I like Christian fiction. I really do. The genre usually consists of very easy and unchallenging read,s usually following the same kind of plot line - romantic suspense of some kind and don't therefore require much thinking or effort on my part whilst reading. The downside being to expect some form of preaching (this book had it in abundance) but if you are kind of a believer like I am, it doesn't really go down too badly... Daughters of Joy therefore was another good yet unremarkable christian book, no different to another christian book I read immediately before it (I must be going through a christian lit phases or something!), totally undistinguishable in fact.But worthy of a solid three stars nonetheless. It kept me interested, it kept me turning the pages and I felt totally and completely invested in the characters which is the sign of a good read, for sure.Daughters of Joy concerns Abbie Stanton, a housekeeper to be at the local ranch following a series of personal problems that she wishes to escape from. The story tells the tale of Abbie and her new employer and the love that soon develops between them, of which both resist due to personal circumstances.Abbie is a totally likeable character and I rooted for her the whole time. She is a strongminded woman, a bit of a religious obsessive but nonetheless a likeable, gentle person. This in contrast with the character of her employer, a rash, immediately unlikeable badly tempered and hostile man, made for interesting reading. He mellows out however and you end up kinda liking him in the end.I felt that even for a christian book, the preaching bits were quite heavy and repetitive, more so than a lot of christian books I've read where the messages have been inferred rather than directly preached in some cases, so this book wouldn't be worth a read for those who are totally against this. I have read that many christian fiction books now, that I am fairly used to it however felt that some of the preaching in this book was unnecessary and didn't further the plot in anyway, so, it could have been toned down somewhat.I found this likeable enough to want to continue with the rest of the series and do that, I shall.A good if not predictable read from Kathleen Morgan.
I'm a Christian and I'm always looking for a story that embodies the values that I hold dear. At first, I had high hopes for this book. The premise and set-up were compelling. The historical ranch setting was refreshing. The character development flowed pretty believably for the first part of the book and I found myself concerned for and interested in the fate of the characters. As the story progressed, however, I met with the all too familiar sentiment of being fed up with the so-very righteous protagonist. I wasn't sure what exactly bothered me so much, but I guess my brain has been working on it, because all these months later, it finally hit me: I'm sick of the goody-goody protagonist whose sole interest is to serve God and whose default in any situation - dangerous, joyful, monotonous - is to quote to Bible. Don't get me wrong, I love the Bible and it's totally believable that a Christian protagonist would turn there for solace, etc., but somehow, it only made this character and others seem obtuse and shallow to me. A desire to serve God, or dedication to any cause, for that matter, does not constitute a personality. Maybe it's because religion is such a personal thing, but I've been disappointed, almost by this genre, as much as I want to enjoy it (any recommendations would be welcome!). This was not a bad read, but the author fell into the same pitfalls as have many Christian authors.Oh and what was that at the end about 'for better or for worse' meaning that a woman should put her health and life in jeopardy so that a man can have his sexual needs satisfied? That a man can't be blamed for turning to prostitutes if his wife can't satisfy his appetites? Surely I can't have been the only one that found that a little disturbing.The writing itself was pretty good. The story flowed well enough. I was just hoping for a novel that had a good story, a Christian message, and that would be spiritually uplifting. 'Daughter of Joy' did not fit the bill, though that seems to have been Morgan's objective. As with many books written in this genre, my overall assessment is: nice sentiment, but the execution was lacking.
What do You think about Daughter Of Joy (1999)?
From the beginning Kathleen Morgan captures the reader in a spell of wonder as they read the detailed story. Plot twists come left and right sometimes throwing the reader into a desire to read the end of the book quickly. A desire to see her leading female Abby to finally get her happy ending with Connor. Through a rough journey where Conor has a lot to learn about himself and so does Abby, a truly passionate and inspiring love story is told through this book.If I had one bad note to make was that there was sometimes moments repeated that didn't need repeating. Some extra words were repeated that I'm sure a proofreader might catch on another walk through. All in all it earned its stars and I look forward to reading more of Kathleen's work in the future. I've already got a second book of hers already downloading.
—Kristal McKerrington
Abby is a woman with a past full of heartache. She's lost her husband and son and struggles with her grief. She takes on a job as a housekeeper for a man who's reputation is less than stellar.Conor is a rather volatile rancher with a past that hurts him to the core. He's got a little girl named Beth who was badly mistreated, to the point that Conor doesn't trust just anyone around her.Abby struggles to win over Beth's love and loyalty. She struggles just as much to win Conor's trust. As a woman of faith, she believes that God will work wonders in their lives if they will only allow Him back in.As you have probably guessed by now, Abby and Conor are somewhat attracted to each other, but neither one really wants to admit it. But you can see it. The two adults, heartbroken by life's unfair dealings, need each other (and the Lord!) to heal and really come to peaceful terms with their past.
—Cayla
This book begins with a young widow who has recently lost her son. She reluctantly accepts the position of housekeeper/nanny for a man whose reputation is that of a difficult, demanding boss with a spoiled, bratty daughter.Early into the story, I almost stopped reading, thinking that this historical fiction would end the same way so many do, with the virtuous heroine winning the heart of the bad guy, who instantly changes his ways, comes to the Lord, and welcomes her into his affluent life. About the time the story was all wrapped up to end that way, a major plot twist jumped onto the scene and had to be resolved. Then another and another, and before I knew it, this simple, cut-and-dry romance had turned into a full-fledged drama.As the characters work out the kinks and learn to trust God's hand through the tough times, we get to know people who are in various places in their walk with the Lord. We see their struggles--and even failures--to live what they're being called to, and there is encouragement in the reminder that God never gives up on us. I ultimately enjoyed this book, even more once it got a little complicated and I couldn't predict exactly where it was going. Okay, okay, it IS historical romantic fiction, so I knew exactly where it was going, but I couldn't predict every step along the way. ;)
—Christie Hagerman
