LaVyrle Spencer - That Camden Summer

When a fiercely independent young woman returns with her three daughters to her hometown of Camden, Maine, after divorcing her philandering husband, she finds a less-than-hospitable welcome. But she's about to show an entire town what one good woman can do.

Comment: This was one of the last books by the author I had to read. I can't remember right now if there is one more in the pile but if my memory is correct, I don't. Anyway, if I'm right, then I'm glad I managed to go through the books of an author and it feels good to get it done.

This book presents us Roberta Jewett, a recently divorced woman, with her three daughters, returning to her hometown Camden to work as a nurse for the county and looking for to teach her daughters all about the area and be able to pay her expenses and give them now what they couldn't have while she was married.

Gabriel Farley is a carpenter and knows how to fix most things. He is hired by Roberta's brother-in-law to repair her house after she arrives and realizes the money she sent was used in a house that looks like it's going to fall over at any point. He doesn't like or understand Roberta at first but as time goes by and the repairs go on, they become friends and forge a relationship that setbacks in the future will prove right and strong...

As always, the author has created quite the drama, but not too heavy or desperate. There is a certain feel in all the author's novels that despite the obstacles and the dramas, the characters always kep a part of them secure against the worst things.

In this novel - so very recognizable as mrs Spencer by its writing style - we have another story that focuses on interesting themes and situations for an historical setting. Although this book is already set in the early decades of the 1900s, it still maintains its historical vibe, especially in terms of society and woman's (almost non existing) rights.

I think the characters are clearly the focus point on the book. Roberta, especially, is quite evidenced to be an independent woman at a time such thing was not seen very well and people would accuse her of many things, something most women wouldn't be recognized as. To me, the idea she was independent and didn't need anyone's help to make her own decisions appealed a lot to my contemporary notions of what it means to be a woman and I kind of liked seeing it in a novel featuring a time when it wasn't considered polite for women to behave like that. Most traits we see in Roberta are positive but then there's the constant repetition of this, and often the way she speaks and treats others, despite all the strength I cheer, seems too much. I like she is fierce and doesn't care about conventions but she ends up being arrogant at times and that makes her too different, too advanced for the time presented. Yes, she could - and should! - look and act independent, but there are ways to show it without making it look like the doesn't belong there.

The other characters all did their work and filed the roles meant for them. I mean, none of them were unpredictable and it kind of looked weak when you can foresee most of the intentions, if not the real actions of them.

Gabriel is an interesting hero, very quiet but he acted when it was necessary. His romance with Roberta wasn't the most romantic story ever, I liked their "courtship" but how they acknowledged their feelings and how they took steps to be together didn't feel very sweet or romantic and I'm not saying this should be sugary but...I expected different things in this regard.

Elfred is a bad character, he has that ungrateful task of being the villain but his character is the most complete one. You feel like you don't need many more elements or scenes with him apart from the minimal for the idea to come across. He does something more or less half way through the story that is despicable and I'd say his punishment should have been recognized by everyone, not just alluded to, so the end seemed weak.

Roberta's daughters don't have much air time and feel like just a prop to further highlight their mother's actions and why she decided to come back. Their whole relationship is good, we learn why Roberta tries but we don't really get to know them.

Gabriel's daughter seems better portrayed, maybe because of her deceased mother's influenced before she met Roberta and her daughters but most scenes with the "kids" were just space fillers, I'd say.

The plot is predictable, so I won't say much about it. I liked that it had a clear purpose, some scenes closer to the end were interesting but there's some lack of connection to the main characters that make me feel more ambivalent about the book. I don't think it's as amazing or romantic as other titles by the author. Maybe this should be read before her best work, so people don't feel disappointed and appreciate her writing more.

