Review: The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen

Bethany House, January 2013.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars (Very Good)

Emma Smallwood has grown up in her father’s academy for boys, and has witnessed the school’s gradual descent into failure following her mother’s death. Determined to help her father get back on his feet, Emma takes matters into her own hands and writes to the parents of one of her favourite former pupils, hoping that they’ll offer to send their two youngest sons to her father’s school. She’s surprised when the recipient of the letter, Sir Giles Weston, responds with an offer for her and her father to move to Ebbington Manor in Cornwall to tutor his youngest sons. Emma doesn’t expect her father to accept the offer, but he decides that a change of scenery might be good for them. 

Emma is secretly hoping for the chance to meet Philip Weston again, having long held on to fond memories of their time together at the academy. She’s not so keen to run into his older brother, Henry, given the pranks he used to play on her as a child. But Henry has matured far beyond Emma’s wildest dreams, and she’s surprised to find herself far more interested in the older Weston brother, especially given her prior feelings towards Philip. 

Life at Ebbington Manor definitely isn’t as straight-forward as Emma anticipated. The younger Weston brothers talk of a ghost, and Emma would normally dismiss such talk, if it weren’t for the mysterious noises she hears at night and the distinct feeling that someone visits her room while she’s sleeping. The presence of Lady Weston’s ward, Lizzie, is unexplained and the girl appears to be hiding something. Even more mysterious are Henry’s attempts to build a warning tower to bring aid to the ships that are often wrecked during storms along the Cornwall coast, and the reaction this brings from local wreckers, some of whom seem too involved in the Weston family’s affairs. 

Can all of these circumstances create a suitable environment for Emma and her father to recover from her mother’s death, and possibly form new relationships? Or is their visit to Cornwall far less simple than they anticipated?

Not being quite as obsessed with Jane Austen as some women, I never felt the desire to pick up a Regency romance until my book group chose to read Julie Klassen’s The Maid of Fairbourne Hall back in March. After devouring the novel in a matter of days, I immediately realised my mistake in avoiding her novels for so long, and have been eagerly awaiting the publication of The Tutor’s Daughter ever since. Although I didn’t love this novel quite as much as Julie’s previous book, I still immensely enjoyed it, and may have stayed up long past midnight to finish reading it.

What I appreciated most about The Tutor’s Daughter was Julie’s ability to make all of the characters come alive, regardless of how small a part they played in the novel. I noticed this when I read The Maid of Fairbourne Hall, and was pleased to discover that she continued her manner of developing characters in the lives of the Weston family and their friends. Although a few characters may initially seem a little villainous, their motivations were revealed as the novel developed. I particularly appreciated the way that Henry’s feelings about his stepmother were put across and this made me sympathise with him all the more. Even the younger Weston brothers are given distinct personalities, which makes the revelation towards the end of the novel all the more surprising. 

I don’t want to go too far into the details of the plot, but I will say that the plot twists weren’t easily anticipated. Sometimes the suspense in a romance novel isn’t as dramatic as it could be, because you know the hero and heroine are going to get out of their perilous situation and be married by the end of the novel, so you don’t have to worry too much about them. This wasn’t so much the case with The Tutor’s Daughter, and even though I knew that the hero and heroine would somehow find a way to be together, there were still several points in the novel where my heart was pounding and I was worried that they wouldn’t live to see the next morning. It makes me sound rather silly, as if I’d forgotten how romance novels work, but I’ll defer responsibility to Julie’s wonderful writing. 

I’d also like to credit Julie for making Cornwall come alive and inspiring me to put it on my “Must Visit” list. Since I’m one of the few readers of this novel who actually lives within driving distance of Cornwall, I probably should visit it someday. Interesting unintentionally, this is the second novel I’ve read in the last few weeks that was set in Cornwall, and both books made the location seem far more fascinating than any school history lesson or friend’s holiday stories have in the past. As always, Julie includes her snippets from history books or local newspapers at the start of the chapter, detailing Cornwall’s history and facts about shipwrecks and tutoring in the period. These details are also scattered throughout the novel as Emma investigates Cornwall’s history. The history might not be as detailed as other historical novels, but there’s enough to get a feel of being in the fictional Ebbington Manor in Cornwall in the early nineteenth century.

The one factor that holds me back from giving this novel a higher rating is actually Emma herself. As fascinating at the details about Cornwall and shipwrecks were, along with the development of the minor characters in the novel and their motivations, I didn’t actually feel like I got to know Emma all that well. She wasn’t a terribly distinct character, compared to some romantic heroines, so it was very easy to imagine yourself in her place and feel as if you were visiting Ebbington Manor and trying to figure out the family’s secrets. I think this is good, to a certain extent. But it wasn’t until close to the end of the novel when Emma began to make some changes in her life that I realised that this was the first real sign of character development that I’d witnessed. Emma does have some flaws, but I felt like they were abandoned a little in the development of the main plot. It was very easy to place myself in Emma’s shoes and see Ebbington Manor through her eyes, but I didn’t relate to many of her conflicts or flaws. At times, I actually felt like it was easier to relate to and sympathise with Henry, given his many relational and moral conflicts.

Likewise, as well as I felt that Emma’s spiritual conflict was handled, it wasn’t the most inspiring conflict. I seem to have come across a spate of novels recently where the main character’s spiritual journey simply focuses on them reclaiming their lost faith. I did feel that Emma’s journey was the most realistic presentation out of those I’ve come across lately, so I’ll credit Julie with that, but I do wish that authors would be a little bit more creative when it comes to the spiritual side of their novels.

