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Decisions #1
Say Goodbye to Yesterday
An unwed mother who disregards her childhood faith and gives up her innocence early is about to make a greater mistake that could change her life forever.When Annabelle Jordan's secrets are discovered by an unforgiving church community, she and her daughters are booted from town. Now without home or future for her growing family, Annabelle, no longer young nor ready to rekindle a once-cherished faith -- is convinced her only hope is to find the girls' father and force the marriage he pledged but later abandoned, or raise her daughters alone which offers no guarantee of security. But when the irresistibly handsome man of faith, Major Carlton Radcliffe, pledged to a family of his own, crosses Annabelle's path, he also steals her heart.To offer her daughters the future they so desperately need, Annebelle must make the right choice. She could vow never to marry a gain and raise her girls alone providing them with no respectable future; she could continue her journey to the one who rejected her twice already; or she could risk ruining the reputation of the one man who now occupies her heart. What other choice does she have?
188 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2011
10 people are currently reading
151 people want to read
About the author
Shirley Kiger Connolly
18 books30 followersAward winning author, Shirley Kiger Connolly
aka Abigail Ruth is the daughter of a 1940s mystery writer. She enjoys penning historical fiction romances, romance suspense, and books filled with lighthearted reflections. After majoring in English and Journalism, she joined the graduates of ICL. Now living in Texarkana, TX with her husband, when not in the middle of a WIP, she enjoys reading Masterpiece specials on PBS or traveling on a train or in her motor home to parts unknown. She invites readers to come visit her anytime at her blogs,at her Author Pages on Facebook, or over on Twitter. You'll find her as Abigail Ruth or Shirley Kiger Connolly.
aka Abigail Ruth is the daughter of a 1940s mystery writer. She enjoys penning historical fiction romances, romance suspense, and books filled with lighthearted reflections. After majoring in English and Journalism, she joined the graduates of ICL. Now living in Texarkana, TX with her husband, when not in the middle of a WIP, she enjoys reading Masterpiece specials on PBS or traveling on a train or in her motor home to parts unknown. She invites readers to come visit her anytime at her blogs,at her Author Pages on Facebook, or over on Twitter. You'll find her as Abigail Ruth or Shirley Kiger Connolly.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 8, 2011
Reviewed for THC Reviews
I have to give author, Shirley Kiger Connolly credit for attempting to tackle the topical issue of single motherhood out of wedlock in her new inspirational romance, Say Goodbye to Yesterday. This is a problem that would have been dicey at best in a contemporary, but especially eyebrow raising for a historical. However, because of that historical context, I felt that she left two big questions unanswered. The first would be how Annabelle managed to get pregnant not once, but twice, without being married. In spite of being an orphan, she was a proper lady from a well-off family, and as such, would probably have been chaperoned everywhere she went, making it very difficult to be alone with a man. Not to mention, ladies in that era simply tended to be more cautious about such things as their reputation being ruined. The author never elaborated on how Annabelle even met her girls' father, much less her state of mind the two times she got pregnant. When we meet her in the story, she doesn't even really like the guy, much less love him, and what little we see of him, he's not a nice person. Now, in spite of the lack of details, I'm willing accept that occasionally, even a gently bred lady could make a mistake and find herself pregnant out of wedlock, but then that brings me to my next big question: In those days, when this happened, the woman's family would typically insist upon a shotgun wedding to save the lady's reputation, but in this case, Annabelle's family did the exact opposite, which was to forbid her from ever seeing him again. If more explanation of these things had been given, I probably could have bought into the premise, but as is, I felt like there were a couple of really big holes.
Unfortunately, these weren't the only details that were missing. Throughout most of the story, I couldn't seem to shake the strong sense of wanting to know more, and sometimes felt outright lost. It was like the author kept jumping ahead of herself and then not coming back to fill in the blanks. I just didn't feel like I had the complete picture of what was going on which could be very frustrating at times. I got the sense that she could see what was happening in her mind's eye, but just didn't express it in the written word as clearly as she could have. The editing could have been much better too. As I already mentioned, there were some passages that needed to be bulked up with more details, while there were others that needed to be pared down to make them cleaner, more concise and less repetitive (the characters were doing so much "swinging,” “spinning,” “curving,” and “twisting” I was starting to get dizzy;-)). The characters also had an annoying habit of not finishing their sentences. Additionally, I found several anachronistic words and phrases, such as “invading your space” and a character using the term “viral illness” when at that time, the idea of germs causing illnesses was nothing more than a theory and viruses weren't even discovered until twenty years later.
