What do you think?
Rate this book
Borrowed Light #1
Borrowed Light
Julia Darling never expected to cook for some cowboys in Wyoming, but when she breaks off her engagement in Salt Lake City, it's the perfect opportunity for her to escape. Determined to stick the job out, Julia faces her biggest challenge yet letting go of borrowed light to find her own testimony. Set in the early 1900s, this is one romantic adventure you'll never forget!
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 8, 2011
81 people are currently reading
1891 people want to read
About the author
Carla Kelly
138 books802 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Although Carla Kelly is well known among her readers as a writer of Regency romance, her main interest (and first writing success) is Western American fiction—more specifically, writing about America's Indian Wars. Although she had sold some of her work before, it was not until Carla began work in the National Park Service as a ranger/historian at Fort Laramie National Historic Site did she get serious about her writing career. (Or as she would be the first to admit, as serious as it gets.)
Carla wrote a series of what she now refers to as the "Fort Laramie stories," which are tales of the men, women and children of the Indian Wars era in Western history. Two of her stories, A Season for Heroes and Kathleen Flaherty's Long Winter, earned her Spur Awards from the Western Writers of America. She was the second woman to earn two Spurs from WWA (which, as everyone knows, is all you need to ride a horse). Her entire Indian Wars collection was published in 2003 as Here's to the Ladies: Stories of the Frontier Army. It remains her favorite work.
The mother of five children, Carla has always allowed her kids to earn their keep by appearing in her Regencies, most notably Marian's Christmas Wish, which is peopled by all kinds of relatives. Grown now, the Kelly kids are scattered here and there across the U.S. They continue to provide feedback, furnish fodder for stories and make frantic phone calls home during the holidays for recipes. (Carla Kelly is some cook.)
Carla's husband, Martin, is Director of Theatre at Valley City State University, in Valley City, North Dakota. Carla is currently overworked as a staff writer at the local daily newspaper. She also writes a weekly, award-winning column, "Prairie Lite."
Carla only started writing Regencies because of her interest in the Napoleonic Wars, which figures in many of her Regency novels and short stories. She specializes in writing about warfare at sea, and about the ordinary people of the British Isles who were, let's face it, far more numerous than lords and ladies.
Hobbies? She likes to crochet afghans, and read British crime fiction and history, principally military history. She's never happier than talking about the fur trade or Indian Wars with Park Service cronies. Her most recent gig with the National Park Service was at Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site on the Montana/North Dakota border.
Here's another side to this somewhat prosaic woman: She recently edited the fur trade journal of Swiss artist Rudolf F. Kurz (the 1851-1852 portion), and is gratified now and then to be asked to speak on scholarly subjects. She has also worked for the State Historical Society of North Dakota as a contract researcher. This has taken her to glamorous drudgery in several national archives and military history repositories. Gray archives boxes and old documents make her salivate.
Her mantra for writing comes from the subject of her thesis, Robert Utley, that dean of Indian Wars history. He told her the secret to writing is "to put your ass in the chair and keep it there until you're done." He's right, of course.
Her three favorite fictional works have remained constant through the years, although their rankings tend to shift: War and Peace, The Lawrenceville Stories, and A Town Like Alice. Favorite historical works are One Vast Winter Count, On the Border with Mackenzie and Crossing the Line. Favorite crime fiction authors are Michael Connelly, John Harvey and Peter Robinson.
And that's all she can think of that would interest anyone. Carla Kelly is quite ordinary, except when she is sometimes prevailed upon to sing a scurrilous song about lumberjacks, or warble "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" in Latin. Then you m
Although Carla Kelly is well known among her readers as a writer of Regency romance, her main interest (and first writing success) is Western American fiction—more specifically, writing about America's Indian Wars. Although she had sold some of her work before, it was not until Carla began work in the National Park Service as a ranger/historian at Fort Laramie National Historic Site did she get serious about her writing career. (Or as she would be the first to admit, as serious as it gets.)
Carla wrote a series of what she now refers to as the "Fort Laramie stories," which are tales of the men, women and children of the Indian Wars era in Western history. Two of her stories, A Season for Heroes and Kathleen Flaherty's Long Winter, earned her Spur Awards from the Western Writers of America. She was the second woman to earn two Spurs from WWA (which, as everyone knows, is all you need to ride a horse). Her entire Indian Wars collection was published in 2003 as Here's to the Ladies: Stories of the Frontier Army. It remains her favorite work.
The mother of five children, Carla has always allowed her kids to earn their keep by appearing in her Regencies, most notably Marian's Christmas Wish, which is peopled by all kinds of relatives. Grown now, the Kelly kids are scattered here and there across the U.S. They continue to provide feedback, furnish fodder for stories and make frantic phone calls home during the holidays for recipes. (Carla Kelly is some cook.)
Carla's husband, Martin, is Director of Theatre at Valley City State University, in Valley City, North Dakota. Carla is currently overworked as a staff writer at the local daily newspaper. She also writes a weekly, award-winning column, "Prairie Lite."
Carla only started writing Regencies because of her interest in the Napoleonic Wars, which figures in many of her Regency novels and short stories. She specializes in writing about warfare at sea, and about the ordinary people of the British Isles who were, let's face it, far more numerous than lords and ladies.
Hobbies? She likes to crochet afghans, and read British crime fiction and history, principally military history. She's never happier than talking about the fur trade or Indian Wars with Park Service cronies. Her most recent gig with the National Park Service was at Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site on the Montana/North Dakota border.
Here's another side to this somewhat prosaic woman: She recently edited the fur trade journal of Swiss artist Rudolf F. Kurz (the 1851-1852 portion), and is gratified now and then to be asked to speak on scholarly subjects. She has also worked for the State Historical Society of North Dakota as a contract researcher. This has taken her to glamorous drudgery in several national archives and military history repositories. Gray archives boxes and old documents make her salivate.
Her mantra for writing comes from the subject of her thesis, Robert Utley, that dean of Indian Wars history. He told her the secret to writing is "to put your ass in the chair and keep it there until you're done." He's right, of course.
Her three favorite fictional works have remained constant through the years, although their rankings tend to shift: War and Peace, The Lawrenceville Stories, and A Town Like Alice. Favorite historical works are One Vast Winter Count, On the Border with Mackenzie and Crossing the Line. Favorite crime fiction authors are Michael Connelly, John Harvey and Peter Robinson.
And that's all she can think of that would interest anyone. Carla Kelly is quite ordinary, except when she is sometimes prevailed upon to sing a scurrilous song about lumberjacks, or warble "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" in Latin. Then you m
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 406 reviews
August 4, 2020
This novel, a mix of historical fiction, romance and religious inspiration, is set in Wyoming about a hundred years ago. Julia Darling, a 27 year old woman from Salt Lake City who's graduated from a highbrow cooking school, is engaged to a solid, upstanding member of the community and her church that she doesn't really love. She sees a job ad for a "mature cook" (well, I'm mature, she reasons) at a remote Wyoming ranch and impulsively applies. When she gets an acceptance by mail, she breaks off her engagement and takes off to Wyoming with all of her cooking equipment and lots of ingredients to make these cowboys some fancy meals and bring them some culture.
There are lots of surprises in store both for Julia and for her new employer, Paul Otto, who's a great guy (also single), extremely capable, but with a lot of baggage to unpack. As he begins asking her some questions about her "Mormon" religion, Julia realizes that she herself doesn't really have much of a religious testimony - she's always gotten by on "borrowed light" from others. As her testimony begins to grow, Julia realizes that's at odd with her growing love for Paul.
Carla Kelly is great at drawing thoughtful, complex characters in very realistic situations, and I really loved the glimpse of an old-time ranch out in the middle of nowhere. Though this story involves a religious conversion, it isn't simplistically done. There's a bit of a misstep by the author at one point, I think (Paul keeps a big secret from Julia, which I think he wouldn't actually have done, but it was useful for dramatic purposes).
