Promise of Spring

by Kristen McKendry

Melinda Keith was never a "farm person." She grew up in Albuquerque with electric lights, gas heating, and two cars in the driveway. But after a painful divorce, she decides that life on an isolated farm in the Texas Panhandle is exactly what she needs. Fiercely independent, Melinda is determined to live completely off the land and keep other people at a distance. But then Ryan Delaney, a handsome widower with a two-year-old son, moves in next door. He insists on helping Melinda with her farming chores and is stubborn enough to make Melinda's carefully built walls of self-isolation begin to crumble. Meanwhile, sinister acts of vandalism make it clear that not everyone is happy about Ryan Delaney's arrival.

Genres: Lds Fiction, Romance, Fiction, Lds

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Kristen McKendry began writing in her teens and her work has been published in Canada and the U.S. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Linguistics from Brigham Young University and has always been a voracious reader.

Kristen has a strong interest in urban agriculture, sustainable living, environmental issues, and the local foods movement. She incorporates these themes in her writing, and she also lets her Mormon background flavour her work to make her culture more accessible to mainstream readers. She enjoys playing the bagpipes and banjo, learning obscure languages, growing wheat in the backyard, and making cheese. Raised in Utah, she now resides with her family in Canada.

Kristen won the 2012 Mississauga Arts Council MARTY Award for Established Literary Arts, and her book Garden Plot was nominated for the 2011 Whitney Award for excellence in LDS fiction.

Reviews

[Betty Ann Baer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Way too many words.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Melinda Keith is finally on her own. After a painful divorce she moves to Texas to develop a self-sustaining farm in the middle of nowhere, far away from her family and most of the rest of civilization. There is plenty of land to go around until Ryan Delaney and his toddler son move in next door, and Texas becomes a very small space. Ryan and Melinda experience many everyday interactions as well as dealing with vandalism that affects animals and land. Ryan is a kind man who opens up to Melinda, while Melinda remains very private and reserved. It's a sweet romance with a little mystery thrown into the mix.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a lot of details I felt were not really important, and so there were a lot of times the book seemed to just kind of drag on. The author constantly hinted toward problems that the main character had in her past marriage, but it really wasn’t talk about, while her love interests marriage was talked about a lot. The title of the book made me think this book would be based in the spring, but it’s actually based in the fall. I did still really like the book, especially as it got closer to the end. Over all I liked it, and I might read it again.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a story about an LDS girl who, after a terrible marriage and divorce, determined to live independently off the land and keep people at a distance. Of course, she falls in love with the new neighbor. It was cute, but I didn't like the main character, Melinda.

[John B Affleck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story line

This had a great story line. A little suspense, and a great love story. A must read. You won't be sorry for this purchase

[Dorry Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had enough sinister acts and relationships to hold your interest.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story, but predictable

[Kami · Rating 3 out of 5]

Melinda Keith was never a "farm person." She grew up in Albuquerque with electric lights, gas heating, and two cars in the driveway. But after a painful divorce, she decides that life on an isolated farm in the Texas panhandle is exactly what she needs. Fiercely independent, Melinda is determined to live completely off the land and keep other people at a distance.
But then Ryan Delaney, a handsome widower with a two-year-old son, moves in next door. He insists on helping Melinda with her farming chores and is stubborn enough to make Melinda's carefully built walls of self-isolation begin to crumble.

Meanwhile, sinister acts of vandalism make it clear that not everyone is happy about Ryan Delaney's arrival. Whoever is behind them wants him gone-and is willing to resort to just about anything. Will Ryan and Melinda's blossoming relationship be able to withstand the storms?

I wasn't sure if I would like this or not when I first started reading about the main character. She was a little over obsessive about being self-sufficient but as I kept reading I could see why she acted like she did. I ended up liking it overall. It was a light quick read.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fast read with a good lesson about no one finding happiness in being an island. We all "Need" to be needed and loved and give the same in return. Melinda moved out to rural Texas after a painful divorce. She made the mistake of marrying against her better judgement to someone who wasn't LDS and who was abusive. She put some of the blame for the failor on herself because of her choices, but still is hurting 2 years later.
Her organic and earth friendly farm keeps her busy until Ryan and Tanner Delaney move into the ranch near her. He helps her to see what she is missing in having a family and someone to want to be with. Over time he breaks down her walls of defense and learn to trust and let her heart heal and open to new opportunities to love and be love. While she is having this emotional breakthrough there is also strange things happening on her farm and Ryan's ranch, fire, poisoned animal, water gates left open, animal cages left open all leading to the conclusion that someone is targeting them but why? To get their land for housing development.

[Shellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable!! Melinda is divorced, Ryan is widowed with a toddler, and Jack has been Melinda's neighbor for 2 years, and has a crush on her. Ryan moves in, Jack feels he must push through his relationship with Melinda because Ryan's wife was with Jack first, but chose Ryan. Now Jack feels competition. Melinda and Ryan both have farm and acreage land that would sell at a great price to a developer, and someone is sabotaging their property.

It all wraps up nicely however, without a lot of fluff, and no-nonsense, good, clean reading.

[Zina · Rating 3 out of 5]

My friend, Kaye Garner, suggested this book since her daughter had written it! Kristen had a deeper, better manuscript, but the publisher said she needed to write something that "would sell" and THEN, when her name was known, they could think about the book Kristen Wants to publish!
The book was a quick read and pleasant. Written for the Mormon audience. Kristen calls it "fluff" - which makes me hope that her next book gets published so I can read what she really wanted to say.

[Shannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really didn't find anything that original about this book, and I thought it was a bit overdone on the environmentalism aspects. I really wondered how Melinda and Ryan would get along in the real life with her living as much from the earth as she could and him not seeming all that interested. For instance, which house would they live in? The book just didn't catch me; although, I did think it was a unique approach to talking about environmentalism and development.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked it up because of the "farm" angle--still a soft spot for me. I really liked it. With the exception of the last chapter, which seemed to be tacked on because . . . .? Didn't fit with the rest of the story, really. And the main "mystery" part of the plot just sort of ended, wrapped up too nicely, with no real ending, consequence, or whatever. So, weird ending, but on the whole a really good story.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was terribly transparent, and jumpy. I couldn't figure out in the first couple of chapters if it was a sequel or just not very well written. Turns out it just isn't very well written...the characters weren't even enough to keep me from skipping through most of the chapters to the end where it ended exactly as I thought it would when I was only a couple of chapters in. Boring!

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick, easy, safe read. Interesting characters, but their progression was a little choppy. It is her first book, and I like her storytelling style however and love a clean read, so I will still read her next book. The farming stuff was really interesting to a city girl like myself and Ryan was a great character.

[T.K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had great potential, and was an enjoyable read. I docked it a star because the last quarter of the book strained credulity and felt more like plot devices than the logical flow of the story. The characters are still very interesting, but expect the mystery to take a back seat to a slow-paced romance.

[Celeste · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here's the problem with this author (because this is the second book I have read by her): You wait the whole book for the two main characters to figure out that they love each other and then there is ten pages at the end that the author actually puts them together. I read the whole book to get to that part and then it's too short. This is a Mormon fiction.

[Nellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a clean, sweet romance. Not "compelling" where I couldn't put it down, but it was nice, and easy to read. I enjoyed it. Melinda has gone through a terrible divorce, and tries to live off the land, and totally take care of herself, until Ryan and his 2 year old boy move in next door. Strange things start happening to her farm.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

After a divorce, a young city woman moves to a farm in the Texas panhandle. A handsome widower moves onto the farm next door. They are both victims of escalating vandalism. The story is a little thin but fun.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like the 2-stars say - it was OK. Nothing special. I maybe didn't like it too much because Melinda (the main character) is into saving the earth and whatever - she's a bit extreme for me. It was very predictable but if you need a nice easy read, this one is OK.

[Swhe641200 · Rating 3 out of 5]

GSB 8/2011 Just a fast read of Michelle living in Texas off the land trying to do all on her own. Neighbor moves in, another neighbor tries to buy the land and marry her for the land. Cute fast read.

[Danni · Rating 1 out of 5]

this was the absolute dumbest book I have ever read. I finished it because it was a holiday and the libraries were closed. I will never read it again. It was a romance on a ranch with cattle. Not exactly my style.

[Candace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. It was a little predictable but a cute story nonetheless

[Amber Ashton · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another cheesy LDS fiction. The main character had some interesting character flaws she worked to overcome but the guy was too perfect.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a fun read!

[Monna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book. It speaks of trust, love and intrigue.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok. It was a little predictable, and the climax was very weak. Quick, clean read.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the cool farming ideas like the deep-bed method for planting veggies.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melinda finds true love while organic farming. It really does pay to be neighborly.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another nice fluffy read, but different from some LDS love stories. I liked the environmental twist and the location of the Panhandle. Not bad, overall. Cute.