Helpful Score: 1
Susannah finds herself in a situation with no choices. Her parents are dead; she has no way to support herself, and no suitors. Her pastor and his wife graciously let her stay with them for a while but they and their children live in very cramped quarters and she cannot impose for too long. Then her pastor suggests that Susannah consider marrying his brother who lives in the wild Dakota Territory. So Susannah packs her fears and insecurities as well as her earthly possessions and travels to Dakota to marry a man she has never met. Jesse Mason expectantly awaits the bride he has prayed so long for, and two strangers begin the difficult journey of getting to know each other while turning the wild untamed territory into a home.
I started reading this book with great anticipation and found that it held my interest and was easy to read. However, the book did not meet my expectations. The story needed more time to develop in certain areas and some situations were hard to believe. I could have overlooked these things had it not been for the sexual descriptions throughout the book. I found them to be inappropriate for The Christian fiction market. I choose to read Christian fiction because I want to read a satisfying love story with wholesome values. Many will probably not find anything wrong with this book; however I would not recommend it for young unmarried women. We have enough explicit detail in the secular market.
Thomas Nelson graciously provided me with a review copy for this review. My opinions are my own.
I started reading this book with great anticipation and found that it held my interest and was easy to read. However, the book did not meet my expectations. The story needed more time to develop in certain areas and some situations were hard to believe. I could have overlooked these things had it not been for the sexual descriptions throughout the book. I found them to be inappropriate for The Christian fiction market. I choose to read Christian fiction because I want to read a satisfying love story with wholesome values. Many will probably not find anything wrong with this book; however I would not recommend it for young unmarried women. We have enough explicit detail in the secular market.
Thomas Nelson graciously provided me with a review copy for this review. My opinions are my own.
Helpful Score: 1
This review is part of the Litfuse Blog Tour for the book which started yesterday.
This book is different than any that I have read lately. When reading I enjoy breaking off in different areas to keep things fresh. At the beginning of the book I wasn't sure if I liked Susannah or not. She has agreed to come to the Dakota territory to meet a husband she married by proxy. While this man is the brother of her pastor, she had never herself met him and has only exchanged a few letters with him. Her mother had very strict ideas of what a lady does and does not do, so going to live in a sod house with a stranger was a big leap of faith for her. Her parents have passed away and a banker has been hounding her for money he claims her father owed him.
Jesse ends up doing all the taking in the beginning, owing to the fact that Susannah believes that women should not be spending too much time talking about themselves along with her shyness and reticence about sharing details about her past. Slowly they get to know each other and pieces of the real Susannah start to peek through.
The beginning of each chapter started with a prayer from Jesse to God, just a short sentence that then set the tone for the chapter that followed. Susannah had lost her faith in God, feeling that he did not answer her prayers, but Jesse helps her to see that even though God hears us sometimes the answer is still "no" because of reasons unknown beyond our sphere. Slowly Susannah not only finds herself and allows herself to be herself, but she also comes to have faith in God and to pray for guidance when she is feeling lost.
Something happens that tests them both in a very big way, and how they deal with the challenge they are dealt speaks volumes for their characters. It made me wonder, how many of us today put our faith in a higher power when things get tough? How many of us remember to pray or ask for guidance, not just what is is we think we want? We can't know the plan and when things get tough is it a way for us to change and find a new path or is it a chance for us to show our true character and what we are really made of? Do we have the faith that Susannah had in herself by the end of the novel and her faith that things are going to work out?
This book is different than any that I have read lately. When reading I enjoy breaking off in different areas to keep things fresh. At the beginning of the book I wasn't sure if I liked Susannah or not. She has agreed to come to the Dakota territory to meet a husband she married by proxy. While this man is the brother of her pastor, she had never herself met him and has only exchanged a few letters with him. Her mother had very strict ideas of what a lady does and does not do, so going to live in a sod house with a stranger was a big leap of faith for her. Her parents have passed away and a banker has been hounding her for money he claims her father owed him.
Jesse ends up doing all the taking in the beginning, owing to the fact that Susannah believes that women should not be spending too much time talking about themselves along with her shyness and reticence about sharing details about her past. Slowly they get to know each other and pieces of the real Susannah start to peek through.
The beginning of each chapter started with a prayer from Jesse to God, just a short sentence that then set the tone for the chapter that followed. Susannah had lost her faith in God, feeling that he did not answer her prayers, but Jesse helps her to see that even though God hears us sometimes the answer is still "no" because of reasons unknown beyond our sphere. Slowly Susannah not only finds herself and allows herself to be herself, but she also comes to have faith in God and to pray for guidance when she is feeling lost.
Something happens that tests them both in a very big way, and how they deal with the challenge they are dealt speaks volumes for their characters. It made me wonder, how many of us today put our faith in a higher power when things get tough? How many of us remember to pray or ask for guidance, not just what is is we think we want? We can't know the plan and when things get tough is it a way for us to change and find a new path or is it a chance for us to show our true character and what we are really made of? Do we have the faith that Susannah had in herself by the end of the novel and her faith that things are going to work out?
Helpful Score: 1
Spring for Susannah is the author's debut novel, but it sure doesn't read like one! It was amazing! It sucked me in, and I quickly grew to like Susannah and Jesse and root for them. I relate a lot to Susannah's shyness. Unlike many Christian romances, Susannah & Jesse marry by proxy before they meet, and then they learn to love each other in the context of marriage. I enjoyed their flirting and teasing each other. My only quibble is that they were apart for so long the second half of the book, and a lot of things were happening quickly. Then Jesse reappears and the book ends within a handful of pages. It just felt very rushed.
You can buy Spring for Susannah at Amazon or Christianbook.
With thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for my review copy.
You can buy Spring for Susannah at Amazon or Christianbook.
With thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for my review copy.
Helpful Score: 1
This is an awesome debut novel! I completely loved it! I was swept up in Susannah's world and didn't want to leave. I loved watching shy, timid Susannah find her backbone and become a strong, independent pioneer woman! Poor Jesse just wants someone to talk to after spending years alone on the prairie in Dakota Territory. When his mail order bride arrives, she doesn't say barely two words. This book has suspense, humor, passion and tons of charm!
I totally agree with myersjewels, this book has TMI. I suppose this is what they are calling edgy Christian fiction these days.
very well written Christian fiction. This author is not afraid to mention things that other Christian fiction authors will not. Made the whole story more real and enjoyable. I am surprised this is her first novel and I hope she keeps up the good work.
I liked the story by Catherine Richmond. Spring for Susannah is the story of a shy and quiet mail order bride who travels to the harsh Dakota Territory. Jesse, her new husband works hard to win her love and affection. The characters were well written and interesting.
I absolutely loved this book!! The characters were well developed and I appreciated the descriptions of the territory as well as the soddy itself. The author's writing style was different from what I'm used to, but I think that made the book even more interesting for me. This is one of my favorites.
For a debut novel, Catherine Richmond blazes out into the christian romance scene with a fantastic book. The main characters, Susannah and Jesse are very likable and their characters develop and grow as the story unfolds. The story of mail order bride Susannah and her husband Jesse is the basis for the story and for the most part, it is about building the foundation for their marriage. God does play a part in their life but for a christian novel, the bedroom scenes could have had less detail. Sometimes less is more. Also, the ending was rushed, which I wish more time had been spent there. I was left satisfied but yet still hungry. All in all though, a great read and I will be anticipating Catherine's next novel.