Although I wasn’t quite as enthralled with The Tutor’s Daughter as I was with The Maid of Fairbourne Hall, I will freely admit that my issues with the novel are fairly minor. Julie’s long-standing fans are sure to be pleased with this latest offering, and any Christian historical romance fans who have not yet picked up a Julie Klassen novel are definitely missing out. 

Review title provided by Bethany House

Love in Disguise - Carol Cox

GENRE: HISTORICAL ROMANCE
PUBLISHER: BETHANY HOUSE
PUBLICATION DATE: JUNE 01, 2012 
RATING: 9 OUT OF 10 – EXCELLENT

PROS: Plot is entirely original and unlike anything already present in the genre; perfect blend of romance and mystery

CONS: Spiritual sections felt disjointed and didn’t add much to the story

When Ellie Moore finds herself alone and jobless in Chicago after spending her whole life working for the theatre, she has no idea where to look for work. All she has is a trunk full of costumes and her skill at putting together an outfit. When she overhears two men discussing their need for a new female operative for their detective agency, Ellie can’t help but wonder whether her knowledge of costumes and disguises might be able to help her gain such a position. After much convincing and a new persona as the elderly Aunt Livinia, Ellie makes her way to the small town of Pickford, Arizona, where she is to meet an experienced detective who is to play the part of her niece, and help her catch the thieves who are stealing silver from the nearby mines. But along the way, Ellie receives news that her partner is unable to make it to Pickford. Desperate for work, Ellie decides to continue on to Arizona and solve this mystery on her own. But as endearing as Livinia is, she isn’t able to make the right people talk. Ellie really needs someone to play the part of Jessie, the attractive and flirtatious niece of Livinia. She couldn’t play both parts...could she? With all the effort of keeping track of her two personas, Ellie finds herself becoming more confused about who she really is, especially when Jessie catches the eye of handsome mine-owner, Steven Pierce. Between balancing the two characters of Livinia and Jessie and attempting to catch the silver thieves, Ellie may just have forgotten to guard her heart against potential suitors...

The common thread that I’ve spotted in reviews of this book is that it is a lot of fun to read, and I completely agree with that sentiment. The premise of Ellie switching between two different personas in order to solve a crime not only made for an original and compelling story, but also a very entertaining one. It was the premise of the novel that drew me to Love in Disguise in the first place and it definitely lived up to my expectations. While there’s a mystery running through the entire book and a sweet, if slow to develop, romance between Ellie and Steven, it was Ellie’s character-switching that kept me reading. Could she really keep her ruse up? Would she ever forget which character she was playing? Would anyone figure out that neither Livinia nor Jessie existed? Not only did this situation create a fair amount of suspense, it was also pretty amusing to read about Ellie’s attempts to play two entirely different characters. I found myself grinning and giggling at several points throughout the story, and it was very sad to say goodbye to these characters – not just Ellie, but also Livinia and Jessie, who almost seemed as real as Ellie. 

Unlike some historical novels that contain a hint of mystery, I didn’t solve the mystery before the protagonist. But I wasn’t at all disappointed at this. Ultimately, I just wanted Ellie to catch the thieves and prove that she could be a good detective; I didn’t really mind who ended up being cast in the role of the bad guys! But although the mystery wasn’t always at the forefront of my mind while I was reading this novel, I did appreciate the climatic ending. It was nice to see Ellie using the wits that she had developed over the course of the story, and a couple of hints that had been dropped earlier in the novel finally made sense and aided the characters as they apprehended the thieves. Fans of romantic suspense and mysteries may be disappointed that Ellie’s attempts to catch the thieves aren’t as developed as they would be in a pure mystery novel, but I felt that Love in Disguise had the perfect blend of history, mystery and romance to keep fans of all three genres entertained.

The romantic element to Love on Disguise wasn’t as central as I thought it would be, considering that the word “love” is in the title, but the slow progression of Ellie and Steven’s relationship seemed appropriate for their situations. Steven was preoccupied with protecting the interests of his mine and Ellie was too wrapped up in being both Livinia and Jessie to consider the possibility of her connection with Steven turning into something more serious. I found Ellie’s reaction when she realised that Steven was falling for Jessie to be very realistic. Her dilemma over whether she was leading Steven on and whether it was fair to continue spending time with him was very heart-felt. Did he really love her, underneath her disguise? Or would he be disappointed once she took off her wig and revealed how different she was from Jessie? Even if Ellie’s situation in this book was entirely fanciful, the “Does he really like me for who I am inside?” issue is one that any woman can relate to.

I came very close to giving this novel full marks: I loved the concept, the characters, the suspense and the romance. But what holds me back from giving Love in Disguise five stars is the spiritual aspect of the novel. While I liked Ellie’s commentary on her church experiences and her reception of the pastor’s sermons, some of the other scenes that were intended the show the development of Ellie’s relationship with Jesus just didn’t flow with the rest of the novel. The one where she devoted her life to Jesus seemed to almost come out of nowhere, and I wished there had been more development on Ellie’s spiritual life. She seemed to have almost no concept of faith at the start of the book, and while there was a smattering of comments on her growing relationship with God over the course of the book, it wasn’t enough to convince me that Ellie had suddenly come to a complete understanding of God’s love for her by the end of the novel. The spiritual sections of the novel were so brief that they could easily have been removed entirely from the novel and not changed the flow of the story. While I do think that the spiritual elements of Love in Disguise could have worked if they had been better integrated into the main storyline, I couldn’t help but wonder if by choosing to write a salvation plot into the story, Carol had missed out on the great possibility for exploring the struggles that a Christian detective faces in having to lie and deceive others as part of their work. That is a story that I’d definitely like to read. 