Grade: 6/10

LaVyrle Spencer - November of the Heart

Set at the turn of the century, November of the Heart tells of Lorna Barnett, a young woman from a

wealthy Saint Paul family, and Jens Harken, the ambitious dreamer who works in the kitchen of her family’s summer estate. Lorna’s father, Gideon, an avid sailor, is determined to claim victory for his own White Bear Yacht Club in the next summer regatta. Having recently suffered defeat at the hands of the rival club, Gideon is willing to do almost anything to win back the prize he sees as his.
Jens, pressed into service as a waiter as an elegant family dinner party, overhears Gideon’s lament, and is sure his boatbuilding skills can be put to use on behalf of his employer. Brazenly crossing the boundary between servant and master by offering to design and build a boat that is sure to win the race. Jens incites Gideon’s ire but piques his interest too. With Lorna’s help, he convinces Gideon to finance the project.
Grateful for her intervention yet wary of jeopardizing his chance to build the boat of his dreams, Jens nevertheless is powerless to face of Lorna’s growing interest in the boat and him. He soon finds himself eagerly awaiting her visits to the boatshed, and stars teaching her about the craft of boatbuilding, as well as the craft of love.
Despite the rigid caste system which keeps them apart, Lorna and Jens are drawn inexorably together, and begin an affair as fresh and innocent as the summer itself. But the repercussions of their passionate idyll soon separate them against their shame to endure loneliness where it is always “November of the heart.” 

Comment: This is another of mrs Spencer's books I've had in my TBR list. I'm not very fond of boats as a rule when it comes to their interest or importance in romances and that was why I never felt the need to read this book but this month there it was and I picked it at last.

This is the story of Jens Harken, a young man who dreams of building and racing the fastest boat he can have. He is actually just a kitchen helper at a wealthy family's summer house but he has bright plans for his future. When the opportunity presents itself for him to suggest his employer he can build him a fast boat to win the races in the country club to which mr Barnett, the employer, belongs to, Jens takes it, almost ruining everything.

Somehow, help comes from Lorna Barnett's Jens' employer oldest daughter. She is a free spirit and loves sailing but she knows she won't ever be allowed to race with the men. She helps Jens because she wants to be part of the process even if not directly. But what started as only a shared interest develops into something quite serious between the two of them and their relationships soon escalates and flourishes. But what will happen when Lorna's parents discover the truth? Can Jens and Lorna fight for their relationship, despite the obvious difference in classes?

I ended up enjoying this story, at least I often had to keep reading in wanting to know what would happen next. But yes, some parts were rather slow paced or even lacked interest to me, especially the boat's and race's descriptions.

One of the book's themes is clearly the different classes, because Lorna is rich and Jens is not. This trope is often sued in romances and it can have good or less good outcomes. I'm not a particular fan of this but I confess I don't mind when it's the other way around, I feel the rich element is always the one who has to make more changes, even if it's the poorer one who moves away or who learns or whatever. But I feel a poor male protagonist always battles a lot more to be recognized and he must always become better somehow in order for the story to match what we usually expect of it. When it's a rich man the story doesn't need to develop that way.

In this book, of course Jens wants to be someone better and I applaud that but it almost feels he needs to change more because he's the man and he must provide for the woman, who has always been rich... it just strikes me as a more difficult trope and one I struggle more to believe in.

The romance was good, I liked how things happened, how the author took time to slowly make them become friends, then interested in one another, then falling in love. The obstacles in their path were harsh and almost bordering on the dramatic but in real life it wouldn't have been easy either. The notion that what they were doing wasn't something they should and that society condemned them was heavy in the air, made the story feel more dramatic yes, but also realistic. The readers always has a feel something bad will happen and when it does yes, it's bad and hurts them, but eventually they overcome everything and a HEA happens. I guess I wish it could have been more romantic, as it has happened with other books by the author, but at least it happened.

The secondary characters were interesting, offered the opposition the couple needed to shine but the focus was always too much on them, even if we got glimpses from the others here and there.

Lorna was a captivating character as was Jens and it was good to see them together. When bad things happen and they split before the HEA happens, well, I just think the way things were dealt in that period were weird. I liked Lorna, I felt her hopelessness and her need to believe in something, even if it was guilt but I think Jens' character was too obnoxious in certain situations. Still, this is an historical so some things today would have been solved quickly and at the time weren't.

All in all, this was a good novel, I liked reading but there's something in the pace and eventually in the relationship of the main couple as a whole that made me not always marveled by everything. This is a more than average story but not as wonderful as others by the author.

