Wild Rose (Wild Rose Series #1) (Steeple Hill Women's Fiction #15) [Paperback]

Ruth Axtell Morren (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2004

A town scorned them both. Could faith and love bring them together?

All her life, Geneva Patterson had known what it was to be an outcast in Haven's End, a little town on the harsh Maine seacoast. Plain, awkward, thought to be unmarriageable, she endured the cruel taunts of the townspeople in solitude. But then she encountered a man who made her dream that there could be something more for her. . .

Caleb Phelps, too, was an outcast. Once a respected sea captain, he'd been accused of a shameful crime. He still held his head high, but pain shone in his eyes. And Geneva, believing in his innocence, longed to help this proud, unyielding man find redemption in the town's view--and in his own--through God's grace and a woman's love. . .

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Morren turns in a superior romantic historical in Wild Rose, about Geneva Patterson, an orphan in the little seacoast town of Haven's End, who befriends another outcast, a sea captain accused of theft, Caleb Martin. The time is 1873, and neither Geneva nor Caleb can throw caution to the winds. The least scandal visited upon Geneva will ostracize her even more from the community and cut off her meager living. The story is a blend of Victoria Holt and pygmalion, as Caleb takes Geneva's education in hand and ends up being educated himself. But the charm of the story lies in Morren's ability to portray real passion between her characters. Wild Rose is not so much a romance as an old-fashioned love story. John Mort
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Ruth Axtell Morren writes with skill, sensitivity, and great heart about the things that matter most." -- New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: Steeple Hill (October 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373785275
• ISBN-13: 978-0373785278
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #868,596 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ruth knew she wanted to be a writer ever since she wrote her first story--a spy thriller--at the age of twelve. She studied comparative literature at Smith College, spending her junior year at the Sorbonne in Paris. After college, she taught English in the Canary Islands then worked in international development in Miami, Florida, before moving to the Netherlands, where for the next several years, she juggled both writing and raising her three children.
In 1994, her second manuscript was a finalist in Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart competition. In 2002, her sixth manuscript took second place in the Laurie Contest of RWA's Smoky Mountain chapter. The final judge requested her full manuscript and this became her first published book, Winter Is Past, which was spotlighted in Christian Retailing magazine. Since then, Ruth has gone on to publish thirteen historical romances and one novella. Her books have been translated into Dutch, Italian, Polish and Afrikaans . Her second historical, Wild Rose, was chosen by Booklist as a "Top Ten Christian Fiction" selection in 2005.
Ruth lives on the coast of Maine where she enjoys gardening, walking, reading romances and gazing at the ocean plotting her next romance.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A gem..., October 5, 2004

By 

Marilynn Griffith (Florida United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Wild Rose (Wild Rose Series #1) (Steeple Hill Women's Fiction #15) (Paperback)

What can I say? It's been a few months since I read an advance copy of this book, but thinking of it still makes me smile. Though I read a lot of contemporaries, there's nothing like a good historical. And boy does this book fit the bill. From the first page as the vegetables fly onto the wharf, you are captured by the story. I was enthralled that my daughters asked me to read it aloud to them. Thankfully, I could! We all collapsed in a group hug dashed with tears at the end. Don't miss it.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable and Well-written., February 27, 2007

By 

LMS "Book worm" (WI United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Wild Rose (Wild Rose Series #1) (Steeple Hill Women's Fiction #15) (Paperback)

When I'm in the right mood, I enjoy reading Christian romances. I like Contemporary novels, but if I am given the opportunity to combine my love of history with my love of reading, well that's even better. I came across this book in my local public library and thought it sounded interesting from the back cover. I wasn't familiar with this author, but I'm always open to reading new authors. This book pulls you into the story by the end of the first chapter. I like that the heroine is insecure and in hiding at the beginning. I loved watching her blossom and gain self-confidence as the book progressed. This is a thoroughly enjoyable love story and also a believable one. The characters in this story come alive and you find yourself caring about what happens to them. This book deals with some difficult topics with sensitivity and yet in a way that is realistic. That is a very difficult combination to find in Christian books. I would highly recommend this book to others.

I definitely plan to check out other books by this author in the future.

Lisa

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Impressive and uplifting, February 8, 2007

By 

Miss Courtadoo "imagineforever" (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wild Rose (Wild Rose Series #1) (Steeple Hill Women's Fiction #15) (Paperback)

When I first picked up this book, I was unsure of how to accept it, considering this is the author's first novel. After reading a few chapters, my concerns were the writing style not being one that I'm used to, the characters not being your typical Christian romantic leads, and the setting not being one that you read of very often. But I was pleasantly surprised - this book was beautifully and carefully written. The relationship between the hero and heroine is built constantly, but gradually. It's not "love at first sight," it's a growth, which to me is much more realistic and all the more endearing. To add to my high esteem for this book, the Christian conversions for both characters was not rushed or preachy, it was penned perfectly. I even teared up a time or two, and I am not a crier, especially not for books. But this was a beautiful story that I will be buying soon so that I can enjoy it over and over again. Morren's books are hard to come by in my area, but I am looking forward to reading her other books if they are anything like Wild Rose.