Customer Reviews

A Vision of Lucy (A Rocky Creek Romance)

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A Vision of Lucy By Margaret Brownley

This books wasn't exactly my cup of tea, but it was a fun read that offered a little spiritual insight into a woman's life. What I learned from this book is that God is in control and even when two people look like they are completely wrong for each other, God may have a plan for them. This reminds me of my husband and I....you couldn't get two more different people, but God has created something wonderful out of it. I also like the theme of the book that even though you may feel unlovable and unworthy, you are ALWAYS worthy in His eyes and He has placed someone on this earth to love you for who you are.

All in all, a good, albeit simple, read. Would be a nice beach book or a weekend book when you're snowed in.

A Vision of Lucy
by Margaret Brownley


A enjoyable read set in the west about a lady photographer. A good book that addresses discrimination and acceptance. The author did a good job describing scenes and events so that you were drawn into the story.
Even though this is the third in a series it stands alone. I will go back and read the earlier books to find out more about some of the characters.
Thank you, Mrs. Brownley for a very well written book!

This book begins with the adventurous Lucy climbing a tree against her brothers wishes in order to get a good picture. Through the viewfinder she sees a robbery taking place and rushes to help. After nearly getting killed she meets the handsome stranger everyone in town has been talking about. After getting a pictures of him and submitting a story along with it to the editor of the newspaper, she is dismayed when the story comes out to find that the newspaper spun the story the wrong way. The whole town becomes afraid of the stranger but Lucy knows he's harmless so when he gets hurt he comes to her for help. Lucy nurses him back to health but in doing so falls in love with him. There is also an underlying mystery in this book that I thought was added very well.
I, personally being interested in vintage cameras, found this book very interesting and I appreciate that the author did research in order that she gets the facts correct. I thought the story line was good, especially since it's a bit difficult to write an original romance novel. Overall I would recommend this book to readers of all ages.

Of Maraget Brownley's three books in the series, this one just may be my favorite. A Vision of Lucy is laced with humor and romance while still giving you that authentically historical feel we readers so desire when we pick up a book of that genre.

Brownley does a FANTASTIC job highlighting the history of photography without boring you with documentary-like details and technical specs that make you want to roll your eyes. Instead, she shows you the history through action and thought process of the heroine. It's great! You come away know far more about old-fashioned photography without ever feeling like you just read a history book.

The plotline is delicious, but not creepy or scary. Don't read the book for its suspense. While you wonder about the hero's past and his sort-of darklike persona, it doesn't delve into the realms of mystery where you feel like every page is a page turner. While you'll still want to turn the page, it won't be for the sake of the suspense.

Which leads me to the romance. This is primarily, a historical ROMANCE. No doubt about it, it is LACED with romantic tension and more kisses than I've read in historical romance in quite some time. That being said, while it's doesn't even remotely cross boundaries of sexual tension, it may be a little bit much for a protective mother of a young reader who may not have been exposed to implications and a lip lock that lasts longer than my last trip to Walmart. :) That's a good thing - that wasn't meant as a criticism!

ALL IN ALL - would I keep this book on my bookshelf or sell it at a garage sale? DEFINITELY keep it. It's one I can see reader over and over again. The humor is delightful, the romance is delicious, the storyline is solid yet interesting, the history is extremely well written. Margaret Brownley did a fantastic job in this book and it's a MUST READ for everyone! :)

I loved A Vision of Lucy by Margaret Brownley! Such a delightful story in the Rocky Creek Romance series! A Vision of Lucy is about Lucy Fairbanks, a young lady who has a passion for photography. Lucy strongly believes that the camera can capture more truth than the human eye and she longs to do something important with her talent as a photographer! Then there is the hero David, whom I just adored. He is a quiet, rustic man who lives on the outskirts of Rocky Creek and is struggling with what to do about the past that is haunting him. Lucy and David meet and the truths they discover will forever change their lives and the lives of others!

I couldn't get enough of this wonderful story! Margaret Brownley does such an amazing job with connecting the reader to the plot and to the characters. The plot was very different so once I started reading I never wanted to put the book down. The characters were all noteworthy and fun; my favorite character would have to be babbling and loveable Lucy. At times, I literally laughed out loud with the hilarious predicaments that Lucy found herself in. David was also a wonderful character that I longed to embrace and help him deal with his internal battles.

I enjoyed the history on photography; I never realized how dangerous photography was until I read A Vision of Lucy. I also enjoyed all the other historical lessons throughout the book and the spiritual threads as well. The spiritual tones were mild but I felt like they were much needed to make the story more enjoyable. The romance was sweet although very passionate, the kissing scenes were delicious! This story has everything desirable; romance, mystery, spiritual lessons, and history! I highly recommend A Vision of Lucy, along with the other Rocky Creek Romances.

