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45th out of 276 books
—
9 voters
Love Comes Softly (Love Comes Softly #1)
by
Janette Oke
A marriage of convenience blossoms into heartfelt love in a pioneer setting in the Old West. Fiction in the Little-House-on-the-Prairie tradition. For ages 8-80!
Paperback, Large Print
Published
January 1st 1986
by Bethany House Publishers
(first published January 1st 1979)
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Dec 07, 2009
Δx Δp ≥ ½ ħ htgkvkkviholmvobsvzighxofyyzmw
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
a-day-in-the-life
Sial...
Ok, belajar dr cerita HQ, chicklite, teenlite, dan sebangsanya, saia tidak terlalu berharap pada novel-novel romance. Bahkan, kalau disodorkan dua buah buku, satu komik Nubè, satu novel romance, tanpa pikir panjang saya akan memilih komik Nubè. Jadi, kalaupun memang ada novel romance di to-read list saia, paling saia cuma baca sekilas, skimming, dan baca beberapa helai halaman terakhir. Begitu juga saat akan membaca buku ini.
Yeah, niat awalnya gituh…
- Hei, buku Love Comes Softly yang dip...more
Ok, belajar dr cerita HQ, chicklite, teenlite, dan sebangsanya, saia tidak terlalu berharap pada novel-novel romance. Bahkan, kalau disodorkan dua buah buku, satu komik Nubè, satu novel romance, tanpa pikir panjang saya akan memilih komik Nubè. Jadi, kalaupun memang ada novel romance di to-read list saia, paling saia cuma baca sekilas, skimming, dan baca beberapa helai halaman terakhir. Begitu juga saat akan membaca buku ini.
Yeah, niat awalnya gituh…
- Hei, buku Love Comes Softly yang dip...more
Apr 30, 2009
Christina
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2009-reads,
library-book
I used to watch the Hallmark movie version of Oke’s bestselling book over and over again, and I was interested in reading the original book. However, as I came to find out, the movie version is vastly different and much better.
The characters in Oke’s book appear to be very one-dimensional -- Marty refuses to be a bad wife and Clark is stoic and cold -- in their marriage of convenience. And the plot as a whole was very simplistic with day-to-day details that make the whole thing very cumbersome....more
The characters in Oke’s book appear to be very one-dimensional -- Marty refuses to be a bad wife and Clark is stoic and cold -- in their marriage of convenience. And the plot as a whole was very simplistic with day-to-day details that make the whole thing very cumbersome....more
This series was recommended to me by a friend at work who loaned me her first three books to read. Marty is a young woman on her way out west with her husband Clem to claim and settle on the land there, when her husband meets with a tragic accident that claims his life and leaves Marty alone and bereft with a baby on the way and nothing to her name other than a few personal items from their broken-down covered wagon. Along comes a young man with an offer that she marry him and come to live in hi...more
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I received a boxed set of the first four books in this series as a Christmas present from my MIL. Having enjoyed the Hallmark movies, I actually had good hopes for these books. However, they left quite a lot to be desired. The story lines were sweet and somewhat interesting, but the writing was simple (not bad, but nothing remarkable either) but sometimes affected. The movies don't hide that fact that these are "Christian" stories, but the religious elements there are tempered and used judicious...more
Nineteen-year-old Marty Claridge starts west with her adventurous, boyish husband, Clem, seeking to claim land and hoping for good fortune. But when the venture turns suddenly to tragedy, Marty is left alone with her great loss. And coupled with her grief and heartache is the grim reality that there is no way to return home.
Clark Davis and his little girl, Missie, are also in great need. Clark's wife has died, leaving him to care to Missie and the farm at the same time. His offer to Marty comes...more
Clark Davis and his little girl, Missie, are also in great need. Clark's wife has died, leaving him to care to Missie and the farm at the same time. His offer to Marty comes...more
When Marty's husband is killed, she is left all alone in a strange land amongst strange people. Then Widower Clark Davis suggests a "marriage of convenience" so his daughter Missy can have a mother and Marty can have a home. Marty knows she needs Clark although she doesn't love him and agrees to the arrangement. After months of heartbreak and sorrow, Marty and Clark learn to love each other and make a happy family.