If you enjoy (or even just don't mind) some religious content in your historical romances, I'd highly recommend this.
There are lots of surprises in store both for Julia and for her new employer, Paul Otto, who's a great guy (also single), extremely capable, but with a lot of baggage to unpack. As he begins asking her some questions about her "Mormon" religion, Julia realizes that she herself doesn't really have much of a religious testimony - she's always gotten by on "borrowed light" from others. As her testimony begins to grow, Julia realizes that's at odd with her growing love for Paul.
Carla Kelly is great at drawing thoughtful, complex characters in very realistic situations, and I really loved the glimpse of an old-time ranch out in the middle of nowhere. Though this story involves a religious conversion, it isn't simplistically done. There's a bit of a misstep by the author at one point, I think (Paul keeps a big secret from Julia, which I think he wouldn't actually have done, but it was useful for dramatic purposes).
If you enjoy (or even just don't mind) some religious content in your historical romances, I'd highly recommend this.
March 7, 2011
This is a tremendously hard book for me to review.
I'm such a fan of Carla Kelly and when I found out she was writing a western I was immediately on board and just knew I would love it. I loved certain aspects of the story, but others completely turned me off and made it hard for me to enjoy. Very hard.
If you don't already know, this book is an inspirational romance written for the LDS (Mormon) market. I don't personally hold with the LDS belief system but I'm not a bigot, and I do not judge anyone for their beliefs. That being said, the message that I got when reading this was that all other Christians are somehow "not quite as good as" the LDS population. Being a Christian woman myself, it was hard for me not to take offense at some of the statements made by the heroine in this book, but I continued reading.
The story itself, minus the religious overtone, is a very good one. A young woman answers an ad for a cook on a cattle ranch in Wyoming. Coming out of a disastrous engagement, she felt that the time away from home and everything she knew would give her perspective and help her to decide exactly what she wanted out of life. The rugged rancher she works for is quite the enigma: both closed off emotionally at times, yet chock full of tender sentiment when he thinks no one is looking. They both got more than they bargained for in this arrangement. I loved the hero. I love the secondary characters. I even liked the heroine, despite my earlier statement. Combined as a whole, however, I just wasn't able to enjoy the book like I wanted to.
After reading the story, I did a little research and discovered that Ms. Kelly is no longer going to write mainstream romance. She has decided to write exclusively for the LDS market, and I wish her well. While I will certainly seek out her previous catalog of regency romance, I won't be wishlisting any new ventures she undertakes, and for someone who truly enjoys her writing, that's a sad thing.
I'm such a fan of Carla Kelly and when I found out she was writing a western I was immediately on board and just knew I would love it. I loved certain aspects of the story, but others completely turned me off and made it hard for me to enjoy. Very hard.
If you don't already know, this book is an inspirational romance written for the LDS (Mormon) market. I don't personally hold with the LDS belief system but I'm not a bigot, and I do not judge anyone for their beliefs. That being said, the message that I got when reading this was that all other Christians are somehow "not quite as good as" the LDS population. Being a Christian woman myself, it was hard for me not to take offense at some of the statements made by the heroine in this book, but I continued reading.
The story itself, minus the religious overtone, is a very good one. A young woman answers an ad for a cook on a cattle ranch in Wyoming. Coming out of a disastrous engagement, she felt that the time away from home and everything she knew would give her perspective and help her to decide exactly what she wanted out of life. The rugged rancher she works for is quite the enigma: both closed off emotionally at times, yet chock full of tender sentiment when he thinks no one is looking. They both got more than they bargained for in this arrangement. I loved the hero. I love the secondary characters. I even liked the heroine, despite my earlier statement. Combined as a whole, however, I just wasn't able to enjoy the book like I wanted to.
After reading the story, I did a little research and discovered that Ms. Kelly is no longer going to write mainstream romance. She has decided to write exclusively for the LDS market, and I wish her well. While I will certainly seek out her previous catalog of regency romance, I won't be wishlisting any new ventures she undertakes, and for someone who truly enjoys her writing, that's a sad thing.
September 15, 2015
While I like romances and have enjoyed a couple of Kelly's books before, I still hesitated to pick this one up. I am so glad I finally got over that. Set in 1909 (an era I know little about and have little interest in) and explicitly LDS, I worried that this book would be less rigorous or careful than Kelly's other work--that Kelly, writing to a (probably) smaller audience, might let her standards slip or rely on the fellow-feeling of people who share her faith to carry her through rough patches (published through Bonneville--an imprint of Cedar Fort--it explicitly targets an LDS audience). In short that she might not try as hard or her professional standards might slip.
Well shame on me for my doubt. Not only is this fully up to her already outstanding professional standards, in many ways it outstrips her other work for sheer beauty and integration of plot, character, and emotional resonance.
The heroine, Julia Darling, starts off a little emotionally and spiritually immature for her 27 years. She has let her life drift on the inertia of her upbringing and finds herself engaged to someone who is "perfect for her". She has enough of a moment of clarity to avert disaster and call off the wedding and just barely enough self awareness to know she needs to change her situation to get some distance from where she is to get to who she wants to become--or at least to find out who she wants to become.
This leads her to Paul Otto. Paul is a Wyoming rancher who just wants a decent cook for a change. When Julia shows up in answer to his advertisement, he rolls with it (she isn't quite what he was looking for, having designated "mature" as one of the criteria). This turns out to be a strong part of his character--a willingness to give people a shot to see if they can do what they claim to want to do. Kelly portrays this aspect of Paul extremely well and then broadens it to illustrate his inherent kindness and rough-handed nobility. It also makes him an extremely attractive protagonist as he is truly, deeply kind without losing any of the strength required of a successful rancher. I tell you, if Paul is typical of cowboy romances, I may have to expand my horizons...
The plot moves crisply and held my attention with both hands. Paul and Julia work towards their own relationship even as each works at their relationship with God. This is incredibly hard to do without making it sound all preachy or letting one set of relationships overwhelm the others. It takes real talent to keep you engaged with each aspect of the characters' growth without making the others feel sidelined or perfunctory. There are some dramatic events that move the story along, but they don't feel manipulative or crafted solely for the convenience of the author or story. Again, Kelly shows her talent in making these events real, with all the impact they deserve . . . and no more.
So yeah, lovely book. You probably need to be LDS to buy fully into the faith and testimony aspects of the story, but if you can take the faith for given and not let that get your back up, there's no reason others can't enjoy this incredibly gripping tale told by an artist of no mean skill.
Well shame on me for my doubt. Not only is this fully up to her already outstanding professional standards, in many ways it outstrips her other work for sheer beauty and integration of plot, character, and emotional resonance.
The heroine, Julia Darling, starts off a little emotionally and spiritually immature for her 27 years. She has let her life drift on the inertia of her upbringing and finds herself engaged to someone who is "perfect for her". She has enough of a moment of clarity to avert disaster and call off the wedding and just barely enough self awareness to know she needs to change her situation to get some distance from where she is to get to who she wants to become--or at least to find out who she wants to become.
This leads her to Paul Otto. Paul is a Wyoming rancher who just wants a decent cook for a change. When Julia shows up in answer to his advertisement, he rolls with it (she isn't quite what he was looking for, having designated "mature" as one of the criteria). This turns out to be a strong part of his character--a willingness to give people a shot to see if they can do what they claim to want to do. Kelly portrays this aspect of Paul extremely well and then broadens it to illustrate his inherent kindness and rough-handed nobility. It also makes him an extremely attractive protagonist as he is truly, deeply kind without losing any of the strength required of a successful rancher. I tell you, if Paul is typical of cowboy romances, I may have to expand my horizons...
The plot moves crisply and held my attention with both hands. Paul and Julia work towards their own relationship even as each works at their relationship with God. This is incredibly hard to do without making it sound all preachy or letting one set of relationships overwhelm the others. It takes real talent to keep you engaged with each aspect of the characters' growth without making the others feel sidelined or perfunctory. There are some dramatic events that move the story along, but they don't feel manipulative or crafted solely for the convenience of the author or story. Again, Kelly shows her talent in making these events real, with all the impact they deserve . . . and no more.
