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ghumpherys's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this Western/historical romance (LDS). I was intrigued by the historical elements of a rancher's life in the early 20th century (especially all the cooking details) and also appreciated the message about finding your own testimony.
michellestoll's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
oliviasbookishworld's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book. When I got it I was pleasantly surprised that it was an LDS fiction book. I tend to shy away from LDS fiction because a lot of it is very poorly written and seems to be published just because it's LDS fiction. NOT so with this book. It was well written and I loved the story.
Once I realized that it was a decent book I tried to save it for a trip, but I kept reading more and more and couldn't put it down.
I'd totally recommend it to friends.
Once I realized that it was a decent book I tried to save it for a trip, but I kept reading more and more and couldn't put it down.
I'd totally recommend it to friends.
wannabe_bibliothecary's review against another edition
5.0
Such an honest, beautiful story of love and loss. I love Julia’s character, her cooking, and the glimpse into life in the West around the turn of the century. Great secondary characters too. Would’ve loved some sort of glossary though, as there were many terms and phrases I didn’t understand.
jkh107's review
4.0
I've always liked Kelly's regencies, so when I heard she had written an inspirational romance, I was naturally curious as how that would work. Now, I'm not Mormon, so the Mormon-y bits of this book were a bit over my head, but the underlying spiritual development of the characters in the book is probably common in any religion.
This is the story of Julia Darling of Salt Lake City, graduate of the Fannie Farmer cooking school of Boston, who dumps her calculating fiance and goes to Wyoming to be a cook on a ranch. Her new employer, Paul Otto, has a somewhat mysterious past, and Julia is the only ranch employee who doesn't seem to be an outcast or misfit of some sort. As her contracted year of employment goes on, Julia will experience the dangers of frontier life: the cold, the isolation, the lack of respect for fancy cooking, the brutal range wars between the ranchers and homesteaders, and the prejudices local people have against Mormons. But she will also experience unexpected friendship and love.
This book was very good. There was a theme of children left alone to wander in the wilderness that probably came either from the Bible or the Book of Mormon. There is also crypto-Mormonism in this book, which is kind of weirdly neat. Kelly has always been meticulous in her research, and I discovered some lesser-known things about the settlement of the West. I'm not sure all Kelly's fans are going to be willing to follow her into inspirational territory, but since this book was well-written, non-preachy, and had compelling characters and an interesting storyline, I suspect she'll be picking up quite a few new ones.
This is the story of Julia Darling of Salt Lake City, graduate of the Fannie Farmer cooking school of Boston, who dumps her calculating fiance and goes to Wyoming to be a cook on a ranch. Her new employer, Paul Otto, has a somewhat mysterious past, and Julia is the only ranch employee who doesn't seem to be an outcast or misfit of some sort. As her contracted year of employment goes on, Julia will experience the dangers of frontier life: the cold, the isolation, the lack of respect for fancy cooking, the brutal range wars between the ranchers and homesteaders, and the prejudices local people have against Mormons. But she will also experience unexpected friendship and love.
This book was very good. There was a theme of children left alone to wander in the wilderness that probably came either from the Bible or the Book of Mormon. There is also crypto-Mormonism in this book, which is kind of weirdly neat. Kelly has always been meticulous in her research, and I discovered some lesser-known things about the settlement of the West. I'm not sure all Kelly's fans are going to be willing to follow her into inspirational territory, but since this book was well-written, non-preachy, and had compelling characters and an interesting storyline, I suspect she'll be picking up quite a few new ones.
rhodered's review
4.0
I hadn't realized Carla Kelly was LDS until I read this book, but her other books have always had a backbone of something special which I think is at least partly due to her deep faith. I've also never read an explicitly LDS character-driven novel before and found it fascinating to learn more about this religion, as well as the historical bigotry people had against it.
darlenemarshall's review
2.0
I'm a big Carla Kelly fan, and enjoyed her Western stories as well as her Regency novels. This book is a new direction for the author, an LDS inspirational romance. As such, it's likely to be most appreciated by readers interested in LDS life or teachings. My complaint was not about the religious aspect, but about the characters. The hero needed some flaws (and the obvious one of him being a Gentile only works with a select portion of readers), and the heroine seemed awfully young for a 27 year old who'd spent time studying in Boston away from her family and community in Utah.
However, the setting is well done--Salt Lake City and Wyoming in the early 20 C.--and the supporting characters stand out. The religious message is gently incorporated into the story and makes sense for the characters and setting. I'm not sure if I will read more inspirationals from Ms. Kelly, but I wish her well with her new direction.
However, the setting is well done--Salt Lake City and Wyoming in the early 20 C.--and the supporting characters stand out. The religious message is gently incorporated into the story and makes sense for the characters and setting. I'm not sure if I will read more inspirationals from Ms. Kelly, but I wish her well with her new direction.
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