Customer Reviews

A Tailor-Made Bride

5 star:		(83)
4 star:		(49)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This is one of those books I looked forward to ever since I saw the cover art last year. The more I read about it, the more I wanted to read it. It didn't disappoint.

I know you shouldn't judge a book by a cover ~ but how many of us do just that? We either are drawn to the gorgeous dress (like on this one) or repelled by what we don't like on another. It's like that in life too. Jericho Tucker has done just that in this book. He takes one look at Hannah Richards and sees all the things he hates and fears. He certainly doesn't want to get to get entangled with the seamstress himself - no matter how nice she seems.

The two of them are like watching an old fashioned bumper cars at night. They slam into each other and seem to be causing quite a fuss ~ but beneath all the noise and clamor you see the sparks flying.

Jericho is a wonderful hero. He is two parts stubborn and three parts generous. Add in a little bit wounded, handy with his tools, protective, and thoughtful. He looks out for his sister, the widow that works next door to Hannah, his assistant, Tom, and even Hannah. He may not want to get involved with her, but he doesn't want her to get hurt or not have what she needs.

Hannah can't understand why the livery owner is so grouchy and mad at her - and yet helps her so often. Even worse, she finds she likes him far more than she'd like to admit. When she finds out he objects to her job and thinks she is trying to lead women astray by appealing to their vanity, she knows there is no hope he'll ever like her.

Hannah is great. She's determined, independent, kind and trusting. She is a little insecure and fearful, but she is willing to work hard to overcome any difficulties that come her way. She was a really like-able person. I found myself wanting to have her for a friend. Maybe we could meet for hot cocoa in the morning after she went for her "constitutional." :o)

When you want to sit down with the characters in the book then you know the author has done an excellent job.

The cover of this book is what grabbed me first. So colorful. The story then hooked me and I read it quickly. Coventry, Texas is a pleasant little town with welcoming townspeople. Hannah Richards ends up there after an opportunity to open her own dressmaking establishment drops into her lap. Almost immediately upon arriving, she and the local liveryman engage in a verbal tug of war as they get to know each other, and ultimately fall in love. A few twists and turns along the way bring them closer together.

This is a light Christian story and perfect for a summer afternoon sitting in the shade. J.T. is rough around the edges and Hannah is charming and a bit too perfect! But, nevertheless, this is a charming novel with a western setting and engaging story.

A terrific debut novel. I look forward to more from Karen Witemayer.

I once gave a writing prompt for my writers group to come up with a couple with diametrically opposed occupations/world views. Think environmentalist and big oil. It's one way to look at the conflict essential for any good romance.

Karen Witemeyer starts with that premise in her debut novel, A Tailor-Made Bride. Hannah Richards is a dressmaker who believes beauty is God's gift to us. When she sets up shop in Coventry, Texas, she crosses swords with Jericho "J.T." Tucker, a livery owner who believes fashion=vanity: a sin. When Hannah's first customer is Jericho's sister, the reader knows the going will be rough for the couple before they find true love.

I couldn't wait to read Hannah and Jericho's story as soon as I read the opening lines:

"Red? Have you no shame, Auntie Vic? You can't be buried in a scarlet gown."
"It's cerise, Nan."

Buried in a red dress? That would raise eyebrows even today. Subtleties of red, scarlet, cerise? I don't know them--but Hannah does. I couldn't wait to know more.

Hannah not only makes beautiful clothes, but she also practices an exercise regimen that would shame many of us today. The author weaves the exercises effortlessly into the time period (1881) and into the story.

Check out Karen's story. You'll find it's tailor-made for you.

A Tailor Made Bride is a fun, engaging story. Karen Witemeyer successfully wove details of the life of a dressmaker and a liveryman into the romance, making the details not just interesting but delightful to read. Those details created a vivid, enjoyable picture of life in a small 1880's Texas town. Hannah and J.T.'s experiences make for a compelling story The characterizations are multi-dimensional and the faith challenges are not only realistic but resolved in a manner that is believable and honest. Not to mention the fact that the two of them are simply likeable! I wanted to spend more time with Hannah and her positive, upbeat attitude and J.T.'s determination to help those less fortunate makes him a real hero. The cover is wonderful and sparks the imgaination. All in all, A Tailor Made Bride makes for a great summer read!

