Review: Not bad, but not great
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 08 8, 2013
I enjoyed more about this story than I disliked, but it wasn't great. The characters were likeable and the plot was relatively good, but the writing could have been better. There were some editing issues that needed fixing. There was plenty of telling when I'd rather be shown, and little of the phrasing was unique...some of it was actually awkward. That said, there were some well-written scenes/parts, too.Many of the characters' thoughts and motivations were repetitive. That could have been trimmed. I skimmed in places, thinking,'Yeah. I got this already. Move on.' Some of their actions and reactions also didn't ring true. I would have liked to see Jesse held more accountable for lying to Grace and having her give up all she did to move out there for a teen she couldn't marry. He got off a little too easy, if you ask me.And even though marriages back then were often for convenience, Grace's willingness to take nearly any man as her husband, especially after she developed strong feelings for Rafe, seemed odd.  I would have liked to see more emotion. As it was, it felt like, 'Oh, no problem. I'll just marry someone else.' The author may not have seen her that way, but it's how she came across on the page.This is not a horrible book by any means. It's readable--parts of it are quite enjoyable--but it could have been better. 3 1/2 stars.