Even though I was left with a lot of questions about them and thought their characterizations could have been much deeper, I did like Carlton and Annabelle pretty well. Carlton was a career soldier who had earned a great deal of respect and worked his way up through the ranks to teach at West Point. He was very kind and chivalrous, always ready to lend a hand when Annabelle was in trouble. Carlton obviously adored children. He is completely taken with little Geraldine and interacts with her wonderfully right from the start, and he loved his own unborn child enough to go after him when it was clear that the mother didn't want him. Carlton was just an all-around nice guy who certainly didn't deserve what his wife did to him. I have to admire Annabelle on some level for weathering through single motherhood, and the stigma attached to it, fairly well. I could relate to her crisis of faith, but in my opinion, it was overcome too easily. As with other things in the story, I would have loved to know more about this aspect of her life. In my opinion, it would have made her a more real and vibrant character. The only thing about Annabelle that kind of irritated me was that she, in my mind, kept getting unjustifiably annoyed, if not outright angry with Carlton for helping her which I simply didn't get. I thought that Carlton and Annabelle's romance could have used a little more pizazz too. They're apart for large swaths of time, and during the first ¾ or so of the book, when they are together, what passes for romance is merely a strong physical attraction and a few lustful looks here and there. Later in the story, they shared a couple of tender moments which I enjoyed, but then a silly misunderstanding about Carlton's marital status kept them apart longer than necessary to my way of thinking.
That brings me to what, in my opinion, was the very best part of the book, Annabelle's little daughter, Geraldine. I've noticed that it can be difficult for authors to get child characters just right, and I can say without reservation that Ms. Connolly has the knack with getting them to “behave.” Geraldine definitely acts like the six-year-old she is rather than a miniature adult, and her breezy innocence and sunny personality is positively infectious. I really enjoyed reading her scenes.
Overall, I would say that Say Goodbye to Yesterday was a reasonably good read that could have been great. It was kind of like eating a soup that is agreeable to the palate, but there just wasn't quite enough substance to it to it fill me up. All the base ingredients were there to make a good story, but it simply needed more depth and dimension to both the plot and characterizations. More of those things would have made it the hearty and satisfying stew I crave in my reading material. Say Goodbye to Yesterday is the first in a planned series titled, Decisions. Even though it didn't quite wow me, I can't help being a bit curious as to whom the next book will be about. I'm thinking that Annabelle's cousin, Phillip, who already has an admirer, would make a good hero, or perhaps her older daughter, Suzanna, could be aged to make a good heroine. Either way (or if the author's choose to go a completely different direction), I might be open to trying the next book when it comes out.
Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I have to give author, Shirley Kiger Connolly credit for attempting to tackle the topical issue of single motherhood out of wedlock in her new inspirational romance, Say Goodbye to Yesterday. This is a problem that would have been dicey at best in a contemporary, but especially eyebrow raising for a historical. However, because of that historical context, I felt that she left two big questions unanswered. The first would be how Annabelle managed to get pregnant not once, but twice, without being married. In spite of being an orphan, she was a proper lady from a well-off family, and as such, would probably have been chaperoned everywhere she went, making it very difficult to be alone with a man. Not to mention, ladies in that era simply tended to be more cautious about such things as their reputation being ruined. The author never elaborated on how Annabelle even met her girls' father, much less her state of mind the two times she got pregnant. When we meet her in the story, she doesn't even really like the guy, much less love him, and what little we see of him, he's not a nice person. Now, in spite of the lack of details, I'm willing accept that occasionally, even a gently bred lady could make a mistake and find herself pregnant out of wedlock, but then that brings me to my next big question: In those days, when this happened, the woman's family would typically insist upon a shotgun wedding to save the lady's reputation, but in this case, Annabelle's family did the exact opposite, which was to forbid her from ever seeing him again. If more explanation of these things had been given, I probably could have bought into the premise, but as is, I felt like there were a couple of really big holes.
