Yellow Rose Bride (Wildflower Series #1)

by Lori Copeland

Seven years ago, seamstress Vonnie Taylor's husband of twenty-four hours, Adam Baldwin, had their marriage annulled. Now she faces the ultimate indignity: sewing the wedding dress for his new intended!

Vonnie hasn't gotten over the handsome Texas rancher, though she'd tried to put him out of her mind after a family feud had doomed their love. Now, as past secrets are uncovered and danger unleashed, Vonnie is thrown together once more with the man who broke her heart. And as the difficulties bring the pair ever closer, this Yellow Rose of Texas discovers that love is always worth the wait.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Christian Romance, Romance, Christian, Historical Romance, Historical

311 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2006

About the author

Lori Copeland was born on 12 June 1941. She had a relatively late start in writing, breaking into publishing in 1982 when she was already forty years old. Over the next dozen years, her romance novels achieved much success, as was evidenced by her winning the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award, The Holt Medallion, and Walden Books' Best Seller award. She has been inducted into the Missouri Writers Hall of Fame.

Despite her success in more mainstream romantic fiction, in 1995, she decided to switch focus. Her subsequent books have been in the relatively new subgenre of Christian romance. She has also collaborated with authors Angela Elwell Hunt or Virginia Smith on a series of Christian romance novels.

Lori and her husband of over forty years, Lance, live in Springfield, Missouri, surrounded by the beautiful Ozarks. They have three grown sons, three daughter-in-laws, and six wonderful grandchildren, and two great-granddaughters. She and her husband are very involved in their church, and active in supporting mission work in Mali, West Africa.

Reviews

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It had all the elements a good Historical Romance book should have without all the steamy romance scenes but a sweet romance none the less with an edge of mystery as well.

[Strawberry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story. It wasn't fantastic, but I liked the struggle between the main characters and their waring feeling for each other. The author did a much better job of concealing the villain in the story than the oh-so-obvious culprit of her book "Now and Always". I must say, I never read a story line that includes ostriches.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adam and Vonnie love each other... or so they say. Their actions for most of the book would make you think otherwise. For the first half of the book they act down right spiteful towards each other. That is, when they are actually in the same place at the same time. Add in some random acts of sabotage that don't even make sense in light of the "villain" and a brother who is jealous of Adam, and you pretty much have the plot of Yellow Rose Bride. As a young teen I liked this book. Reading it again as an adult, I am not pleased with the plot and love story. Lori Copeland has many enjoyable and fun reads, but YRB, in my opinion, is not one of them.

[ahana · Rating 1 out of 5]

now why did I even read this 🥴

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love this authors clean romance books.This one deals with old wounds between father's causing hurt between their children. When Teague and PK were coming back from the war they happened upon a farmer and his family. Before anyone knew what was happening gunfire broke out and the farmer and his family were dead. El, one of the 4 solders present pilgrimages the farmers wagon and found a bag of jewels which he threw to Teague and told him to keep to help out him and his family. Teague hated the "blood money" and threw them away only Franz another of the solders found them and barried them in Teague's cellar.
When PK thought the Teague kept the jewels to profit himself and his ostrich farm he was let down by the actions because he was as close as a brother to Teague. When they both had kids they were forbidden to associate with each other. It happened anyway and Adam and Vonnie were secretly married when in their teens. After the fact, Vonnie feels guilty knowing her father's feelings toward PK and wants an annulment. Adam doesn't want to but does because he was asked. Years later they still love each other, but now Adam is engaged due to his father's wishes and his fiance is asking Vonnie to make her wedding dress. Vonnie's father dies, there are mysterious things happening on the ostrich farm some of which are dangerous and threatening and she must consider to stay or sell. Her mother is living in the past and won't acknowledge that her husband is dead, but keeps expecting him to come home.
Adam breaks off his engagement, explores the reason for the bad blood between the families and resolves to never let Vonnie go.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