I had a few problems with this book. First of all, in one part Missy, who is not...more
I had a few problems with this book. First of all, in one part Missy, who is not...more
I have known about this book for years but never really felt drawn to read it- I was put off by the sickly sweet 1970's style "girly" cover and thought it would very likely be extremely corny...also, I don't like romances! However, it was on the library shelf and since I am trying to buy fewer books, I thought I would give it a whirl. I have to admit I loved it. It is a bit like Little House on the Prairie for grown ups. I loved its simplicity and for me the "romance" was the idea that life in t...more
Read this after watching the Hallmark movie. A very sweet story of a young pioneer girl who must marry for survival after her husband dies. Over the course of the winter, she "softly" falls in love with the man she had married.
Things I took from this book: (1) I liked reading how they organized their days during that time. They had "morning chores", ate breakfast, then went to the fields or stayed around the farm to do the day's work, had a noon meal, worked some more, did "evening chores" and t...more
Things I took from this book: (1) I liked reading how they organized their days during that time. They had "morning chores", ate breakfast, then went to the fields or stayed around the farm to do the day's work, had a noon meal, worked some more, did "evening chores" and t...more
This book was picked up, exactly because it looked really old, sitting on the shelf in the library at the school that I work at. I was bored, and I always do strange things every time it happened.
I was never a fan of romance story, especially one that is so sappy my teeth actually hurt. However, this romance is different. The book is thinner than books I usually read, but it captures me just the same. A friend told me once, that books usually cover two or more of the four main features: Charact...more
I was never a fan of romance story, especially one that is so sappy my teeth actually hurt. However, this romance is different. The book is thinner than books I usually read, but it captures me just the same. A friend told me once, that books usually cover two or more of the four main features: Charact...more
One of the few books that I watched the movie before reading. But that is only because I came across the movie on Hallmark, watched it and then needed it read the book. There are small changes but nothing that was too different. The only main two differences were the age of the child and the characters accents. Other then that I loved the movie and liked the book.
"Love Comes Softy" is based in the mid 1800s. Marty lost her husband, Clark lost his wife leaving him with little Missie. In a way th...more
"Love Comes Softy" is based in the mid 1800s. Marty lost her husband, Clark lost his wife leaving him with little Missie. In a way th...more
2 likes · like · see review
I so wanted to hate Janette Oke. She was everything I "look down" on. Too simplistic writing & world view, some stereotype of a "Christian" writer, sentimental-clearly, my identity would be seriously shattered if I were to enjoy reading her.
So here I write, identity shattered. I broke my leg & was staying in a camp cabin & there were books available in the camp but they all were books I wouldn't ordinarily read. So of course I read them, not having other books available, and had a nu...more
So here I write, identity shattered. I broke my leg & was staying in a camp cabin & there were books available in the camp but they all were books I wouldn't ordinarily read. So of course I read them, not having other books available, and had a nu...more
2 likes · like · see review
I had quite an experience with this book. My parents own the Hallmark movie version of the story, and I saw that a while back. I really liked it, and it made me want to read the book. For Christmas, I gave the copy of this book to a friend (without having read it yet), and then the book she gave me was so awesome, I decided my book to her couldn't be as awesome. I finally got it from the library (after waiting on hold FOREVER) and started to read it. Really critically. I was mentally tearing it...more
1 like · like · see review
This was a really sweet, really heartwarming story. I had a hard time putting it down, actually. It reminded me a lot of the Little House on the Prairie books, especially the later ones with Laura and Almanzo. Sort of. The dialect was a little hard to get into, but it was easy enough to follow that it didn't impede my reading. And there wasn't a ton of character development, but I was satisfied with what there was. I liked Clark a lot. The one part I didn't like was the part with Laura. It felt...more
I have to say that I enjoy the movies better than the books. Kind of disapointing since generally I like books better than their movies -- and I was expecting a lot from these. Also, it annoys me to NO end to that you have to read every single character's dialogue as they actually would speak it back then. Bad grammar, misspellings, etc... Drove me INSANE! I can handle one or two characters speaking like that and having to read it the way they'd say it, but EVERY character? Terribly irritating....more
1 like · like · see review
I got interested in this book after seeing the hallmark hall of fame movie, They have done the first 8 books into movies and I loved them. When I read the book I fell in love all over again. The series takes place in Canada in the 1800's. It is a good pioneer story. It is about a women Woman, named Marty. After arriving to a new area to settle in mid october an accident takes the life of he husband. There is no one for Marty to turn to, they only arrived the day before she can't go home because...more
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Automatically gets 5 stars just because it's probably my favorite series of all time after Harry Potter. This is a Christian fiction series, with 8 books, and a second series picks up with one of the relatives for another 4 books. These are not action-gripping, complicated story line books so if that's what you like, don't read this. But if you want a "feel good" novel, that's easy to read, with characters that you will fall in love with and want to read about over and over again, then I highly...more
Feeling trapped in a marriage of convenience, Marty faces hard work, loneliness and grief on the plains in the 1800s. Slowly, her grief heals and her appreciation for the man who works hard to make her comfortable grows. As her joy in this once strained family grows, she finds that she loves her new husband after all.