Unfortunately, these weren't the only details that were missing. Throughout most of the story, I couldn't seem to shake the strong sense of wanting to know more, and sometimes felt outright lost. It was like the author kept jumping ahead of herself and then not coming back to fill in the blanks. I just didn't feel like I had the complete picture of what was going on which could be very frustrating at times. I got the sense that she could see what was happening in her mind's eye, but just didn't express it in the written word as clearly as she could have. The editing could have been much better too. As I already mentioned, there were some passages that needed to be bulked up with more details, while there were others that needed to be pared down to make them cleaner, more concise and less repetitive (the characters were doing so much "swinging,” “spinning,” “curving,” and “twisting” I was starting to get dizzy;-)). The characters also had an annoying habit of not finishing their sentences. Additionally, I found several anachronistic words and phrases, such as “invading your space” and a character using the term “viral illness” when at that time, the idea of germs causing illnesses was nothing more than a theory and viruses weren't even discovered until twenty years later.
Even though I was left with a lot of questions about them and thought their characterizations could have been much deeper, I did like Carlton and Annabelle pretty well. Carlton was a career soldier who had earned a great deal of respect and worked his way up through the ranks to teach at West Point. He was very kind and chivalrous, always ready to lend a hand when Annabelle was in trouble. Carlton obviously adored children. He is completely taken with little Geraldine and interacts with her wonderfully right from the start, and he loved his own unborn child enough to go after him when it was clear that the mother didn't want him. Carlton was just an all-around nice guy who certainly didn't deserve what his wife did to him. I have to admire Annabelle on some level for weathering through single motherhood, and the stigma attached to it, fairly well. I could relate to her crisis of faith, but in my opinion, it was overcome too easily. As with other things in the story, I would have loved to know more about this aspect of her life. In my opinion, it would have made her a more real and vibrant character. The only thing about Annabelle that kind of irritated me was that she, in my mind, kept getting unjustifiably annoyed, if not outright angry with Carlton for helping her which I simply didn't get. I thought that Carlton and Annabelle's romance could have used a little more pizazz too. They're apart for large swaths of time, and during the first ¾ or so of the book, when they are together, what passes for romance is merely a strong physical attraction and a few lustful looks here and there. Later in the story, they shared a couple of tender moments which I enjoyed, but then a silly misunderstanding about Carlton's marital status kept them apart longer than necessary to my way of thinking.
That brings me to what, in my opinion, was the very best part of the book, Annabelle's little daughter, Geraldine. I've noticed that it can be difficult for authors to get child characters just right, and I can say without reservation that Ms. Connolly has the knack with getting them to “behave.” Geraldine definitely acts like the six-year-old she is rather than a miniature adult, and her breezy innocence and sunny personality is positively infectious. I really enjoyed reading her scenes.
Overall, I would say that Say Goodbye to Yesterday was a reasonably good read that could have been great. It was kind of like eating a soup that is agreeable to the palate, but there just wasn't quite enough substance to it to it fill me up. All the base ingredients were there to make a good story, but it simply needed more depth and dimension to both the plot and characterizations. More of those things would have made it the hearty and satisfying stew I crave in my reading material. Say Goodbye to Yesterday is the first in a planned series titled, Decisions. Even though it didn't quite wow me, I can't help being a bit curious as to whom the next book will be about. I'm thinking that Annabelle's cousin, Phillip, who already has an admirer, would make a good hero, or perhaps her older daughter, Suzanna, could be aged to make a good heroine. Either way (or if the author's choose to go a completely different direction), I might be open to trying the next book when it comes out.
Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
August 20, 2011
Annabelle Jordan hasn’t made great choices in her life. She’s an unwed mother of two daughters…recently cast out of her minister uncle’s parish, now off on an ill-advised mission to force her daughters’ father into being a father. But she doesn’t expect to be thrown into an uncomfortable alliance with a handsome, gallant man on familiar terms with the God she has shunned. Major Carlton Radcliffe epitomizes the kind of honor and integrity Annabelle’s past mistakes have placed completely beyond her reach. She finds herself hopelessly drawn to a man whose standards would certainly preclude an aging pariah as having any place in his future.
An unusual heroine for an inspirational novel…especially an historical. Annabelle Jordan is not the cosseted maiden, all innocence and purity, readers typically expect in this genre. She’s made mistakes—serious ones that cannot be swept under the rug and forgotten. In the time period in question, Annabelle Jordan would certainly have been a shamed, shunned woman with a slim-to-zero chance of ever finding a place in respectable society, and she initially seems determined to continue making bad decisions.
