Helpful Score: 8
I loved this book. It is set in 1916. When free-thinking Roberta Jewett returns to her hometown of Camden, Maine, she discovers that small town folk consider a divorced woman little more than a prostitute. Condemned by her mother and scorned by neighbors, she nonetheless perseveres in her struggle to forge a good life for her girls and herself. Behaving like no " respectable" woman would, she gets a job as a county nurse, learns to drive, and buys her very own Model T. Enbittered by her painful marriage to an unfaithful husband, she has no intention of being any man's victim again. So when widowed carpenter Gabriel Farley begins work renovating her house, Roberta's first response to him is blatant resentment. But Gabriel's quiet vibrant masculinity soon finds a way to soothe Roberta's heart. In the ultimate test of will and devotion she must depend on the man she has grown to love and summon the courage to stand up to an entire town.
Helpful Score: 4
This is another Americana novel from LaVyrle Spencer. I have read all of her books and every one is well written and enchanting. Her stories never fail to touch the heart and this one set in early 1900's New England is no exception.
I am so very sad that Mrs Spencer retired a few years ago and is no longer writing. IMO her books set a standard of excellence in romance novels.
I am so very sad that Mrs Spencer retired a few years ago and is no longer writing. IMO her books set a standard of excellence in romance novels.
Helpful Score: 4
I enjoyed this book. This book is an enjoyable read from a few perspectives. It gives a good glimpse into New England life in the early motorcar era, it has a good feminist mother charachter and has a nice romance story too. Its an easy read and is a cover to cover all in one sitting type. Perfect for a Summer evening on the porch:)
Helpful Score: 3
Not a huge fan of LaVyrle Spencer but I loved this book!!
Helpful Score: 2
Good story, nice details. Hard to read if you have abuse in your past. I wish they would have written a little note warning people. Other than that the book was excellent.
Helpful Score: 2
This book takes place in the early 20th century when society really looks down on divorce. This book is a wonderful display of how a hard working divorcee fights to raise your daughters successfully and show her hometown community that there is nothing wrong with a divorcee. I liked this book a lot.
LaVerle Spencer never fails to hold my attention with her realistic characters and multifaceted plots. If you try her books once, you'll be looking for all the others. I was so sorry when she retired from writing a few years ago. I don't know anyone else who presents romance through such realistic people and situations.
Helpful Score: 1
I have read all of this author's books and I feel this one is the best yet! I truly enjoyed it and recommend it.
Helpful Score: 1
Modern times may have come to Camden, Maine in 1916, but divorcee Roberta Jewett finds that a divorced woman is still considered little better than a prostitute. Roberts, the sole provider for her three daughters, gets a job as a county nurse, learns to drive and buys herself a car. Along with Gabriel Farley, the contractor who renovates her house, Roberta is forced to stand up to an entire town.
Good Lavyrle Spencer novel!
Good Lavyrle Spencer novel!
Helpful Score: 1
LaVryle Spencer always writes of such sympathetic characters, and this is no exception. A contemporary romance.
Helpful Score: 1
This was a great Summer read. A good story about a strong woman who returns to her home town with her young daughters after being divorced. Since it is set in the early 1900's, a divorced woman is looked upon as being rather loose, and it's no different in this book. She's strong and filled with will and devotion. Loved it!
A good book about a divorced woman with three daughters trying to start over in a small town in 1916.
This is a wonderful read. Well written, historically & geographically sound. A real treasure.
I liked this!! Read it several times!
The year is 1916. The place is a tiny New England village called Camden-where a newly divorced woman learns that love can be more special the second time around.....
The year is 1916. The place is a tiny New England village called Camden--where a newly divorced woman learns that love can be more special the second time around.....
the year is 1916. The place is a tiny New England village called Camden..where a newly divorced woman learns that love can be more special the second time around. A modern fairy tale, complete with a deserving heroine, a price of a guy, and a happily ever after reading.
