"Secret Money" by Lois Gladys Leppard

About this book:

  “Adventures seem to follow sixteen-year-old Lily Masterson everywhere, especially when she stumbles into a tragic mystery.
    * Was her father really ill?
    * Why does a tax collector try suddenly to foreclose on the family farm?
    * And what should Lily make of Wilbur, who takes a liking to her, but whose interest seems motivated by something other than compassion?
     Follow Lily on this gripping adventure, and watch her not only begin to solve the mystery, but make some discoveries about her own strength and determination.”


Series: Book #1 in the unfinished “The Lily Adventures” series. Mentions Mandie from the “Mandie” series by the same author.


Spiritual Content- Matthew 7:7 at the beginning & is later quoted in the story twice; Prayers, Thanking God, & Blessings over food; Talks about God, trusting Him, & Him taking care of us; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Lily is frustrated at the end because it seems like God isn’t helping her with the many challenges and heartbreaks she has faced, but her aunt reminds her that He will take care of her and to give Him time (which Lily thinks about; *Spoilers* At the very end, Lily believe God will help her get her home back again one day and feels like her trust in the Lord is strong again *End of Spoilers*); Mentions of God & trusting Him; Mentions of prayers, praying, thanking God, & blessings over food; Mentions of churches, church going, & church outings; A couple mentions of a missionary; A couple mentions of miracles; A mention of God doing miraculous things; 
             *Note: The phrase “Lawsy mercy” is said once; A comment about others finding a man to be “ugly as homemade sin”; A few mentions of luck & being lucky.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘hush up’; A lie (that ends up becoming true); Being on a ship in a bad storm, concern about a possible ship wreck, a Fire and smoke, Fighting in self-defense, Being attacked and shoved, Being stepped on, Injuries, & Pain  (up to semi-detailed); Seeing a horse attack someone & step on the person (to the point there is concern the horse could kill the person, up to semi-detailed); Grief (Lily for both parents, including receiving the news of one parent’s death on-page; up to semi-detailed with her grief and her sister’s grief; Violet starts to wonder if everyone she loves will die and leave her, but others try to reassure her); *Spoilers, but about a death and grief* Halfway through the book when Lily and her sister arrive home, they are told that their father passed away in an accident; Later, Lily is told more details that it was ruled as an accident of a horse trampling him because of all the damage that made him nearly unrecognizable (told to Lily by her aunt who found him; she is also distraught about it all; up to semi-detailed); Lily doesn’t believe a horse killed her father and wants the truth; Her aunt tells her not to make herself sick over it all as it won’t bring her father back, which Lily knows, but doesn’t think she can live the rest of her life without trying to find out what really happened *End of Spoilers*; *Spoilers* Lily is given foreclosure papers about her family’s farm and when it looks like she can’t do anything about losing her home, she is very upset and wishes that it had burned rather than let anyone else live in it; She is incredibly angry and rude to a man who wants to buy the farm, so her aunt reminds her that God will take care of her *End of Spoilers*; Lily is told a woman’s story of her, her fiancé, and kitten getting swept away in a river and the fiancé rescuing her and the kitten, but him not making it and never being found (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of deaths, a near-death, illnesses, accidents, & grief (including for parents, a wife, and a fiancé); Mentions of a man who fell overboard & drowned (a possible murder; Lily sees the man being rescued from the water and the rescuer workers shake their heads, implying the man died; *Spoilers* The man was beaten to death and them thrown into the ocean according to the ship’s doctor and is later confirmed that he was murdered *End of Spoilers*; barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of someone being beat to death & a fight (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a horse attacking & possibly killing people (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of suspicious and possibly dangerous men (which a friend seriously warns Lily about); Mentions of trespassing (sneaking into some’s room without permission) & someone trying to get into Lily and Violet’s room at night; Mentions of a fire & possible arson; Mentions of injuries & pain; Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of alcohol & drinking; Mentions of pipes & smoking; A few mentions of jail & an arrest; A couple mentions of wars; A couple mentions of stealing; A mention of tobacco; A mention of a cat that ran away; 
             *Note: Lily has practically raised her little sister due to their mother’s illness (that made her an “invalid”); Violet says her father told her to never trust someone with “squinty eyes” and repeats it often (implying that the person isn’t trustworthy); A sheriff seems untrustworthy due to not investigating a death properly (which causes people to complain to him and others about it, including Lily); 
 