Grade: 7/10

LaVyrle Spencer - The Gamble

Tough and tender sweet and sassy here is a story of honesty and humor for anyone who has ever lived and loved. 
Scott Gandy has always been a gambling man relying on his lazy Southern charm to smooth a way out of difficult situations. Hoping to make his fortune he opens a saloon in Proffitt Kansas. But he soon becomes a target of the prohibition movement led by the owner of the hat shop next door to his establishment -- the enchanting yet volatile Agatha Downing. 
The saloon keeper and the prim and proper milliner are hopeless adversaries! until the innocence of a child opens their eyes and hearts to each other.

Comment: From the backlist books I had from this author, this one caught my attention because from the blurb I got the idea the protagonists would be opponents but obviously would eventually fall in love. I was eager to read it because I know, as a rule, this author is talented to write romances.

Agatha Downing is the female protagonist in this story ans she is furious because the building next door will be a saloon, which means noise and alcohol will be abundant and not good for her quiet millinery business. She confronts the owner of the saloon, Scott Gandy, and not only does he tell her things will become even noisier but he also puts her in the muddy ground when she refuses to back down from their verbal fight.

Watching this was another women that is trying to eradicate saloons from everywhere and she convinces Agatha to join the cause. But with time and proximity, Agatha and Scott become friends and the people who work for him at the saloon her new family. Will Agatha ever feel her happiness depends on how long Scott and the others stay nearby? What if things change?

I had a great time reading this novel and it worked pretty well for me. I especially liked the idea of how Agatha and Scott would fall in love eventually but also important was how the secondary characters would play a key role in this and be a significant part of the story, not as much in terms of actions but simply their presence and meaning.

Also important was how a child arrives on scene and is the one that works as a unifying element for the main couple's relationship. It was great to see and I had many moments where I didn't want to put the book down.

The relationship between the main couple was quite well developed, it is slow paced but that allows us to identify all special moments and to understand why they behave the way they do and why does it matter to the future of their connection. It was quite good how the author introduced sexual tension in this story, it was obvious they were growing to like the other, eventually want and although nothing was done until the end, it was there, little looks and clues telling us that. How wonderful...I liked how even little things were dealt with care by the two of them as soon as they realized how the other was a friend. The evolution of their feelings to love was gradual but poignant and at some points I was even sad by some of their memories from the past. But the HEA was deserved. Too bad we didn't have an epilogue showing us how they were months or years into the future.

One important aspect was Willy, a child that both Scott and Agatha cared about and that was the reason why their attitudes towards each other changed. I don't think it would be as easy - in contemporary times definitely not - for strangers to raise a child but they do it (apart at first and then together in the end) somehow and that makes their borrowed family to grow even more. I really liked how everyone mattered and understood their feelings were important. There's also a slight secondary romance I enjoyed seeing developed.

I think one of the best parts of this author's novels is how serious and realistic some situations feel like. I especially liked Agatha's POV and how lonely she felt, how she though that life was passing by...I understand why the felt like that and the author portrayed that situation very well. I really can't find faults with the writing in this novel.

Another interesting aspect was the historical side of things, about the attempt to turn some states "dry", the women's movement towards that, even glimpses about the president's work in that level...

All things considered, this was a winning book for me. Sure, it has many details that, properly studied, would look not as well inserted or executed, but in general that isn't what makes the book be less good. I think this is a great story, Agatha and Scotty have a beautiful friendship, they fall in love, they trust each other and how good it is to simply see that.

Grade: 9/10

LaVyrle Spencer - Small Town Girl

Eighteen years ago, young Tess McPhail left her tiny hometown of Wintergreen, Missouri, population

1,713. She headed for Nashville—and never looked back. Now one of country music’s brightest lights, “Mac” McPhail is a millionaire many times over. Her career is her life. At thirty-five, Mac has no time for marriage, children, or kinfolk—until her sisters insist she come home to help care for their widowed mother…Mac isn’t thrilled about spending a month in Wintergreen. But her visit home turns out to be far from dull. After almost two decades of public adoration, she is suddenly a nonperson—insulted by her jealous older sister, enraged by her intractable mother, and ignored by Kenny Kroneck, the next-door neighbor she mercilessly taunted all through high school. Now a handsome divorce who dotes on his teenage daughter, Kenny is widely respected in the community—and refuses to give Mac the time of day. But once she discovers that Kenny’s daughter is a promising country music talent, Mac assumes the role of mentor—and everything changes…
Gradually, the famous Mac McPhail becomes an integral part of life in Wintergreen. The priceless gifts of family and community open her heart to the sweet rewards of caring and commitment. And as the feigned indifference between Mac and Kenny turns to playful bickering, then passion, the complicated life of a superstar is forever changed—by the simple joys of love…

Comment: This is one of the last remaining books by LaVyrle Spencer I still had in my TBR list and I've decided to read this title this month. I had hopes it would be as magical and emotional as the other books by her I've read.