So yeah, lovely book. You probably need to be LDS to buy fully into the faith and testimony aspects of the story, but if you can take the faith for given and not let that get your back up, there's no reason others can't enjoy this incredibly gripping tale told by an artist of no mean skill.
April 8, 2011
I’ve only ever read one Carla Kelly book prior to this one, and it was very good. This one is wonderful. Every once in a while I like to read an inspirational love story or one about a person of faith. I adore a good historical-western-romance and this seemed right up my alley. I naively started this book not realizing that it is a LDS (Latter Day Saints) book. Once I realized that, I had to put it down for awhile, for personally reasons I don’t wish go into here. However, I am glad I picked it back up.
I am not an expert on the Mormon religion; however, being a history buff that loves the Oregon Trial period, I’ve read a little of their history and can’t help hearing the current news about the fundamentalists sect. Nevertheless, this is a book involving a regular LDS heroine and Ms. Kelly lets us know LDS folks are just normal people; in 1909 they put their pantaloons on one leg at a time like the rest of the world. Some of them wonder how they will explain or justify their religion to people who are simply inquisitive and others who are judgmental. Maybe CK made a point of setting Julia up to show she has ‘free-will’ – which is our greatest gift and the reason we are on the Earth (IMHO). I don’t know. I still liked the story.
As the back of the book says, this is a story about a young woman who answers an ad for a cook in Wyoming. I love books about cooking, and our delightful heroine is in for a delicious surprise. (I probably would have reacted the same way!) Of note, I especially enjoyed the relationship Julia Darling had with her parents throughout the book. Also, the fact that Paul Otto, the hero, calls everyone by their last name; hence, he calls Julia “Darling” through most of the book, except toward the end when he calls her “darling Darling”. Cute. CK has the talent of being able to set a scene and let it tell the tale with stirring dialogue. I found fun, humor and depth of emotion in this book. I got a wonderful sense of time and place and was pulled into the pages. There is a rich caste of multi-dimensional secondary characters. There is growth all around and an ability to heal even the deepest of emotional wounds. All things I like! Plus, the type of danger Julia has to face was a surprise and very well written.
I had to think hard about the end before I wrote my review. Julia is in love with Paul and admits it, and visa versa.
The upshot of it all was that I liked the book and am glad I read it. Will I continue to read Ms. Kelly’s books by Cedar Fort, Inc.? I don’t know. She sure writes an excellent story, although I have all her previous books to plow through first.
This book was sent to me free of charge by Cedar Fort, Inc. and, by doing so, had no effect of my rating.
I am not an expert on the Mormon religion; however, being a history buff that loves the Oregon Trial period, I’ve read a little of their history and can’t help hearing the current news about the fundamentalists sect. Nevertheless, this is a book involving a regular LDS heroine and Ms. Kelly lets us know LDS folks are just normal people; in 1909 they put their pantaloons on one leg at a time like the rest of the world. Some of them wonder how they will explain or justify their religion to people who are simply inquisitive and others who are judgmental. Maybe CK made a point of setting Julia up to show she has ‘free-will’ – which is our greatest gift and the reason we are on the Earth (IMHO). I don’t know. I still liked the story.
As the back of the book says, this is a story about a young woman who answers an ad for a cook in Wyoming. I love books about cooking, and our delightful heroine is in for a delicious surprise. (I probably would have reacted the same way!) Of note, I especially enjoyed the relationship Julia Darling had with her parents throughout the book. Also, the fact that Paul Otto, the hero, calls everyone by their last name; hence, he calls Julia “Darling” through most of the book, except toward the end when he calls her “darling Darling”. Cute. CK has the talent of being able to set a scene and let it tell the tale with stirring dialogue. I found fun, humor and depth of emotion in this book. I got a wonderful sense of time and place and was pulled into the pages. There is a rich caste of multi-dimensional secondary characters. There is growth all around and an ability to heal even the deepest of emotional wounds. All things I like! Plus, the type of danger Julia has to face was a surprise and very well written.
I had to think hard about the end before I wrote my review. Julia is in love with Paul and admits it, and visa versa.
The upshot of it all was that I liked the book and am glad I read it. Will I continue to read Ms. Kelly’s books by Cedar Fort, Inc.? I don’t know. She sure writes an excellent story, although I have all her previous books to plow through first.
This book was sent to me free of charge by Cedar Fort, Inc. and, by doing so, had no effect of my rating.
February 22, 2011
http://fireandicephoto.blogspot.com/2...
Oh my heavens. THIS is why I love "my job." I received this book in the mail from Cedar Fort for review and it was a huge step out of my ordinary reads, but what a book! Borrowed Light is the first novel I've read by Carla Kelly, who is a well established regency romance author for Harlequin and recently stepped foot into the LDS market. Apparently her past readers are unhappy about the switch, but I for one could not be happier. I will be purchasing and passing on anything else this author has to offer from Cedar Fort in the future. Her writing is so full of detail, her characters alive and the historical setting spot on. Carla knows her stuff. She has researched and stepped into the lives of her heroes. Borrowed Light easily garnered 5 stars.
Julia Darling is an engaged woman living in Salt Lake City, new graduate of the Fannie Farmer cooking school in Boston. Her fiance Ezra is the perfect gentleman and just what everyone thinks she needs, but Julia just isn't feeling the fire with him. On a whim, she decides to break the bad news and answer a newspaper ad from a "desperate rancher" in Wyoming who needs a full-time cook. Darling has no idea what she is getting her self into when she steps off the train into the rugged land of cattle ranching and rough conditions. Her new boss, Mr. Otto has a strange and highly rumored past which involves a dead man and carefully guarded secrets. Does Darling have what is takes to survive the experience? And can she find her footing and faith in the Wild West?
There is danger, romance, and answers to prayer packed away in a tightly wrapped, swift moving adventure. Fans of Hattie Big Sky will enjoy the flip side to the Homesteading experience. I could kiss this book and you'll soon find out why everyone in Wyoming wants to kiss the cook! To enter to win a copy of your own, enter here on Goodreads and be sure to head over to author Carla Kelly's website for more details! No content warnings..this is a squeaky clean read.
Oh my heavens. THIS is why I love "my job." I received this book in the mail from Cedar Fort for review and it was a huge step out of my ordinary reads, but what a book! Borrowed Light is the first novel I've read by Carla Kelly, who is a well established regency romance author for Harlequin and recently stepped foot into the LDS market. Apparently her past readers are unhappy about the switch, but I for one could not be happier. I will be purchasing and passing on anything else this author has to offer from Cedar Fort in the future. Her writing is so full of detail, her characters alive and the historical setting spot on. Carla knows her stuff. She has researched and stepped into the lives of her heroes. Borrowed Light easily garnered 5 stars.
Julia Darling is an engaged woman living in Salt Lake City, new graduate of the Fannie Farmer cooking school in Boston. Her fiance Ezra is the perfect gentleman and just what everyone thinks she needs, but Julia just isn't feeling the fire with him. On a whim, she decides to break the bad news and answer a newspaper ad from a "desperate rancher" in Wyoming who needs a full-time cook. Darling has no idea what she is getting her self into when she steps off the train into the rugged land of cattle ranching and rough conditions. Her new boss, Mr. Otto has a strange and highly rumored past which involves a dead man and carefully guarded secrets. Does Darling have what is takes to survive the experience? And can she find her footing and faith in the Wild West?
There is danger, romance, and answers to prayer packed away in a tightly wrapped, swift moving adventure. Fans of Hattie Big Sky will enjoy the flip side to the Homesteading experience. I could kiss this book and you'll soon find out why everyone in Wyoming wants to kiss the cook! To enter to win a copy of your own, enter here on Goodreads and be sure to head over to author Carla Kelly's website for more details! No content warnings..this is a squeaky clean read.
