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A Heart Most Worthy. Siri Mitchell. 2011. Bethany House. 384 pages.
On May 2, 1918, a short article appeared in the Boston Globe. It was only three sentences long; not an article really. Just a mention. It appeared on page twenty-four on the outside column, where most people hold onto a newspaper. I'm sure you wouldn't be very surprised to know that few people noticed it as they read the paper that morning and several people smeared jam on it as they turned the page. Only a very few read it.
A Heart Most Worthy is the story of four women whose lives touch in Madame Fortier's dress shop. There is Madame Fortier herself, a woman with more than a few secrets. Then there are her three Italian assistants: each one quite different from the others.
Julietta Giordano, a young woman attracted to bad boys, a woman who should know better, but is content to live life in the moment--and oh the fun moments that can be stolen when she's away from her parents' watchful eyes. Her bad boy of the moment is Angelo Moretti, but he may be more than she can handle.
Annamaria Rossi, a dutiful oldest daughter, a woman as obedient as can be on the outside, but on the inside she's longing to rebel. For what Annamaria wants more than anything is a life of her own, a family of her own. She's been told, been taught, that she cannot marry until her parents have died. For as the oldest, it is her job, her duty, her privilege, to care for her parents as long as they live. Why does she have to be the only responsible one in the family? So when she falls in love--with the boy from the wrong side of the street--she'll have a difficult choice to make!
Luciana Conti offers the most drama perhaps. For her father was murdered, and she knows his murderer, and he too has settled in Boston! Her life could be at danger if he discovers that she is there. She finds refuge in her work--for it is the first time she's had to work--what she didn't expect was to fall in love with one of the client's sons!
I loved this one. I just absolutely LOVED it. I loved each of our heroines. I enjoyed the three young narrators very much. While there were some dramatic moments, there were plenty of lighter moments as well. Moments that were sweet and satisfying and oh-so-right. (Personally, I loved Annamaria's romance the best. I loved how she fell for the boy on the wrong side of the street, a Sicilian shopkeeper's son, Rafaello Zanfini. I loved watching this romance blossom. It was just wonderful!!!) I also enjoyed learning more about Madame Fortier--a woman with a sad past doing the best she can.
I thought the book worked really well. I found it fascinating and satisfying. I would definitely recommend this one!!!
A Bond Never Broken. Judith Miller. 2011. Bethany House. 384 pages.
I had failed. There was no other way to justify our presence at the train station.
Racial tension plays a role in Judith Miller's latest set in 1917/18. Hatred against Germans is running high, and violent 'patriotic' groups are on the rise too. War has a way of changing things even in Amana Colonies. A Bond Never Broken is narrated by two young women. Jutta Schmidt is returning to Amana Colonies under false pretenses. Her family who owns a bakery in Marengo, Iowa, has been threatened by the Iowa Council of National Defense (American Protective League). They could lose everything--including their freedom, their lives--if Jutta doesn't turn spy and report on the 'unpatriotic' activities of the Amana Colonists. Ilsa Redlich, the second narrator, is the daughter of the owners of the local hotel, the hotel that comes to employ Jutta. She's upset by the war--the fact that her brother has joined the army, the fact that the man she is to marry might be drafted at any time. Their friendship is built on a lie--but it may just prove true and strong nonetheless. For there is someone who poses a danger to the town...and together they may just discover it in time.
A Bond Never Broken is the third in Judith Miller's Daughters of Amana series. The first two titles are Somewhere to Belong and More Than Words. Though these books are part of a series. Each does stand alone. There are different narrators for each, and they're set in different time periods: 1870s, 1880s, 1910s.
I liked this one just as much as the first one. They're just very different books. It's really hard to compare which I like best. But the things that I found troublesome-to-me about the second one weren't found in the third. There were things I liked about each book.
New York Times bestselling Christian novelist Karen Kingsbury (pictured, via) has signed a ten-book co-publishing agreement with Simon & Schuster’s Howard Books imprint. Dubbed the “Queen of Christian Fiction” by Time magazine, Kingsbury has written more than 50 novels–including Like Dandelion Dust and Unlocked.
Howard Books editor-in-chief Becky Nesbitt negotiated the deal with Alive Communications president Rick Christian. Pocket Books will produce the titles in mass market paperback and Simon & Schuster Audio will take charge of the audiobooks. The first book is scheduled for 2012.
Kingsbury had this statement in the release: “Simon & Schuster has shown a tremendous commitment to me, my reader friends and my fiction. I am thrilled to be working with such a talented team and the novels ahead will be some of my biggest and best ever.”
Courting Miss Amsel. Kim Vogel Sawyer. 2011. Bethany House. 346 pages.
This certainly isn't the way I imagined it.
Set in Walnut Hill, Nebraska, in 1882, Courting Miss Amsel is about the story of a young woman's first teaching job. When the year begins, Miss Amsel--Miss Edythe Amsel--is so enthusiastic, so passionate, about her new job. She's thrilled to have this opportunity. But. The job isn't without its challenges--as you can imagine.
Chances are if you've read a "teacher" book in the past--in the historical fiction genre--you know what to expect. You probably expect a single man (either an uncle or a widower) raising children on his own (usually boys, though not always) to fall head over heels with the new school teacher. How wonderful that this beautiful woman has such a big heart, that she has already taken a liking to his children. How great it would be if she could mother them full-time. But. The path to love--even in these types of books--rarely comes easily. You probably expect there to be one student-an older boy--who just doesn't get it, who thinks his job is to bully the new teacher out of town. Add in a few uncooperative parents and there you have it.
Courting Miss Amsel does not disappoint. I, for one, don't mind predictability. Not when it means another chance for a satisfying read. If I love a formula--really love a formula--then I don't mind reading it again and again and again.
While I didn't love Miss Amsel--a bit too stubborn for me--I did enjoy her story--her romance. I liked the romantic hero, Joel Townsend. I liked his two nephews, Robert and Johnny. I liked Mrs. Kinley, Miss Amsel's landlady. I liked many of the people in town--though not all of them. Courting Miss Amsel may not be for every reader, but I certainly enjoyed it!
The Christmas season comes to customary end on January 6th with the celebration of Epiphany or Three Kings Day. Epiphany commemorates the manifestation of Jesus and the visit of the Magi (Wise Men). They traveled to Bethlehem to worship Jesus after viewing the star, a shining light that revealed Jesus' birth (Matthew 2:1-12).
