Age Range: Adult (appropriate for teens)
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (April 1, 2013)
Language: English
Genre: Historical Romance/Christian
Source: Bought
My Rating: 4 of 5 stars
About the Book:
A New Historical Romance from Fan-Favorite Jody Hedlund
Recently widowed Annalisa Werner has the feeling her husband was murdered but can't prove it. Alone with her young daughter in 1881 Michigan, she has six months left to finish raising the money needed to pay back the land contract her husband purchased, and the land is difficult to toil by herself. She needs a husband. With unmarried men scarce, her father sends a letter to his brother in the Old Country, asking him to find Annalisa a groom.
For nobleman Carl von Reichart, the blade of the guillotine is his fate. He's been accused and convicted of a serious crime he didn't commit, and his only escape is to flee to a small German community in Michigan where he'll be safe. He secures a job on Annalisa's farm but bumbles through learning about farming and manual labor.
Annalisa senses that Carl is harboring a secret about his past, yet she finds herself drawn to him anyway. He's gentle, kind, and romantic--unlike any of the men she's ever known. He begins to restore her faith in the ability to love--but her true groom is still on his way. And time is running out on them all.
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My Thoughts:
This is one of those books that I couldn't wait to get my hands on. I added it to my wish list on Amazon and drooled over the gorgeous cover every time I was on the site. So when it went on sale, I didn't hesitate to buy it.
At first, it was everything I had hoped it would be. The writing is beautiful and I loved both Annalisa and Carl. I really liked the way their relationship developed slowly from a sweet flirtation to a deep seeded love. Carl is a wonderful hero - just the kind of guy I like to read about. He is good and kind and sweet. He is not without imperfection, but I really liked the way he treated Annalisa and her girls. Annalisa's personal journey of self discovery was also well done and I loved watching her gain understanding about her self worth.
Although I really liked almost everything about the book, there were a few things that bugged me. The plot was generally predictable, but what romance book isn't? The ending is what I didn't like. I knew how the book would end, and the whole time I was reading I kept thinking that there was a much better, more obvious solution to their situation. I will refrain from spoiling anything, but I really really wanted it to end differently.
Regardless of the ending, I still really liked the book. It would appeal to lovers of clean romance and Christian fiction.
Content: Clean. There is some "desire" between the characters, but no boundaries are crossed.
I have this one as an ARC, but haven't gotten to it. I love these types of romances. Bummer about the ending. I'll have to read it and then chat with you about that. :)
ReplyDeleteThe ending was disappointing to me, but it was a personal taste kind of thing. You might like the ending just fine.
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