December 17, 2016
I just enjoyed this book soooo much! I couldn't believe it! This is LDS historical fiction but anyone could read and enjoy this book. I have almost stopped reading all LDS novels because the writing is so poor in many of them, but this was nothing like that! It does talk about the Book of Mormon and the early beginnings of the church. The main character grows in her knowledge and testimony through out the book and it was so fun to read! This was just a funny book. I had to hold in my laughter in the middle of the night cause I didn't want to wake anyone up. The way the main characters talk to eat other was great! The flow of the book was perfect for me nothing happened to quickly or too slow. The people in this book came alive for me and I fell in love with all of them! And the LOVE story was awesome! I think after reading so many teen (look at each other and fall madly in love) books. I was ripe for a good old fashioned love story! Thank you Carla.
April 20, 2024
Reread April 2024-
I read this to my 11 year old daughter because it features a very gentle romance. She absolutely loved it.
The religious aspect was masterfully incorporated and was central to the plot. It features a conversion to the Christian church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I love the way the two main characters saw the scriptures as so exciting and refreshing and new- it inspired me to study the scriptures like it was my first time.
The writing was very good, but being limited to the FMC’s POV really missed an opportunity in the climax when the romantic drama would have been from the love interest’s POV. In my original review, I highlighted the dramatic climax but the truth is, you have to imagine how it would have been from his POV since it was just told to the reader versus experienced, which is a big miss.
The setting and depth to the side characters was immersive. I loved the FMC’s transition as she worked at the isolated ranch. It definitely gives Seven Brides for Seven Brothers vibes!!!
If I didn’t have religious interest in it, I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much. But add that religious niche and also add the fact that I got to enjoy it with my cute daughter who swooned at the mere idea of him liking her, I enjoyed it very much.
—————
Original review:
Carla Kelly absolutely nailed the ending. The bulk of the book was interesting and kept me engaged, but it was a slow-cook-romance book.
One where the romance develops in a “comfortable” way versus an exciting, passionate way. It was still cute, and I’d definitely recommended it. It just lacked a level of chemistry and flirtation that I usually like to have in a romance. This was a line in the last page or so, “They kissed.” Carla Kelly isn’t one to elaborate I guess! Haha! I wish she would have added little touches here and there, little firty exchanges or something, to build some chemistry or current between them. He was a little too reserved/undemonstrative for me.
The pacing was fine throughout, but it really picked up the last 100 pages and the last 50 pages had a sense of urgency that lasted through the end, and there was no way I could stop reading! The ending was absolutely fantastic!
My favorite part of all was when (don’t read this spoiler if you haven’t read the book) That was one of the most romantic, gut wrenching scenes in any romance I have read. It reminded me of a similar scene in the movie Australia, with Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman, which is equally poignant. Wow, wow, wow.
I have to admit that I have never fully enjoyed a book that tried to incorporate LDS religion into it, but this book defied all my experience and was outstanding! The spirituality in the book did NOT feel forced and awkward, or off-putting in any way. I loved it! And that’s incredibly surprising- it is quite the feat. On the contrary, it actually really added to the storyline. Shocker!
On a side note, I enjoyed looking at the religion from their perspective. I wanted to delve into the Book of Mormon with the same sincerity that they had. It was inspiring.
I read this to my 11 year old daughter because it features a very gentle romance. She absolutely loved it.
The religious aspect was masterfully incorporated and was central to the plot. It features a conversion to the Christian church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I love the way the two main characters saw the scriptures as so exciting and refreshing and new- it inspired me to study the scriptures like it was my first time.
The writing was very good, but being limited to the FMC’s POV really missed an opportunity in the climax when the romantic drama would have been from the love interest’s POV. In my original review, I highlighted the dramatic climax but the truth is, you have to imagine how it would have been from his POV since it was just told to the reader versus experienced, which is a big miss.
The setting and depth to the side characters was immersive. I loved the FMC’s transition as she worked at the isolated ranch. It definitely gives Seven Brides for Seven Brothers vibes!!!
If I didn’t have religious interest in it, I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much. But add that religious niche and also add the fact that I got to enjoy it with my cute daughter who swooned at the mere idea of him liking her, I enjoyed it very much.
—————
Original review:
Carla Kelly absolutely nailed the ending. The bulk of the book was interesting and kept me engaged, but it was a slow-cook-romance book.
One where the romance develops in a “comfortable” way versus an exciting, passionate way. It was still cute, and I’d definitely recommended it. It just lacked a level of chemistry and flirtation that I usually like to have in a romance. This was a line in the last page or so, “They kissed.” Carla Kelly isn’t one to elaborate I guess! Haha! I wish she would have added little touches here and there, little firty exchanges or something, to build some chemistry or current between them. He was a little too reserved/undemonstrative for me.
The pacing was fine throughout, but it really picked up the last 100 pages and the last 50 pages had a sense of urgency that lasted through the end, and there was no way I could stop reading! The ending was absolutely fantastic!
My favorite part of all was when (don’t read this spoiler if you haven’t read the book) That was one of the most romantic, gut wrenching scenes in any romance I have read. It reminded me of a similar scene in the movie Australia, with Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman, which is equally poignant. Wow, wow, wow.
I have to admit that I have never fully enjoyed a book that tried to incorporate LDS religion into it, but this book defied all my experience and was outstanding! The spirituality in the book did NOT feel forced and awkward, or off-putting in any way. I loved it! And that’s incredibly surprising- it is quite the feat. On the contrary, it actually really added to the storyline. Shocker!
On a side note, I enjoyed looking at the religion from their perspective. I wanted to delve into the Book of Mormon with the same sincerity that they had. It was inspiring.
December 12, 2011
This was such a darling story (hehe) it really was with a lot of spunk. Julia Darling lives in Salt Lake City, and is engaged to a man she is coming to find out she does not love. She finally gets up the nerve to call it off and at the same time answers and add for a cook in Wyoming. She meets her boss Mr. Otto, and the ranch hands, they are all a little surprised at their new cook. From here there is one adventure after another on the cattle ranch. Whether with the the ranch hands, stock, weather, or matters of the heart concerning Julia and Mr. Otto.
Julia was such a wonderful character, she is out there in the middle of no-where Wyoming in an environment completely different from the way she was raised. She does amazingly well! She is trying to figure out who she is and what she believes in and why. She is also smitten with her boss Mr. Otto. She has some wonderful disasters with cooking moments that were quite funny. She is very determined, witty, spunky, has a big heart, and is very kind, and flawed. Mr. Otto I think is wondering what he got himself into, and sure glad he did. He is a quite giant, has integrity, solid, no nonsense, intimidating, and under it all gentle and kind. He is one of those hero's you just love to pieces! There are several secondary characters with all the ranch hands and friends that are just as wonderful, and I came to love them all. I loved the romance it is nice and slow, which is nice we get to see them become friends and trust each other first. This story is so well rounded and interesting, kept me glued to the pages and wanting more. The writing seems effortless and flows wonderfully. I can't wait to read her next Enduring Light.
Clean language
Clean romance
Julia was such a wonderful character, she is out there in the middle of no-where Wyoming in an environment completely different from the way she was raised. She does amazingly well! She is trying to figure out who she is and what she believes in and why. She is also smitten with her boss Mr. Otto. She has some wonderful disasters with cooking moments that were quite funny. She is very determined, witty, spunky, has a big heart, and is very kind, and flawed. Mr. Otto I think is wondering what he got himself into, and sure glad he did. He is a quite giant, has integrity, solid, no nonsense, intimidating, and under it all gentle and kind. He is one of those hero's you just love to pieces! There are several secondary characters with all the ranch hands and friends that are just as wonderful, and I came to love them all. I loved the romance it is nice and slow, which is nice we get to see them become friends and trust each other first. This story is so well rounded and interesting, kept me glued to the pages and wanting more. The writing seems effortless and flows wonderfully. I can't wait to read her next Enduring Light.
