A Vow Unbroken - A Review

Published - Howard Books, March 2014

Author - Caryl McAdoo

Format - ebook, paper

Buy from Amazon

Summary (from Amazon)
A spunky young widow hires a farmhand with a bad reputation to help her get her cotton to Jefferson to meet the wagon train, and sparks fly—but can she love a man who doesn't love the Lord?

Susannah Abbot Baylor reluctantly hires Henry Buckmeyer to help her along the Jefferson Trace, the hard stretch of land between her Texas farm and the cotton market, where she is determined to get a fair price for her crop. It’s been a rough year, and she’s in danger of losing the land her husband left to her and the children, but she’ll need help getting both of her wagons to Jefferson safely. She knows Henry’s reputation as a layabout and is prepared for his insolence, but she is not expecting his irresistible good looks or his gentle manner. Soon they are entwined in a romantic relationship that only gets more complicated when Susannah learns that Henry doesn't know God the way she does. Dangers arise on the road—but none as difficult as the trial her heart is going through.

Will Susannah and Henry’s love overcome their differences? And will she get her crop safely to the cotton market with enough money to save the farm? In this heartening and adventurous tale, a young woman’s fortitude, faith, and heart are put to the ultimate test.

This is the first book I've ever read by this author. To be perfectly honest, I really failed to connect with the characters. I found the narrative to be long and descriptive, and when I was at 30% finished (I had a Kindle copy), I was feeling that I should have been a lot further along. I ended up skimming the rest of the book to find out what happened, but I wasn't invested in the story. This is one of those books that I could have put down and not returned to.

I liked the premise of the book - a young widow needs to get her cotton crop to the market and enlists the help of a neighbor man. Yet, I really found it to be slow moving. I didn't need to know EVERY little detail on the journey. I really didn't.

I also didn't see what it was about the heroine that made the hero love her. To me, she was a rather flat character. On the other hand, the hero, Henry, was very well developed. I enjoyed the various layers and depths to him. Sure, he was a little rough around the edges, but I did find him to be very kind and caring.

I've recently read an article by one of my favorite authors where she explains seven different things that can stop her from finishing reading a novel.  As I read her article, I really felt that she was describing my feelings regarding this book perfectly! I found myself not caring about the characters,  and I thought it was too slow moving to name a couple of things.

I may give the author another try. But truthfully, I'm not sure.

Still, I know others may enjoy this book, even though I didn't particularly care for it. Please don't just take my opinion on it. There are several really positive reviews on Amazon.

I received a Kindle version of this book for free from Howard Books via NetGalley for the purpose of reviewing. I was not required to like the book or give a positive review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of historical fiction, wagon trains

Rating - 2 stars - I really couldn't care about the characters

Fifteen Minutes - A Review

Zack Dylan can sing and sing well. When he seizes an opportunity to audition for the hit show, Fifteen Minutes, he takes it. He is determined that he can win and save his family's horse farm. Despite misgivings from those who love him - his family and girlfriend - they do offer him their support. Zack is determined to live out his Christian faith in front of the cameras. But when the producers keep trying to push him towards another contestant and to silence his outspokenness of his faith, will he let it happen? Will a taste of fame cause him to lose sight of who he is?

What can I say about this book? True to classic Karen Kingsbury style, she has written a story that will engross her readers. But like her last several books, this one also deals with fame and fortune. I miss the days when she would write stories that had me in tears. Stories that changed lives. I'm not saying that for some people that this book may be life-changing. I'm saying that for me, the story seemed the same as several of her other books. Just change the names and the settings.

Things I liked about this book -
1. The realness of Chandra, one of the judges.
2. Seeing one of the other judges, Kelly, realize the direction her life was taking.
3. Reese - Zack's girlfriend.

Things I didn't like about this book -
1. That Zack found the little things ok to compromise on. For me it made him seem like he was conforming.
2. The entire storyline of seeking fame. Yeah that didn't sit well with me. It seems that she's been so focused in her last several books in talking about the Hollywood lifestyle that I feel she's lost a connection with her readers.
3. I'm not a fan of the singing shows, so I don't know if this really happens or not. But I found that the scenes set on the show were harsh to the contestants and to the readers. It was like the judges/producers didn't care that they'd just crushed someone's dreams.

