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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
I had been hoping this book would be a slow burn. Just lots of casual bits of Elizabeth's daily life and then over the course of a couple of books we would see her and Wynn get together and court, etc. Instead it was some instalove. They were clearly going that path and then she's loves him and a page or two later talking about all this stuff she's learning about him. Can't it just be affection?
There's also a whole chapter about her dealing with mice and after the third time her sister's information had been exaggerated, you think Elizabeth would have gotten the point but nope.
There were parts I did like such as the family and the community which made up a good portion of the book but there was also some sprinklings of things that rubbed me the wrong way.
There's also a whole chapter about her dealing with mice and after the third time her sister's information had been exaggerated, you think Elizabeth would have gotten the point but nope.
There were parts I did like such as the family and the community which made up a good portion of the book but there was also some sprinklings of things that rubbed me the wrong way.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
cozy read, haven’t read this since I was a teenager. things were a bit rushed at the end, but otherwise the routine of going through Elizabeth’s day to day life was so comforting 🩷
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a re-read of a book I read in high school…I'm watching the Hallmark TV show adaption of this with Charli and really enjoying it, so wanted a refresh on the books. This was sweet, gives Little House on the Prairie vibes, with wholesome romance thrown in.
I just don't think that Christian fiction is for me. I am really enjoying the Hallmark series based on this book, however, and I do love me some Mounties.
This was a sweet little story, though a few too many chapters were devoted to mice.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The first 3/4th's of the book were the funniest, most realistic fiction I may have read before. The troubles that Elizabeth faces are small everyday issues about learning new customs, how to live on your own for the first time, and dealing with animal pests. It might sound very boring, but Elizabeth's thoughts are so well-written I felt like I really was reading a real person's diary from the time. I could relate to many of her troubles from when I first moved out on my own.
If that had been all the story was, I would have given it four stars. But thrown in at the very end was a love story that ruined the intense realism of the first sections. Elizabeth and the "love of her life" interact very rarely and suddenly every unlikely stereotypical romance trope is thrown out, including Elizabeth falling, fainting, and being rescued from life-threatening danger. The love between the two just doesn't seem real, despite Elizabeth's repeated assertions she's fallen in love with some guy she's met like three times and talked to (for a few sentences) twice.
My final comment is on the Christian content of the book. It was refreshing to read a historical fiction of this genre that didn't preach or contain some convoluted message about redemption and forgiveness and how life is incomplete without God (hint hint for the reader). Instead it merely portrayed a very religious woman living in a time period when religion was very important to most people.
If that had been all the story was, I would have given it four stars. But thrown in at the very end was a love story that ruined the intense realism of the first sections. Elizabeth and the "love of her life" interact very rarely and suddenly every unlikely stereotypical romance trope is thrown out, including Elizabeth falling, fainting, and being rescued from life-threatening danger. The love between the two just doesn't seem real, despite Elizabeth's repeated assertions she's fallen in love with some guy she's met like three times and talked to (for a few sentences) twice.
My final comment is on the Christian content of the book. It was refreshing to read a historical fiction of this genre that didn't preach or contain some convoluted message about redemption and forgiveness and how life is incomplete without God (hint hint for the reader). Instead it merely portrayed a very religious woman living in a time period when religion was very important to most people.
Out of all the Oke books I've read recently, I have to say I liked this one best and felt most alive.
Elizabeth could have used a little more realness, but she was still very real all the same. And although I understand that it was 1st person, and so of course focused more on Elizabeth, I would have rathered seeing more a Wynn and the others more. I loved all the school families, and I have to say that the whole plot hinted of the same plot as Arleta Richardson's "A School of Her Own". It was not exactly the same, but there were many hints of it being the same, so although it WAS a new read for me, it felt vaguely familiar.
There is some romance in this book, and it is a little more described than in the previous books I have read by Oke's, but it was still very clean.
There are a few scenes that caused me second-hand embarrassment: someone pretending they were hurt to get the attention of a member of the opposite gender, and someone freaking out over coyotes. This probably wouldn't bother most people, but it does bother me lol.
CONTENT: A couple 2-3 times, 2 non-described, once barely described. Some deceiving, condemned and apologized for.
Elizabeth could have used a little more realness, but she was still very real all the same. And although I understand that it was 1st person, and so of course focused more on Elizabeth, I would have rathered seeing more a Wynn and the others more. I loved all the school families, and I have to say that the whole plot hinted of the same plot as Arleta Richardson's "A School of Her Own". It was not exactly the same, but there were many hints of it being the same, so although it WAS a new read for me, it felt vaguely familiar.
There is some romance in this book, and it is a little more described than in the previous books I have read by Oke's, but it was still very clean.
There are a few scenes that caused me second-hand embarrassment: someone pretending they were hurt to get the attention of a member of the opposite gender, and someone freaking out over coyotes. This probably wouldn't bother most people, but it does bother me lol.
CONTENT: A couple 2-3 times, 2 non-described, once barely described. Some deceiving, condemned and apologized for.
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I read this book because I started watching the TV show and maybe I'm dumb but I literally had no idea it was so religious. Overall it was a cute and easy read, but I felt there was not much of a plot (at least not an intriguing one) and it was really slow at points (Did we really need like 4 chapters just about mice?).... anyways, I won't be reading anymore but it was a fast read and cute at points.