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November of the Heart
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Set at the turn of the century, November of the Heart tells of Lorna Barnett, a young woman from a wealthy Saint Paul family, and Jens Harken, the ambitious dreamer who works in the kitchen of her family’s summer estate. Lorna’s father, Gideon, an avid sailor, is determined to claim victory for his own White Bear Yacht Club in the next summer regatta. Having recently suffe
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Mass Market Paperback, 432 pages
Published
March 1st 1994
by Jove
(first published 1993)
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This is just one of those super-romantic impossible love stories. LaVerle Spencer only writes these kinds of stories, and they always have happy endings! This isn't good literature... by anyone's standards... but it is a nice little piece of escapism. Only women would appreciate this kind of stuff... what my husband would dub "porn for women," because the level of romance is ridiculous and may cause women to sigh and wonder why their man doesn't treat them like this! And of course... the sex in
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2 to 2 1/2 stars
I did not care for this book. The heroine was spineless and unsympathetic. The author tried to redeem her character in the last few pages of the book, but, frankly, by then it was too little too late. I really liked the hero and felt he was charming, honorable, and swoonworthy. I will say, though, I had a hard time believing the hero continued to harbor strong feelings toward the heroine during their two year separation, or that he would have considered taking her back.
I also fe ...more
I did not care for this book. The heroine was spineless and unsympathetic. The author tried to redeem her character in the last few pages of the book, but, frankly, by then it was too little too late. I really liked the hero and felt he was charming, honorable, and swoonworthy. I will say, though, I had a hard time believing the hero continued to harbor strong feelings toward the heroine during their two year separation, or that he would have considered taking her back.
I also fe ...more
What I find most interesting about this is how many people have read the book more than once. I, also, don't read books twice--there are just too many other ones waiting to be read! But this one I did, and found it equally moving and satisfying both times. In fact, it made it to my permanent bookshelf, while 99% of what I read gets recycled. There is just something to this story. The love feels true. I sympathize and empathize with the characters.
I didn't LOooooVe the book--that feels too sappy ...more
I didn't LOooooVe the book--that feels too sappy ...more
Another emotional and heartfelt read from Spencer. Spencer never fails to illicit a plethora of emotions while reading. I feel like she's a master at accurate historicals. Lorna is one of her weaker heroines, but I felt it was in tune with the time period. My heart ached for all she and Jens endured.
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I loved the movie/book The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks and the movie Titanic. There is just something about class differences and forbidden romance that holds unmistakable appeal for me. This book deals with this controversy and so much more.
Lorna Barnett was the 18 year-old daughter of a wealthy commodore. Jens Harken was the kitchen help. These two people's lives intersect when Lorna's father looses a boating race and will do anything to win the next one. Jens is from Norway and comes from a ...more
Lorna Barnett was the 18 year-old daughter of a wealthy commodore. Jens Harken was the kitchen help. These two people's lives intersect when Lorna's father looses a boating race and will do anything to win the next one. Jens is from Norway and comes from a ...more
The only thing I didn't like about the book was that it couldn't decide on the tone it wanted to take. It started out playful and light and then turned darker and more serious. Maybe that was the point. I'm glad I'm a woman in 2012 instead of 1900. I don't want to give anything away and maybe this is a **********spoiler alert******** Jens wants Lorna to make a sacrifice and make a stand. Hello! She had a baby, almost bled to death and was mentally tortured. Poor man...nobody does anything for hi
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I have read this book probably 100 times, its my all time favorite! I'm reading again now!
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I think this has to be my favourite book ever, I love everything about it ! And I've read it about 17 times (:
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I absolutely love this book! Spencer is a wonderful story teller. She weaves dialogue and plot in a well-balanced way. She is one of my greatest writing inspirations. Although, I will admit from a literary standpoint, omniscient point of view (head-hopping, too) doesn't work well for her, there are a lot of other more redeeming qualities though. I like her use of showing the reader through what the characters say (dialogue) and not what they do. I'm especially pulled into romances about forbidde
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Historical romances featuring a poor or servant hero are hard to find amid a sea of books about dashing dukes and wealthy rakes. The ones that do exist often cop out with a storyline about mistaken identities or "the hero is actually an aristocrat in disguise," or else are horribly unrealistic. But this hero is a genuine working class man who starts out as a lowly kitchen boy. I liked that the book depicted the very real class differences and the morality of the time, and that the characters' ac
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A classic romance which reminded me of Nicholas Sparks' novels but without the explicit religious message which is present in most of his stories.
