate that was. He did not. "We were looking for a stairway to heaven."

All in all, I loved this book. It was a very sweet, historical romance that was intertwined with a little mystery and suspense. The plot was great. I love reading about female doctors in a time when they were not well received. I rejoice with every victory that takes them one step closer to being accepted. As I have already stated, I loved the characters. They just came to life on the pages and the Religious overtones were woven perfectly throughout the story without leaving you feeling as if they were too strongly impressed upon you. It was a perfect balance of romance, suspense and spirituality. You can't go wrong with this book. While it can be read as a stand alone story, I recommend you read the other two books in this series as well so you'll be more familiar with the characters and their lives prior to book three. It's not required by any means, just recommended. Amanda Cabot has such a way with putting words to paper that you'll be waiting impatiently for the next book!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review. The opinions expressed are mine alone and are honest and forthright. If I recommend a book it's only because I thoroughly enjoyed it. I received no monetary compensation for this review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.