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  1. Margaret Metz
    Midwest
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    3 Stars Out Of 5
    Fair Treatment of a Difficult War
    November 9, 2011
    Margaret Metz
    Midwest
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 4
    Meets Expectations: 3
    This review was written for His Steadfast Love.
    This author did a fantastic job researching the era and allowing the reader to see through the eyes of characters on both sides of the conflict.

    There is plenty going on to keep the plot from dragging. Whether you're with the families left behind and struggling to deal with how to survive on less, trying to get supplies past enemy troop lines and waiting to hear from loved ones or your the soldiers dealing with fighting and sometimes dealing with capture, it's not boring.

    The characters feel authentic as well. They all seem true to their own roles. Amanda's family is Southern through and through. Her brother, Daniel, can't wait to fight for their way of life. Her father is a man of deep faith and convictions.

    Before the war she meets Captain Kent Littlefield. He attends their church and talks about settling in the area. The rumors of war have already started though, and her father forbids the blooming romance. His family also discourages him.

    I liked the strength of the two characters individually. I already mentioned how much I appreciated the approach to the story. No one side contained all the heroes or all the villains. The romance didn't feel as strong to me though. Maybe because of their limited time together. Some of the other relationships were much stronger and interesting.

    I want to thank Thomas Nelson for providing my copy in exchange for this honest review.
  2. Rambling Reader
    3 Stars Out Of 5
    A Glimpse Into the Civil War
    October 18, 2011
    Rambling Reader
    Quality: 4
    Value: 4
    Meets Expectations: 3
    This review was written for His Steadfast Love.
    His Steadfast Love is the third novel that I have read in the past few weeks relating to the Civil War era. Each story has brought to life different aspects of the war and its effects on the nation and its people. In her latest novel, Golden Keyes Parsons delves into America's tumultuous years when friends and neighbors turned into enemies on the battlefield. The plot begins in 1860, just before the start of the war and concludes at the war's end. As a result, readers see the struggles, heartaches, and uncertainties that families faced during four long years. We also see examples of bravery and forgiveness. It is important to remember both aspects of the war that divided the nation, and Parsons nicely combines loss and triumph.

    Amanda is caught between her love for her Southern family and her love for her Northern beau, Kent. During much of the novel she is torn by loyalty to the South and her feelings for Kent, who suddenly becomes labeled as the enemy. The love between Amanda and Kent develops quite rapidly at the beginning of the novel. A few months pass between their initial meeting in September 1860 and Kent's departure. Unfortunately, the jump did not allow me to witness the development of their feelings for each other. The steadfastness of their love for one another is touching and is an example of bravery itself.

    Parsons integrates loss into the fabric of His Steadfast Love as well. Some deaths occurred suddenly and in within a few pages of each other, leaving me stunned. Again, I felt that the jump of a few months from chapter to chapter disconnected me from the characters' grief and their healing process. Through the various losses, injuries, and uncertain futures, Parsons illustrates the importance of maintaining one's faith despite hardships. Amanda questions her faith during the war, as many people undoubtedly did, but she ultimately reclaims it along with happiness.

    His Steadfast Love has strong qualities and offers a glimpse into the Civil War era. Parsons sets the plot in Texas, a state not often focused upon in Civil War novels. The setting was refreshing, but I felt a distance from the characters at times. I had difficulty delving into the novel, especially during the first half. The historical content is a clear strength and Parsons takes the reader on an journey from family parlors, to prisons, to battlefields.

    I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through their book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
  3. CaElRo
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    2 Stars Out Of 5
    November 28, 2011
    CaElRo
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    Quality: 2
    Value: 2
    Meets Expectations: 2
    This review was written for His Steadfast Love.
    A book that tries to encompass the years of the American Civil War in 287 eBook pages (print copy has 336 pages) is going to be, well, choppy. Even more so for this novel as it starts before war is officially declared. Our novel starts during September 1860 and carries through the start of the war, the entire length of the war (April 1861-April 1865), and continues on after its end.

    Amanda and Kent's relationship is rather far-fetched. They meet, hardly talk, exchange a few glances back and forth yet find themselves in love with each other. Their only obstacle at that point was that Amanda was torn because her mother, before she passed, asked her to take care of her younger sisters. Amanda concludes that she cannot marry until her sisters are grown, perhaps married themselves.

