Words Spoken True
4.1
5
18
18
An intriguing read!
Words Spoken True is an intriguing book. I don't recommend it to young teen readers.
Set in one of my favorite time periods, this novel takes me to a part of the 1800s I haven't yet explored: the newspaper. You see, back in the day of 1855 before radios and TVs they had the newspaper. The two fictional presses we focus on in Words Spoken True are the Tribune and the Herald. These presses battle it out using their newspaper only, in hopes to achieve the town of Louisville's loyalty and readership.
First, we meet Adriane Darcy. She's a woman who's had little training to be a proper lady, in upper society's eyes. She isn't afraid to speak her mind and loves her job at her father's paper the Tribune. Her faith in God is what has kept her going after dealing with an evil stepmother who used to lock her in a closet as a child. She struggles with darkness and tries clinging to God's light.
Next we meet Blake Garrett, a stubborn gentleman who is the editor of the Herald. He tries to forget the skeletons in his closet and wants the Herald to become the top paper in Louisville. But when he meets Adriane and her fiancee Stanley he becomes determined to save Adriane from her annoying (jerk!) of a fiancee.
I liked Miss Gabhart's writing style a lot! I also really liked Duff, who became my favorite side character. However, I did feel like the romance was a little rushed near the end and I felt awkward reading the bedroom scene. (Nothing is explicit or overtly bad. Just know it's there.) But that may just be a personal quirk. Miss Gabhart gives you a real feel for the time period and brings to life an actual occurrence in history. I'll end my review here, because there's a lot I could spoil if I go on. Hehehe. :-)
I give this novel 3 stars.
I purchased this book, no review required.
December 15, 2012
Way-off!
Historical details were not accurate. Characters lied, decieved the public, and covered up the real truth of who the murderer was. How is that an acceptable Christian story? Sexual scenes, even between a married couple need not go into such explicit details to get the point across they enjoyed each other in bed. Majorily disappointed in the "canned" reviews others offered.
September 21, 2012
Yikes! That Was Inappropriate!
This book started out wonderfully! I was held at rapt attention and loved every minute until the sexual scene between the two main characters. Yep, you read that right. Granted, they were married, but it still was way more than what was necessary. It wasn't just a quick blurb, either. It went on for almost two chapters! I was especially upset because this is supposedly a Christian author and book. Needless to say, I returned it. Some may be comfortable reading this type of literature, but I do not believe it to be God glorifying. It's a shame, because the plot was so riveting!
March 27, 2012
Unconventional but incredibly engaging romance
GENRE: HISTORICAL ROMANCE
PUBLISHER: REVELL
PUBLICATION DATE: FEBRUARY 01, 2012
RATING: 4.5 OUT OF 5 â EXCELLENT
PROS: Unconventional father figure; excellent historical detail; perfect portrayal of romance and chemistry between the hero and heroine
CONS: Romance relies too much on the premise of âÂÂlove at first sightâÂÂ
Adriene Darcy has worked alongside her father in the printing room for his newspaper since she was a young girl, and now that sheâÂÂs of an age to be married, she would still rather be setting type than attending balls and society functions. But her father has different ideas, and when the son of one of LousvilleâÂÂs most prestigious families asks for her hand in marriage he readily agrees, without AdrieneâÂÂs consent. Adriene has no desire to be married off, especially to Stanley Jimson, who isnâÂÂt as safe and gentle as he initially appears. The only other person determined to keep Adriene from marrying Stanley is Blake Garrett, the editor of the rival Lousville newspaper. He doesnâÂÂt trust Stanley, and even if Adriene is the daughter of his rival, Blake canâÂÂt deny the attraction he feels for her. When the actions of the Know Nothing party stir up political unrest at the local elections Adriene and Blake are thrown together, as AdrieneâÂÂs father ends up in the middle of the chaos and BlakeâÂÂs newspaper office is attacked by those who oppose his political beliefs. Can they, and their respective newspapers, survive the tumult ripping Louisville apart?
