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Romancing Olive

by Holly Bush (Goodreads Author)

4.21 of 5 stars 4.21 · rating details · 70 ratings · 35 reviews

In 1891, spinster librarian, Olive Wilkins, is shocked to learn of her brother’s violent death at a saloon gaming table and her sister-in-law’s subsequent murder, traveling far from her staid life to rescue her niece and nephew, now orphans. She arrives to find the circumstances of her brother’s life deplorable and her long held beliefs of family and tradition, shaken.

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Published November 1st 2011 by Book Baby

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Apr 11, 2012 Book Binge Blog rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews-by-tracy

Olive Wilkins heads to Ohio to pick up her niece and nephew when she finds out that her brother and his wife have been killed. She is a spinster from Philadelphia and expects to pick them up and take them home in the blink of an eye. When she arrives at the homestead of the man who took them in after their parents were killed she finds a mouthy and obstinate 10 year old girl, Mary and her brother John who is younger and hasn’t spoken a word since he witnessed his mothers murder. Olive is shocked...more Olive Wilkins heads to Ohio to pick up her niece and nephew when she finds out that her brother and his wife have been killed. She is a spinster from Philadelphia and expects to pick them up and take them home in the blink of an eye. When she arrives at the homestead of the man who took them in after their parents were killed she finds a mouthy and obstinate 10 year old girl, Mary and her brother John who is younger and hasn’t spoken a word since he witnessed his mothers murder. Olive is shocked to learn the circumstances of her brother’s life and sooner rather than later resigns herself to the fact that she will have to stay in Spencer and get to know her relations before they’ll be willing to leave with her.

Jacob Butler who has been caring for the children is a widower and has 3 children of his own. He is trying to do the best he can at taking care of them and his crops but it’s very difficult. He’s none to pleased to have a pruny looking spinster invade his house but feels that he must be kind and offers her a place to stay.

Olive takes over the running of the house, the taking care of the children and giving the kids lessons. Jacob has a problem at first when Olive buys food and material for clothing for his kids but eventually gives in. After three months of living with Jacob, coming to know and soon love him Olive decides to stay in Spencer permanently. She becomes a much different person than she was when she arrived and has seen a different part of the world and her life than she thought even existed. She has a house built for her and her small family but will Jacob let her go once he finds out how much he misses her?

This was an interesting story. It has Olive, age 35, who is a confirmed spinster, finding out that there’s much more to life than sitting on a porch and letting life pass her by. The experiences that she has while at Jacob’s homestead are both hard and rewarding and actually end up making her a “younger” person. Jacob, age 25, truly starts to see a lighter side of Olive and their attraction grows. There are kisses in the story but really no sex until the end (and then it’s fade to black) so the story doesn’t rely on sex to get through the emotional barriers that the couple puts up. But I thought that really added to the overall effect of the romance in the end.

Olive got to realize that she could be someone who was deserving of love and Jacob figured out, eventually, that he could love another woman besides his deceased wife and still keep living. Happiness was something he believed died with his wife and it was a revelation to see him come to terms with his feelings for Olive.

I really liked the story as it had a true to life romance – not overblown or unrealistic. I loved Jacob and Olive getting to know each other and learning to be friends before they became anything else. There’s also some drama in the story and that added a bit as well. There is a slight bit of a Christian undercurrent but not so suggestive that it pulls away from the story.

Overall a very good read.

This review was originally posted on Book Binge by Tracy.(less)

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Feb 25, 2013 Cristal rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc

Review found on The Life & Times Blog.

Romancing Olive was an easy weekend story. There were some pats that reminded me of Sarah, Plain, and Tall, and Little House on the Prairie.
In her 30’s and unmarried, Olive Wilkins spends her days working as a librarian in Philadelphia. Upon hearing of her brother’s death, she travels to Ohio in order to take custody of his two children, Mary and John, and then return back to the city.

