Customer Reviews

Love Finds You in Bridal Veil, Oregon

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Just finished Miralee Ferrell's new book, Love Finds You in Bridal Veil Oregon and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Her characters came alive across the pages as I stepped into another time and place far removed from a hectic lifestyle. The story has many twists, turns, and interesting plot lines, keeping me guessing of the outcome until the very end. Ferrell did a great job showing us the lifestyle behind a lumberjack community in the early twentieth century. Details were beautifully word-painted, speech patterns gave flavor, and accuracy for terminology showed her research without bogging the story down. Couldn't put the book down until I had gobbled up every page.

Love Finds You in Bridal Veil, Oregon by Miralee Ferrell is the first one of the Love Finds You series that I got to read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The author's descriptions of the scenery make you feel as if you're there in this breathtaking place. Of course we have romance but it's not a simple love story. There are tough choices to be made and hard decisions. One of the things I liked about the story is that in the middle of this romance there is a murder mystery along with some other mysteries as well. The book will definitely hook you and keep you turning the pages until the very end.

This story has suspense, romance, twists and through all of it there is a wonderful message about trusting God. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. It's a great romance, but it has so much more as well.

Margaret Garvey was sixteen years old when she fell in love with Nathaniel Cooper. Nathaniel asked her to marry him, and she agreed, and the plan was that they'd run away together. But Nathaniel never received the message that Margaret would run away with him, so he left without her. Four years later, Margaret is the school teacher in Bridal Veil, and she is being courted by Andrew Browning.

Now, Nathaniel has returned to Bridal Veil, and he's anxious to pick up the relationship where it left off. Margaret isn't sure how she feels about either man, but neither is prepared to back off. Especially when a local logger is murdered, and hobos are spied in the area.

Andrew is spied in the area of the murdered man's home so he finds himself a prime suspect. But then, so are two homeless children who are placed at the scene. Who really killed the logger? And how will Margaret discern which man she truly has feelings for?

LOVE FINDS YOU IN BRIDAL VIEW, OREGON is Ms. Ferrell's second book in the Love Finds You series, and I think this one is even better than the first The setting appears to be lovely by the description, and the photos included in the book.

Margaret is a lovely heroine, kind and courteous, and is considered quite the catch in Bridal Veil. She would have been a wonderful teacher, judging by the way she interacted with children. Both Andrew and Nathaniel had their faults, but my sympathies laid with one more than the other, and I hoped she'd chose the man I wanted her too. The ending of the book while, not unexpected, was heartbreakingly sweet. I loved LOVE FINDS YOU IN BRIDAL VEIL, OREGON. I enjoyed reading about the history of the town included at the end of the book too.

I have to admit I was wrong about Bridal Veil. It is a very good book and men will enjoy reading it also. Every time I walked in the house I picked it up. Everytime my wife, Connie saw me yesterday, I had the book in my nose. **SSSS** She said, "You must like that book". I told her I did.
You could say it is a mystery instead of a romantic fiction, but I call it a "mystery/romance". Oh, and I have learned a new word, "missive".I guess everybody else knew the definition of missive, but I had never seen the word until I read Bridal Veil.
The book has a very good story line and several interesting characters.
You male species do not pay any attention to the cover. You will like it.

Grady Sparks

Summerside Press, based in Minneapolis MN, has a series of novels called `Love Finds You.' The books in the series are named after American towns with unusual but intriguing names. This book, `Love Finds You in Bridal Veil, Oregon' is the third book in the series based in Oregon, a state I have not set foot in -yet!

If memory serves, this is the first Christian historical romance novel I have ever read. I had heard about this book, and was intrigued. The story centers on Margaret Garvey, a school teacher in the lovely town of Bridal Veil, Oregon at the turn of the twentieth century. Bridal Veil, at that time in history, was a logging community; the town was built by Bridal Veil Lumbering Company, a company which existed in real life. Most of the commerce in Bridal Veil was based on that trade.

Margaret has suffered many losses in her short twenty years. Four years earlier, she was being courted by Nathaniel Cooper. Sadly for her, her father, Jacob, was not happy about the relationship. He took steps to cause them to separate, a situation which broke Margaret's heart. Nathaniel moved out of town to start a new job without speaking to her, and Margaret was confused and in despair.

Four years later, she is the school teacher at the town's little schoolhouse. She continued to live with her father. Her mother had passed along years earlier. Tragedy struck Margaret's heart and life again, when her father died quickly and unexpectedly.

At that time, a young man named Andrew Browning, a logger with the lumber company, began to court her. He had been asked by Margaret's father earlier on to take care of Margaret if anything ever happened to him. When Margaret discovered Andrew had made that promise to Jacob, she questioned whether or not Andrew really cared about her, and was again wondering why so many people had betrayed her in life.

