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A review by raisingtinybookworms
Finally His Bride by Jody Hedlund
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
2.0
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.