Things do not go as smoothly has Olive would have liked or planned h...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Books Mom rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

I wasn’t certain that I would like this story when it began, but within a couple of lines, I was hooked. It was in 1890 and I was really curious to see what would happen to this prim, proper and straitlaced thirty-something spinster calming walking into a sheriff’s office in a small farming town in Ohio.

Having been informed that her niece and nephew had been orphaned, she had come to find them and return to Philadelphia with them. The sheriff offered to take her to where they were staying and s...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Brenda Casto rated it 5 of 5 stars

"Romancing Olive" by Holly Bush really stands out from the typical historical fiction read.

First of all she gives us a character that is more middle aged, and she also throws in a bit of suspense to keep the plot moving along.Normally within the first few pages of a story I am pretty sure how things will work out in the end, but with "Romancing Olive," I wasn't so sure.

Olive Wilkins is 35 years old who's days in Philadelphia are well planned. She took care of her parents who died within a year...more "Romancing Olive" by Holly Bush really stands out from the typical historical fiction read.

First of all she gives us a character that is more middle aged, and she also throws in a bit of suspense to keep the plot moving along.Normally within the first few pages of a story I am pretty sure how things will work out in the end, but with "Romancing Olive," I wasn't so sure.

Olive Wilkins is 35 years old who's days in Philadelphia are well planned. She took care of her parents who died within a year of each other, now she lives with her cat Tiger,and works at the library. Her best friend Theda lives a similar life. When Olive gets a message that her brother's children have been orphaned in Spencer, Ohio she decides to go get them. When she arrives what she finds is two traumatized children. They have been taken in by their neighbor, 25 year old Jacob Butler, who is struggling with taking care of the children and farm, while still grieving the loss of his beloved wife. Olive decides to stay in Spencer and let the children get to know her before she takes them home to Philadelphia, and the only place to stay is with Jacob. As Olive's life dramatically changes she comes to realize that life has been passing her by and perhaps she is being given a second chance at life.

"Romancing Olive" is a wonderful historical fiction read about second chances. I found myself swept up in the plot of the story immediately but it was actually the individual characters that resonated with me. Ms. Bush created characters that could have easily been real people during the late 1800's. Strong people who rise to the challenge of adversity. I found myself immediately drawn to Olive. She was such a strong, self sufficient,brave woman, capable of taking care of herself. I loved the transformation that went on in her life during the story. She went from someone who was just sitting on the sidelines watching life go by to actually living life.Jacob, was a proud man who was guarding his heart against more pain. His actions, especially trying to fight his attraction to Olive, was very realistic, and often gave me a few laughs. I enjoyed seeing the children blossom under Olive's care. I found it amusing that Olive's friend Theda, was a bit bowled over by what she found in Spencer. Her departing words to Olive really broke my heart a bit, and if I could have one wish it would be that Theda would return to Spencer and have her own story!The author also weaves in a bit of suspense that added another layer to the story. Overall, "Romancing Olive" was a page turning historical fiction read with memorable characters and a satisfying ending. Highly recommended!
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Sep 25, 2012 Maria rated it 5 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book as a part of a blog tour in exchange for a fair and honest review. Full post is at my blog:http://queenofallshereads.blogsp...

Heartwarming and sweet, Romancing Olive by Holly Bush is a romance I won't soon forget. With well developed characters, charming dialogue and old fashioned romance, Ms. Bush captured my attention on the first page and never let go. The world building, Ohio at the end of the 19th century, is well done and historically accurate. The plot is we...more I received a copy of this book as a part of a blog tour in exchange for a fair and honest review. Full post is at my blog:http://queenofallshereads.blogsp...

Heartwarming and sweet, Romancing Olive by Holly Bush is a romance I won't soon forget. With well developed characters, charming dialogue and old fashioned romance, Ms. Bush captured my attention on the first page and never let go. The world building, Ohio at the end of the 19th century, is well done and historically accurate. The plot is well paced and there is more than enough action to keep the story flowing.

