Reseñas
Gomer por Yvonne Lehman
I somehow missed the fact that this is tips for a Christian writer. I did see some references to some valuable reference material (in genera), but other than that I was disappointed in it being on more narrow subject matter.
Barbour Publishing
Year: 2006
ISBN 1628369108
Pages: 448
Format: Print, Softcover, Gift Quality
Reviewed by: Tina H.
Date: 12/10/2019
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Though short stories aren't my favorite type of book, I like this particular book, the best, over all the short story bride books that I own, (I own dozens).
Each author has her own story in this book. They are all set in the 1800's, each is about an independent lady.
More later
Author: Yvonne Lehman
Pages: 140
Year: 2019
Publisher: Grace Publishing
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
First, let me share with you that the proceeds from this book totally go to Samaritan’s Purse; therefore, it is a gift that keeps on giving.
Second, if you enjoy reading stories that are reflections of others’ past Christmas experiences, this book is for you! There are many authors who have submitted their real-life experiences and memories. Each memory shared is just a couple of pages. Sharing our memories can impact others in a very good way.
I found each memory shared very interesting and unique. It wasn’t hard to connect with the stories and it stirred within me some of my own past experiences. I believe it also reminds readers that authors are people, too. They have a heart and desire to share a peek into their past Christmas memories. There was one that really grabbed my heart titled, “A Perfect Christmas” by Lana Newton. While written in a fictional way, the message was very clear and a great reminder of what is important.
Here is a book that can be read in small periods of time, or readers can enjoy reading it in one sitting. Enjoy the book and consider giving it as a gift to friends or family.
Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility.
Asheville is also the setting of another story I remember reading, the story is briefly mentioned in this one (flower shop owner who's abusive husband was killed in an auto accident, leaving her to take care of their daughter), but I can't remember the name of the story.
All 4 stories in this book involved Christians who were professionals. I enjoyed it!
Dear Teacher by Wanda Brunstetter: All about Judith King who teaches at a schoolhouse along the Lehigh Canal. She has the children write questions and put in a box for her to answer. Suddenly she is getting notes that are more personal. Ernie Snyder is a widower with 2 children in her school and who makes a living running goods on the Lehigh Canal. He is a man of few words, so the "Dear Teacher" box comes in handy for him.
Prairie Schoolmarm by JoAnn Grote: I liked this story even more than the 1st. Marin is a Swedish immigrant school teacher who doesn't have time for love. But she wasn't counting on the persistence of farmer Talif Diversion, who insists upon joining her students so he too can learn more English. His help and devotion was very heartwarming and I enjoyed the ending.
Reluctant Schoolmarm by Yvonne Lehman: This was a fun and unique story line. When Christa Walsh steps off the train in the remote Blue Ridge Mountains to find people to make crafts to sell, she finds herself being helped by a gentleman, who she will later learn is the doctor in the town where she will be staying with her uncle. The people believe her to be the new schoolteacher/fiancee of the doctor, who doesn't seem willing to correct the mistake. How this plays out, and how Christa ends up teaching the children was very heartwarming and I liked the whole story plot and ending.
School Bells and Wedding Bells by Colleen Reece: Another good take on the whole one room schoolteacher idea. Meredith Macrae finds herself in a remote Idaho village called "Last Chance". Here she will run into Brit Farley, the rugged head of the school board, and the two will clash at first, but love is in the air in the town of Last Chance.
Enjoyed all the stories and thought this was a very well done novella. Would recommend to anyone who enjoys that time in history when one-room school houses were how the children were taught.
This is the second time that I read a Christian romance book and I am happy with the four novellas included here. This is how I can rank the novellas and why:
1. The Reluctant Schoolmarm
- This is the third novella in the book and I could definitely say that I love this story from start till the end. The unexpected situation that brought Grant and Christa together made it really special. It was like God made a joke in the beginning of their story but it ends happily.
2. Prairie Schoolmarm
- This is the 2nd novella and number 2 also in my rank. The story of Talif and Marin is an inspiration because of how patient and persevering Talif was on helping Marin's dreams come true. All his hard work paid in the end because not only they built the Church/School but they end up together.
3. School Bells and Wedding Bells
- This is the last novella in this book and ranks 3rd on my list. Haughty Meredith Rose aka Mercy was changed when she finally met Brit when she and her twin brother Marcus settled in Last Chance, Idaho. I just find the novella too short and the phasing of the story near the end is fast so their friendship was not able to be shown clearly. I felt that their relationship as acquaintances shifted abruptly to being in love. If the author could have just written more about the story of their friendship, I could have ranked this higher.
