• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Bio
  • Bookshelf
    • Audio
    • Complete List of Chautona’s Books
    • The Rockland Chronicles
      • The Vintage Wren
      • The Aggie Series
      • The Hartfield Mysteries
      • Sight Unseen Series
        • Sight Unseen Series Archives
      • The Agency Files
      • Christmas Fiction
    • Legacy of the Vines
    • Meddlin’ Madeline
      • Madeline Blog Archive
    • Ballads from the Hearth
      • Ballads from the Hearth Blog Archive
    • Legends of the Vengeance
    • Journey of Dreams
    • Wynnewood
    • Webster’s Bakery
    • The Not-So-Fairy Tales
    • Heart of Warwickshire
  • Start HERE
    • Characters
    • Suggested Reading Order
    • Free Books
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Podcast
    • Advertising
    • Podcast Guest Information
    • Podcast Interview FAQ
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • Bonus
  • Speaking
  • New & Coming
Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

I Gave This Author a Second Chance, & This Is What I Thought

by Chautona Havig · 8 Comments

“Why would you want to read another one of Jody Hedlund’s books? You didn’t like the last one you read.”

Okay, I admit it. I kind of blinked. Several times. At the insistent expression on my friend’s face (one I only imagined since we were chatting over messenger), I bit. “I didn’t?”

“No… you only gave it four stars, remember? You called the characters fatalistic.”

Okay, something in that accusation actually sounded a bit… familiar. It did seem like I’d said that. I also recalled a few turns of phrases that sounded a bit modern. But I recalled liking most of the story—particularly the repartee.

And what’s so bad about a 4-star review?

I Gave This Author a Second Chance, & This Is What I Thought

Note: Links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you. I also requested to review this book from Celebrate Lit.

In all honesty, when I requested a review copy of this book from Celebrate Lit, I did hesitate—just a little. You see, along with mail-order brides and Amish courtships, orphan trains can tend to lend themselves to formulaic and rehashed plots.

But I just suspected that Jody Hedlund wouldn’t do that to me. So, I took a chance.

Glad I did.

I Gave This Author a Second Chance, & This Is What I Thought

The repartee I loved in For Love and Honor? It’s in Together Forever, too. Not as sharp, but just as witty. And frankly, that’s what made it so good. Sharp? In this book? It would have made the story dull. How’s that for irony?

No, Ms. Hedlund proved that she knows what she’s doing when it comes to how to place certain elements and where. A master storyteller, she also manages to bring you up to speed on the book you didn’t read—you know, that first one in the series… ahem—without you feeling like you got too much of an info dump.

Instead, what she weaves is an intriguing story with interesting characters and unexpectedly expected plot lines. Look, it’s a romance. We know what’s going to happen, right? But she made me doubt. Several times. She made it impossible to put the book down until I knew, without a doubt, that the right guy would get the girl. And that they’d all be happy for it.

Okay, critics could make a few valid points.

They could. For example, Marianne is just a tiny bit too perfect. With a checklist of the “Mary Sue” elements, she’d come out strongly in favor—especially with her faults being mostly in her head instead of in reality.

But here’s the thing. In my opinion, somehow it works. She’s just that nice person who has made mistakes in her past, and we’re seeing a slice of her life where she, by comparison, doesn’t make any. Knowing about the past humanizes her. So I disagree with that critique, but I can see why some might make it.

And, yes. There were a few times that modern phrasing slipped in.

I know one had to do with “boundaries” and how someone didn’t respect or set them… see? I don’t even recall. It isn’t even that they wouldn’t have said it that way back then. I don’t know. But it did jar me for a moment because of how prevalent the term is today. It’s kind of like the word “cool.” Even used properly, there are just certain instances where it sounds modern anyway.

But my only real critique is the…

Well, for lack of better word… sizzle. If you read this in summer, be sure to turn down your thermostats so that you stay comfortably cool, because um… yeah. Seriously, if it was fair and right to do it, I’d knock off a star just to satisfy my own personal prejudices.

It’s not fair, though. The affection and desire displayed and contemplated are not inappropriate in the way they are portrayed (although one could argue that for the TIME in which it took place, it was a bit much). Where the character crosses a line, we know it… we’re not dragged through it. Where not, we’re kept as close to the fire as we can without being burned, perhaps. But still. That’s my personal preference. And since I know a few of my readers share it, I’m just putting that out there.