In telling the Christmas story, many children's books show three wise men visiting the stable shortly after Jesus' birth. Interestingly enough, the Biblical passages are rather vague and never specifically state the actual number of wise men or their date of arrival. The verses only tell that the Magi brought three gifts to Jesus: gold, frankincense and myrrh. The stable also is not mentioned. They entered the "house" and saw the child with his mother.
Are there any children's books that show the Magi visiting Jesus at a house and not a stable? Or with a different number of wise men? Bookie Woogie recently reviewed The Little Drummer Boy by Ezra Jack Keats, a book that, according to them, shows more than three wise men. As for a house instead of a stable, I'm not sure, so I'll have to refer to my readers for further book suggestions.
Christmas Is Here by Lauren Castillo. Simon & Schuster (October 2010); ISBN 9781442408227; 32 pages Book Source: Copy from personal library
This Christmas my family discovered a newly published Christmas picture book by Lauren Castillo. In Christmas is Here, the wise men do not make an appearance at the stable. I want to make mention of it now because I think the book deserves a lot more attention that it received over the holidays. It is a book worth owning if you celebrate Christmas and makes a splendid read-aloud on Christmas Eve, especially if you already read the story from the Bible.
What makes Christmas is Here truly special is that Castillo merges past with present. She tells the Christmas story starting in the present time with a family that goes to see a live Nativity. As the little child in the story peers over the crib and looks down on baby Jesus the focus changes and the following pages powerfully depict the Biblical text taken directly from the King James Bible about the shepherds and angels and the birth of Jesus, the passages of Luke 2:8-14. In the end, as the text tells of the armies of heaven praising God, Castillo takes readers back to the present day with a gorgeous illustration showing the family and others gathered around the live Nativity as they join in the chorus of praise.
12 Comments on Christmas is Here by Lauren Castillo - Book Review & Transfer Printing Craft, last added: 1/7/2011
Oh Wow! What a clever idea! I love it. I bet the kids loved this project. I vaguely remember doing transfers from magazines like this and it worked so well. Will have to investigate that technique again!
This sounds like a great book. I'm sorry we missed it this year, but I'll have to remember it for next season. We really enjoyed First Night this season.
Tomie does it well. In "The Story of the Three Wise Kings" they come to "the place" and Mary is pictured with The child Jesus (not an infant) in a traditional pose, "Seat of Wisdom, Throne of Justice". There is no evidence of it being a stable (animals, shepherds, hay, manger...) in "Mary, The Mother of Jesus", the scripture is quoted, "Entering into the house" and Mary and the child are depicted in a house. Also, this is AFTER The Presentation. Tomie's "Book of Bible Stories" also separates "Jesus Is Born" from "The Visit of the Magi", but he does draw Mary and the infant in the stable.
He also notes that in early art, 2-4 kings were shown, but 3 persisted due to the 3 gifts Matthew documented. Not sure about other books that show more/fewer than 3. Love your art stuff, btw.
I was just commenting on someone else's blog that I want to get better about recognizing Epiphany, etc. and taking more notice of the accurate stories from history, like you've mentioned. I'd really like to get this book. I'd also really like to do this art project.
This has been my favorite Biblical Story book this year. I also adore the illustrations in one of her other books, What Happens on Wednesdays (not least because it is set in Brooklyn!)
I will try this project with my daughter. And we have a Christmas board book that shows the wise men visiting Jesus in a house, not the stable. But I can't recall the title.
While We're Far Apart. Lynn Austin. 2010. October 2010. Bethany House. 416 pages.
Esther's father halted the lazy swaying of the porch swing. "Listen," he said. "There's something I need to tell all of you." The darkness in his voice made Esther's skin prickle. He had used the same phrase, the same tone, when he'd told her that Mama had gone to live up in heaven.
I loved While We're Far Apart. I wouldn't say it's my favorite-and-best Lynn Austin novel, but I wouldn't hold that against While We're Far Apart. Like her earlier novel, A Woman's Place, it is set during World War II. It's set in Brooklyn.
Once again, the story is told through alternating voices. Esther, a young girl coming-of-age at this difficult time, Penny, a young woman who is finally gaining her independence from her strict parents, Jacob, a Jewish landlord mourning the loss of his wife, a man deeply worried about the fate of his son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter in Hungary, a man who is angry at God.
The novel opens with Eddie Shaffer making an announcement. He's enlisted in the army. He's looking for someone to take care of his two children--Peter and Esther--for the duration of the war. Since his mother is unwilling or unable, Penny, the girl-next-door, volunteers. She's had a big crush on Eddie for years. And now that he's a widower, he's "available" again. She knows it's a big commitment--a commitment that her own parents just don't understand no matter how many times she tries to explain it--but she's happy to be needed. She'll move--temporarily--into his apartment in Brooklyn so that his children won't need to change schools, so their lives won't be as disrupted by the sudden change.
Soon before Mr. Shaffer leaves, the Jewish synagogue across the street from his apartment burns down. Jacob Mendel happens to be the first on the scene. And as angry as he is with God, he can't allow the Torah scrolls to be destroyed. Not if there's a chance he can save them. So in he rushes into the burning building. The landlord Penny meets is a man very much in need of a friend. And it's friendship he finds...first with Peter and Esther...and later with Penny.
While the novel--for the most part--is set in America, it does present some of the horrors of the Holocaust through letters. As Sarah waits not knowing her fate, the fate of her husband and daughter, not knowing when Hitler will make his next big move to eliminate Jews. At first I wasn't sure if these narrative letters "fit" with the rest of the novel. But. I think it worked for the most part. I enjoyed learning that Raoul Wallenberg was a real hero.
Penny, Jacob, Esther, Peter, and Sarah (Jacob's daughter-in-law) are individuals in need. While We're Far Apart is very compelling, very dramatic (but not melodramatic), very human. I loved these characters. I loved how human they were, how complex they were. I loved their brokenness. I loved how they came together, how friendships developed slowly, how deep wounds began to heal.
I would definitely recommend this one. If you're interested in World War II, in historical fiction, then this one may work well for you.
Love's First Bloom. Delia Parr. 2010. Bethany House. 32o pages.
Ruth Livingstone had very little time left to change her father's mind.
Widow Ruth Malloy has come to the village of Toms River, New Jersey, with a toddler, Lily, in the spring of 1838. Welcomed by Mr. and Mrs. Garner, she finds a new beginning. But adapting to that new life--new in so many ways--isn't an easy task. New name, new identity, new child, new job. (She's helping Mr. Garner in his apothecary shop.) Ruth needs an escape sometimes. If only there was a place she could go to be alone...
Jake Spencer is also new to Toms River, New Jersey. He's just settling in when he discovers a woman in his garden. The woman, Ruth, is just as surprised at the intrusion. She thought the cabin was abandoned.
