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If You Believed in Love
Jonathon Danforth has checked out of life. Stinging from an unimaginable loss, he has withdrawn from life, wanting only to live out his existence with as little interference as possible. However, when his sister talks him into auditing an English Literature class at the local community college, he reluctantly accepts the invitation to abandon his lonely apartment. Intent upon making an appearance for his sister’s sake and then disappearing for his own, Jonathon sulks into class. But when he meets Elizabeth Forester, the professor, Jonathon learns there is more to life and to love than he ever could have imagined.
"Staci Stallings' books are Christian romance at its best!"
IF YOU BELIEVED IN LOVE is a fascinating mix of literature and faith. A Contemporary Christian romance, the novel explores life, love, death, and redemption. It will surely find its way into your romance novels and inspirational books collections.
*~* EXCERPT *~*
“Turn to Appearances, page 31.” Without more than a second’s time, she continued without reading her book. “And so you found that poor room dull,/Dark, hardly to your taste, my dear?/Its features seemed unbeautiful;/But this I know—‘twas there, not here,/You plighted troth to me, the word/Which—ask that poor room how it heard.
“And this rich room obtains your praise/Unqualified—so bright, so fair,/So all whereat perfection stays?/Aye, but remember—here, not there,/The other word was spoken!—Ask/This rich room how you dropped the mask!
“Browning uses the metaphor of a house again in this one, a structure of some kind with different rooms. And what’s the story with this house?”
“The guy likes one room but not the other.”
Quiet depth filled her eyes. “Why?” She turned, and her gaze caught a raised hand. “Mr. Hansen?”
“Because in one room he was trying to be something he wasn’t, and in the other, he dropped the mask.”
“And the first room, where he was wearing the mask was…?”
“Unbeautiful,” Susana said. “Dull and dark.”
Ms. Forester seemed lost in the thought. “And the second room? What was it like?”
“Unqualified,” someone down front said, “so bright, so fair.”
“He’s saying the same thing in both poems, is he not?” She turned on the toe of her boot and gazed at the whole of her students. “Be who you are. Drop the mask. Be brave enough to show the world, and far from losing yourself and being criticized like a finite clod, you may be immortalized like Shakespeare, or at the very least, the room you’re standing in might just seem a little brighter than the one where you were before.” Her attention jumped up to the clock. “Oh, look at the time. Be sure to read the last selections for Thursday’s class. See you then.”
It was like snapping awake from a dream and not being at all able to shake it. Jonathon stood as the others did as well. His mind spun trying to think of something, some reason that could keep him here with her for one more minute. He checked his things, gathering them slowly, watching her down front the whole time. One of the other students stepped up to her, and she bent to listen. What could he ask her? What question would be good enough to go to the front?
"Staci Stallings' books are Christian romance at its best!"
IF YOU BELIEVED IN LOVE is a fascinating mix of literature and faith. A Contemporary Christian romance, the novel explores life, love, death, and redemption. It will surely find its way into your romance novels and inspirational books collections.
*~* EXCERPT *~*
“Turn to Appearances, page 31.” Without more than a second’s time, she continued without reading her book. “And so you found that poor room dull,/Dark, hardly to your taste, my dear?/Its features seemed unbeautiful;/But this I know—‘twas there, not here,/You plighted troth to me, the word/Which—ask that poor room how it heard.
“And this rich room obtains your praise/Unqualified—so bright, so fair,/So all whereat perfection stays?/Aye, but remember—here, not there,/The other word was spoken!—Ask/This rich room how you dropped the mask!
“Browning uses the metaphor of a house again in this one, a structure of some kind with different rooms. And what’s the story with this house?”
“The guy likes one room but not the other.”
Quiet depth filled her eyes. “Why?” She turned, and her gaze caught a raised hand. “Mr. Hansen?”
“Because in one room he was trying to be something he wasn’t, and in the other, he dropped the mask.”
“And the first room, where he was wearing the mask was…?”
“Unbeautiful,” Susana said. “Dull and dark.”
