A Promise for Spring [Paperback]

Kim Vogel Sawyer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2009

England-born Emmaline Bradford pledged her life to Geoffrey Garrett and then bid him farewell when he sailed to America. Although Geoffrey anticipated only a short separation, several years passed before he was able to send for Emmaline. By then the fiery flame of her youthful love had all but died. Shocked by the conditions on Geoffrey's Kansas sheep ranch, Emmaline wishes to return to England immediately. Geoffrey offers a compromise: If Emmaline promises to stay until spring, he'll pay her return fare if she decides to go back to her home country. When spring arrives, will Emmaline return to England, or will she marry Geoffrey and carve out a life with him in Kansas?

Editorial Reviews

Review

"If you are a fan of historical Christian fiction, you will enjoy A Promise for Spring" -- 5MinutesforBooks.com

From the Back Cover

"Sawyer is a gifted author who knows what readers want--and she delivers."
-Romantic Times

England-born Emmaline Bradford pledged her life to Geoffrey Garrett and then bid him farewell when he boarded a ship for America. Though Geoffrey planned to send for her within a few months, five long years have slipped by. And now Emmaline barely remembers her fiancé...

Having Emmaline finally living on the sheep ranch he's built on the north fork of the Solomon River is a dream come true for Geoffrey. But his beloved is not the free-spirited girl he remembers. In fact, she wishes to get out of Kansas as quickly as possible!

Begging Emmaline to give prairie life a try, Geoffrey offers a compromise: If she promises to stay until spring, he'll pay her return fare if she decides to go back to her home country.

Can anything convince a well-bred Englishwoman to become a "wildflower bride"?

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers; Original edition (January 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764205072
• ISBN-13: 978-0764205071
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #784,320 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Promise for Spring by Kim Vogel Sawyer, April 25, 2009

By 

Rose A. Mccauley (KY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Promise for Spring (Paperback)

Kim Vogel Sawyer has been very prolific the past few years, having her first book published in 2006 and now having a total of 11 single titles with another due out this fall. I have loved all her books I have read.

Her books are soft and gentle reads, yet with much emotion, and you become so involved with the characters that you feel like you want to sit down and talk with them even after you finish reading the book!

A Promise for Spring is no exception. I usually empathize with the heroines in novels, but in this story, I felt great compassion for both the heroine, Emmaline Bradford, and the hero, Geoffrey Garrett. The young couple had been promised to each other back in England, their home country. Neither knew it would be five long years before they would see each other again, or how much each would change during that time. It reminded me of when my husband was overseas in the Air Force and I was back in KY attending college. Although our time apart was a little less than one year, we still had many adjustments to make to each other and the changes that had taken place in our lives.

Imagine traveling half a world away to marry a person whom you haven't seen for five years. Emmaline and Geoffrey have both gone through huge changes in their relationship with each other and with God. They each need to renew their faith in Him and in each other before their new life together can flourish. I hope you will buy and read this book to find out if and how a "well-bred Englishwoman" will "become a wildflower bride." Trust me, Kim won't disappoint you!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Strong Story Line and Heart Rending Emotions, June 5, 2009

By 

Miralee Ferrell - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Promise for Spring (Paperback)

I'll not take the time to give an overview of the story line, as most of the reviews have already done that. I'm a fairly new fan of Kim's books, having read two so far and working on a third now. This one did not disappoint. I tend to gravitate toward books that are character driven, and "A Promise for Spring" certainly fit that criteria.

The author draws a realistic picture of life during a difficult time period in history, set in a harsh land. Are the two main characters always sweet, loving, and likable right from the start? Nope. Do you want to shake them at times and tell them to grow up? Yes. Is it realistic and believable, based on the circumstances? Absolutely.

Personally, I don't care for sticky sweet, over-the-top romances where the main characters have very few faults. I'd prefer to read books that hit closer to home where the emotions are concern. How would I feel in this situation, if I'd fallen for a man years ago, then come with great anticipation of becoming his bride and he wasn't at all what I remembered? More than likely I'd have been just as ready to run back home as Emmaline.

Some reviewers have commented that they didn't like Geoffery, and felt he was too harsh and unsympathetic. While I chafed at times over his lack of understanding where Emmaline was concerned, I also sympathized with his position. He'd been longing for and loving this woman for years, with absolutely no idea that her heart had changed towards him. Everything he'd done on the ranch was based on what he believed she'd want or like. I can't begin to understand the depth of hurt and rejection a man would feel when everything he'd worked so hard for appeared to be despised, or at best, not appreciated, by the woman he loved.

I felt the author did an incredible job presenting a very difficult situation, and did so by showing both sides of the issue. Both Emmaline and Geoffery were depicted with tremendous depth and insight. Good fiction evokes emotion on the part of the reader, and I experienced a wide range of emotions by the time I finished this book...with the final one being a deep sense of satisfaction at a story well told. I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good romance in a historical setting, and is willing to have their emotions and thoughts provoked beyond the typical 'light' romance.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good book, September 22, 2009

By 

Lois I. Cazinha "harleyrider85" (Victoria, Tx) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Promise for Spring (Paperback)

My elderly mother still reads a lot and this is her type of reading.. She loved it....