Although I wasn’t entirely convinced by the spiritual aspects of Love in Disguise, I didn’t find fault with any other aspect of the novel. From start to finish, this book had me hooked and I hated having to put it down for any reason. Not only does Love in Disguise contain the perfect blend of character development, mystery and romance, it’s also entirely original and unlike anything I’ve come across in this genre. And although I appreciated the originality of Love in Disguise, I can’t help but hope that Carol gets the chance to write another novel about a female detective. If she does, you can be certain that I’ll be one of the first to get my hands on it.

Review title provided by Bethany House.

Sixty Acres and a Bride - Regina Jennings

GENRE: HISTORICAL ROMANCE
PUBLISHER: BETHANY HOUSE
PUBLICATION DATE: FEBRUARY 01, 2012
RATING: 7 OUT OF 10 – GOOD

PROS: Unconventional heroine; engaging secondary characters

CONS: Conflict between hero and heroine is fairly weak; awkward pacing, particularly at the start of the novel, which makes it hard to get into the flow of the story

After the tragic death of her husband and father-in-law in a mining accident, Rosa Garner follows her mother-in-law, Louise, to their family home in Texas. Having met and married Mack in Mexico, Rosa isn’t prepared for life in Texas, and the people of Plum Creek aren’t prepared for her foreign clothing or behaviour. But before she can figure out how the locals want her to act, Rosa has to help Louise pay off the taxes on their family home. The task facing the two widows is momentous, and they have little chance of meeting their goal before their home is bought up by their neighbour, who has his sights set on Rosa more so than her home. Their only hope is in Weston Garner, a fellow widower and relative who might just be able to help the women pay their debts. Can Rosa stoop to begging a strange man for help before it’s too late? And can either of them handle the ramifications of the agreement they make?

The biggest compliment that I can give Sixty Acres and a Bride is that it reminded me of Kim Vogel Sawyer’s writing, which makes me hope that Regina has what it takes to someday be as popular as Kim in this genre. Regina’s setting and secondary characters made me feel involved in the story, just as some of Kim’s novels have. But Regina also brings something new to the genre – namely, the character of Rosa, who was a welcome change from the more typical heroines. I honestly struggle to think of a time that I’ve read a Christian romance novel set in this era where the heroine is Mexican. I adored the descriptions of Rosa’s clothes, and if they look anything like the ones pictured on the front cover of this novel then I’m quite envious. However, I can also see why Rosa stuck out so much in Texas, and her initial mishaps were both amusing and touching to read about.

But as with Kim's books, Sixty Acres and a Bride just didn't have that little extra spark that pushed the story up into the "Loved it!" category for me. While my emotions got very riled up at the character of Mr Tillerton and his treatment of Rosa, and the general animosity that met Rosa when she first arrived in Plum Creek (I can’t be the only one who thought of Little House on the Prairie every time the town’s name was mentioned, right?) I also got pretty annoyed with the way that Weston and Rosa could have figured out their difficulties if they’d actually talked to each other! These are two very different sets of emotions to experience when reading a book. The first set is good, and the ability to make a reader get so involved in a story that they start feeling angry on behalf of a character is a talent that I greatly admire. But getting annoyed with the characters because you’re fed up with them continually making a mess of things isn’t so good. I didn’t mind the conflict between Rosa and Weston initially, but after it dragged on I started to get a bit fed up as it could have been resolved so easily. This may be just be a matter of a personal preference, since I’m the kind of person who doesn’t let an issue go undiscussed for more than five minutes. Perhaps those who share Rosa and Weston’s stubbornness will be able to relate to this situation better. 

Aside from the weaknesses in the conflict, my only other issue with Sixty Acres and a Bride was the pacing. It’s hard to describe what bothered me about it, but something just felt a little bit “off” about the pacing and I found it particularly hard to follow the plot at the start of the novel. There were several places where I got confused as to whose thoughts and feelings were being described and I had to backtrack to see whether or not the perspective had changed. After my initial difficulties with this novel I was able to settle into it better and struggled less with the pacing as the story developed, but it was a bit off-putting to begin with. If you’re just about to start this novel, I will say that it’s worth the read, so don’t let any confusions at the beginning of the story put you off. 

As long as it took to get to the conclusion, I was pleased with how everything worked out, and I was sighing with relief when Rosa and Weston finally confronted each other about their feelings. The conclusion was particularly satisfying, and made me hopeful for Regina’s next novel. I’m wondering if she may revisit Molly in the future, as she was a secondary character that I found particularly interesting. Despite her scheming tendencies I did feel quite sorry for her as nothing ever seemed to go her way. And if not Molly, I hope that Regina’s next heroine is just as unconventional as Rosa.

While I do have my personal qualms with the conflict and the pacing of Sixty Acres and a Bride, I’m sure that these are issues that will be smoothed out in subsequent novels. For a debut, Sixty Acres and a Bride definitely shows potential, particularly as Regina brings something new to the genre. As much as I love to read Christian historical fiction, the genre definitely needs to be shook up every now and again, and I hope that Rosa’s story does just that. I also love that the cover of Sixty Acres and a Bride is branching out from some of the more typical covers in this genre. As pretty as some of them are, they do get a little repetitive after a while, and I really felt that this cover reflected Sixty Acres and a Bride as well as Rosa’s character. Hopefully both this novel and its cover are a sign of good things to come from Regina Jennings.

