22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Favorite!, January 5, 2010
This review is from: The Lightkeeper's Daughter (Mercy Falls Series #1) (Paperback)
The Lightkeeper's Daughter is about a girl who grows up as (you guessed it) the lightkeeper's daughter. When a stranger comes to their home with new and shocking information about her heritage, she decides to set forth on an adventure to find the truth about where she comes from, and the loving family she has always longed for.
I'll admit that I was a little bit leery of reading this book as I've read some other things by Coble and haven't liked them. I'm very glad that I did though, as this book is now one of my favorites! The Lightkeeper's Daughter is full of adventure, intrigue, and romance. The last part of the book especially kept me entranced as the bad guy was found out and the story was finishing. I loved Addie and have decided that I need to be more like her and not be conformed by the world, and to speak the truth no matter what. She is a character that you will be sure to love. John is a wonderful, strong male character with lots of love to offer. I will definitely be reading the next books in this series.
Thank you, Thomas Nelson, for sending the book to me for reviewing purposes. [...]
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loved this story! It's making my best fiction of 2010 list!, January 18, 2010
This review is from: The Lightkeeper's Daughter (Mercy Falls Series #1) (Paperback)
The Lightkeeper's Daughter was an incredible story and I loved it. Full of romance and mystery, it kept me reading and I couldn't put it down. Seriously. John was the dreamiest hero ever! I loved him and how he treated Addie. She was a great heroine, too. She loved the Lord and it was evident in her life. The spiritual thread in this book was excellently inserted and made the book just that much better. It didn't feel forced, but very natural. I loved how Addie's respect for the hero made him want to be a better man. Shouldn't our lives and love for the Lord attract people? This story shows that very well. It makes me want to show my husband even more respect and that is what good fiction should do, IMHO. It should inspire us to be better at loving others.
The coolest part of this story was that you just never quite knew who the bad guy was. I changed my mind several times (and my theories) and honestly, it surprised me at the end to find out who the culprit was, yet it also made total sense. The foundation was very well laid and prepared me to accept that twist. This book was so full of surprises, but they were all believable and worked well for the story. This was the perfect historical mystery with enough warmth to make romance lovers like me sigh with pleasure. I truly enjoyed this story and it's making my top fiction for 2010 list. While I've read other books written by this author, this is definitely my favorite book by Colleen Coble. I think she has a real knack for historical fiction with mystery and romantic elements. I plan to read the next book in this series and can't wait for it's release.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
The Lightkeeper's Daughter, July 14, 2010
This review is from: The Lightkeeper's Daughter (Mercy Falls Series #1) (Paperback)
This was my first Colleen Coble read and her first historical, so we're both trying something new. Her romance thread is highly enjoyable. I liked how the hero and heroine were "allowed" to build their relationship throughout the story, rather than waiting for everything to come together at the end. Of course, she keeps it wholesome, but it's worth mentioning how she doesn't remain in a formulaic pattern for this thread. One of my favorite aspects.
Her heroine is very likable. She's naïve and outspoken and I rooted for her, both in her goal to find and belong to her family, as well as sympathizing with her pursuit of acceptance. Well done.
I understand Colleen writes suspense, but I felt the tone of this novel didn't strike me as a suspense at first, so when the first threatening situation happens, it seemed forced. Even the book's back cover copy doesn't mention suspense--you know, right there near the bar code and genre specs. However, this thread doesn't detract from the overall story, especially when it kicks into high gear later in the story.
I liked the setting and timing of the story: lighthouses and the early Twentieth Century. Lighthouses, in my opinion, are always a great setting for a novel, especially a historical.
One of Colleen's spiritual themes was trusting God. Her heroine gets into some scrapes, of course, and she chooses to trust God to get her through them. I felt this was handled perhaps a little too simplistically, because of course the situation gets resolved within a few pages. Life isn't always that simple; God doesn't always answer with a "yes." Still, for the sake of a timely story, it worked. And it's a worthy theme.
Finally, the cover. I know, books aren't all about covers, but I absolutely love this cover. The colors and setting, the sky and lighthouse. All of those intrigued me enough to give this book a try. Readers who enjoy suspense, romance and historical settings will enjoy this story. Nicely done.
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