Set in the early 1700s, mainly in the Scottish border areas, during the reign of George I of England and ending with the Jacobite uprising of 1715. AcSet in the early 1700s, mainly in the Scottish border areas, during the reign of George I of England and ending with the Jacobite uprising of 1715. According to the author's end note, it's partly based on/inspired by the lives of some of her ancestors.
Everard and Blythe's romance is a bit of a slow burn. They didn't actually meet face-to-face until 1/4 of the way through the book, which was a little disappointing to me. Their love story was quite nice, and there were some dramatic events that affected their lives and added some action to the storyline in the later part of the book. It was a little confusing though, as they had different faith backgrounds, and the politics of them and their family members was also a bit muddy. Sometimes I lost track of who was on whose side and why at a particular point in the story. Love and faith did overcome all in the end, however.
I was a bit disappointed in the simplistic and fairly unlikely trope of (view spoiler)[ falling pregnant after just one night of love. Hmm. Yes, it can happen, but really .... not often. I don't really like it when authors use this trope (hide spoiler)]. I also don't particularly like the trope of the 'plain' heroine. I'm not really sure what it means, and have some trouble picturing the heroine in my imagination. In reality, hardly anyone is beautiful, so I don't know why authors bother trying to pitch a character as 'plain-looking'. People are animated by their personalities, not by their looks.
Overall not a bad story. But sadly for me it dragged and was too slow-paced until near the end, by which point I wasn't as interested any more. Overall, I think the book was a bit too long, with some 'padding' that needed editing out or trimming. So not bad, but not my fav book by this author....more
**spoiler alert** Feb 2022. Sadly this book just wasn't for me. Sarah's story was too angsty for me to be able to enjoy the read. Her father (married **spoiler alert** Feb 2022. Sadly this book just wasn't for me. Sarah's story was too angsty for me to be able to enjoy the read. Her father (married to someone else) rejected her from before she was born, her desperate mother became a prostitute then died young (in front of Sarah), then Sarah was sold into prostitution at age 8 to a creepy pedophile who abused her and also prostituted her out to others. When she eventually got away from him (years later) she was bashed and robbed by two other prostitutes, leaving her alone and penniless. She ended up working as a prostitute in a town that served the gold miners during the California gold rush (where she also got bashed and mistreated).
Once Michael saved her from the brothel and married her, their relationship was difficult and strained, even though Michael said he loved her. I couldn't understand why Michael loved her when he didn't know her at all. Felt pity for her yes, felt lust towards her yes, but love seemed a stretch. It wasn't convincing to me.
Then Michael's brother Paul came home, and Sarah ran away with him to town, sleeping with him on the way, and returning to life as a prostitute in town. I could see why, with her low self-esteem issues and her horrid past. But at that point I just decided I didn't want to read any more. It was all just too horrible.
I understand this book is based on the story of Hosea from the Bible, and I do understand that through Michael's love and God's love, Sarah will be saved. But the journey was just too harsh and angsty for me and I decided I just didn't want to read on. DNF at nearly half way through....more
An enjoyable novella set in a small Yorkshire village in the depths of a snowy winter. Joy and her immature younger brother are on their way north wheAn enjoyable novella set in a small Yorkshire village in the depths of a snowy winter. Joy and her immature younger brother are on their way north when they get snowed in and have to stay at the vicarage for a few days.
Joy and the vicar Pietr's relationship develops too quickly, but considering the constraints of a novella, it's done pretty well. Joy comes to realise the pointlessness of pursuing the wealthy gentleman her family have been pushing her towards. She hardly knows him and doesn't particularly like him. Pietr comes to realise that he doesn't really want his promotion to assistant dean, because he doesn't really want to leave the village where he is respected and loved. But he is lonely. He and Joy make a connection and fall in love (very quickly LOL!)
But it's a nice read. It's set around Christmas time, but not really a Christmas themed novella. Joy and Pietr are both likeable, and they have a satisfying HEA. ...more
3.5 stars. Quite a good story, although the ending felt a bit rushed, and the differences between hero and heroine seemed to evaporate rather too sudd3.5 stars. Quite a good story, although the ending felt a bit rushed, and the differences between hero and heroine seemed to evaporate rather too suddenly. I did quite enjoy the unexpected twists and turns of the plot though.
I liked the setting and unusual occupations of the MCs. The heroine's sunny nature made her very likeable, although the patriotism angle felt a little overdone at times. The hero's brother, Luke, and his sister Caroline, both clearly have their stories yet to be told, although I'm not sure whether I'll read more from the series. Maybe at some point. ...more
2.5 stars. This one was a little slow for me and I did some light skimming in the second half. I quite liked Cass, the hero, but I found Roxanne a lit2.5 stars. This one was a little slow for me and I did some light skimming in the second half. I quite liked Cass, the hero, but I found Roxanne a little problematical and didn't really connect with her character. She was too impulsive and made some silly decisions with no forethought, that ended up putting her in danger or a bad situation. I got frustrated with that.
I read this book for the Romance Across The Ages challenge, September 2021 American Revolution theme....more
3.5 to 4 stars. I enjoyed this book more than I expected to. It's set during an interesting moment in history, and one which I as an Australian know l3.5 to 4 stars. I enjoyed this book more than I expected to. It's set during an interesting moment in history, and one which I as an Australian know little about. The British have just been forced to concede defeat and withdraw as rulers of the American colonies. Many individuals are still in the throes of deciding whether they will return to Britain or commit their loyalty to the newly independent America.
Sophie and General Ogilvy lived on neighbouring farms in Virginia, and their story unfolds after the general returns, a hero, from the war. He is now a widower with a young daughter.
This is quite a long book with a slow burn romance and a mystery or two. There were some unexpected twists and turns to the story, and at times it got surprisingly angsty. It was a pretty gripping story though, and kept me turning the (electronic) pages.
I had some minor quibbles. Lili Cate, the general's daughter, is a bit too precocious and articulate for a five-year-old, especially near the start of the book. I do get a bit irritated when child characters don't speak or act in age-appropriate ways. Later in the book her behaviour feels more natural, however.
I also did get a little tired of the author's way of stretching out the romance. There were several key moments when Seamus and Sophie were poised to kiss, or to have a key discussion abut their relationship, when they had to cut it short due to some unexpected interruption - someone coming into the room or some other similar device. Once or twice is OK, but it happened more times than that and started to wear a little thin. Guys, just get on with it, OK?!
I was also a little unclear about aspects of the plot. (view spoiler)[ Why did Myrtilla have Anne's diary? Why did she take it, and why did she bring it forth at the point she did? Even if she had 'just learned to read', in that short space of time it's doubtful (to me) that she could have read well enough to understand the whole diary. (hide spoiler)]
There was a Christian element to the book. The characters are Godfearing Christians who pray as a regular part of their lives. However this felt natural in the book and formed a part of the background to the characters' lives rather than dominating or proselytising to the reader.
Weighing it all up, it was a good read, and I will consider reading more by this author....more