Ms. Forester seemed lost in the thought. “And the second room? What was it like?”
“Unqualified,” someone down front said, “so bright, so fair.”
“He’s saying the same thing in both poems, is he not?” She turned on the toe of her boot and gazed at the whole of her students. “Be who you are. Drop the mask. Be brave enough to show the world, and far from losing yourself and being criticized like a finite clod, you may be immortalized like Shakespeare, or at the very least, the room you’re standing in might just seem a little brighter than the one where you were before.” Her attention jumped up to the clock. “Oh, look at the time. Be sure to read the last selections for Thursday’s class. See you then.”
It was like snapping awake from a dream and not being at all able to shake it. Jonathon stood as the others did as well. His mind spun trying to think of something, some reason that could keep him here with her for one more minute. He checked his things, gathering them slowly, watching her down front the whole time. One of the other students stepped up to her, and she bent to listen. What could he ask her? What question would be good enough to go to the front?
320 pages, ebook
First published October 27, 2011
696 people are currently reading
263 people want to read
About the author
Staci Stallings
72 books581 followersA stay-at-home mom with a husband, three kids and a writing addiction on the side, Staci Stallings has numerous titles for readers to choose from. Not content to stay in one genre and write it to death, Staci’s stories run the gamut from young adult to adult, from motivational and inspirational to full-out Christian and back again. Every title is a new adventure! That’s what keeps Staci writing and you reading. Staci touches the lives of people across the globe every week with her various Internet endeavors including:
Spirit Light Books–The Blog:
http://spiritlightbooks.wordpress.com/
Facebook Author Page at:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spirit-...
Staci’s Ebook Romance Stories:
http://ebookromancestories.com/
Follow Staci on Twitter: @StaciStallings
Spirit Light Books–The Blog:
http://spiritlightbooks.wordpress.com/
Facebook Author Page at:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spirit-...
Staci’s Ebook Romance Stories:
http://ebookromancestories.com/
Follow Staci on Twitter: @StaciStallings
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
July 15, 2013
If You Believed in Love, written by Staci Stallings, is an amazing, entertaining story, with one of the most unusual plotlines I have ever read. Her writing is so compelling, I wanted to keep turning the pages, but be warned: this is not a book I could finish in one sitting. I needed to savor and appreciate it - and some parts I read over and over again to gain a good understanding of the underlying messages in the story.
Character development was excellent. The main characters - Elizabeth Forester, a college English professor, and Jonathan Danforth, one of her students - are wonderfully written, and I definitely felt their emotions and struggles right along with them. Their uncertainty of each other, their wariness regarding falling in love, the tenderness they displayed toward one another and everything in between kept me interested as well as kept the story moving at a wonderful pace. Staci gives glimpses into the characters' lives and background without overdoing the details. Much about them - past and present - remained a mystery. Elizabeth has been badly hurt in the past and hides behind invisible walls she's built to protect herself and is all propriety and decorum; while Jonathan has suffered great loss and withdrawn from life and ends up feeling invisible, even though he doesn't realize this until Elizabeth points it out to him when she is granted glimpses of his life through the essays he writes for class assignments.
I haven't read much English literature, Jane Austen's writings, or Robert Browning's poetry, so I felt like I was enrolled in the class vicariously right alongside Jonathan and his classmates, almost like I was sitting in the classroom needing to be prepared to contribute to a discussion, analyze a poem or write an essay. I'm glad I didn't have to! Jonathan did a much better job that I would have done.
Staci really made me think when I was reading this book, breathing life into the literature Elizabeth teaches her students. The classics and characters are brought to life through in-class discussions and essays, and have a lot of literary "meat" to them. Her writing was poetic as well as evidenced by this simile: "Time slipped by like sand into the sea at high tide." It's hard for me to believe Staci Stallings isn't an English professor herself. If she was, I'd like to take a class from her.
One of my favorite things is the character development of Elizabeth and Jonathan and watching them grow and come out of their shells and be able to move beyond their hurts, their past experiences, and learn to live again and love each other. There is a Christian theme running throughout the book, so subtle it doesn't overwhelm the story, but hints at a relationship between God and Elizabeth.