4. Dear Teacher
- This is the first novella and sadly to say that this is my least favorite among 4 novellas in the book. I liked the idea of Ernie and Judith's story grew because of Ernie's unsigned letters that his son Andy stealthily put in the mailbox at school. But the ending is meh. Imagine that Judith will gave up her teaching career just to live with Ernie's family, once they married, in the canal. Then it struck me that the setting was on 1890 so perhaps women should sacrificed for their husband/family. But when I read the succeeding novellas after this, the other women from those novellas didn't have to sacrificed their careers as teachers instead they, I reckon, will still be teaching even after they married. So I guess the ending for this is really not that good.
Romana Martin has agreed to be the boyfriend for the summer. She's Christian and her heart is more interested in another family member, not Andre DuDay.
She's an athlete and involved in teaching. Love the scenery as described and how secrets come out meant for really another person...
Like hearing of the camp and all the procedures and crafts being taught. Like twists and turns in this one.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
I can sum up my thoughts rather quickly - reading this book is a big waste of your time!
The writing overall is OK and there were a couple of scenes that were written well (the sinking of the ship itself) - so well written and put together that I think Lehman had a lot of help, because the rest of the book has plot holes the size of Titanic. But let's not forget Lehman's wonderful writing throughout the book, such as: “She knew that he knew she knew he knew better.” What???
When one calls a book "a novel of the titanic" you'd expect much more of the book to actually be on board the Titanic, wouldn't you? Well, less than a third of the book actually takes place about the ship. There's a lot of detail about the ship, some accurate and a lot of not-so-accurate bits. The actual sinking of the ship felt very rushed, was wildly inaccurate in places, and other than a few moments here and there, just left me feeling disappointed.
Lydia gets married on the ship, for crying out loud, and is pregnant, and her brand new husband John decides he's going to finish writing a poem and then sits down and dies. The scene where he dies was so horribly bad I was laughing so hard I had tears coming out of my eyes.
Lydia of course survives the ship sinking, watches Craven (the family business's head honcho and the book's big evil bad guy) acting like an idiot/coward/fool, and then days later, marries him with hardly any thought. Then lies to him for the next 18 years, never admitting the child isn't him. And Craven is such a man about town, but is clueless that Lydia isn't a virgin.
Lydia survives the ship going down (of course) and though is traumatized a bit from it, none of the characters who survived really suffer any post-traumatic affects. Really? After just a couple of weeks everyone is just fine?
About 35% into the book, all of a sudden a new character is introduced - who ends up being Lydia's friend Caroline's love interest. But he doesn't get introduced until after the ship goes down... Really, Lehman could have introduced him into the book much sooner in the book and it wouldn't have been so disruptive to the story.
And what's with everyone having telephones ? Really? How many people had telephones in 1912? very very few, that's how many, yet everyone seemed to have them, even a lawyer in the middle of Halifax.
And now, 40% or so into the book, all of a sudden the story is all about Caroline and the book gets very, very preachy. There were some minor Christian elements in the beginning (Lydia tells John she's pregnant and he tells her to read her bible), but they weren't a significant part of the story. Now the book changes entirely, again, and is a Christian storyline and the writing is completely different, with metaphors that don't make any sense.
The plot begins rushing - years past on a single page - which I was honestly grateful for because the book was so horribly bad, I just wanted it to be over - and of course, the moment comes when John's poem magically resurfaces and Lydia tells her husband the truth about their child and then Craven dies and the grandkid's all get married and they all live happily ever after.
i could spend weeks writing about how bad this book sucked.
The first is set in the seventeenth century (1600s), which I suppose if forgivable, but the third, for some inexplicable reason is basically a short Regency- set in the early 1800s. Why it was included in the collection is anyone’s guess, but as another reviewer has stated, the fact that the characters live in a castle for the majority of the story does not really excuse the obviously non-Medieval setting- and the story itself- was just- average.
As regencies go, it’s no patch on Julie Klassen or Sarah Ladd. Kind of corny really, and a bit implausible. Perhaps if it were longer and there was more space for development it would be better, but some elements would need improvement.