 
Sexual Content- A cheek kiss (by someone Lily considers to be a big brother); A bit of hand holding (for comforting); Blushes & Being flustered by a man’s handsome appearance; A bit of noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Lily doesn’t think a young man is “romantically inclined” towards her, but he stays around her often (someone else suggests that he is “smitten speechless” with her, but she doesn’t think so); Shortly after meeting him, Lily realizes she is attracted to him, but still thinks something is not right and wants to find out what it is, so she creates a plan to talk to him sweetly to gain information about him and his intentions (a friend is concerned, but Lily notes that she would not allow the strange man to hold her hand or kiss her); *Spoilers* Towards the end, Lily’s neighbor and friend proposes to her; He is a “good bit older” than her and is a young widow; He says that “[he has] always loved [her] since [she] was little. And then when [she] grew up to be such a beautiful young woman, [he] knew [he] felt a different kind of love for [her]” and that he has realized that he “truly loved [her] as a grown young woman, and not as a child anymore.”; Lily is shocked by this confession and while she’s never been in love, doesn’t think she’s in love with this friend and isn’t sure she could “love him as a wife”; She does not accepted his proposal and he asks her to let him know if she changes her mind (she says she will, but does care for him like a big brother); Lily says she has to be sure that she loves the marry she marries, if she ever marries *End of Spoilers*; Mentions of attraction & interest; Mentions of young men coming “calling” on Lily and her father not allowing it previously (due to her age); A few mentions of handsome men; A couple mentions of kisses; 
             *Note: When a friend suggests to Lily about her getting married rather than getting a job, Lily says she doesn’t want to be dependent on a man and get married just for the sake of a livelihood (the friend tells her to never get married for that reason because “love must come first” and adds that if a couple doesn’t sincerely love each other, then a marriage would never work out).
 
-Lily Masterson, age 16
                                P.O.V. of Lily
                                           Set in 1901 
                                                        182 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

I’ve had the only two books published in this series setting on my shelf for years to read. Unlike the author’s incredibly popular “Mandie” series, this series was aimed for YA readers. I didn’t realize this was connected to the Mandie series, though! Lily and her sister, Violet, were previously seen in that classic series which was a nice surprise. 

 

Lily has a decent head on her shoulders and her radar is flagged when a young man on the ship starts paying her extra attention. She doesn’t think it’s in a romantic way, but the man is suspicious so she tries to be friendlier to him to gain information. This could have bordered on deceitful on Lily’s part towards the man, but I personally do not think she was. She had a few moments of being…forceful that did border on being rude or short-tempered, but that was when different men came up to her and started talking like they were old friends—which she was having none of it. Her temper reminded me of Mandie at times. 

 

The second half of this book was quite sad, I will say. It felt heavier than the “Mandie” series with the grief, a possible murder, and the mystery surrounding another death. It looks like that last one will continue for the rest of the series, but because the publishing house was dissolved and the rest of the series wasn’t fully published, I’m not sure there will be a satisfactory conclusion to that element. Which reminds me of the lingering questions I’ll have forever about the “Mandie: Her College Days” series. 😅

 

 

See y’all on Friday with a new review! 

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

"Serving Up Love" by Tracie Peterson, Karen Witemeyer, Regina Jennings, & Jen Turano

About this book:

  “On the Manu for These Ladies? Adventure, Independence, and a Big Serving of Romance!
   A storied part of American history, Harvey Houses offered women a unique chance to gain independence and see amazing parts of this great country. Celebrated historical romance writers Tracie Peterson, Karen Witemeyer, Regina Jennings, and Jen Turano offer four fun, romantic tales of Harvey girls whose western adventures lead to love.”
 
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“A Flood of Love” by Tracie Peterson
 
About this book:

  “Returning home to New Mexico for the first time in years to fill in at the Harvey House, Gretchen Gottsacker is sure the past is behind her. But nothing can be that simple. When the man she loved long ago steps back into her life—with a daughter, no less—will she ever be the same?”


Series: Does not seem to be connected to any of the author’s other books.