There are several things I liked about this novel. Not only did I enjoy the chemistry between the characters, but I also liked the highly unique setting - a college campus. The apple scene in the park is one of my favorites. Until I read this part, I had forgotten about twisting the apple stem to find out who you're going to marry - my friends and I did the same thing when we were children. The last scene in the book is by far my favorite and sums up the story quite well. Jonathan is everything Elizabeth always wanted in a man, and in the end he proves this to her in a very romantic and poetic way. This was the perfect finish to a fun book, a clean and wholesome romance.
Please note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange my honest review.
Character development was excellent. The main characters - Elizabeth Forester, a college English professor, and Jonathan Danforth, one of her students - are wonderfully written, and I definitely felt their emotions and struggles right along with them. Their uncertainty of each other, their wariness regarding falling in love, the tenderness they displayed toward one another and everything in between kept me interested as well as kept the story moving at a wonderful pace. Staci gives glimpses into the characters' lives and background without overdoing the details. Much about them - past and present - remained a mystery. Elizabeth has been badly hurt in the past and hides behind invisible walls she's built to protect herself and is all propriety and decorum; while Jonathan has suffered great loss and withdrawn from life and ends up feeling invisible, even though he doesn't realize this until Elizabeth points it out to him when she is granted glimpses of his life through the essays he writes for class assignments.
I haven't read much English literature, Jane Austen's writings, or Robert Browning's poetry, so I felt like I was enrolled in the class vicariously right alongside Jonathan and his classmates, almost like I was sitting in the classroom needing to be prepared to contribute to a discussion, analyze a poem or write an essay. I'm glad I didn't have to! Jonathan did a much better job that I would have done.
Staci really made me think when I was reading this book, breathing life into the literature Elizabeth teaches her students. The classics and characters are brought to life through in-class discussions and essays, and have a lot of literary "meat" to them. Her writing was poetic as well as evidenced by this simile: "Time slipped by like sand into the sea at high tide." It's hard for me to believe Staci Stallings isn't an English professor herself. If she was, I'd like to take a class from her.
One of my favorite things is the character development of Elizabeth and Jonathan and watching them grow and come out of their shells and be able to move beyond their hurts, their past experiences, and learn to live again and love each other. There is a Christian theme running throughout the book, so subtle it doesn't overwhelm the story, but hints at a relationship between God and Elizabeth.
There are several things I liked about this novel. Not only did I enjoy the chemistry between the characters, but I also liked the highly unique setting - a college campus. The apple scene in the park is one of my favorites. Until I read this part, I had forgotten about twisting the apple stem to find out who you're going to marry - my friends and I did the same thing when we were children. The last scene in the book is by far my favorite and sums up the story quite well. Jonathan is everything Elizabeth always wanted in a man, and in the end he proves this to her in a very romantic and poetic way. This was the perfect finish to a fun book, a clean and wholesome romance.
Please note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange my honest review.
November 18, 2018
My mom made me read this. It was definitely cool to see characters talk about books like this (I think that's the reason my mom rec'd it to me), but wow, I'm glad I never had an English teacher make me write about my personal life in class!
The romance was okay, but the "secret" of Elizabeth's past was drawn out waaaay too long.
The romance was okay, but the "secret" of Elizabeth's past was drawn out waaaay too long.
June 13, 2017
Spoiler - So in most romance novels the truth is the heroine probably would be better off with some sort of therapy instead of throwing themselves into a relationship. But this one here, this Dr./Professor should've been on medication. How do you go through years of education and not understand that you need help? She had some issues that were definitely justifiable but it wasn't revealed until almost 75% into the story. A bit long.
I literally read this as if it were a class assignment. I didn't stop because I simply needed to get to the end. But Ms. Stallings has done better and hopefully in the future she will do better than this one.
I literally read this as if it were a class assignment. I didn't stop because I simply needed to get to the end. But Ms. Stallings has done better and hopefully in the future she will do better than this one.