There is an interesting side story of two orphans, Samantha and Joel, who made their way to Bridal Veil after escaping from a cruel guardian. They had many interesting escapades during their time in that lovely community.

The story takes a turn when Nathaniel returns back to town to take a job at the logging company. The paths of Nathaniel and Margaret cross. Nathaniel discovered upon his return (through an interesting twist) that Jacob, Margaret's father, had intervened four years earlier; Margaret wanted to marry him, but that was not to be. Margaret is placed in the unenviable position of having to choose between two suitors. She ultimately does make a decision (you will have to read the book; the secret's safe with me!).

I found this to be a sweet story of love and care for others. Bridal Veil is portrayed as a small town whose residents watch out for each other. It was wonderfully refreshing to this city slicker! It made me want to visit, although Bridal Veil today is a ghost town whose current chief claim to fame is its postmark on wedding invitations. It sounds like a beautiful and scenic part of the U.S.A. I have never visited that part of the country, and the author's portrayal of it brought it to life for me. It makes me want to see it for myself!

I was also touched by the faith and love for the Lord exhibited by Margaret and Andrew in particular, in this story. Mrs. Ferrell did a wonderful job in showing that following the Lord is the right path to take - and He will never steer you wrong! Other important spiritual truths strongly covered in this novel are prayer, forgiveness, faith, trust, and God's sovereignty. Her primary goal in writing is to bring glory and honor to God - and she certainly succeeds in this story!

Miralee's next book, `Finding Jeena: A Novel,' comes out in April 2010 (looking forward to that one!). Other novels in Mrs. Ferrell's repertoire are `The Other Daughter,' and `Love Finds You in Last Chance, California.' She is a wonderful ambassador of the Lord's love!

...a beginning that really catches your interest, followed by several other situations and sets of characters to get the story moving from several angles--nicely handled, well explained, not confusing at all.
It is amazing how several seemingly not related sets of circumstances are woven together so well.
This book has characters that stand out in your mind--I think of the two runaway children so well portrayed; and I especially like the author's notes at the end, with information on the fact and fictional aspects of the novel. You feel as if you could almost go there today, ghost town that it is, and re-enact the whole story.
Well done.

This is not your typical romance novel. It has two love interests - Andrew and Nathaniel - a mystery, and a WOW! I didn't see that coming, at the end.

Poor Margaret having to chose between Andrew and Nathaniel. I was almost to the end of the book before I could decide between the two men. I kept switching back and forth. I did finally decide on the same person as Margaret.

As far as the mystery goes, I figured out who the killer was - at least I thought I did - about a paragraph before they were revealed. That takes pretty good writing skills in my opinion.

My only two negatives - really more of a wish - would be (1) I would have liked a little more romance, but it was true to the time period and (2) I would love to see a sequel done around the "other" guy.

Author, Miralee Ferrell, has again brought to the table a tale that will wrap it's fingers around your heart and keep the pages turning. This is a mesmerizing story about a good hearted All American man and an independent free spirited woman who fall in love over the falls of Oregon. The question is which man is the one God is sending for her? Will the memories of love gone by be rekindled, or will a new love overshadow the past. During her spiritual trials within she encounters a pile of challenges and crosses paths with an array of characters, The most notable of which are a couple of orphan children on the run. Each character no matter what part they play within the storyline is well defined. Their personalities, good and bad bring danger, adventure, and action to the story. Along the way she discovers who she is and what she truly believes. The story is riveting.

Ms. Ferrell uses her craft of writing to bring the local fully into your mind's eye, taking you to each nook and cranny, fall and countryside as the story travels along. Her firsthand knowledge of the town's past definitely added to the content of the read. This is truly a book that is well worth your time. It's full of constant twists and turns that will leave you wanting more and the depth of the characters will leave their presence with you as though you truly met them. Another triumphant read by an amazing author. Highly recommended.

Here's what I most enjoyed about Miralee Ferrell's historical romance, Love Finds You in Bridal Veil Oregon. When I read a romance, I don't mind the predictability inherent in the genre. Romances--different from love stories--promise a happy ending. The hero and heroine will end up together, regardless of what happens between Page One and The End. The difference in Bridal Veil is we don't quite know who the hero is. Schoolteacher Margaret Garvey has two good men in her life, and Ferrell manages to make them both sympathetic. The unfolding plot shows the reader much about the moral fiber of the three leads in this novel set in an Oregon logging community in the early 1900's. I loved having my allegiance tampered with while I read. Well done, Ms. Ferrell!

Ms. Ferrell did a wonderful job with this story. She brought Bridal Veil to life and makes you feel like you are right there. The storyline kept me turning the pages to see which young man the heroine would choose. And an added plus was the subplot of two orphan children. The story never lags. It keeps you interested until the last page. I highly recommend this book!