A Noble Groom offers a nice twist on the traditional mail-order-spouse plot in that Annalisa's father essentially orders her a groom, but while waiting for the groom to arrive she develops feelings for someone else. Something that really intrigued me was the fact that Annalisa didn't have any experience with romance, flirting, or even kissing, despite the fact that she was widowed and had children. It was interesting to see her experience these things for the first time at her stage in life. Her reactions and thoughts seemed very realistic, especially considering her upbringing and the strict traditions of her community.I enjoyed Carl's personality and the way he was able to make light of many situations. I loved how his playful and jokey comments were such a stark contrast to the serious manner of most everyone else! His views on women and relationships were also wildly different from the commonly accepted ones, but again, the contrast was great--especially considering that Carl was ultimately right. It's rare to find such a playful guy in fiction of this time period, but it was good. Very good.Though I really did enjoy the story, I have to admit that I struggled with the first two chapters. They seemed very slow, with lots of unknown German words sprinkled in the dialogue and some political background that I had trouble following. I actually considered abandoning it, but thankfully I pressed on and soon found myself absorbed in the story as things quickly picked up. Maybe it was just me, I don't know... but regardless, it's definitely worth pushing through the first couple of chapters, as my overall 5 star rating shows!The ending wasn't as concrete as I expected, but the large issues were all ultimately resolved. It actually struck me as being somewhat bittersweet--much like real life often is--but I was left with a mostly hopeful outlook for the characters' futures. Despite the first two chapters that I struggled with, I'm ultimately glad to have read the story. There's a lot of positive reviews out there for this one, and there's good reason for it. It's a great story, and fans of the genre won't want to miss it! I chose this book, based on the description. Annalisa has given up on love, but willing to marry for convenience. I have had this thought as well. I am getting older and I have two young kids. Sometimes, I am willing to re-marry for other reasons besides love (like stability and help with the kids). I also have read Hedlund's book, Unending Devotion, in exchange for review from Bethany House. I loved the imagery and scenery in Unending Devotion.A noble groom is also a historical piece, set in the late 1800's. The first scene was powerful. Annalisa's husband had stolen her money. Her daughter was also helping her gather nuts for the pending winter. Annalisa had to save all she could, especially with out a stable husband, helping to bring in income. She was angry and frustrated. Her husband, Hans, had a gambling problem. He gambled off their farm profits. I definitely understood where Annalisa was coming from. A few hundred years ago (sometime in the early 2000's), my ex-husband got laid off. He told me that he did not qualify for unemployment. My check was also being garnished for student loans, so I already had to work more to make up for the missing funds plus still pay bills. I was working 7 days a week to cover all the bills, in addition to borrowing money from family and friends. Found out months later, my ex was collecting an unemployment check, but was not contributing to the household. He left the cash and receipts in his car. I was hurt. I don't know where his money was going or who, but it definitely hurt me.Annalisa needed a husband to help with the family and the farm. Annalisa went to confront her husband with child in tow, and found her husband dead. (amazing scene). Annalisa's father wanted her to have a new husband to help out.
Do You like book Ein Bräutigam Aus Gutem Haus (2014)?
Loved it -- a western mail order bride with a twist . . .
—Delo
Interesting read. Not boring, let's put it that way. Lol.
—Joe