The prologue starts the story in 1865 with four men coming home from the Civil War. A tragic incident happens. The book jumps ahead 33 years to 1898. The story revolves around the story of two of the four men's children. Adam and Vonnie fell in love. The two young people sneaked away (7 years earlier in 1891) and talk a judge into marrying them. Then the girl gets cold feet and begs her husband of a few hours to get their brief marriage annulled. Adam is crushed but complies with Vonnie's wishes. Now in 1898 he is engaged to marry Beth. However Adam still loves Vonnie and Vonnie still loves Adam. The problem lies in that their fathers are mortal enemies because of the incident that happened on the way home from the Civil War in 1865 and have forbidden their children to have anything to do with each other. The story unfolds from here. Also of note, this is a rewrite of a book titled Bridal Lace and Buckskin.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to agree with another reviewer who described the lead, Vonnie Taylor, as wishy-washy. She is. She is stubborn and, at times, very stupid. Why authors believe that these qualities would be endearing or desirable to men is beyond me.

The prologue features a shootout that leaves a family dead and begets a bitter, lifelong feud between two men which reaches their offspring, Vonnie Taylor and Adam Baldwin. Married for a scant 24 hours when they were adolescents, Vonnie is now a much-admired seamstress and Adam a rancher, who is engaged to Beth Baylor, a complete twit with no redeeming qualities. Seriously, that is exactly how she comes across in this story.

Vonnie's father raised ostriches but now someone is sabotaging her late father's ranch. Vonnie and Adam work together to solve the mystery. Overall, there is some of Copeland's trademark humor but this book falls flat due to poor characterization and nonsensical plotting.

[Charlotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, I think the writing itself was pretty good, but the characters and the storyline were just...ridiculous. That much drama is a bit overdone and there is a reason soap operas aren't made into books...to my knowledge. If they are, then there's a reason not many people know about it. I gave it two stars because I like the author's writing style and the premise was a good one, but the circumstances surrounding it were awful. There is no way any self respecting man would still have feelings for such a wish-washy sort of woman who insisted on making things difficult for herself and everyone around her. I'm sorry, but the direction of this book was so bad that I couldn't even finish it. I made it to the middle before I set it down and decided to return it to the library.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

How nice that Lori re-wrote her story for the Inspirational/Christian market!

A lovely story of three families who have hidden deep bitterness from an incident soon after the Civil War. The event and rift threatened a second generation teen unconsummated marriage forever until...one dies, and another painfully reveals the issues involved. A story of love. loss, reconciliation and forgiveness. I recommend!

[Patricia Hullett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lori Copeland is an excellent author. I don't think I have ever been disappointed in any of her books that I have read. This book was rewritten in a Christian format which brought a lot to the story. I loved all the characters, the only part that I had a hard time believing was that two characters in the book both went bonkers when their spouses died. Otherwise, good book.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book most of the way through it, but it cut off weird at the end and really didn't wrap up very well. There are still things that I am not sure who did them and their reasons for doing what they did.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very light read but at the same time very compelling. It was definitely a very strong female main character development story from start to finish with ample mystery/suspense and romance tossed together.

[Jacquie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love books by Lori Copeland. She has a quick wit and the books are very clean. This is a love story in Texas in the 19th century.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this one had a lot of ups and downs. Was totally clueless on the who done it part. That one supprised me big time.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book.

[Leah · Rating 2 out of 5]

It just went on and on and on and on.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy Lori Copeland's book, but they are very predictable with little conflict in the plot. I read them when I want a light read that won't take over my life.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!!!

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

It wad just ok. Nothing less and nothing more.

[Tausha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oct. 2012
I picked this one up again just looking for a quick read. I still give it a four. Cute read!

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. I really didn't know who the bad guy was until the author told us. A good story. Not too corny(only a little bit).

[Englandjennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romance, some mystery, a great author. Good book.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh. Too religious. It's added in and just too forced. The author even says she adds in her "values" since the book was published the first time.

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book by one of my favorite authors. :)

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would have to say it's her best book!

[Debbie Turner]

Another good book of Lori Copeland. An old west novel.

[Lillian Slater · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book! Lori Copeland has always been a favorite of mine. This book just confirmed why!

[Brenda Barner · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay, but a bit dragged out. I felt like the characters allowed easily fixed problems to separate them.

[❆ Crystal ❆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was an ok story... I read about 2 years ago. 3 stars.