Olive Wilkins is a 35 year old "spinster" living alone in Philadelphia after the death of her parents. When she is informed of her brother and sister in law's death in Ohio, Olive reluctantly accepts the idea of being responsible for her brother's children, his daughter Mary and his son John, and takes the train to Ohio, which she considers the wilderness, to bring the children back to Philadelphia to live with her. She never planned on discovering unsavory details about her brother and his wife, or on falling for a widowed farmer with three children.

Jacob Butler has been a widower for over a year, raising three children on his own, he's just barely making ends meet with his ranch. When his nearest neighbor, James Wilkins, and his wife are killed, and their children left on their own, Jacob moves their children into his home. After all, what are two more mouths to feed when the older kids can help take care of the younger ones. He never planned on an interfering female turning his world upside down or on discovering that his heart could learn to love again.

The scenes between Olive and Jacob are very well written; both proud people, their situation forces them into learning to lean on one another. As Olive realizes who and what her brother really was, she's forced to realize the life she's been living is nothing more than a sheltered prison and she becomes determined to grab life by the horns and live it on her own terms - regardless of what society or her old friends might think. I really liked how Ms. Bush developed Olive's character; when she first arrives in Ohio, she's wound tighter than a kite by society's expectations of behavior and thinks love, family and all of the good things in life have passed her by. As she grows throughout the story, she realizes her true worth and decides she's worthy of loving others and being loved.

For his part, Jacob is forced to realize his pride has gotten in the way of what his children need. The more time he spends with Olive the more attractive he finds her, regardless of the fact she's older than he is and more financially stable. As his neighbors, and even his mother, encourage him to embrace what fate, or God, has put in his way. Ms. Bush did a good job developing Jacob's character; while he's somewhat rough - he's not as well educated as Olive or as genteel- he's a gentle man who thought he'd only fall in love once in his life and has a hard time letting go of the past or of understanding his own emotions.

The secondary characters in this story are fantastic, from Olive's niece and nephew, Mary and John, who witnessed the horror of their mother's murder and have endured what no children should, to Jacob's children, Peg, Luke and Mark, who mourn the loss of their mother and the only softness they have ever known in life. The townspeople, local sheriff and Olive's best friend Thea, round out the secondary characters who add so much color to this story. While there is no "villain" per se in this story, there is an antagonist who is related to Mary and John, who doesn't make life easy for anyone and whose behavior at the end forces Olive and Jacob to unite to protect the children once and for all.

While this is an old fashioned romance, the language is mostly clean and what discussion there is of sex pertains only to married folk and is not descriptive in nature, there are some mature themes covered in the story; in particular the theme of poverty, death during child birth in that time period and the evil nature of man. It also addresses the theme of child labor in both a positive and negative light. The story also touches on the lack of rights and independence women endured during this time.

Will Olive and Jacob realize the have a chance to grab a second chance at life and love? Will they put aside their pride and form a new and joined family? You'll have to read Romancing Olive to find out. I assure you this is a romance worth reading and reading again.(less)

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Aug 06, 2012 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: action-adventure, historical, non-erotic

Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...

Olive was doing just fine living in Philadelphia and leading the nice quiet life of an unmarried woman. She wasn’t fond of the “spinster” connotation but had to admit it did fit her pretty well. She had a good female friend, her own home, her cat, and her routines. She was happy. Then she finds out her brother and his wife have been killed and she has a niece and nephew to collect from the west…

This author writes a very good tale abou...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Ruth Hill rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-books, historical, romance

What a breath off fresh air! This book was one of the best historical romances I have read in a while, and it was an absolute delight from start to finish. I have never read anything by Holly Bush, but she has quickly become one of my favorites.