    Fast forward to March 1861, and Kent arrives at the Belle ranch stating that Texas has seceded from the Union and they are now at war. A bit of historical inaccuracies as Texas seceded in February 1861. Texas joined the Confederation in March of 1861, but war didn't actually start until April of 1861. The reason to Kent's arrival is he's heading north and requests permission to write to Amanda while he's at war. Amanda's father nixes that idea as Kent's a Yankee and Texas is now part of the Confederacy. I found this rather confusing as the entire family was welcoming to Kent prior to this event. While the Civil War era is not an era that I'm most interested in in American History, I do know that hostilities between the North and the South started way before March 1861.

    The story brings Kent and Amanda together at various times before the book's ending. We also have Amanda wrestling with the concept of slavery. Her family, of course, owns slaves. I was never fully sure if Ms. Parsons view of the reason for war was to end slavery or if it was to keep the Union together. This gave the novel a wishy washy feel, making me feel like no one had any idea what was really going on. While Amanda was conflicted, I felt that it encompassed the entire story.

    There was also a small subplot of Amanda's brother, Daniel, and his intended (also Amanda's best friend), Claire. Their reunion reminded me too much of the movie, The Best Years of Our Lives, and the storyline of Wilma and Homer.

    I really think that Ms. Parsons wanted to portray the horrors of war. And I got that from this novel. I really feel that she wanted to write about the destructiveness of war. Mostly how it destroys our fellow man, both physically and mentally. But the storyline was sparse. It was too big to tackle in 336 pages.
  4. beckie
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    2 Stars Out Of 5
    his steadfast love review
    December 8, 2011
    beckie
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    I received "His Steadfast Love" by Golden Keyes Parsons (an e-book) for free from http://www.booksneeze.com/. This novel takes place in Texas during the Civil War. Amanda Belle is a Southerner with a soldier-aged brother, Daniel and a beau, Kent, who is stationed in Texas but from the North. Shortly after the book starts, the Civil War breaks out, sending Daniel to fight for the South and Kent back North. The story follows the Amanda as she is torn between her loyalties to her country and her budding abolitionist beliefs. She also plays both sides in serving Kent and Daniel's causes.

    This is not a real deep book. It sticks with the niceties and doesn't get to involved in any particular issue. It is mostly a romance. Again, not racy or even particularly passionate. It is a nice, tame romance, fit for any age.
  5. Janet
    Belton, TX
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: Female
    1 Stars Out Of 5
    Not Convinced
    October 22, 2011
    Janet
    Belton, TX
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: Female
    Quality: 1
    Value: 1
    Meets Expectations: 1
    This review was written for His Steadfast Love.
    I usually enjoy historical novels set during the Civil War. I struggled with this one, though. To me, the forbidden love that was the focus of the plot was unreal. It couldn't have existed. This made the rest of the story unbelievable as well.

    "His Steadfast Love" opens with Amber and Kent meeting for the first time at her father's church. Kent is a soldier from the North, stationed in Texas just before the war. Amber and Kent see each other at church four or five times, always surrounded by other people. Then Amber's father invites Kent to Sunday dinner. Accompanied by Amber's brother, Kent and Amber take a walk on the beach where Kent suddenly tells the brother and sister that he's opposed to slavery. Amber and Daniel are offended at his disapproval of their way of life, but suddenly Daniel sees a few dolphins and Kent takes the moment to pull Amber into his arms to ask if he can call on her. He had just picked a fight with her and before that they had hardly talked–ever. Amber asks Kent to please wait.

    The two don't see or communicate with each other for six months. Then Kent shows up for an unexpected visit. His purpose: to tell the family that the nation is at war, to declare that he is on the Union side, and to ask if he can keep in touch with Amber. Her dad says absolutely not and sends Kent away.

    It seems to me that six months before the Civil War, tensions between the North and South would have been so strong that Amber and Kent would never have been attracted to each other. He probably wouldn't have even been welcomed into a Southern church. But even if he had been and they had been interested in one another, they didn't have time or opportunity to develop the deep and committed love that is the basis for the whole story. This made the book very difficult to read.

    Thomas Nelson Publishers sent a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.
Displaying items 21-25 of 25
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