This book is the kind of book that you want to rush through because you need to know the end, but you force yourself to savor it because the writing is just that good.
You would never know that this is a debut novel, Rachel Fordham writes as if she's been a best selling author for years. God has definitely given her the gift of storytelling, and you can see that throughout the novel.
The story is authentic. It touches your heart. You'll laugh, smile, and cry. The characters are well written and you grow attached to them and truly feel for them and what they go through. The romance isn't your average cardboard cutout romance, but something truly unique, full of special moments where you can feel yourself falling in love along with them.
I encourage everyone to find a copy and fall in love with Azure Springs and the people who live there!
The only thing that the book lacked for me was that God and Jesus did not have the most active role. The characters lived out their lives of faith, but I didn't feel as though God was present throughout the story, which is definitely something I'm looking for when I read Christian Fiction.
It's been awhile since I've read such a perfect historical romance. I am so glad that I discovered this book and author, I'm already anxiously awaiting her second book!
Definitely a 5 star book!
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The Hope of Azure Springs Kindle Edition
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Rachel Fordham
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Format: Kindle Edition
Rachel Fordham
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LanguageEnglish
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PublisherRevell
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Publication dateJuly 3, 2018
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File size6894 KB
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Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Rachel Fordham started writing when her children began begging her for stories at night. She'd pull a book from the shelf, but they'd insist she make one up. Finally she put her love of good stories with her love of writing and she hasn't stopped since. She lives with her husband and children on an island in the state of Washington.
--This text refers to the paperback edition.
From the Back Cover
Alone in a strange town, can she find healing for her new home . . . and herself?
Seven years ago, orphaned and alone, Em finally arrived at a new home in Iowa after riding the orphan train. But secrets from her past haunt her, and her new life in the Western wilderness is a rough one. When her guardian is shot and killed, Em, now nineteen, finally has the chance to search for her long-lost sister, but she won't be able to do it alone.
For Azure Springs Sheriff Caleb Reynolds, securing justice for the waifish and injured Em is just part of his job. He's determined to solve every case put before him in order to impress his parents and make a name for himself. Caleb expects to succeed. What he doesn't expect is the hold this strange young woman will have on his heart.
Welcome to the charming town of Azure Springs, Iowa, where people care deeply for one another and, sometimes, even fall in love.
"With unusual charm and warmth, Rachel Fordham opens the door to Azure Springs, a place as memorable as the people who inhabit it."--Laura Frantz, author of The Lacemaker
"This delightful book about the resilience of the human spirit and the power of love will keep you turning pages until the very end."--Jennifer Beckstrand, author of A Courtship on Huckleberry Hill
"A tender story about loss, life, and the beauty that lies within each of us."--Stacy Henrie, USA Today bestselling author and RITA award finalist
Rachel Fordham started writing when her children began begging her for stories at night. She'd pull a book from the shelf, but they'd insist she make one up. She hasn't stopped since. She lives with her husband and children on an island in the state of Washington. --This text refers to the paperback edition.
Seven years ago, orphaned and alone, Em finally arrived at a new home in Iowa after riding the orphan train. But secrets from her past haunt her, and her new life in the Western wilderness is a rough one. When her guardian is shot and killed, Em, now nineteen, finally has the chance to search for her long-lost sister, but she won't be able to do it alone.
For Azure Springs Sheriff Caleb Reynolds, securing justice for the waifish and injured Em is just part of his job. He's determined to solve every case put before him in order to impress his parents and make a name for himself. Caleb expects to succeed. What he doesn't expect is the hold this strange young woman will have on his heart.
Welcome to the charming town of Azure Springs, Iowa, where people care deeply for one another and, sometimes, even fall in love.
"With unusual charm and warmth, Rachel Fordham opens the door to Azure Springs, a place as memorable as the people who inhabit it."--Laura Frantz, author of The Lacemaker
"This delightful book about the resilience of the human spirit and the power of love will keep you turning pages until the very end."--Jennifer Beckstrand, author of A Courtship on Huckleberry Hill
"A tender story about loss, life, and the beauty that lies within each of us."--Stacy Henrie, USA Today bestselling author and RITA award finalist
Rachel Fordham started writing when her children began begging her for stories at night. She'd pull a book from the shelf, but they'd insist she make one up. She hasn't stopped since. She lives with her husband and children on an island in the state of Washington. --This text refers to the paperback edition.
Product details
- ASIN : B07932TWWH
- Publisher : Revell (July 3, 2018)
- Publication date : July 3, 2018
- Language : English
- File size : 6894 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 338 pages
- Lending : Enabled
- Best Sellers Rank: #12,493 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
Customer reviews
4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
478 global ratings
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Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2018
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21 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2019
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As I was browsing through Amazon, trying to find new books, I came across this book. It sounded interesting, so I decided to give it a try. Wow! I loved this book so much that not only did I purchase the kindle version, which is on sale (go buy it!), I also bought the print version to add to my favorite books. This story was so beautiful and well written. It's a story about how a very broken but strong young woman helped others heal their brokeness. Through her strength and courage, others were able to bring to the surface their own pain and loss and find joy and peace again. She too found healing in her relationships with those around her. I definitely recommend this book. I look foward to reading more by this author.
16 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2018
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Where will Em decide her best future lies, in The Hope of Azure Springs by Rachel Fordham?
Fordham brings to life the story of a “prince” and “princesses,” beauty and ugliness, and the ugly reality of lonely children who travel the orphan train west to very uncertain futures.
