Customer Reviews

Love on the Line

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(38)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Deanne's books are all worth reading. Opposite characters attracted to each other are always interesting and that is the premise behind the plot of this book. There are some interesting plot turns in the book that keep you turning the pages. One of the things I like about Deanne's books are that you always learn something new. She gives enough detail to display her historical research but usually never overdoes the process explanation.

I thought the female protagonist was a bit overly emotinal about her birds but you like her resolve to live independently. The book also makes you thankful for all the opportunities open to women today.

Another thing I like about Deanne's books is that her male characters are not only well developed, they also have their own voice in her books. Too often romance books, in general, are only from the female's perspective. Deanne strikes a nice balance between her male and female voice/character development.

If I could be a tad bit picky, I feel the book could have used more spiritual development and growth coming from her two lead characters. I know it is a tough balance to strike between incorporating scripture and becoming too preachy. Even still, I would have like either more interaction via a local church or evidence of daily devotions to survive their trials.

If you like Deanne's past books, I believe you will enjoy this read as well.

Not my favorite Gist book, but it was fun to read and I love all the little history tidbits that get thrown in. I liked the heroine at first and not the hero very much , but the more I read the more that switched around and I liked him more than her. It was a little odd the way the characters shifted for me in the story and it put me off a little. But the story was very interesting and the romance was sweet. This is Christian romance fiction, but there was not much about it till the end of the book. There was some kissing, her books are fairly clean and our meant as adult novels but our cleaner than some Young Adult books.

I've only read one other book by Deeanne Gist before, and since so many of my blogger friends love her and her work, I decided to give her another try. And I am glad I did. While there still was a fair amount of sensual tension and interaction between the main characters, Love on the Line was a fun and some-what suspenseful read.

The heroine, Georgie Gail, was one interesting little lady. I couldn't get over how obsessed she was with birds. I mean, I totally get her fight to stop using bird parts for decorating hats (ew!), but I think Georgie went over the top. A lot. After a while, I was heartily sick of reading about her silly defense of birds. Luke Palmer made for a great hero, though. I never thought a person could look that handsome/attractive in overalls, but I'm betting if I saw Luke Palmer in them, I'd change my mind! (wink) The whole angle with being an undercover Texas Ranger was really cool. He sounded like one awesome dude!

Deeanne Gist has a gift when it comes to writing! Through her powerful words, the town of Brenham, Texas sprung to life from the pages of this book. I didn't noticed her beautiful and expressive writing in the first book I read, but it shined in Love on the Line.

As I mentioned, the sensual elements of the book were still pretty blatant, especially when it was so early on in there acquaintance. Maybe I felt this way because I like to see a bond of friendship form before they display physical affection. But if you like scenes that will spike your temperature, then I know you won't mind the heated scenes between Georgie and Luke!

The capture of the Comer gang at the end was a bit disappointing for me, as I had expected more of a high-strung, suspenseful conclusion. But, as a whole, it didn't ruin the book for me. The book was a pretty relaxed read, for me, but Deeanne's talent for writing had me flying through the pages effortlessly. Edgy romance lovers everywhere are sure to love this new sizzler that will leave your heart pumping!

I reviewed this book for Bethany House n via Litfuse. It was not required that I give a positive review, but solely to express my own thoughts and opinions of this book, which I have done.

Deeanne Gist has done it again. I fell in love with the passionate, independent Georgie Gail as she tries to change the community and resist any possibility of falling in love. Luke Palmer is equally intriguing, and I loved getting to know him! The historical themes were intriguing - particularly the developments related to the telephone system in town. While I'm not crazy about animals and sometimes found the quest to save the songbirds annoying (sorry!), Georgie's quirky personality overrode my dislike for the birds. Love on the Line is the perfect blend of romance, history, and suspense and will keep you hooked from the very first page!

I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse Publicity and Bethany House in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Georgia Gail was a rural switchboard operator in Brenham, Texas. She was a rare woman living on her own supporting herself. Back in those days a man ran everything. This woman is adventurous and very out spoken.

The telephone company hires Luke Palmer to take over all operations but the switchboard. He is to be a lineman, sales and bookkeeper. Her being so independent she bucks everything he does. Luke is much more than an employee of the phone company and has to keep it a secret.

The author has added humor, mystery, suspense and love in this very entertaining book. This was such a cute book and fun read. I told the author my Dad was from Brenham and his last name Przyborski. It was an odd coincidence. I am a Texan and have spent a lot of time in the Brenham area so this book held my interest to say the least.

I highly recommend this book.

I rate this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure:
I received a copy of this book for review from Bethany House. I was in no way compensated for my review. I is my very own opinion.

Miss Georgie Gail is a telephone operator in Texas, normally considered a man's job consisting of physically plugging in the lines from two phones together so that the parties can talk-and the whole town seems to listen in. She's less than thrilled when the phone company sends a troubleman to run wires and look after the accounts for her. She doesn't want or need help.

Luke Palmer wants to be there as little as Georgie wants him. He's a Texas Ranger gone `plainclothes' in an effort to find and apprehend Frank Comer's gang. (And yes, I find it quite hilarious that the gang shares my last name!) Frank seems to be some sort of western Robin Hood, robbing trains and coaches, but making sure to leave coins with those who need them most. This has bought him the loyalty of the area residents, making Luke's job more difficult even while he finds himself attracted to the spinster telephone operator.