Clean language
Clean romance
October 5, 2020
Man, Carla Kelly can write! She's a master of showing the story rather than telling it. You'll fall in love with Julia and especially with Paul. I'm thrilled that she's now writing for the LDS market. She talks about things with the same sort of subtlety with which the Spirit speaks. Well done, Sister Kelly!
I just finished reading this again and loved it just as much the second time through. It was as wonderful if not more so as the first time. (June 24-26, 2011) Enduring Light, a sequal, is soon to be published. Whoo-hoo!
Well, I've read it for the third time and my goodness it wears well. The sequal is delightful as well. But, I'm still not ready to leave these characters behind. There are adventures yet to be had. I so hope C. K. continues to tell their story.
All right I think this is the fourth time I've read this. This is something I never do. Yet the story is as enjoyable if not more so than the first time I read it. As I told a friend, 'I just started reading Borrowed Light again. Oh my it is such a wonderfully charming, delightful book! I am pretty sure I'm enjoying it more than I ever have because I know what is coming. I find myself giggling and making my feet dance on my bed in anticipation. 😁'
I just finished reading this again and loved it just as much the second time through. It was as wonderful if not more so as the first time. (June 24-26, 2011) Enduring Light, a sequal, is soon to be published. Whoo-hoo!
Well, I've read it for the third time and my goodness it wears well. The sequal is delightful as well. But, I'm still not ready to leave these characters behind. There are adventures yet to be had. I so hope C. K. continues to tell their story.
All right I think this is the fourth time I've read this. This is something I never do. Yet the story is as enjoyable if not more so than the first time I read it. As I told a friend, 'I just started reading Borrowed Light again. Oh my it is such a wonderfully charming, delightful book! I am pretty sure I'm enjoying it more than I ever have because I know what is coming. I find myself giggling and making my feet dance on my bed in anticipation. 😁'
August 30, 2012
This is an LDS romance set in Wyoming in the early 1900s. It is a predictable romance, but I am finding something out about myself. I don't mind predictable endings if the story is good. And Borrowed Light was a feel good, sweet love story. I rated it four stars because it was a great escape read. I could pick the story apart in a lot of ways if I wanted to, but I don't. If you are looking for a deep story line or basically anything other than a happy, good old romance, I wouldn't read this. But I really am looking forward to reading the next one.
March 2, 2011
My Aunt is the author of this book. I found it at Deseret Book in Pocatello. I am really into it & can't wait to see what happens to Julia because of the choice she made to work as a ranchers cook in Wyoming!
This was so great. I'm usually not into LDS novels, but this didn't read like your standard, predictable LDS novel. Carla is such a great writer. I could visualize the whole book. I can't wait to see if she writes a sequel. I could just ask her... she is my aunt. :)
This was so great. I'm usually not into LDS novels, but this didn't read like your standard, predictable LDS novel. Carla is such a great writer. I could visualize the whole book. I can't wait to see if she writes a sequel. I could just ask her... she is my aunt. :)
July 31, 2020
A sweet spiritual and romantic story. The author's style reminds me of Grace Livingston Hill. Gentle humor, strong faith, and a glimpse of the old wild, wild west. Very enjoyable.
This was free on Kindle.
This was free on Kindle.
February 29, 2024
Maybe 2.5, and maybe it was because it was so far off the books I just finished and loved. Read this one for a book club and it isn’t my normal style. I found it slow and nothing really happened until the last 50 pages and then it felt rushed. The overall plot was interesting, but she spends so many words describing little things and few words developing the people in my opinion.
February 28, 2012
I really enjoyed this story about a lady, Julia Darling, who passes on an engagement to a respectable LDS man to go cook for a rancher in wild, desolate Wyoming in 1909. After graduating from cooking school in Boston, Julia is raring to get cooking on that wonderful, albeit greasy, Queen Atlantic stove. I love all the talk of the delicious things she cooked up. I loved her spunk, determination, and her decision to really study and come to know her religion. My only problem was that this book is labeled romance and is a finalist for the Whitney Awards in the romance category, but there wasn't very much romance--hardly any at all. Still, I really did enjoy the story and can't wait for the next book to come out.
December 16, 2012
Unlike Carla Kelly's other books, this one is not her usual regency romances.
It starts out in Salt Lake City in 1909. Julia is uncertain about her engagement that she went to Boston to the Fannie Farmer School Of cookery. Home again after completing the course and still uncertain about her impending marriage, she runs across an ad asking for a cook on a Wyoming ranch. She answers the ad, breaks her engagement and takes the train to Cheyenne where she meets the love of her life. At first religion seems to divide her and Paul Otto as Julia is a Mormon.
This is the first inspirational romance I ever read about the Latter-Day Saints as a background religion. I was not sure I liked that part but the romance part was very good and worth reading.
It starts out in Salt Lake City in 1909. Julia is uncertain about her engagement that she went to Boston to the Fannie Farmer School Of cookery. Home again after completing the course and still uncertain about her impending marriage, she runs across an ad asking for a cook on a Wyoming ranch. She answers the ad, breaks her engagement and takes the train to Cheyenne where she meets the love of her life. At first religion seems to divide her and Paul Otto as Julia is a Mormon.
This is the first inspirational romance I ever read about the Latter-Day Saints as a background religion. I was not sure I liked that part but the romance part was very good and worth reading.
Read
December 16, 2018The most boring and dull historical fiction I have ever read! No matter how hard I tried, the poor plot and writing style never allowed me to finish this read. It's like a torture, not suitable for a bookworm. The characters and their dialogues are very childish. Scenes are also not captivating at all.
Note: This read is like a failed recipe with a poor taste. Not for a reader like me as I like a strong cup of coffee, not a lollipop. No wonder not even a single star from my side.
In short, I quit.
Note: This read is like a failed recipe with a poor taste. Not for a reader like me as I like a strong cup of coffee, not a lollipop. No wonder not even a single star from my side.
In short, I quit.
January 16, 2019
I love most of Carla's writing and this one is no exception. Carla's detail brings the book to life. You are there with each character feeling, thinking, and loving with each one. I love the religious testimony within these pages. I love the hero. I love Julia and her strength. This is just a beautifully written novel.
September 30, 2018
Life is really different for Julia Darling when she leaves Utah for Wyoming. She comes as a cook for a group of men on a ranch. Cute story of her survival among the men as well as the disasters and other turmoil in her life.
February 12, 2022
I loved the cooking parts of this book. I was very hungry while reading. Paul Otto is too much of a Prefect Romance Man type. It was a great easy read. Just fine for what it is and what you’d think you’re getting picking up the book.
February 15, 2020
3.75/5: Not bad for the genre.
November 20, 2012
I am not exactly in the target audience for inspirational romances, but I was curious to see how Carla Kelly would write one. My conclusion -- well!
The good:
+ Very, very funny.
+ The characters are so competent. I love stories that get into the details of what the characters are good at; Borrowed Light does this very, very well, especially for the heroine, Julia. She is a graduate of a Boston cooking school and cooking is basically her superpower. She's also excellent at all kinds of housekeeping, barely fazed by the difficulties of life on a ranch [n.b.: it helps that her employer seems to have an endless supply of money], and Kelly describes Julia's work in ways that make it clear how badass Julia is -- rather than treating housework as insignificant because it is feminine.
+ This is a story in which the Latter-Day Saint heroine temporarily leaves her LDS family and community in order to work on an isolated ranch where no one is LDS, including the ranch owner, who is obviously the hero. One of the major threads of the plot, therefore, is: how will the hero convert to the church so that he can marry Julia? It shouldn't be only for her sake, or it won't be a very good conversion; there needs to be something else that drives him. Since I have read so few inspirational romances, I don't know what the conventions and cliches are, but to me, Kelly's way of solving this problem was nearly perfect (except for the rather hasty winding-up in the end).