January 23, 2014
Staci’s descriptive writing draws you in from page one! I connected with both characters right away (though I felt Jonathan stopped mourning for his deceased wife and began romanticizing Elizabeth a bit too quickly). The romance between Jonathan and Elizabeth was slow and drawn out in a way that we don’t see in current day literature, which was quite refreshing. Staci’s dialogue is amazing. If you like discussing classic literature, you’ll be at home in this novel as the setting is an English Lit class.
June 19, 2018
And when you have ruled out that the magic can't happen again, you find a very b'ful gift from God and He smiles at you. This book has been that for me.
I want to write so much & thoughts are just stumbling in my head and I don't know how to collect 'em and frame 'em in a proper sentence. I am everywhere with the thoughts in my head and so much amazed by what this book did to me.
The classics! This book has used them so very well. I do not even know where to begin with, Emma, Pride & Prejudice and so many. And speaking of Pride & Prejudice, I totally had mine First Impression about the book. When I first got it from Amazon I thought the title said:
If You Believed in Love: A Contemporary Christian Romance Novel
And I thought boy it will be all God said this & God said that kind of book. But as I went deeper it was nothing like that. But later on when Jonathon was dealing with Abby's death I was hoping it would turn around now into the same. But I was so wrong.
I never even wanted this book to end and that is why I took it so slow. The love, the patience, the time everything in this book is utter perfection.
Staci you are a gem & I think God still loves me coz out of thousand book I get from Amazon I consider myself mighty lucky that I started reading it and now I am a huge fan. I am a die heard romantic anyway and this book made me believe there is still hope for me after all. There is still hope for love.
And it would be a sin not to quote my favorite verse here
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.
So here I am in love with the love & the way Ms. Stacy talks about it. She is definitely marvelous.
Thank you God for giving me this gift.
I want to write so much & thoughts are just stumbling in my head and I don't know how to collect 'em and frame 'em in a proper sentence. I am everywhere with the thoughts in my head and so much amazed by what this book did to me.
The classics! This book has used them so very well. I do not even know where to begin with, Emma, Pride & Prejudice and so many. And speaking of Pride & Prejudice, I totally had mine First Impression about the book. When I first got it from Amazon I thought the title said:
If You Believed in Love: A Contemporary Christian Romance Novel
And I thought boy it will be all God said this & God said that kind of book. But as I went deeper it was nothing like that. But later on when Jonathon was dealing with Abby's death I was hoping it would turn around now into the same. But I was so wrong.
I never even wanted this book to end and that is why I took it so slow. The love, the patience, the time everything in this book is utter perfection.
Staci you are a gem & I think God still loves me coz out of thousand book I get from Amazon I consider myself mighty lucky that I started reading it and now I am a huge fan. I am a die heard romantic anyway and this book made me believe there is still hope for me after all. There is still hope for love.
And it would be a sin not to quote my favorite verse here
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.
So here I am in love with the love & the way Ms. Stacy talks about it. She is definitely marvelous.
Thank you God for giving me this gift.
October 1, 2018
Jonathon, depressive and giving up after the death of his wife, is somehow (how? why? what happened?) persuaded by his sister to attend a literature course that Elizabeth is teaching. Through the interpretation of poems by the Brownings and the works of Jane Austen, the two protagonists slowly overcome their problems and internal obstacles.
While the plot itself, the romance expressed and progressing slowly through the poems and novels the class has to interpret, the the telling of it I regret to say, I found for the most part... bland (I do not want to use the word "boring"). I have read Jane Austen's works, and while her narration style fit into her time, it just does not, at least not for me, if the story is set in the "now".
Whereas Jonathon's problems were revealed fairly early in the story, Elizabeth's past was hinted at, with the impression for the reader that "there are gruesome things to be discovered", and only in the last pages is the exact and complete past revealed. Something a reader will have guessed by that stage, and the constant to-ing and fro-ing between the two main protagonists just made me want to shake them and tell them to grow up and get out of their wallowing self-pity. Elizabeth quite happily - or at least without any self-doubts - analyses Jonathon, something even his therapists have not managed, but did not have enough sense to see the reason for her own problems, or at least see a therapist of her own? Furthermore, her sponsors, knowing her background and oh loving her so much, wouldn't they have done something by that point?
