Monday

Love's Pursuit by Siri Mitchell

First, I must say that I admire Siri Mitchell to an infinite degree. She is a most excellent author, developing characters that you really, really care about... characters that make you cry and that make you laugh. That is an extremely wonderful habit in a novelist.

That said, I also have to say this, I was disappointed with Love's Pursuit. I ordered this book because of Mitchell's name only. I saw her name and said "That will be a great book!" Then I get it and I find that this is not one of her best efforts. The characters are a bit flat, and the love story is forced... almost like the two did not want to fall in love, but Mitchell forced the issue.

That said, I must say that the premise of the story is very good. Mitchell takes you on a journey back in the time when women really didn't have a choice in how they were treated or who they would marry. She opens the door to some historical facts that would make the women of today shudder and strap on firearms and give a great battle cry. Although, the kind of work those women had to do back then kept them very slim and trim. We women of today would do well to do half the work they did... it would mean fewer athletic clubs for sure.

Side note: How refreshing to actually be productive while exercising rather than walking or running a great deal and getting no where. Hmmmm.

If you like historical romances, then this would be a good nightly read.


This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Love's Pursuit

Bethany House (June 1, 2009)

by

Siri Mitchell



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Siri Mitchell graduated from the University of Washington with a business degree and worked in various levels of government. As a military spouse, she has lived all over the world, including in Paris and Tokyo. Siri enjoys observing and learning from different cultures. She is fluent in French and loves sushi.

But she is also a member of a strange breed of people called novelists. When they’re listening to a sermon and taking notes, chances are, they’ve just had a great idea for a plot or a dialogue. If they nod in response to a really profound statement, they’re probably thinking, “Yes. Right. That’s exactly what my character needs to hear.” When they edit their manuscripts, they laugh at the funny parts. And cry at the sad parts. Sometimes they even talk to their characters.

Siri wrote 4 books and accumulated 153 rejections before signing with a publisher. In the process, she saw the bottoms of more pints of Ben & Jerry’s than she cares to admit. At various times she has vowed never to write another word again. Ever. She has gone on writing strikes and even stooped to threatening her manuscripts with the shredder.

A Constant Heart was her sixth novel. Two of her novels, Chateau of Echoes and The Cubicle Next Door were Christy Award finalists. She has been called one of the clearest, most original voices in the CBA.


ABOUT THE BOOK

In the small Puritan community of Stoneybrooke, Massachusetts, Susannah Phillips stands out both for her character and beauty. She wants only a simple life but soon finds herself pursued by the town's wealthiest bachelor and by a roguish military captain sent to protect them. One is not what he seems and one is more than he seems.

In trying to discover true love's path, Susannah is helped by the most unlikely of allies, a wounded woman who lives invisible and ignored in their town. As the depth, passion, and sacrifice of love is revealed to Susannah, she begins to question the rules and regulations of her childhood faith. In a community where grace is unknown, what price will she pay for embracing love?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Love's Pursuit, go HERE

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