+ Actual stakes! I get tired of romances in which the only dangers the protagonists face are miscommunication and scandal. In Borrowed Light, apart from working out their religious beliefs, the hero and heroine have to cope with death of loved ones and natural disaster, not to mention a monumentally filthy kitchen.
The bad:
+ Awkward, at best, handling of a mentally-ill character.
+ Occasional awkward moments about race. One of the hero's parents was Indian and so are some minor characters. I think that Carla Kelly knows a lot more than I do about the tribes in question in this part of history, though that really doesn't mean she hasn't done anything wrong. Given that caveat, I was overall faintly impressed; however, that should be measured against my expectations for the quality of writing by white historical romance authors about characters of color, which are to be found somewhere down in the Mariana Trench.
The good:
+ Very, very funny.
+ The characters are so competent. I love stories that get into the details of what the characters are good at; Borrowed Light does this very, very well, especially for the heroine, Julia. She is a graduate of a Boston cooking school and cooking is basically her superpower. She's also excellent at all kinds of housekeeping, barely fazed by the difficulties of life on a ranch [n.b.: it helps that her employer seems to have an endless supply of money], and Kelly describes Julia's work in ways that make it clear how badass Julia is -- rather than treating housework as insignificant because it is feminine.
+ This is a story in which the Latter-Day Saint heroine temporarily leaves her LDS family and community in order to work on an isolated ranch where no one is LDS, including the ranch owner, who is obviously the hero. One of the major threads of the plot, therefore, is: how will the hero convert to the church so that he can marry Julia? It shouldn't be only for her sake, or it won't be a very good conversion; there needs to be something else that drives him. Since I have read so few inspirational romances, I don't know what the conventions and cliches are, but to me, Kelly's way of solving this problem was nearly perfect (except for the rather hasty winding-up in the end).
+ Actual stakes! I get tired of romances in which the only dangers the protagonists face are miscommunication and scandal. In Borrowed Light, apart from working out their religious beliefs, the hero and heroine have to cope with death of loved ones and natural disaster, not to mention a monumentally filthy kitchen.
The bad:
+ Awkward, at best, handling of a mentally-ill character.
+ Occasional awkward moments about race. One of the hero's parents was Indian and so are some minor characters. I think that Carla Kelly knows a lot more than I do about the tribes in question in this part of history, though that really doesn't mean she hasn't done anything wrong. Given that caveat, I was overall faintly impressed; however, that should be measured against my expectations for the quality of writing by white historical romance authors about characters of color, which are to be found somewhere down in the Mariana Trench.
April 14, 2024
Took me a bit to get into, but it was good
December 3, 2011
I've always liked Kelly's regencies, so when I heard she had written an inspirational romance, I was naturally curious as how that would work. Now, I'm not Mormon, so the Mormon-y bits of this book were a bit over my head, but the underlying spiritual development of the characters in the book is probably common in any religion.
This is the story of Julia Darling of Salt Lake City, graduate of the Fannie Farmer cooking school of Boston, who dumps her calculating fiance and goes to Wyoming to be a cook on a ranch. Her new employer, Paul Otto, has a somewhat mysterious past, and Julia is the only ranch employee who doesn't seem to be an outcast or misfit of some sort. As her contracted year of employment goes on, Julia will experience the dangers of frontier life: the cold, the isolation, the lack of respect for fancy cooking, the brutal range wars between the ranchers and homesteaders, and the prejudices local people have against Mormons. But she will also experience unexpected friendship and love.
This book was very good. There was a theme of children left alone to wander in the wilderness that probably came either from the Bible or the Book of Mormon. There is also crypto-Mormonism in this book, which is kind of weirdly neat. Kelly has always been meticulous in her research, and I discovered some lesser-known things about the settlement of the West. I'm not sure all Kelly's fans are going to be willing to follow her into inspirational territory, but since this book was well-written, non-preachy, and had compelling characters and an interesting storyline, I suspect she'll be picking up quite a few new ones.
This is the story of Julia Darling of Salt Lake City, graduate of the Fannie Farmer cooking school of Boston, who dumps her calculating fiance and goes to Wyoming to be a cook on a ranch. Her new employer, Paul Otto, has a somewhat mysterious past, and Julia is the only ranch employee who doesn't seem to be an outcast or misfit of some sort. As her contracted year of employment goes on, Julia will experience the dangers of frontier life: the cold, the isolation, the lack of respect for fancy cooking, the brutal range wars between the ranchers and homesteaders, and the prejudices local people have against Mormons. But she will also experience unexpected friendship and love.
This book was very good. There was a theme of children left alone to wander in the wilderness that probably came either from the Bible or the Book of Mormon. There is also crypto-Mormonism in this book, which is kind of weirdly neat. Kelly has always been meticulous in her research, and I discovered some lesser-known things about the settlement of the West. I'm not sure all Kelly's fans are going to be willing to follow her into inspirational territory, but since this book was well-written, non-preachy, and had compelling characters and an interesting storyline, I suspect she'll be picking up quite a few new ones.
January 19, 2012
This was a very sweet Christian read with a Mormon twist! Kelly has become a beloved author through her mainstream romances so this, her switch to inspirational, will either be a delight or disappointment depending on ones point of view.
Her easy, engaging style, lovable, believable characters and down to earth warmth are wonderfully present in this Western romance. The character of Julia Darling is a graduate of Fannie Farmer's school of cooking in Boston and prides herself in being able to cook culinary masterpieces, so when she accepts a job cooking for a large ranch full of men in Wyoming, one can imagine the plethora of predicaments she gets herself into while trying to heighten the cowhand's palettes. Her relationship to Mr. Otto, her employer is absolutely dear. In fact this whole book reads like a warm fuzzy on a cold night.
If there are drawbacks it would be in two areas. First, Kelly's attempt at incorporating everyday "Mormonism" into the storyline seems somewhat clumsy in the beginning, almost as if Ms. Kelly is trying a little too hard. It does level out as the book progresses and develops into a more subtle yet integral part of the development. Second, with a "sweet" romance, (NO sexual graphics whatsoever) the emotions of the relationship become paramount to the believability of the romance. When we finally work up to that first kiss, we really want to know how it felt! What was it like? Unfortunately here, there was little more than a mention, then on to cooking dinner.
Still, for a wonderfully clean, delightfully engaging, sweet romance, "Borrowed Light" goes to the top of the list!
Her easy, engaging style, lovable, believable characters and down to earth warmth are wonderfully present in this Western romance. The character of Julia Darling is a graduate of Fannie Farmer's school of cooking in Boston and prides herself in being able to cook culinary masterpieces, so when she accepts a job cooking for a large ranch full of men in Wyoming, one can imagine the plethora of predicaments she gets herself into while trying to heighten the cowhand's palettes. Her relationship to Mr. Otto, her employer is absolutely dear. In fact this whole book reads like a warm fuzzy on a cold night.
If there are drawbacks it would be in two areas. First, Kelly's attempt at incorporating everyday "Mormonism" into the storyline seems somewhat clumsy in the beginning, almost as if Ms. Kelly is trying a little too hard. It does level out as the book progresses and develops into a more subtle yet integral part of the development. Second, with a "sweet" romance, (NO sexual graphics whatsoever) the emotions of the relationship become paramount to the believability of the romance. When we finally work up to that first kiss, we really want to know how it felt! What was it like? Unfortunately here, there was little more than a mention, then on to cooking dinner.
Still, for a wonderfully clean, delightfully engaging, sweet romance, "Borrowed Light" goes to the top of the list!
July 9, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. It is LDS fiction but done in a way that leaves some surprises. The characters are well done and I loved the story. It is the kind of book that makes me sad to finish it and start a new one.
