CFBA: The Midwife's Tale by Delia Parr

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing:
The Midwife’s Tale Bethany House Publishers (June 2, 2015) by Delia Parr


MY TAKE: 

This wonderful book, was not what I expected. Although not heavily marketed as a romance, romance is what I expected. What I found was a delightful story full of mystery, excitement and drama. The romance is lovely, but feels almost secondary to the real story - the discovery Martha Cade makes about herself as a middle aged widow and mother. What a great journey of discovery! She's strong and sassy and independent, but discovers as much of a blessing those traits are, there are times to be weak and humble and dependent on others. It may seem like a common theme, but the story is anything but common.

One of the things I enjoyed most about the story, could also be the one I should caution other readers about the most. Martha is a Midwife and delivers many babies in the story. I find the practice as well as naturopathic medicine really interesting, so it was great to see the research the author had applied. The deliveries are VERY realistic. To the point of describing them in detail using proper anatomical terms. Although I didn't find the use offensive in it's context, reading the word "vulva" in a Christian Romance novel did surprise me! lol. :) I think the author was extremely tasteful in her language and everything was clinical, but because I know there are a small number who would want to know this before reading it themselves, or giving it to a younger reader, I choose to share it here.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed The Midwife's Tale. Delia Parr did a beautiful job and I would recommend this read to anyone that enjoys this genre.


ABOUT THE BOOK:

Martha Cade comes from a long line of midwives who have served the families of Trinity, Pennsylvania, for generations. A widow with two grown children, she's hopeful that her daughter will follow in her footsteps, but when Victoria runs off, Martha's world is shattered.

Worse, a new doctor has arrived in town, threatening her job, and she can't remember a time when her faith has been tested more. Still determined to do the work she knows God intended for her, Martha is unprepared for all that waits ahead. Whether it's trying to stop a town scandal, mending broken relationships, or feeling the first whispers of an unexpected romance, she faces every trial and every opportunity with hope and faith.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Midwife’s Tale, go HERE.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Delia Parr is the author of sixteen historical and inspirational historical romance novels, including Hearts Awakening, Love's First Bloom, and Hidden Affections. The mother of three grown children, she was a long-time high school teacher in southern New Jersey before retiring to Florida.

CFBA: Hidden Affections by Delia Parr

Song Stuck on the Brain: Hawaii Five-O Theme music

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing:

Hidden Affections

Bethany House (May 1, 2011)


by


Delia Parr



MY TAKE:

Who doesn't love a good shotgun wedding story? Seven Brides For Seven Brothers has got to be one of my favorites, but the Pontapy brother's ended their story with shotguns and very willing brides. Delia Parr has stepped up the tension and told the story in a new way.

I was surprised to find the first page marrying Annabelle and Harrison. Whoa! What happened? How did they get here? Why are they handcuffed? Although answers come quickly enough, there are always fresh questions to keep you reading. Harrison tries to be unlikable, or at least make you believe he doesn't care if he's liked, yet through Annabelle's eyes you see right past his defenses. He's wonderful hero and you quickly forgive his flaws because you know deep down, he's a real man. Annabelle is strong and independent and loving. She has her weaknesses, but she's not a helpless flower and together they make a perfect match. I loved watching what seemed to be an impossible situation become the perfect plan God intended it to be for Harrison and Annabelle.



ABOUT THE BOOK:

Betrayed by her husband, Annabelle Tyler wears the burden of legally being a divorcee, a difficult position for an upstanding young woman to find herself in.

While attempting to start a new life for herself, an unexpected turn of events once again has Annabelle married--this time to Harrison Graymoor, the most eligible, yet elusive, bachelor in Philadelphia. Harrison assures her that he will secure an annulment immediately, unaware that the constable has sent word of the marriage to the press in Philadelphia. And here things continue to go awry.