I bought this book based on all of the 5 star reviews, but was a little disapointed. It was well written, but lacked substance. It was a little boring in parts and very predictable.If you're looking for a more generic read with a light mood then you'll love this one, but if you're looking for a book that's more thought provoking, try Rekindled (Fountain Creek Chronicles, Book 1) by Tamera Alexander or Daughter of Joy (Brides of Culdee Creek, Book 1) by Kathleen Morgan.

I grabbed this book since it was a free Kindle book. The story sounded interesting even though I don't normally go for books where religion is such a large part of the story. The book was great. I read it in about 6 hours total, it's not a short book I just couldn't put it down and I'm a fast reader. If you like a good historical romance this one should do it for you.

This isn't my normal cup of tea, but since I'm on a mission to find good Christian fiction, I downloaded this because it was free, had decent reviews and I had nothing else to read that night.

Hannah Richards arrives in Coventry, Texas in 1881 to set up a dress shop and immediately has a run in with grouchy livery owner JT Tucker. It is love/hate at first sight, as JT believes that the fancy dresses Hannah sews will make women vain if they have them and discontent if they don't, while encouraging men to only value women for their beauty. Hannah believes that creation is proof that God values beauty and that she can glorify Him through creating beautiful things herself.

The philosophical debates between Hannah and JT are interesting, and Witemeyer does a good job of integrating them into the plot and making us think without sounding preachy. Both characters have valid points, and the point of the book is that we need to balance them. The natural world tells us that God loves beautiful things, and He made us in His image with a desire to create and enjoy beauty. Beautiful things in and of themselves have no ability to corrupt, but our own sin nature may twist them into greed, envy, or self-deprecation.

While the philosophical debate in the book is interesting, the plot and romance were a giant cliché. The love/hate at first sight "plot" formula just drives me crazy--it's about as subtle as a ten pound sledge hammer. I literally lost track of how many times the heroine tripped and fell into JT's arms, leading to the inevitable "Oh, his arms are so strong and muscular but oh he makes me so mad but oh I can't stop thinking about him oooh!" (Spoiler warning:) there's also the requisite heroine-almost-drowns-gets-rescued-by-hero-who-suddenly-realizes-he-can't-live-without-her scene.

Another thing that had me flabbergasted was when a friend of Hannah's comes and tells her she's in love with a man who doesn't seem to notice her, and Hannah's solution is to not only make her a new dress (obviously), but put her on a diet and exercise routine so she can "slim down." Seriously??

In summary, philosophy-wise this book was above average, but plot-wise it is bogged down in shallow clichés.

I really did not realize how much Christianity was infused in this book. Two things that if I had realized were in this book, Historical romance in America and the religious presence, I would have passed it up without even giving it a try. I`m glad that I read it, I actually had a tough time putting it down sometimes. The plot was well written and it kept you reading all the way through. The characters were also well written and were easy to quickly fall in love with them, actually cheering them on. If you want a good whole hearted clean love story, than give this book a try.

Have you ever noticed that most romance novals have someone not wanting to fall in love, and they spend 2/3 of the book resisting there God-given insticts and focus on the main plot untill they work out their issues. Well, this book didn't do that! It was like a breath of fresh air! For once the romance was the main plot(there was also subplot about superficial and Godly beauty which I enjoyed very much)and they spent the perfect amount of time solving their diferences and getting to know each other, and the perfect amount of time getting more intimate!

Just from this book I know Karen Witemeyer is a great author. Why? Well not only did she find and get rid of the only problem with romance novals, the storyline and characters are wonderful. And when the couple kisses she not only makes J.T. and Hannah's hearts flutter but also the reader's. Sometimes I'll go back to read the kissing parts (I recomend pages 245, 262, 324-326, and 346-348)! Though I would have liked an epilogue.

What a way to kick off your writing career! I hope Ms. Karen keeps revolutionizing the romance noval industrie, and I can not wait till her next book!

What a delightful romance from a debut author. The characters were fresh and well fleshed-out, and the plotlines wove together to create a page-turning read from beginning to end. I was impressed by the authors attention to detail, from the trappings of a dressmaking shop to the internal motivations of the characters. This sweet romance was well worth the investment of time and money, as I will not soon forget the love story of Hannah and Jericho. Well done!