Review title provided by Bethany House.

Short-Straw Bride - Karen Witemeyer

GENRE: HISTORICAL ROMANCE
PUBLISHER: BETHANY HOUSE
PUBLICATION DATE: JUNE 01, 2012 
RATING: 10 OUT OF 10 – NEAR PERFECT

PROS: Original twist on a well-worn storyline; confident and quirky heroine; endearing romance between a newly married couple that contains just a pinch of edginess

CONS: None!

No one has stepped on Archer land in years – no one, that is, except Meredith Hayes. Having stumbled on to forbidden territory in search of her lunch pail as a child, Meredith met the mysterious Travis Archer when he had to rescue her foot from a bear trap. She’s never forgotten that day, and not just because of the limp she was left with following her accident. Travis remained her idealised hero even after she entered womanhood, and when she overhears a plot to burn the Archers off their property, Meredith knows that she has to warn Travis and his brothers. But her good deed isn’t appreciated by her uncle and aunt, who insist that Meredith marry one of the Archers when the fire forces her to remain overnight on their property. To Meredith, the possibility of being forever united with her hero, Travis, is a dream come true. But does Travis view their union in such a positive light? Or is he merely marrying Meredith out of feelings of duty and responsibility? Meredith is determined to make their marriage one worth fighting for, and to convince Travis that picking the short-straw wasn’t a mistake.

I’ve yet to discover a Karen Witemeyer novel that I’ve not loved, but I approached Short-Straw Bride with a little bit of trepidation. Could Karen really keep up her previous standards? Will she run out of original plots? Thankfully, my fears were unfounded and Short-Straw Bride not only met but far exceeded my expectations. I’d have to say that it rivals Head in the Clouds for its place as my favourite of Karen’s novels. Although I think Karen’s books may a slight formula to them – perhaps in the pacing or the number of action scenes – this really wasn’t evident when I was reading Short-Straw Bride. While I could definitely see some similarities to her earlier works, the plot of the novel was entirely original and Meredith was a refreshing new heroine. The romance between Meredith and Travis reminded me of those written by some of my favourite romance writers – Kelly Long and Mary Connealy in particular – and while it was different from some of Karen’s earlier romances, it definitely took her writing in a positive direction.

I love marriage of convenience stories, and you’d think that considering their prevalence in the historical romance genre that authors would eventually run out of ways to twist this plot into something new. While Meredith and Travis’s arrangement – borne out of Meredith spending the night with a man while unchaperoned – is one I’ve come across before in this genre, I loved the spin that Karen put on this story. The concept of the four brothers living on a ranch and barely having any contact with women made Meredith’s presence all the more interesting, especially as all the brothers were jumping at the chance to marry her. The brothers definitely made the story more interesting, especially in the early days of Meredith and Travis’s marriage when neither of them knew how to treat each other. Short-Straw Bride had more to it than just the romance between the hero and heroine. Meredith, an outsider, had a thing or two to teach Travis about the image he was projecting of the Archer brothers and their land, and it was particularly touching to see him breaking down the walls – both physical and emotional – he’d put up to protect his family from the outside world. Each of the brothers had their own personality and I enjoyed seeing how Meredith’s presence on the ranch helped them to understand their own strengths and get the courage to pursue friendships and work arrangements outside the bounds of their property. 

The romance was still a big element in Short-Straw Bride, so there’s no need to worry that secondary characters might encroach on what is an incredibly touching and romantic love story. While I wasn’t always entirely convinced by Meredith’s childhood adoration of Travis and the idea that Travis fell for Meredith as soon as she reappeared on the ranch, their relationship was built on so much more than these initial moments. I enjoyed witnessing them coming from the awkward early days of their marriage into a relationship based on trust and commitment. Meredith’s worries about whether Travis was rejecting her by not sleeping in the same room once they were married were very real and heart-felt, and I could completely understand her pain over this aspect of their relationship. Likewise, Travis being torn over whether he should be a gentleman and court his new wife or pursue the more physical aspects of their relationship was very well presented. A lot of marriage of convenience stories skip over the transition from a chaste romance to a couple engaging in their “marital privileges”, so it was a nice change to see Karen exploring this aspect of a couple’s relationship. The awkwardness over how to discuss such things with your new husband and trying to seek womanly advice on a ranch full of men also created some amusing moments, which made the romance a well-rounded mixture of humour, emotion and a little bit of edginess. The conclusion to the novel and the romance was very satisfying, and while some readers may find themselves blushing a little, I’m sure plenty of married readers will be pleased to see Meredith and Travis endorsing those aspects of marriage that God intended married couples to enjoy. 

Even if I did speed through Short-Straw Bride at a record-breaking pace, I think I’d still struggle to find any faults with it on a slower, second read – which may happen, as this book is definitely worth reading again. It pushed all the right buttons, from the twist on a well-worn plot to the engaging secondary characters to the touching and realistic romance. While Short-Straw Bride is quite different from Karen’s previous novels, it contains many of the trademark elements that readers are familiar with, particularly Meredith, the confident and slightly quirky heroine. Short-Straw Bride will satisfy many historical romance readers, and I imagine that those who have yet to discover Karen Witemeyer will be hunting down her backlist as soon as they turn the final page in this endearing love story. 

