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Morning Glory
LOVE IN A STRANGER'S EYES...
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 ...
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 ...
480 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
About the author
LaVyrle Spencer
99 books1,473 followersLaVyrle Spencer is an American best-selling author of contemporary and historical romance novels. She has successfully published a number of books, with several of them made into movies. Twelve of her books have been New York Times bestsellers, and Spencer was inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame in 1988.
Spencer is known for creating realistic characters and stories that focus on families rather than only the relationship between a man and woman. These "ordinary" men and women are warm and vulnerable and are always portrayed sympathetically.[1] Her heroines tend to be a mix of fire and warmth, strength, savvy and soft–heartedness who must overcome some sort of adversity, such as pregnancy, divorce, a lengthy separation, the loss of a loved one, and then undergo a catharsis. The stories center on themes of abiding love, family ties and strength in difficult times.
In the 1980s and 1990s Spencer wrote 12 New York Times Bestsellers. Her books have been sold to book clubs worldwide, and have been published around the world. Condensed versions of many of her novels have appeared in Reader's Digest and Good Housekeeping.
She retired from writing in 1997.
Spencer is known for creating realistic characters and stories that focus on families rather than only the relationship between a man and woman. These "ordinary" men and women are warm and vulnerable and are always portrayed sympathetically.[1] Her heroines tend to be a mix of fire and warmth, strength, savvy and soft–heartedness who must overcome some sort of adversity, such as pregnancy, divorce, a lengthy separation, the loss of a loved one, and then undergo a catharsis. The stories center on themes of abiding love, family ties and strength in difficult times.
In the 1980s and 1990s Spencer wrote 12 New York Times Bestsellers. Her books have been sold to book clubs worldwide, and have been published around the world. Condensed versions of many of her novels have appeared in Reader's Digest and Good Housekeeping.
She retired from writing in 1997.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,458 reviews
August 17, 2017
Magnificent!!! One of my all time favorite, desert island, top ten books, ever!!!! I loved, loved, LOVED IT!!! I cried and cried and cried, it was sooooo endearing!!!! A lovely book of love, family, second chances, perseverance and triumph!! (I definitely have a thing for Williams) lol
August 29, 2011
5++ stars
This is my first book by this author and I was completely enthralled! From the very first page this book sparked my attention and I don't know when I've been more immersed and involved in the lives of the characters. I know I will never forget Will Parker and his utterly lonely existence until he meets Elly Dinsmore.
A few of the things I loved.
(1) I liked this book so much I did not want to put it down. This is no light & fluffy read but one of intense emotion. I liked that I did not have to wade in and read a few chapters before my interest was aroused, and soon as I met Elly I was drawn into the story and quickly became immersed as if I had become part of this small town in Georgia in 1941.
(2) Even though the hero & heroine are different than most that I have read, I liked them from the start. LaVyrle Spencer has a wonderful way of expressing her characters emotions so that you feel a part of their lives. And as the story progressed and I got to know them better, I found myself loving Will Parker and Elly Dinsmore. These are two very lonely people, both prisoners of their past and carrying deep emotional scars.
First we meet Elly, who the town more often refers to as “Crazy Widow Dinsmore,” As a child she suffered cruelly at the hands of those who were suppose to love and nourish her. She is content to live in isolation away from the town where she is taunted and tormented due to the horrendous circumstances of her childhood. Now, a young widow with two small children and one on the way she is in need of a husband to help around her farm. Becoming desperate, she resorts to placing an add for a husband in the local paper, all the while knowing the odds were against anyone responding.
I cannot fathom the pain in Elly’s heart. The cruelty she suffered and endured has clearly left scars and insecurities that are more than understandable. They also have molded her into the kind, loving person she has become. And while I loved this courageous and resourceful woman my heart belongs to Will Parker! He is a hero that I’ll always remember.
Upon first meeting him you know he is a manly man. Unfortunately, he is a shell of the man he could be. A drifter, down-trodden with a near broken spirit; tired in his soul, poor, hungry, mistreated by many and judged unfairly and harshly; he is a man much in need of a break from the hard knocks of life. He needs a place to settle down and longs for enough food that there will be no more skipped meals. And deep down he yearns for that something he’s never had....love! And it is soon evident the caliber of the man he is; smart, handsome, with a hard muscled body that isn’t afraid of hard work; faithful, patient, and ambitious with a need to prove his worth. I admired most everything about him:)
(3) For me this was not only a beautifully written, poignant love story, but also one of Metamorphosis. From the moment Will answers Elly’s add, I was taken on a remarkable journey into the lives of two broken individuals and witnessed the transformation when trust and understanding is given, hope is restored and the other half of your soul is found!
I loved their story; I enjoyed the secondary characters; I laughed, I cried and hated for this book to end. Thank you Jill for recommending this one and I hope you have more:)
This is my first book by this author and I was completely enthralled! From the very first page this book sparked my attention and I don't know when I've been more immersed and involved in the lives of the characters. I know I will never forget Will Parker and his utterly lonely existence until he meets Elly Dinsmore.
A few of the things I loved.
(1) I liked this book so much I did not want to put it down. This is no light & fluffy read but one of intense emotion. I liked that I did not have to wade in and read a few chapters before my interest was aroused, and soon as I met Elly I was drawn into the story and quickly became immersed as if I had become part of this small town in Georgia in 1941.
(2) Even though the hero & heroine are different than most that I have read, I liked them from the start. LaVyrle Spencer has a wonderful way of expressing her characters emotions so that you feel a part of their lives. And as the story progressed and I got to know them better, I found myself loving Will Parker and Elly Dinsmore. These are two very lonely people, both prisoners of their past and carrying deep emotional scars.
First we meet Elly, who the town more often refers to as “Crazy Widow Dinsmore,” As a child she suffered cruelly at the hands of those who were suppose to love and nourish her. She is content to live in isolation away from the town where she is taunted and tormented due to the horrendous circumstances of her childhood. Now, a young widow with two small children and one on the way she is in need of a husband to help around her farm. Becoming desperate, she resorts to placing an add for a husband in the local paper, all the while knowing the odds were against anyone responding.
I cannot fathom the pain in Elly’s heart. The cruelty she suffered and endured has clearly left scars and insecurities that are more than understandable. They also have molded her into the kind, loving person she has become. And while I loved this courageous and resourceful woman my heart belongs to Will Parker! He is a hero that I’ll always remember.
Upon first meeting him you know he is a manly man. Unfortunately, he is a shell of the man he could be. A drifter, down-trodden with a near broken spirit; tired in his soul, poor, hungry, mistreated by many and judged unfairly and harshly; he is a man much in need of a break from the hard knocks of life. He needs a place to settle down and longs for enough food that there will be no more skipped meals. And deep down he yearns for that something he’s never had....love! And it is soon evident the caliber of the man he is; smart, handsome, with a hard muscled body that isn’t afraid of hard work; faithful, patient, and ambitious with a need to prove his worth. I admired most everything about him:)
(3) For me this was not only a beautifully written, poignant love story, but also one of Metamorphosis. From the moment Will answers Elly’s add, I was taken on a remarkable journey into the lives of two broken individuals and witnessed the transformation when trust and understanding is given, hope is restored and the other half of your soul is found!
I loved their story; I enjoyed the secondary characters; I laughed, I cried and hated for this book to end. Thank you Jill for recommending this one and I hope you have more:)
July 13, 2024
5 stars
Why did I wait so long to read this? I felt emotionally drained after I finished it, the way I haven’t felt after reading a book in a VERY long time. I had the best time loving these characters and their story.
Loved, loved, loved it!
The love story was beautiful, heartwarming and memorable but what made the book really come together were the side characters who enriched the life of the hero and heroine.
They were at times mere glimpses, other times a more or less integral part of the lives that Parker and Ellie were building.
It was great to see how much richer, bolder and fuller life can be when we make connections with others and we are truly understood and liked for who we are.
I loved reading how open and willing the hero was to learn from the people that came into his life and treated him like he mattered. How little by little he learned to open himself up but also to see himself as a person worth knowing, a person of worth in general.
As for Ellie, she at first she seemed more well adjusted and at peace with herself and her standing in society and life in general, but we get to see the cracks early on.
There was a self imposed limit on how much credit she’d give herself, how much of life she’d let herself enjoy and how much she closed the door on.
Both her and the hero were discarded by society at large and that made them cling to each other initially, but I was happy to see them go out of their comfort zone and strive for more of a connection to the wider world.
The love they developed for one another and I believe also the admiration they felt for each other gave them the confidence and determination to prove themselves not in the eyes of others necessarily but their own. Living in a bubble is nice but living loud and free is nicer.
There’s so much more I could say about this book. So many little things that made it stand out:
- like the way the hero would ALWAYS think of little things he could do to show Ellie he saw and appreciated her;
- or the way he worked so hard and was so determined to not only match her kindness but also to make her proud;
- the way he strived to regain or simply gain his own sense of self worth by learning and using every skill he could in order to create a home and a living they’d be proud of;
- the way Ellie was happy and looked forward to cooking all sorts of things and trying all recipes to see him enjoy her efforts; which he ALWAYS thanked and praised her for;
- the way they just enjoyed making each other happy with the small things they’d do for each other and the children
The only flaw this story had was that it didn’t give me more “happy family” moments. I wanted to see them 5 years, then 10, then 20 into the future. I wanted to see the fruits of their labour pay off because they deserved it.
Why did I wait so long to read this? I felt emotionally drained after I finished it, the way I haven’t felt after reading a book in a VERY long time. I had the best time loving these characters and their story.