 

In this book we meet Tess McPhail, a 35 year old country music singer who goes back to her small town to help taking care of her mother, who is about to have a hip surgery. Tess's sisters have done it all before but now it's time for Tess to help too and not just sent things. While helping her mother, Tess also reconnects to Kenny Kronek, a man with whom she shared some childhood memories but that now seems to not give her any attention.

Tess needs to deal with many loose ends despite her security and money now, but what she didn't expect was the surprising voice of Casey, Kenny's teenage daughter, and how she decides to help her start a life in music. But will everything go as planned or are there more surprises in Tess' comeback?

 

To be honest, I thought this story would focus more on Tess' issues of coming back, of the things she let go off in order to be famous and successful in her career. But in reality she's quite happy about her life and the majority of the conflict isn't about how she feels about things but how she and Kenny fight sexual tension and try to be apart because they rationalize the difficulties would be too much for them. I liked this wasn't overly dramatic but everything was slightly easy.

The biggest drama, in my opinion, was about Kenny finally telling his long time girlfriend Faith about his love for Tess and even that wasn't as emotionally draining as I imagined. All in all, this was pretty easy to go through.

 

The book revolves around what it means for Tess to be rich an famous, what her work really entails besides giving concerts and what others expect of her because of her celebrity status. I assume much of this is told after some research but I don't think the right amount of focus was given to the sort of situations Tess realistically should have dealt with in the whole time she spent in her hometown. I guess the main reason is for us to focus on herself and her thoughts but somehow the whole story felt very tame and centered in one idea. I don't know but I suppose I can say I missed a bit more action, more something happening.

 

Apart from the things I wish could have been done different, the majority of the story reads easily, the characters are likable, there is no villain of misunderstanding going on. Tess' biggest adversary, in a way, ends up being her older sister Judy, who classically can't seem to deal with Tess's fame and even physical appearance. The subject is addressed at some point but there's no conclusion so no matter how interesting, it wasn't exactly that vital.

Tess and Kenny are antagonists at first but like grow ups end up talking and dealing with it (something not that common in romances!) pretty fast, so most of the relationship between them is dealing with attraction.

The romance had a slow pace and the HEA was believable despite the easiness of how everything was decided, and although I got happy about it, it wasn't as amazing as I imagined.

 

The best part of the book, for me, was Tess work details, I liked knowing more about her musician life and it was actually good to read about a sane person, someone who has a head on her shoulders and doesn't think of music as a means for fame, she has a business, she loves to sing and build her life and of many others around that. Also good was how friendly she was to Casey and helped her trying to start her dreams, even if at a small, achievable pace.

 

Overall, not my favorite book by the author, but interesting, I learned some things, the characters weren't good or bad, their layers gave them personality and in the end I was simply glad things turned out positively and happily as well. Yes, I'd change things but all things considered, this is a good enough read.

Grade: 7/10

LaVyrle Spencer - Hummingbird

The Bandit and the Gentleman
Both were wounded in the same train robbery in frontier Colorado and left on Abigail McKenzie's doorstep to nurse back to life.
Gentle, loving David, promising her a happiness she'd lost hope of finding, was all a lady could wish for.
Jesse stood for everything she hated: he was rude, violent, roughly handsome and disturbingly sensual.
But it was Jesse's mocking mouth that troubled her dreams, Jesse who made her feel a hundred things a lady should never know, Jesse who challenged her every waking hour. She fought him with all the stiff propriety her stubborn will commanded ... but in her burned the aching embers of love too long denied--love that would force her to a choice no woman should ever have to make...  

Comment: This is one of the some titles by ms Spencer I have in my TBR list. The author has a good reputation in writing romantic stories so I decided to go through the titles that interested me in her backlist. This is another one of them but in the end I wasn't completely sold on it.

