Yellow Rose Bride
Grade : B-

The hero and heroine in Yellow Rose Bride have a long and interesting history, which makes this inspirational romance quite touching. I enjoy inspirational historicals like Lori Copeland's because they usually lack the contrived conflict and drama that occasionally occurs in other romances, especially historicals.

Vonnie Taylor is the cherished adopted daughter of Teague and Cammy Taylor, an extremely close and loving couple who have modeled for their daughter what a good marriage can be. She is extremely adept with needle and thread, and has a growing business designing and creating beautiful wedding gowns for brides as far away as California, and is now becoming known on the East Coast as well.

Adam Baldwin is the hardworking, responsible, and handsome eldest son of a prosperous Amarillo rancher. Although his father, P.K., is pushy and overbearing, Adam does his best to please him and live up to his expectations, while at the same time trying to live his own life. P.K. has pushed Adam into a courtship of Beth, whose family happens to have a huge parcel of land that would benefit the Baldwin ranch. Beth is a sweet, loving girl who does her best to please everyone around her and is excited to be planning a grand wedding.

The heads of the Baldwin and Taylor families have been in a long feud over something that happened just after the war, which is shown to the reader in a prologue but is kept secret from the other characters. Vonnie and the Baldwin boys were never allowed to socialize, but Vonnie and Adam still found ways to connect over the years, whether it was a flirtatious glance in church or the occasional clandestine afternoon meeting. By the time Vonnie was fifteen, they were in love. They impulsively eloped and found a traveling judge to marry them, but before they began their wedding night, Vonnie panicked and insisted the marriage be annulled. Seven years have past and since they were able to keep the whole fiasco secret even from their parents, there seems to be no reason why Beth and Adam shouldn't marry.

Unfortunately, although Vonnie and Adam avoid each other as much as possible, they haven't quite gotten over their feelings. Once the engagement is announced, Adam and Vonnie both find themselves forced to examine their past and look deeply into their feelings. Vonnie and Adam come to realize that they still truly love one another, and they have the added benefit of maturity, but they know that it would be wrong to behave dishonorably toward Beth. The resulting conflicts must be worked out with the Lord's guidance.

This book was really sweet and I found the romance aspect of it believable. Vonnie and Adam both behaved realistically throughout their lives, and the chemistry between them was true. The characters were well described and detailed. For instance, Adam's sense of responsibility came through clearly, as did Vonnie's love for him mixed with the need to avoid seeing him with his future wife. The author strongly describes the setting and gives the story a convincing sense of place.

One drawback to this book was that there was a rather outlandish mystery involving a family feud, stolen jewels, and an unlikely villain. I felt that some of the conflict was over the top. The Baldwin-Taylor feud dragged out for too many years, especially as nobody apart from the heads of the families knew the origins of it. I also would have liked it if, as a strong and independent character, Adam had been able to stand up to his father more. I wouldn't expect him to defy P.K. outright, as that would be disrespectful and so against his character, but there were times when Adam should have at least stated his own opinion. I also found the threats to the Taylor ranch to be extreme, and a bit clichéd.

However, the drawbacks by no means outweigh the positive aspects of the story. It's clear that Vonnie and Adam are meant to be together and the people in the community overall are kindhearted and caring. Even Adam's father acts in what he believes to be his son's best interests. The author obviously extensively researched her location; late 19th century Texas was described accurately. I also enjoy reading the occasional historical romance that makes life seem less like Deadwood and more like Little House on the Prairie. This inspirational romance is definitely more inspiring than evangelical.

Reviewed by Jessica Langlois
Grade : B-

Sensuality: Kisses

Review Date : February 21, 2007

Publication Date: 2006

Review Tags: 

Recent Comments …

Jessica Langlois

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
0
What's your opinion?x
()
x