Customer Reviews

Oklahoma Sweetheart (Historical Romance)

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

 

 

I had a really hard time with this book. Right up front the heroine is depicted as someone who I could have no sympathy with, no respect for, given her affair with Connor's brother. She doesn't even give a really good reason why it happened, and I can't side with a hero who's in love with that shallow of a woman. It makes me question his own likeability.

What I usually like about Carolyn Davidson's heroines is that they are plucky, and true to their hearts. They show strength under difficult situations, and this woman here is engaged to one man, and so easily seduced by another. And then she expects her fiance to still want to marry her. Very naive, and immature.
I kept waiting for some redeeming quality to surface to at least give me a good reason to like her, but I didn't feel like I found it. I much preferred Davidson's TEXAS LAWMAN; and REDEMPTION novels.

This book is so shallow! The character's motivations change from page to page, making them even weaker and more undeveloped.

For example, the heroine, on page 6, might be thinking "I can make it on my own, I don't need the help of anyone", but when the hero appears to take care of her, she turns into Little Miss Helpless on page 10.

I also find it ridiculous that a 19th century Western woman who's raised to ride horses never learned to saddle one, and is also an inexperienced cook and gardener, etc. The author makes her parents well-off, (I guess -- we're never actually told their background) but still, this woman would not have been so helpless around the kitchen and the garden in that day & age.

I also found it ridiculous that the heroine broke into an abandoned house & finds it well stocked with all kinds of supplies. Wouldn't the people who abandoned the claim have sold off the furniture and taken as much of the food as they could with them?

The story begins with the hero's being furious with the heroine, his fiancee, because she is pregnant by his brother. Well, a reader would reasonably assume he'd have a lasting issue with this discovery -at least through half the book, I think- but the hero's anger lasts for maybe all of three pages (or a few days in the story) and then, he's feeling he ought to help her out. Then "helping her out" turns into instant lustful feelings...all of this by Chapter 2. I'm not exaggerating.

Oh, by the way, the brother comes back later in the story and all is forgiven. HUH? He was dirt to both the hero and the heroine in the beginning, but all that anger is just whoosh, gone, when the brother decides to return to town.

While the hero thinks the heroine's parents did a terrible and unforgiveable thing by throwing her out when she gets pregnant, in the next paragraph, he's telling HER SHE ought to forgive them. Then SHE thinks, yes, she COULD forgive them, but the next page she's snubbing her mother in the street, and telling the hero she'll NEVER forgive them. This annoying lack of continuity goes on & on through the story!

I was expecting a story on the level of Cheryl St. John, but all I got was a really low-grade, clumsily written romance. Very disappointing and a waste of time.

I am still amazed at the knowledge it would take to complete a story such as this...a knowledge of the past, it's people, and places. I enjoyed this story, much more than other writen by Carolyn Davidson...I think it was more human. A heartwarming story that was very worthy of my time.

This was truly one of the worst romance novels I've ever read. The heroine is shallow, the hero is weak and the villian is bad, then good, then bad, then good. Eek.

The story is boring, and the plot extremely weak. And when would you hear a man of the 19th century, tell his brother, another full grown man that he's "precious" to him? Gag.

The roller coaster of the heroine's decision ("you must make good on your promise to marry me"; "I can do it on my own, I don't need your help; "I'm so glad you're here to help me;" "now that you helped me, your responsibility is over, so you should go back to your family;" "I love you so much, but you walked out on me."

And no matter what these two needed: a home, firewood, household items, food, a new barn -- it all magically appeared.

Hello -- did ANYONE at the publishing house read this mess before it was published? A big disappointment.

This story is true to life. First the female did not have an 'affair'. She spent one night, if that, and one time being led astray by the brother of hero of the story. Also, before hand he gave her a few glasses of spiked punch. To use an appropriate term for the time period he was a cad of the lowest order! He leaves town knowing she is pregant with not a thought to her future other than a few dollars and only does he depart with the money because his brother pushes him into it. To read some of the reviews one might think we are still back in that century. Because she finds herself pregnant she is thrown out on a freezing night by her parents, is frowned upon by his parents and the town, while he goes his merry way to a job in another place. I won't give any more of the story away, but I think it is a bit callous to allow men to do whatever with whatever woman they wish and not pay a price.
By the way, when did people stop remembering to be forgiving. I guess a lot of the reviewers live in windowless houses.
At least one male in the story is!

For all the discrepencies pointed out it was still an entertaining story.
Human beings do tend to vasilated according to their emotions at any given time.
I can cuss out my siblings and still love them. Depending on who wants to give in we still make up for our hard feelings.

Loris Peterson was as weak willed as any teenager of this day when it comes to attention and attraction. The male hasn't changed much from time immemorial, seduction without responsibility is still his game until he faces the facts of life.

Conner Webster is furious with his brother but it seems like his love for Loris is stronger than any wrong done to him. A bit of maturity maybe? He does not make up with his brother right away. His concern for Loris is deeply compassionate when he finds out that she is kicked out in the cold.

And forgotten is the snidely interferance of good ole mama Webster. That is one strange chick.
The trials and tribulations of Connor and Loris and their emotions have a lot to due with their age and maturity. She does tend to be a bit of a flake in thinking that she can take care of herself.

Still was an enjoyable read [even though I enjoy much more action or danger] James, the brother, did show a bit of remorse in the end - wonder if he will have a story?
Loved the friends and neighbors and the way they pitched in when the barn burned.

Definitely recommend - you have to try it for yourself to see if you get some enjoyment. [I like my frontiersmen more threatening.]