I gave this only a '3' but I think closer to '4' . . . I just was so disappointed at about 2/3 the way through. I loved the beginning. It got predictable, not always bad, but it also got annoying. I kept hoping the blossoming love would be deeper and really draw me in. I love a clean book, but the love story part of it became so boring, I reduced the '4' to a '3'. I loved so much of the book I am just bummed. This is an historical romance and an "inspirational" romance. I seem to be reading a disproportionate amount of these in my eclectic reading of late. This is an excellent example of the genre. However, there are a couple of reasons that this, for me, is not a 5-star book.While my goodwill/suspension of belief necessary to allow fiction to be fiction was somewhat strained by the premise of the mysterious and never adequately explained situation of the forced marriage, once the story moved past it, so did I. Second, in the beginning of the book, I listened to (audio book) CHAPTERS feeling like several beginning chapters had simply been omitted from the front of the book. I felt I was just dropped down into a story well underway and I struggled with the feeling I was missing out on some details thereby.From the "inspiration" side of things, that was soft peddled and it blended in with the overall story, unlike some that quote huge swaths of scripture and lecture endlessly or have several chapters that drone on about some religious topic. The main characters were generally likable and not overly dense or whiny as romance books sometimes allow their characters to be.
What do You think about Hidden Affections (2011)?
Soooo sweet and everything about romance that is swoon worthy...review posting soon....
—lizzy
Amazing! So intense I could not put it down!
—Alissa
Time Period: 1831Location: Pennsylvania
—Dolphins2010