Can these two find a way to compromise? To share a space? It won't always be easy. Because both Ruth and Jake are keeping secrets. Not only from one another, but from the whole town.
Ruth is struggling with so much. Her father has been arrested for murder. She seems to be one of the few who believes wholeheartedly in her father's innocence. And instead of being there for him, she's been sent away--having to keep up with the trial and its aftermath through newspapers. Oh, how Ruth HATES, HATES, HATES newspapers and reporters. And when reporters come to town trying to track Ruth Livingstone down, she feels so vulnerable, she doesn't feel safe leaving home.
Jake has struggles of his own. His own past he's trying to redeem. When the time comes, he'll have a BIG decision to make.
Just one kiss. One soul-wrenching kiss. That was all it took for him to know there would not be another time or another place for him to fall in love. The time was right now. The place was right here. And as much as he had tried to deny it, he knew in his heart that Ruth was the only woman he would ever love, just as he knew that by loving her, she was the one woman who could cost him the one thing he so desperately wanted to achieve: his redemption. (257)
I enjoyed Love's First Bloom. I liked both Ruth and Jake. The story, while predictable in places, was well told. And it wasn't without a few surprises. I liked that!
In Every Heartbeat. Kim Vogel Sawyer. 2010. September 2010. Bethany House. 352 pages.
Don't you dare cry.
Libby Conley, Pete Leidig, and Bennett Martin are three friends attending the same college, the fall of 1914. Libby dreams of being a journalist. (And she's looking for a shortcut or two). Pete has wanted to be a preacher for years. And Bennett. Well, Bennett's good at many things--very athletic, very popular. But, truth be told, he's just waiting and hoping for a chance to be a soldier. Though the war in Europe has just gotten started, he's hoping that the United States will join sooner rather than later.
The book is narrated by all three. These three share a deep bond because they all grew up together, grew up as orphans. Though technically Pete has parents. They just happened to kick him out when he was a young boy. Which led to a tragic accident. But. That's Pete's story to tell.
The main story? Pete loves Libby but he feels called by the Lord to preach--and Libby is a bit too worldly to settle down with. Libby loves Pete but she wants to travel the world and be a journalist. She loves Pete. But. She feels the need for some independence.
In Every Heartbeat is a novel that I didn't connect with. Perhaps because it's the second in a series. Perhaps because I wasn't in the right mood for it. On another day, maybe I would have liked it better. Or maybe it's just a bit too much. It seemed to go in a dozen different directions. Just when I felt comfortable with where it was going, it shifted focus entirely. This kept happening which made me a bit frustrated. (Though I was VERY relieved it didn't spend more time on baseball. There was one chapter early on that bored me with its endless details on one baseball game in particular.)
I guess my biggest problem with In Every Heartbeat is the characterization. I had a hard time believing in these characters. And there were a few scenes where I just wanted to slap whoever was speaking. (In particular, the scene where Libby's article is rejected.)
The Thorn. Beverly Lewis. 2010. Bethany House. 352 pages.
At times I wonder what might've happened if I'd gone with Mamm that damp, hazy morning eleven years ago.
The Thorn is the novel of two sisters: Rose and Hannah (Hen). Set in the 1980s. In Pennsylvania Dutch Country. The first in a trilogy.
Hen chose to marry an outsider, an Englischer, Brandon; they now have a little girl, Mattie Sue. But after several years away from her community, her family, Hen is having second thoughts. She is saddened by how her marriage has turned out. Frustrated at how her husband wants to raise their daughter. He does not want his wife, his daughter, to have anything at all to do with the Amish. (How could he not want his daughter to know her grandparents?) She wishes her daughter were more obedient, more respectful. Wishes her daughter had never, ever been exposed to Barbie dolls, MTV, or Madonna. So she's struggling to find her place...
Rose, the younger sister, is still part of the Amish community. She's already been baptized into the community, the church. While she doesn't question her faith--her place within the community: she has no desire to see the outside world, the modern world--she doesn't always keep all the rules either. For one, she enjoys spending time with Nick, the foster son of the bishop. Secret time. Sometimes they ride horses late at night. Sometimes they go on walks. She knows that many would disapprove of this alone time, but she considers Nick one of her best friends. Even though he's an "outsider." Even though most consider him a rebel. But just because she enjoys spending time with Nick doesn't mean she isn't interested in courting an Amish man. She is thrilled when Silas Good asks her to be his girl.
Two sisters struggling with love, life, and family.
I liked this one. I liked both Hen and Rose. Nick reminded me of Heathcliff. Not in a bad way. Not in a completely selfish, self-destructive way. Just in his brokenness, I suppose. Silas was a bit underdeveloped in my opinion. And Brandon. I had more than a few issues with him!
I think this looks like a great series. I always think back to seeing the movie, The Witness with Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis when I think about reading Amish stories. I have never read Beverly Lewis, but I'm definitely adding this one to my Wish List.
To start off this review, I must first admit something: Richard Paul Evans is typically not my cup of tea. He's written a lot of books, mainly Christian-based, and though I think I've tried them all (each one has at least sounded interesting), I've never finished one until now. I've found the writing to be overly sappy, more than a bit melancholy, and a little over-the-top on the preaching. And then I picked up The Walk and I absolutely fell in love with it. Surprise!
The journey from life being fabulous and dream-like, with a successful advertising business and a beautiful wife, to life becoming miserable after losing the business and his wife in one swoop was awfully short for main character, Alan Christoffersen. Feeling completely lost, alone, and heartbroken, he decides to take a walk to the one place he believes can bring him peace, Key West. And he's walking from Seattle.
The beginning of Alan's journey is difficult and the reader will feel his sadness pouring out of him while he walks from one small town to the next. He meets remarkable characters along the way, each more rich and enjoyable than the previous. He camps out in the woods at night and walks the roads during the day, slowly beginning the ultimate healing process.
This is the first book in a planned series, so Alan doesn't make it very far on his walk across the United States, but I loved that about the book. He's taking his time, meeting people that God obviously means for him to meet along the way, and is doing a whole lot of self-reflection. It's not a heavy read by any means, nor is it "literary" in nature, but it was an great reading experience for me.
I think part of the reason I connected so well with Alan was the tragic beginning to his journey. Alan was confident in his life, with a thriving business and a great marriage and he completely took it for granted. Two years ago, I was in a very similar position, with a job I loved, an amazing husband, and baby that had just been born. I gave up that great job for my son, who passed away at 4 months old, lost my mom unexpectedly not even two months later, my grandfather four months after that, had two miscarriages, and the list went on. I took life for granted and then God threw the fragility of our lives in my face. And in a sense, I am glad He did...I learned so very much about myself and about how life should be lived.