Roberta Jewett lives her life with gusto drawing on an inner strength that is admirable. As a divorced women before women's lib she is looked upon as an outcast and worse by her neighbors when she returns to her hometown to raise her childen. She is a single mom before the term single mom was coined. She does it her way and you will admire her values and the high road she takes in the summer of 1916.
Very interesting love story with a look of small town living in Maine in 1916. LaVyrle Spencer does it again!
"A modern fairy tale, complete with a deserving heroine, a prince of a guy, and a happily-ever after ending."
- People
- People
I really enjoyed this as a light read... Enjoyed the characters and found it interesting to read about attitudes towards women especially in the earlier part of the 1900s (which I already knew exisited) and how this Brady bunch finally came together. We have come along way but still fight some of the same silly chauvanistic ideals (and how women have been manipulated for centuries).... embedded in some men's brains still exist.
Overall, a nice read and enjoyed it all the way to the end.
Overall, a nice read and enjoyed it all the way to the end.
Set in New England in 1916. Lavyrle Spencer always write from the heart, a good read.
Another of my favorite authors - Lavyrle Spencer captures your attention!
The year is 1916. The place is a tiny New England village called Camden - where a newly divorced woman learns that love can be more special the second time around . . .
When free thinking divorcee Roberta Jewett returns to her hometown of Camden, Maine she discocvers that small-town folk consider a divorced woman little more than a prostitue. Condemmed by her mother and scorned by neighbors, she nonetheless perseveres in her struggle to forge a good life for her girls and herself. Behaving like no "respectable" woman would, she gets a job as a country nurse, learns to drive and buys her very own Model T. Embittered by her painful marriage to an unfaithful husband, she has no intention of being any man's victim again. So when widowed carpenter Gabriel Farley begins work renovating her house, Roberta's first response to him is blatant resentment. But Gabriel's quiet, vibrant masculinity soon finds a way to soothe Roberta's heart.
And in the ultimate test of will and devotion, she must depend on the man she has grown to love and summon the courage to stand up to an entire town.
When free thinking divorcee Roberta Jewett returns to her hometown of Camden, Maine she discocvers that small-town folk consider a divorced woman little more than a prostitue. Condemmed by her mother and scorned by neighbors, she nonetheless perseveres in her struggle to forge a good life for her girls and herself. Behaving like no "respectable" woman would, she gets a job as a country nurse, learns to drive and buys her very own Model T. Embittered by her painful marriage to an unfaithful husband, she has no intention of being any man's victim again. So when widowed carpenter Gabriel Farley begins work renovating her house, Roberta's first response to him is blatant resentment. But Gabriel's quiet, vibrant masculinity soon finds a way to soothe Roberta's heart.
And in the ultimate test of will and devotion, she must depend on the man she has grown to love and summon the courage to stand up to an entire town.
This novel is a wonderful heartrendering slice of Americana. A "modern" 1916 fairy tale, complete with a divorcee, who behaves like no "respectable" woman would, and a prince of a guy, who helps her summon the courage she needs to stand up to an entire town. A lively story!
The year is 1916. The place is a tiny New England village called Camden. Where a newly divorced woman realizes that love can be special the second time around. A choice of the Literary Guild.
One of my favorite authors.
Great book! Early woman's lib! Very empowering!
Absolutely one of my favorite books.
The year is 1916. the place is a tiny New England village called Camden-where a newly divorced woman learns that love can be more special the second time around...
When free-thinking divorcee Roberta Jewett returns to her hometown of Camden, Maine, she discovers that small-town folk consider a divorced woman little more than a prositute. Condemned by her mother and scorned by neighbors, she nonetheless perseveres in her stuggle to forge a good life for her girls and herself. Behaving like no "respectable" woman would, she gets a job as a county nurse, learns to drive, and buys her very own Model T. Embittered by her painful marriage to an unfaithful husband, she has no intention of being any man's victim again. So when widowed carpenter Gabriel Farley begins work renovating her house, Roberta's first response to him is blatant resentment. But Gabriel's quiet, vibrant masculinity soon finds a way to soothe Roberta's heart.