The biggest miss for me is that because of the light in which Ms. Hedlund portrayed the romance, we know that the main male character is a godly man who has a rougish, playful personality.  However, if you take elements of what he did and how he did it and picked them apart without the rest of his personality in play, you could read them through very different and unsavory lenses.  I suspect that some readers will.

But with a story that great, I can skim a few kisses and swoons. I’m more than okay with that.

Because, you see, I just really loved it–and I can’t explain why except that I believed it was playing out on the page, I rooted for good guys, cheered when bad guys got their come uppance, and my heart broke for the people it should break for.  That made it wonderful.

And when I gave Together Forever five stars…

I also recalled that I said I was tempted to bump the last one to five. So there! HA!

 Together ForeverAbout the Book

Title: Together Forever, Orphan Train Book 2

Author: Jody Hedlund

Genre: Inspirational historical romance

Release Date: May 2018

Determined to find her lost younger sister, Marianne Neumann takes a job as a placing agent with the Children’s Aid Society in 1858 New York. She not only hopes to offer children a better life but prays she’ll be able to discover whether Sophie ended up leaving the city on an orphan train so they can finally be reunited.

Andrew Brady her fellow agent on her first placing-out trip, is a former schoolteacher who has an easy way with the children, firm but tender and friendly. Underneath his charm and handsome looks, though, seems to linger a grief that won’t go away–and a secret from his past that he keeps hidden.

As the two team up, placing orphans in the small railroad towns of Illinois, they find themselves growing ever closer . . . until a shocking tragedy threatens to upend all their work and change one of their lives forever.

Share91
Pin
Tweet
Email
91Shares
Share
Pin
Tweet
Email
91Shares

Related

Filed Under: Book Reviews

Previous Post: « What Happens When an Author Mashes Two of My Favorite Books?
Next Post: 3 Reasons I Need an Inspiring Summer Reading List »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You have to agree to the comment policy.

Or, you can subscribe without commenting.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You have to agree to the comment policy.

Comments

  1. j4hibdon says

    May 27, 2018 at 10:58 pm

    Interesting review. Now I need to read this series. Thanx for your honest response.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      May 28, 2018 at 2:14 am

      I really enjoyed it.

      Reply
  2. Tracy Sylvester says

    May 26, 2018 at 10:59 am

    I love reading and learning about the early historical orphan trains.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      May 26, 2018 at 12:42 pm

      I really loved that it was a bit different than the other ones I’ve read. It’s kind of like Suzanne Woods Fisher’s take on Amish fiction. They both came at their ideas from different angles.

      Reply
  3. James Robert says

    May 26, 2018 at 1:32 am

    Congrats on the tour and I appreciate the book description and the great giveaway as well. Love the tours, I get to find books and share with my sisters and now my twin daughters who all love to read. We have found some amazing books for everyone. So, thank you!

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      May 26, 2018 at 3:29 am

      Tours are tons of fun. I like them as both author and reader. They’re just a great way to find new books, new authors, and make new friends. A Triple-Play!

      Reply
  4. NZ Filbruns says

    May 25, 2018 at 12:25 pm

    I remember reading the first book in this series, and loving a lot of it–except the kisses!

    Reply
  5. ryoko says

    May 25, 2018 at 6:52 am

    What is so bad about 4 stars? Could you expounds on that? For me 5 stars is an A+.

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 162: A Chat with Author, Nancy Naigle
byChautona Havig

Hey, we’re back after a couple of weeks of vacation, and boy did I need it. And, have I got a fabulous interview for you. Nancy Naigle and I talked about her books, her most recent release, What Remains True as well as her Christmas books and the one I’m most anxious to read, The Shell Collector. Listen in and learn about what Nancy says about this bet she has going on in What Remains True. Great stuff!

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Need a Great Romantic Read to Wind Up Your Summer Reads?

As I said in the podcast, a while back, someone told me I’d LOVE The Shell Collector–one of those people who recommends books you HAVE to read if they say you do.  So I bought it and it’s been sitting on my shelf ever since. Well, now it’s on my GoodReads shelf, and I’m about to start it (and I optimistically thought I’d be done with it by the time this episode released. Oh, me of too much faith in myself and my time management!)

Author of over thirty books, not to mention a bestselling author who also has movies made of her novels (And The Shell Collector has been optioned! EEEP!), Nancy loves to write Christmas books and small-town stories. Seriously, as we talked, I felt like she was talking about me half the time. We’re so very alike in so many ways. It was fun.