First of all, yes, this is your typical "Western" romance (West meaning Ohio). But there are some things that make it stand apart from the others. Olive in a near-40 spinster, and Jacob is a 20-something widower. Olive has a niece and nephew, and Jacob ha...more

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Mar 24, 2012 Reviewers for R.N.J rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical

4.5 stars

BRIEF SUMMARY

Olive Wilkens, a 35 year old spinster living in Philadelphia gets news that her brother and sister-in-law are violently murdered in Ohio were they live. Olive travels to Ohio to take guardianship of her niece Mary and nephew John. Upon arrival Olive learns her brother and his families were not living the life she thought and his children have lived a difficult life. Widower Jacob Butler rescues John and Mary from the home where they saw their mother murdered and takes them...more

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Apr 26, 2012 Susan Anderson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: action-adventure, readers-of-all-ages, romance

Put away your notions of romancing. Dust off your ideas of shocking and pick up a copy of ROMANCING OLIVE by Holly Bush, a family saga reminiscent of THE THORNBIRDS.

The year is 1891 and a spinster librarian, Olive Wilkins, arrives in a frontier town in Ohio to rescue two traumatized children, her niece and nephew. At the start of the story, they are orphans, having witnessed their parent's brutal murders. They have been living with a neighboring farmer, a widower and father to three young childr...more Put away your notions of romancing. Dust off your ideas of shocking and pick up a copy of ROMANCING OLIVE by Holly Bush, a family saga reminiscent of THE THORNBIRDS.

The year is 1891 and a spinster librarian, Olive Wilkins, arrives in a frontier town in Ohio to rescue two traumatized children, her niece and nephew. At the start of the story, they are orphans, having witnessed their parent's brutal murders. They have been living with a neighboring farmer, a widower and father to three young children whose wife lost her life in childbirth.

Olive is thrown into what was then the wild west where conditions and behavior were primitive. Instead of returning to Philadelphia with the two children, Olive stays in the widower's home until her niece and nephew feel more comfortable with her and she can take them back to the east with her. The families merge. Olive does her best to create a stable, family environment for all five children while she does the drudgism of a frontier mom. Olive and Jacob Butler, the author tells us, are "two strangers, stranded in a tragedy they had not written."

But life--violent and unpredictable--intervenes to endanger Olive and the children and keep us on the edge of our seats.

I loved the flesh and blood characters that Holly Bush created and won't soon forget them. I felt I was walking on the frontier. Understandably all five children are traumatized by catastrophic loss, fragile, wounded, speechless or angry, and I liked the way their slow change to normalcy is woven into the story's action. And, of course, Olive needs to change. Her reactions to this frontier world are those of a Philadelphia miss, grounded in her rigidity and absolutism. It is the book's central paradox that the frontier Holly Bush deftly recreates for us does its best to rescue Olive from her long-held, life-destroying beliefs.

There are tender moments, violent scenes, twists and turns in this family saga. ROMANCING OLIVE will keep you on the edge of your seat turning pages. You will have to read to the very end to find out if love conquers the bitterness of broken dreams. I highly recommend the book for all readers.(less)

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Feb 18, 2013 Meg - A Bookish Affair rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, fiction, historical-fiction

"Romancing Olive" is a historical fiction story that takes place in the late 1800s in the middle of America (Ohio specifically) that still was not really settled at that time. The story also has a really good dose of romance that I absolutely loved. I haven't read a lot of books set in this time period and I loved being able to explore it through this book.

I loved the characters in this book, especially the main characters, Olive and Jacob. This book is very much a character driven novel. Olive...more

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Mar 06, 2013 Laura (Kyahgirl) rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who like Maggie Osborne and Ellen O'connell

Recommended to Laura (Kyahgirl) by: Jenny Q

Shelves: romance-historical, western, human-potential

4/5; 4 stars; A-

Holly Bush is a new to me author. I read about this book on the blog of my GR friend Jenny Q. Since I like westerns with a romance angle, this was right up my alley.

I really appreciated how the author gave some insight into how incredibly hard the pioneering farmers had it. Just getting by was pretty much endless toil with moments of rest and relaxation coming few and far between. In an understated fashion, I thought Ms. Bush painted a vivid and believable picture of rural life...more

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Jan 10, 2012 Kirsty rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, read-for-review, read-2012, best-of-2012

Romancing Olive is set in Ohio. The story begins in 1891 with the title character, librarian Olive Wilkins, entering a sheriff’s office in the small town of Spencer. The story is intriguing from the outset. The reader wonders straight away why Olive has had to visit the sheriff and what she is waiting for.