Say Goodbye to Yesterday’s unexpected premise will hook the reader from page one, and reel her in with unrelenting plays on various emotions: an immediate affection for the sweet, crippled child; admiration for the strong hero whose private life is far from a picnic; contempt for the father who abandoned his responsibilities; disappointment and anger at a church community that ostracizes and eradicates instead of extending a hand of grace and forgiveness. Emotions for the heroine vary from sympathy to disbelief to anger to a sincere longing for Annabelle to find happiness—somewhere, somehow. It’s a picture of what sin can do to a life, which doesn’t make for a pretty depiction. But the author also provides an expertly painted flipside showing God’s redemptive grace, and love’s ability to conquer every situation.
Gritty realism. Honest representation of sometimes-less-than-admirable, hopelessly human characters. A strong but subtle thread of hope in Christ. This first book in Shirley Kiger Connolly’s Decisions Series is a beautifully woven tale that leaves the reader believing that with God, all things really are possible—even putting the past in the past and saying goodbye…to yesterday.
An unusual heroine for an inspirational novel…especially an historical. Annabelle Jordan is not the cosseted maiden, all innocence and purity, readers typically expect in this genre. She’s made mistakes—serious ones that cannot be swept under the rug and forgotten. In the time period in question, Annabelle Jordan would certainly have been a shamed, shunned woman with a slim-to-zero chance of ever finding a place in respectable society, and she initially seems determined to continue making bad decisions.
Say Goodbye to Yesterday’s unexpected premise will hook the reader from page one, and reel her in with unrelenting plays on various emotions: an immediate affection for the sweet, crippled child; admiration for the strong hero whose private life is far from a picnic; contempt for the father who abandoned his responsibilities; disappointment and anger at a church community that ostracizes and eradicates instead of extending a hand of grace and forgiveness. Emotions for the heroine vary from sympathy to disbelief to anger to a sincere longing for Annabelle to find happiness—somewhere, somehow. It’s a picture of what sin can do to a life, which doesn’t make for a pretty depiction. But the author also provides an expertly painted flipside showing God’s redemptive grace, and love’s ability to conquer every situation.
Gritty realism. Honest representation of sometimes-less-than-admirable, hopelessly human characters. A strong but subtle thread of hope in Christ. This first book in Shirley Kiger Connolly’s Decisions Series is a beautifully woven tale that leaves the reader believing that with God, all things really are possible—even putting the past in the past and saying goodbye…to yesterday.
February 11, 2013
I’ll be the first to admit historical fiction isn’t my first choice in genres but I enjoy trying new books and new authors. So I decided to check this book and Decisions Book Two: That Impossible Dream.
The first thing I noticed about the story was the uniqueness of the main character, Annabelle Jordan. She is a mother of two girls and has never had a husband. She played mistress to a army captain who promised to marry her but she sent him away. Now she’s been shunned by her uncle’s congregation and finds herself traveling with her youngest daughter and the nanny to find her Captain and get him to fulfill his promise. Our primary male character, Major Carlton Radcliffe has his own issues having married a woman outside his faith who leaves him shortly after the wedding with another man. To compound the situation he learns she is pregnant with his child.
This story had some funny moments in this story as well as some touching moments, especially between Major Radcliffe and Annabelle’s youngest daughter, Geraldine. You also see the worst in people in Annabelle’s uncle and his congregation as they basically run Annabelle out of town because of her sins.
I enjoyed the story’s flow and watching the story unfold. There were a couple of things that did surprise me while other things I did expect to happen. The one thing that I did find surprising and know what some may be offended by, is some of the “thoughts” of Annabelle and the Major were very sensual. Almost to the uncomfortable point, however, in reading the second book in the series I think the author wrote the part based on the characters Annabelle and the Major and their previous history.
This was a good story that probably portrays what life was like for Annabelle. I would recommend this to anyone who like historical fiction set in the mid 1800s. As mentioned before some of the story is sensual in nature, but only in thought not in deed. In fact, one of the things I appreciate about Major Radcliffe was his continuous prayers requesting his strength in the face of temptation.
The first thing I noticed about the story was the uniqueness of the main character, Annabelle Jordan. She is a mother of two girls and has never had a husband. She played mistress to a army captain who promised to marry her but she sent him away. Now she’s been shunned by her uncle’s congregation and finds herself traveling with her youngest daughter and the nanny to find her Captain and get him to fulfill his promise. Our primary male character, Major Carlton Radcliffe has his own issues having married a woman outside his faith who leaves him shortly after the wedding with another man. To compound the situation he learns she is pregnant with his child.