Spiritual Content- A Scripture is quoted; Prayers; Dirk shares that his family is “extremely bound by our religious beliefs”; Talks about God, Jesus, & answered prayers; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Mentions of God, Jesus, praying, faiths, & Christians; Mentions of prayers, praying, & answered prayers; Mentions of churches, church going, services, & different denominations; A couple mentions of blessings & being blessed; A mention of Noah’s Ark; A mention of sin; A mention of the devil; 
             *Note: “Dear Lord” is said once by a main character (could be taken as a prayer or in vain); A couple mentions of luck & being lucky.
 

Negative Content- Some eye rolling & sarcasm; A flood & being trapped in high water (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of floods, towns and homes destroyed, & people being trapped (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of deaths (including from railway and car accidents & a fever) and grief (including for a fiancé, brother, parents, and grandparents); Mentions of alcohol, drinking, & drunks; A few mentions of World War I; A couple mentions of jails & arrests; A couple mentions of deception; A mention of drunken men shooting up a place; A mention of gossip; 
             *Note: Dirk is described as having an “exotic presence” due to being half Hispanic and half American; A mention of a woman dying from childbirth complications.
 
 
Sexual Content- a not-detailed kiss, two border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kisses, and a semi-detailed kiss; Touches (including accidentally falling on a man’s lap), Embraces, Nearness, & Smelling (up to semi-detailed); Remembering kisses, touches, & embraces (up to semi-detailed); Noticing & Staring (up to semi-detailed); *Spoilers, but about an out-of-wedlock pregnancy* Dirk shares with Gretchen that his brother and his fiancée were pregnant out-of-wedlock, so they planned to elope due to being “condemned” by their family “religious beliefs” and quietly “right the wrong”; Dirk’s brother was concerned that his fiancée would be shamed, ostracized, and abandoned by her friends if the truth came out; Dirk married the woman to honor his brother’s wishes on his deathbed; Dirk tells Gretchen that he never touched the woman and wasn’t unfaithful to his love for Gretchen *End of Spoilers*; Mentions of an out-of-wedlock pregnancy; Love, falling/being in love, & the emotions.
 
-Gretchen Gottsacker, age 28
-Dirk Martinez
                                  P.O.V. switches between them
                                         Set in 1929 (Final Chapter in 1931)

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

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“More Than a Pretty Face” by Karen Witemeyer
 
About this book:

  “Rosalind Kemp becomes a Harvey Girl, clinging to the promise of one day transferring even farther west, someplace her youthful indiscretion won’t catch up to her. But the past is hard to escape, and when the worst occurs, will anyone stand up for her?”


Series: Connected to and set after “More Than Words Can Say”.


Spiritual Content- Galatians 5:1 at the beginning; A couple Scriptures are quoted & remembered; Prayers (including Rosalind asking God why she isn’t free of her past); Church going & singing a hymn; A couple talks about God; ‘H’s are not capital when referring to God; Mentions of God, His will, trusting Him, & showing grace; Mentions of prayers, praying, answered prayers, & prayer meetings; Mentions of those & events in the Bible (including a mention of Eve and the “apple”); Mentions of church, church going, services, & hymns; A few mentions of Christians; A few mentions of godly men and women; A few mentions of sins; A mention of Sunday school;
             *Note: Religious phrases: a “for Pete’s sake”, a “for heaven’s sake”, a “heaven knew”, and four “heavens”; Caleb refers to being physically close to Rosalind as “near to heaven as he’d ever come”; Someone says a dessert tastes “like heaven”; A reference to “damning evidence” about someone’s sins; A mention of someone battling demons from their past; A mention of being lucky.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘drat’, a ‘good grief’, a ‘shut up’, and a ‘stupid’; A mention of a curse (said, not written); Eye rolling; Rosalind has lied about her “scandalous” past (details in the Sexual Content spoiler); Fighting & Seeing someone fight (in self-defense); Mentions of deaths (including from illnesses) & grief (including a woman for her son, Rosalind for her parents, & Caleb for his father); Mentions of a woman in an abusive marriage, her being unwilling to press charges her husband, & her son being concerned for her safety; Mentions of a woman being accosted, injuries, & blood/bleeding; Mentions of alcohol, saloons, drinking, & drunks; Mentions of lies, lying, & deceit; A few mentions of a father having sharp tongue towards his daughter; A couple mentions of wars; A mention of tobacco.
 