Olive herself is a Philadelphia native and still lives in the state, close to her best friend and fellow spinster Theda. She wants to take her dead brother’s children, a niece and nephew aged...more

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Sep 18, 2012 Jody rated it 4 of 5 stars

Reminiscent of an episode of Little House on the Prairie, Romancing Olive gives the reader a satisfying feeling with its sweetness and message of age not mattering in matters of love and that it's never too late to start living until your last breath. With a memorable cast of characters experiencing realistic emotions and life events this is a story that gives you lots of warm fuzzy feelings.

Olive Wilkins has lived by societies rules her whole life which has left her alone and living each day li...more Reminiscent of an episode of Little House on the Prairie, Romancing Olive gives the reader a satisfying feeling with its sweetness and message of age not mattering in matters of love and that it's never too late to start living until your last breath. With a memorable cast of characters experiencing realistic emotions and life events this is a story that gives you lots of warm fuzzy feelings.

Olive Wilkins has lived by societies rules her whole life which has left her alone and living each day like the last until the death of her brother has her coming to the country to raise her niece and nephew and discovering many unpleasant truths. She never realized there was so much cruelty and betrayal in the world until discovering the circumstances behind her brother's death and how uncaring his in-laws are when they want something they can't have. The only thing she can rely on is farmer Jacob Butler who's been caring for her niece and nephew as well as his own children on his own. I admire how she immediately dives in to do what must be done to care for the children. She's not afraid of hard work or fighting for what she knows is best. She came dressed in the trappings of an uptight spinster but once she starts REALLY living she realizes that the pristine image she always projected is unimportant. By living without all the rules others expected of her has made her look and feel younger as well as given her a brighter future. She's opened her heart to possibilities and emotions that will now lead her to a HEA.

Jacob Butler is a formidable match for Olive. He's hard working and doesn't obsess over the trappings of perfection. He's too busy struggling to make ends meet and care for his kids as best he can. After the death of his wife he never thought to love again, but Olive does things unexpected to his heart, body, and mind that has him rethinking his future. I adored Jacob and how gruff he was at first but slowly started showing a flirty side as his attraction to Olive grew. His jealousy over the sheriff's attention towards Olive was humorous and demonstrated his affections in so many subtle ways. Seeing him struggle over admitting his feelings for fear of hurting his dead wife brought a tear to my eye and made the emotional impact of the story even deeper.

There was a constant sexual tension between him and Olive that resulted in some heart stopping kisses and a tame sexual interlude. So fans of "sweet" romances will find this book perfect for them. The children were a pleasant addition with realistic speech and actions. Normally I find kids in a story distracting, but not here. They were each unique and brought out the best in Olive and Jacob and played subtle matchmakers. This was a satisfying romance with a setting that drew you in and characters you can't help but like. While the story dragged on a bit longer than necessary I still found much to enjoy and characters to root for. Holly Bush shows much promise and I'll be on the lookout for more books by her.(less)

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Feb 19, 2013 Patty rated it 4 of 5 stars

Romancing Olive is a very sweet tale. Olive Wilkins is living a staid, peaceful life in Philadelphia as a settled spinster when she learns that her brother's children have been orphaned and need a home. She sets off West to Ohio with the intention of bringing them back to her life. Little does she know that Life has something else altogether in store for her.

Once she arrives she finds not the perfect farmhouse with a white picket fence she envisioned her brother's farm to be but rather a run dow...more Romancing Olive is a very sweet tale. Olive Wilkins is living a staid, peaceful life in Philadelphia as a settled spinster when she learns that her brother's children have been orphaned and need a home. She sets off West to Ohio with the intention of bringing them back to her life. Little does she know that Life has something else altogether in store for her.