Loved, loved, loved it!
The love story was beautiful, heartwarming and memorable but what made the book really come together were the side characters who enriched the life of the hero and heroine.
They were at times mere glimpses, other times a more or less integral part of the lives that Parker and Ellie were building.
It was great to see how much richer, bolder and fuller life can be when we make connections with others and we are truly understood and liked for who we are.
I loved reading how open and willing the hero was to learn from the people that came into his life and treated him like he mattered. How little by little he learned to open himself up but also to see himself as a person worth knowing, a person of worth in general.
As for Ellie, she at first she seemed more well adjusted and at peace with herself and her standing in society and life in general, but we get to see the cracks early on.
There was a self imposed limit on how much credit she’d give herself, how much of life she’d let herself enjoy and how much she closed the door on.
Both her and the hero were discarded by society at large and that made them cling to each other initially, but I was happy to see them go out of their comfort zone and strive for more of a connection to the wider world.
The love they developed for one another and I believe also the admiration they felt for each other gave them the confidence and determination to prove themselves not in the eyes of others necessarily but their own. Living in a bubble is nice but living loud and free is nicer.
There’s so much more I could say about this book. So many little things that made it stand out:
- like the way the hero would ALWAYS think of little things he could do to show Ellie he saw and appreciated her;
- or the way he worked so hard and was so determined to not only match her kindness but also to make her proud;
- the way he strived to regain or simply gain his own sense of self worth by learning and using every skill he could in order to create a home and a living they’d be proud of;
- the way Ellie was happy and looked forward to cooking all sorts of things and trying all recipes to see him enjoy her efforts; which he ALWAYS thanked and praised her for;
- the way they just enjoyed making each other happy with the small things they’d do for each other and the children
The only flaw this story had was that it didn’t give me more “happy family” moments. I wanted to see them 5 years, then 10, then 20 into the future. I wanted to see the fruits of their labour pay off because they deserved it.
September 24, 2019
"Morning Glory" is a glorious classic romance -- aflame with passion and bittersweet longing. One needs perhaps to have a little of these qualities in one's soul to respond fully to the novel, which to a cynical mind might seem like overworked melodrama, but that to me sang with innocence and trust.
Set in a small town in Georgia, the book spans about two and a half years during World War II and follows two of the most memorable characters I’ve ever met. Will is an ex con, an orphan, displaced and haunted by his past. Elly is a pregnant widow with two young children, a reputation for madness, and a deep mistrust for the people who have made her an outsider all of her life. Will and Elly are good and decent people who would rather do the right thing than convenience themselves. Anyone who will sacrifice their own happiness for higher considerations deserves to be happy. I felt a sense of triumph, when they realize that about themselves.
It’s just incredibly charming how these two gradually see each other in a new light and begin to fall in love, and I loved the slow character building that comes with their day-to-day interactions. The plot lovingly constructs one barrier after another to their happiness, and I rejoiced as each one falls, only to be even more alarmed at the next. What I loved most about this story is that both protagonists are on equal footing, each “rescuing” the other.
Along with the wonderful relationship between the main characters, “Morning Glory” also addresses their relationship with the larger community. Will and Elly begin their healing when they find each other, and that healing is completed when they make their peace with the town of Whitney and are accepted by it. There are a number of vivid secondary characters, and I especially want to mention the town librarian, Gladys Beasley. Miss Beasley is, at first glance, a real iron lady -- but underneath her gruffness lies a tender heart. She becomes Will’s champion and mentor, and helps him coax Ellie from her self-imposed isolation.
LaVyrle Spencer writes in an almost lyrical fashion. All of my senses came alive with her descriptive and beautiful prose and I desperately wanted to get back out in nature and live off the land. The historic detail is never intrusive, but pervasive nonetheless, from the smallest aspects of everyday routine to the larger social and political issues of the time. The writing is also gut-wrenching, and I was teary-eyed a few times --the kind of tears that come from good things happening to people who really need it because of their circumstances. So often, romance heroes and heroines are anything but ordinary. There’s nothing wrong with that, we all like a little wish fulfillment and fantasy in our reading. It takes great talent though, to make the lives of plain, ordinary people not only interesting but memorable -- and Miss Spencer accomplished that in this book.
"Morning Glory " is full of unabashed sentiment, glorious excess, and of love so idealistic it seems so outdated in the 21st century. It is the kind of book you have to give yourself to, to open yourself to. Logic and cynicism will get you nowhere with this one. Trust me, when it finally all comes together, it’s a very good feeling -- cathartic even. The happy ending felt truly earned because Will and Elly have worked for it and, in a way, so will the readers.
Set in a small town in Georgia, the book spans about two and a half years during World War II and follows two of the most memorable characters I’ve ever met. Will is an ex con, an orphan, displaced and haunted by his past. Elly is a pregnant widow with two young children, a reputation for madness, and a deep mistrust for the people who have made her an outsider all of her life. Will and Elly are good and decent people who would rather do the right thing than convenience themselves. Anyone who will sacrifice their own happiness for higher considerations deserves to be happy. I felt a sense of triumph, when they realize that about themselves.
It’s just incredibly charming how these two gradually see each other in a new light and begin to fall in love, and I loved the slow character building that comes with their day-to-day interactions. The plot lovingly constructs one barrier after another to their happiness, and I rejoiced as each one falls, only to be even more alarmed at the next. What I loved most about this story is that both protagonists are on equal footing, each “rescuing” the other.
Along with the wonderful relationship between the main characters, “Morning Glory” also addresses their relationship with the larger community. Will and Elly begin their healing when they find each other, and that healing is completed when they make their peace with the town of Whitney and are accepted by it. There are a number of vivid secondary characters, and I especially want to mention the town librarian, Gladys Beasley. Miss Beasley is, at first glance, a real iron lady -- but underneath her gruffness lies a tender heart. She becomes Will’s champion and mentor, and helps him coax Ellie from her self-imposed isolation.
LaVyrle Spencer writes in an almost lyrical fashion. All of my senses came alive with her descriptive and beautiful prose and I desperately wanted to get back out in nature and live off the land. The historic detail is never intrusive, but pervasive nonetheless, from the smallest aspects of everyday routine to the larger social and political issues of the time. The writing is also gut-wrenching, and I was teary-eyed a few times --the kind of tears that come from good things happening to people who really need it because of their circumstances. So often, romance heroes and heroines are anything but ordinary. There’s nothing wrong with that, we all like a little wish fulfillment and fantasy in our reading. It takes great talent though, to make the lives of plain, ordinary people not only interesting but memorable -- and Miss Spencer accomplished that in this book.
"Morning Glory " is full of unabashed sentiment, glorious excess, and of love so idealistic it seems so outdated in the 21st century. It is the kind of book you have to give yourself to, to open yourself to. Logic and cynicism will get you nowhere with this one. Trust me, when it finally all comes together, it’s a very good feeling -- cathartic even. The happy ending felt truly earned because Will and Elly have worked for it and, in a way, so will the readers.
December 14, 2013
Oh.
OH. Holy shit. This book!
I can't.
I attacked this book and read it like it was the last thing I was ever going to do in my life. I couldn't put it down. I had to keep going. I had to know that there would be good things for Will and Elly. And the trip to their HEA was so unbelievably...GAH!
Will and Elly are so tragically lonely and starved for affection that I just wanted to pick them both up, put them in a warm, padded room for a month, and let them commence with the healing. I loved them both. They're so believably flawed, but still good people even after everything they've been through. The romance aspect of this book is so understated and sweet that I kept getting that punch-to-the-gut feeling just below my diaphragm. I spent at least half of this book in physical pain because I just wanted to weep for these two constantly. And I'm not much of a crier. I was actually sobbing at one point. When I read Spencer's The Endearment, I had no idea she was this talented a writer. I love this book. Love it. So much so that once I was finished with it, I immediately started over. The tension building between Will and Elly is so fraught with frustration because they both want physical affection, but neither of them has the confidence to feel it's deserved or will be granted by the other, so they just keep studiously not touching. So when they finally give in, the rest of the book is filled with
*Sigh*
Anyway, this book really has everything a romance reader could possibly want: a brooding, reluctant hero, an insecure but strong heroine, sex, affection, tenderness, war, happiness, sadness, yearning, intrigue, farewells and homecomings, and poignant emotions. This is not a light, fluffy read, but one of the most emotionally jarring stories I've ever read. It's more than earned its place on my favorites shelf.
OH. Holy shit. This book!
I can't.
I attacked this book and read it like it was the last thing I was ever going to do in my life. I couldn't put it down. I had to keep going. I had to know that there would be good things for Will and Elly. And the trip to their HEA was so unbelievably...GAH!
Will and Elly are so tragically lonely and starved for affection that I just wanted to pick them both up, put them in a warm, padded room for a month, and let them commence with the healing. I loved them both. They're so believably flawed, but still good people even after everything they've been through. The romance aspect of this book is so understated and sweet that I kept getting that punch-to-the-gut feeling just below my diaphragm. I spent at least half of this book in physical pain because I just wanted to weep for these two constantly. And I'm not much of a crier. I was actually sobbing at one point. When I read Spencer's The Endearment, I had no idea she was this talented a writer. I love this book. Love it. So much so that once I was finished with it, I immediately started over. The tension building between Will and Elly is so fraught with frustration because they both want physical affection, but neither of them has the confidence to feel it's deserved or will be granted by the other, so they just keep studiously not touching. So when they finally give in, the rest of the book is filled with
*Sigh*
Anyway, this book really has everything a romance reader could possibly want: a brooding, reluctant hero, an insecure but strong heroine, sex, affection, tenderness, war, happiness, sadness, yearning, intrigue, farewells and homecomings, and poignant emotions. This is not a light, fluffy read, but one of the most emotionally jarring stories I've ever read. It's more than earned its place on my favorites shelf.