Set at the beginning of the XXth century, the story of two young people, Jens, a kitchen boy who dreams of having his own boat building business, and Lorna, the eldest and pampered daughter of the master of the house, who are divided by their social class, their future perspectives and their youthful innocence. It's an improbable match and they both k ...more
Set at the beginning of the XXth century, the story of two young people, Jens, a kitchen boy who dreams of having his own boat building business, and Lorna, the eldest and pampered daughter of the master of the house, who are divided by their social class, their future perspectives and their youthful innocence. It's an improbable match and they both k ...more
**2,5** - This is a sweet story about young love between an ambitious Norwegian immigrant kitchen-help turned boat-builder and a naive high society girl taking place at the end of 19th century in Minnesota. Because much importance is given to social standing in those times, and difference therein, their love and relationship is far from welcome and the girl’s parents will do everything to keep them apart.
With her usual immense talent, LaVyrle Spencer does a great job to tell a compelling tale. P ...more
With her usual immense talent, LaVyrle Spencer does a great job to tell a compelling tale. P ...more
Another wonderful love story by LaVyrle Spencer who evokes time and place so beautifully in her books. This story begins in a summer colony on a lake in Minnesota in 1895. Lorna, the lovely willful daughter of a wealthy St. Paul couple, decides to champion Jens, a young Norwegian immigrant, who has a brilliant new concept for a boat design that he's convinced will allow Lorna's father to win the cup at the next regatta. Their budding friendship turns to love and their love turns to trouble in th
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Another great tearjerker of a romance from LaVyrle Spencer. I really loved this one. Jens made a great hero, Lorna was a likable heroine, and the upstairs/downstairs aspect of their romance made for a good story. I was so impatient for them to be together at the end that I had trouble putting the book down. This book also really brought home for me just how little freedom women had at the end of the 19th century.
A heart warming, emotion journey into the late 19th century social circles and their resrtictions. But love holds no bounds and this book takes you through their trials and struggles as only Lavyrl can do it. Loved this book and the place it took me everytime I opened it up.
The characters are so real and genuine you can't help but love them and root for them. ...more
The characters are so real and genuine you can't help but love them and root for them. ...more
I loved this book. I am not really sure what it is about this book but I've read it 4 times - in 4 different times of my life and I've loved it every single time. I find myself wishing they would make it into a movie and then again I'd be afriad they'd ruin it for me!!
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Setting 1895. A young woman of society falls in love with a ship builder of lower station, so it is not allowed, esp since the yourg man is building a boat for the womans father.
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One of my favorie LaVyrle Spencer books!
Feb 04, 2010
Vasu
added it
love is so pure...so innocent..it encourages us..and one cannot seperate it by money.....
I loved this book. It tugged a little on my heart strings :)
Again, another LaVyrle Spencer that I actually remember. One of the first books I ever read where I didn't like the main female character initially.
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Amazing book! This was one of the first romance novels I ever read. Its one Ive never gotten tired of. This book is my favorite of all of her novels.
My Goodness. What an amazingly wonderful book.
Aug 09, 2011
Bec
added it
The very first romance novel I ever read.
This is my absolute favorite of all of her books. It is definitely a MUST for the romance reader.
This is one of my all time favorite books. I absolutely loved this one!
I still remember when I picked this one up for the first time. The tragedy drew me in. Now that I actually have children its even worse. Still love this one.
If I had more stars this one would have them. People should read this!!!!!! great book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is one of those books that I've thought about for years. I read this about 15 years ago, and while I may not remember all the names, I often think of the story. Great book!
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| What Happened Next? | 2 | 4 | Oct 17, 2020 09:06AM | |
| What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Historical Romance Novel: The MCs are a rich girl and a male servant. Spoilers ahead. [s] | 4 | 28 | Aug 14, 2018 02:41PM |
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LaVyrle Spencer is an American best-selling author of contemporary and historical romance novels. She has successfully published a number of books, with several of them made into movies. Twelve of her books have been New York Times bestsellers, and Spencer was inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame in 1988.
Spencer is known for creating realistic characters and stories that focu ...more
Spencer is known for creating realistic characters and stories that focu ...more
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“Y cuando nos separamos, es otoño en mi corazón.”
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“Entonces, dijiste algo que nunca olvidé. Dijiste que estar con él hacía la vida más significativa, y que cuando se iba, llegaba el otoño a tu corazón.”
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