The three stories that actually were set in the Medieval period (the thirteenth and fourteenth century respectively), which were the second, fourth and fifth in the collection, were fair at least. I have read the two Tracie Peterson ones ‘A Kingdom Divided’ and its sequel ‘Alas My Love’ in another collection a few years back, and yes, I did like them then- although they were whimsical and cheesy in parts. I think took a bit of a shine to the villain in the first story, and was glad to see his redemption in the sequel, even if there were a few questionable details. Seriously ‘Devon’ was not a first name in the thirteenth century. It was a title, but many seem to confuse the two.
The second story in the collection ‘A Legend of Mercy’ (coming before the Tracie Peterson ones- sorry about the confused order of review), was set in Ireland in the 1300s, and was okay- but not much more than okay. Yes, there was action, intrigue, fight scenes, and romance-albeit rather predictable romance. Perhaps there could have been more emphasis on the political background and the dynamics of the two families and ‘worlds’ that the male protagonist was caught between. Also, I would question, what on earth was ‘Anglo’ meant to mean in the story? I have never seen the word used as an Adjective on its own. Shouldn’t the correct term for the nobles who controlled the area known as the Pale of Settlement have been Anglo-Norman, or even Anglo-Irish? I’ve never heard of them referred to as ‘Anglo’ before anywhere.
The sixth and final story, ‘Child of Promise’ was one I found very frustrating. Yes, there was a solid Christian message, and yes it clearly presented the gospel (even though this was done in a very ‘preachy’ way), yes the characters were relatable and easy for the audience to connect with.
Yet it was hard to ignore the historical inaccuracies and occasional silliness that the whole story seemed to be riddled with. Some might accuse me of being pedantic, but at some points the whole thing just seemed like a roll call of myths about the Middle- Ages and Early Modern period.
Saying that people in the Elizabethan age seldom bathed because they thought it bad for the health was one thing (perhaps there was some basis for that), but making out that the vast majority of them had basically no concept of hygiene whatsoever is something else. It could almost be considered slightly amusing that the male protagonist, Harry, for all his supposedly ‘enlightened’ ideas about hygiene and cleanliness- then proceeded to do things like wiping his mouth on tablecloths - which was considered very bad etiquette.
Elsewhere, implying that most people of the period were superstitious twits who would attribute practically anything they did not understand to magic and sorcery is simply condescending- and a person being called a ‘witch’ for quoting from the Bible? Seriously?
Other details fared no better. Who drinks brandy from a jug- and I’m fairly sure that clerics after the Reformation were allowed to marry. Even the reference to the possibility of ‘Meala, the protagonist being sold as a ‘slave’ to the evil Bishop seemed incredible. I thought that trading Christian slaves had been banned like 400 years before- unless domestic servants of the Elizabethan Age were being counted as ‘slaves’- which they were not. Then there was the idea that seducing one of the Queen’s ladies in waiting was a treasonable offence for which the person in question would be executed if caught.
Really? I’ve never heard of that- and I’m fairly certain the Earl of Oxford did such a thing at one point, and he was not executed for it. Nor was marrying without parent’s consent a capital offense either, like the characters seemed to think at one point.
I even had some issue with the implication that anyone who did not hold to the early Puritan convictions of the characters was not saved. Okay, I get that they were saying that simple allegiance to the state church was not real faith- but some of the early Reformers preached that Salvation was to be obtained through faith in Christ alone. So I really think that not all early Anglicans were corrupt or false Christians.
Overall, this collection was a little disappointing. I think that maybe other stories could have been found that were genuinely Medieval- and anyone expecting new material should be warned that all the stories have previously been published elsewhere. The main reason for the higher rating was that some of the stories were ones I liked before, and others had their merits, in spite of the drawbacks. It was fairly light reading (even if the length seems daunting, none of the individual stories is more than 160 pages in length), and would be good for lovers of Romance. Those seeking something other than romance would be best advised to look elsewhere.
I received a PDF version of this title free from the publisher via Netgalley for the purposes of review. I was not required to write a positive one and all opinions expressed are my own.
I just have to say, as charmed as I am, in a general way, by this book's cover, I don't get it. I mean, I've seen that this book was originally titled Crashing Into Christmas, but as the title's been changed to something that doesn't center on the holiday, I imagine the book's cover is following suit. And there are a couple of minor mentions of makeup in the story, so...perhaps the idea of the makeup image is to catch more readers' attention outside of the holiday season. But, still, the story is so wonderfully, thoroughly Christmas themed, and knowing I'm not the only person who reads Christmas books year round, I don't think the cover really does this holiday story justice.
Anyhow. Enough about that.
