Synopsis:
In 1891, spinster librarian, Olive Wilkins, is shocked to learn of her brother’s violent death at a saloon gaming table and her sister-in-law’s subsequent murder, traveling far from her staid life to rescue her niece and nephew, now orphans. She arrives to find the circumstances of her brother’s life deplorable and her long held beliefs of family and tradition, shaken.
Accustomed to the sophistication of Philadelphia, Olive arrives in Spencer, Ohio, a rough and tumble world she is not familiar with, facing two traumatized children. Her niece and nephew, Mary and John, have been living with a neighboring farmer, widower Jacob Butler, the father of three young children of his own and a man still in pain from the recent loss of his wife.
Real danger threatens Olive and Mary and John while Jacob and his own brood battle the day-to-day struggles for survival. Will Olive and Jacob find the strength to fight their battles alone or together? Will love conquer the bitterness of loss and broken dreams?
Review:
I loved this book! Very sweet and well written. I read this book in about 2 days and enjoyed the storyline and characters. I don’t typically enjoy western type of books, and this reminded me of one with the setting. However, it is really about a story of second chances, family, and starting over. Jacob is grieving and angry over the loss of his wife, while Olive leaves the comfort of her routine life in Philadelphia to move to Ohio so that she can take the children of her deceased brother. Upon arriving, Olive slowly strips her spinster persona as Jacob slowly starts to see that beyond Olive’s exterior and slowly falls in love with who Olive is. I enjoyed the way the story progressed and the simplicity in the story, as it covered a difficult situation: a family losing their mom and a sister losing her brother. Overall, I would recommend this story!
Historical Book Tours is providing a free e-book (the format of your choice) to 1 winner!
1 winner will be selected to win, Romancing Olive, by Holly Bush.
The winner will be contacted and HBT will send an e-book copy!
Giveaway ends March 31, 2013.
Simply enter in the comment area:
your name, email, and what you liked about the synopsis to be entered in the giveaway.
*Historical Book Tours provided a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
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Laila Ibrahim’s education and experiences in multiracial, developmental psychology provided ample fodder for the story of Mattie and Lisbeth. Laila Ibrahim was the founder and director of Woolsey Children’s School where she had first hand experience loving children that were not her own. As a birth doula she is privileged to witness the intensity and joy of childbirth. She currently works as the Director of Children and Family Ministries at the First Unitarian Church in Oakland. She lives in a co-housing community in Berkeley, California, with her wife, Rinda, their children, Kalin and Maya, and their dogs, Bella and Lucie. Yellow Crocus is her first novel.
Nancy Scrofano grew up watching classic television shows, classic movies, and listening to oldies, all of which she still adores today. Nancy has a penchant for the fifties, mostly because of her favorite show, I Love Lucy. She has seen every episode countless times and will happily share the trivia she knows with anyone who will listen. Nancy worked as an editor and a journalist for her college newspaper, then went on to develop sociology textbooks for an academic publisher. She has a master’s degree in media psychology, as well as undergraduate degrees in communication, radio and television, and liberal arts. Nancy currently writes book reviews for a prestigious book review magazine. Additionally, she is the founder and managing editor of The Chick Lit Bee, a book blog that promotes and celebrates women’s fiction, and Good Humor Girl, a women’s entertainment blog. Nancy lives in southern California where she is at work on her next novel.