Once she arrives she finds not the perfect farmhouse with a white picket fence she envisioned her brother's farm to be but rather a run down, dirty shack. She finds her niece and nephew in the care of a widower on the next farm over. They are traumatized and unwilling to accept another move. They saw their parents murdered and are afraid of Olive. Jacob Butler, the farmer, while rough around the edges is doing all he can to care for the orphans and he offers Olive the chance to stay at his farm while they get to know her. She is of course SHOCKED at the impropriety of staying at a man's home when she is an unmarried lady. Olive soon learns that the standards she lives by are much more relaxed in this harsh new world.

As Olive puts Jacob's house in order she comes to love Ohio and the people in her brother's town. She also learns some hard facts about her brother and her father. She decides to stay in Ohio and build a life for herself and her niece and nephew. She finds herself attracted to Jacob but she is much older than he - could he possibly find her attractive too? There is also danger lurking as the children's grandfather comes looking for them to work his farm. He is an abusive man and has no compunctions about beating women or children.

I truly enjoyed this book. It was not perfect by any means. There were several questions left unanswered and it was clunky at times but I found myself smiling through most of it. Olive felt herself old and dried up and a confirmed spinster at 35 but was experiencing life for the first time. She let herself be free and going through that with her was an absolute joy. It made up for the deficits in other areas of the book. As she literally put her hair down and learned to love and be loved I almost cheered out loud for her. My problems arose with the "bad guy." There was minimal explanation as to why he was bad. He seemed to just appear when some tension was needed or a "ride to the rescue" would propel the story line forward. He had NO backstory and that was disconcerting.

Despite that, I found Romancing Olive to be a light, fun read. It's not long so it can be enjoyed in one sitting. The setting was well described and the ancillary characters - for the most part - added to the enjoyment of the novel.(less)

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Jul 27, 2012 Dianne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I received a text Thursday night from a friend who told me she'd found a new author that I should check out. Thank goodness I listened to her advice! I immediately looked for Holly Bush on Goodreads, liked what I read and bought/downloaded both her books from IBooks. I started reading "Romancing Olive" before I left for work Friday morning and continued reading as soon as I got home. I finished it that night insisting my husband bring takeaway home...no way was I going to put down the book to co...more

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May 17, 2012 Jamee Pritchard rated it 4 of 5 stars

Romancing Olive is easily a one-sit read. I am a newcomer to historical romance and was easily pulled in by this book. Author Holly Bush concocts a great romantic formula with touches of suspense, jealously, sexual tension, and conflict. Although the book is sprinkled with a few grammatical errors, they were not enough to pull me away from the story. The dialog and sexual/romantic ideals seemed to be on point with the era portrayed, and the characters were very believable. I loved the idea of a...more

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Feb 18, 2013 nomadreader (Carrie D-L) rated it 3 of 5 stars

(originally published at http://nomadreader.blogspot.com)

The basics: When Olive receives a letter saying her only brother James and his wife are dead, she sets off from Philadelphia to Spencer, Ohio to gather their two children, Mary and John. She intends to take them back to Philadelphia with her, but there is much about life in Spencer and the life her brother led to surprise Olive.

My thoughts: Historical romance is not typically a genre I'm drawn to, but this novel featured so many things I...more

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May 30, 2012 Vikki Vaught rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a sweet love story. Olive is a 35 year old spinster, and Jacob is 10 years younger. They meet when she comes to get her nephew and niece. Jacob had taken them in when their parents died. As the story progresses their affection for each other deepens. Olive realizes that she's fallen in love with Jacob, but knows that nothing can come of it, because Jacob can't let go of his grief for his dead wife. As their story unfolds, the reader is given insight into both their hearts. It was interestin...more

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Mar 15, 2012 Kathy rated it 5 of 5 stars

I thought this was an extremely sweet story about finding love in an unlikely place. There are some grammar issues (see: it's vs. its) but other than that, a thoroughly enjoyable read about a spinster who comes to claim her niece and nephew after they are left orphaned when their parents (who were, let's just say, not model citizens) were murdered. The widowed neighbor who is caring for them has some sadness in his past life, too, and spinster Olive quickly becomes attached to his children, as w...more