And in the ultimate test of will and devotion, she must depend on the man she has grown to love and summon the courage to stand up to an entire town.
When free-thinking divorcee Roberta Jewett returns to her hometown of Camden, Maine, she discovers that small-town folk consider a divorced woman little more than a prositute. Condemned by her mother and scorned by neighbors, she nonetheless perseveres in her stuggle to forge a good life for her girls and herself. Behaving like no "respectable" woman would, she gets a job as a county nurse, learns to drive, and buys her very own Model T. Embittered by her painful marriage to an unfaithful husband, she has no intention of being any man's victim again. So when widowed carpenter Gabriel Farley begins work renovating her house, Roberta's first response to him is blatant resentment. But Gabriel's quiet, vibrant masculinity soon finds a way to soothe Roberta's heart.
And in the ultimate test of will and devotion, she must depend on the man she has grown to love and summon the courage to stand up to an entire town.
A triumph of love over cruelty and hypocrisy. One of my favorite authors.
I enjoyed the struggle and triumph Roberta has being a divorced woman in the early 1900's
Amazon.com
Fiercely independent Roberta Jewett is returning to her hometown of Camden, Maine, with her daughters in tow. Having just endured a scandalous divorce, Roberta only wants to settle down and create a decent life for herself and her children. Romance is the furthest thing from her mind, but when Gabe Farley enter her life Roberta soon learns to trust in love again. The endearing characters and pleasing plot to be found in That Camden Summer make for an excellent romance read. --Maudeen Wachsmith
From Publishers Weekly
A resilient divorcee returns with her three daughters to her childhood hometown; a lonely widower makes the rough journey out of the shell of his own isolated soul; and the perennially bestselling Spencer (Home Song) doesn't miss a beat as she expertly gives them a second chance at love. First, however, they have to suffer. It's the summer of 1916 when Roberta Jewett returns to Camden, Maine, after 18 years. As a divorcee, she finds herself a social outcast and even her mother thinks she's a tramp (besides which she wants to work, of all things, and own a car). What makes her really mad, however, are men. She doesn't like them, having learned, she thinks, all there is to know from her disastrous marriage. But it turns out that the brutes can be both worse and better than she has ever dreamed. On the one hand, there's Elfred, her lecherous brother-in-law, who can hardly keep his mitts off her; on the other hand, there's Gabriel Farley, the widowed carpenter, and she can hardly keep her mind off him. From the very start, Gabe and Roberta are bickering ("Don't you laugh at me, Mr. Farley!.... I shall own a motorcar, come hell or high water."). Then, little by little, without really trying, they become friends (as do their children). Her hatred of men wanes, his obsession with his dead wife becomes muted and their attraction heats up with the summer. But when Roberta is brutally raped, all her hopes are threatened. Will she be able to pick up the pieces? Can she face family secrets and challenge the town's benighted hypocrisy? Will Gabe do the right thing? Spencer, famous for her heart-rending slices of Americana, delivers the goods again. First serial to Readers Digest; Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club main selections.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Fiercely independent Roberta Jewett is returning to her hometown of Camden, Maine, with her daughters in tow. Having just endured a scandalous divorce, Roberta only wants to settle down and create a decent life for herself and her children. Romance is the furthest thing from her mind, but when Gabe Farley enter her life Roberta soon learns to trust in love again. The endearing characters and pleasing plot to be found in That Camden Summer make for an excellent romance read. --Maudeen Wachsmith
From Publishers Weekly
A resilient divorcee returns with her three daughters to her childhood hometown; a lonely widower makes the rough journey out of the shell of his own isolated soul; and the perennially bestselling Spencer (Home Song) doesn't miss a beat as she expertly gives them a second chance at love. First, however, they have to suffer. It's the summer of 1916 when Roberta Jewett returns to Camden, Maine, after 18 years. As a divorcee, she finds herself a social outcast and even her mother thinks she's a tramp (besides which she wants to work, of all things, and own a car). What makes her really mad, however, are men. She doesn't like them, having learned, she thinks, all there is to know from her disastrous marriage. But it turns out that the brutes can be both worse and better than she has ever dreamed. On the one hand, there's Elfred, her lecherous brother-in-law, who can hardly keep his mitts off her; on the other hand, there's Gabriel Farley, the widowed carpenter, and she can hardly keep her mind off him. From the very start, Gabe and Roberta are bickering ("Don't you laugh at me, Mr. Farley!.... I shall own a motorcar, come hell or high water."). Then, little by little, without really trying, they become friends (as do their children). Her hatred of men wanes, his obsession with his dead wife becomes muted and their attraction heats up with the summer. But when Roberta is brutally raped, all her hopes are threatened. Will she be able to pick up the pieces? Can she face family secrets and challenge the town's benighted hypocrisy? Will Gabe do the right thing? Spencer, famous for her heart-rending slices of Americana, delivers the goods again. First serial to Readers Digest; Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club main selections.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Good book. Just not my usual style.