March 12, 2011
Orphan. Bastard. Convict. Woman-killer. Boy.
Will Parker has been called every name in the book, none of them inaccurate and all of them unflattering. Drifting into Whitney, Georgia in the summer of 1941, he's just been fired from the local sawmill on account of his stint in prison for killing a woman in a Texas brothel. Bone-thin from hunger and wearing clothes stolen from a local's drying line, he decides to answer a woman's newspaper ad looking for a husband. The yard may be full of junk, the house a jumble of additions and the prospective wife a very pregnant mother of two who's known to the townspeople as "Crazy Elly," but he sees only an opportunity for redemption.
The man walking up her drive looks as beat down as a man can get, but with two young boys and a third child due in a few months, Eleanor Dinsmore's willing to take any man willing to do a man's work around her house. Widowed when her dreamer husband falls from a tree he was cutting - onto the beehives he kept - she's left with a ramshackle house set amid the piles of junk, scrap and salvage her husband collected aimlessly. Much as she loved him anyways, the realities of running her home with three small children demands she find a helper, and fast.
What an amazing, well-written story this was. Spencer created such lush imagery, it felt like I was seeing the story, rather than reading it. I could all but smell the northwestern Georgia woods Eleanor's house lounged in and hear their bees buzzing about the junk heaps that dotted the yard. A passage early on in the book stood out for me in how it took something as mundane as carrying firewood and managed to make it visual and sensual:
And emotion this book has. Both Elly and Will are drenched in feelings, both for each other and about themselves. They've come from dreadful, unloving childhoods - Will growing up in indifferent orphanages and foster homes and Elly living in a windowless house with her pious grandparents castigating her for being born out of wedlock - and are both learning to value themselves. They surprise each other a bit, I think, with how they seem to balance each other out. Will gets in Elly a rare friend and lover, but also a bit of the mother he never had. Elly gets from Will a friend and lover as well, sure, but she also gets needed confidence and a challenge to overcome her fears.
They work through their insecurities, weathering childbirth, WWII and a murder trial along the way, to come out stronger, healthier people in the end. It's a slow-moving, slow-burning sort of romance. They're continually growing together as the story progresses, rather than feeling an immediate passion which they then actively resist. It's an organic story of two people weathering the challenges life can throw at people and coming out stronger because of it.
It was a delight to read from start to finish. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who loves a story of two broken souls healing each other and a story that doesn't end with the "I love you" or the "I do."
Will Parker has been called every name in the book, none of them inaccurate and all of them unflattering. Drifting into Whitney, Georgia in the summer of 1941, he's just been fired from the local sawmill on account of his stint in prison for killing a woman in a Texas brothel. Bone-thin from hunger and wearing clothes stolen from a local's drying line, he decides to answer a woman's newspaper ad looking for a husband. The yard may be full of junk, the house a jumble of additions and the prospective wife a very pregnant mother of two who's known to the townspeople as "Crazy Elly," but he sees only an opportunity for redemption.
The man walking up her drive looks as beat down as a man can get, but with two young boys and a third child due in a few months, Eleanor Dinsmore's willing to take any man willing to do a man's work around her house. Widowed when her dreamer husband falls from a tree he was cutting - onto the beehives he kept - she's left with a ramshackle house set amid the piles of junk, scrap and salvage her husband collected aimlessly. Much as she loved him anyways, the realities of running her home with three small children demands she find a helper, and fast.
What an amazing, well-written story this was. Spencer created such lush imagery, it felt like I was seeing the story, rather than reading it. I could all but smell the northwestern Georgia woods Eleanor's house lounged in and hear their bees buzzing about the junk heaps that dotted the yard. A passage early on in the book stood out for me in how it took something as mundane as carrying firewood and managed to make it visual and sensual:
He knelt and loaded his arm with wood - good, sharp, biting edges that creased his skin where his sleeve was rolled back; grainy flat pieces that clacked together and echoed across the clearing.Much of the book is written like this, drawing a full picture that's a feast for the senses. When I can hear each bootstep and see the motes dancing in the sunbeams, it heightens my sense of immersion and turns the volume up on the emotions.
And emotion this book has. Both Elly and Will are drenched in feelings, both for each other and about themselves. They've come from dreadful, unloving childhoods - Will growing up in indifferent orphanages and foster homes and Elly living in a windowless house with her pious grandparents castigating her for being born out of wedlock - and are both learning to value themselves. They surprise each other a bit, I think, with how they seem to balance each other out. Will gets in Elly a rare friend and lover, but also a bit of the mother he never had. Elly gets from Will a friend and lover as well, sure, but she also gets needed confidence and a challenge to overcome her fears.
They work through their insecurities, weathering childbirth, WWII and a murder trial along the way, to come out stronger, healthier people in the end. It's a slow-moving, slow-burning sort of romance. They're continually growing together as the story progresses, rather than feeling an immediate passion which they then actively resist. It's an organic story of two people weathering the challenges life can throw at people and coming out stronger because of it.
It was a delight to read from start to finish. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who loves a story of two broken souls healing each other and a story that doesn't end with the "I love you" or the "I do."
November 14, 2023
4/5 ⭐️ I’ve personally never read a romance quite like this one before. It was very unique and beautiful. Eleanor and Will were so amazing together. I loved them so much. Their story was both sad and beautiful at the same time.
These two souls were so lonely and yearning for love and I adored how they both found that with each other. Their backstories were equally heartbreaking and sad. Their love was a slow developing one and it was so pure. I loved how sweet Will was. He was constantly trying to make their home better for them and always looking after Eleanor and the kids.
I loved Will’s relationship with Eleanor’s kids. It was so beautiful and I fell in love with all of the characters ❤️. When Eleanor first told Will she loved him, it brought tears to my eyes. No one had ever said those words to him in his entire life 🥺.
My heart broke for them when Will had to leave for the war 💔. And the letters they wrote to each other while they were apart were just so beautiful. I loved it when he called her Honey & Green Eyes 🥺❤️. And when he finally came home??? That scene was just so beautiful!!! ❤️
I also fell in love with one of the side characters. The librarian, Miss Beasley, was just the sweetest person ever! She was stern but such a lovely person. I liked that she didn’t judge Will because of his past. I enjoyed their friendship so much!
Overall, this was such a sweet and sometimes sad story about two lonely souls yearning for love. It was slow at times and the chapters were long af but I did love the romance. They were so loyal to each other 🙌🏼. Their HEA was well deserved ❤️.
These two souls were so lonely and yearning for love and I adored how they both found that with each other. Their backstories were equally heartbreaking and sad. Their love was a slow developing one and it was so pure. I loved how sweet Will was. He was constantly trying to make their home better for them and always looking after Eleanor and the kids.
I loved Will’s relationship with Eleanor’s kids. It was so beautiful and I fell in love with all of the characters ❤️. When Eleanor first told Will she loved him, it brought tears to my eyes. No one had ever said those words to him in his entire life 🥺.
My heart broke for them when Will had to leave for the war 💔. And the letters they wrote to each other while they were apart were just so beautiful. I loved it when he called her Honey & Green Eyes 🥺❤️. And when he finally came home??? That scene was just so beautiful!!! ❤️
I also fell in love with one of the side characters. The librarian, Miss Beasley, was just the sweetest person ever! She was stern but such a lovely person. I liked that she didn’t judge Will because of his past. I enjoyed their friendship so much!
Overall, this was such a sweet and sometimes sad story about two lonely souls yearning for love. It was slow at times and the chapters were long af but I did love the romance. They were so loyal to each other 🙌🏼. Their HEA was well deserved ❤️.
February 7, 2017
Sólo tengo buenas palabras para este libro, me ha ENCANTADO.
Es lo primero que leo de esta autora y gracias al #RetoRita. Desde luego leeré mas de ella.
Me ha parecido precioso, una historia bien contada, sencilla pero que te engancha.
He adorado a Will y Elly desde el primer momento, y su maravillosa familia
No quería terminarlo por que lo estaba disfrutando mucho...
Es lo primero que leo de esta autora y gracias al #RetoRita. Desde luego leeré mas de ella.
Me ha parecido precioso, una historia bien contada, sencilla pero que te engancha.
He adorado a Will y Elly desde el primer momento, y su maravillosa familia
No quería terminarlo por que lo estaba disfrutando mucho...
January 26, 2022
Will Parker, recently released from the penitentiary having completed his sentence, is just looking for work and a place to call home. He lands in Whitney, Georgia but a few days after securing a job at a sawmill, he’s let go when they learn of his record. Will is desperate when he sees an ad placed by Eleanor (Elly) Dinsmore looking for a husband to help with her spread. Known in town as “Crazy Widow Dinsmore,” Elly has two young boys and is pregnant with her third child. Her property is located on the edge of town and is suffering from neglect. She’s isolated, having been recently widowed and the subject of town derision her whole life. Will is drawn to this strange young woman who is a wonderful mother to her sons and he accepts the “job.” These two lonely people somehow discover a connection to each other at the lowest points in their lives.