I had to take my own figurative walk...and I'm still on it. I'm not sure where my career will lead me, whether babies are in my future, or if one day my husband is suddenly going to die too. But, I'm learning to take one day at a time, as Alan does in The Walk. I'm am anxious for book 2, out next year, and I encourage everyone to give this read a try. It may be a bit "inspirational" for some of you literary readers, but I really loved it.
Overall rating: 4 out of 5
The Walk Richard Paul Evans 304 pages Adult Fiction Simon & Schuster April 2010 Book borrowed from my local library
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3 Comments on The Walk review and self reflection, last added: 8/11/2010
I'm sorry for your losses, they are never easy. I usually have liked Richard Paul Evan's books, but I think this one was my favorite. I do think that anyone that has suffered tragedy can relate to this story. Who hasn't wanted to just walk away from it all?
On a personal note, after many years of trying and miscarrying my husband and I were unable to have children. I had a hysterectomy 5 years ago. I am now coming up on my 20th anniversary and I keep reflecting on how different our life is from what I planned. But I want to tell you it is still amazing. It may not be what you plan or what you want, but it ends up being what you make it.
Three Turtles, I am totally hugging you back (well...not all three of you, but you know what I mean ;) and seriously, if a certain boy doesn't mind sharing his bunk beds, I'm totally coming back!
Stephanie, thanks! I've never had a connection with Evans' previous books, but this one definitely stuck out loud and clear. I'm sure it had to do with my own personal journey, but that's why we read, right?
Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico by Lena Nelson Dooley. 2010. May 2010. Summerside Press. 320 pages.
"Are you plumb crazy?" Jeremiah Dennison's loud retort bounced around the main room of the adobe house and returned to mock him. "Where did you get such a harebrained idea?"
Jeremiah thinks his old friend Philip Smith is crazy. It's bad enough--in Jeremiah's opinion--that Philip is "crazy" enough to believe in God. But now Philip has gotten the notion that God is telling him to place an advertisement for a wife in a Boston newspaper. He feels God telling him that some woman desperately needs his help. And though he doesn't admit this to Jeremiah right away, he feels this woman may have a child. So before he even gets one response to his letter, he begins adding two rooms onto his home. (Jeremiah thinks this is crazy too.)
So who is this would-be damsel in distress? Madeline Mercer is grieving the loss of her father. She takes comfort in her work with the poor. She has taken under her wing, a poor widow woman named Loraine, a woman cut off from her parents because they didn't approve of the marriage. She's pregnant. She's starving. She's about to lose her home because she can't pay her rent. But she is not alone in her troubles. Madeline is right there with her. Though Madeline has some troubles of her own. Madeline's support comes--in part--from Frank and Sarah Sneed, the ever-faithful servants that have worked for her family for decades.
The "threat" to Maddy comes in the form of her father's business partner. And he is a poorly fleshed villain. (And that's a bit of an understatement.) Oh, the villain talks big--makes threats, stomps around, shouts and bullies and whatnot. But why? The reader is clueless to his motivation. We're just expected to see Horace Johnstone as the biggest threat ever. (When one of the reasons for his behavior does come out, it's laughable.)
Maddy flees her home because Mr. Johnstone is threatening her. Marry me, or else. So Maddy sets off (and not alone) to find this Mr. Philip Smith. She doesn't have time to wait for his response. So their arrival surprises some. No one more than Jeremiah.
This is his response.
This was the woman he and Philip had sent a letter to yesterday. And here she was. On the way to Golden. Right now. He stared at the faint road ahead. If it hadn't been for the other people in the wagon, he wouldn't try to miss the worst of the rocks and ruts. He'd just as soon shake the stiffness right out of Miss Madeline Mercer. Why hadn't he pegged her right off? With her rose-scented letter and her fancy clothes, she'd slipped under his defenses. But he had her number now. She had to be a gold digger. Probably living off some other man's wealth she'd stolen and looking for a way to finance her high standard of living, as evidenced by her clothing and luggage, when that ran out. Well, it wouldn't be Philip's gold. He'd see to it. Talking about God the way Philip did, she had to be a hypocrite. Evidently, this was just her way of playing on emotions to get what she wanted. It wouldn't take long to have the retired miner eating out of her hand. He had to think of something fast to keep her from meeting him. A single woman with a baby shouted immorality. She was more suited to work in one of the saloons than to marry a decent man. (118)
And that's only the beginning. Jeremiah goes to the sheriff to tell him about the "criminal" woman and her "gang" that arrived in town. Begging him to find out the truth about these "evil" n
1 Comments on Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico, last added: 6/19/2010
Hi Becky. You put into words what I was trying to say in my review. I was trying to figure out why I was put off too. Nice to know I'm not alone. Jeremiah must have spoken to Lena in a way that I couldn't get.
A Tailor-Made Bride by Karen Witemeyer. 2010. June 2010. Bethany House. 352 pages.
"Red? Have you no shame, Auntie Vic? You can't be buried in a scarlet gown."
A Tailor-Made Bride is set in 1881.
Our heroine, Hannah Richards, is a seamstress, a dressmaker, who has been given a unique opportunity--she couldn't have dreamed of a better opportunity. One of her crankier patrons has left a piece of property to her, along with money to set up a dress shop of her own. This property is located in a small Texas town. Her arrival in town upsets a few folks--most especially Jericho "J.T." Tucker, who had hopes of buying this property.
Tucker has no use--at all--for those interested (even slightly) in fashion and finery. He is carrying a great big grudge--associating all women with his mother. To his reckoning, a woman can't be genuine, can't be kind, can't be godly, if she cares about her wardrobe at all. A well-dressed woman, in his opinion, is a deceptive one. Though J.T. is cranky, he does his duty by her. He helps her when she needs help. (He introduces her to his sister, Cordelia, a young woman who is in need of a friend, in need of some female advice too.) Though neither has a good impression of the other--these two, J.T. and Hannah--can't seem to help being drawn together time and time again. Slowly, J.T. sees that everything he's been thinking about women is wrong, wrong, wrong. Perhaps he doesn't know everything after all. Can Hannah and J.T. make a match of it?
First, I'd like to start with what I liked about the novel. I really did enjoy the romance between J.T. and Hannah. I liked the tension between them. How it took some time to get over misconceptions and prejudices. I liked that their relationship had to develop. I also appreciated many of the minor characters in this one. I liked this community, for the most part.