Add in Georgie's fascination with Frank's gorgeous blue eyes, seen above his bandana during a hold up, and Luke wonders if he stands a chance. Or even if he wants to.

A fun secondary plot in Love on the Line is about birds. The town's milliner is taken with a new fad, that of putting bird nests, eggs, plumage, or even whole birds on the hats he's creating. Georgie is an avid birdwatcher and advocate. The conflict in this subplot is often quite hilarious while driving home a conservationist viewpoint.

Gist's loyal fans will love this spunky heroine. This book is sure to garner new readers to her humorous historical romances.

Georgie Gail is a switchboard operator in the little town of Brenham. She loves her job, being independent and most especially birds. She's perfectly happy. That is until they send a new troubleman to her station. Luke Palmer is a Texas Ranger who is trying to bring Frank Comer and his gang to justice. When a train robbery occurs in Brenham, Luke is sent there undercover as the new troubleman. Georgie is very distracted by the handsome Luke Palmer and Luke finds Georgie is much more than he bargained for. The attraction between is definitely strong! But trouble is brewing and Luke knows that Georgie could end up in the middle of it. Will he be able to catch the Comer Gang and protect Georgie or will one come at the expense of the other?

I thoroughly enjoyed this story! I don't think I've read anything before on the subject of a switchboard operator so that was quite interesting. Even the job of a troubleman. I thought the story was well paced except I must say it waned just a little for me with all the 'bird parts' on the hats and the Audubon stuff but after that it was great! There was a real chemistry between Luke and Georgie and lots of good toe curling kisses! Luke is tough as nails on the outside but tenderhearted on the inside and Georgie is full of sass and grit. Together they make this a really fun story. I must say too that you'll want to be sure and read the authors note at the end. To me it made the story even better. If you're looking for a fun story with a bit of a sizzle then I recommend you try Love on the Line! A thank goes to Bethany House for providing this complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Bethany House (October 1, 2011)
ISBN-10: 0764204092
ISBN-13: 978-0764204098

Another great book by Deeanne, I've read almost all of her books and really enjoy them. Love that she has as her main character a strong woman, and in this story its Georgie. She is the towns Switchboard Operator, and knows all that is going on in the town, and where everyone is! She is the towns 911!
The other main Character is Texas Ranger, Lucious Landrum, or the name he is hiding under Luke Palmer. He has a mission to capture, what the people feel is Robin Hood, Frank Comer.
You are going to wonder what birding, hats and train robberies have in common, along with a few chuckles.
You'll enjoy how the town rallies around Georgie when disaster strikes! Loved picturing those beautiful hats!
When no will help Luke in his quest to put an end to the Comer gang, you will be surprised as to who comes to his aid. Also love that there is an Epilogue at the end of this book!!

I received this book from the Publisher Bethany House, and was not required to give a positive review!

I really enjoyed this novel. I found the characters to be enjoyable, loved the storyline and all the details of the way phones worked long ago, and thought the mystery/bad guy chase was very entertaining. Even though there are lots of characters in this book, I thought that the author did a great job of bringing them all to life and making them seem like believable people. The two main characters, Luke and Georgie were, of course, my favorites, and I thought the love story between the two of them was really sweet. Before Love on the Line, I had not read any books by Deeanne Gist before, but since finishing it, I've gone and filled up my library hold list with all of her other books. I can't wait to read more of this author's great writing!

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House to review for myself. I was not compensated in any other way and all opinions posted here are mine and mine alone.

Running a rural switchboard can be a challenge, but operator George Gail revels in her job because it offers her the independence women so rarely find in her day. When the telephone company sends a man to take over some of her responsibilities, she can't help but feel a certain ilk toward the handsome troubleman.

Luke Palmer, an undercover Texas Ranger, has instructions to pose as a telephone troubleman in order to flush out the notorious Comer gang. Repairing telephones is the perfect cover he needs to gather information on the elusive gang members. But when Georgie becomes the gang's next target, Luke is forced to choose between his feelings for her or the task he's worked so hard to achieve.

Love on the Line is a heart-throbbing, action-packed story that will keep you hanging on every word.

Filled with all the elements that make for the usual Deeanne Gist story,--a female protagonist with a rather unusual hobby, opposing character goals, heated attraction, and a treasure-trove of interesting historical details--readers will indulge in this delightful story.

The story, however, does tend to lose focus when the heroine's passion for birds thrusts itself into the main story-line. From the title, one would think the story would have more to do with telephone operations. I didn't mind the heroine's love for birds, and I certainly enjoyed the spiritual debate that arose from the opposing views on the issue, but overall it felt a tad different from the author's usual approach to story-lines.

The way the characters dealt openly and honestly about the whole "intentions" subject felt refreshing. The number of romances that tend to have characters speaking in sub-text or get angry with one another due to misconstruing the other's actions--or lack thereof--has become almost cliched. It's nice to see this story take a different approach.

Though the notorious gang leader's identity is obvious long before it's ever revealed, Deeanne Gist still manages to throw in a few surprises during those final moments.

Love on the Line has to be one of my favorites by Deeanne Gist, right up there with The Measure of a Lady. I absolutely loved it! Something about these characters felt so gripping and charming that they just capture the heart.

Love on the Line is, without a doubt, another story that will satisfy and delight fans of Deeannne Gist's previous works.

I recieved a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.