Okay, so I would be the first to think this book is cheesy. But in all honestly, having forced myself to sit down and read what so many of my friends hailed as a great book, I have...more
Okay, so I would be the first to think this book is cheesy. But in all honestly, having forced myself to sit down and read what so many of my friends hailed as a great book, I have...more
Mar 25, 2011
Julie (Mom2lnb)
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of Inspirational Romance or Little House on the Prairie Type Stories
Reviewed for THC Reviews
I first read Love Comes Softly when I was only about 15 or 16 years old, and if memory serves, it was my very first romance novel. It seems I must have picked well, because not only is it an appropriate story for younger readers content-wise, but it has stood up to the test of time. I still enjoyed it every bit as much today as I did 25 years ago, perhaps even more because I'm seeing it through more mature eyes. Love Comes Softly is something of a Little House on the Prai...more
I first read Love Comes Softly when I was only about 15 or 16 years old, and if memory serves, it was my very first romance novel. It seems I must have picked well, because not only is it an appropriate story for younger readers content-wise, but it has stood up to the test of time. I still enjoyed it every bit as much today as I did 25 years ago, perhaps even more because I'm seeing it through more mature eyes. Love Comes Softly is something of a Little House on the Prai...more
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Okay, this is what it is, and you can't really fault it for that. Basically every plot point down to the final line of the book (hint: it's the title) was easily predictable from the first chapter. With a book like this, the enjoyment should be in watching it unfold, not being taken by surprise. But that wasn't enjoyable. I found Marti to be a wholly unbelievable character with equal parts by-the-book 'Helpless Woman' and 'Pioneer Grit.' I never sympathized with her.
The story doesn't deserve fa...more
The story doesn't deserve fa...more
If you think you know the book because you've seen the Hallmark movie a few times, guess again! I came across this little paperback while in the library looking for something else. I know the movie by heart, but I had never read the book.
The story still deals with toughing it out and getting on with life in spite of disaster and grief. Set in pioneer times, the life is not an easy one. Clark has a deep, unshakeable faith even during one trial after another. Marty is just determined to get throu...more
The story still deals with toughing it out and getting on with life in spite of disaster and grief. Set in pioneer times, the life is not an easy one. Clark has a deep, unshakeable faith even during one trial after another. Marty is just determined to get throu...more
1 like · like · see review
Read this with Megan, my youngest, this month. I had heard the entire series through Northwestern Radio Network many years ago, and I had really enjoyed it. I am a sucker for a good ole' tear-jerker.
Janette Oke writes with a very simplistic style, matching the characters and the era of their lives. The character development never goes very far or very deep, but we learn to like them anyway. She avoids creating too much back story or offering to many details. The imagination fills in most of the...more
Janette Oke writes with a very simplistic style, matching the characters and the era of their lives. The character development never goes very far or very deep, but we learn to like them anyway. She avoids creating too much back story or offering to many details. The imagination fills in most of the...more
I thought I would like this book. I really wanted to like this book. Billed as Sarah Plain and Tall meets Little House on the Prairie with a dash more overt Christianity, it seemed like a good fit. But it was flat. There were stump storylines that didn't make the story go anywhere. The book was thin - not only physically, but on the conveyance of depth of character and life in the settling frontier.
Still, it would have been a solid 3-stars if not for the stylistic affectation Oke used to convey...more
Still, it would have been a solid 3-stars if not for the stylistic affectation Oke used to convey...more
I read this one seven or eight years ago and decided it was time for a reread. The book itself is certainly an easy read. The story moves along at a good clip and the plot is simple, but at times this can make the book seem underdeveloped and quickly-written. Oke has a decent writing style, but while I'm sure she was just trying to be historically accurate and give her characters some personality, the constant "wild west" speech was profoundly annoying. As far as Christian books go, this is one...more
As much as I like the movie, I can't help but like the book too. Even though the book is a little different than the movie, having more details concerning the characters, events and the ending.
