Love’s First Bloom Book Review
About the Book
Ruth Livingstone’s life changes drastically the day her father puts a young child in her arms and sends her to a small village in New Jersey under an assumed name. There Ruth pretends to be a widow and quietly secludes herself until her father is acquitted of a crime. But with the emergence of the penny press, the imagination of the reading public is stirred, and her father’s trial stands center stage. Asher Tripp is the brash newspaperman who determines that this case is the event he can use to redeem himself as a journalist.
Ruth finds solace tending a garden along the banks of the Toms River–a place where she can find a measure of peace in the midst of the sorrow that continues to build. It is also here that Asher Tripp finds a temporary residence, all in an attempt to discover if the lovely creature known as Widow Malloy is truly Ruth Livingstone, the woman every newspaper has been looking for. Love begins to slowly bloom…but is the affection they share strong enough to withstand the secrets that separate them?
My Thoughts
This book has been on my to-be-read shelf for years now, and with spring around the corner, it was only natural to pull this book with its gorgeous cover out for a read. I have read and enjoyed a handful of Parr’s books in the past, so I was expecting this one to be as wonderful as the others.
On the surface, the plot was very intriguing – lots of secrecy, alternate identities, and a sensationalized court case accusing a minister of murder. Those facts alone had me believing that I would uncover a riveting story. Unfortunately, I struggled through the first half of the book as there was too much back and forth with all the different reporters trying to snuff out Ruth’s whereabouts and Ruth’s constant frustration with what they were writing in the papers.
Her romantic connection with Jake came far too late in the story to be believable, and by the time they recognized their feelings for one another, the story was over. I knew that the two of them would ultimately be attracted to each other, but I wish it had occurred much sooner than it did!
This book is part of a series, and after reading reviews from several other readers, this story has no connection to the one before it.
All in all, not what I had hoped for, but the plot was engaging enough that I had to see it through to the end.
Many thanks to Bethany House for providing a copy for review.
3 Stars
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- Scribd – available in eBook and audiobook form, and the entire Hearts Along the River series of books is on the platform. Scribd is a monthly book subscription, and they have SO MANY CHRISTIAN FICTION books to choose from in electronic and audio formats, plus magazines, podcasts, and more. I simply love it, and never have a shortage of new books to read. If you’d like to give Scribd a try, use my referral link, and you’ll get your first 60 days absolutely free.
- Amazon – Kindle version here.
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