Customer Reviews

This Golden Valley

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

 

 

This_Golden_Valley is the first book Francine Rivers wrote that hinted at the talent she would show in later works.
The heroine is lively and attractive, and the hero is appropriately intriguing.
The writing style is easy to read with none of the hyperbole and exaggeration that is typical of the genre.
However, if you get this one, prepare yourself for a disappointing ending.
(Can you say "Deus Ex Machina")
Just the same, the disappointment of the destination is allayed by the enjoyment of the scenery along the way.

Moira Cavendish may be the belle of Charleston, but her plans do not include marriage to the most eligible suitor. Her brother Daniel is headed for California's gold country to make his fortune and she's determined to follow him and find their missing elder brother Jack (he hasn't been heard from in over a year). Moira buys passage on Daniel's ship without his knowledge and once at sea it's too late to turn back and Daniel's forced to make the best of it, along with looking out for her virtue - a virtue most especially at risk from handsome sailor Random Hawthorne. Random makes Moira's heart go all a-flutter, but he always draws away from her at the last minute (just what deep dark secret from his past is he hiding from?).

The voyage is rocky, but they all land safely in San Francisco, and soon find that Moira's female status in a town filled with lonely men is a serious obstacle, one that she solves by cutting her hair and dressing in men's clothing. She and Daniel set out for the gold fields in search of their brother (although Daniel's more interested in finding gold and poker games), and they soon learn that three other mystery men are trailing Jack as well, hell-bent on discovering the secret to the Valley of Gold.

I really don't want to tell much more, but let's just say that our intrepid heroine has a most definite knack for getting herself into one pickle after another, leaving her in constant need of rescuing from the ever-so-handsome Random Hawthorne. "Stay put and out of trouble" or "don't go out into dangerous conditions" are words that are not in Moira's vocabulary and her "cute escapes" wear very thin by the end. I liked the character of Random Hawthorne, although I couldn't quite understand his immediate passion and true love for self-centered selfish Moira (it took her long enough to see the forest through the trees). Still, the mystery of the gold intrigued me and silly or not I had a hard time putting it down until the big reveal at the end. A nice, quick easy read for a rainy day when one's mind isn't up to more challenging tasks. 3.5/5 stars.

I love Francine Rivers books and this one was no exception. I loved it. I can't wait for her to write more books. I have read all of them so far and look forward to reading more.

The story is about a young woman who sails to the US to escape an arranged marriage and to find an older brother who left years before. She falls in love with an older, hardened man, and their relationship develops as the story, which includes, sex, violence, romance, intrigue, greed, etc unfolds.

I didn't expect much from Ms Rivers' out-of-print books, however was pleasantly surprised by this one. Yes, it's a "trashy" romance novel with foul language, etc but the story about the gold rush, development of the characters, and storyline were entertaining and fun to read. Too bad Ms Rivers doesn't revise her older books. Much could be done with them to reflect her new identity in Him and they would no doubt sell themselves as do her other fantastic novels. This is a good read but of course, isn't "Redeeming Love". "Redeeming Love" is by far her best work, if not the best novel I have ever read.