 

This is the story of Abigail McKenzie, a 30 something spinster who decides she might as well earn some money taking care of two men who were shot in an alleged train robbery. One of them is the man who stopped the robber and the other is the robber himself. Abigail is a very proper lady, she doesn't have much money now but she is thinking about finding work when the doctor says he can't take care of the two men but would pay who could. What she didn't count on was Jesse, the robber who treats her differently than anyone and with whom she can't help but fight and argue with. But is it hate or dislike what's really behind their animosity?

 

I liked the beginning of this story. A spinster lady taking care of two different man, she would obviously fall for one of them, even more obvious is the man himself which seems wrong for her but in the end is rally the one who loves her and deserves her. The idea isn't new, the slight love triangle neither, but to be honest the last chapters made me lower my grade. What I thought would be better than average came down after I read the last chapters and that ending.

 

The book is basically focused on how Abigail feels about each men and why we are led to believe Jesse is the choice she should make. Even more so because she has more time to develop her relationship with him rather than David and we see it all, so we are always ware of everyone's feelings. I understand Abigail, her need to secure a life, despite all the disappointments and emotional hardships she suffered through. I liked the practical side of her and of course her lack of control when dealing with Jesse and her response to him are the elements the story needed to show us she feels the same as everyone else and deserves true love.

 

Abigail and Jesse's relationship starts antagonic, but with time spent together, they start to make an opinion about the other and their feelings deepen. Then Jesse needs to leave and precisely when their feelings are on its higher level. At this point I knew they would end up together but the conflict would be when would Abigail find out about Jesse's true identity (of course he's no thief) and the secret he kept from her regarding David. Then things start to go downhill for plot reasons but personally I felt they were over the top. I'm certain the author could have achieved the same result with different tactics or paths.

Abigail is in love with Jesse, we know that even if she doesn't say it out loud. But now Jesse's gone, David is here and to stay because of a legal issue and they start to be friends again, spending time together, the other people want to see them marry, eventually Abigail says yes because she doesn't think she'll see Jesse again. At this point I still knew Jesse and Abigail would be together but the way things were David might get hurt by that - oh the curse of all love triangles.

 

I don't want to spoiler anything for potential readers, but let's just say Jesse comes back and tells Abigail how he feels and they end up together. Fine there is a HEA. But the way David finds out is bad and sincerely, I think it wasn't up to Abigail's behavior, her emotional side, her practical and ladylike attitude either. Then, to top it up, Jesse and Abigail decide to do something that really bothered me and not in one million years I think it's logical - when they are both smart apparently - or clever of them. Even if one considers the romantic side of their actions or how this is supposed to be one of those "I only need love to be happy" cute but unlikely decisions, I still think it was a bad call.

 

The author has talent, she does know how to write and present a romance, some might work better than others of course, but in this case, after all the talk about losing up but still being who you are, could Abigail really act so impulsively? It feels like it's just something to exaggerate her being in love and finally acknowledging her happiness. I don't think I enjoyed this as much and it feels like stepping down from a higher step, in a way.

I hope the other novels I have to read are romantic yes, but not with reckless or unlikely behaviors or actions.

Grade: 6/10

LaVyrle Spencer - Spring Fancy

Sometimes destiny follows no rules...
Winnifred Gardner, maid of honor at her best friend's wedding, never dreamed she'd be tempted by handsome, teasing Joseph Duggan, the best man. Her own wedding was only three months away!
The attraction was dangerous, and Winn knew it was wrong. But the initial thrill developed into a sensuous blaze, one that threatened to flare out of control. Winn was faced with an agonizing choice....

Comment: I've had this book in the pile since last year. I also have a few more to read and I'll try to get to them this year too. This is a famous author and has many fans. I've read some books by her before and liked them in general. I was curious about this story and looked for by how the author would deal with it.

This is Winnie and Joseph's story. They meet at their friend's wedding and seem to hit if off pretty well. But there's a problem, Winnie is engaged and will marry in three months. This doesn't stop them from becoming friends but it's hard not to admit the attraction and the connection between them. What could they do?