Marty's husband Clem just died. While she's mourning, a man name Clark Davis asks her of something: they marry and Marty can be a mom for his daughter name Missie.
At first Marty isn't sure. But with the upcoming winter season approaching she agrees. Slowly Marty gets used to her new life with her new hus...more
Marty's husband Clem just died. While she's mourning, a man name Clark Davis asks her of something: they marry and Marty can be a mom for his daughter name Missie.
At first Marty isn't sure. But with the upcoming winter season approaching she agrees. Slowly Marty gets used to her new life with her new hus...more
I like this book; it's not classic but it's worlds better than the run-of-the-mill romance, and better than most "Christian" romances, as well. It's not a deep nor a difficult read. I found the descriptions of life with a small child spot-on. Yes, a small child can be gorgeous and irritating and cute and frustrating all at once, and yes, a small child can entertain herself with one object (in this case a spoon) for a very long time, if she chooses to. I understood Marty's embarrassment at having...more
I'm a huge fan of the movie series but had never read the books before so I thought I'd give them a try. It was a very enjoyable read, although the character dialogue was quite annoying being as it is written as if they are talking like Appalachian hicks. The basic premise is the same as the movie (although the book is a little heavier on the Christian theme), but otherwise, it is a completely different story. So if you are looking for the same story as what's in the movie, you may be disappoint...more
Mar 26, 2010
Megan Palasik
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audio-book,
historical-fiction
Great story! I listened to this on CD, so my experience may be a bit different. I watched all the movies in this series on the Hallmark Channel a couple of years ago and they were recently on again which made me want to read them.
This story is a great story with Christian undertones (and overtones) throughout. You read the story of Marty, a young woman who's husband unexpectedly passes away as they are moving out west. Marty, on the day of her husband's funeral, reluctantly chooses to marry Clar...more
This story is a great story with Christian undertones (and overtones) throughout. You read the story of Marty, a young woman who's husband unexpectedly passes away as they are moving out west. Marty, on the day of her husband's funeral, reluctantly chooses to marry Clar...more
Obviously a quick read. I saw the movie on Hallmark Channel and so borrowed the book (actually, the whole series). I almost like the movie better and that's unusual for me. Although the book was emotional, the movie was even more so, IMO. Plus, the movie didn't have everyone talking like illiterate hill-billies which was highly annoying to read through. The movie had a little more to the beginning - the relationship between Marty and her first husband. All in all though, this was a nice, light r...more
This book was okay. It was clean and I loved how the Marty learned to believe and trust in God to survive her new life. But I just kind of found it ho-hum. How many times can you read about making biscuits and sewing clothes before it vgets old? I watched the movie, though, and was pleasantly surprised. So I've now watched almost all the movies, and I've enjoyed them for the most part. I was thinking, "I don't need to read these books, I'm not missing much. But now that I'm reading the summaries...more
Sep 19, 2009
Teri Anderson
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
fans of Little House
Shelves:
westerns
This is my first Janette Oke novel, and I plan to read more by her. This was a bit like Little House on the Prairie. Oke's prose style is simple and doesn't call attention to itself. The only things I found to be a little bit annoying were the bumpkin dialect she writes in for the dialogue, and how the characters are always drinking coffee-- as though the author were in a rut and couldn't decide what else to do with them! But the story is a good one, sweet and simple, and I'm looking forward to...more
1 like · like · see review
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| jeanette oke great author | 8 | 66 | Nov 24, 2012 03:28pm |
Janette Oke writes with a profound simplicity of what she knows best—real life, honest love, and lasting values. With over 23 million in sales, her historical novels portray the lives of early North American settlers from many walks of life and geographical settings. She also writes engaging children's stories and inspiring gift books that warm the heart.
Janette was born during the depression year...more
More about Janette Oke...
Janette was born during the depression year...more
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“The truth of God's love is not that He allows bad things to happen, it's his promise that he will be there with us--when they do.”
—
131 people liked it
“Sometimes love isn't fireworks, sometimes love just comes softly.”
—
110 people liked it
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@Mba Indri & Bu Nanny: hayuukk atuh, kepiti...more
Dec 10, 2009 07:05am
Dec 10, 2009 07:04pm