 
Sexual Content- Three hand/fingers kisses, a cheek kiss, an almost kiss (semi-detailed), and three detailed kisses; Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Electricity, Flutters, Nearness, & Smelling (semi-detailed); Wanting to kiss, touch, & embrace (up to semi-detailed); Blushes; Noticing & Staring (up to semi-detailed); Caleb’s mother says that waitresses like Rosalind are no better than women who work in brothels and are “soiled doves” (which Caleb says she and the other Harvey Girls are not that); Seeing a picture of a woman in her underclothes (*Major Spoilers and references to marital intimacy* When she was 16/17, Rosalind posed for a picture in her underclothes/corset to earn money for her father’s medicine; This is the past that she has lied about and tried to keep a secret, but some men figure it out; Those men show Caleb the picture and he blushes while also feels nauseous over how young she was in the picture; One man says she issued the invitation to look at her picture by posing for it, so men don’t have to feel guilty at looking; Caleb’s mother finds out about it and reveals it in front of the entire Harvey House staff; Caleb is hurt by the fact of other men seeing Rosalind in a “state of undress” as it’s an “intimacy reserved for marriage”, but still loves and defends her; They get married and the epilogue shows them kissing, wanting to touch, exploring his bedroom (with references to wanting to explore his bed, the chapter ends with them going to the bed; all in his POV, up to semi-detailed and detailed kisses) *End of Spoilers*; A friend tells Rosalind that a “darkened theater is the perfect place to get close [to her suitor]”; a “hussy”; Mentions of having “sparks” for someone, love at first sight, & infatuation; A few mentions of a man’s “immoral and illegal” business venture of photographing women in a lack of clothing; A few mentions of flirting; A couple mentions of reputations; A mention of a mistress; A mention of jealousy; A mention of a woman swooning over a man’s appearance; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: A few mentions of a Rosalind’s figure (which is noted that Caleb finds pleasing); A couple mentions of “sire” a son or child; A mention of a man being kicked in his groin by a woman he grabbed; A mention of the previous man nearly being “gelded” when kicked in the groin.
 
-Rosalind Kemp
-Caleb Durrington, age 28
                              P.O.V. switches between them
                                    Set in 1902

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

 

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“Intrigue a la Mode” by Regina Jennings
 
About this book:

  “When Willow Kentworth is warned that strange things are happening in the railyard after dark, she never intends to get involved. That is, until a handsome new employee at the Harvey House—who has secrets of his own—needs her assistance.”


Series: Connected to and set before “Courting Misfortune”.


Spiritual Content- A prayer; A few mentions of prayers & praying; A couple mentions of God; 
             *Note: A few mentions of luck & being lucky.
 

Negative Content- two ‘good grief’s; Eye rolling; Nearly being hit by train, Being attacked and left to die, Being trapped in a railway cart, Injuries, Pain, Blood/Bleeding, & Passing out (up to semi-detailed); Breaking into places (due to the mystery); Many mentions of alcohol, drinking, drunks, saloons, & smuggling alcohol during the Prohibition; Mentions of attacks, injuries, & blood/bleeding; Mentions of thieves, robberies, & stealing; Mentions of illnesses (including Willow’s mother having tuberculosis); Mentions of lies, lying, & deceit; A few mentions of gossip; A few mentions of throwing up; A couple mentions of gambling & poker; A couple mentions of cigars; A mention of a mother giving her young boy a whipping for misbehaving.
 
 
Sexual Content- Staring at lips, a fingers-to-lips touch, a forehead kiss, a cheek kiss, and a semi-detailed kiss; Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Warmth, & Nearness (barely-above-not-detailed); Wanting to touch (barely-above-not-detailed); Winks & Flirting; Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of kissing & kisses; Love, falling in love, & the emotions.
 
-Willow Kentworth
-Graham Buchanan, age 23
                              P.O.V. switches between them
                                      Set in 1898

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

 

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“Grand Encounters” by Jen Turano
 
About this book:

  “After her fiancé abandons her, Miss Myrtle Schermerhorn flees New York’s pity for a position at the El Tovar Hotel on the rim of the Grand Canyon. She’s determined to hold fast to her life of independence—but a rugged, frequent quest of the hotel makes that vow difficult to uphold.”


Series: Does not seem to be connected to any other book by this author.  


