Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Bethany House Publishers (2010), 352 pages
Description
With no means to support herself, Ellie Kilmer agrees to work as a housekeeper for the young widower who lives on Dillon Island, hopeful she can obtain a proper reference. But Jackson Smith quickly realizes that Ellie's presence may solve his own problems--both the rearing of his young boys and the scandal that surrounds his first marriage. When a marriage of convenience is offered, Ellie is initially humiliated. Though she is past the age most women marry, she has more pride than to agree to his outlandish suggestion. Yet what options does she have? To marry would mean a home and stability. So despite the rumors circling Jackson and his first wife, Ellie accepts this unlikely proposal...
User reviews
LibraryThing member dk_phoenix
A nice story without much substance.
The plot itself is mediocre and winds its way along without taking any risks or leaps, staying predictable and comfortable. Thus I would say, if you want a book that isn’t going to surprise you and that you can simply follow along for the sake of following a
However, that’s also what bothered me. There weren’t any risks. The main character was flawless, despite the “secret” she held (which you can guess in the first 10 pages) — even the cookstove that she struggles with and burns food on isn’t much of a flaw at all, as it’s something external that she has to conquer. The things others see as flaws — she’s too old to ever find a husband, she’s plain-looking — aren’t flaws, they’re external obstacles. Where’s the internal development? Where’s the weak point that helps us regular people connect with the character?
The hero of the story is definitely flawed, but the problem is with his reactionary attitude throughout the novel. I understand why he does it, as the back story clearly explains, but he doesn’t learn and reacts the same way every time. Yes, I get that he’s stubborn, but it would help to have a little more dialogue to flesh out the reactions rather than the basic “extreme action + consequence + revelation that he’s in the wrong” every single time.
Finally, the love angle. Oh, how this bothered me to no end. In a story like this, you know that the couple is going to fall in love by the end of the book, it’s no secret. You read these books for the journey, not for the end result, and that’s where the charm lies — or is supposed to. I kept waiting for hints on both sides, things that would make me believe that they were truly falling for each other, but I was disappointed and felt slightly cheated… because in the end, we’re told that they’ve fallen for each other, rather than truly and honestly shown. Personally, I thought the heroine’s side of the story was the most cheated of the two, as we learn in one sentence that she’s developed feelings for him, rather than having the reader follow the development of those feelings from the get-go.
In Conclusion…
Like I said at the beginning of the review, if you want a comfortable read, this is the kind of book to go to. It does exactly what you expect (in fact, my husband read the back cover copy, smiled, and proceeded to ‘predict’ the plot… which he got exactly right), and in that respect it does what it promises the reader it will do. So that’s a good thing!
I only wish that there had been some more risks taken within the story (and character development!), and that the love story follow-through hadn’t been rushed — a bit better pacing in that area would have made this a more well-rounded book.
I’d say this is another one for church libraries — many women borrow from their church libraries looking for “comfort reads”, so I believe it would find a wide audience there.
The plot itself is mediocre and winds its way along without taking any risks or leaps, staying predictable and comfortable. Thus I would say, if you want a book that isn’t going to surprise you and that you can simply follow along for the sake of following a
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nice story, this one’s for you.However, that’s also what bothered me. There weren’t any risks. The main character was flawless, despite the “secret” she held (which you can guess in the first 10 pages) — even the cookstove that she struggles with and burns food on isn’t much of a flaw at all, as it’s something external that she has to conquer. The things others see as flaws — she’s too old to ever find a husband, she’s plain-looking — aren’t flaws, they’re external obstacles. Where’s the internal development? Where’s the weak point that helps us regular people connect with the character?
The hero of the story is definitely flawed, but the problem is with his reactionary attitude throughout the novel. I understand why he does it, as the back story clearly explains, but he doesn’t learn and reacts the same way every time. Yes, I get that he’s stubborn, but it would help to have a little more dialogue to flesh out the reactions rather than the basic “extreme action + consequence + revelation that he’s in the wrong” every single time.