This short, sweet, and poignant intertwining of three storylines brings tough issues to light. Not a harsh, glaring light but an empathetic, and even warm, one. There are some pretty outstanding points about finding the truth of a family legacy, about what can happen when you don't focus on your fears, about choosing to change your perspective of others, about choosing to hope.
I wasn't sure about all of the transitions, if some were quick and clever or merely too abrupt, and, concerning a character I didn't get to know up close at all, I wasn't certain whether I was supposed to accept that a key, public declaration of his was sincere or not.
Even so, many other readers should enjoy a tale of faith and love like this at Christmastime--or if they're like me, at any time.
A lovely four novella anthology, Heart of a Cowboy brings together the western heroes of Susan Davis, Miralee Ferrell, Yvonne Lehmann and Vickie McDonough.
Hearts in Pursuit by Susan Davis is the tale of kinapped youngsters and their desperate older siblings becoming adults as they take on the chase of Mexican henchmen. It was fun to watch the maturation of the older teens, even beyond the adults sometimes.
Hearts Reunited by Miralee Ferrell tells the sad story of two feuding families whose children continue fueling the poison to their own personal detriment and that of their livelihoods. Miralee always has lessons for today woven into her stories of yesteryear! I loved being with her characters as they decide whether to be loyal to family or truth.
In Have Dress, Will Marry, by Yvonne Lehmann, Julie needs to escape her stepfather. Her solution? Propose to Brother Timothy, a circuit riding preacher she barely knows. Obviously, there are a few issues to be worked out!
The Hand-Me-Down-Husband by Vickie McDonough is the story of Ellen, who goes west to take care of her niece after her sister,Issy, dies. She is the antithesis of her sister, but finds herself falling for her late sister's husband. Reminiscent of a Hallmark movie.
If you enjoy clean love stories set in the old West, I recommend Heart of a Cowboy. I was gifted this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
I received a copy from the publisher to review.
In keeping with my commitment for full disclosure of my reading experience ... while I enjoyed reading The Knight's Bride, it turns out that I prefer to read their romance collections set in the Pioneer days more than the Middle Ages.
Still, this was a relaxing and enjoyable read so please don't let my personal preferences dissuade your interest in this book.
Thank you to Barbour books and Netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Author: Yvonne Lehman
Website: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/153704.Yvonne_Lehman
Pages: 432
Year: 2012
Publisher: Abingdon
My Rating: 5+ stars
This is a riveting story set in an era where social class determined much and a marriage to someone who wasn’t in the same class was appalling. John and Lydia’s marriage based on love and mutual faith takes place on the night the unsinkable ship struck an iceberg. Their love and faith bathed in redemption grips the heart of the reader, dragging them into a whirlwind story that takes away one’s breath.
Other characters in the story, some of which were real people, bring back the night of April 1912 on the maiden voyage of Titanic. Like others, I have seen movies and read novels based on the Titanic that might give the impression that another tale based on the Titanic would be like other books. Nothing could be further from the truth!
Yvonne Lehman offers both a heartbreaking story coupled with one of redemption. As most tales always have antagonists, this one has one by the name of Craven Dowd the president of a railroad who sees himself as the protector of an heiress, Lydia. Every time I read in the novel what the man was doing or not doing I kept getting the sense he wasn’t what he appeared to be to others. You will have to read and make that determination for yourself.
Other delightful characters like Molly Brown and the Astors bring delight and joy to the celebration of John and Lydia’s marriage. After that fateful night’s events, Lydia along with other survivors must decide through the fog what their lives are to become now that nothing will ever be the same. In the pages, faith is a theme that enraptures the soul of some while others don’t see the need for it and live without it. Each character grapples with finding peace or answers sometimes without those answers as to how a God could allow such a night to pass with so many lives lost.
I read this magnificent tale in one sitting. I simply couldn’t stop. The powerful message of forgiveness and redemption comes through all the way to the last page! I hope whether you’re a fan of the Titanic story or not that you will read a novel that will surely bring you to an exciting conclusion!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Other reviews can be read at http://seekingwithallyurheart.blogspot.com/ . Also follow me on Twitter @lcjohnson1988, FaceBook at https://www.facebook.com/lisa.johnson.75457
Este sitio utiliza cookies para ofrecer nuestros servicios, mejorar el rendimiento, análisis y (si no estás registrado) publicidad. Al usar LibraryThing reconoces que has leído y comprendido nuestros términos de servicio y política de privacidad. El uso del sitio y de los servicios está sujeto a estas políticas y términos.