Prior to Words Spoken True I had only read one novel from Ann H. Gabhart, and that was The Outsider, the first book in her Shaker series. IâÂÂd initially expected that The Outsider would be a standard romance novel, in a similar vein to Amish fiction, and was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the historical detail that the book contained. While some people may just read historical romances for the old-fashioned style of courtship and relationships that they present, I prefer my historical novels to actually contain some history. Words Spoken True certainly lived up to the expectations that The Outsider had set and satisfied the historian in me. The novel had the added bonus of detailing several aspects of the printing process which I had studied about the previous semester at university, so I can vouch that Ann has done her research in this department.
This is certainly not a book for those who want their historical novels to give a couple of passing references to outdoor toilets and wagon trains and little more, but neither is it alienating to those of you who arenâÂÂt studying for your undergraduate degree in History. The issues that Words Spoken True discusses regarding the Know Nothing party and immigration are ones that I imagine every American reader has some basic knowledge of from high school history, and if not, Ann briefly outlines the issues discussed in a foreword to the book. But the authenticity that the novel evokes is worth the attention to detail in Words Spoken True, which helps the reader to become invested in the political rivalries that play out throughout the novel.
I was slightly surprised to find that Ann presented AdrieneâÂÂs father as a follower of the Know Nothing ideology who was scornful of immigrants, as it didnâÂÂt fit the typical image of fathers that is put forth by historical romances. In a way, it was a pleasant change to have a father who wasnâÂÂt a hundred-percent supportive of his daughter, nor a model, politically-correct citizen in the twenty-first century sense. While my father never tried to marry me off to the son of his business partner, IâÂÂll admit that he isnâÂÂt perfect, and sometimes the parents in historical romances do seem a little too perfect in the way that they support their children. Especially in a period when women were still seen as somewhat of a commodity, itâÂÂs probably quite realistic that Wade Darcy didnâÂÂt agree with his daughter staying home and working at the family business forever and wanted to see her married by a certain age. And the fact that he supported the Know Nothing party reminds readers that those who shared such beliefs werenâÂÂt necessarily monsters; a trap that it is far too easy to fall into when weâÂÂre viewing events in hindsight.
Romance fans need not fear, for the romantic aspect of this novel isnâÂÂt neglected amidst all the historical detail and political unrest. I did feel that the romance between Adriene and Blake was a bit slow to start, and that because they spent so little time together initially it seemed like their relationship relied too much on the âÂÂlove at first sightâ idea. Personally, IâÂÂm never a fan of âÂÂlove at first sightâ romances and prefer relationships that blossom slowly over time to those that are hastily jump-started due to intense chemistry. Adriene and BlakeâÂÂs relationship did do a sudden jump forward partway through the book, but it was actually at this point that I started to really like their relationship. I donâÂÂt want to spoil anything, but I will say that the way that Ann portrayed the romance and chemistry between Adriene and Blake reminded me of the edginess of the relationship between the newly married couple in Kelly LongâÂÂs LillyâÂÂs Wedding Quilt. ThereâÂÂs nothing at all inappropriate or explicit in Words Spoken True, and I commend Ann for portraying a loving yet intense romance with an appropriate amount of sexual tension. Although I was initially sceptical about Adriene and BlakeâÂÂs relationship, this part of the story more than made up for it.
While IâÂÂm not a fan of romances which rely on the concept of âÂÂlove at first sightâ and do wish that readers had been given more time to see Adriene and BlakeâÂÂs relationship developing, I found that the more I thought about this book after I finished it, the more I loved it. Not only was the historical detail of Words Spoken True well-researched, but it propelled the story forward with each event and made for an unconventional but incredibly engaging romance. If you like the history in your romance novels to be more than just a backdrop and to subtly weave in and out of the plot, then Words Spoken True is definitely the novel for you. The combination of the depth of the historical detail and the edginess of Adriene and BlakeâÂÂs relationship gives me high hopes for AnnaâÂÂs forthcoming novels.
Review title provided by Revell.
March 19, 2012
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