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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I normally love Hedlund’s work, but the reasoning for the two main characters not to be together was the dumbest plot I’ve ever read. And the ending was equally as bad. Hopefully the next installment will be better!
emotional
hopeful
…
I love Jody, but this wasn’t my favorite. The couple couldn’t communicate at all and it was frustrating. To the point that I almost dnf’d a couple of times. Willow lied so many times about her feelings and led Caleb on, then got mad when he wanted more than friendship.
I love Jody, but this wasn’t my favorite. The couple couldn’t communicate at all and it was frustrating. To the point that I almost dnf’d a couple of times. Willow lied so many times about her feelings and led Caleb on, then got mad when he wanted more than friendship.
Hard to put down
I don’t think I wanted to read a book as much as this one in awhile. There were very few points where the book lagged and I enjoyed it.
I don’t think I wanted to read a book as much as this one in awhile. There were very few points where the book lagged and I enjoyed it.
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Oh, Jody has done it again. I’ve got a book hangover.
Anyone who picks up this book, will absolutely, 100% fall in love. Best friends to lovers, and marriage of convenience, with a little bit of mystery thrown in!? (How did I not know this one was an MOC!?)
I can’t count the number of times I wanted to shake Caleb and Willow and tell them “for Pete’s sake, tell him/her you love them!”
I don’t want to spoil anything. . . but, oh, my heart. I loved the poetry that Caleb wrote. The treasures that he gave to Willow, the way she saved them over time. And the glass bottles at the wedding, absolutely amazing!
Go read this one!
Anyone who picks up this book, will absolutely, 100% fall in love. Best friends to lovers, and marriage of convenience, with a little bit of mystery thrown in!? (How did I not know this one was an MOC!?)
I can’t count the number of times I wanted to shake Caleb and Willow and tell them “for Pete’s sake, tell him/her you love them!”
I don’t want to spoil anything. . . but, oh, my heart. I loved the poetry that Caleb wrote. The treasures that he gave to Willow, the way she saved them over time. And the glass bottles at the wedding, absolutely amazing!
Go read this one!
Welcome back to the Brides Ships! This is the first book in a new series - Bride Ships: New Voyages.
If you haven't read the first Bride Ships series, you can start here and go back OR start at the beginning of the beginning and continue on with this one. Either way you start, you should read Jody's books! I couldn't put down Finally His Bride!
Bookish love ...
Best friends
Poetry
Finding new friends
Journeying to a new place to help your family
Fighting to help friends
Overcoming a troubled past
Finding happily ever after
You can enjoy this story as a standalone ... but more books are coming! At the end of Finally His Bride, there is a sneak peek at book two - His Treasured Bride. I can't wait!
Reviewed from an eArc. Thank you, Just Read Tours!
All opinions are my own.
If you haven't read the first Bride Ships series, you can start here and go back OR start at the beginning of the beginning and continue on with this one. Either way you start, you should read Jody's books! I couldn't put down Finally His Bride!
Bookish love ...
Best friends
Poetry
Finding new friends
Journeying to a new place to help your family
Fighting to help friends
Overcoming a troubled past
Finding happily ever after
You can enjoy this story as a standalone ... but more books are coming! At the end of Finally His Bride, there is a sneak peek at book two - His Treasured Bride. I can't wait!
Reviewed from an eArc. Thank you, Just Read Tours!
All opinions are my own.
hopeful
lighthearted
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Finally His Bride was a miss for me. I really liked the premise of it, but when I read it, there were several elements that just didn't mesh with my reading preferences.
What I found to be most consistently frustrating was the constant implementation of the miscommunication trope. If you like stories that use that plot device, you will probably love this book. If you're like me and persistent miscommunication (or deliberate choice NOT to communicate) between couples in literature irritates you, I would recommend skipping it. So many obstacles that the couple in this story face could have been overcome much more easily, or even avoided entirely, if they had just been upfront and honest with each other.
***THIS PARAGRAPH CONTAINS SPOILERS***
One plot element that really didn't sit well with me was the way that Caleb and Willow's wedding came about. I felt that their friends coerced them, especially Willow, into marriage. Although it was clear to everyone that they loved each other, Willow in particular was also very adamant that she was not ready for marriage. While their friends were certainly within their rights to deny Willow and Caleb permission to live under one roof while they were unmarried, it was wrong of them to push Willow into marriage when she was very clearly not ready for it. The friends were presented as being right in this matter, and that made me feel uncomfortable. Marriage should only occur with free will and voluntary consent, and for a marriage that came out through pressure from friends to be presented as right and good in a Christian novel feels problematic to me.
Finally His Bride has a compelling plot and certainly does not lack romance. There are plenty of swoony scenes, and my negative experience is clearly an anomaly - I see that most other readers have really enjoyed the book so far, and perhaps you will, too. However, if you're turned off by plots driven by miscommunication and literary marriages that are not entirely voluntary, you would be better off reading one of Jody Hedlund's many other works.
Thank you to Just Read Tours for giving me a complimentary copy of the book to read. My review reflects only my honest opinion.
What I found to be most consistently frustrating was the constant implementation of the miscommunication trope. If you like stories that use that plot device, you will probably love this book. If you're like me and persistent miscommunication (or deliberate choice NOT to communicate) between couples in literature irritates you, I would recommend skipping it. So many obstacles that the couple in this story face could have been overcome much more easily, or even avoided entirely, if they had just been upfront and honest with each other.
***THIS PARAGRAPH CONTAINS SPOILERS***
One plot element that really didn't sit well with me was the way that Caleb and Willow's wedding came about. I felt that their friends coerced them, especially Willow, into marriage. Although it was clear to everyone that they loved each other, Willow in particular was also very adamant that she was not ready for marriage. While their friends were certainly within their rights to deny Willow and Caleb permission to live under one roof while they were unmarried, it was wrong of them to push Willow into marriage when she was very clearly not ready for it. The friends were presented as being right in this matter, and that made me feel uncomfortable. Marriage should only occur with free will and voluntary consent, and for a marriage that came out through pressure from friends to be presented as right and good in a Christian novel feels problematic to me.
Finally His Bride has a compelling plot and certainly does not lack romance. There are plenty of swoony scenes, and my negative experience is clearly an anomaly - I see that most other readers have really enjoyed the book so far, and perhaps you will, too. However, if you're turned off by plots driven by miscommunication and literary marriages that are not entirely voluntary, you would be better off reading one of Jody Hedlund's many other works.
Thank you to Just Read Tours for giving me a complimentary copy of the book to read. My review reflects only my honest opinion.