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 Christian Fiction: Historical Romance

Archive - Book Titles reviewed - W

The Widow of Larkspur Inn - The Gresham Chronicles Book One by Lawana Blackwell A thoroughly satisfying story that kept me reading at every opportunity. Julia Hollis lived in luxury in Victorian London, but when her surgeon husband dies unexpectedly she finds he has gambled all his money away and she and her children are left destitute except for a loan from the Butler and an empty house in Shropshire. The story continues in the village of Gresham, where Julia and her three children with the help of Julia’s Irish maid, build a new life for themselves. A country life, in contrast to the life left behind, but all five of them flourish in their new surroundings despite many ups and downs. A novel set in England is not the easiest thing for an American writer to tackle, there are several instances where the use of words and phrases grates on the English ear, but that did not spoil my enjoyment of the story and I am looking forward to Book Two which I shall start in a day or so! Review by Mary Bartholomew  (18/10/08)

The Wild Rose of Lancaster by Ruth Carmichael Ellinger A Godly book that held my attention to the detriment of other things I should have been doing! A story of love, loss, and love again. Set in the Ohio valley USA, in the town of Lancaster in the mid 1800s, not only do we get very descriptive passages of the changing seasons of the area, but of the changing lives of the characters. Elizabeth Cameron is widowed with a young son and in her poverty forced to return to her well-to-do family who are only too willing to care for her and protect her from the outside world. Elizabeth however is determined to earn her own living and not be dependent on her overpoweringly possessive Father. Both of them are determined to gain success without God in their lives, both find that the only way to perfect peace is to let God be in charge. A very satisfying read. Review by Mary Bartholomew  (28/06/07)

Westward the Dream - Ribbons West Book One by Judith Pella & Tracie Peterson Originally published in 1998, repackaged 2011. Set in the 1860s, on the opening page we meet feisty teenager Jordana climbing up the wall of a four story building! She has been sent to a fashionable school for particularly intelligent young ladies while her parents are abroad. Her brother Brenton is her guardian while her parents are away and he is understandably appalled by her action but knows his sister well enough not to be really surprised! She constantly rebels against the discipline and what she considers are the petty rules of the head teacher. Their adopted, much older, sister Victoria is in California with her husband Kiernan who is seeking their fortune in the gold fields. The stories of the younger siblings and Victoria and Kiernan run side by side through the book, complicated by the arrival of Kiernan’s sister Caitlan from Ireland and her need to go west to find her brother. A further complication is that civil war between the north and south makes travelling very difficult, and yet rich and powerful men are still pressing on with the idea of linking the east and west with a railroad. An exciting historical tale of endeavour, of love, and of adventure and this is only Book One! There is much yet to be resolved. Review by Mary Bartholomew  (09/02/12)

When All My Dreams Come True - Colorado Runaway Series Book One by Janelle Mowery A perfect book to curl up with and read through to the end – if you can keep your eyes open! Mystery, adventure and romance: what more can you want? Bobbie’s parents have both died and she leaves the loving security of the ranch where she and her father worked, to seek the dream she and her father had of owning their own ranch. As a first step she travels across country on her faithful horse Mack, to a ranch recommended by her former employer, to a Godly family where she will get a fair deal. After an unfortunate first meeting she is taken on by her new boss, Jace, and housed with his sister and her family. As an experienced wrangler, she soon showed her worth, but all was not as it seemed. There was trouble afoot. Cattle were being rustled, there were stories of bank robberies in the area, someone seemed to be out to cause trouble on the ranch – and it gets worse. Despite this Bobbie settles in with the loving family and inevitably Jace and she are attracted to each other...... Review by Mary Bartholomew  (17/12/11)

Where Willows Grow by Kim Vogel Sawyer With a background of the depression hit rural community in Kansas, USA, in the 1930s, Harley Phipps is set to leave his wife and young children determined to make some money to send back to keep the family and farm going. Anna Mae isn’t at all sure about this and finds the idea of a castle being built and providing work too far fetched to believe. Then to find herself pregnant again, and that Harley has sold the mules she inherited from her Father to leave her with some money to live on till his first money comes through, proves too much, and they part with acrimony. Why do letters they write to each other never get through? Why do both suffer fears and heartache? A tale of steadfast love and of unrequited love all tangled up together making for an intriguing read. Review by Mary Bartholomew  (04/08/07)

While We’re far Apart by Lynn Austin For anyone who can remember the Second World War, this stirs up memories of how it used to be. Although set in America, the heartache felt by the children in this story was repeated in many countries, not least in the UK. Esther and her young brother had lost their mother and now it seemed they were going to lose their father too. Eddie has announced one Sunday afternoon that he has enlisted in the army. No argument, he has already signed up. Will their grandmother look after the children? No! What then? Penny, a young woman who has long loved Eddie from afar – next door actually, but it could have been a million miles – offers to help. Penny moves into the children’s home – which they resent - and over time the three of them get to know their elderly Jewish widower neighbour who is blaming God for taking his wife and always seeking news of his son and family in Hungary amidst all the news of what the Nazis are doing to the Jews in Europe. There are many other threads to this novel, and some surprising twists and turns that make for an excellent read that I can highly recommend. Review by Mary Bartholomew  (26/01/11)

Wild Rose of Promise by Ruth Carmichael Ellinger
ISBN: 978-1-932-30779-5 Price: £8.99	Published: September 2007
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Wildflowers of Terezin by Robert Elmer
ISBN: 978-1-426-70192-4 Price: £8.99	Published: April 2010
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Within My Heart - Timber Ridge Reflections Book 3 by Timber Ridge Reflections Book 3
ISBN: 978-0-764-20391-6 Price: £8.99	Published: November 2009
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