Julia Darling is practically an old maid. An accomplished old maid (a graduate of Miss Farmer’s Cookery School in Boston), but an unmarried young woman living in a culture that prizes marriage and family. She’s engaged but unwilling to set a wedding date and extremely unhappy. In a moment of pure impulse, she responds to an ad from a “longtime rancher” desperate to hire a cook, preferably one who graduated Miss Farmer’s Cooking School. When she gets the job, she begins the adventure of a lifetime.
Mr. Otto (Paul) believes he has just hired a “mature” cook to save him from eating terrible food and is not prepared for the beautiful young woman waiting for him on the train platform. He decides to give her a chance, despite some serious misgivings and the “trouble” she will undoubtedly cause him. And thus begins a beautiful story of two people learning to communicate, to overcome differences (the story of Julia’s first dinner for Mr. Otto and his ranch hands had me in stitches; it’s hilarious!), and to become friends who help one another through trials and growing pains. It’s a truly lovely romance.
Julia is impulsive and a bit too full of herself, but it sure does help her with navigating this tough new world she’s thrown herself into. She is charming and funny and I like the introspection she has throughout the book.
Paul is a really great hero. You just can’t find a better guy, if a bit stubborn. But the things he does throughout the book, the way he treats people, is truly admirable.
James is the sweetest! My heart just broke for him and his truly terrible circumstances, but once again, Mr Otto proves himself as he takes in this sweet boy and cares for him as though he were his own.
Doc, Matt Malloy, Willy Bill, and Kringle are a fun handful of characters.
Alice and Mr Marlowe, the Rudigers, and McLemore make for a fun lot to round out the Wyoming set.
Mama and Papa are great supporters of their daughter. I really loved them. Ezra Quayle has got to figure out how to show someone he loves them.
Brother & Sister Gillespie (Heber & Emma) are such fun. I love how they took Julia under their wing and willingly welcomed her into their home and lives. But I especially loved how they treated Paul.
A couple of quotes I loved from the book:
“‘I suppose no prospect is so dismal that soap and water will not help,’ [Julia] considered.
“She sat down and asked James if he wanted to ask the blessing this time. ‘Just thank the Lord for the food,’ she suggested when he frowned. | ‘Suppose I do it wrong?’ he asked. ‘Will He be angry? | ‘No. I think He just gets sad when we don’t appreciate what we have.’ | He carefully laced his fingers together and bowed his head. ‘It smells so good, Lord,’ he said, after considerable thought. ‘Supper is a great idea,’ he concluded.”
“‘So you’re guilty of feeding hungry people.” He leaned back then, regarding her from more of a distance, as though assessing her. ‘I’d bet my best horse that you told them you were trying out that cooking range and had to do something with all that old food lying around.’ He laughed—he could read her expression like a book. ‘That’s what I thought!’”
Because this is a book about a girl going to cook for a rancher and his hands, there is a lot of talk of food. I kept a list of all the foods Julia ended up cooking throughout the book, and for the sake of kicks and giggles, I’m sharing it here as part of my review.
Coffee
Pears
Cheese
Crackers
Fried eggs
Sausage links
Ham chowder
Cornstarch cake (uses 5 eggs)
Snow cake (uses 2 egg whites)
White Mountain Cream Frosting
Confectioners frosting
Oatmeal with cinnamon
Maraschino cherries
Bananas
Cloves
Cake with cherries and chocolate
Bread & rolls
Stew
Baked Apples
Milk
Pancakes with butter and maple syrup
Connecticut chowder
Split pea soup with ham chunks
Trout (cod)
Farina with raisins
Roast beef and baked beans
Cream cake
Mashed potatoes
Watercress soup (cream of watercress soup)
Toasted cheese
Treacle loaf (with nutmeg and cinnamon)
Hot chocolate
Steak
Hash browns
Duchess potatoes (mashed potatoes, 3 eggs, formed with pastry bag and flower tip)
String bean salad (beans doused in French dressing, arranged like a bonfire surrounded by croutons)
Warm liver salad with perry vinegar dressing
Steak, fried, medium rare (lots of red, but no moo)
Queen cake with opera caramel frosting (ornamental frosting)
Biscuits (baking powder biscuits)
Bow-knot rolls (dainty and pretty)
Potatoes en Surprise (fried potato nests with peas in cream sauce)
Beefsteak with an oyster blanket
Hash browns (real thin and crispy)
Fried chicken (grouse)
White gravy over mashed potatoes
Peas (with no creamy stuff)
Apple pie
Flapjacks (with butter oozing our and maple syrup in rivers)
Saleratus biscuits
Fried fish
“Julia had a meal waiting for them that she knew no one would question: beefsteak broiled, not fried; mashed potatoes so fluffy that Matt Malloy put down his fork and sighed; apples stewed with cinnamon and butter; biscuits so light that Willy Bill cupped his hands over the four on his plate (‘So they won’t fly away’); and deviled eggs that made Doc sit back with an entirely satisfied expressions and murmur something about ‘home in Indiana.’ Even Kringle smiled, which astonished the other hands.”
Scalloped turkey
Tomato jelly salad
Raspberry ice from copper mold in icebox
Wedding cake
Buckwheat pancakes with maple syrup
Cecils (minced beef, rolled I breadcrumbs, eggs, flour, deep fried)
Baked beans
Cream of wheat, well-sugared
Walnut quick bread
Lady fingers
“Tea” (hot water with a sprig of mint)
Chicken and Dumplings
Stewed tomatoes with toasty bits of bread
Oatmeal
Ham
Dried apple pie
Roast with small potatoes
Canned green beans seasoned with bacon
Sour milk biscuits
Prune whip served with cold custard sauce
Gooey butter cake
Warm milk with cinnamon and nutmeg
Popcorn with butter and salt
Cinnamon rolls
Raisin pie
Canned beans and Vienna sausages
Biscuits with butter& honey
Welsh rarebit
Iced cookies
Applesauce pound cake
Pork chops
Chocolate covered maraschino cherries
Black olive and pimento sandwich
French Apple pie
(Type of shoe I hadn’t heard of before: Brogans)
Julia Darling is practically an old maid. An accomplished old maid (a graduate of Miss Farmer’s Cookery School in Boston), but an unmarried young woman living in a culture that prizes marriage and family. She’s engaged but unwilling to set a wedding date and extremely unhappy. In a moment of pure impulse, she responds to an ad from a “longtime rancher” desperate to hire a cook, preferably one who graduated Miss Farmer’s Cooking School. When she gets the job, she begins the adventure of a lifetime.
Mr. Otto (Paul) believes he has just hired a “mature” cook to save him from eating terrible food and is not prepared for the beautiful young woman waiting for him on the train platform. He decides to give her a chance, despite some serious misgivings and the “trouble” she will undoubtedly cause him. And thus begins a beautiful story of two people learning to communicate, to overcome differences (the story of Julia’s first dinner for Mr. Otto and his ranch hands had me in stitches; it’s hilarious!), and to become friends who help one another through trials and growing pains. It’s a truly lovely romance.
Julia is impulsive and a bit too full of herself, but it sure does help her with navigating this tough new world she’s thrown herself into. She is charming and funny and I like the introspection she has throughout the book.
Paul is a really great hero. You just can’t find a better guy, if a bit stubborn. But the things he does throughout the book, the way he treats people, is truly admirable.
James is the sweetest! My heart just broke for him and his truly terrible circumstances, but once again, Mr Otto proves himself as he takes in this sweet boy and cares for him as though he were his own.
Doc, Matt Malloy, Willy Bill, and Kringle are a fun handful of characters.
Alice and Mr Marlowe, the Rudigers, and McLemore make for a fun lot to round out the Wyoming set.
Mama and Papa are great supporters of their daughter. I really loved them. Ezra Quayle has got to figure out how to show someone he loves them.
Brother & Sister Gillespie (Heber & Emma) are such fun. I love how they took Julia under their wing and willingly welcomed her into their home and lives. But I especially loved how they treated Paul.