This story had some funny moments in this story as well as some touching moments, especially between Major Radcliffe and Annabelle’s youngest daughter, Geraldine. You also see the worst in people in Annabelle’s uncle and his congregation as they basically run Annabelle out of town because of her sins.
I enjoyed the story’s flow and watching the story unfold. There were a couple of things that did surprise me while other things I did expect to happen. The one thing that I did find surprising and know what some may be offended by, is some of the “thoughts” of Annabelle and the Major were very sensual. Almost to the uncomfortable point, however, in reading the second book in the series I think the author wrote the part based on the characters Annabelle and the Major and their previous history.
This was a good story that probably portrays what life was like for Annabelle. I would recommend this to anyone who like historical fiction set in the mid 1800s. As mentioned before some of the story is sensual in nature, but only in thought not in deed. In fact, one of the things I appreciate about Major Radcliffe was his continuous prayers requesting his strength in the face of temptation.
May 19, 2012
Say Goodbye To Yesterday is Christian historical romance that challenges views of sin, judgment and repentance through Annabelle's story. Annabelle is a delightfully complex and funny character with a stubborn streak of independence, a penchant for falling, and difficulty forgiving herself for her past. Her family and friends are woven into her literal and spiritual journey as she navigates the contrasts between gossiping church members and God's faithful love and forgiveness. Shirley Kiger Connolly handles the topics of divorce and of children out of wedlock with grace and honesty while maintaining a sweet rating for the content. I highly recommendSay Goodbye To Yesterday. You will fall in love with the characters and recognize their individual temptations and faults, and how God's grace touches and changes them.
November 12, 2013
Ms. Connolly depicts a very heartbreaking loss that the reader experiences right along with Annabelle as she is rejected by her church community and must leave to try and secure a new home for herself and her girls.
Read full review in the November 2013 issue of InD’tale Magazine.
Read full review in the November 2013 issue of InD’tale Magazine.
June 12, 2012
Posted on Romancing the Book's blog
Reviewed by Amie Lou
Review Copy Provided by the Author
There were times when that I felt like the author was keeping secrets. I would turn the page and not know what was going on and was never able to determine how the characters got where they were. But I decided to just go with it and keep reading, mainly because I liked Carlton so much. He is the bright spot in this book. A man treated horribly by his wife and doing his best to live according to God’s instructions.
I’m sorry to say that I had trouble relating to Annabelle and wished for more insight into her motivations. Maybe then I could have been sympathetic. Here’s a woman who gave herself to a terrible man–not once but twice and years apart. Did she not learn anything? And it seemed to be that her hardships were minimal if she could have lived for 15 years without her secret being known and all the while having a nanny to care for her children. But again, Carlton to the rescue. For me anyway.
However, I’m completely up to reading the next in the series to see if perhaps the author found her stride with the next set of characters. Given the development of Carlton and the adorable Geraldine (Annabelle’s youngest) I may find a jewel after all.
Reviewed by Amie Lou
Review Copy Provided by the Author
There were times when that I felt like the author was keeping secrets. I would turn the page and not know what was going on and was never able to determine how the characters got where they were. But I decided to just go with it and keep reading, mainly because I liked Carlton so much. He is the bright spot in this book. A man treated horribly by his wife and doing his best to live according to God’s instructions.
I’m sorry to say that I had trouble relating to Annabelle and wished for more insight into her motivations. Maybe then I could have been sympathetic. Here’s a woman who gave herself to a terrible man–not once but twice and years apart. Did she not learn anything? And it seemed to be that her hardships were minimal if she could have lived for 15 years without her secret being known and all the while having a nanny to care for her children. But again, Carlton to the rescue. For me anyway.
However, I’m completely up to reading the next in the series to see if perhaps the author found her stride with the next set of characters. Given the development of Carlton and the adorable Geraldine (Annabelle’s youngest) I may find a jewel after all.
February 2, 2012
"Ms. Shirley Kiger Connolly has written an inspirational novel with a different outlook than most. It delved into the lives of several people who were affected by what the father of these girls did. And what was wrong with the way they engaged with others? Connolly gave us unique glimpses into the plot so that we could see more than we realized at the time (or at least, I didn’t realize until later)... I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a slant to the adventurous life. You will definitely not be bored."
Brenda Talley -- The Romance Studio
Rating = 4.5 Hearts
Brenda Talley -- The Romance Studio
Rating = 4.5 Hearts
October 1, 2019
Enjoyed this book but the h was so immature that it made the book a slow read.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews