Set in Post-Civil-War Pennsylvania, this tale of an arranged marriage is as much family saga as romance. Sophie is a sensitive young woman struggling to make sense of her past and to understand her new homeland. Karl is not only a veteran of the Great War, but scarred by the secret violence of his childhood. How they both learn to trust—and to love—is their unique story.
Comment: I've decided to read this book because it made me think of a potentially romantic story about two people who would be at odds with each other and reluctant to give in to the fact they liked one another. I tend to enjoy these stories because I like both opposites attract and enemies to lovers tropes and this seemed to mix the two nicely. Plus, the Americana style of historical isn't one I gravitate to a lot, I imagined this would be a great way to reconnect with that type of story.
In this book we meet Sophia, one of several sisters with a very hard life back in Germany and she accepts the arrangement of an aunt and becomes a mail order bride to an American man, even though he is much older than she is. Things, however, don't go according to plan because her new groom dies on the night of their wedding leaving Sophia a widow. Besides that, the grooms' older sons, married George and single Karl, don't seem to like her.
Facing the possibility of poverty once more and considering she isn't given what she would be entitled as a widow, Sophie agrees to be a housekeeper on Karl's farm until he moves west, as he wants. They didn't count, though, on the attraction and the developing feelings between them...
Seriously, the blurb and the premise of this story when it begins is practically perfect catnip for me. So sad that it ended up being a disappointment.
The story begins with a poor, down-on-her-luck and eager to help her other sisters Sophie finding the man she is to marry is much older but she isn't that worried because she is practically sacrificing herself. This almost "martyr" persona isn't much liked by many readers and it's one of those premises often seen in old "skool" stories but I confess I have a soft spot for these types of heroines... I don't consider myself a martyr personality but I probably would act pretty much like Sophie had I been in her place and time.
The problem is that this book simply isn't well written. It was the first story I've read by this author so I cannot compare but the style is very loose, as if the author wanted to convey her many ideas but didn't have the way to do it with restriction. This means everything is alluded to, is quickly explained but we don't have much time to appreciate the characters' thoughts and decisions. It's not as if this is filled with monologues, not really, but every character feels very two dimensional and I didn't get the idea any was actually being developed.
The main couple has their own issues but just a little note regarding the secondary characters. All of them, I felt, play just a stereotyped role. I won't go into much detail but there are even two women who are clearly "fallen" and the way the author chose to write them feels like the reader has to dislike them, has to think less of them. I was really feeling bothered by how things seemed to be so simply done, no depth to anyone besides the protagonists, nothing to convey their personality and the POV of some wasn't certainly enough to make them likable or strong.
Sophie and Karl have everything to be a great couple and I did like some situations where the sexual tension between them seemed to go in the right direction (meaning, to an increase of their attraction and understanding of what united them emotionally) but frankly, between the actions of third parties and the silliness of some of the couple's behavior without the polished writing needed to give it power, I was disappointed. Plus Karl started having those thoughts (yes, sex ones) and it all started to lose impact to the point I wondered where were the strong emotions I expected in characters facing such adversity but having hope and love at the same time?
In the end of things, this was just barely readable, I liked a few elements but with such weak writing and development, I don't think I'll try anything else by this author. I'm certain it works out perfectly for others but for me it was not ideal.
Grade: 5/10
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