Nancy also pointed out that her first books (if you go WAY back) are not Christian fiction and are a bit spicier than she prefers to write and definitely more than she writes today. So be warned there, but she did assure us that they are all closed-door books.

What Remains True by Nancy Naigle

One woman wants to win a bet. One man wants to become a rodeo champion. One little girl may give them both something even better—from USA Today bestselling author Nancy Naigle.

“A commitment-phobic rodeo star and a divorcée with secrets find love in this wholesome romance. . . . As uplifting as it is sweet.”—Publishers Weekly

Working at a little shop on Main Street in a small town is exactly the break that executive Merry Anna Foster needs following her divorce. She’s made a bet with her ex-husband that she can live on the amount of money she’s giving him in alimony. If she can do it, then Kevin will have to stop complaining and leave her alone. But after three months of this new life, will she even want to leave Antler Creek?

Adam Locklear, bull rider and owner of the local feedstore, is having the best year of his rodeo career. He’s also a bit distracted by the pretty new neighbor living in his old bunkhouse. But Adam has no time for matters of the heart. He’s got his future all mapped out, and that future doesn’t involve a woman just yet. It doesn’t involve parenting a little girl either. However, Carly Fowler still suddenly leaves five-year-old Zan—the daughter Adam didn’t know he had—in his care.

Is it possible that the future holds a life even better than what Merry Anna and Adam had each dreamed of? One that includes both tenderness and even love—not just for each other but for Zan too?

You can learn more about Nancy’s books and movies on her WEBSITE.

Oh, and PSST… I’m loving the audiobook of this one!

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

  • Apple 
  • Castbox 
  • Google Play
  • Libsyn 
  • RSS
  • Spotify
  • Stitcher
  • Amazon
  • and more!
Episode 162: A Chat with Author, Nancy Naigle
Episode 162: A Chat with Author, Nancy Naigle
August 9, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 161: A Chat with Christian Women's Fiction Robin W. Pearson
July 26, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 160: A Chat with Liz Johnson about The Last Way Home
July 22, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 159: A Chat with Biblical Fiction Author, Mesu Andrews
July 19, 2022
Chautona Havig
A Chat with Historical Christian Fiction Author, Stephanie Landsem
July 12, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 157: A Chat with Historical Christian Fiction Author, Lynn Austin
July 8, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 156: The Fragrance of Violets by Susan K. Beatty
July 5, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 155: Chatting with Heather Day Gilbert & Jen Cudmore
July 1, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 154: A Chat with Romantic Suspense Author, Sami A. Abrams
June 28, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 153: A Chat with Historical Author, Tracie Peterson
June 21, 2022
Chautona Havig
Search Results placeholder

Join a Reading Challenge

2022 Write Reading Challenge

Love Audio Books?

audio book ad

Check out the Sparrow Island novels. A tiny island with a lot of heart

independence islands series

Featured Books

Finding a Memory

Finding a Memory
Buy This Book Online
Purchase with Paypal
Buy from Amazon Kindle
Buy from Amazon
Finding a Memory
Buy now!

Penelope’s Pursuit

Penelope’s Pursuit
Buy This Book Online
Buy from Amazon Kindle
Buy from Amazon
Purchase with Paypal
Penelope’s Pursuit
Buy now!

The Last Gasp

The Last Gasp
Buy This Book Online
Purchase with Paypal
Buy from Audible.com
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Amazon Kindle
The Last Gasp
Buy now!

Upcoming Posts

Sorry - nothing planned yet!

Or just subscribe to the newsletter

Recent Blog Posts

  • Need a Great Romantic Read to Wind Up Your Summer Reads?
  • Take a Guess: Did We Skip Our Wedding to Avoid Complete Disaster?
  • What’s Better Than a Great Women’s Fiction Novel on a Summer’s Day?

I buy my stickers here! (affiliate)

Custom Stickers, Die Cut Stickers, Bumper Stickers - Sticker Mule

Footer

What Am I Working On?

Book, Chapter & Vows
Book, Chapter, & Vows
Phase:Week 3
100%
Get Book Updates

Featured

Finding a Memory

Finding a Memory
Buy This Book Online
Purchase with Paypal
Buy from Amazon Kindle
Buy from Amazon
Finding a Memory
Buy now!

Dial W for Wrangler

Dial W for Wrangler

Disclosure:

Disclosure: Links on this website may or may not be affiliate links and as such, I may receive compensation from the retailer indicated for linking to their product. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Note: I DO NOT link to products that I do not recommend.