Finally, the love angle. Oh, how this bothered me to no end. In a story like this, you know that the couple is going to fall in love by the end of the book, it’s no secret. You read these books for the journey, not for the end result, and that’s where the charm lies — or is supposed to. I kept waiting for hints on both sides, things that would make me believe that they were truly falling for each other, but I was disappointed and felt slightly cheated… because in the end, we’re told that they’ve fallen for each other, rather than truly and honestly shown. Personally, I thought the heroine’s side of the story was the most cheated of the two, as we learn in one sentence that she’s developed feelings for him, rather than having the reader follow the development of those feelings from the get-go.
In Conclusion…
Like I said at the beginning of the review, if you want a comfortable read, this is the kind of book to go to. It does exactly what you expect (in fact, my husband read the back cover copy, smiled, and proceeded to ‘predict’ the plot… which he got exactly right), and in that respect it does what it promises the reader it will do. So that’s a good thing!
I only wish that there had been some more risks taken within the story (and character development!), and that the love story follow-through hadn’t been rushed — a bit better pacing in that area would have made this a more well-rounded book.
I’d say this is another one for church libraries — many women borrow from their church libraries looking for “comfort reads”, so I believe it would find a wide audience there.
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LibraryThing member foggidawn
Ellie Kilmer, a not-quite-middle-aged spinster, goes to Dillon's Island hoping for temporary employment that will provide her with a reference and help her become self-sufficient, rather than dependent on her overbearing relatives. Instead, she finds two little boys grieving their mother's death,
This Christian historical fiction novel makes use of several conventions of the genre, particularly the marriage of convenience. The writing is undistinguished, but the plot is gripping enough to keep the reader's attention -- even if the reader is thinking the whole time, "If these two would just sit down and tell each other everything, they could stop having these problems and get on with their lives!" Secondary characters are fairly one-dimensional, though since so much of the action takes place in the tight family circle of Ellie, Jackson, and the boys, this is understandable. Fans of authors like Janette Oke and Tracie Peterson will enjoy this book.
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and a widower bitter over his wife's betrayal. Ellie is shocked when Jackson Smith asks her to marry him and take care of his sons, but when she considers it as a business arrangement, she decides it's worth trying. Ellie and Jackson both carry hurts from their past, and unless they learn to trust each other, their marriage is doomed to failure.This Christian historical fiction novel makes use of several conventions of the genre, particularly the marriage of convenience. The writing is undistinguished, but the plot is gripping enough to keep the reader's attention -- even if the reader is thinking the whole time, "If these two would just sit down and tell each other everything, they could stop having these problems and get on with their lives!" Secondary characters are fairly one-dimensional, though since so much of the action takes place in the tight family circle of Ellie, Jackson, and the boys, this is understandable. Fans of authors like Janette Oke and Tracie Peterson will enjoy this book.
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LibraryThing member love2readnovels
Ellie Kilmer has spent her life caring for her parents. In her thirties and well past marrying age she finds herself being shuffled off to her cousins house. He finds her a temporary job with a widower Jackson Smith caring for his two boys. After being hurt by his first wife he decides that love
I loved this story. The chemistry between the main characters was totally tangible. The emotions and feelings of Ellie and Jackson were right-on. The dialog seemed true to life. I loved the inner strength Ellie displayed and the way she trusted God through everything. She was honest with Jackson even when he didn't want to hear it but she did it lovingly. Jackson was a wonderful tortured hero. He had so many buried hurts that affected how he reacted to Ellie. But he really didn't set out to be cruel. Another thing I appreciated about this story was the fact that Ellie was a plain girl but beautiful in heart. This story kept me turning page after page. I highly recommend it.
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isn't the answer but Ellie is good with the boys and trustworthy. So he proposes a marriage between them in name only. He would have someone care for his boys and she would have a home to call her own. Can two hurting people find love together with God's help or will fear, pride and an old flame get in the way?I loved this story. The chemistry between the main characters was totally tangible. The emotions and feelings of Ellie and Jackson were right-on. The dialog seemed true to life. I loved the inner strength Ellie displayed and the way she trusted God through everything. She was honest with Jackson even when he didn't want to hear it but she did it lovingly. Jackson was a wonderful tortured hero. He had so many buried hurts that affected how he reacted to Ellie. But he really didn't set out to be cruel. Another thing I appreciated about this story was the fact that Ellie was a plain girl but beautiful in heart. This story kept me turning page after page. I highly recommend it.