I loved Abigail and Abraham Howell and the generosity and love they show to Em in her hour of need. I also appreciate the fact that one of their children is NOT walking in their ways. How true to life that can really be.
I also loved that the heroine is not beautiful by most people’s description of beautiful. Beauty comes from the inside out. This is one discussion my husband and I have repeatedly with our young, single twenty-somethings. Can Caleb, the sheriff, ever start seeing with eyes of the soul?
Sometimes we think the little things we do for others don’t matter. Not so. Em discovers this when Abigail lends her a clean night gown. “...it was not just a nightdress, it was kindness.”
A few other quotables:
“Where does a caged animal go when it is freed?”
“How will you ever truly live if you are too afraid to be where you need to be?”
Definitely a book to read to experience the varied lives of orphan train children. I gratefully received a copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinions. I was not required to leave a positive review. I also bought my own copy.
Fordham brings to life the story of a “prince” and “princesses,” beauty and ugliness, and the ugly reality of lonely children who travel the orphan train west to very uncertain futures.
I loved Abigail and Abraham Howell and the generosity and love they show to Em in her hour of need. I also appreciate the fact that one of their children is NOT walking in their ways. How true to life that can really be.
I also loved that the heroine is not beautiful by most people’s description of beautiful. Beauty comes from the inside out. This is one discussion my husband and I have repeatedly with our young, single twenty-somethings. Can Caleb, the sheriff, ever start seeing with eyes of the soul?
Sometimes we think the little things we do for others don’t matter. Not so. Em discovers this when Abigail lends her a clean night gown. “...it was not just a nightdress, it was kindness.”
A few other quotables:
“Where does a caged animal go when it is freed?”
“How will you ever truly live if you are too afraid to be where you need to be?”
Definitely a book to read to experience the varied lives of orphan train children. I gratefully received a copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinions. I was not required to leave a positive review. I also bought my own copy.
8 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2018
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Rachel Fordham draws a sympathetic character in Em, who grows – and also causes growth in those who come to know her. Caleb is a wonderful hero, strong but flawed, and the romance between Caleb and Em is unique and intriguing. What sets this novel apart is the refreshing message – what is true beauty and how do we perceive it? I highly recommend this novel and look forward to more from this author!
12 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2019
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This book weaves the stories of several characters together without gaps, forming a colorful, warm blanket that you want to settle in to on a cold night. Fordham knows how to tug at the heartstrings. Just when you think you can't stand another moment unless the two main characters declare their love for one another, she moves to another scene. This exquisite tension is something innate to the book and does not feel contrived. Along the way, Fordham weaves in sub-stories of the love of family, healing from past hurts, and an ugly duckling theme. Well done!
8 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2019
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The Hope of Azure Springs is an emotional ride from the very first page—and one I wouldn’t have given up had I known in advance.
Written with insight into the hurting places many people never share, Rachel has written a story with complex and rich characters that are real and not contrived.
It has been said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and this book delves deeply into this premise. What defines beauty?
Em arrives in town dirty and starving with a gunshot wound and no social graces. When she looks in the mirror she see a plain, skinny, unattractive girl. As she shares stories of princesses and handsome princes with the young girls in the house where she’s staying, she wonders if anyone would ever love her.
Separated from her sister as a child and rejected over and over again on the Orphan Train she longs to see her again. Deep down she longs for much more but feels she will always be unwanted.
Caleb has been interested in the most beautiful girl in town, but through circumstances he is thrust into the presence of Em, who doesn’t have the physical attributes that society calls beautiful. He sees nothing attractive in her, but as he begins to know her, he changes. He begins to see that beauty is more than skin deep.
“This maiden was different. She had a magical kind of beauty. The kind that can only be seen if you know how to truly look at a person.”
“Did you know goodness is the fairest of all the beauties?”
Seldom do I get overly emotional reading a book, but when Em finds her sister, I was an emotional mess and cried buckets of tears.
This book is highly recommended. I loved every minute of it.
Written with insight into the hurting places many people never share, Rachel has written a story with complex and rich characters that are real and not contrived.
It has been said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and this book delves deeply into this premise. What defines beauty?
Em arrives in town dirty and starving with a gunshot wound and no social graces. When she looks in the mirror she see a plain, skinny, unattractive girl. As she shares stories of princesses and handsome princes with the young girls in the house where she’s staying, she wonders if anyone would ever love her.
Separated from her sister as a child and rejected over and over again on the Orphan Train she longs to see her again. Deep down she longs for much more but feels she will always be unwanted.
Caleb has been interested in the most beautiful girl in town, but through circumstances he is thrust into the presence of Em, who doesn’t have the physical attributes that society calls beautiful. He sees nothing attractive in her, but as he begins to know her, he changes. He begins to see that beauty is more than skin deep.
“This maiden was different. She had a magical kind of beauty. The kind that can only be seen if you know how to truly look at a person.”
“Did you know goodness is the fairest of all the beauties?”
Seldom do I get overly emotional reading a book, but when Em finds her sister, I was an emotional mess and cried buckets of tears.
This book is highly recommended. I loved every minute of it.
5 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic book
Reviewed in Australia on March 18, 2019Verified Purchase
This was an amazing book. Excellent characters, exciting plot, romance, and overall just so engaging. Make sure you keep the tissues handy though - you'll need them!
Highly recommend this book.
Highly recommend this book.
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