Spiritual Content- Talks about God & signs from Him; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Mentions of God & signs from Him; Mentions of prayers, praying, & thanking God; Mentions of churches, church going, & a reverend; A mention of a Christian’s duty; A mention of divine intervention; 
             *Note: Religious phrases: a “good heavens”; A few mentions of luck & being lucky.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: Five ‘idiot’s; Eye rolling; Choking & Almost being hit (up to semi-detailed); Myrtle has a sip of wine at a party; Mentions of fights, injures & blood/bleeding; Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of alcohol, drinking, & drunks; Mentions of lies & lying; A few mentions of a casino; A few mentions of eavesdropping; 
             *Note: Myrtle’s mother cut her off after she went to become a Harvey Girl & they have not spoken to each other since (*Spoilers* She receives a letter from her mother that she is dying, so Myrtle goes to her, but it ends up being a ploy/lie *End of Spoilers*); Mentions of books & authors (‘Dracula’, ‘The Time Machine’, & ‘The House of Mirth’ by Edith Wharton); Mentions of a brand name (Tiffany and Co. jewelry).
 
 
Sexual Content- A fingers-to-lips touch, four hand/fingers kisses, and a not-detailed kiss; Touches, Dancing, Hand holding, Flutters, Nearness, & Smelling (up to semi-detailed); Wanting to kiss & embrace (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; Noticing & Staring (barely-above-not-detailed); A man tries to grab Myrtle; Handsome men are called “delicious” by a couple women (including Myrtle) & Jack notes Myrtle being in a “delectable” gown; A couple mentions of chaperones; Love, falling in love, & the emotions; 
             *Note: A couple mentions of a woman’s figure.
 
-Myrtle Schermerhorn, age 23
-Jack Daggett, age 31
                              P.O.V. switches between them
                                         Set in 1908

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

 

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Overall Ratings:

Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

“A Flood of Love” by Tracie Peterson - 2 stars, personally ⭐️ We don’t know why he left her without any warning until half of the story, but he still kisses, embraces, and touches her prior to that. So, because of this, he felt pushy and I didn’t care for him. Communication was not in these characters’ forte. *Spoiler* how in the world did the people in town make a wedding cake in a schoolhouse the evening after the entire town was flooded? It made no sense *End of Spoiler*. Overall, it wasn’t terrible but it was rushed and I didn’t feel connected to the characters.

 

“More Than a Pretty Face” by Karen Witemeyer - 1 star, personally ⭐️ I figured out what Rosalind’s secret was pretty quick and it made me sad. I felt so bad for her. There’s spoilers to it in the Sexual Content spoiler, but I wouldn’t recommend this novella to teens because of it and how men treated her because of it. I wanted to give her a hug. If I had read the connecting book prior, maybe I would have liked this novella more, but while the main couple was cute, I felt just sad at what Rosalind had been through and it added more sexual content to the story. Caleb was a dear and a great man for her; his mother in the other hand was atrocious. The implications of showing grace to others was good—though, there were a couple theology comments that I didn’t think were quite right (such as calling the fruit that Eve ate an apple when it’s not named in the Bible—just called a fruit). I was thinking I would give this novella 2 stars personally due to how good Caleb was for her, but I personally don’t like to rate books with fade-to-black scenes that high, especially not in the male lead’s POV as it felt like I was witnessing something between a couple (married or not) that I shouldn’t be reading.

 

“Intrigue a la Mode” by Regina Jennings - 3 stars, personally ⭐️ This one felt the most rushed in the plotline, but I was curious in the smuggling mystery, so it kept my attention pretty well. It would have been nice to see more of the couple together as it felt a little more like being told about their interactions. Such as it being said that they are courting, but there wasn’t a moment of them discussing that. However, it was much lighter romance compared to the previous novellas in this collection, which I appreciated.

 

“Grand Encounters” by Jen Turano - 4 stars, personally ⭐️ This one was actually a reread for me as I read it a few years ago because I often enjoy Jen Turano’s book. I actually didn’t remember any of it, though, so it was like reading it for the first time. I found this novella to be super cute! There’s a moment of stupidity on a certain character’s part, but it ends well and I found myself laughing throughout the book—especially because of Jack’s conversations with his brother. I will note that there were comments about receiving signs from God that I didn’t love, but it wasn’t like the characters had asked for them, so it could be taken as little winks from God instead. Super cute overall, though, and I wished this novella came in its own physical edition!

 

 

 

See y’all on Monday with a new review! 