A couple of quotes I loved from the book:
“‘I suppose no prospect is so dismal that soap and water will not help,’ [Julia] considered.
“She sat down and asked James if he wanted to ask the blessing this time. ‘Just thank the Lord for the food,’ she suggested when he frowned. | ‘Suppose I do it wrong?’ he asked. ‘Will He be angry? | ‘No. I think He just gets sad when we don’t appreciate what we have.’ | He carefully laced his fingers together and bowed his head. ‘It smells so good, Lord,’ he said, after considerable thought. ‘Supper is a great idea,’ he concluded.”
“‘So you’re guilty of feeding hungry people.” He leaned back then, regarding her from more of a distance, as though assessing her. ‘I’d bet my best horse that you told them you were trying out that cooking range and had to do something with all that old food lying around.’ He laughed—he could read her expression like a book. ‘That’s what I thought!’”
Because this is a book about a girl going to cook for a rancher and his hands, there is a lot of talk of food. I kept a list of all the foods Julia ended up cooking throughout the book, and for the sake of kicks and giggles, I’m sharing it here as part of my review.
Coffee
Pears
Cheese
Crackers
Fried eggs
Sausage links
Ham chowder
Cornstarch cake (uses 5 eggs)
Snow cake (uses 2 egg whites)
White Mountain Cream Frosting
Confectioners frosting
Oatmeal with cinnamon
Maraschino cherries
Bananas
Cloves
Cake with cherries and chocolate
Bread & rolls
Stew
Baked Apples
Milk
Pancakes with butter and maple syrup
Connecticut chowder
Split pea soup with ham chunks
Trout (cod)
Farina with raisins
Roast beef and baked beans
Cream cake
Mashed potatoes
Watercress soup (cream of watercress soup)
Toasted cheese
Treacle loaf (with nutmeg and cinnamon)
Hot chocolate
Steak
Hash browns
Duchess potatoes (mashed potatoes, 3 eggs, formed with pastry bag and flower tip)
String bean salad (beans doused in French dressing, arranged like a bonfire surrounded by croutons)
Warm liver salad with perry vinegar dressing
Steak, fried, medium rare (lots of red, but no moo)
Queen cake with opera caramel frosting (ornamental frosting)
Biscuits (baking powder biscuits)
Bow-knot rolls (dainty and pretty)
Potatoes en Surprise (fried potato nests with peas in cream sauce)
Beefsteak with an oyster blanket
Hash browns (real thin and crispy)
Fried chicken (grouse)
White gravy over mashed potatoes
Peas (with no creamy stuff)
Apple pie
Flapjacks (with butter oozing our and maple syrup in rivers)
Saleratus biscuits
Fried fish
“Julia had a meal waiting for them that she knew no one would question: beefsteak broiled, not fried; mashed potatoes so fluffy that Matt Malloy put down his fork and sighed; apples stewed with cinnamon and butter; biscuits so light that Willy Bill cupped his hands over the four on his plate (‘So they won’t fly away’); and deviled eggs that made Doc sit back with an entirely satisfied expressions and murmur something about ‘home in Indiana.’ Even Kringle smiled, which astonished the other hands.”
Scalloped turkey
Tomato jelly salad
Raspberry ice from copper mold in icebox
Wedding cake
Buckwheat pancakes with maple syrup
Cecils (minced beef, rolled I breadcrumbs, eggs, flour, deep fried)
Baked beans
Cream of wheat, well-sugared
Walnut quick bread
Lady fingers
“Tea” (hot water with a sprig of mint)
Chicken and Dumplings
Stewed tomatoes with toasty bits of bread
Oatmeal
Ham
Dried apple pie
Roast with small potatoes
Canned green beans seasoned with bacon
Sour milk biscuits
Prune whip served with cold custard sauce
Gooey butter cake
Warm milk with cinnamon and nutmeg
Popcorn with butter and salt
Cinnamon rolls
Raisin pie
Canned beans and Vienna sausages
Biscuits with butter& honey
Welsh rarebit
Iced cookies
Applesauce pound cake
Pork chops
Chocolate covered maraschino cherries
Black olive and pimento sandwich
French Apple pie
(Type of shoe I hadn’t heard of before: Brogans)
December 25, 2011
From what I have read in reviews, this book is a departure from what Ms. Kelly used to write for Harlequin and I think that has garnered some criticism from her former fans...BUT now that she's writing for an LDS audience (according to her "About the Author" info at the end) I think I may become a big fan! Usually LDS fiction makes me squirm. I always feel a little uncomfortable with the "commercialization" of religion but this story of self-discovery and of the main character discovering her own beliefs and convictions felt so true that I finished feeling uplifted. I loved the realistic feeling of the early 1900s and enjoyed reading about life on a ranch during that period. The characters were believable, flawed and deep. I will definitely be looking forward to more from Carla Kelly under the Cedar Fort Publishing banner!
December 21, 2011
I recently read the book that follows this one and realized that I was missing pieces of the story. I purchased this as a kindle edition, I am glad that I did. All of my questions were answered and I feel comfy and cozy with the second story now! :0)
Julia is in an engagement that she is not excited about. She finds an add placed in the paper for a cook. The rancher is desperate. She packs her bags and heads to the frontier of Wyoming. Happily breaking her engagement in the process.
She discovers a rough and motley crew in Wyoming. It is obvious that the men has been lacking a feminine touch for a long time. She is awkward and makes several blunders until she begins to feel at peace and at home with all of the guys.
Romance does bloom, fortunately for us, it takes awhile into the story. It is wonderful to see relationships and trust grow before romance comes in.
Julia is in an engagement that she is not excited about. She finds an add placed in the paper for a cook. The rancher is desperate. She packs her bags and heads to the frontier of Wyoming. Happily breaking her engagement in the process.
She discovers a rough and motley crew in Wyoming. It is obvious that the men has been lacking a feminine touch for a long time. She is awkward and makes several blunders until she begins to feel at peace and at home with all of the guys.
Romance does bloom, fortunately for us, it takes awhile into the story. It is wonderful to see relationships and trust grow before romance comes in.
February 10, 2015
I'm not a religious person at all but I love Carla Kelly so much I decided to give it a shot.
Kelly's writing is brilliant and her characters are still amazing so I'm definitely liking this book. But if I'm being honest, the religious part was a little annoying.
I certainly felt Kelly's unique style and that is what kept me going, but I could not relate to the spiritual parts :/
Basically I have nothing to complain about since it IS a Lds Fiction...
It is still a well written and a heart warming story.
Kelly's writing is brilliant and her characters are still amazing so I'm definitely liking this book. But if I'm being honest, the religious part was a little annoying.
I certainly felt Kelly's unique style and that is what kept me going, but I could not relate to the spiritual parts :/
Basically I have nothing to complain about since it IS a Lds Fiction...
It is still a well written and a heart warming story.
March 3, 2011
This Mormon-inspirational romance was a better book than Kelly's last Regency Romance, The Admiral's Penniless Bride. Interesting characters and a lot of fun, historical detail. (Although I find it hard to believe that, even back in 1909, someone might think that warm liver salad was worth cooking!) The end of the book is going to be a lot more meaningful for someone who is Mormon, I think, but the book is full of Kelly's usual warmth, humor and historical detail and is definitely worth reading.
March 26, 2011
I enjoy this authors writing but can't recomend all her books as I have learned that it depends on the publisher as to the amount of sexual content. I'm really glad to have her writing for a publisher that I can comfortably read and enjoy. Her heroines talk to themselves and have a sense of humor.
Now this book. A young woman breaks her engagement and answers an add to be a cook (after all she had attended the Fannie Farmer Boston School of Cookery) on a ranch in Wyoming. Facing her trials there she has to find her own testimony.
Now this book. A young woman breaks her engagement and answers an add to be a cook (after all she had attended the Fannie Farmer Boston School of Cookery) on a ranch in Wyoming. Facing her trials there she has to find her own testimony.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 406 reviews