I had little to no expectations for this book when I started it. So in that aspect, I wasn't disappointed. But I was disappointed in the fact that this book didn't feel as deep as her others. It felt very much like a formula. I'm sure that there will be readers who love this book and it will be the best one they've ever read. I'm not one of them. I'm sorry.

As a longtime fan of Karen's, I'm sorry, but I'm done. I'll reread the ones of hers I've loved over the years, but I will not read her new releases anymore.

I received the Kindle version of this book for free from Howard Books via NetGalley for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not required to like the book or to write a positive review, just to give my honest opinion.

Recommended to (I don't have a problem recommending Karen's books) fans of contemporary fiction, Karen Kingsbury, Katie Ganshert, JoAnne Bischof

Rating - 2 stars. I debated about this a lot. I went back and forth in my head. It's not a 3 star. It's more of a 2.5 star.

It Happened at the Fair - A Review

1893. The Chicago World's Fair. For inventor Cullen McNamara, a farmer who is extremely allergic to various pollens, the fair is a chance to sell his automatic sprinkler system. He's got a great product. He knows it works. There's just one problem. He has trouble hearing in one ear and the noise level in Machinery Hall makes it almost impossible to understand his potential clients. In desperation, he enlists the help of Della Wentworth, a lip reading instructor who is at the fair with her students as part of an exhibition. Neither one thought that the lessons would truly help Cullen gain sales. They also never suspected they'd fall for each other. Will the two find a way to be together in the wake of disaster and surprises from Cullen's life?

I've read quite a few books this year about the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. And the Fair comes more to life with each book. I enjoyed this book. I loved seeing how determined that Cullen was to sell and promote his sprinkler system. I also loved that Della was passionate about teaching both lip reading and sign language. I'd never known that there was a huge debate over the way that the deaf communicate. The book is filled with humor and the characters are well developed. While I wouldn't go so far to say it's my favorite book by DeeAnne Gist, it was still a good read and an enjoyable book.

I can honestly say that after reading this book, I headed over to the Internet and Google and Wikipedia to look up World's Fairs. And I also read quite a lot of information about the 1893 Fair in Chicago as well as others I'd read about/seen (1904 St Louis for which I saw the movie Meet Me in St. Louis and 1984 New Orleans which I saw in person ). It's not often that a book will send me off on a quest for additional information/research, so well done on this one.

I received a Kindle version of the book from Howard Books via NetGalley for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of DeeAnne Gist, Julie Lessman, Olivia Newport, Karen Witemeyer, and romance.

Rating - 4 stars

The Chance - A Review

At the age of 15, Ellie Tucker's life is forever changed when her parents' marriage falls apart and her father moves her from Savannah, Georgia to San Diego, California. The night before she leaves, her best friend, Nolan Cook, convinces her that they should write letters to each other, bury the box, and open them together 11 years later. Their reasoning is at least this way they will have one chance to find each other again if they some how don't stay in touch. Eleven years go by, and Ellie is a single mom struggling to make ends meet while Nolan is playing basketball professionally. Neither has forgotten the promise they made at the age of 15. Will they meet up again?

Let me just say that this is very similar to the classic Karen Kingsbury books I've loved for years (When Joy Came to Stay, Oceans Apart, and On Every Side). While I did enjoy the story, I didn't relate to it the way that I did to some of her other books. This book didn't grip me the way that some of her previous titles did. Truthfully, I felt very indifferent about the book. Here is what I liked about it. I loved the message of forgiveness. Karen has always been able to create flawed characters who recognize that they are sinners and seek forgiveness. I loved how Ellie struggled. I loved her daughter (she was actually my favorite character). What I didn't like is this. Nolan was too perfect. It didn't appear that he had any flaws and his life was just too perfect. I can admire the fact that he stayed strong in his faith, but he didn't seem "real". Not with his faith, that obviously came across as genuine, but the depth of his character felt off. After the Bailey Flannigan Series and the final book in the Baxter drama, Coming Home, I was almost ready to stop reading Karen's books. My friend suggested I request this one via NetGalley, and I'm glad I did. I've been able to give Karen another chance at restoring my trust in her as an author. This book was my giving her another chance. It may not make my read again list, but it was good.

I received the Kindle version of this book from Howard Books via NetGalley for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is due out March 5, 2013.

Recommended to fans of Karen Kingsbury's classic books, Christian fiction, contemporary fiction

Rating - 3 stars, though it's really more of 3.5