Thomas Nelson publishers made this ARC available for me to review with no stipulations or requirements. My review is not biased by the fact that I was given this book. I honestly read and review any book whether bought or given to me. If I did not like the book I would definitely not recommend it.

Reviewed by Karen P. for Readers Favorite

"A Vision of Lucy" by Margaret Brownley is the third and last book of the 'Rocky Creek Series'. Not having read the first two books, I can advise the reader that this book stands well by itself as a delightful read.

Lucy Fairbanks longs for validation from her father as a budding artist. Lucy's deceased mother was an artist and Lucy hopes to convince her father that her photography work at the Rocky Creek newspaper is every bit as valid an expression of art as were her mother's paintings. But, disaster seems to follow Lucy's attempts to become the featured photographer she imagines herself to be. And then, additional complications set in when David Wolf happens upon the scene. David is imagined by the townsfolk to be a wild man. He is a halfbreed and a man feared by the community at large. Lucy has other observations about David and the feelings related to her observations eventually bring her into close contact with the man. The closer Lucy becomes to David, the more confused her feelings are toward the handsome and complex man. Lucy wonders how she can harbor such intense feelings toward a man and still remain true to God in her beliefs.

Brownley has written an easy and delightful story which will tease the feelings of the reader with tension, sadness, expectation and hope. In the end, Lucy must decide who she must please and her direction can then be established. With the abundant character development in this story, most readers will identify with one of the characters and go through the story with reckless abandon!

Lucy Fairbanks wants a job as a photographer for the newspapers. Her father thinks she ought to give up her dream and get married like any good woman, but Lucy has landed the reluctant promises of the local newspaper that he'll publish her photos if she gets a picture of an elusive white wild stallion. Lucy gives it a fair shot, but unfortunately, a stagecoach is robbed under the tree she's hiding in, and in her attempt to get a picture of the robbery, she falls from the tree.

That isn't all--the horses, scared by the woman falling, take off on a run and Lucy is on the luggage rack. She hangs on for dear life, but the robbers catch up with her, and are on the verge of shooting her when the wild man everyone in town is afraid of comes to her rescue, not once, but thrice, even delivering her safely back to the original scene of the robbery.

The newspaper editor fires Lucy on the spot for failing to provide the picture of the robbery or the stallion, and to save her job she promises to get a picture of the wild man. Who isn't so wild. But David Wolf has reasons to keep the town unaware of his presence. And thus, a big reason to keep Lucy Fairbanks away.

A VISION OF LUCY is the third book in Ms. Browning's A Rocky Creek Romance series, but it easily stands alone. I liked this book the best of all three of them, and I remember loving the second book. So, the best only got better.

Lucy is a talkative, feisty character, career-driven in a day when women are expected to stay home and raise a family. David is a kind, considerate hero, despite his recluse-tendencies. I couldn't help but fall in love with both of them, and loved the sparks between them that were evident from the moment they met. A great read. Discussion questions are included at the end of the book.

I received this book in return for review from the publicist.

Review by Kara Grant

This book starts out slow and silly, but eventually does grab your attention in such a way that you need to find out how it ends. We meet Lucy and her brother, Caleb, right away. Lucy is minding her own business when mischief comes right to her and she literally falls out of a tree and into trouble! Soon afterwards she meets mysterious David Wolf who rescues her and immediately gets under her skin. The instant attraction between them did not impress me, but as the story progresses their interactions become more realistic and precious. However, just as soon as they meet he disappears. He's in town on a mission and this feisty redhead is not about to distract him from attaining his purpose no matter how attractive she is. Does this story sound familiar yet? I thought it was going to be completely predictable at this point. I was wrong.

Lucy loves taking pictures and she understands every aspect of photography in 19th century Texas before women have careers or the ability to vote. However, as talented and dedicated as she is with photography, she's always getting into trouble. It's a small town and Lucy seems to attract mishaps wherever she goes. Examples: she almost gets mauled while photographing a bobcat, she almost gets trampled trying to photograph a stampede, and she causes a fire while taking a picture.

What I didn't like about Lucy: even though she loves God and wants to do the right thing she doesn't pray until she's in trouble (which is constant); she is deceptive to her father because she doesn't think he'll understand or he'll try to stop her; she has good intentions, but she's always putting herself and others in danger before thinking things through. And yet, despite these flaws, I found that even if I don't relate to the character Lucy is, I did understand her motives. What I appreciated about Lucy: she has an amazing heart and is constantly going out of her way to help others, she is very protective of her brother and puts his needs as well as her father's needs ahead of her own, she is naïve but eager to see justice carried out, her passion for photography allows her the ability to see people for who they really are.