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Mar 11, 2013 Margaret rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

What a wonderful well written story! The author did a fabulous job developing the characters and storyline. The dialogue was witty and realistic, and the characters absolutely endearing. I read the book in one day because I was so engrossed in the character's lives I couldn't put it down. The struggles the characters live through are realistic and unlike a lot of other books, I did not have the urge to roll my eyes or throw the book against the wall...not even once. I loved every minute I spent...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Emmy rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is my second Holly Bush book (the first being Reconstructing Jackson), and I enjoyed it just as much as the first one. The romance of Bush's books don't rely on constant sex and sexual tension (although there is some of that as well), but rather on the evolution of the main character's feelings, and everything that falling in love entails.

She created two interesting characters in Olive and Jacob - the 35 year old self-proclaimed spinster from an upper middle class family in Philadelphia an...more

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Jun 11, 2012 Morgan rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the plot, the characters, and the setting. It is a really cute romance set in the late 1800s. Both things that I love in a book. There was not much that I did not like about this book. But it just did not wow me. I definitely recommend it, but I don't know that it is worth re-reading.
It did seem repetitive at times though, and then the book wraps up very quickly in the last two chapters. Regardless, I enjoyed this book and you should read it if you enjoy hist...more

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Sep 05, 2012 Becky Sherriff rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have to be completely honest and admit western love stories are not my usual genre but ai really enjoyed it, I would definitely read another book from this genre and also from this author.

Romancing Olive is set in Ohio in the llate 1800's. It begins with Olive meeting with the sheriff of her brother's town to learn that her brother and his wife have been killed and left behind 2 children, one niece and one nephew for Olive.

They also leave behind a house in the small town of Spencer. The childr...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Jenny Q rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: on-my-nook, review-copy, blog-tour

Many of my reading buddies have discovered Holly Bush and have raved about her novels, and after reading Romancing Olive, I'm hopping on that bandwagon too! I really enjoyed this story of a Philadelphia society spinster uprooting herself and discovering a whole new world in rural Ohio, and discovering that it's never too late in life to reinvent oneself or to find true love. Olive Wilkins arrives in Ohio after being notified of the death of her younger brother and his wife, determined to become...more Many of my reading buddies have discovered Holly Bush and have raved about her novels, and after reading Romancing Olive, I'm hopping on that bandwagon too! I really enjoyed this story of a Philadelphia society spinster uprooting herself and discovering a whole new world in rural Ohio, and discovering that it's never too late in life to reinvent oneself or to find true love. Olive Wilkins arrives in Ohio after being notified of the death of her younger brother and his wife, determined to become a mother to his orphaned children, John and Mary. When she arrives she finds them in the care of her brother's neighbor, a ruggedly handsome widowed farmer struggling to feed and care for five children. Olive's preconceived notions are forced out the window in the face of the stark reality that greets her, and she gives in to Jacob's request that she stay for a while and get to know the children before she takes them back east. As Olive tries to adapt to country life and Jacob tries to adapt to the presence of a woman again, their polite coexistence gradually gives way into something more, but both Olive and Jacob have their reasons for holding back. As the time for Olive to return to Philadelphia draws near, Olive must decide if she will settle for a safe and comfortable life on her own or if she has the courage to reach for the happiness she's only recently discovered she deserves. But before she can make that choice, a man with a grudge may destroy everything she's worked so hard for . . .

Having struck out on the last few historical romances I read, Romancing Olive was a pleasant surprise! Olive and Jacob were both a little over-dramatic for my taste in the beginning, but the characters soon settled in and I was on my way. Olive has a great character arc; it was a treat to watch her character unfold and bloom as she settled into life on a farm and learned to savor the joy in conquering fears and becoming self-sufficient . . . and in learning what it means to love a man. I thought this story had a few things going for it that help it stand out from the crowd. This is a good meaty romance, by which I mean that our characters face some real problems on their way to happily ever after. I've only read a handful of romances where the heroine is significantly older than the hero, and I thought it was handled very realistically in this one. Jacob wrestles with his guilt over having feelings for Olive while still grieving for his wife, and Olive struggles with the fear of always being second in his heart. Then there are heartbreaking moments as Olive tries to nurture and heal her brother's traumatized children. Add to that the special needs of one of Jacob's children, the hardships of living off the land, and a disgruntled in-law bent on removing John and Mary from Olive's custody and you've got a recipe for an angst-filled, intense romantic story. And the time period really comes to life in Ms. Bush's capable hands.