There were a couple of what I would call inconsistencies in this story, plus fairly weak characters, a for me boring telling of their story - sorry, but I don't think I will read more of this author.
While the plot itself, the romance expressed and progressing slowly through the poems and novels the class has to interpret, the the telling of it I regret to say, I found for the most part... bland (I do not want to use the word "boring"). I have read Jane Austen's works, and while her narration style fit into her time, it just does not, at least not for me, if the story is set in the "now".
Whereas Jonathon's problems were revealed fairly early in the story, Elizabeth's past was hinted at, with the impression for the reader that "there are gruesome things to be discovered", and only in the last pages is the exact and complete past revealed. Something a reader will have guessed by that stage, and the constant to-ing and fro-ing between the two main protagonists just made me want to shake them and tell them to grow up and get out of their wallowing self-pity. Elizabeth quite happily - or at least without any self-doubts - analyses Jonathon, something even his therapists have not managed, but did not have enough sense to see the reason for her own problems, or at least see a therapist of her own? Furthermore, her sponsors, knowing her background and oh loving her so much, wouldn't they have done something by that point?
There were a couple of what I would call inconsistencies in this story, plus fairly weak characters, a for me boring telling of their story - sorry, but I don't think I will read more of this author.
November 10, 2022
This story was really different than I expected, but I enjoyed reading it. Not only did I enjoy reading about Jonathon and Elizabeth, but also getting to know some of the other characters as well. Jonathon and Elizabeth are both dealing with their own demons, and meet when he audits her English class. Jonathon has been dealing with the death of his wife and the events surrounding it, while Elizabeth's self-esteem is low despite being a great professor who inspires her students due to her upbringing.
I like that this isn't an insta-love romance and they take their time getting to know each other while spending time together. The story is wrapped in Christian principles,but Elizabeth is a believer and Jonathon isn't. I have mixed emotions about that as part of me believes that it's better for both people to be believers, but then again, some Christians marry non-Christians and help lead them to believe.
It was interesting to read about the class discussing Jane Austen's books and I enjoyed reading Jonathon's essay answers. Nice ending.
I like that this isn't an insta-love romance and they take their time getting to know each other while spending time together. The story is wrapped in Christian principles,but Elizabeth is a believer and Jonathon isn't. I have mixed emotions about that as part of me believes that it's better for both people to be believers, but then again, some Christians marry non-Christians and help lead them to believe.
It was interesting to read about the class discussing Jane Austen's books and I enjoyed reading Jonathon's essay answers. Nice ending.
July 9, 2023
Stacie Stalling's "If You Believed in Love" captivated from beginning to end!
A highly sophisticated look into how 2 characters' feelings, past experiences, fears, seeming inability to move beyond their own perspectives and initial prejudices, come to recognize and change for the better. Using classic literature, especially Jane Austen's works, gave me a much deeper understanding of those stories and why we are still enamored with those insights into relationships that are still so relevant today.
Ms Stallings left me in awe of her use of text, understanding of human behavior, and the lessons poetry and great story telling can have on us if we are open to delve beyond the obvious.
Her story kept me wondering, wishing I could glean that depth of insight, and thankful for her sharing this story.
A highly sophisticated look into how 2 characters' feelings, past experiences, fears, seeming inability to move beyond their own perspectives and initial prejudices, come to recognize and change for the better. Using classic literature, especially Jane Austen's works, gave me a much deeper understanding of those stories and why we are still enamored with those insights into relationships that are still so relevant today.
Ms Stallings left me in awe of her use of text, understanding of human behavior, and the lessons poetry and great story telling can have on us if we are open to delve beyond the obvious.
Her story kept me wondering, wishing I could glean that depth of insight, and thankful for her sharing this story.