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LibraryThing member judyg54
This story revolves around two main characters. Ellie Kilmer, who has seen her marriage prospects pass her by while she cares for her elderly parents, and Jackson Smith, who has lost his wife through drowning and left him with his two young boys. Now one might think this is just another story like
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all the rest, Ellie helps out Jackson and they fall in love and end of story, but for me it was a much deeper story. What I liked about this story is that Ellie isn't a pretty girl and doesn't turn into a pretty woman in the story. She is a faithful and loving woman, who has had to love when she was unloved and show forgiveness time and time again for when she has been wrongly treated. A vital aspect to making their marraige work was communication and being honest with each other. It was a refreshing look at a story line I have read many different ways. Show Less
LibraryThing member Raenolt
I was VERY excited to win Hearts Awakening by Delia Parr. When I started this book, I realized it was one I wasn't going to be able to put down until I knew all the secrets to the book. Ellie and Jackson marry for convenience and try to make their marriage work. The little ups and downs they have
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along the way help them to fall in love with each other. On a side note, I wished the author would have written one more chapter and not ended so fast. Without giving away the ending, I felt it ended fairly fast after EVERYTHING happens. But over all, this was an amazing book and I would share it with others! Show Less
LibraryThing member polarmath
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was great to read about how things were during this time period and watching the relationship progress between Ellie and Jackson and between Ellie and the boys. I would love a sequel telling more about them or expanding on another character and telling bits
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about them along the way. Show Less
LibraryThing member hlsabnani
I had high hopes for this book (an early review) but was rather disappointed. It definitely needed more character development. The end seemed particularly rushed, like the author needed to finish quickly to make a deadline or page limit quota. I know most Christian fiction wraps up well, but this
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story up until that point was a little more realistic. (Expect for the totally overblown temper of the leading man). Show Less
LibraryThing member WCallister
This was an excellent book. The story was different to anything I've read recently. It kept me interested straight through the entire book.
LibraryThing member mszacman
This book presented a refreshing perspective on an idea that has been done many times before in Christian historical fiction. I was pleasantly surprised, and I enjoyed it very much. I wanted to read the book straight through to find out what would happen with Ellie and Jackson's marriage of
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convenience. Even though the ending was fairly predictable, the events leading up to it were not, so the reader is captivated all the way through. Show Less
LibraryThing member starbritejan
I really enjoyed this book. I have read other books similiar to this one but this one kept my interest throughout the book. Even though you are fairly sure how the ending wil be all the events leading up to it are interesting! I read this book in one sitting couldn't put it down.
LibraryThing member kwells
I enjoyed the premise of this book - a marriage of convenience to benefit both parties that eventually turns into love. Jackson Smith needs a mother for his children and Ellie Kilmer needs a place to live. The setting, a Pennsylvania island in the 1840s, was interesting as well. I liked the
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characters (except, of course, for the ones we're not supposed to like). Show Less
LibraryThing member rjmoren
I absolutely loved this book! Christian historical fiction does not usually hold my interest but this was an exception. The characters were well formed and the descriptions of the island were very good. I loved that Ellie was a strong woman and helped Jackson find his faith again. It was entirely
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believable as the boys rejected Ellie as their new mother. I liked all the adventures and mishaps that the family went through and how in the end, they were truly a family put together as God intended. Show Less
LibraryThing member ReviewsbyMolly
Amazing work!Amazing author! Amazing cover! I love it! A heart-wrenching story of faith tested and struggles only God can help with. HEARTS AWAKENING is a sweet, meaningful historical that I would read again and again!
Delia Parr knows how to truly make her readers feel apart of the story. Through
I recommend everyone who loves historical fiction to take a trip back into time and meet Ellie & Jackson. Reading their captivating story will take your breath away and strengthen your faith. So grab a copy of this 5 star, charming story about a marriage of convenience and fall in love with new faith and new friends!Get ready to hunger for reading more of Delia's work, which we will get the chance to do so in September of 2010 with the release of LOVE'S FIRST BLOOM!
Delia Parr knows how to truly make her readers feel apart of the story. Through
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her breath-taking story line and magnificent characters, she teaches a lesson of romance, secrets, God's amazing grace and forgiveness. It creates an unforgettable story. This book is filled with every emotion from heartache to humor to anger and love. I recommend everyone who loves historical fiction to take a trip back into time and meet Ellie & Jackson. Reading their captivating story will take your breath away and strengthen your faith. So grab a copy of this 5 star, charming story about a marriage of convenience and fall in love with new faith and new friends!Get ready to hunger for reading more of Delia's work, which we will get the chance to do so in September of 2010 with the release of LOVE'S FIRST BLOOM!