Review title provided by Bethany House.

The Messenger - Siri Mitchell

GENRE: HISTORICAL/ROMANCE

PUBLISHER: BETHANY HOUSE

PUBLICATION DATE: MARCH 01, 2012

RATING: 9 OUT OF 10 – EXCELLENT

PROS: Isn’t scared to give gritty details about this period of history; heavily researched; gentle and not overbearing romance and spiritual details; realistic protagonists

CONS: Ending is rather abrupt and left me wanting more

Quaker Hannah Sunderland has strictly followed her faith’s decision to avoid taking sides or arms in the Revolutionary War, even when it means that her family are forced from their home when it is commandeered by the army. But when news reaches her that her twin brother, who joined to Colonial cause, is in prison, she cannot ignore his needs. Her desire to help her brother brings her into contact with Colonial spy, Jeremiah Jones, a war veteran who lost his arm in the Seven Years War. They couldn’t be more dissimilar in their beliefs and lifestyles, but the common ground of needing access to the local prison – for personal and political reasons – binds them together. Hannah soon finds herself acting as a spy and attempting to stage an escape from the prison, but must keep her actions secret so that she doesn’t upset her fellow Quakers. But no one can ignore the amount of time she is spending with Jeremiah, and even Hannah cannot claim that theirs is only a business arrangement. As Hannah becomes more involved in the Colonial cause and is made aware of the dire conditions that the soldiers are living in, she cannot help but think that those of her faith have made a mistake in choosing to ignore the needs of these men. Can she reconcile her Quaker faith with her desire to help her brother and his fellow soldiers?

Recently I heard that popular Amish fiction author Suzanne Woods Fisher would be writing a historical series about the Quakers of Nantucket. In light of this discovery, and the recent release a romantic novella collection from Barbour, entitled Quakers of New Garden, I couldn’t help but wonder whether the Quakers would soon to be joining the quaint tales of Amish, Mennonites and Shakers (although the latter aren’t particularly quaint, in my opinion) that have become so popular in the last few years. Siri Mitchell’s novel does not join the ranks of these stories. The best way to describe The Messenger is to say that it’s a gritty historical novel; it does not shy away from the uncomfortable details of life in Philadelphia during the Revolutionary War, and doesn’t attempt to gloss over any unsavoury details that wouldn’t usually appear in a Christian historical romance. There’s nothing inappropriate or particularly graphic, but if you prefer your historical novels to present the brighter side of life, then perhaps a novel about a Quaker woman breaking soldiers out of the squalor and filth of a war prison isn’t the novel for you.

The history in this book felt incredibly real, and I wasn’t surprised to read in the author’s note at the end of the novel that many of the events in The Messenger were based on true stories. I’ve always preferred my historical novels to been enriched by their historical detail, rather than peppered with a few brief references to historical-sounding items or clothing, but I’m also the first to admit that it’s hard to get the right blend of story-telling and history into a novel. On the one hand, if you focus too much on the plot, you risk ending up with a story which could honestly be set in any time period if it weren’t for a few references to chamber pots and a war gone by; on the other hand, you could alienate readers by overpowering your story with unnecessary details and retelling of contemporary events that mean absolutely nothing to the non-historian. Siri does it just right, intertwining the essential historical details with Hannah’s spiritual struggles and her budding relationship with Jeremiah. The story and its historical period naturally can’t be separated, but the details never come across as a history lesson either.

Prior to reading The Messenger, I read a review from a friend who mentioned that the book didn’t have quite enough romance to satisfy them. Everyone has different levels of romance that they hope for in a novel, and for me, it often depends on who the characters are and what seems appropriate for their stage in life or the period they live in. I really didn’t know what to expect from a Quaker and a crippled war veteran who runs a pub, although I can assure you that I probably couldn’t have come up with a more unlikely couple if I’d tried. Ultimately, I thought that this novel had just the right amount of romance in it. Considering how reserved and standoffish Hannah could be, and Jeremiah’s insecurities about his ability to appeal to a woman in spite of his missing arm, the gentle growth of their relationship seemed entirely appropriate. This isn’t a novel full of passion and swooning, but there were some really touching scenes that showed how the characters had grown to care for each other without the need for any physical declarations of their love for each other. The development of Hannah’s faith was similarly displayed, never overtly preaching at the reader and gently intertwining her questions about her beliefs with the plot of the novel in a way that seemed entirely relevant.

I recently read an online interview with Siri in which she stated that she likes to take a specific time period or historical event that people claim they’d never want to read a about, and write a compelling novel to convince them otherwise.  Honestly, I never would have imagined a novel about a Quaker spy during the Revolutionary War, but she pulls it off. I can’t wait to see what Siri comes up with next. Ultimately, my only slight disappointment with The Messenger was in the ending. The book really sped up towards the conclusion, which made the open ending seem all the more abrupt. I turned the page expecting another chapter or at least an epilogue and felt a bit frustrated that the ending really was so open. It was optimistic, and not in an unrealistic manner considering all that the protagonists had been through, but ultimately it was up to the reader to decide where Hannah and Jeremiah’s relationship would go and what was going to happen to them next. While part of me wants to commend Siri for bravely giving her readers such an open ending, another part of me was just a little bit frustrated that the conclusion was so inconclusive.