Nice Large Print Edition!!! Fast Read-Great Story!
Very good book. Different than some of her earlier works.
This was the first LaVyrle Spencer book I read and loved every page of it.
Newly divorced woman moves back to her hometown early in the 20th century. The heroine has to stand up to gossip and judgement in a small town.
A good book to curl up with.
One of my favorites by Ms. Spencer. Perfect if you like light reads with happy endings.
I'm glad the don't hink of divorced women like this town does in this story. It is a very good book with a happy ending.
Roberta Jewett returns to her hometown of Camden,Maine. The small town people do not accept her as she is now a divorcee. She has three daughters that she is struggling to forge a good life for by accepting a job as a county nurse. Her brother-in-law purchases a house for her before she arrives but failes to tell her that it is in shambles. Gabriel Farley a local carpenter comes to her rescue to fix her hiouse, but comes to her rescue in more ways than just a carpenter. That's all, can't tell anymore or I'll reveal the plot. Very good, keeps your interest until the last period....
"A modern fairy tale, complete with a deserving heroine, a prince of a guy, and a happily-ever-afer ending." --People
"The perenially bestselling Spencer doesn't miss a beat. Famous for her heartrending slices of Americana, she delivers the goods." --Publishers Weekly
"Deft, unpretentious, and down-to-earth, LaVyrie Spencer...never fails to please." --The Anniston Star
"The year is 1916, the place is a tiny, New England village called Camden- where a newly divorced woman learns that love can be more special the second time around....
When free-thinking divorcee Roberta Jewett returns to her hometown of Camden, Maine, she discovers that small-town folk consider a divorced woman little more than a prostitute. Condemned by her mother and scorned by neighbors, she nonetheless perseveres in her struggle to forge a good life for her girls and herself. Behaving like no 'respectable' women would, she gets a job as a county nurse, learns to drive, and buys her very own Model T. Embittered by her painful marriage to an unfaithful husband, she has no intention of being any man's victim again. So when widowed carpenter Gabriel Farley begins work renovating her house, Roberta's first response to him is blatant resentment. But Gabriel's quiet, vibrant masculinity soon finds a way to soothe Roberta's heart.
And in the ultimate test of will and devotion, she must depend on the man she has grown to love and summon the courage to stand up to an entire town."
"The perenially bestselling Spencer doesn't miss a beat. Famous for her heartrending slices of Americana, she delivers the goods." --Publishers Weekly
"Deft, unpretentious, and down-to-earth, LaVyrie Spencer...never fails to please." --The Anniston Star
"The year is 1916, the place is a tiny, New England village called Camden- where a newly divorced woman learns that love can be more special the second time around....
