Review: Loved Them
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 19, 2014
I really enjoyed the books in this bundle. The first three books were outstanding. The fourth book was weaker than the others, but it was still entertaining. They were well written, traditional series-style historical romances, with all that implies. There is a certain predictability to this type of book, and that is what the readers who like this genre expect and want. Two people meet, they get to know each other, overcome some obstacles, fall in love and live happily ever after.Within the genre's framework, the author has done an excellent job of making each individual story unique. Most of the characters were likeable and had strong work ethics, good values and morals. They were willing to compromise and work at creating and sustaining a good marriage. As well, the women were not doormats but they were supportive wives who expected the same support and respect they gave their husbands.I don't know if this bundle was placed in the Christian category at one time, but it wasn't when I bought it. There was no proselytizing, but some main characters talked briefly about being Christians, they all attended church, they said grace, there was no bad language, the mail-order brides were virgins, and at least one of the grooms was a virgin. Given the setting, the Christian references were realistic, and I would consider these books to be "clean" but not Christian literature. I noticed other readers disagree with the "clean" label, though, because there were sex scenes. I can take or leave sex scenes in books, as long as they aren't too frequent, too long, or veering into BDSM and men who think no means yes. The sex scenes in these books comprised a small part of the story and were pretty innocuous, by today's standards. The books are by no means erotica and I think they would be suitable for mid-teens and up. Judging by the one star reviews, not everyone agrees with this assessment.I noticed a few very minor grammatical errors that did not detract from the stories. Some of the characters used incorrect grammar in dialogue, but the author's narration was basically good.I read this genre to relax and to be entertained. I don't read it and expect "War and Peace". These were well written, light, engaging and enjoyable books which carried a more serious underlying theme of the importance of communication, compromise, integrity, support and trust in a relationship. The author delivers exactly what most readers want and expect from this genre, and she does it very well.Readers who like this genre will probably be very pleased with these books, and I highly recommend them. However, if a reader expects hot and frequent sex, complexity, major angst and almost insurmountable obstacles and maybe even an unhappy ending, avoid these books. You will think they are boring; they aren't but you will think they are. On the other hand, if you are a reader who objects to the least amount of sex in a book, you will absolutely hate these books. Stay away from them.