If one looks for interesting or well thought, or believable ways to make a relationship seem lacking by comparison, then this book wouldn't be it because, in my opinion, the most used cliché of them all is used as a solution to this couple's dilemma. The book is small and only covers the necessary, but the solution isn't as emotional as some issues in the previous books I've read by ms Spencer. 

Of course the intended groom isn't loving or dangerous, that would make it more complicated to easily remove him. It would mean more heartbreak whether for both if they were in love or for her if he mistreated her. No, in this case, the groom isn't such a obstacle because they don't love each other completely and the reasons why they are getting married in the first place are easily solved after all the talk why they wouldn't. 

I mean, I can understand why someone who is going to marry and has said so for a long time feels cold feet closer to the day but still goes ahead because of other's opinions, of expectations, of money spent, etc. These are strong factors in RL even if people passionately say it wouldn't matter all in the name of true love! But clearly meeting someone else is a huge motivation. I saw it happen to a neighbor actually. She married and a short two or three months after separated from her husband, and went on to live with someone else. Apparently she had doubts before marrying but with everything ready... 

Anyway, people often go ahead with decisions not always feeling them. I understand. But in this book's case, both heroine and groom were in a comfortable position and it would be interesting to see how calling it off would affect others around them, namely the bride's mother, but things were done really simple and without fuss. I get it the aim wasn't this but the bride's feelings instead. Still, if the biggest issue as so easily put aide why bother?

Winn and Joseph are a good match, we have countless scenes with them interacting, with them thinking about the other, how their presence would affect them... Winn has a job that can become emotional. Her groom doesn't give her the heartfelt response she needs to cope sometimes and Joseph does. This is an obvious tactic to show us how perfect they are to each other, but honestly I felt everything was staged, put in the right places just to be right. It really didn't emotionally speak to me as her other books did.

All things considered, this is a cute story, surely applies to the way of writing of the 80s Harlequin (it's older than me!) but somehow it didn't seem amazing. There wasn't any subtlety to make the reader more interested in knowing what would happen, how it would happen.

I hope the other books I have to read are more entertaining and enjoyable.

Grade: 5/10

LaVyrle Spencer - Separate Beds

They became husband and wife...in name only
The wedding of Clay Forrester and Catherine Anderson was the social event of the season. It seemed like a page out of a fairy tale. But everything about it -- from the formal vows to the magnificent reception -- was a lie, Catherine had reluctantly agreed to Clay's "marriage of convenience"...and the only thing that could threaten their arrangement was the unexpected arrival of love.

Comment: I've had this book to read for quite a while in my TBR. Since I've read two other books by the author and loved them, I was very curious about how I'd find this new book. 

This is Catherine and Clay's story. After a one night stand, Catherine got pregnant and her father finds out and wants her to marry Clay for his money. Catherine, however, is proud and doesn't want to use Clay or his parents or their money like that and she makes plans to deal with her new condition. But Clay finds out where she is and they start to talk and make an agreement that will help Catherine in the future, although she still thinks that is to cheat Clay's parents and she often feels like a fraud. Catherine and Clay marry and for a while their life seems to go well, except when they are alone. Things take a bad turn at some point and it will take their new baby to make Catherine realize she owns her own life and maybe Clay has a place too...

Well, this story is a bit more complex than any blurb can show, mostly because both main characters have flaws and they don't communicate well nor do they try to put themselves in the other position.
The plot may seem old fashioned, but it was written in the late 80s, so...the beauty of this author's writing, though, is how serious and reasonable (for the most part) the character's thoughts and reactions are to what surrounds them. Nowadays, situations couldn't be believed to still be like this, but the truth is, people have the tendency to not think their actions and consequences that much. I think this story shows that quite well.

I also think the protagonists' actions show a lot of their personalities. Clay is honest and never intended to cause problems but he is used to things usually easy coming to him and in a way, I thought this showed in some of his actions towards Catherine's reluctance to accept help and money and later on, in his own behavior when things were rough. Catherine herself also showed a difficult personality because although I understood her position throughout all th book, in the end her change was harder to accept because she was so contrary most of the time.

