Book Review: Steadfast Heart

From the Back

Despite her spoiled upbringing, twenty-year-old Lenore Fulcher isn't pretentious. She simply believes a marriage should be built on true love. Her father, however, thinks she's wasted enough time searching for the perfect husband. He wants to marry her off to one of his business partners--who is seventeen years her senior--an idea that is out of the question for Lenore.

Kolbein Booth, a young lawyer from Chicago, arrives in Seattle looking for his headstrong sister, who he believes may have answered an advertisement for mail-order brides. Sick with worry, he storms into the Madison Bridal School, demanding to see his sister, only to learn she isn't there. But Lenore Fulcher is, and something about her captures his attention.

Is this the man Lenore has been searching for? She may not have long to find out...

My Reflections:

Tracy Peterson is one of my favorite authors, her works usually have me begging for more, so I was surprised when I just could not fully enjoy her newest novel, Steadfast Heart.

This book just seemed to be a book, flat and one dimensional. The characters did not embrace me, the story seemed a little unimaginative and the plot seemed to skip around confusing me as to who the true lead character really was.

This story takes place just prior to the turn of the century in Seattle. Mrs. Madison's Bridal School is nestled in a growing sea port mecca, the perfect place for prospective suitors to come in droves to find their wife to be.

Kolbein Booth is looking for his sister, not a bride and believes she may be at this school. Although he is under the false notion that the school is less than what it seems he is set right by the very chatty clan who run the school. Will he find what he is looking for?

Abrianna has lived at the Bridal school for a good portion of her life. She is a chatty and unique character for her time. Abrianna is ill equipped for being a help mate she has trouble with cooking, sewing, baking or any other skill that is being taught at the school, a somewhat troubling predicament seeing how her "aunts" have been teaching her these skills since she was young!
She is however very generous and has a heart of gold in tending to the less fortunate.

Abrianna offers to help Kolbein search for his sister in the heart of Seattle.

Lenore the only child of a wealthy business man and best friend of Abrianna is searching for a way out of an arranged courtship, could Kolbein be her answer?

I found this relationship to be somewhat unrealistic. After all they meet and then Lenore has to go away, and upon her return they seem to be in love? Really? I can't see how true love just blossomed out of nothing?

All in all I just felt there were too many lead characters and too many unrealistic plot twists. Don't get me started on the ending...

I am still a fan of Tracie Peterson, I will definitely be waiting for other books to emerge. Unfortunately this one was just not my style.

I received this book free of charge in return for my honest review from Graf-Martin communications, Thank you so much Graf-Martin!

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About The Author

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   Tracie Peterson

   Tracie Peterson is the award-winning author of over one hundred novels, both historical and contemporary. Her avid research resonates in her stories, as seen in her bestselling Heirs of Montana and Alaskan Quest series. Tracie and her family make their home in...
   

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