I had a two main issues with A Tailor-Made Bride. Both dealing with the inclusion of Warren, a "villainous" character with a birthmark. This one-dimensional character is perpetually angry and frustrated and lonely. What we do know about Warren is filtered through J.T's long held prejudices and Hannah's new-to-town observations. J.T. certainly puts the blame all on him--that it is Warren's own fault for not being more likeable, for not making an effort to fit in and be a part of the community. That if Warren would just "be a man" then his problems would be solved. Is it Warren's fault that he's friendless? Is it Warren's fault that he lacks the social skills needed to interact with the community? I'm not convinced it is.
Unless you *know* what it feels like to have a birthmark, unless you've lived your life with people looking at you, staring at you, pointing at you, unless you know what it feels like to be teased or ignored, unless you know what it feels like to be an outcast, to be the one always left out, then you have no idea at all. Even though the boys and girls that grew up with Warren are all grown now, memories aren't so easily forgiven and forgotten. Think about it, most of us have people we'd rather not see from our past--from our school days. Aren't there a few people that can make us feel small and insignificant no matter how much time has passed?
Not that I'm excusing Warren's behavior--he's presented as a creep, a villain, and he does in fact live up to this. He says things, he does things that are wrong, wrong, wrong. So I don't "like" Warren either. But still I think he was misused as a character. Which brings me to my second point. I do think his character is entirely unnecessary
2 Comments on A Tailor-Made Bride, last added: 6/14/2010
A Hopeful Heart. Kim Vogel Sawyer. 2010. June 2010. Bethany House. 352 pages.
Curling her fingers around the leather handle of the battered carpetbag that held her carefully selected belongings, Tressa Neill fell in line behind the tittering row of young women disembarking the train. She didn't mind being last. In the homespun dress and outdated straw hat acquired by Aunt Gretchen, she felt dowdy and conspicuous. No matter that her attire closely matched that of her traveling companions--with the exception of Evelyn. She still harbored an intense desire to hide.
Mrs Wyatt (aka "Aunt Hattie") has decided to open up a small school to teach eligible young women (from the East) the skills they'd need to be a proper help-meet to their potential rancher husbands. The skills include milking cows, branding calves, cooking, etc. She thinks these young women need to learn how to manage a ranch before they start socializing with all the young ranchers. That way they know what to expect before they fall in love, before they say I do.
This historical fiction novel is set in Kansas in the 1880s. It's narrated by Tressa, one of the young women who have come to the school for a "second best" chance at life, and Abel Samms, one of the ranchers who is determined not to take a wife. (How long do you think that resolution will last once he meets Tressa?) What Tressa finds is anything but second-best. For she finds some of the best friends she could ever have. Aunt Hattie also introduces her to Jesus. Tressa realizes that it is part of God's plan for her to be in Kansas, but is that oh-so-handsome Abel part of the good Lord's plan? She hopes so!
There are a handful of conflicts in A Hopeful Heart--some a bit predictable for the genre--but all in all, A Hopeful Heart is more than enjoyable. It is a good, clean, romantic read just right for historical fiction fans.
A Matter of Character. Robin Lee Hatcher. 2010. May 2010. Zondervan. 352 pages.
Maybe it was time to kill Rawhide Rick. He'd served his purpose, the old rascal. He'd hunted buffalo and fought Indians and stolen gold from hardworking miners and sent men to the gallows. Now might be the time for him to meet his Maker. The trick was deciding how to kill him.
Should Daphne McKinley kill Rawhide Rick? Can Joshua Crawford save him?
The year is 1918. And Daphne is a dime novelist. Of course, at the beginning, when readers first meet her, no one knows she's a published writer. Dime novels aren't necessarily books to be proud of having written, or of having read, after all, whether written by a man or a woman. Her pen name is D.B. Morgan.
Joshua Crawford is an out of work reporter with an agenda. He is the grandson of "Rawhide Rick." His grandfather, Richard Terrell, went by that nickname and Joshua is so not happy with this "D.B. Morgan" for making his grandfather the villain in the McFarland Chronicles. The grandfather he knew was loving, compassionate, generous, kind, good. He's angry, and he's searching for the truth. But first he has to find this D.B. Morgan and have a few choice words.
A Matter of Character is the third (and final) book in the Sisters of Bethlehem series by Robin Lee Hatcher. However, each one can be read on its own. I have not read the previous two books, and I did just fine. The three books have overlapping characters, but each is narrated by a different character. It is a romance novel.
I liked this one. I did. It was interesting to see this hero and heroine clash with one another. To see their relationship slowly develop through the weeks and months. I liked the way these two challenged one another.
Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes. 2010. April 2010. Tyndale. 384 pages.
Nothing deepens a stream like a good rain...or makes it harder to cross.
Jenny is going back home. But she's not going alone. She has her young daughter, Isabella, with her. What will her father say? What will her father do? Will she be welcomed back with open arms even after all these years? Has she reached the place where she'd welcome his open arms? After all, part of her still holds a grudge for how he's treated her in the past. How he reacted to her mother's death. How he reacted to the news that she was pregnant. But Jenny is out of options. She's dying. And her little girl will need some place to call home. Will it be with her grandfather and great-grandmother? Or will it perhaps be with her father (and stepmother)--a man who doesn't even know she exists?
Can Jenny find peace and love in her last few months of life?
I liked this one. It was a bittersweet novel, of course, but you know that going into it. A book about a mother dying of cancer and leaving her daughter behind, has to be sad. It has to be heartbreaking. But this one isn't without hope, without love. So I did like it.
As the carriage pulled away from Union Station, Caroline Jamison almost panicked and called out to the driver, "Wait! Don't go! I've changed my mind! Take me home!" Her heart racing, Caroline forced herself to turn away. St. Louis isn't home. And home doesn't want you. Daddy told you that in his last letter. Still, there were times when she entertained a desperate few minutes of hope.
Mr. Hamilton Drake, organizer of the Ladies Emigration Society, has convinced sixteen women to travel with him to Nebraska. He talks big. Promises much. Urges women to "TAKE CONTROL of their own DESTINY by acquiring LAND IN THEIR OWN NAME" (13). Each woman, of course, has their own reason for wanting a new start, a second chance. Many are widows. Many lost their husbands in the Civil War.
But when the truth comes out, that Drake has advertised these women as potential brides seeking husbands, that Mr. Drake is being paid by these men for the opportunity of meeting and dancing with these women. Well, the truth is too much for some to handle. Caroline and a handful of other women get off the train early. Decide to settle in Plum Grove instead. Decide to work together. Filing four claims, but living together communally where their homesteads meet. Piling together their resources, relying on everyone to give it their all. These women show great determination and spirit. Caroline. Sally. Ruth and her son, Jackson. Hettie. Ella. Zita. These are just a few of the characters we come to know and love within Sixteen Brides.
