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takethyme's review
5.0
CONOR'S WAY is like a chocolate caramel candy bar. It is rich, gooey and messy at times. And like good chocolate, it can be addictive.
Set in Louisiana six years after the Civil War, it is a story that is steeped in history. Conor Branigan moved to America from Ireland trying to forget a tragic past. Olivia Maitland survived the war between the states but lost two brothers at Gettysburg. Her father died a short time later after he had an accident. She eventually became mother to three orphaned daughters of her closest friend when she passed away. The Civil War took a deep toll and her home is all the memories she has left of her family.
They meet each other for the first time when Conor is beaten and left for dead after a skirmish with a devious business owner. Olivia was heading to town to see if anyone had replied to her ad for a worker to assist her with her property. She spots Conor and takes him home to care for him. All along hoping he might be someone that will help her.
Both people came from damaged backgrounds but it is what they have learned from their pasts that formed their personalities. Conor had been content with his superficial life. Or so he thought. Olivia worried deeply on how she was going to put food on the table and pay the bills until the peaches could be harvested. That same business owner that hurt Conor wants to buy Olivia's land so he can build a railroad; it is the only piece of property he needs for his plans to go forth. And he will do anything to get it.
Over the next few weeks, Olivia and her daughters become attached to Conor. Each in their own way. Conor does his darnedest in giving Olivia a hard time. And those same secondary characters give depth and flavor to the storyline without overwhelming the time spent between the hero and heroine.
Full of trust issues and emotion with dark moments, this historical romance is for the reader who enjoys imperfect characters and plenty of angst. The plot will push and pull at your soul. If anything else, you will never take for granted what war does to a person. I finished the book within two days but I am exhausted. In a good way.
aisforawkward's review
3.0
Quick review! This was a historical romance set post civil war in the south with a pretty straightforward romance type plot. Hero is emotionally broken Irish boxer (and former rebel), who keeps running to keep ahead of his demons, and has no interest in God, love, land, or family. Naturally the hero ends up recovering from an assault under the care of a proper christian woman (who amusingly talks to God out loud all the time) who loves her land, and is raising the daughters of her deceased best friend. Eventually people find out he has been staying with them and they are forced to marry for appearances sake. Meanwhile the farm is under assault by an obsessed neighbor who wants to buy the land to put in a railroad.
The general plot was a touch too predictable, the backstory for the hero a bit too disjointed, and the romance a bit forced (which is odd because the plot covers months so there was plenty of time to explore the growing relationship between the two), and while the actual relationship exposure and forced marriage part of the plot sounded great in theory, the actual execution just didn't work for me.
This one had the ingredients to be a really great romance, but it never put them together quite right, possibly at least partly because of a disconnect between the portrayed era and modern sensibilities, in addition to the problems with inconsistent execution. (Problems I have found with this author's books in the past).
Overall I enjoyed this book as simple escapism, and I give it an extra star because adorable scenes between hero and the youngest daughter.
The general plot was a touch too predictable, the backstory for the hero a bit too disjointed, and the romance a bit forced (which is odd because the plot covers months so there was plenty of time to explore the growing relationship between the two), and while the actual relationship exposure and forced marriage part of the plot sounded great in theory, the actual execution just didn't work for me.
This one had the ingredients to be a really great romance, but it never put them together quite right, possibly at least partly because of a disconnect between the portrayed era and modern sensibilities, in addition to the problems with inconsistent execution. (Problems I have found with this author's books in the past).
Overall I enjoyed this book as simple escapism, and I give it an extra star because adorable scenes between hero and the youngest daughter.
samnreader's review
5.0
Conor is a traveling prizefighter with a tortured past. Olivia is a woman tending to a farm and fighting off the locals on her own, in need of a farmhand. When she finds a broken Conor in the road in Louisiana in the years post-civil war, she wonders if her prayers are answered and thinks probably not, but does the good Christian thing and takes him in.
I mean, that's kind of the set up anyway. But this book is about two people's journey to together. And it's not an easy one. There's no miraculous personality change due to realizing one or the other is in love. It's hard work. And neither lead wants to compromise on their ideas of their future.
So.
Conor clearly initially falls for the kindred spirit he sees in a 9 year old girl. So much of the book centers around family, and the culture of family, that you know the end is going to reach it's inevitable conclusion not just because he's fallen in love with the heroine, maybe more becauss he's also in love with her daughters.
Conor never stops being hard or tortured. He doesn't become a fountain of emotion. He continually shows the heroine how he cares. And it convinced him too.
I've left Olivia out of this, although she's a wonderful heroine who is uncompromising,strong, and together.
This is a really great, character-driven read with compelling leads and just enough external tension. It's straightforward, and includes a setting that is different. It's on KU, and completely worth checking out.
I mean, that's kind of the set up anyway. But this book is about two people's journey to together. And it's not an easy one. There's no miraculous personality change due to realizing one or the other is in love. It's hard work. And neither lead wants to compromise on their ideas of their future.
So.
Conor clearly initially falls for the kindred spirit he sees in a 9 year old girl. So much of the book centers around family, and the culture of family, that you know the end is going to reach it's inevitable conclusion not just because he's fallen in love with the heroine, maybe more becauss he's also in love with her daughters.
Conor never stops being hard or tortured. He doesn't become a fountain of emotion. He continually shows the heroine how he cares. And it convinced him too.
I've left Olivia out of this, although she's a wonderful heroine who is uncompromising,strong, and together.
This is a really great, character-driven read with compelling leads and just enough external tension. It's straightforward, and includes a setting that is different. It's on KU, and completely worth checking out.
jennleblanc's review
4.0
This was a wonderful novel. I loved following Conor through his charter arc, seeing his change. To be honest this was much more a story about him than it was about her, and that was not only very different for me but a really great surprise.
dont_rainonmyparade's review
4.0
Every time I read another Laura Lee Guhrke book, I'm reminded of why I never miss a single one of her titles. It's the unexpected humor that charms me back every time.
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