After reading so many psychological thrillers recently, I was in the mood for a story with a lot of heart. This has that and so much more, set in rural Georgia right before the beginning of our entry into WWII. While Will had a prison record, he wasn’t his crime. He’s hardworking with a strong sense of right and wrong. Elly was raised by her religious zealot grandparents who kept her hidden because of their shame about her being born out of wedlock, making her the subject of the town’s disdain her whole life. She and Will finding each other turned out to be the miracle they weren’t even looking for as they had settled into acceptance of their lot in life. As he transformed her property, she loosened the locks around his heart through her kindness and care. I loved how their relationship slowly developed from a mutual contract to friendship and respect, then a deep love. That journey wasn’t easy but it was necessary for each of them to have the time to form trust and really get to know one another.
I’ve had this book for many years, recommended long ago by a trusted friend, but I never got around to it. That turned out to be fortuitous because I was able to get it on audio and the narrator was outstanding. This was a saga that spanned several years and her storytelling skills were exceptional. I loved the writing, though a few of the characterizations were dated but didn’t detract from the story. There were some important secondary characters, specifically the prickly town librarian, Gladys Beasley with whom Will formed a friendship as he used books to learn how to do necessary work on Elly’s property. I loved everything about this story filled with so many impressionable moments that had me experience a wide range of emotions. It was more than I hoped it would be.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to Tantor Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
After reading so many psychological thrillers recently, I was in the mood for a story with a lot of heart. This has that and so much more, set in rural Georgia right before the beginning of our entry into WWII. While Will had a prison record, he wasn’t his crime. He’s hardworking with a strong sense of right and wrong. Elly was raised by her religious zealot grandparents who kept her hidden because of their shame about her being born out of wedlock, making her the subject of the town’s disdain her whole life. She and Will finding each other turned out to be the miracle they weren’t even looking for as they had settled into acceptance of their lot in life. As he transformed her property, she loosened the locks around his heart through her kindness and care. I loved how their relationship slowly developed from a mutual contract to friendship and respect, then a deep love. That journey wasn’t easy but it was necessary for each of them to have the time to form trust and really get to know one another.
I’ve had this book for many years, recommended long ago by a trusted friend, but I never got around to it. That turned out to be fortuitous because I was able to get it on audio and the narrator was outstanding. This was a saga that spanned several years and her storytelling skills were exceptional. I loved the writing, though a few of the characterizations were dated but didn’t detract from the story. There were some important secondary characters, specifically the prickly town librarian, Gladys Beasley with whom Will formed a friendship as he used books to learn how to do necessary work on Elly’s property. I loved everything about this story filled with so many impressionable moments that had me experience a wide range of emotions. It was more than I hoped it would be.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to Tantor Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
February 9, 2017
¡Qué historia más bonita! ❤️
Elly y Will, son los protagonistas de una historia de amor preciosa, conmovedora y extraordinaria, que se va desarrollando pausadamente y que permite que te enamores de ellos, mientras ellos lo hacen entre sí. ❤️
Es maravillosa la huella que cada uno deja en el otro, cómo se fortalece y madura la personalidad de cada uno, la complicidad que surge entre ellos y cómo se afianza su relación, no solo en los momentos más difíciles, sino también en la sencillez de lo cotidiano. Pero ellos no están solos. Tienen tres niños adorables que completan su círculo más íntimo. Y entre los secundarios, se destaca la bibliotecaria del pueblo, un personaje encantador e imprescindible en la dinámica de la historia.
Mi debut con esta autora no pudo haber sido mejor. Un pacer absoluto leerla.
Elly y Will, son los protagonistas de una historia de amor preciosa, conmovedora y extraordinaria, que se va desarrollando pausadamente y que permite que te enamores de ellos, mientras ellos lo hacen entre sí. ❤️
Es maravillosa la huella que cada uno deja en el otro, cómo se fortalece y madura la personalidad de cada uno, la complicidad que surge entre ellos y cómo se afianza su relación, no solo en los momentos más difíciles, sino también en la sencillez de lo cotidiano. Pero ellos no están solos. Tienen tres niños adorables que completan su círculo más íntimo. Y entre los secundarios, se destaca la bibliotecaria del pueblo, un personaje encantador e imprescindible en la dinámica de la historia.
Mi debut con esta autora no pudo haber sido mejor. Un pacer absoluto leerla.
May 16, 2016
It's worth every bit of hype. Straight to my favorites shelf. A historical romance, from the WWII era. Poor, lonely people who are both at a low point in their lives. They find each other and one of the sweetest, most evocative stories I've ever read unfolds. Magical.
June 24, 2019
Creo que la historia de Will y Elly es una de las más dulces que he leído en muchísimo tiempo. Dos personajes marcados por la soledad y los prejuicios, que tienen la suerte de encontrarse y reconocerse como todo lo que necesitan para sentirse completos. El miedo al rechazo es lo que prima, al menos en la primera mitad, el que poco a poco van superando gracias a la grandeza de sus corazones y a los fuertes sentimientos que nacen entre ellos. La segunda mitad se centra en situaciones que pondrán a prueba su relación, de las que saldrán airosos y más fortalecidos aún.
Sin que aún supieran todo lo que significarán el uno para el otro, una de las partes que más me conmovió fue lo que cada uno pensó la primera noche que Will se quedó a dormir en el establo de la granja de Elly, y que demuestra lo desesperada de sus respectivas situaciones:
"Quédese, Will Parker. Por favor, quédese.”
“Déme una oportunidad, Eleanor Dinsmore, y se lo demostraré.”
LaVyrle Spencer es una gran autora, que logra traspasar los sentimientos de una manera muy íntima. Crea un entorno perfecto para sus historias y personajes secundarios de lujo. Siempre es una carta segura al momento de escoger una lectura.
Reto Rita 3.0 (junio)
Sin que aún supieran todo lo que significarán el uno para el otro, una de las partes que más me conmovió fue lo que cada uno pensó la primera noche que Will se quedó a dormir en el establo de la granja de Elly, y que demuestra lo desesperada de sus respectivas situaciones:
"Quédese, Will Parker. Por favor, quédese.”
“Déme una oportunidad, Eleanor Dinsmore, y se lo demostraré.”
LaVyrle Spencer es una gran autora, que logra traspasar los sentimientos de una manera muy íntima. Crea un entorno perfecto para sus historias y personajes secundarios de lujo. Siempre es una carta segura al momento de escoger una lectura.
Reto Rita 3.0 (junio)
July 16, 2020
I don't know how to express my feelings for this book, how to start a review and make you people feel the extend of joys I experienced. My attention was grasped from the beginning and I was immerced with these characters totally. A persons soul is challenged throughout the phases of life. An upbringing of child can be faulty even if the parents encourage good behaviour and if a child is ignored or has grown up among the bad/horrid people the child can be good. A soul is a matter of a persons choice - to be good or bad.
I won't repeat what's in the book. The book is summarized in so many wonderful reviews so I'll express my thoughts to the main characters.
Will Parker and Eleanor (Elly) Dinsmore are taunted throughout their life because of their families qualities. Will is an orphan and an ex-convict whose circumstances are as it is for being a part of the world; harsh. Elly does have a family, 'pious' grandparents and a parent but she couldn't be any happier when they died. A pregnant widow with two kids she is labelled as crazy only because she lives away from the taunts of society. If anyone deserves happiness, Will and Elly deserve an ocean. They both are good people who sacrified alot in consideration for others.
I felt lively with this descriptive prose. Every historical detail is properly explained. Their chores, appliances, transports, food and the politics of that time, everything was well structured. I cannot fathom the cruelty Will and Elly have suffered but look at the loving, caring and courageous people they have become. If you would love to experience this wonderful journey of transformation I recommend you this book. Their happy ending is so well deserved.
"I'm pregnant and unbright and unpretty, she thought.
I'm an ex-con woman-killer, he thought."
I won't repeat what's in the book. The book is summarized in so many wonderful reviews so I'll express my thoughts to the main characters.
Will Parker and Eleanor (Elly) Dinsmore are taunted throughout their life because of their families qualities. Will is an orphan and an ex-convict whose circumstances are as it is for being a part of the world; harsh. Elly does have a family, 'pious' grandparents and a parent but she couldn't be any happier when they died. A pregnant widow with two kids she is labelled as crazy only because she lives away from the taunts of society. If anyone deserves happiness, Will and Elly deserve an ocean. They both are good people who sacrified alot in consideration for others.
I felt lively with this descriptive prose. Every historical detail is properly explained. Their chores, appliances, transports, food and the politics of that time, everything was well structured. I cannot fathom the cruelty Will and Elly have suffered but look at the loving, caring and courageous people they have become. If you would love to experience this wonderful journey of transformation I recommend you this book. Their happy ending is so well deserved.
"I'm pregnant and unbright and unpretty, she thought.
I'm an ex-con woman-killer, he thought."
February 11, 2017
***** 5 STARS*****
PopSugar Reading Challenge en Español. Categoría #28
Que libro tan más bonito Ay Dios ME ENCANTÓ !!!
De verdad que soy una romántica empedernida y no pude evitar enamorarme y suspirar con esta historia.
Vi que a muchas personas les encantó y la recomendaron y dije porque no, la voy a leer y me sorprendió bastante y no voy a dudar en volver a leer a la autora.
Historia.
Will es un exrecluso que no le dan trabajo por sus antecedentes no tiene casa familia y es un escoria en la sociedad, Elly es una viuda con dos hijos y uno en camino así que necesita a alguien que la ayude por lo que pone un anuncio en el periódico buscando marido y el único que asiste es nada más y menos que Will ya que no tiene nada que perder y para su sorpresa Elly lo acepta con todo y antecedentes.