I loved this one. I just love, love, loved it! I loved these women. Especially Ella, Ruth, and Caroline. I loved the men who became the love interests: Jeb Cooper, Matthew Ransom, Lucas Gray. I loved this community. I loved spending time with these characters. They were so human, so flawed. And the story was oh-so-satisfying. Definitely recommended for those that love historical fiction and/or historical romance.
Jeanne C. I personally wouldn't consider it sappy or drippy. It's not over-the-top. It's not cutesy. While romance is a part of this one, it isn't the only part. There's strong character development. And it's just as much about friendship and community as it is romance.
As Young As We Feel. Melody Carlson. 2010. March 2010. David C. Cook (Pub). 352 pages.
Marley had hoped that her former high-school friends might've grown up by their thirty-fifth reunion. Unfortunately she was disappointed. Oh, most of them had matured somewhat, at least externally. She observed more bald heads, wrinkles, and gray hair than she recalled from their last gathering, and she was relieved to see that many had let go of old cliques and social boundaries. But others, like Keith Arnold, were still jerks.
As Young As We Feel is the first book in a new series by Melody Carlson. And I'll gladly admit it has an interesting premise. Four women, all in their fifties, have one thing in common: they're all named Linda. Abby. Janie. Caroline. Marley. These four met in first grade, decided to go by their middle names forever more, and form the 'Four Lindas' club. They didn't necessarily stay friends after grade school, and certainly not after high school graduation. With three of the four moving out of their hometown of Clifden, Oregon. One to L.A. One to New York City. One to Seattle. This thirty-fifth high school reunion brings them all together--but not quite the way they expected. You see, Cathy Gardener, another classmate, drops down dead in the middle of the reunion, right there on the dance floor. Her death acts as a catalyst to these four taking the time to reanalyze their lives and their need for friendship.
By talking with each other, they learn that they have so much in common. They're unhappy, unsure, depressed, restless, emotionally drained. They feel hopeless, lost, lonely. They feel life has let them down. What can they do to reconnect with their lives? How can they turn their lives around? What can possibly inspire them to live life again?
Friendship may just be the first step in their journeys.
I read a book long, long ago by Mary Gordon, in which the name Linda factors in at the end. The main character was having a baby out of wedlock -- she called the hospital, maybe? to find out what the most popular name was (Linda) and named her daughter that, so she would fit in. Definitely one of those names that's faded now! Kind of like "nancy." I like those kind of books that go back and cover the past. I'll have to give this a look.
I've just started a book of historical fiction, a "generational saga" kind of book that will have a part 2. "Her Mother's Hope" starts out in Switzerland, in 1901 and Marta is about to leave the country and a difficult childhood. So far it's great. (It's by Francine Rivers, who's touted by Debbie Macomber.)
Happy April Fool's Day -- and in the Chicago area it's going to be 80!
Love Finds You In Homestead, Iowa. Melanie Dobson. 2010. March 2010. Summerside Press. 320 pages.
The morning fog lingered in the alleyways and draped over the iron palings that fortified the row of saloons along Harrison Street.
Another book set in the Amana Colonies. (The other being Somewhere To Belong by Judith Miller.) Jacob Hirsch, one of our narrators, is a desperate father when we first meet him. His daughter, Cassie, is very sick. The two were meant to be heading East. But the Pullman strike and the economic depression (1890s) have altered his plans. It's a miracle that the two were able to make their way out of Chicago in the back of a freight train. The two make an unexpected stop in Iowa. Liesel, our other narrator, appears as an angel (of sorts) to the delirious Cassie. She's a young woman living in one of the Amana villages. Her willingness to help a stranger sets in motion a chain of events that have long-lasting implications. Jacob's daughter is seriously ill--diphtheria--and she shares close quarters with father and daughter during their quarantine. Tending to Cassie like she was her own. But is she becoming too close to this Outsider? What will the future hold for them all?
I liked this one. But I didn't love it. Personally, I found it a bit too dramatic.
While other women her age were busy preparing a hearty breakfast for their families in snug, warm homes that crowded the city or dotted the outlying farms, Elvira Kilmer was hurrying down an unfamiliar roadway, hugging the woods along the eastern shoreline of Dillon's Island to meet a total stranger.
Ellie is a 'spinster' who is dependent on her cousins. It is Cousin Mark who has arranged for Ellie to keep house for widower, Jackson Smith. He has two children, two young boys Daniel and Ethan. And he sure could use some help around the house, in the kitchen especially. His house has been one big mess since his wife, Rebecca, died. (He's too busy in the orchards to keep up with it all.)
Ellie was expecting to work for Mr. Smith for two weeks. Long enough to get a good reference letter, but that's all. She wasn't looking for anything long term. And marriage was about the last thing on her mind. But when Jackson proposes...despite how he proposes...it gives her something to think about.
This would be a marriage of convenience, a marriage in name only. He needs help raising his two young boys. And he needs help around the house. And whether he'd admit it or not, he does needs a companion, a friend. But he's not looking for more, he's not looking for love. He's been hurt a few too many times. And besides this spinster is so very plain, so very unattractive, he reckons that he'd never fall in love with her.
She says yes. Not without giving it good thought. And not without being offended first in how he proposes. And even why he proposes. But at the end of the day, she has come to care for those little boys. And they do need a mother. And why couldn't that mother be her? After all, she's always wanted children of her own.
Will this marriage turn into a love match? Or will secrets keep love from blossoming?
I liked this one. At times I even loved it.
Ellie is a woman that I appreciated. She was a lot more patient than I would have been! And she was a bit more forgiving too! Was she too perfect, too good to be true? Well, that's something each reader will have to decide.
Jackson, well, I had mixed thoughts on him. There were places where I could see how Ellie would feel the way she does. He was easy to like in some ways. But in other places, I got really angry. Super angry even. He's definitely a flawed man. A man with some baggage, some issues that need working out. But he had his good qualities too.
I did love the story. I never tire of this premise. Yes, I know it's been done dozens of times. But. It still works for me.
Historical Fiction/Romance. Set in the 1840s in Pennsylvania.
Rigid as a barn pole, I stood planted in the parlor doorway with my gaze fixed upon the pink feather-and-plum bedecked hat. Sparkling pins held it atop wavy dark tresses that crimped and coiled. The girl's hair reminded me of the curly leaf lettuce we forced to early growth in our hotbeds each spring. An artificial rose peeked from beneath the curvy brim like a vigilant watchman.