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LibraryThing member tarenn
HEARTS AWAKENING by Delia Parr is a wonderful, touching Inspirational Historical Romance set in 1840 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It is fast paced, page turning written with depth and details. It has hope, despair, hurt, anger, betrayal, secrets, mistrust, misunderstanding, faith, hardship,
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forgiveness, courage, love and strength. The characters jump off the page, they same so real and true. What an enduring story of love and faith. This is a sweet tender love story and the hardship, and devotion two small boys, their father and their new mother endure and come out on top. The hero,Jackson, is a widow of six months, has two small boys, is ridden with scandal of his wife's affair and death.The heroine, Ellie, is a spinster, needs work, is plain, longs for a family of her own and a home of her own. Although, Ellie is plain, has no outer beauty, she has an inner beauty of faith and spirit. Jackson asks Ellie to marry him after only knowing her for two days,She was sent by her cousin to work for Jackson as penance for learning something about her cousin. She agrees to the marriage, they set rules more for her to live by than Jackson. For he has trouble trusting her, due to the scandal around his first wife. What happens is short of a miracle. Jackson sees Ellie's inner beauty and how much she loves him,what their live together could be, his children and her undeterred faith. I would highly recommend this story, especially if you enjoy a beautiful tender love story. This book was received for review and details can be found at Bethany House Publishers and My Book Addiction and More. Show Less
LibraryThing member jmmatlock
I grew up reading Janette Oke's historical Christian fiction and loved every one. So I was excited to discover that I'd been sent Hearts Awakening by Delia Parr as part of LibraryThing's early reviewer program. The original description when I signed up for the book had suggested that Delia Parr's
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writing style closely resembles Janette Oke's. I was not disappointed. In fact, I found myself often comparing the plot of Hearts Awakening to the plot of Janette Oke's Love Come Softly. They both tell the story of a marriage of convenience, she marries him for a home and he marries her to have a mother for his child(ren). However, Delia Parr truly has her own style and substance as she weaves throughout her story bits of mystery and struggles in faith. This is a beautiful story of love, faith and trust, and I highly recommend it! Show Less
LibraryThing member lyssa73
I really, really liked this book in the beginning. Apart from mail order bride stories, coming across historical fiction that goes beyond the vows is rare, so I was really looking forward to reading about a married couple.
My heart broke for Ellie over the calloused way that Jackson thought of her,
I really enjoyed the Christian themes and challenges regarding honesty and faithfulness, trust and forgiveness. I thought the role of stepmother was well done, though I found the complexity of the three year old a little unbelievable.
What really brought this book down, though, was the issue of Dorothea. Loving and lusting after a married woman is bad enough, but while being married himself? How does a Christian man not know that it's adultery, equal to what his wife did? And why does he think it would be acceptable to dissolve his marriage to Ellie, just because it's "in name only?" Since when has God ever been confined by the laws of man?! I don't know why he would think that just because the law said he could annul the marriage if he hadn't been consummated, that God would approve of his abandoning his commitment and responsibility to his wife. Why would Ellie accept that? None of this sat right with me; it just wasn't in line with God's words on marriage.
Then Dorothea comes into the picture... her husband has been dead a week? less? and she's immediately writing a former flame not just to renew an acquaintance, but to demand professions of love? WHAT?! there's not even a word for how inappropriate that is. Then, let's add to the fact, that she must be aware that Jackson is now married himself. No one questions her character based on these two facts?! Ellie doesn't question Jackson's character for not questioning Dorothea's?! Rather, she invites Dorothea to stay for dinner after catching her in her home. Oh. OH NO. There is SO much wrong here, it makes me nauseous. This was not an example of self sacrifice or love. This was just wrong.
My heart broke for Ellie over the calloused way that Jackson thought of her,
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spoke toward her, and allowed others to speak for her. Despite Ellie thinking that Jackson defended her, I didn't really see that. I saw him abruptly end conversations, which may have been appreciated, but were not the same as directly fending off the attacks against her.I really enjoyed the Christian themes and challenges regarding honesty and faithfulness, trust and forgiveness. I thought the role of stepmother was well done, though I found the complexity of the three year old a little unbelievable.