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

"Roses for Mama" by Janette Oke

About this book:

  “She's cared for her siblings as best she could . . . but is it enough?
   Instead of the new life she and her family expected to forge out west, seventeen-year-old Angela is thrust into the role of caring for her three younger siblings after the death of their parents. With the help of her older brother, and trust in God, Angela is determined to raise the children as her mother would have wanted.
    As the youngsters grow, the questions and challenges intensify. Angela feels trapped and overwhelmed. Surely no man will ever want a woman who comes with three children in tow. Is this the plan God has for her life? Will she ever find a way to balance her own dreams with the promises she made to her mama?”


Series: Does not seem to be connected to any other book by this author.


Spiritual Content- Scriptures are mentioned, quoted, & discussed; Many prayers (Angela usually starts them by saying “Oh, God…”); Church going (including Angela having difficulty focusing on the service one morning); A sermon at a funeral; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Talks about God, Jesus, witnessing, & God changing hearts; Many mentions of God, Jesus Christ, & trusting Him; Mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; Mentions of prayers, praying, thanking God, & blessings over food; Mentions of churches, church going, services, a reverend, & sermons; Mentions of witnessing to others, faiths, & eternity; A few mentions of Heaven (including Angela wondering if her parents are able to see their family on earth & asking God to tell her parents something); A few mentions of being baptized; A couple mentions of a church’s Christmas pageant; A mention of someone in the Bible; A mention of being blessed; A mention of sin; 
             *Note: A man comments that he doesn’t care for church because he has known “too many hypocrites”, but Angela says he is not responsible for them and that they must answer to God for their own deeds; A mention of a man forbidding his new wife to attend church services.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘my word!’; A couple mentions of curses (said, not written); A bit of eye rolling; Nearly fainting & Grief (for parents, barely-above-not-detailed); One of Angela’s siblings talks about finding their mother who had passed away (he thought she was sleeping, but someone tells him that she’s gone and not to cry; barely-above-not-detailed); Many mentions of deaths, sicknesses and a stroke, & grief (including Angela and her siblings for their parents, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of gossip & rumors; A few mentions of injuries; A few mentions of lies & lying; A couple mentions of a young girl who drowned (prior to the story); A couple mentions of eavesdropping; A mention of a child being teased at school by other children; A mention of a cat killing a little bird; 
             *Note: One of Angela’s sisters becomes defiant towards Angela’s mothering/authority, which makes Angela panic and try to talk to her about responsibilities; A young woman suggests for Angela to not talk to a handicapped girl because a young man might see, but Angela does anyway; A mention of a man being “crippled”.
 
 
Sexual Content- a fingers-to-lips touch, two fingers kisses, three forehead kisses, two cheek kisses, a not-detailed kiss, and a semi-detailed kiss; Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Warmth, Nearness (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Blushes; Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Some flirting (which Angela later calls “youthful foolishness” and tries to keep from doing again, but does in a moment of annoyance at another girl’s attention on a young man); After a man tells her that she’ll be an old maid as no one will want to marry a woman with three others to care for, Angela cries; Mentions of girls trying to get the attention of boys and vice versa, crushes, blushes, & flirting; A couple mentions of kisses; A couple mentions of jealousy; Light love, falling in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: A young girl thinks she’s dying, but Angela says it just means the girl is growing up and has a chat with her about it (implying the girl has started her period, but no details are given); Angela compares herself to another young woman’s appearance (including saying she’s not stunning like the other girl); A mention of a woman who is “full-figured”.
 
- Angela Peterson, age 17-19
                                P.O.V. of Angela
                                        Set in the Western Prairie time-period (late 1800s/early 1900s?)
                                                        228 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

I was afraid that this book was going to be really sad, but while it had its sad moments and moments of grief, it was really sweet overall. Perhaps there was a touch of stress in a couple parts because of the love triangle. I didn’t like the…not quite red flags, perhaps orange flags one of the guys was giving, but I had full confidence that the right guy would win Angela’s heart because this is a Janette Oke book. 😉  

 

I adored the strong faith content in this book—it reminded me that I really need to read and review more books by this author because they are often to sweet and faith-filled! The pace of this story on slower, so I took my time reading it despite it only being about 220 pages and it was a calm, relaxing book. Definitely a sweet one and I look forward to reading more books by Janette Oke this year!

 

 

See y’all on Friday with a new review! 

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.