Coming into the genre of Christian fiction a bit late in the day, I’ve sort of dived head first into the plethora of historical and Amish romance novels, grabbing wildly and often missing out on some of the genre’s best authors. When I finished this novel I found myself wondering how I could have been reading Christian historical fiction for two years and not yet discovered Siri Mitchell. The Messenger is an example of all that is good about this genre, and makes me proud to say that I endorse Christian novels. Believable characters, realistic spiritual journeys, heavily researched historical detail and a gentle and understated romance make The Messenger a novel I highly recommend to historical fiction fans.

Review title provided by Bethany House.

My Stubborn Heart - Becky Wade

GENRE: CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

PUBLISHER: BETHANY HOUSE

PUBLICATION DATE: MAY 01, 2012

RATING: 9 OUT OF 10 – EXCELLENT

PROS: Quirky, humorous style of writing; relatable heroine; realistic spiritual journeys; great supporting characters

CONS: A few minor details may irritate or alienate certain readers

Kate Donovan has been praying for her future husband since she was in the fourth grade, but now that she’s thirty-one and still single, she’s starting to wonder whether she should buy a couple of cats and be done with it. A trip to renovate the old family home, Chapel Bluff, in Pennsylvania with her grandmother provides Kate with a well-needed break from the monotony of everyday life. She’s looking forward to spending some quality time with Gran and having a look at the old antiques, buried inside Chapel Bluff. She’s not expecting that their building contractor would be the stunningly handsome Matt Jarreau, former NFL hockey legend. Matt gave up his sporting career when his wife died suddenly from brain cancer, and isn’t much of a talker. But Kate doesn’t give up easily, and soon Matt’s crawling out of his shell and participating in family meals and poker nights. Kate believes that her job in Redbud is done when Matt finally begins to discuss his wife and come to terms with moving on with his life. She certainly doesn’t think that her time spent with Matt could ever make it beyond the friend stage – but that’s just what happens. But as her time in Redbud draws to a close, Kate begins to question whether she was right in developing a relationship with Matt when he still has so many demons from his past that he needs to battle. Is there any hope for Kate and Matt, for a skinny social worker with a penchant for antiques and a former hockey legend with a lot of skeletons in the closet?

If you’ve read any of my other reviews, you’ll know that my usual forte is historical or Amish romance. While I ate up plenty of chick-lit novels in my teen years, I’ve never been one for straight-up contemporary romances. Perhaps it’s because I’ve occasionally mused over my own romantic experiences and thought, “Wow, my life would make an incredibly boring romance novel!” I’ve dated one guy in my entire life and nothing particularly exciting has happened in our relationship, and I actually hope that nothing novel-worthy happens once we’re married. Most people’s lives aren’t anything like a book, thankfully. But we all want something a bit more exciting when we escape into the world of fiction, and perhaps that’s why I prefer historical or Amish novels to contemporary ones – they’re nothing like my life. Thus I began My Stubborn Heart a little cautiously, unsure of what I was getting myself into.

My other worry with My Stubborn Heart – beside it being totally outside my comfort zone – was that I wouldn’t be able to relate to the heroine. After all, what has an almost-married, curvy (not quite Christina Hendricks, but my hips do like to compete) twenty-year-old university student got in common with a single, skinny thirty-one-year-old social worker? I always have this fear with older, single heroines that I’m not going to be able to relate to them in any way, but this fear was completely unfounded when it came to Kate. She may have had more life experience than me (except in the wedding planning department) but I immediately fell in love with her down-to-earth sense of humour and brutal honesty when it came to all things in life – the dress sense of her grandmother’s best friends, her angst over her bra size or her belief that man’s role on earth is to empty the rubbish bins. Young or old, I’m sure any woman will be able to appreciate Kate on some level. As well as her wonderful personality and attitude towards life, I also loved her desire to do good, which ultimately fuelled her relationship with Matt. She saw someone hurting and wanted to help him. Her attraction for Matt wasn’t motivated by anything selfish. I honestly wish I could be more like that.

When it came to Matt, I appreciated that he didn’t completely follow the alpha male stereotype. I’m not one for muscled, dark, brooding heroes – my fiancé is a computer scientist, so he’s the pale, slightly skinny type who definitely doesn’t spend two hours in the gym every day. While I got a bit fed up with the descriptions of Matt’s toned figure or muscled chest, I did like the way that Becky handled his grief over the loss of his wife. Matt’s struggles with his past seemed realistic and his spiritual journey blended in nicely with his emotional difficulties. None of his actions seemed manufactured or forced to fit in with the romantic or faith aspects of the novel. On the other hand, I did find that Kate’s spiritual struggles at the end of the story didn’t quite fit with the vision I’d had of her throughout the novel. She seemed like a pretty firm Christian with a solid faith in God, so the changes that briefly occurred at the end of the book didn’t convince me. This part of Kate’s faith was also slightly glossed over and almost felt like it’d been thrown in to make a point, and definitely needed to be developed further to be truly believable.

