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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Golden Story, April 25, 2010
This review is from: Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico (Paperback)
Orphaned Madeleine Mercer finds herself being ramrodded into marriage with her father's shady business partner. She heads from Boston to Golden, New Mexico, to answer Philip Smith's ad for a mail order bride. Honor, integrity, forgiveness, faith--issues of many kinds stand between Madeline and the man God has for her.
Dooley creates a new and compelling story with unique twists that set it apart from other mail order bride stories. A stand-out volume in the Love Finds You series.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sweet Romance for Armchair Travelers, April 22, 2010
This review is from: Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico (Paperback)
As a confirmed armchair traveler, I love visiting new places via the page. I was excited about the "Love Finds You" premise of romantic adventures in unique historical settings (some of which are no longer in existence). I have read several nonfiction books about the plight of mail-order brides in the nineteenth century, so was anxious to read Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico by Lena Nelson Dooley.
Dooley excels in making the setting come alive. As I read Love Finds You in Golden I was immediately transported to the mining camps of New Mexico. After reading Dooley's lush, evocative descriptions I wish I could plan a vacation to this now quiet town.
The characters' faiths are a very real part of the novel. I really appreciated the fact that the characters live out their faith from day-to-day. Jeremiah finds the loving father figure he never had in devout Philip. Philip seeks God's guidance moment-by-moment in every situation he faces. Madeline's faith allows her to forgive in extraordinary circumstances. She is truly a mother to the motherless and brings her faith to bear in every situation. I appreciated the fact that the Christian message was proclaimed so clearly throughout every chapter of this novel. Madeline, Philip, Jeremiah, and Mr. Johnstone demonstrate the power of forgiveness and through God how we can forgive even the seemingly unforgiveable.
On the whole I enjoyed this historical romance, however there were a few issues that marred my opinion of Dooley's story. I found the villain, Mr. Johnstone not as clearly developed as some of the other characters and throughout the book I felt he came off as the "stereotypical" villain. I suppose it didn't help that I had read the dedication of the book and so immediately knew that Johnstone would be the villain. Since I didn't feel I got to know Johnstone as a person, even his transformation seemed less than believable.
Although I appreciated the way the characters' faith was present throughout the novel, I think there were times when the way this faith was demonstrated might be difficult for a non-Christian to understand. For instance, the way Philip "knows" exactly which letter to open. Throughout the novel God speaks to Philip in a way that is understandable to the believer, but may appear mysterious to the unbeliever because it is not explained fully.
Despite some difficulties, I still found myself wanting to pick up this book and continue to read to find out what was going to happen to the characters. I feel that Dooley's work has merit and I look forward to see what the future holds for her.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is one of the better Love Finds You titles!, January 5, 2011
This review is from: Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico (Paperback)
I thoroughly enjoyed this historical novel by Lena Nelson Dooley. It's now one of my favorite Love Finds You titles. The story structure reminded me of Tracie Peterson's style, but this author added her own personal touch to make it uniquely hers.
The writing style was smooth and intelligently put together. It was easy to read without feeling choppy. I got a bit misty-eyed a few times as well, which is not a frequent occurrence for me. That only happens when my heart is engaged, and in this case the author did a great job of making me care. The baby in the story was a big part of that bonding process. The author used that character well in connecting various situations and thus making my eyes water.
The theme of forgiveness was strong and beautifully written. I didn't see any flaws or downsides to this novel. The spiritual thread was strong and flowed naturally, which is not often the case with historical fiction. The church setting enhanced the novel and I adored the elderly man, Phillip.
The hero, Jeremiah, was dreamy. Though he had his weaknesses, they didn't feel contrived and just made him more intriguing and heroic to me. The heroine was strong in her own way, while remaining somewhat dependent like women tended to be in those days, especially women who had limited financial resources. Sometimes when I read a historical novel I get annoyed when the women seem atypically strong for that time period. This heroine was perfectly constructed in this case. I enjoyed spending time getting to know these characters. I highly recommend this book.
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