abrupt endings

I really hate when I'm enjoying a book and it ends abruptly.  I just finished reading Margaret Brownley's novel, A Lady Like Sarah, and while I enjoyed it, I thought it ended quickly. The story is about Sarah, the youngest in a family of outlaws, on her way to Rocky Creek to be hanged for a crime she didn't commit and Justin, a reverend from Boston who lost his post because a female parishioner didn't like being rebuffed.

 Truth be told, I wasn't that into the story for the first few chapters.  I felt that the relationship between the two leads seemed forced and was more based on sexual attraction rather than a deep understanding of the other.  They went quickly from the awkward beginning stage to loving one another.  I wanted to know Sarah and Justin deeper than I did.  As the story progressed however, I really enjoyed the conflicts Ms. Brownley forced her characters into (although there were more random incidents than I normally find in books) and the tension towards the end was well done.  

However, I was mildly annoyed that the only way Justin could think of saving Sarah from the gallows involved lying and encouraging her to escape justice.  What was even more annoying was that he never had to come clean about the lies; it was all brushed under the carpet under the guise of "for the greater good" of a baby.  I wanted him to rescue Sarah using his wits or his trust in God or the faith that a miracle could happen.  Sarah, on the other hand, was more than willing to trust her fate to God's hands.  

Overall, the story was enjoyable, however the ending seemed to pat.  The brothers decided to go straight (I'm sure they'll pop up in the sequels) and never faced any consequences for robbing numerous stages.  It seemed a little contrived as though the author realized she was running out of space and figured she could get to it in the next book.  

I enjoyed "A Lady Like Sarah" enough to read a sequel, and I hope that some of those loose ends would be addressed.