La historia es muy romántica y tierna, desde que lees la sinopsis te atrapa, es una historia maravillosa de un amor tan bonito que se va dando poco a poco con el paso del tiempo y el trato, con la acciones y gestos que se tienen cada uno, es una historia de dos personas que necesitan y quieren ser amadas, que no necesitan muchas cosas en la vida para ser felices sino el amor, tenerse el uno al otro y su familia, que no importa los obstáculos que nos ponga la vida siempre se pueden superar y salir adelante.
Es una historia de amor que se desarrolla entre abejas colmenas , huertos, flores y animales de campo
Personajes
Los personajes te enamoran, sientes una conexión instantánea con ellos.
Will desde el primer momento que sale y abre la boca te enamoras de él te dan ganas de abrazarlo y darle todo el amor que le ha sido negado pero lo primero que se te viene a la mente es de darle de comer. Es un hombre de lo más humano, el leal, protector, trabajador, paciente con una gran capacidad de amar y ser amado, es buen padre y esposo y yo me enamoré de él.
Elli me cautivó con sus locuras, su sencillez y ternura, con las ganas de ser libre, con lo amorosa y buena mamá que es, con su valentía, al igual que Will es imposible no amarla.
Puede que el libro no sea del todo perfecto hay cosas que son demás y sobran detalles sobre todo al final del libro que sentí que decae un poco la historia y también la falta de un epílogo, pero todo lo demás lo compensa y sus 5 estrellas son más que merecidas. Una historia de un amor que es difícil de olvidar
PopSugar Reading Challenge en Español. Categoría #28
Que libro tan más bonito Ay Dios ME ENCANTÓ !!!
De verdad que soy una romántica empedernida y no pude evitar enamorarme y suspirar con esta historia.
Vi que a muchas personas les encantó y la recomendaron y dije porque no, la voy a leer y me sorprendió bastante y no voy a dudar en volver a leer a la autora.
Historia.
Will es un exrecluso que no le dan trabajo por sus antecedentes no tiene casa familia y es un escoria en la sociedad, Elly es una viuda con dos hijos y uno en camino así que necesita a alguien que la ayude por lo que pone un anuncio en el periódico buscando marido y el único que asiste es nada más y menos que Will ya que no tiene nada que perder y para su sorpresa Elly lo acepta con todo y antecedentes.
La historia es muy romántica y tierna, desde que lees la sinopsis te atrapa, es una historia maravillosa de un amor tan bonito que se va dando poco a poco con el paso del tiempo y el trato, con la acciones y gestos que se tienen cada uno, es una historia de dos personas que necesitan y quieren ser amadas, que no necesitan muchas cosas en la vida para ser felices sino el amor, tenerse el uno al otro y su familia, que no importa los obstáculos que nos ponga la vida siempre se pueden superar y salir adelante.
Es una historia de amor que se desarrolla entre abejas colmenas , huertos, flores y animales de campo
Personajes
Los personajes te enamoran, sientes una conexión instantánea con ellos.
Will desde el primer momento que sale y abre la boca te enamoras de él te dan ganas de abrazarlo y darle todo el amor que le ha sido negado pero lo primero que se te viene a la mente es de darle de comer. Es un hombre de lo más humano, el leal, protector, trabajador, paciente con una gran capacidad de amar y ser amado, es buen padre y esposo y yo me enamoré de él.
Elli me cautivó con sus locuras, su sencillez y ternura, con las ganas de ser libre, con lo amorosa y buena mamá que es, con su valentía, al igual que Will es imposible no amarla.
Puede que el libro no sea del todo perfecto hay cosas que son demás y sobran detalles sobre todo al final del libro que sentí que decae un poco la historia y también la falta de un epílogo, pero todo lo demás lo compensa y sus 5 estrellas son más que merecidas. Una historia de un amor que es difícil de olvidar
October 21, 2015
This was a sweet read. Sad at times. Loved Will. He grew up alone, no family, no friends. Her upbringing was no better.
A sweet read.
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 ...
“Could you say it once," he entreated, "like they say people do?"
Her heart beat like the wings of an eagle, taking her soaring as she spoke the words. "I love you, Will Parker."
The sting hit his eyelids and he hung his head because nobody had prepared him for this, nobody had said, When it happens you'll be resurrected. All that you were you will not be. All that you weren't, you are. He lunged against her, burying his face above her breasts, holding fast. "Oh, God..." he groaned. "Oh, God.”
“Touch me, he thought, my arm, my hand, a finger. Let me know it's all right for me to have these feelings for you.”
“Lizzy, Will thought. Lizzy P. 'You n me gonna be buddies, darlin'. He stretched one hand to Elly's hair, and circled Donald Wade's rump with his free arm and touched Thomas's leg, on the far side of Elly. And he smiled at Lizzy P. and thought, Heaven's got nothin' on being the husband of Eleanor Dinsmore.”
A sweet read.
February 7, 2017
Terminada relectura de libro perteneciente a #RetoRita
Hace ya bastantes años que leí este libro por primera vez, y muchos más desde que conozco a esta autora. Lo he releído como si fuese la primera vez, después de cientos de libros más que he leído y de cambios de género dentro de la literatura romántica. Y a pesar del tiempo, y a pesar de los años que han pasado desde que lo escribió, la sensación es la misma. Lavyrle Spencer tiene un estilo muy definido que se transmite a lo largo de todos sus libros, nos traslada a épocas y atmósferas que no son la nuestra y eso hace que envejezcan muy bien, lo suyo no son los grandes plots, lo suyo son los personajes y las sensaciones.
En esta ocasión nos traslada a los años 40 en el Estados Unidos profundo, Will y Elly son dos personajes heridos por la vida, invadidos por la soledad, la autora hace un magnífico trabajo dejando que el lector sienta lo mismo que sienten ellos, que sientan como esa soledad se va tornando poco a poco en esperanza a medida que se van conociendo y se van enamorando. Ambos se salvan el uno al otro.
Una lectura sencilla, pero que a pesar de recurrir la autora en ocasiones a recursos fáciles, se torna muy emotiva. No me gusta hacer resúmenes de los libros, tan solo decir que con seguridad sentirás al leerlo mucha tristeza, para después terminar con esperanza, ternura y alegría. Recomendable.
Hace ya bastantes años que leí este libro por primera vez, y muchos más desde que conozco a esta autora. Lo he releído como si fuese la primera vez, después de cientos de libros más que he leído y de cambios de género dentro de la literatura romántica. Y a pesar del tiempo, y a pesar de los años que han pasado desde que lo escribió, la sensación es la misma. Lavyrle Spencer tiene un estilo muy definido que se transmite a lo largo de todos sus libros, nos traslada a épocas y atmósferas que no son la nuestra y eso hace que envejezcan muy bien, lo suyo no son los grandes plots, lo suyo son los personajes y las sensaciones.
En esta ocasión nos traslada a los años 40 en el Estados Unidos profundo, Will y Elly son dos personajes heridos por la vida, invadidos por la soledad, la autora hace un magnífico trabajo dejando que el lector sienta lo mismo que sienten ellos, que sientan como esa soledad se va tornando poco a poco en esperanza a medida que se van conociendo y se van enamorando. Ambos se salvan el uno al otro.
Una lectura sencilla, pero que a pesar de recurrir la autora en ocasiones a recursos fáciles, se torna muy emotiva. No me gusta hacer resúmenes de los libros, tan solo decir que con seguridad sentirás al leerlo mucha tristeza, para después terminar con esperanza, ternura y alegría. Recomendable.
November 24, 2018
Audio & Story 5++++ stars!!!
I loved Ellie and Will, but Miss Beasley stole my heart!
I read my first romance novel when I was 13. This book reminded me of why I became addicted to them. Of course, I'm grateful for the various amounts of romance novels available now. Variety is the spice of my reading life, after all, but I liked discovering that I could still enjoy an oldie. ;-)
I loved Ellie and Will, but Miss Beasley stole my heart!
I read my first romance novel when I was 13. This book reminded me of why I became addicted to them. Of course, I'm grateful for the various amounts of romance novels available now. Variety is the spice of my reading life, after all, but I liked discovering that I could still enjoy an oldie. ;-)
February 19, 2016
Many years ago I was a LaVyrle Spencer fan and I read lots of her books. I just came across this one which I had not read before and wondered if the magic was still there after all these years. It was. This author's main talent was always for the way she wrote her characters making them real with human needs and mistakes. As they struggle to make their own fairy stories come true they make the reader laugh and cry with genuine emotion. This is possibly one of her best books and I loved it. If you want to have your emotions let loose for a while grab a box of tissues and sit down with this delightful book. You will not be sorry:)
October 22, 2017
Me ha encantado no solo por la historia que cuenta sino por como la cuenta. Dos personas tan solas, tan frágiles, tan distantes no se pueden necesitar más ni se pueden amar menos. Ese amor lento, pausado, firme, real. Es increíble como una historia puede traerte esas sensaciones mientras la lees. Se la recomendaría a cualquier lector de novela romántica.
Un Rita más que merecido
https://millibrosenmibiblioteca.blogs...
Un Rita más que merecido
https://millibrosenmibiblioteca.blogs...
April 26, 2021
3 Stars
Overall Opinion: This was a cute story that had me smiling and laughing a few times. I liked the wholesomely good connection between these two and how they both loved each other. It did get a to be a little too much of the mushy stuff at times, but I barreled through. It did feel long because it felt like it took me a long time to read. It flowed well for the most part, but I think just a lot happens in the book to where it didn’t feel like closure was in sight. While it ended on a good note, it felt like an odd time to end. To be completely honest, I think the last trial of drama they face wasn’t all that necessary and could’ve been edited out easily to make a more complete feeling ending. Overall, I didn’t hate it or anything, but I also didn’t love it....it was just okay.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Elly and Will’s story. Will is a wanderer trying to survive. Once he is let go from his position at the sawmill in a small Georgia town, he hears about the town’s crazy widow that put an add in the paper for a husband. He meets a very pregnant Elly with her two small sons and soon realizes that he can easily make a home working her late husband’s property and that she isn’t so crazy after all. They become fast friends and decide to get married after all, and then stronger feelings start to develop. There is some past baggage they have to work through, some sweet scenes with Elle’s kids, the start of WWII, and some town drama...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between focusing mainly on Elly and Will (and some side characters) in 3rd person narrative.
Overall Pace of Story: Alright. I never skimmed but this felt long, and it kinda was @ 432 pages in my kindle app.
Instalove:No, they become friends first then it turns into more.
H (Hero) rating: 4 stars. Will. I liked him. I liked how he craved to be loved and how he loved in return.
h (heroine) rating: 4 stars. Elly. I liked her. I liked how she appreciated the small things and loved her family.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes, but mild
Heat level: Low. They have some non-descriptive scenes -- but not very many and not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Not really. Not quite fade to black but not really descriptive either.
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Kind of
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes, but only physically
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This ends in a good place with a HEA ending
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
Overall Opinion: This was a cute story that had me smiling and laughing a few times. I liked the wholesomely good connection between these two and how they both loved each other. It did get a to be a little too much of the mushy stuff at times, but I barreled through. It did feel long because it felt like it took me a long time to read. It flowed well for the most part, but I think just a lot happens in the book to where it didn’t feel like closure was in sight. While it ended on a good note, it felt like an odd time to end. To be completely honest, I think the last trial of drama they face wasn’t all that necessary and could’ve been edited out easily to make a more complete feeling ending. Overall, I didn’t hate it or anything, but I also didn’t love it....it was just okay.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Elly and Will’s story. Will is a wanderer trying to survive. Once he is let go from his position at the sawmill in a small Georgia town, he hears about the town’s crazy widow that put an add in the paper for a husband. He meets a very pregnant Elly with her two small sons and soon realizes that he can easily make a home working her late husband’s property and that she isn’t so crazy after all. They become fast friends and decide to get married after all, and then stronger feelings start to develop. There is some past baggage they have to work through, some sweet scenes with Elle’s kids, the start of WWII, and some town drama...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between focusing mainly on Elly and Will (and some side characters) in 3rd person narrative.
Overall Pace of Story: Alright. I never skimmed but this felt long, and it kinda was @ 432 pages in my kindle app.
Instalove:No, they become friends first then it turns into more.
H (Hero) rating: 4 stars. Will. I liked him. I liked how he craved to be loved and how he loved in return.
h (heroine) rating: 4 stars. Elly. I liked her. I liked how she appreciated the small things and loved her family.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes, but mild
Heat level: Low. They have some non-descriptive scenes -- but not very many and not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Not really. Not quite fade to black but not really descriptive either.
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Kind of
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes, but only physically
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This ends in a good place with a HEA ending
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
December 29, 2017
Lectura 18 del #RetoRita. 4,5. Este libro es, como su nombre indica, una pequeña maravilla. No conocía a la autora y me ha sorprendido gratamente, pues es capaz de situarte en los años 40 de una manera magistral. Me han encantado los atípicos protagonistas para la época, dos seres solitarios y heridos pero buenos por naturaleza a los que la vida ha maltratado y lo único que quieren es un lugar al que llamar hogar, amar y ser amados. Y también cómo crece entre ellos ese amor, así como ese plantel de secundarios donde brillan con personalidad propia los niños y esa portentosa Srta. Beasley, cuya amistad con Will es una de las partes más bonitas del libro. Pena del exceso de descripciones y de ese dramático giro final que, para mí, desluce un poco esta bonita historia. Muy recomendable.
October 8, 2016
Ayyyyyy no conocía nada de esa autora y con este libro me he SUPER ENAMORADO!!!! Cuantas no darían por tener a un Will a su lado!??? Su nombre le hace mas que justicia al libro, es una MARAVILLA!!!!! Si lees género romántico, no te puedes perder esta entrega porque es una historia que te llega al corazón...
April 16, 2015
Will is an ex-convict, recently released from prison, hungry and all alone in the world, having nowhere to go and no place to call home. Elly is a widow with two children and one more on the way, who has lived most of her life as a recluse, shunned by others and considered mad. She needs a husband to help her with the work around the house. Despair and a newspaper ad will bring them together.
I find this book truly wonderful and I will explain why. Firstly, I felt an instant connection to the characters. The book begins with Will and I felt like I knew and loved him not more than two pages in the story. This is an excellent example of how showing is better than telling. Will didn't complain about his past, his problems and his situation and I could tell he was miserable through the narration of past events and things that happened to him instead of through Will's endless whining about his pitiful situation. And this made me love him even more. Same goes for Elly. This is what I call a pair of strong, memorable characters.
The plot didn't move the way I expected it to, but it still managed to exceed my already high expectations. I thought this would be a simple marriage-of-convenience story, but it was much more than that. Will and Elly lived together from the beginning. Will helped Elly around the house, took charge of everything and provided for her, but they weren't a couple and they didn't get married until some months later when they already knew each other for months and had developed feelings stronger than the bonds of friendship they shared from the beginning, though in secret, without daring to say it out loud. Will thought he was worthless and unlovable, Elly thought she was plain and not bright enough. Both thought they didn't deserve each other, but it was clear they were perfect together.
The inner struggle of the characters was really heartwrenching. Will is the most honourable human being I've ever read about and though I loved Elly from the beginning, it was around the end of the book when she shone the brightest.
Will and Elly are complex, round and three-dimensional characters and I have nothing negative to say about this book apart from some pacing issues in some parts, which may as well be because I read Morning Glory in a very busy week and I had to read two pages, put it down then pick it up again and it went like that until I finished it. Even though this dampened my reading experience and didn't allow me to enjoy this book to the fullest, I still loved it and I can't give anything less than five stars. It deserves them.
Set in America during the second World War, not a typical setting for an HR, LaVyrle Spencer has managed to impress me with her writing skills and amazing characters and has penned a story that most readers will appreciate and fall in love with.
I find this book truly wonderful and I will explain why. Firstly, I felt an instant connection to the characters. The book begins with Will and I felt like I knew and loved him not more than two pages in the story. This is an excellent example of how showing is better than telling. Will didn't complain about his past, his problems and his situation and I could tell he was miserable through the narration of past events and things that happened to him instead of through Will's endless whining about his pitiful situation. And this made me love him even more. Same goes for Elly. This is what I call a pair of strong, memorable characters.
The plot didn't move the way I expected it to, but it still managed to exceed my already high expectations. I thought this would be a simple marriage-of-convenience story, but it was much more than that. Will and Elly lived together from the beginning. Will helped Elly around the house, took charge of everything and provided for her, but they weren't a couple and they didn't get married until some months later when they already knew each other for months and had developed feelings stronger than the bonds of friendship they shared from the beginning, though in secret, without daring to say it out loud. Will thought he was worthless and unlovable, Elly thought she was plain and not bright enough. Both thought they didn't deserve each other, but it was clear they were perfect together.
The inner struggle of the characters was really heartwrenching. Will is the most honourable human being I've ever read about and though I loved Elly from the beginning, it was around the end of the book when she shone the brightest.
Will and Elly are complex, round and three-dimensional characters and I have nothing negative to say about this book apart from some pacing issues in some parts, which may as well be because I read Morning Glory in a very busy week and I had to read two pages, put it down then pick it up again and it went like that until I finished it. Even though this dampened my reading experience and didn't allow me to enjoy this book to the fullest, I still loved it and I can't give anything less than five stars. It deserves them.
Set in America during the second World War, not a typical setting for an HR, LaVyrle Spencer has managed to impress me with her writing skills and amazing characters and has penned a story that most readers will appreciate and fall in love with.
April 7, 2017
Las 5 Estrellitas. ¡Qué maravilla de novela! Lo empecé bastante dudosa sobre lo que podría encontrarme. Aunque soy de novela histórica, tan reciente, como es la Segunda Guerra Mundial no me llama, y el ambiente en una granja americana (no sé si llamarlo novela del Oeste, no creo que sea correcto) tampoco. Así que tuve mis reticencias, primero por la ambientación, y segundo por las buenísimas críticas que he leído en todos lados. Casi siempre tengo la mala costumbre de dejarme llevar por las críticas, y si son buenas espero que el libro sea maravilloso y me llevo un chasco, pero en éste caso puedo deciros que "Maravilla" ha cumplido todas y cada una de ésas expectativas.
En "Maravilla" tenemos una historia sobre dos personajes que han sido parias de su sociedad, dos personas dolidas y rotas, que merecen una segunda oportunidad, que tienen la suerte de encontrarse, que son compatibles, y que iniciarán uno de los romances más bonitos que he leído.
El libro empieza en vísperas de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, en un pequeño pueblo agrícola del estado de Georgia. Will Parker ha sido despedido de su primer empleo en un aserradero, debido a que el jefe se entera de que ha estado en la cárcel. Will cumplió condena durante cinco años. Es un hombre que nunca ha recibido amor ni cariño, y los cinco años en la cárcel le sirvieron para formar al hombre que es ahora, un hombre que quiere librarse de su pasado y labrarse un futuro honradamente ¿Pero quién puede darle una oportunidad a un paria?
Elly Dinsmore, la chica rara del pueblo, que tuvo una crianza extraña y peculiar, debido a su horrorosa familia, es ahora una mujer solitaria que vive apartada en su granja y sin acercarse para nada al pueblo que tanto la vejó y humilló en su infancia. Tuvo la suerte de casarse con un granjero que la quiso y la trató bien y que nunca la miró como la rara del pueblo. Ahora es una viuda con dos niños pequeños y embarazada de cinco meses. Tras quedar viuda repentinamente, puso un anuncio en un periódico donde buscaba marido para que la ayudara a llevar la granja.
Así es como Will y Elly se conocen. Cuando él sabe del anuncio, se presenta sin esperanzas, pero Elly ve más en él que el hecho de que estuvo en la cárcel. Ve a un hombre que ha sufrido como ella, ve a un hombre honrado del que puede fiarse, y así se lo demostrarán los primeros días que él trabaja para ella.
Lo que más me ha gustado de la novela es cómo se fragua ésa historia de amor, tan despacio y tan creíble, las miradas que se echan, cómo Will trata a los niños de Elly, cómo él se desvive por ella trabajando y reparando su granja destartalada para convertirla en algo aprovechable viendo los malos tiempos que se avecinan. Es una historia tan bonita, tan real, que es imposible que decepcione. Es una novela que tiene de todo, comedia, drama... qué lloros me he echado, ya ni os cuento cuando estalla la guerra y Estados Unidos se une a los aliados. O también cómo el romance de Will y Elly es amenazado por la buscona del pueblo.
Pero también es una novela con una gran evolución en sus personajes, ambos cambian, maduran, gracias al amor que se profesan, a sus decisiones y sobre todo por la aparición de ciertos personajes secundarios, como la señorita Beasley, la bibliotecaria o Lydia Marsh, y por supuesto los niños de Elly, que han amenizado mucho la novela, y nos han mostrado el lado más humano de sus protagonistas. Personajes que verán más allá del pasado de sus protagonistas y que los ayudarán a superarse durante toda la historia.
De modo que ha pasado a ser una de mis novelas de cabecera, de la que pienso que toda lectora de romántica debería leer, y de referencia para muchas escritoras, porque viendo actualmente el panorama de publicaciones editoriales, se debería aprender de novelas como ésta. Sin duda alguna la recomiendo, y no será la única novela que lea de LaVyrle Spencer.
En "Maravilla" tenemos una historia sobre dos personajes que han sido parias de su sociedad, dos personas dolidas y rotas, que merecen una segunda oportunidad, que tienen la suerte de encontrarse, que son compatibles, y que iniciarán uno de los romances más bonitos que he leído.
El libro empieza en vísperas de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, en un pequeño pueblo agrícola del estado de Georgia. Will Parker ha sido despedido de su primer empleo en un aserradero, debido a que el jefe se entera de que ha estado en la cárcel. Will cumplió condena durante cinco años. Es un hombre que nunca ha recibido amor ni cariño, y los cinco años en la cárcel le sirvieron para formar al hombre que es ahora, un hombre que quiere librarse de su pasado y labrarse un futuro honradamente ¿Pero quién puede darle una oportunidad a un paria?
Elly Dinsmore, la chica rara del pueblo, que tuvo una crianza extraña y peculiar, debido a su horrorosa familia, es ahora una mujer solitaria que vive apartada en su granja y sin acercarse para nada al pueblo que tanto la vejó y humilló en su infancia. Tuvo la suerte de casarse con un granjero que la quiso y la trató bien y que nunca la miró como la rara del pueblo. Ahora es una viuda con dos niños pequeños y embarazada de cinco meses. Tras quedar viuda repentinamente, puso un anuncio en un periódico donde buscaba marido para que la ayudara a llevar la granja.
Así es como Will y Elly se conocen. Cuando él sabe del anuncio, se presenta sin esperanzas, pero Elly ve más en él que el hecho de que estuvo en la cárcel. Ve a un hombre que ha sufrido como ella, ve a un hombre honrado del que puede fiarse, y así se lo demostrarán los primeros días que él trabaja para ella.
Lo que más me ha gustado de la novela es cómo se fragua ésa historia de amor, tan despacio y tan creíble, las miradas que se echan, cómo Will trata a los niños de Elly, cómo él se desvive por ella trabajando y reparando su granja destartalada para convertirla en algo aprovechable viendo los malos tiempos que se avecinan. Es una historia tan bonita, tan real, que es imposible que decepcione. Es una novela que tiene de todo, comedia, drama... qué lloros me he echado, ya ni os cuento cuando estalla la guerra y Estados Unidos se une a los aliados. O también cómo el romance de Will y Elly es amenazado por la buscona del pueblo.
Pero también es una novela con una gran evolución en sus personajes, ambos cambian, maduran, gracias al amor que se profesan, a sus decisiones y sobre todo por la aparición de ciertos personajes secundarios, como la señorita Beasley, la bibliotecaria o Lydia Marsh, y por supuesto los niños de Elly, que han amenizado mucho la novela, y nos han mostrado el lado más humano de sus protagonistas. Personajes que verán más allá del pasado de sus protagonistas y que los ayudarán a superarse durante toda la historia.
De modo que ha pasado a ser una de mis novelas de cabecera, de la que pienso que toda lectora de romántica debería leer, y de referencia para muchas escritoras, porque viendo actualmente el panorama de publicaciones editoriales, se debería aprender de novelas como ésta. Sin duda alguna la recomiendo, y no será la única novela que lea de LaVyrle Spencer.
November 26, 2018
Re read November 2018
February 1, 2018
Una historia muy muy bonita.
May 29, 2017
#RetoRita15
Relectura. No puedo decir nada que no dijera en la reseña que hice la primera vez. Me ha vuelto a encantar.
Qué decir de este libro? pues que para mi ha sido eso, una maravilla.
No había leído nada de LaVyrle Spencer y después de leer este libro pienso que cómo he podido tardar tanto. Cómo sabéis valoro muchísimo los libros por lo que me hacen sentir, hay algunos mejor escritos que otros, con historias más o menos creíbles, más predecibles o no tanto, pero lo que me hacen sentir es lo que me hacen sentir.
En este caso me he encontrado en un pueblo de Georgia en 1941 y he conocido a Will a Elly y a sus niños.
Will, pobre, desgraciado y con un sentimiento de tristeza y desarraigo tan grande.... No se si me explico, ese sentimiento tan grande de soledad y tristeza que, en ocasiones y por circunstancias de la vida, nace en nosotros, se nos instala dentro va creciendo sin dejarnos ver ni un solo rayo de esperanza. Sin dejarnos ver que puede que algún día las cosas cambien. Ese sentimiento se hace tan fuerte a veces, que te acompaña, se hace tu "amigo" y hasta piensas que si algún día todo mejora, ese "amigo" saldrá para decirte "hola, creías que me habías dejado en el camino? pues no, yo sigo aquí".
Elly, viuda, muy sola, con niños que sacar adelante y con un pasado triste. Consciente de que necesita ayuda, toma una decisión.
Es una historia de vida cotidiana, de supervivencia en una mala época, de amistad y de amor. Un amor que se va fraguando poco a poco, con silencios, gestos, miedos, palabras no dichas y entre mucha incomprensión.
Es una historia de supervivencia, de capacidad encontrar y acunar ese rayo de esperanza que hace que se te llene el corazón y que, ese "amigo" que te acompañaba, desaparezca por completo.
He sentido con Will la pena de la soledad y de la incomprensión. Sus miedos y su alegría.
He sentido con Elly la bondad, sus miedos y también la incomprensión que la rodea.
Me he sentido entre unos pájaros, unos árboles, entre unas abejas, unas flores y un coche destartalado.
He sentido que tenía entre mis manos un libro lleno de sentimientos y momentos especiales. Ha tocado mi alma por la dureza y lo bonito de lo que cuenta.
Relectura. No puedo decir nada que no dijera en la reseña que hice la primera vez. Me ha vuelto a encantar.
Qué decir de este libro? pues que para mi ha sido eso, una maravilla.
No había leído nada de LaVyrle Spencer y después de leer este libro pienso que cómo he podido tardar tanto. Cómo sabéis valoro muchísimo los libros por lo que me hacen sentir, hay algunos mejor escritos que otros, con historias más o menos creíbles, más predecibles o no tanto, pero lo que me hacen sentir es lo que me hacen sentir.
En este caso me he encontrado en un pueblo de Georgia en 1941 y he conocido a Will a Elly y a sus niños.
Will, pobre, desgraciado y con un sentimiento de tristeza y desarraigo tan grande.... No se si me explico, ese sentimiento tan grande de soledad y tristeza que, en ocasiones y por circunstancias de la vida, nace en nosotros, se nos instala dentro va creciendo sin dejarnos ver ni un solo rayo de esperanza. Sin dejarnos ver que puede que algún día las cosas cambien. Ese sentimiento se hace tan fuerte a veces, que te acompaña, se hace tu "amigo" y hasta piensas que si algún día todo mejora, ese "amigo" saldrá para decirte "hola, creías que me habías dejado en el camino? pues no, yo sigo aquí".
Elly, viuda, muy sola, con niños que sacar adelante y con un pasado triste. Consciente de que necesita ayuda, toma una decisión.
Es una historia de vida cotidiana, de supervivencia en una mala época, de amistad y de amor. Un amor que se va fraguando poco a poco, con silencios, gestos, miedos, palabras no dichas y entre mucha incomprensión.
Es una historia de supervivencia, de capacidad encontrar y acunar ese rayo de esperanza que hace que se te llene el corazón y que, ese "amigo" que te acompañaba, desaparezca por completo.
He sentido con Will la pena de la soledad y de la incomprensión. Sus miedos y su alegría.
He sentido con Elly la bondad, sus miedos y también la incomprensión que la rodea.
Me he sentido entre unos pájaros, unos árboles, entre unas abejas, unas flores y un coche destartalado.
He sentido que tenía entre mis manos un libro lleno de sentimientos y momentos especiales. Ha tocado mi alma por la dureza y lo bonito de lo que cuenta.
November 25, 2010
No one wrote a love story quite like LaVyrle Spencer did. I haven't read another author who got me to care that much about her characters -- butterflies in my stomach, ache in my heart, lump in my throat.
Spencer had a very specific talent. Her heroes weren't always impossibly handsome, nor were her heroines long-tressed beauties with perfect lips. There were no pirate ships or ballrooms or carriages. She took run-of-the-mill folks and made them beautiful. Just ordinary people, leading regular lives. Spencer's talent lay in making these people come alive - they virtually jump off the pages.
In Morning Glory they were people like Elly Dinsmore - five months pregnant, poor, with brown hair that needed washing and a tired face that was old before it's time. And Will Parker. He is thin, hungry, desperate. Needing a haircut with "brown eyes that looked as if he worked hard to keep the expression out of them".
Elly has spent most of her life living in a house with the blinds drawn. She was born out of wedlock to the daughter of a travelling preacher and watched her mother go crazy and die inside the house. She has always been a recluse, known as "Crazy Elly" to everyone in town. She married to escape; now widowed, with 2 small boys and pregnant with her third, she advertises in the classifieds for a husband.
Will has never belonged anywhere. Abandoned as an infant, living in foster homes until he struck out on his own at 14, he bounced around from place to place. His last bounce ended him in prison convicted of murder. He has just been fired from a labourer's job after his record is discovered. He is mocked by the foreman who suggests he reply to Crazy Elly's ad for husband. Desperate and almost starving, he does.
No one had ever given either a chance. This book is about Elly and Will - and the chances they took with each other. To Will, Elly represents everything he never had -- a home, a family, a mother, a lover, a wife, a place where he belongs. For Elly, Will is a father for her children, a provider, a man. Most of all, he shows her what love is - passionate, romantic, unconditional love. They become so much more together than they ever were alone. They stand taller, prouder, they are beautiful - first to each other then to themselves. They each redeem the other.
I won't give away much more of the story than I already have -- Will and Elly marry, of course, but there is so much more to the book -- a wonderfully drawn secondary character, a couple of villians. Will joins the Marines and ships out to the South Pacific. A section of the book is simply their letters to each other, full of love and yearning. Beautifully done. Will returns home with Purple Heart and a bit of PTSD; there is a murder and their relationship is tested.
My rating when I re-read this book recently was 4 stars. I've been thinking about it while writing this, and looking at other reviews. One review had as it's tag line "A tender story of longing and fulfillment..." and it really is. Another said "Spencer is a master storyteller, and this is one of her best", and it's that too. So I'm changing my rating to a 5 star.
This book made my heart hurt. I didn't want it to end.
Highly recommended!!!
Spencer had a very specific talent. Her heroes weren't always impossibly handsome, nor were her heroines long-tressed beauties with perfect lips. There were no pirate ships or ballrooms or carriages. She took run-of-the-mill folks and made them beautiful. Just ordinary people, leading regular lives. Spencer's talent lay in making these people come alive - they virtually jump off the pages.
In Morning Glory they were people like Elly Dinsmore - five months pregnant, poor, with brown hair that needed washing and a tired face that was old before it's time. And Will Parker. He is thin, hungry, desperate. Needing a haircut with "brown eyes that looked as if he worked hard to keep the expression out of them".
Elly has spent most of her life living in a house with the blinds drawn. She was born out of wedlock to the daughter of a travelling preacher and watched her mother go crazy and die inside the house. She has always been a recluse, known as "Crazy Elly" to everyone in town. She married to escape; now widowed, with 2 small boys and pregnant with her third, she advertises in the classifieds for a husband.
Will has never belonged anywhere. Abandoned as an infant, living in foster homes until he struck out on his own at 14, he bounced around from place to place. His last bounce ended him in prison convicted of murder. He has just been fired from a labourer's job after his record is discovered. He is mocked by the foreman who suggests he reply to Crazy Elly's ad for husband. Desperate and almost starving, he does.
No one had ever given either a chance. This book is about Elly and Will - and the chances they took with each other. To Will, Elly represents everything he never had -- a home, a family, a mother, a lover, a wife, a place where he belongs. For Elly, Will is a father for her children, a provider, a man. Most of all, he shows her what love is - passionate, romantic, unconditional love. They become so much more together than they ever were alone. They stand taller, prouder, they are beautiful - first to each other then to themselves. They each redeem the other.
I won't give away much more of the story than I already have -- Will and Elly marry, of course, but there is so much more to the book -- a wonderfully drawn secondary character, a couple of villians. Will joins the Marines and ships out to the South Pacific. A section of the book is simply their letters to each other, full of love and yearning. Beautifully done. Will returns home with Purple Heart and a bit of PTSD; there is a murder and their relationship is tested.
My rating when I re-read this book recently was 4 stars. I've been thinking about it while writing this, and looking at other reviews. One review had as it's tag line "A tender story of longing and fulfillment..." and it really is. Another said "Spencer is a master storyteller, and this is one of her best", and it's that too. So I'm changing my rating to a 5 star.
This book made my heart hurt. I didn't want it to end.
Highly recommended!!!
March 23, 2015
Will Parker had hit rock bottom. He was finally free after spending five years in prison. Thin to the point of appearing emaciated, cautious and scared of the future, he agreed to marry the 'Crazy Widow Dinsmore' in exchange for assisting her with her home. A littered yard, squeaky door hinges, a musty barn and a broken ladder were just a few of the things that needed attending.
Five months pregnant and with two little ones, Elly Dinsmore needed a man around the house. She had put an ad in the local newspaper along with placing some bulletins around town inviting men to apply. Her offer? Marriage, with a place to live, in exchange for some help. No one had answered her offer until Will appeared in the yard.
A little impatient and somewhat bossy, she sensed but couldn't fully comprehend what Will's past had been like. She had loved her husband even though he was a dreamer with little common sense. He died doing something foolish and left her to fend for herself and their children.
She desperately needed someone to help her.
"In the hayloft, Will sank his head into a pillow made of real feathers and stretched out on the soft handmade quilt. His belly was full, his teeth were clean, his skin smelled of soap. And somewhere out there was a mule, and beehives and chickens and a house with possibilities.
She was going to keep him!"
This homespun romance traveled back to 1941 with World War Two on the immediate horizon. If you have never read a historical romance by LaVyrle Spencer, I suggest you try this story first. It contains a plucky, common-sense heroine, a man that will melt your heart, earthy children, a cow named Herbert, an unusual friendship and so much more. You will smile and, like me, you will probably cry.
The only thing I had minor issues with was the southern twang the author used. It might be hard to follow for those readers not familiar with the idiosyncrasies Ms. Spencer uses. And no, most of us living in the southern U.S. do not talk like that! There, I said it. :-)
Lastly, if you enjoy this time period and want to read another historical romance with a different picture of World War Two, try Ann Howard Creel's THE MAGIC Of ORDINARY DAYS. I originally watched the Hallmark movie, loved it and then read the book. The movie is a slightly different version of the story that has been cleansed. I also gave that romance five stars.
Five months pregnant and with two little ones, Elly Dinsmore needed a man around the house. She had put an ad in the local newspaper along with placing some bulletins around town inviting men to apply. Her offer? Marriage, with a place to live, in exchange for some help. No one had answered her offer until Will appeared in the yard.
A little impatient and somewhat bossy, she sensed but couldn't fully comprehend what Will's past had been like. She had loved her husband even though he was a dreamer with little common sense. He died doing something foolish and left her to fend for herself and their children.
She desperately needed someone to help her.
"In the hayloft, Will sank his head into a pillow made of real feathers and stretched out on the soft handmade quilt. His belly was full, his teeth were clean, his skin smelled of soap. And somewhere out there was a mule, and beehives and chickens and a house with possibilities.
She was going to keep him!"
This homespun romance traveled back to 1941 with World War Two on the immediate horizon. If you have never read a historical romance by LaVyrle Spencer, I suggest you try this story first. It contains a plucky, common-sense heroine, a man that will melt your heart, earthy children, a cow named Herbert, an unusual friendship and so much more. You will smile and, like me, you will probably cry.
The only thing I had minor issues with was the southern twang the author used. It might be hard to follow for those readers not familiar with the idiosyncrasies Ms. Spencer uses. And no, most of us living in the southern U.S. do not talk like that! There, I said it. :-)
Lastly, if you enjoy this time period and want to read another historical romance with a different picture of World War Two, try Ann Howard Creel's THE MAGIC Of ORDINARY DAYS. I originally watched the Hallmark movie, loved it and then read the book. The movie is a slightly different version of the story that has been cleansed. I also gave that romance five stars.
January 10, 2015
5+++ stars
Simply a beautiful love story :)
Simply a beautiful love story :)
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