June 23, 2018
If I could give more than 5 stars I would! This novel gave so much in two ways. In traditional Staci fashion, the characters are troubled and the emotion throughout the novel is deep and grips your heart. The romance between Jonathan and Elizabeth is one of two lost souls that find each other and complete each other in such a deeply romantic way you can't help but be touched.
On the other hand, I felt like I was in college in an English course learning about the Brownings and Jane Austen once again and so much more deeply. I loved how Staci weaved in the actual classroom discussion and the essays. Like I said, you'll be twice blessed to read this novel.
On the other hand, I felt like I was in college in an English course learning about the Brownings and Jane Austen once again and so much more deeply. I loved how Staci weaved in the actual classroom discussion and the essays. Like I said, you'll be twice blessed to read this novel.
July 1, 2018
A stunning love story
Healing, redemption, unbelievable happiness from a broken background all wrapped up in strong Christian principals, the love of literature and the lessons to be gained by thinking deeply about great classic books made this an unforgettable yet unspectacular love story for me. It did not need to go to extremes to make a good impression. In its simplicity this story encompassed so much that is permanent and life changing without being preachy or shallow. Well done Staci Stallings for the courage to write a beautiful story, never compromising God's standards but revealing His plan for love between a man and woman based on mutual respect. Awesome!
Healing, redemption, unbelievable happiness from a broken background all wrapped up in strong Christian principals, the love of literature and the lessons to be gained by thinking deeply about great classic books made this an unforgettable yet unspectacular love story for me. It did not need to go to extremes to make a good impression. In its simplicity this story encompassed so much that is permanent and life changing without being preachy or shallow. Well done Staci Stallings for the courage to write a beautiful story, never compromising God's standards but revealing His plan for love between a man and woman based on mutual respect. Awesome!
August 2, 2018
Made me think
This is a very thought provoking book. It causes you to think about yourself and your actions in life. I think this would be a good book for mid to late teens. I think the depth of the book will help young girls to look outside of themselves and also find their value. The character Elizabeth didn't know her worth or that she had any power. Because of that she made some bad decisions, I struggled with this while I was young. I think this book would have helped. This is very well written and I will be keeping it for when my daughter's get older. If it does nothing else it can be a great conversation starter.
This is a very thought provoking book. It causes you to think about yourself and your actions in life. I think this would be a good book for mid to late teens. I think the depth of the book will help young girls to look outside of themselves and also find their value. The character Elizabeth didn't know her worth or that she had any power. Because of that she made some bad decisions, I struggled with this while I was young. I think this book would have helped. This is very well written and I will be keeping it for when my daughter's get older. If it does nothing else it can be a great conversation starter.
February 24, 2020
I enjoyed the author's use of Jane Austen books in this story. It would have been fun to be in an English literature class like Elizabeth's!
My only problem with the story is that Elizabeth has a strong faith in God. She shares it with Jonathan once, and then faith is never mentioned again in their relationship. Jonathan well may have changed, but it's just not mentioned. Personally I've found that unless a couple are both going in the same direction in their spiritual journeys, the relationship will have problems. Jonathan exhibits many characteristics of love, but doesn't seem to know that God is Love. I wish this had been addressed in this book. I kept waiting for him to come to a place of personal encounter with God, but it's just not mentioned.
My only problem with the story is that Elizabeth has a strong faith in God. She shares it with Jonathan once, and then faith is never mentioned again in their relationship. Jonathan well may have changed, but it's just not mentioned. Personally I've found that unless a couple are both going in the same direction in their spiritual journeys, the relationship will have problems. Jonathan exhibits many characteristics of love, but doesn't seem to know that God is Love. I wish this had been addressed in this book. I kept waiting for him to come to a place of personal encounter with God, but it's just not mentioned.
July 1, 2018
It’s long and she describes every detail of everything, but I guess I’ve read enough of Stallings’ stuff to expect that going in so it didn’t bother me. I just know her style. It didn’t seem to drag as much as some of her others. Overall, I enjoyed this one. The characters are both pretty broken, but manage to find healing not so much through their relationship with each other as through looking at themselves in a new way to speak against the lies they’ve been trained to believe. That was vague and very psycho-analysis-ish. Sorry. I thought it was a good story worth reading.
June 18, 2018
Jonathon and Elizabeth got it right.
During the first chapter, I just about decided to quit this book. Too much poetry! I’m not a poetry reader. But I persevered even through books that I’ve never read. The story that was behind this English Lit. teacher and her student started to play out in my mind along with the discussions about the reading material in the class. The EPILOGUE had me in tears. Enjoy his read, I did!
During the first chapter, I just about decided to quit this book. Too much poetry! I’m not a poetry reader. But I persevered even through books that I’ve never read. The story that was behind this English Lit. teacher and her student started to play out in my mind along with the discussions about the reading material in the class. The EPILOGUE had me in tears. Enjoy his read, I did!
June 23, 2018
All I can say is Wow!
I have never read a book like this one. Like Jonathon was captivated, this book did just that. It was an extremely interesting book on literature AND life. Elizabeth hoped her students would not just read the poetry and books for their grades, but immerse themselves in it's points of view. This book challenges the readers insights and you come away a changed by the characters. Well done!
I have never read a book like this one. Like Jonathon was captivated, this book did just that. It was an extremely interesting book on literature AND life. Elizabeth hoped her students would not just read the poetry and books for their grades, but immerse themselves in it's points of view. This book challenges the readers insights and you come away a changed by the characters. Well done!
June 30, 2018
It was dragged out, the entire book could’ve just been summarized in 1 chapter. Instead the writer prolonged the book with words of Browning, I mean how many times can you write the same stuff over in a book? The leaving class and going to the library thing, oh my word! I’m no book expert and hardly ever write reviews but watching Pride and prejudice (which is as dragging as this book) was much more pleasant than reading this book.
July 25, 2018
Well-done!
I’m not a fan of poetry. Neither am I a fan of Jane Austen. So I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy “If You Believed in Love”. However, I heard how good it was, so I gave it a try. After starting it, I could barely put it down. I was mesmerized by both main characters. They came alive and the growth of their relationship kept me spellbound. Congratulations, Staci Stallings, on such an entertaining book.
I’m not a fan of poetry. Neither am I a fan of Jane Austen. So I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy “If You Believed in Love”. However, I heard how good it was, so I gave it a try. After starting it, I could barely put it down. I was mesmerized by both main characters. They came alive and the growth of their relationship kept me spellbound. Congratulations, Staci Stallings, on such an entertaining book.
Read
January 11, 2019I have read several books fenn this author, and while I’ve really liked all of her books that I have read, I really loved this one. I love books, and I’m a huge Jane Austin fan, so it was really fun getting to dive into those books and characters that I’ve loved for so long. It made me feel like I was in that classroom with all of them discussing all these books because I shared a lot of the same opinions. This was definitely a fun read for me.
February 14, 2019
I really loved this book. I mean, I totally enjoyed it, savored it and wanted it to keep going. After I was done reading it, I wanted to read more about the characters and keep thinking about them.
I loved how she took two flawed characters, but ones that were striving to learn, grow and love and set it in a university.
This is a story about two adults that have been through a ton, but are seeking something else, not romance, but find a real love story when they were not looking.
I loved how she took two flawed characters, but ones that were striving to learn, grow and love and set it in a university.
This is a story about two adults that have been through a ton, but are seeking something else, not romance, but find a real love story when they were not looking.
June 22, 2018
Loved It
I have read several of Staci's books and enjoy them. Although not strong in Christian presentation, it was an awesome read for me. The intertwining of the emotions and issues of the main characters with insights into Austin's stories fascinated me. The difficulties in opening oneself, trusting and becoming vulnerable was well portrayed. Thought provoking clean read.
I have read several of Staci's books and enjoy them. Although not strong in Christian presentation, it was an awesome read for me. The intertwining of the emotions and issues of the main characters with insights into Austin's stories fascinated me. The difficulties in opening oneself, trusting and becoming vulnerable was well portrayed. Thought provoking clean read.