Other than my slight qualms with Kate’s spiritual journey, I didn’t have any major issues with the plot of My Stubborn Heart. It was a fairly conventional storyline, but the quirky narrative style and realistic characters made me forget how many times this plot has been done before. The secondary characters of Kate’s grandmother and her friends definitely gave this novel some of its originality, and Velma in particular definitely got a few laughs out of me. However, there were a few, very minor plot details that niggled at me that I feel I should mention. I found it amusing the first time that Kate’s friend, Theresa, mentioned that she had a crush on Matt, but this was mentioned every time that Theresa appeared in the book and I found it a bit disconcerting that a married woman would make such a fuss over another man. It stopped being funny and ended up being a little bit sad. My other difficulties were with aspects of the story that I felt might alienate certain Christians; namely Kate taking yoga classes and celebrating Halloween. I know plenty of Christians who won’t participate in either activity, and for this reason I would have avoided mentioning either of them just to be on the safe side and not alienate any potential readers. I didn’t mind the yoga so much – it could easily have been aerobics or Zumba, considering how little it was mentioned – but I felt a little awkward during the Halloween scene, considering my personal convictions on the “holiday”.

Ultimately, my issues with My Stubborn Heart are fairly minor, and may even verge on nit-picking. It’s hard to rate a book from a genre I don’t normally read, but even I can tell that Becky Wade’s debut in the contemporary romance market is going to be a big hit with its usual readers. Becky has a strong voice that readers are going to love, and her novel is full of characters with well-developed personalities. This combination of factors grabbed me from the first page and made it very hard for me to put this book down. Contemporary romance won’t be taking the place of Amish fiction in my life, but it may have made a convert of me already. For that, My Stubborn Heart can take all the credit.

Review title provided by Bethany House.

The Fiddler - Beverly Lewis

GENRE: AMISH/ROMANCE 
PUBLISHER: BETHANY HOUSE 
PUBLICATION DATE: APRIL 10, 2012 
RATING: 5 OUT OF 10 – AVERAGE 

PROS: Will appeal to those who daydream about visiting Amish country to experience peace and contentment; interesting details about Amelia as a violinist 

CONS: Predictable plot; too much head-hopping between points of view means that the reader never connects with any of the characters; not as deep or complex as her previous novels 

Amelia DeVries is living a double life – she’s a world-famous concert violinist who occasionally sneaks away from her overbearing father to play at more relaxed fiddling events. After being caught by her agent after one of her secret performances and pressured to sign on for a classical European tour, Amelia takes off on a more scenic route home through Pennsylvania. Finding herself stranded with a flat tire and no cell phone reception, she comes across Michael Hostetler, an Amish man who has left his family and is temporarily living in a cabin in the woods. They connect when they realise that they’re both running away from their real lives. While Amelia waits for her car to be fitted with a new tire, she visits Michael’s Amish community, Hickory Hollow, and finds an unexpected sense of peace and contentment. When she finally decides to return to her home in Ohio, she can’t help but take a little bit of the Amish lifestyle with her, and use her newfound faith in God to help her make some difficult decisions about her musical career. Will these choices eventually bring her back to Hickory Hollow and Michael? 

Like most fans of Amish fiction, I got started with Beverly Lewis. Over ten years since she entered the market with The Shunning, Beverly still remains a good “starter” author for those just getting into the Amish genre. She has a good grasp of the quirks of the Amish lifestyle and consistently creates engaging characters and storylines that bring readers back to her with each series she writes. As such, I had high hopes for The Fiddler, the first novel in the Home to Hickory Hollow series, especially as it returns to the community that featured in The Shunning. Sadly, I have to say that I was a bit disappointed with this most recent novel. I may not have read all of her books, but those that I have read I’ve thoroughly enjoyed, and The Fiddler did not live up to Beverly’s usual standards. If I have to be entirely honest, this didn’t even feel like a Beverly Lewis novel. The overall plot was pretty predictable and lacked the drama and engaging characters and complex family struggles of her previous books. 

I will concede that while The Fiddler is relatively predictable, it does not completely follow the formulaic Amish plot of the English woman who falls in love with an Amish man and his lifestyle and then converts to the faith. Amelia doesn’t convert to the Amish faith – how could she, being a musician? – but she does experience a stupendous amount of peace and contentment as a result of spending a couple of days among the Amish, and makes a connection with God during her trip. That’s not to say that all Amish romance are uninteresting because they contain many similar elements, but I didn’t feel that The Fiddler really did anything particularly unusual with its characters, setting or storyline to make it stand out from the plethora of Amish novels already on the market. Considering the novels I’ve previously read by Beverly Lewis, many of which delve into the theological implications of the faith while continuing to develop relationships between characters and their families, The Fiddler fell a little short. Rather than continuing on from the successes of the drama-riddled Heritage of Lancaster County series or the Abram’s Daughters series, I felt that The Fiddler was instead buying into every reader’s secret dream of visiting an Amish community and finding the signature sense of peace and simplicity that the Amish are so famous for. I’ll admit it, I’d love to do this someday – but I don’t imagine my experience would be exciting enough to write a book about. 

I wouldn’t have minded the simplicity of Amelia and Michael’s romance so much if it weren’t for the way that their story was told. While written in third-person point of view, The Fiddler head-hopped between Amelia, Michael and Michael’s mother. Even if Michael’s mother had been taken out of the equation – a good move, I believe, as her perspective added very little to the novel – the frequency at which Beverly jumped from one character to another made it very hard to make any connections with them. I’d just be starting to get inside Amelia’s head when suddenly the perspective would switch to Michael, or his mother, and I’d lose what little I had grasped of her personality and emotions. Sometimes it seemed like each character was only given ten or so paragraphs before the book switched to the next character, not even enough to truly establish the scene. Despite the predictability of the plot, I honestly think it could have been strengthened if the storytelling had been stronger and hadn’t jumped around so much. A standard romance can make itself into something more exciting simply with the addition of colourful, realistic characters. Amelia and Michael had the potential to be more than cardboard cut-outs, but as I never truly got the chance to experience their emotions and inner turmoil, I can’t say that they were as engaging as the protagonists in other Amish novels I’ve read. 