Harrison's past, a philanthropic cousin with his eye on Annabelle, and the appearance of Annabelle's ex-husband threaten the tentative relationship growing between Harrison and his "wife." For two individuals set against marriage, there are certainly a lot of second thoughts regarding the one forced upon them.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Hidden Affections, go HERE.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Delia Parr, pen name for Mary Lechleidner, is the author of 10 historical novels and the winner of several awards, including the Laurel Wreath Award for Historical Romance and the Aspen Gold Award for Best Inspirational Book. She is a full-time high school teacher who spends her summer vacations writing and kayaking. The mother of three grown children, she lives in Collingswood, New Jersey.

CFBA: Love's First Bloom by Delia Parr

Song Stuck on the Brain: A Girl Worth Fighting For from Mulan

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing:
Love's First Bloom
Bethany House; Original edition (September 1, 2010)



by


Delia Parr



MY TAKE:

This was such a great read. Ruth's situation as the reviled minister's daughter in hiding, was a fantastic premise. Delia did a great job of really backing Ruth into a corner so to speak, showing just how much our lives can fall apart, and yet we still find love and hope. I love to find characters I can identify with, and Ruth's loss hit home. So did her care of little Lilly. I've been there. It's a great love story, with mystery and spunk to keep it lively.



ABOUT THE BOOK:

Ruth Livingstone's life changes drastically the day her father puts a young child in her arms and sends her to a small village in New Jersey under an assumed name. There Ruth pretends to be a widow and quietly secludes herself until her father is acquitted of a crime.

But with the emergence of the penny press, the imagination of the reading public is stirred, and her father's trial stands center stage. Asher Tripp is the brash newspaperman who determines that this case is the event he can use to redeem himself as a journalist.

Ruth finds solace tending a garden along the banks of the Toms River--a place where she can find a measure of peace in the midst of the sorrow that continues to build. It is also here that Asher Tripp finds a temporary residence, all in an attempt to discover if the lovely creature known as Widow Malloy is truly Ruth Livingstone, the woman every newspaper has been looking for.

Love begins to slowly bloom...but is the affection they share strong enough to withstand the secrets that separate them?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Love's First Bloom, go HERE.




ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Delia Parr, pen name for Mary Lechleidner, is the author of 10 historical novels and the winner of several awards, including the Laurel Wreath Award for Historical Romance and the Aspen Gold Award for Best Inspirational Book. She is a full-time high school teacher who spends her summer vacations writing and kayaking. The mother of three grown children, she lives in Collingswood, New Jersey.

CFBA: Hearts Awakening by Delia Parr

Song Stuck on the Brain: Thanks to Lost, I've got "Catch a Falling Star" running through my head.

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing:

Hearts Awakening
Bethany House (March 1, 2010)

by

Delia Parr

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Two people in desperate circumstances. Life has left few choices for Elvira Kilmer. Her hopes for marriage and a family of her own have long since passed her by, and her arrival on Dillon's Island, nestled in the Susquehanna River, is not of her choosing, either.

She needs work. And Jackson Smith needs a housekeeper. Yet Ellie never imagined the widower would be so young...so handsome. Jackson, on the other hand, has never met anyone quite so...plain. But he quickly comes to realize that Ellie's presence may solve his own problems--both the rearing of his young boys and the scandal that surrounds his first marriage.

When Jackson offers her something quite out of the ordinary, will Ellie look beyond mere necessity and risk opening her heart?

Yet what options does she have? To marry would mean a home and stability. So despite the rumors circling Jackson and his first wife, Ellie accepts this unlikely proposal...

If you would like to read the first chapter of Hearts Awakening, go HERE.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Delia Parr, pen name for Mary Lechleidner, is the author of 10 historical novels and the winner of several awards, including the Laurel Wreath Award for Historical Romance and the Aspen Gold Award for Best Inspirational Book. She is a full-time high school teacher who spends her summer vacations writing and kayaking. The mother of three grown children, she lives in Collingswood, New Jersey.