When free-thinking divorcee Roberta Jewett returns to her hometown of Camden, Maine, she discovers that small-town folk consider a divorced woman little more than a prostitute. Condemned by her mother and scorned by neighbors, she nonetheless perseveres in her struggle to forge a good life for her girls and herself. Behaving like no 'respectable' women would, she gets a job as a county nurse, learns to drive, and buys her very own Model T. Embittered by her painful marriage to an unfaithful husband, she has no intention of being any man's victim again. So when widowed carpenter Gabriel Farley begins work renovating her house, Roberta's first response to him is blatant resentment. But Gabriel's quiet, vibrant masculinity soon finds a way to soothe Roberta's heart.
And in the ultimate test of will and devotion, she must depend on the man she has grown to love and summon the courage to stand up to an entire town."
Good story about a tough lady!
A liberated, independent, "divorced" woman returns to her very conservative hometown in 1916. Is love better the second time around? Does the carpenter present problems for this divorcee? What will this small minded town think?
A great read, you will love this book.!
After divorcing her cheating husband, Roberta Jewitt moves back to her hometown with her three daughters. She works as a traveling nurse to make a living and keep a roof over her family's heads. But Roberta quickly finds herself the source of gossip in this small town since a divorcee is considered a loose woman by many. Even her mother blames her for leaving her husband since no respectable woman would do such a thing.
Gabriel Farley is the carpenter who is fixing up Roberta's house. He is a widower with a daughter who has been befriended by Roberta's children. Gabriel and Roberta do not hit it off right away, but eventually he sees the way she is treated unfairly by her family and starts to grow closer to her.
This is a historical romance with very likeable characters. Roberta is a very independent woman who stands up for herself and her family. She is determined to do the best she can for her daughters. Gabriel is very quiet and laid-back. He is still grieving for his late wife and has kept the house just as she left it. These two characters bring out the best in each other as they develop a friendship that turns into more. My rating: 4 Stars.
Gabriel Farley is the carpenter who is fixing up Roberta's house. He is a widower with a daughter who has been befriended by Roberta's children. Gabriel and Roberta do not hit it off right away, but eventually he sees the way she is treated unfairly by her family and starts to grow closer to her.
This is a historical romance with very likeable characters. Roberta is a very independent woman who stands up for herself and her family. She is determined to do the best she can for her daughters. Gabriel is very quiet and laid-back. He is still grieving for his late wife and has kept the house just as she left it. These two characters bring out the best in each other as they develop a friendship that turns into more. My rating: 4 Stars.
A very enjoyable book and also a fast read. Finished in one day.
Great romance read
Another great book about relationships.
At the turn of the century in New England, an independent divorce, progressive before her time, returns to her provincial hometown of Camden, Maine, in order to build a new life for herself and her three daughters. Braving adversaries such as her lecherous brother-in-law, condemning mother, and a community that considers a divorced woman little better than a prostitute, Roberta Jewett behaves "scandalously," securing a job as a county nurse to support her children, learning to drive, and buying a "Model-T car." Roberta is embittered by her humiliating marriage to an outrageous philanderer, but not surprisingly she "finds love" with Gabriel Farley, the gruff yet inwardly sensitive widowered carpenter retained to renovate her home. Although predictable and somewhat belabored, Spencer's latest novel is overall an enjoyable read.
A modern fairy tale with a deserving heroine,a prince of a guy and a happily ever after ending
A modern fairytale complete with a deserving heroine, prince of a guy and a happily ever after ending!
A good read
A typical Spencer book about a free-thinking divorcee in 1916. She comes home to Camden.
Light fare. Typical boy-meets-girl story, set in the early 1900's. What made it interesting was the setting, the opinions and values of the time, how women were treated, etc.
I really liked this book. Interesting characters and a feel-good story.
This was a very enjoyable book. Set in the early 20th. century when early amenities were just starting and women were beginning to be independent. The new phones, auto', electricity were the harbingers of the coming technolocica explosion. Great characters and really good story telling. Spencer is an often underrated author.
Library Copy with a couple of stickers on the back.
The year is 1916. The place is a tiny New England village called Camden - where a newly divorced woman learns that love can be more special the 2nd time around....
The year is 1916. The place is a tiny New England village called Camden - where a newly divorced woman learns that love can be more special the 2nd time around....
