Pamela Griffin

I was not sure what to expect with this because it is a “Love Finds You” book. The series is written by dozens of different authors; all with their own style of writing, but this book was simply amazing. The humor was hilarious and I was laughing almost the whole time I was reading it. I loved reading about the relationship between the children and adults. It kept changing and growing throughout the novel. It was very hard to put down. The romance was also not the main focus, which was nice. Best of all, one character plays the violin and the other plays flute. :) I felt that the characters were realistic and they really drew me into the time period. Overall, this was a really enjoyable book and I am going to look into more books by the author.
4.5 Stars… (mehr)

I’m a strange and ambiguous creature sometimes. On the one hand, I tend to snap up any kind of Medieval Christian Fiction- but conversely I tend to set very high standards for it, and sadly, this collection did not always meet them. It must be stated, here at the beginning that in spite of what the subtitle says two of the stories (I could say three, if I was being pedantic) are not actually set in the Middle- Ages.

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.
… (mehr)

Christmas bridal stories from some of the best authors - with a Texas theme.

As I've said before, I'm not usually a fan of short stories. I like a book that I can hang on to and continue the story for several days. I've come to realize the talent in a really good short story - one that still has that richness of tale. This book combines both. With four novellas by different authors that have characters that overlap, you get the best of each. The depth of these Christian Historical Romances and that connectiveness makes it feel more like you're reading a series. I highly recommend this!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Barbour Publishing - Netgalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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.” http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html.… (mehr)