REVIEW: "A Bride for Donnigan" by Janette Oke

-

About the Book:

✦ Title: A Bride for Donnigan

✦ Author: Janette Oke


✦ Genre: Christian historical/western romance


✦ Series: Book #7 of the standalone series Women of the West


✦ Recommend for: Ages 15+

My Personal Rating

2.5 ⭐

📖 Synopsis

She didn't even know his name...but she was about to become his bride. Standing on the ship's deck, Kathleen O'Malley watches the land she has called home slip from her view. She had thought she would be glad to see it go, but regardless of the unpleasant situation she was leaving, it was at least safe and familiar. America seems so very far away... At his prairie farm, Donnigan Harrison anxiously awaits his bride's arrival. He has known the wonder of a dreams fulfilled--a snug cabin, a sturdy log barn, a fine herd of livestock, and crops in the field. But even with all that, he is lonely. A notion that once seemed unthinkable had come to make sense, and so he wrote a letter. But Donnigan's anticipation is overshadowed by terrifying What have I done? And that question is echoed in Kathleen's heart as she nears the port...
💭 My thoughts
Being so delayed with this review, I've forgotten most of the little details of this book, but I'll just say that I have discovered I do not like the mail-order bride concept at all. So I had a lot of problems with that aspect of this book alone that I won't get into.  Also, in my opinion, the story just seemed to lack the heartwarming, hopeful, wholesome feel of Janette Oke's other books, and honestly was kind of depressing. She killed off numerous characters throughout the book with little taste, and the flow of the plotline felt choppy with big events not getting enough time, as well as some time jumps. 
On the faith content, there was none till like the final few chapters and then, it seemed to be all dumped in at once. Aside from a couple little theology points I don't think I quite agree with, it was nice faith content, I just wish it had been more tastefully woven into the plot. 
Something that really stood out to me was that none of the characters came across as "perfect" like in a lot of books. Literally everyone had a moment (or more) that I couldn't stand them. 
I would give this maybe a 2.5 star rating. It wasn't terrible, but I certainly did not enjoy it as much as most of the author's other books. Maybe I was simply not in the mood for it when I read it, but overall, I found it mediocre. 
🌹 Was this review helpful? Please consider following The Boundless Bookshelf!

Bookishly yours, 


Lottie M

Popular this week

REVIEW: "Wormwood Abbey" by Christina Baehr

-
Image
  About the book… *Title: Wormwood Abbey *Author: Christina Baehr *Genre: Cozy historical fantasy (with dragons and a touch of romance) *Series: Book #1 of the 5-book series The Secrets of Ormdale *Recommend for: Ages 13/14 & up My Personal Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ 📖Synopsis As a Victorian clergyman’s daughter, Edith Worms has seen everything — until a mythical salamander tumbles out of the fireplace into her lap. When a letter arrives from estranged relatives, Edith is swept away to a crumbling gothic Abbey in the wilds of Yorkshire. Wormwood Abbey isn't just full of curious beasts and ancient family secrets: there’s also a tall, dark, and entirely too handsome neighbour who is strangely reluctant for her to leave. An unexpected bond with her prickly cousin Gwendolyn gives Edith a reason to stay in this strange world — especially when it turns out that Edith herself may have a role in guarding her family's legacy. But not all of the mysteries of Ormdale are small enough to fi...
Read more

REVIEW: “The Nature of Small Birds” by Susie Finkbeiner

-
Image
  About the Book: ✦ Title: The Nature of Small Birds ✦ Author: Susie Finkbeiner ✦ Genre: Triple timeline fiction w/ light faith threads (1975, 1988, 2013-2014) ✦ Series: Currently a standalone novel ✦ Recommend for: Ages 16/17+ {not for those very sensitive to war and adoption} My Personal Rating 3.5 ⭐️ 📖 Synopsis In 1975, three thousand children were airlifted out of Saigon to be adopted into Western homes. When Mindy, one of those children, announces her plans to return to Vietnam to find her birth mother, her loving adopted family is suddenly thrown back to the events surrounding her unconventional arrival in their lives. Though her father supports Mindy's desire to meet her family of origin, he struggles privately with an unsettling fear that he'll lose the daughter he's poured his heart into. Mindy's mother undergoes the emotional rollercoaster inherent in the adoption of a child from a war-torn country, discovering the joy hidden amid the difficulties. And Mind...
Read more

REVIEW: "A-Spying We Will Go" by Perry Elisabeth Kirkpatrick

-
Image
  About the Book: ✦ Title: A-Spying We Will Go ✦ Author: Perry Elisabeth Kirkpatrick ✦ Genre: Clean spy-comedy novella ✦ Series: Book #5 in The Accidental Cases of Emily Abbot (see reviews for prior three books here! ) ✦ Recommend for: ages 13+ My Personal Rating ⭐⭐⭐ 📖 Synopsis Camping doesn't lead to kidnapping... usually. When Emily goes on a group camping trip in Northern Arizona, she suspects her biggest danger will be mosquito bites and bear-sightings. The trip becomes far from relaxing, however, when she hears from a family friend that they can't get in touch with her dad. Unable to call, due to spotty cell phone reception, she manages to send a text asking for Brent's help in checking on her dad. But the spy has been incommunicado for several days, and it turns out he's up North too--trying to locate a missing ICS agent with information about the Ten Thousand. Not everything is as it seems. More than bears roam the woods, and information could cost a life. 💭 ...
Read more