Romancing Olive turned out to be a pretty emotional read for me. It runs the whole range from highs to lows and laughs to tears. I shed a few myself during some really poignant moments in the story, and I was on the edge of my seat, heart pounding, as the story raced toward its dramatic and terrifying climax. For my friends who are bothered by errors in books, be advised there are a few in this one. But nothing major--some punctuation and a few homonyms--not enough to detract from my enjoyment of the story. In fact, I am looking forward to starting Ms. Bush's newest novel, Reconstructing Jackson, later today. She can write a good story, and she's on her way to a successful career if she keeps writing emotional, evocative romances like this one!(less)

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May 20, 2013 namericanwordcat rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ohio, american-h-or-hero, american-setting-romance, historical-romance, orphan, motherhood-rearing, mothering, children, children-in-care, aunt, kisses, farm, 1890-1900, widower, grief, plain-h-or-h, intellectual-h, adapting-to-a-new-culture, older-heroine-younger-hero, big-and-tall-hero, spinster, innocent-heroine, practical-herione, bravery, baby-infant, 4-star-romance, steadfast, bffs, sewing-fabric-talent, character-driven, western, disabled-child, single-father, relgious, lendled-to-me, above-30-heroine

This is a well crafted, lovely romance that I stayed up late to finish. The themes here are not new (spinster aunt comes West to care for dead sibling's children and meets not ready to move on widower). As it is a character driven book, I wasn't holding my breath to see what crazy thing the plot would do next. I simply really enjoyed being with Olive and Jacob and the childern and so I didn't want to leave them.

While much of the plot is like sitting in a well worn rocking chair and running your...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Gale Martin rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a wonderful read! ROMANCING OLIVE is tender and funny and sensual. The sweetness of this love story all wrapped up in simpler time period moved me to nostalgia and even tears. It is beautifully paced, and from the first page, you know you are in the hands of a seasoned storyteller. Romance readers will love how the author teases out the strong and silent Jacob's inner thoughts. Life was surely harder in so many ways for Olive and Jacob, yet you can't walk away from this book without thinkin...more

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Jan 23, 2013 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

Interesting story. But I think it could have used a bit more heat. I just can not imagine a man and woman living in the same house for months, both attracted to the other, and only sharing a few kisses. I know times were different then, but I still think something more would have happened. I think the lack of heat made it seemed more fictional.

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Oct 05, 2012 InD'Tale Magazine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-may-june, genre-historical, rating-4-star

4 stars

Reviewed in InD'Tale Magazine Premier Issue, May/June 2012.

Read Lynn Coyer's full review here

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Jan 11, 2012 Deanna Sletten rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Deanna by: Found on Goodreads

Shelves: favorites

I absolutely enjoyed reading Romancing Olive. This book is the perfect women's fiction book. It contains the right blend of romance, drama and action which makes it difficult to put down. The characters are realistic and believable and the story is well-thought out. You find yourself falling in love with Olive, Jacob and the kids quite easily. Author Holly Bush did a wonderful job bringing the past alive and keeping each character in context to their time period. I look forward to reading more o...more

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Jan 20, 2012 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved it. Can't wait for more from this author.

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About Holly Bush

I grew up in a home where I was surrounded by books. There was not a room that did not hold a bookcase, stack or shelves of books. My father didn't care what we read, although he did, as long as we read something, even a comic book. His stack of books beside his reading chair that sat next to a sunny window was a strange mix of westerns, political intrigue, current affairs, science fiction and the...more

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