The Fiddler certainly has some potential, particularly coming from an established novelist like Beverly Lewis. The premise of a young woman finding peace in Amish country and re-evaluating her life as a result of her experiences will certainly grab the attention of many Amish readers, and the depth of research that Beverly has undertaken in order to make Amelia’s musical talents appear authentic certainly brought that aspect of the novel to life. Unfortunately, this is where the novel’s strengths end, and The Fiddler doesn’t measure up to Beverly’s previous books. I genuinely missed the depth of character development that I’d experienced in earlier novels, and I struggled in my attempts to connect with Amelia and Michael due to the incessant head-hopping. The Fiddler is a gentle, sweet romance but ultimately rather predictable, and while newcomers to Beverly’s work may enjoy this novel, I’m afraid that many fans may be disappointed by the lack of depth and complexity. 

Review title provided by Bethany House.

Song of My Heart - Kim Vogel Sawyer

GENRE: HISTORICAL ROMANCE 
PUBLISHER: BETHANY HOUSE 
PUBLICATION DATE: FEBRUARY 01, 2012 RATING: 7 OUT OF 10 – GOOD 

PROS: Good moral lessons; sweet romantic story 

CONS: Secondary characters seem caricatured; mystery isn’t much of a mystery; romance is a bit predictable 

Sadie Wagner would do anything to help support her family financially, but her true dream is to sing. When a job opportunity opens up in the small town of Goldtree, Kansas and comes with the possibility of being able to sing in an opera house, Sadie can’t help but think that God has answered all of her dreams. Her initial experiences of working at the mercantile in Goldtree and singing in the luxurious yet bizarrely-located basement opera house run incredibly smoothly, and there’s the added bonus of the new sheriff, Thad McKane, who always seems to be around to lend a hand. Sadie has no idea that Thad has been hired specifically to track down the bootleggers who are manufacturing and selling illegal alcohol and could potentially destroy the town’s reputation. Thad’s struggling to find a lead, but it looks like the crime could be more closely tied to Sadie than either of them expect. When Thad starts to get an inkling of what’s truly happening in Goldtree, both of them are tested. Sadie has to decide how far she’s willing to go to support her family, and Thad begins to question what calling God has truly placed on his life; is he meant to be preaching or protecting? 

I’ve only read a couple of Kim Vogel Sawyer’s novels, but I can already tell why she’s so popular in the Christian historical fiction genre. While I’ll be the first to admit that she tends to follow what some would call “predictable” romantic plots, her novels never fail to entertain and always leave me feeling content. Song of My Heart is the epitome of the “feel good” novel. I knew where the romance was going from the first page and figured out the mystery early on, but that didn’t make me want to quit reading. I still wanted to see how the characters reached their inevitable happy ending. A good novel isn’t all about the conclusion, but rather the journey that the characters take to reach this ending. After all, if this wasn’t the case, then why would publishers continue to publish romance novels? 

Although I enjoyed reading about Sadie singing in the opera house, I’d have to say that my favourite character in Song of My Heart was actually the hero, Thad. Sadie didn’t really have much to overcome as a character, but Thad certainly had a lot to deal with. His tough childhood led him to believe that he should be a preacher in order to atone for his father’s sins, and he glorifies the work of ministers. I was cautious initially about this storyline as I do think that a lot of Christians feel that they should be called to work in ministry, and that being a minister or doing mission work is more important to God than being a doctor or a high school teacher. Thad is just as confused about this. He enjoys working as a sheriff, and really feels productive in helping people out around the small town of Goldtree, but it takes him a while to realise that perhaps this is the job he’s been called to, and not the traditional sense of “ministry”. I was really pleased with the way Kim approached this topic, as I thought for a while that this might be another book that glorified church ministry above all else, but Kim very tactfully demonstrates how different occupations can equally bring glory to God. She doesn’t belittle the work of ministers, but nor does she suggest that being a minister is more worthy than being a sheriff. I’m sure Thad’s lesson will strike a chord with many readers and make them consider what God has truly called them to do. 

While Song of My Heart has a strong hero and an endearing heroine, the secondary characters felt quite caricatured at times. Initially I found them quite amusing, but after a while the humour seemed to wear off. Melva and Shelva, the sisters who run the mercantile, were two characters that I particularly found more annoying than amusing by the end of the book. I think that all of the side-characters did have the potential to be engaging, but the traits that made them stand out became too exaggerated to truly be realistic. And if believability is what you’re looking for, you may find the mystery aspect of this novel a bit disappointing as well. I’m not sure about other readers of this novel, but I certainly figured out who was behind the illegal alcohol as soon as his character was introduced. I didn’t mind this too much as none of the other characters in the novel knew who was behind the illegal activity, so it was entertaining to witness the mystery unfolding around them. 

While Song of My Heart isn’t one of the strongest historical novels I’ve read, it won’t disappoint in providing Kim’s signature blend of romance, mystery and endearing protagonists. Long-term fans of Kim Vogel Sawyer will definitely be satisfied with this offering, and even if the romance and mystery were a bit predictable, this book is sure to put a smile on your face. 

Review title provided by Bethany House.