Privacy & Cookies. This website uses cookies (not the delicious kinds that make life grand) to do stuff it needs to do. By staying on the site, you agree to this evil substitution of yummy cookies for internet calorie-free substitutes. For more info, click here and read the boring stuff. Cookie Policy
Reposted from @lisaphillipsbks Win 40+ books or a Reposted from @lisaphillipsbks Win 40+ books or a $500 Amazon card to buy a ton of books yourself in Celebrate Lit's Summer Book Lovers Giveaway.

Click here to enter: https://promosimple.com/ps/1f449/summer-book-lover-s-multi-author

The event and giveaway is going on now through August 13.

#celebratelit #summerreads #christianromanticsuspense #christianfiction #sweetromance #sweetromancereads  #lisaphillipsbook
Mom got me a storm door for my birthday. It's goi Mom got me a storm door for my birthday.  It's going up today.  Eeep!!!
#TheShediffice
Reposted from @karitrumbo Repost from @maciestjame Reposted from @karitrumbo Repost from @maciestjames
•
It's a new month, which means there's a new Bingo card in the @sweetandswoonyromance promo? Just read eight books and comment on the below post to be eligible to win a $25 gift card. All eight books are FREE!!! Go check them out.

https://www.facebook.com/sweetandswoonyromance/posts/pfbid0uoZyfQCL5qzyMDsaJWnA8zLzfE8eJ2A8uEuLee6yqMmG1g48x1RZzUBEiBVU2yK3l

#newbooks #newbook #bookstagram #22Cowboys #22Cowboysfor1 #booklove #Christmasbooks #CowboyChristmas #CowboyforChristmas #ChristmasCollection #ChristmasCowboys #CowboyKisses #CowboyLove #ChristmasLoveStory #ChristmasRelease #Christmasromance #ChristmasWishes #ChristmasWishesCowboyKisses #holidayromance #MistletoeCowboy #MustLoveCowboys #Mustread #romancereader
Reposted from @tabithabouldin Reposted from @stacy Reposted from @tabithabouldin Reposted from @stacy.t.simmons Looking to "chill out" during our hot summer?

Here's a solution reading friends!

Keeping Christmas Volumes 1 & 2, captivating Christmas Christian fiction romance novellas set in dream worthy castles.

To pre order an e-book is 99 cents. 
Prefer a paperback? It's only 19.99 with 30% off and free shipping for pre-order.

Vol 1 page: http://www.celebratelitpublishing.com/.../keeping.../

Vol 2 Page: (My novella- Christmas in the Cotswolds is in this volume). http://www.celebratelitpublishing.com/.../keeping.../

I am excited and honored to be amongst these wonderful authors, thank you, Celebrate Lit!

#StacyTSimmons #TabithaBouldin #MelissaWardwell #ChautonaHavig #JenniferSienes #CatheSwanson #SusanKBeatty #DeniseLBarela #NaomiCraig #KathleenJRobison #MargueriteMartinGray #OliviaTalbott #KeepingChristmasVolume1 #KeepingChristmasVolume2 #CelebrateLit #Booksbooksbooks #itsbeginningtolookalotlikechristmas #Christianfiction #Bookclubs #christmasiscoming #Castles #travel #Readingcommunity
Reposted from @celebratelit Celebrate Lit is now o Reposted from @celebratelit Celebrate Lit is now offering paperback preorders! Preorder any books on our preorder page to get 30% off plus free shipping! ⁠
⁠
http://www.celebratelitpublishing.com/save-up-to-30/
Reposted from @karitrumbo Repost from @carolynmill Reposted from @karitrumbo Repost from @carolynmillerauthor
•
It’s the last days to enter this #giveaway ! If you enjoy #bookish heroines and #strong #heroes then check out Rebuilding Hearts ♥️ #giveawaytime #giveawayalert https://promosimple.com/ps/1f7fa/rebuilding-hearts-celebration-tour-giveaway
When your husband gets a tooth pulled so you eat When your husband gets a tooth pulled  so you eat ice cream with him in an act of commiseration. 
@baskinrobbins 
#icecream
  • Home
  • Bookshelf
  • New & Coming
  • Blog
  • News!
  • Disclosure & Policies
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 · Chautona Havig · All Rights Reserved · Coding by Gretchen Louise

Don't go before you grab your FREE short story collection!