This was a very simple book with a simple plot set on rural Colorado during World War II.The story centers on Olivia Dunne, a young woman with academic aspirations of becoming an archaeologist, whose life takes an unexpected turn. To mitigate the scandal, she enters into an arranged marriage with Ray Singleton, a quiet and hardworking farmer.After reading the book and watching the movie, I felt- if only there were more people like Ray in this world, it would have been a beautiful place to live. ...

There was a quiet sweetness to this one. I wouldn't dare to offer a synopsis. Maybe I would say a woman ends up on an unexpected path. But she finds surprises and learns lessons along the way. Finds love where she least expected it to creep up on her. She is worldly minded, but by the end she learns what wisdom is. It is a bit about growing up.

3.5 Stars

Happiness may be found in unexpected places and with unexpected people.
enjoyable warm novel, its events going on during the world war2
story of forgiveness, trust, love and starting over
ordinary days could be magic if you were with someone who really cares

3 "whimsical, delicate but sometimes (often even) off the mark" stars !! 2016 Most Disappointing Read (Tie) Ms. Creel had a 5 star book here had she taken more time and care with this gentle historical drama romance.This book takes place in Colorado in the 1940s. It is about an intelligent young woman who gets herself pregnant and then is sent to marry with a socially awkward but loving farmer who is willing to raise the child as his own. She befriends two Japanese sisters that work on her husba...

Re-read 2019 Audiobook narrated by Justine Eyre 7hs 43 minutes 19 seconds Originally I read this book many years ago after watching the 2005 Hallmark Hall of Fame television movie. Over the last few days I decided to take a second look and realized that I loved the main characters of Livy and Ray because of the way they were portrayed by Felicity Russell and Skeet Ulrich in the film. Livy in her book format is harder to love as she spends much of the book stuck in the past. Ray, though is a bea...

I really did not like this book. I found the plot and the writing to be too simplistic, the characters to be too one-dimensional, and the relationships between characters to be poorly developed. The choices made by the characters felt contrived and I did not find myself caring in the least what would become of them. I especially disliked the main character, Livvy, and found her to be self-centered and lazy. You live on a farm during WWII and you complain that you don't have enough to do? Really?...

I first 'saw' this book as a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie on TV. I was so impressed with the story that I had to get the book. Olivia Dunne is the oldest of three sisters. She is the only one who is single and she is also pursuing her master's degree in history. Intelligent with goals to better her life, she wants to become an archeologist. At the opening of the story she is taking care of her mother who is ill. This is a simple story of love-gone-wrong during the early days of WWII. Olivia is a ...

I loved this book! I picked it up after watching and loving the Hallmark movie version of the novel. It's even better than the movie! It's set in 1940's Colorado farming country, and Livvy is forced into an arranged marriage by her strict father when she becomes pregnant out of wedlock. She marries a shy, simple farmer she's never met before her wedding day. This book taught a few lessons that I loved:1. Love between a husband and wife is not just about physical attraction, butterflies in the st...

I loved this. Reading each page was like rolling a chocolate around in my mouth. The words and images were that beautiful. The story was artfully and thoughtfully created and I ended up loving these wonderfully human characters with all their brilliance and flaws. As my friend Laura pointed out, it was so great to see the protagonist's attitude change over the course of the book. I think it was because she was surrounded by uncommonly good and kind people, whose words and actions brought me to t...