Two young women are struggling to find somewhere to belong in Judith Miller's latest historical novel. Johanna Ilg has grown up in Main Amana, one of seven Amana villages in Iowa, and for the past few years she's dreamed of seeing the outside world. Not to live in forever. She wouldn't want to break her parents' hearts any further. Her older brother, Wilhelm, left for Chicago several years before and settled down there marrying a nice girl, a rich girl. But just to see once before she herself settles down. And her would-be-suitor, Carl, agrees that she should have this opportunity before settling down, before considering marriage.
Johanna finds an unlikely friend in the new girl, Berta Schumacher. This seemingly rich spoiled girl is in for the ultimate shock when her parents surprise her with their plans after the fact. By the way, we're not visiting Main Amana on our way to see relatives. No, we've decided to move here permanently. She'll be expected to take her place--her proper place--in this communal living village. Working in the communal kitchens, no doubt. (Though any work assignment would have come as a shock to her!) Working all day, praying each night. Forced to give up her colorful wardrobe. To dress in plain clothes like all the other women in the village. How much fight does this spirited girl have within her?! Where does she truly belong? And why did her parents decide to move here to begin with? Why the sudden need to leave Chicago?
Somewhere To Belong is narrated by both Berta and Johanna. The setting is Amana Colonies, Iowa. 1877. Life isn't perfect within Main Amana. The people aren't perfect. A few have secrets that are true burdens. It is the very fact that these are flawed individuals that made me connect with the book, the story. I enjoyed this one very much.
Jacket description: "Sometimes the person farthest away from you is the one closest to your heart . . .
At thirty, Harper fears her chances for a thriving career and tru love are both fading fast. But when Harper is offered an unexpected role in a Broadway play - as understudy to New York's biggest diva-she wonders if everything is about to change.
Hoping to find love in NYC, Harper reluctantly signs up for an online dating site-but the only match Harper is even remotely interested in lives thousands of miles away. An actress who doesn't act, searching for love with someone she's never seen, Harper longs for God to show her He's still listening.
Through the contemporary text-message world of Internet dating, Harper learns it's possible to care for someone outside her own universe. And as she reaches out through the impersonal world of cyberspace, she becomes more aware than ever of god reaching out to her . . ."
Ok, I have to be honest with you all and say that I did not have the highest hopes for this book. I was really expecting the story to come off as cheesy and unrealistically positive, as so many Christian fiction titles do. And really, it was quite the opposite. Bright, likable characters, a great faith basis without being over-the-top, and a nice romance.
An engaging plot with the faith aspects sewn in subtly, but effectively. A main character in Harper that readers can believe, both in her actions throughout the novel and in her dialogue and emotions. I found myself engrossed in the story and continuing to want to know what happens to these people (uh...sequel please?). It's inspirational and somewhat romantic, though not overly so. Someone else's review compared author Chris Coppernoll to Nicholas Sparks. Uhhh no. Sappy and weepy this is not. Beautifully written, it is.
Even if you aren't typically one to pick up a Christian fiction novel, but enjoy a good contemporary story, I would give Screen Play a shot. God definitely plays a large role in the character's lives, but it's not "in-your-face" at all. I think Coppernoll is a fantastic writer and look forward to reading more from him.
Overall rating: 4 out of 5
Screen Play: A Novel Chris Coppernoll 352 pages Christian Fiction David C. Cook 9781434764829 January 2010 Review copy received from TBB Media
To learn more or to purchase, click on the book cover above to link to Amazon. I am an Associate and will receive a small percentage of the purchase price. Thanks!
1 Comments on Screen Play (Christian Fiction review), last added: 3/2/2010
I think it's very likely that you and your readers would like my new release, Angela 1: Starting Over, the first in a series of three set in a coastal Texas high school. It's imbued with Christian values but not preachy in the least. In fact, you have to dig to find them. If interested see my website and put in my name on YouTube to see the trailer. Thanks!
A Lady Like Sarah. By Margaret Brownley. (A Rocky Creek Romance). 2009. Thomas Nelson. 320 pages.
Vultures signaled trouble ahead..
"She's an outlaw. He's a preacher. Both are in need of a miracle."
That's how it's described on the back cover. I must admit I was a little skeptic heading into this one. Would it be 'too western' for me? After all, it is set in the 1870s and it does feature an outlaw or two?! But my worries went away after I began reading.
The book stars the frustrated but good-intentioned preacher, Justin Wells, and the scared-and-somewhat-embittered outlaw, Sarah Prescott. It was not love at first sight.
When he first stumbles across Sarah, she's handcuffed. The U.S. marshal escorting her back to the Texas town of Rocky Creek has been shot and is in very poor condition. Justin not yet knowing that the prisoner is really a she promises the marshal to take "the prisoner" on to Texas, to see justice done, to take a message to the marshal's family. But can he keep his promise after he knows....
After he knows that "the prisoner" is a woman? She may not be dressed as one. She may not act like one, a lady, I mean. But she is woman through and through. And after hearing her side of the story, after hearing about her troubled past, after hearing her declare her innocence and after hearing about the mockery of a trial that condemned her to hang, after he's come to believe her...how can he keep that promise now? When he knows that there is a very good possibility--that she will hang. Can he live with having her her death on his hands?
She stared at the manacles in his hands and wondered what he saw when he looked at her. Did he see an outlaw or someone else--the woman whose heart suddenly yearned to be held by a man? By him? Cheeks aflame, she looked up.
Head lowered, he reached for her hand, but before cuffing her, he hesitated.
She searched his face and he met her gaze. She wanted him to look at her like she had seen her brothers look at other women. But anything would be better than the pity she saw in his eyes.
Look at me, she wanted to cry. Look at me. Without thinking, she threw her arms around his neck. If he was surprised, she couldn't tell. For his lips melted against hers, sending waves of heat down her body. His mouth on hers was both gentle and demanding, sweet and warm, and more than anything, persuasive. She drank in the moment, wishing it would last forever.
Great sand and sagebrush! How come no one ever told her that kissin' a man was even more fun than fightin' a bear? She'd heard tell about this man and woman stuff, but no one ever said it felt this good, felt so completely and utterly right.
The kiss ended far too soon. One hand on her shoulder, he firmly pushed her away. The mouth that moments earlier had been soft and yielding was now hard and unrelenting. No pity showed in his eyes now. Only rejection...and, somehow, that was even worse.
Her senses in turmoil, she didn't know what to think. She wondered if she had only imagined his response, imagined that he welcomed her kiss.