You see, the whole story happens based on the idea Clay and Catherine don't love each other and they are going to be parents, but both had a life before this happened to them. Clay, in particular, had a girlfriend - they had a fight when he and Catherine got together - and plans to work for his father. Catherine wanted to finish school to get away from her father. There is more hidden depths to all this, but the overall idea is, they had to deal with pregnancy and how that affects their lives and of those closer to them. Eventually things reach a certain point where we believe the romance will follow a pattern interesting enough to fulfill any HEA need. But there's one thing that doesn't seem to go that well, which is the way Catherine sees herself and the marriage. I understand her reasons and in real life I'd probably defend her and her actions, but in a romance I kind of wanted her to realize sooner she could fight for Clay and a better marriage.
Her state of mind about the whole thing is very set in stone which is why her change in the end - really, practically the end of the book - seems so out of there, because suddenly she is a confidant woman wanting to have love and a real marriage to her husband after sending him away.
Clay also has a lot to deal with and I was actually on his side since the marriage because he was trying to do his best. Yes they weren't in love but I believed they would reach that point eventually. But after the biggest argument and Clay leaves, does he brood, does he sulk, does he complain, does he go to his parents house to have someone feeling sorry for himself and maybe find courage to set things right, does he even find a house of his own?? Nope, he goes back to the ex (no, this isn't a spoiler because it's hinted all the time, I just didn't think he actually would do it).... really....

At this point the romance felt doomed for me. Then there's the change in Catherine and things improve and Clay realizes his mistakes and the HEA happens.
But I thought this wasn't the most romantic thing ever. If this was labeled contemporary fiction, I wouldn't feel so surprised, but considering this is a romance by a novelist known for the romance in her stories, I expected more.

Nevertheless, this wasn't a bad book, it just had situations in it I thought weren't the most romantic ones. Understandable, important yes. Some I would defend and root for in another circumstances. But here I kind of hoped for a different way of solving everything...anyway, the author's writing and the way the story is told are flawless and that counts for something too.
Grade: 7/10

LaVyrle Spencer - The Endearment

From the streets of 19th-century Boston to the harsh frontier--she wove a web of deception to ensnare her man!
Lovely, fiery-tempered Anna Reardon was forced to lie to get out of the street urchin's life that shamed her ... to become Karl Lindstrom's mail-order bride in the beautiful, treacherous Minnesota wilderness.
Karl forgave Anna for her deceptions--but there was still one shameful, burning secret that she had to hide from him, knowing its revelation would destroy the love that had become her very life!

Comment: This is another one of the books I had to read by the author. The previous one I've read, Morning Glory, was beautiful and everything a romance should be. I had high hopes for this one as well, considering the good reviews out there about it.

In this book we have the story of Anna and her younger brother James. They are very poor and don't come from the best family. After seeing an ad in the paper, they decide to embellish their story a bit in order for Karl Lindstrom to send them money to marry Anna and thus making a change in their dead end lives.
Throughout the letter exchange, Karl made up an idea of how Anna should be like and when meeting her he finds out many truths. With time they will get to know each other completely to reach happiness. But will some truths be harder to accept than others?

Well, my expectations were met so I can't complain. I started this book with the idea it wouldn't be as thrilling as the other one and I was right. This story is enjoyable but it's not as special as the other one.
The relationship between Anna and Karl starts based on lies, but Anna did this for good reasons. It's very hard to tell people certain things about our lives, especially if it's something shameful or that makes us feel unworthy. In Anna's case, she lied not only to leave the place of bad memories but mostly to look for a future for herself and her brother. I can't imagine what it must have been like in the past centuries where people didn't have social welfare help and the sort of conditions we have nowadays to escape the ind of troubles Anna had to go through. I think she had difficult choices to make and she did hat she thought best. Of course, from Karl's POV things could be done in another way but we are always wiser when it's not about us or after we had time to think again.

Karl is a very likable character, he is a true gentleman towards Anna and his reactions after knowing the whole truth can be seen as too harsh but there's also a bit of reality we can use to justify that, after all he was led to believe certain things and he was deceived. I guess the biggest lesson in this book is that not always the things we are told are what really happened but we should learn to forgive and accept and help the others to feel worthy human beings. Obviously easier said than done.