June 29, 2018
This novel, like so many others, has failed to grab and captivate my attention. There are many different times that I can pick up a novel and cannot finish it at that time; however, I might be able to return to it at a later date. This is one of those, who knows, maybe next time it will be a game changer.
July 1, 2018
Stallings Does It Again
Outstanding characters, absorbing story, and intriguing backdrop to what came before in each character's life would alone have made a beau story. However,the wonderful way Stallings allowed classic literature to influence the development of both the story and the characters was skilled and amazingly well done.
Outstanding characters, absorbing story, and intriguing backdrop to what came before in each character's life would alone have made a beau story. However,the wonderful way Stallings allowed classic literature to influence the development of both the story and the characters was skilled and amazingly well done.
July 25, 2018
Believe
I liked the story for its uniqueness and creativity...not your run-of-the-mill romance novel. It focused on the relationship, rather than action. I liked the depth, but wished for more action and more of a climax. I also wished the Christian aspect had been developed more. I loved the epilogue. I was cheering Jon and Elizabeth on!!
I liked the story for its uniqueness and creativity...not your run-of-the-mill romance novel. It focused on the relationship, rather than action. I liked the depth, but wished for more action and more of a climax. I also wished the Christian aspect had been developed more. I loved the epilogue. I was cheering Jon and Elizabeth on!!
August 8, 2018
Loved it
The 2 main characters were well developed. I enjoyed the mystery surrounding their backgronds, especially the main female character whose background was not explained until close to the end of the book. Unfortunately I did not like that the 2 main characters that fall in love did not share the same faith.
The 2 main characters were well developed. I enjoyed the mystery surrounding their backgronds, especially the main female character whose background was not explained until close to the end of the book. Unfortunately I did not like that the 2 main characters that fall in love did not share the same faith.
August 10, 2018
English Lit Into Sweet Love Stoey
My initial reaction was too much poetry and literary characters to keep straight. Then Jonathan came to class and the story came to life. Loved the interwoven English Lit details as the book's love story developed and flourished! Delightful book and satisfying ending.
My initial reaction was too much poetry and literary characters to keep straight. Then Jonathan came to class and the story came to life. Loved the interwoven English Lit details as the book's love story developed and flourished! Delightful book and satisfying ending.
June 20, 2018
A Wonderful Love Story
WOW! This book is like none i have ever read. The title is extremely descriptive of the books content. I really enjoyed it. I loved the story throughout. Staci Stalling is one of my favorite authors.
WOW! This book is like none i have ever read. The title is extremely descriptive of the books content. I really enjoyed it. I loved the story throughout. Staci Stalling is one of my favorite authors.
June 21, 2018
Loved it!
This book was great! As an avid reader, I loved all of the interpretations of the poems and books they were reading and studying. It was so fun to see how connections in the books played out in their lives. Cheesy? Of course, but very good book.
This book was great! As an avid reader, I loved all of the interpretations of the poems and books they were reading and studying. It was so fun to see how connections in the books played out in their lives. Cheesy? Of course, but very good book.
June 27, 2018
Nice clean read
It was a long story but as long as it's good I enjoy that...like I did here. Troubled hearts with troubled pasts find love and a safe place to finally land. Thanks for the adventure!
It was a long story but as long as it's good I enjoy that...like I did here. Troubled hearts with troubled pasts find love and a safe place to finally land. Thanks for the adventure!
September 12, 2018
The setting for this novel drew me like a moth to the flame. A college classroom with in-depth discussions on English literature classics is my cup of tea. This story is full of information that any reader can learn from if willing to have an open mind. Loved this read.
January 27, 2019
It started out good
It started out good, but about 20% in it lost me. I read the last chapter and epilogue but couldn't read the middle. I usually am a big fan of Stacy Stallings book but not this particular one.
It started out good, but about 20% in it lost me. I read the last chapter and epilogue but couldn't read the middle. I usually am a big fan of Stacy Stallings book but not this particular one.
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