What really brought this book down, though, was the issue of Dorothea. Loving and lusting after a married woman is bad enough, but while being married himself? How does a Christian man not know that it's adultery, equal to what his wife did? And why does he think it would be acceptable to dissolve his marriage to Ellie, just because it's "in name only?" Since when has God ever been confined by the laws of man?! I don't know why he would think that just because the law said he could annul the marriage if he hadn't been consummated, that God would approve of his abandoning his commitment and responsibility to his wife. Why would Ellie accept that? None of this sat right with me; it just wasn't in line with God's words on marriage.
Then Dorothea comes into the picture... her husband has been dead a week? less? and she's immediately writing a former flame not just to renew an acquaintance, but to demand professions of love? WHAT?! there's not even a word for how inappropriate that is. Then, let's add to the fact, that she must be aware that Jackson is now married himself. No one questions her character based on these two facts?! Ellie doesn't question Jackson's character for not questioning Dorothea's?! Rather, she invites Dorothea to stay for dinner after catching her in her home. Oh. OH NO. There is SO much wrong here, it makes me nauseous. This was not an example of self sacrifice or love. This was just wrong.
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LibraryThing member caslater83
This was a good read. It wasn't the kind of book that drew me in right away, but it was a fair read. I felt that the characters needed some strengthening, but otherwise the story line was fine. I felt sorry for the boys who really didn't want a stepmother and I was sympathetic for the woman trying
I'm not sure I would want to read this book again. It doesn't really call out to me.
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to be a good wife and mother.I'm not sure I would want to read this book again. It doesn't really call out to me.
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LibraryThing member caslater83
This was a good read. It wasn't the kind of book that drew me in right away, but it was a fair read. I felt that the characters needed some strengthening, but otherwise the story line was fine. I felt sorry for the boys who really didn't want a stepmother and I was sympathetic for the woman trying
I'm not sure I would want to read this book again. It doesn't really call out to me.
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to be a good wife and mother.I'm not sure I would want to read this book again. It doesn't really call out to me.
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LibraryThing member BoiseCOC
This was a great old-fashioned love story. Ellie and Jackson have a marriage of convenience and their faith is tested when the struggles of step-parenting, small town gossip, and their own self images interfere. The characters and setting are well developed and the story is quite enjoyable.
LibraryThing member Sonya.Contreras
Elvira has no choice. She can either continue life as a spinster or marry this man as a business arrangement for the sake of his boys. But her faith is stretched when she sees not only his love for his boys, but his distrust and quick anger at her. This agreement is held by a thin thread as he
Although an interesting concept, several things stick out as "non-real." Men do not normally fight women. That includes verbal fights. When a woman "attacks" verbally, men will retreat into silence, rather than fight back. When Elvira thinks she has won an argument, she has just shown herself as non-submissive to his rules. He will retreat from her, but that doesn't mean he has conceded to what she has said.
There were too many instant fixes at the end that made for a quick ending, but not a satisfying one. Anger is not controlled by just an apology and a "I'll try better."
Her faith seemed to lean on God, but she forgot as a Christian that his must, too. Going to church does not equate to faith in God, although many "Christian" books are making that connection.
The spiritual lessons are deeper than just pat answers, which was a refreshing change to other books.
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constantly threatens to send her away for any rule she breaks. How can any business stand against that?Although an interesting concept, several things stick out as "non-real." Men do not normally fight women. That includes verbal fights. When a woman "attacks" verbally, men will retreat into silence, rather than fight back. When Elvira thinks she has won an argument, she has just shown herself as non-submissive to his rules. He will retreat from her, but that doesn't mean he has conceded to what she has said.
There were too many instant fixes at the end that made for a quick ending, but not a satisfying one. Anger is not controlled by just an apology and a "I'll try better."
Her faith seemed to lean on God, but she forgot as a Christian that his must, too. Going to church does not equate to faith in God, although many "Christian" books are making that connection.
The spiritual lessons are deeper than just pat answers, which was a refreshing change to other books.
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Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2010-03-01
Physical description
8.25 inches
ISBN
0764206702 / 9780764206702