The Minister's Wife (Mass Market Paperback)

by Delia Parr (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In small-town America in the early 19th century, being the illegitimate daughter of a scandalous woman is a hard mark to overcome. But Emilee Clarke decides to become the most righteous of women?the minister's wife. What she hadn't counted on in her scheme was an abusive husband or a nascent love for the former minister's prodigal son. Jared Burke has returned to upstate New York in order to be reconciled with his mother. He is welcomed back into the community and many a single woman sets her cap for him, but he falls for a married woman, Emilee. Despite their passion, they keep the relationship platonic?at least until Emilee's husband tries to kill her. Now the marriage vows that Emilee thought would free her from her past keep Jared powerless to offer her a new future?unless he is willing to destroy Emilee's reputation, her identity and maybe her soul. Part inspirational romance, part Peyton Place, Parr's (The Ivory Duchess) latest is brimming with forbidden temptation, old scandals, dark secrets, darker betrayals and the power of faith. Though the plotting is well crafted and the ending a surprise, the pacing is sluggish, the tone morose and the characters so fainthearted that it is hard to sympathize.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Returning to his rural upstate New York community after an absence of 17 years, Jared Burke, son of the town's beloved late pastor, intends to raise roses and look after his mother. The last thing he expects to do is fall in love, not only with a married woman, but one who is definitely off limits?Emilee Greene, the vulnerable, abused wife of his father's clerical successor. A pair of troubled protagonists who have their separate, but similar, ghosts to lay to rest, nicely handled sexual tension, and several well-depicted secondary characters (a spiteful, gossip-mongering church member is especially memorable) add appeal to a generally well-written story that, unfortunately, suffers from too much unproductive, introspective angst and too little plot. While the story's small-town atmosphere will attract readers who like their historicals gentle and laced with Americana, the mild sex, religious subject matter, and theme of forgiveness may also recommend it to readers of Christian inspirationals. Parr (The Ivory Duchess, St. Martin, 1997) has written a number of well-received romances and lives in New Jersey.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press (September 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312966504
• ISBN-13: 978-0312966508
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #398,018 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Powerful, Dynamic Read!, July 17, 1998

By	Vicki Hinze (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Ms. Parr has long since been on my favorite author list, but with THE MINISTER'S WIFE, she's given her readers an extraordinary gift.

I was skeptical. A married woman falling in love with another man? Was this a woman I could respect and admire?

She was. The woman--and the man she grows to love--were honorable. Exactly the kind of people most aspire to be.

With her deft skills at creating emotion-churning characters with integrity and self-respect, Ms. Parr succeeded. I loved everything about this book! It remained true to its historical setting, the social mores and customs, and the mind-set of the society portrayed. An excellent, excellent read that will more than satisfy Ms. Parr's many established fans and will have new ones flocking to her books, begging for more!

5.0 out of 5 stars The best ever Delia Parr novel!, July 29, 1998

By	Jerry Jones ([e-mail]) "jillj... (Black Mountain, North Carolina) - See all my reviews

Always a champion of the nineteenth century American woman, who had few champions in her own time, Ms. Parr delivers a powerful tale of one woman's courage and honor in the face of the ultimate deception. And her hero grows roses-- you're going to love him! The best part of this book, however, is the ending. Don't peek!