After Karl and Anna face their ideals about what their new life should be, the usual obstacles show up to spice up the story, jealousy, feelings of inadequacy, attempts to be better in the other's eyes... I think the stronger part of the story happens until the confrontation where Anna tells everything about her past to Karl. After that we know a HEA is coming so I had the feeling the story lost some steam from then on.

The secondary characters offer the expected support when needed but no one stands out enough to be very strong. There's Anna's brother that, with some POV scenes here and there, gained the best supporting role status and his scenes offered some development to the plot, but in a way I wished we could have more of him, for a young 13 year old he's quite brave.
The plot is a very normal romance and nothing outside the mark happens. Still, I had a good time seeing how the romance would develop and how two people with not much in common in the beginning could make a good live together.

In the end I had some good times with the book but it didn't have any wow factor nor did it have anything to make me amazed or surprised or even glued to it. It was simply good and that was all.
Grade: 7/10

TBR Challenge: LaVyrle Spencer - Morning Glory

ELLY - In town, they called her "Crazy Widow Dinsmore." But Elly was no stranger to their ridicule--she had been an outsider all her life, growing up in a boarded-up old house under the strict eye of her eccentric grandparents. Now she was all alone, with two little boys to raise, and a third child on the way.
WILL - He drifted into Whitney, Georgia, one lazy afternoon in the summer of 1941, hoping to put his lonely past behind him. He yearned for the tenderness he had never known, the home he'd never had. All he needed was for someone to give him a chance.
Then he saw her classified ad: WANTED--A husband. When he stepped across Elly Dinsmore's cluttered yard, Will Parker knew he had come home at last ...

Comment: This month the theme of the challenge is books that have won a Rita or some award. I had three novels by ms Spencer and I thought it would be the best opportunity to read this book, which I knew so many readers loved, besides the fact it did win a Rita award. I was very curious about this book and why it's still in the best beloved romances even today.

This is the story of Eleanor and Will. Will is a poor man, an ex convict, and he is hungry. When his boss realizes were he's been, he's dismissed and again leaves. On the way he stops at a bar to read the paper and perhaps find something he could do and he sees an ad asking for a husband. Having nothing to lose, he goes to the address and finds Elly, a pregnant woman with two small children at her feet. Wary of each other at first because nothing in their lives has been easy, after some time together they start to see the beauty in the other and even with some challenges, they manage to fulfill their hearts with love and hope.

I did love the book. I wasn't disappointed after so much expectation and I'm really happy to have read the book and I get it why so many others loved it too.
I think it's the mix of apparent simplicity and romance that makes this so endearing to me. I really liked how the author created the right amount of background to make the protagonists special. These days, so many authors rush that or don't give it as much importance and sometimes it's not done in a very balanced way and somehow, in this book, all those things seemed well done and you can't help but notice when a story flows more easily, more naturally, better. I guess it's one of the reasons why this novel is so good.

Then, the two main characters..I really loved Will. He's one of those heroes that remains with you...I felt sorry for him when he was hungry and suffered injustices. Yes, the times were others but...were they really? Nowadays prejudice still happens. Anyway, I loved how he wanted to prove to Elly he was a good person, he deserved that place to stay and even better, I loved how patient he was about everything, especially from the moment he realized he was in love with Elly...he gave her time and that was wonderful. Of course he had his moments, but even when he seemed like a stubborn example of the male of the species, I still liked him.
Elly was sweet too. She is the kind of heroine I like, she's poor but has her pride, but she's not stupid to want to do things alone all the time and she treated Will with respect, something I really appreciated considering his past. I think the author has here a couple that proved they were worthy of each other and their inner battles only made them stronger and more receptive to cherish love and the feelings between them.

I'm not going to talk about all the little - and bigger - details about this story, but I really liked the pace of things, how the reader gets to learn things step by step, the information isn't dumped on us. I liked how ms Spencer inserted th things she wanted very cleverly, because the story feels so easy to come up with and I'm sure it probably wasn't. I think this is a romantic book, so many beautiful, special scenes with them, with the children, with the other characters. Loved the final scenes and even how Elly did something she didn't think she could just to help Will. Isn't it wonderful to read a story about a romantic true love?

In the end, I was really glad to have read this one. I'm now quite curious to read the other two I have by her. I hope they're as romantic even is not as good. This one I recommend, without a doubt.