David and Lucy work together to rebuild the town church after it accidentally gets destroyed, solve a 20 year old mystery that traumatizes four different families, face past losses (for Lucy it's the loss of her mom and indifference of her dad; for David it's his deprived childhood), they learn forgiveness and letting go all while figuring out their feelings for each other along the way. Despite the slow start this book has, the last 80 pages had me eager to find out the conclusion. How much trouble can one 20 year old woman get into? You won't believe it until you read this clever Texas tale that shows us to never give up on your dreams no matter how out of reach they are and to trust God's plan for your life.

I want to thank NetGalley.com and Thomas Nelson for the free copy they provided for my review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Lucy Fairbanks is a spunky woman whose adventurous spirit and dream of becoming a professional photographer for the local newspaper keeps putting her in dangerous situations.

Like her mother, Lucy felt compelled to capture the world around her and preserve moments in time that would never be repeated. The only difference was their choice of expression. - Page 28

Her father doesn't understand her dream of photography and would rather she paint (like her deceased mother did) and get married.

She stared at her father in open defiance. "I have plans for my life. Big plans. They do not include marriage." - Page 26

One occasion, when Lucy was in danger, was when she was in a horse chestnut tree trying to capture the mythical wild white mustang on film. She instead witnesses (and interrupts) a stage coach robbery, almost is killed, but is rescued by the 'wild man', David Wolf.

David Wolf is a man who is on a mission. He is a half-breed (half-white, half-Indian), and he's had a difficult life because of that. He doesn't know his real name, who is parents are - or if they are even still alive, and he doesn't even know where he belongs. Everywhere he goes he finds people who judge him just because of his blood - until he meets Lucy.

I loved how many of the same character from the books 'A Lady Like Sarah' and 'A Suitor For Jenny' were continued in 'A Vision Of Lucy'. What I didn't like, however, was how Old Man Hank Applegate's name was changed in this book to Old Man Appleby. He seemed like the same character from previous books, yet his name was different.

Another thing I enjoyed about 'A Vision of Lucy' were the new characters. David Wolf's story was really interesting, as was Lucy's. Some parts of this book were predictable for me and a couple of things I didn't care for all that much, but other than that I really liked 'A Vision of Lucy'.

I was somewhat disappointed when I read that this is the final book in the 'Rocky Creek Romance' series. But I'm looking forward to reading Margaret Brownley's next series 'Brides of Last Chance Ranch' which comes out sometime in 2012 (according to her website).

I recommend 'A Vision of Lucy' if you enjoy reading romance novels.

*I received 'A Vision Of Lucy' for free from the publisher through BookSneeze®.com. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.*

4.5 Stars

Lucy Fairbanks is a twenty-year-old woman with a passion for photography, a tendency to allow her curiosity and impetuousness to get her into trouble, and an unfortunate habit of talking too much, particularly when she is nervous. The man known as David Wolf is a half-white, half-Native American living in Texas only a few years after the end of the Indian Wars. He has returned to Rocky Creek to find the four men who drove him out of town as a ten-year-old boy, and to reclaim the box they stole from him, the box that he hopes will hold the key to his identity. David and Lucy meet when he rescues her from a stagecoach robbery-gone-wrong (and quickly finds the most effective way of quieting the talkative woman).

While her father keeps trying to marry her off, Lucy wants a career in photography. Unfortunately, her first assignment for her local newspaper ends when the unscrupulous printer rewrites her story about the `wild man', David Wolf, which results in him being shot and Lucy secretly nursing him back to health. David faces further trouble when man goes missing, and David is suspected of being involved, which presents both characters with problems.

Lucy is a likeable character, although she has her faults - she is talkative, freethinking and possibly overly independent, while David is more private (to the point of being secretive). Although A Vision of Lucy is the third book in Brownley's Rocky Creek series (following A Lady Like Sarah and A Suitor for Jenny), it can easily be read as a stand-alone. A Vision of Lucy is a formula Western romance, but is no less enjoyable for its predictability, with the instant attraction between Lucy and David providing both enjoyment and some frustration (well, as the saying goes, the path of true love never did run smooth, and this is especially true in romance novels).

Oddly enough, this is the second historical Christian Fiction I have read about a lady photographer (the other was A Bride's Portrait of Dodge City, Kansas), but both were quite different in tone, with A Vision of Lucy being the lighter of the two. This was an enjoyable novel, and while for the most part it was a light-hearted romance, it did touch on deeper issues including discrimination, revenge, forgiveness, and how our upbringing affects our views of God. I would certainly read more books from this author.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson for offering this as a free ebook in an online competition.