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The Proposal (The English Garden Series #1)
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$ 11.04
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| Retail Value |
$ 12.99 |
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$ 1.95 (15%) |
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| Item Number |
12596 |
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Item Description...
Book Description
William, a confirmed bachelor, becomes guardian to three children. When the girl’s nanny proves abusive, William seeks counsel from his sister and her husband and meets Marianne—who changes his beliefs about women and God.
Additional Information
Lifelong bachelor William Jennings is a fierce-tempered, agnostic 19th-century Englishman---and an unlikely candidate for fatherhood. But when a distant relative dies, he finds himself guardian of three children, and in over his head! Taking refuge at his sister's home, he befriends her kindhearted neighbor, Marianne. Can she change his mind about faith . . . and family? 300 pages, softcover from Harvest. |
Item Specifications...
Pages 300
Dimensions: Length: 7.9" Width: 5.2" Height: 0.9"
Weight: 0.54 lbs.
Release Date Jan 1, 2002
Publisher HARVEST HOUSE #46
ISBN 0736905588
EAN 9780736905589
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Availability 0 units. |
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Reviews - What do our customers think?
 | Insipid Mar 12, 2007 |
I haven't read a book quite this insipid in some time. The characters are very cardboard and one diminsional. Most of their names are borrowed from Jane Austen novels, which supposedly inspired the author to write this series. She uses the names of Elinore and Marianne, the Dashwoods, the Jennings, and the Palmers - all names from Sense and Sensibility. Mr. Collins, Lydia, and Lizzy are all names from Pride and Prejudice. There is even an Emma. I love Jane Austen too, but it's a little distracting to the reader when an author robs all her characters' names from another, more famous author.
Also, the writing style of this novel is stilted and uninspired; the plot moves along choppily with no graceful transitions and very little description. Most of the book is forced dialogue, and the reader rarely gets an idea of what an individual character is thinking. The story is also extremely saccharine; everything is flowers and butterflies and rainbows and unicorns. Okay, there aren't actually any unicorns (or rainbows and butterflies for that matter), but there may as well be for how unbelievable and unrealistic the story is. The children are perfect; the parents are perfect; the guardian is perfect; the neighbors are perfect. Like eating too much chocolate fudge, this novel left me nauseated.
Perhaps my opinion of this novel is unfair since I am not a fan of the Christian Romance genre, but I really prefer not to be literally preached at throughout an entire work of FICTION. I heard a much better sermon in church this morning, and when I want theology, I read the Bible. I would LOVE to read a well written romance novel that isn't preachy but doesn't have the characters acting like they are morally bankrupt either. In my experience, contemporary Christian authors are unable to reach my expectations. If you suffer from the same dilemma, I highly recommend Jane Austen's six novels. Also very good, with stronger spiritual overtones than Austen, is Anne Bronte's Agnes Grey.
| | |  | Beautiful Life Application of Grace Aug 13, 2006 |
| Lori Wick has a gift for weaving God's grace in her writing through examples of real people facing real issues. While reading other "educational" books on the subject of grace, I receive continued instruction as I enjoy the stories of her characters facing the same issues I face on a daily basis. Thank you Lori Wick for being used of God! | | |  | Pure Fantasy Jan 27, 2006 |
| I've read the first three books in this series. I liked The Rescue the best, followed by The Proposal, followed by The Visitor, but they are all pretty much the same. They are VERY light reading and are basically fairy tales that all follow the same formula: main characters meet and fall in love, although the lady goes through a lot of angst denying and suppressing her attraction for all she's worth before she moves onto disbelieving that her feelings could ever be reciprocated despite blantant flirting and direct affirmations on the male side. The characters are one dimensional and any changes they will go through are pointed out to the reader well in advance. The books are set in Victorian England, but the books are light on the details of living in that era while replete with dialogue, attitudes and behavior that smack of present day. The characters do NOT behave as though they are from the early 19th century. I cringed when Marianne, unmarried and unchaperoned, goes on a sea bathing holiday with Jennings, her bachelor friend. But in this world that Lori Wick has created, this is really no impropriety at all and completely acceptable. I also found distracting the author's very liberal borrowing of names from Jane Austen for her characters. Thus we have sisters Marianne and Elinor, the Hursts, Jennings, Benwick, Bates, Collins, Dr. Tilney, Judge Lucas, maid Kitty, Lizzy, Emma, Palmers, and Steeles. I'm sure there are more, that is just from memory! Moreover, the books do get a bit preachy at times and cut back and forth a lot (especially in The Visitor) between the various households to report on what the other couples are doing/thinking at that moment, which disrupts the flow of the main story. This series is good for some light, escapist reading, when you just don't want to think. | | |  | Sweet book Jan 10, 2006 |
I really enjoyed this book, the entire series really, but this book was fun to read, it wasn't too heavy or sad, although the topics touched upon were sometimes serious.
It was easy to follow the relationship and enjoyable to see how the two ended up together and seeing the children in the novel once again have a loving family. God is good, this book was a good reminder. | | | | I love this series Nov 17, 2005 |
| I am a big fan of stories from this era, and I really enjoyed all four books in this series, especially this one. I live in reality... I don't need a story to further dwell on that. I enjoy that Lori's books are so ideal, so perfect. I don't mind that the characters aren't "believeable" as some have criticized. That's exactly why I read them! It's fun to escape. And yet in the story there are neat twists and turns. They aren't completey predictable. I recommend this book highly. And I enjoy that the characters you meet as the series goes along are main characters in later books. That is a very neat aspect. I do recommend reading the books in order. I skipped book 2 because I didn't own it and read it last. I wish I hadn't. It isn't necessary, but I think you miss out when those characters pop up in the later books. | | | Write your own review about The Proposal (The English Garden Series #1)
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