LOVE’S FIRST BLOOM

DELIA PARR

 

  • Pub. Date: September 2010
  • Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
  • ISBN-13: 9780764206719
  • ISBN: 0764206710

 

From the Publisher

Ruth Livingstone’s life changes drastically the day her father puts a young child in her arms and sends her to a small village in New Jersey under an assumed name. There Ruth pretends to be a widow and quietly secludes herself until her father is acquitted of a crime. But with the emergence of the penny press, the imagination of the reading public is stirred, and her father’s trial stands center stage. Asher Tripp is the brash newspaperman who determines that this case is the event he can use to redeem himself as a journalist.

Ruth finds solace tending a garden along the banks of the Toms River–a place where she can find a measure of peace in the midst of the sorrow that continues to build. It is also here that Asher Tripp finds a temporary residence, all in an attempt to discover if the lovely creature known as Widow Malloy is truly Ruth Livingstone, the woman every newspaper has been looking for. Love begins to slowly bloom…but is the affection they share strong enough to withstand the secrets that separate them?

SOURCE: THIS BOOK WAS RECEIVED FOR THE PURPOSE OF REVIEW FROM THE PUBLISHER!

 

MY THOUGHTS:

LOVE’S FIRST BLOOM by Delia Parr is a inspirational historical fiction set in 1838 New York City. It is well written with depth, details and the characters are enchanting,and enduring. It has romance, forgiveness, hope, faith, love,heartache, secrets, tragedy,turbulent times, injustice, web of deception,false identity, and the danger of media coverage. The characters are engaging, timid, learning to trust, and moving along with their lives ever through tragedy. The hero, Jake, is a newspaperman, trying to redeem himself with his brother, knows the true identity of the Widow Malloy and finds himself falling in love with her and her child. The heroine, Ruth, is the daughter of the Rev. Livingstone, who is charged with the death of a prostitute.She is sent away by her father with the young child of the prostitute with a false identity to protect her and the child. She is accepted into a network of believers of Rev. Livingstone’s work with prostitutes. There she assumes the identity of the Widow Malloy with her child, Lily. She meets Jake, who is also leading a false identity. He is calming to be a carpenter. He soon becomes attached to Ruth and Lily. He will do want he has to to protect her and her secret. But when the truth comes to light, will she truly believe he loves her or will he betray her?This is a heart felt story of how the newspaper twists things to their own use, to sale more paper. Not really caring who is hurt or why. Along the way Ruth will learn secrets of her father she never knew of him, but she keeps her faith. Will new love survive the betrayal?This is a story to read it is heartwarming to know true love can prevail. This book was received for the purpose of review from the publisher and details can be found at Bethany House Publishers.

 

RATING: 4.5

REVIEWED BY: April Renn