Confused as much by her own actions as his, she stared up at him.
"I'm sorry, Sarah."
She couldn't have felt more humiliated had she been thrown from a horse.
For the longest while, they stared at each other like two wild animals meeting by chance.
"Forgive me," he pleaded. "I can't do this."
Had he thrust a knife in her heart, he couldn't have hurt
1 Comments on CFBA Blog Tour: A Lady Like Sarah, last added: 1/20/2010
"First, I'd need to decide exactly what colors I wanted to use and where I wanted to begin. I walked around the horse and considered my choices. I'd begin with the center of the roses and use the same color on the jester's hat--or perhaps I should begin by shading the nostrils and eyes." - The Carousel Painter by Judith Miller
Carrington Brouwer finds herself in a difficult position. Her father, a skilled but poor painter, dies and leaves her without money or home. When she receives an invitation to live in the home of a close friend, Augusta, (one of her father's former students), she accepts and moves from France to the state of Ohio. Unfortunately, she clashes with Augusta's mother and decides that she must move on, despite the improbability of finding well-paying work as a woman in 1890. Thankfully, fate intervenes. She is given the rare chance to work in Augusta's father's carousel factory as a painter but, as the only female employee, encounters unfair treatment and discrimination. And just as she begins to befriend Josef, the factory manager, she finds herself the main suspect in a jewelry theft. As the struggles in the factory mount and suspicion swirls, she finds strength in the Lord and kindness in unexpected places.
Carousels have this sort of romantic quality and allure. Vintage carousels often show remarkable craftsmanship with their intricate carvings and beautifully painted animals. Circling round and round on a magical journey to the chiming music--there is joy in every carousel ride. My daughter rode on the carousel by herself for the first time this year and couldn't stop smiling. My son, on the other hand, rode with me on a bench and did not especially appreciate the experience. Perhaps he was too young or maybe the motion made him ill, because he couldn't wait for the ride to stop so he could exit as quickly as possible. Still he loved gazing at the animals.
Reading Judith Miller's book The Carousel Painter evoked the same kind of response, at least for me. The cover design is gorgeous and alluring and the story romantic and full of promise, with well thought out characters and a wonderful, historic background. Yet, there were times when I wanted to get off the ride and move on because the mystery seemed a little too clunky and the inspirational parts felt slightly forced. What I found most compelling about this book besides the obvious historical information about carousels was Miller's portrayal of the difficulties and discrimination Carrie encountered as a woman working in an all male workplace.
"Not because it's you, Carrie, but because you are a woman. Some of the men are superstitious about women in the workplace. Some say they are uncomfortable having a woman around -- they must watch every word they say. Others believe men are entitled to factory jobs because they have families to support." [page 118]
Had Miller used this struggle as the center of Carrie's need for spiritual assistance and growth, rather than relying on an anticlimactic mystery, she possibly could have created a powerful and more realistic novel. That said, the well-researched story entertained me and introduced
1 Comments on The Carousel Painter by Judith Miller - Book Review, last added: 1/19/2010
Love the cover of the book - I hadn't thought much about the history of carousel's, but sounds like it might be an interesting book to read. Thanks for the review.
The Silent Governess. By Julie Klassen. 2010. (January 2010). Bethany House. 448 pages.
For years, I could not recall the day without a smoldering coal of remorse burning within me.
Olivia Keene is a young woman with her fair share of regrets and secrets. Fleeing her home, she stumbles into quite a mess (more than one mess actually). She's discovered listening to a conversation she had no business hearing. Lord Bradley--the man on whom she happens to be eavesdropping fears the worse. Miss Keene--if that is indeed her name--may be up to no good. She may be a thief. A spy. At the very least, if released out of his custody, his care, she may go somewhere and tell his secrets, start a scandal. One thing he knows for sure, he doesn't trust her. Why did she have a newspaper clipping about his family in her possession? Why is she in the neighborhood to begin with? Was she really just passing through as she claims? On her way to seek a teaching position in a nearby school?
Both Olivia and Edward (Lord Bradley) have secrets. And secrets can be dangerous. What's a man to do with a woman he doesn't trust? Why hire her to be an under nurse in the nursery. (The children she is tending are not his. They're his nephews and niece.) It helps that he introduces her as mute--unable to speak. (Hence the silent part of the title!) How long will she stay--that is the question. Can he learn to trust her? Can she learn to trust him?
This is the third Julie Klassen novel that I've read. The first being The Lady of Milkweed Manor; the second being The Apothecary's Daughter. I definitely enjoyed this one! Great characters, great story, interesting plot. I love historical fiction and historical romance. I think this will appeal to many.
Mitchell, Siri. 2008. A Constant Heart. Bethany House. 384 pages.
"But how could he not like you?"
I can see how this one might not be for everyone. But. Oh how I loved this book. And I think you will too. If you like historical fiction. If you like historical romance. If you like books (fiction or nonfiction) about the Tudors. This "Christian" romance is set during Elizabethan times. Elizabeth I is on the throne, and the hero of this one is one of her courtiers, a nobleman, Lord Lytham. (For the record, he is fictional. Some of the other characters are not fictional--they were real people in her court.) Down on his luck--no thanks to his brother's gambling, he marries the daughter of a knight--the beautiful Marget. Her dowry will help him--he can buy back his family's estate, for starters. But these two have different expectations from their marriage.
He married for anything but love. He didn't want a beautiful wife, a passionate wife, someone he could love and adore. He wanted a plain, practical wife. Someone he could keep in the country, hidden away most of the year. Out of sight, out of mind. The fact that his betrothed is stunningly beautiful is a big drawback for him. But it was too late. The agreement, the settlement, had been reached and there was no turning back.
She wanted a husband she could love and respect. A companion, a friend, a lover. She wanted a real marriage.
Rich in details, this book is an intimate (but not in a graphic, inappropriate way) look at court life. What life was like--the pretenses, the expenses, the vanities, the absurdities, the jealousies. Marget will (within reason) do anything to help her husband's career. Even if it means pretending she doesn't love him. But will it be enough, can anything ever be enough, to please the Queen.
Though this one is published by a Christian publishing house, there is nothing preachy or didactic about it. (I know some people avoid "Christian fiction".) I would definitely recommend this one to anyone and everyone regardless. It's just a great historical book. Well-written. Compelling. Believable.
by Lauren Castillo. 
I'm so glad you loved this book, Becky -- I had so much fun writing it! Thanks for taking the time to write and post a review.
Happy reading,
Siri
Becky!
I liked Annamaria's romance best too... only Siri could make a red pepper a metaphor for love that actually brought a tear to my eye...