"Sixty Acres and a Bride" Blog Tour

She's Finally Found a Place to Call Home... How Far Will She Go to Save It?

About the book:
With nothing to their names, young widow Rosa Garner and her mother-in-law return to their Texas family ranch. Only now the county is demanding back taxes and the women have just three months to pay.

Though facing eviction, Rosa falls in love with the countryside and the wonderful extended family who want only her best. They welcome her vivacious spirit and try to help her navigate puzzling American customs. She can't help but stand out, though, and her beauty captures attention.

Where some offer help with dangerous strings attached, only one man seems honorable. But when Weston Garner, still grieving his own lost love, is unprepared to give his heart, Rosa must decide to what lengths she will go to save her future.

Read an excerpt: here.
Buy the book here

About the Author:

Regina Jennings is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University with a degree in English and a history minor. She has worked at The Mustang News and First Baptist Church of Mustang, along with time at the Oklahoma National Stockyards and various livestock shows. She now lives outside Oklahoma City with her husband and four children. Meet Regina here.

Learn more about Regina by visiting her website, http://www.reginajennings.com/.


My Take:

After reading the synopsis for this book and starting to read the first few chapters, I really had no idea that this book was loosely based on the story of Ruth and Boaz. Once I figured that out (OK, maybe I’m a little slow…), the story became much more interesting. I loved the parallels between Rosa leaving her family and her culture to what Ruth did for Naomi in the Bible. Rosa’s love for her mother-in-law shined through the darkness that they had faced in Mexico and would help them in the trials to come in Texas.

While I thought the overall story was extremely interesting and engaging, the writing style was just not to my liking. Maybe I am missing something, since almost every review I have read has not mentioned this, but I felt lost on the details surrounding the main story many, many times. Even after completely finishing the book, l couldn’t sit down and explain to you exactly what happened in Mexico with Louise and Rosa and the death of their husbands. I definitely couldn’t tell you precisely what happened to Weston’s first wife. But, maybe that was what the author was going for. To me, though, most of the time things just felt too vague.

As for the romance between Weston and Rosa, I enjoyed their relationship while they were getting to know one another. The dance scene in the barn was amazing. But then I just got frustrated with them. They seemed to act like junior high kids there towards the end. (Does she like me? Is he looking at me?) I will say that even though they started to annoy me, the conclusion was still satisfactory.

I guess I just don’t know how I feel about this book. The story was such a great idea. I really enjoyed having a Mexican young women as the main character – her adjustment to American culture was sometimes funny, sometimes sad, but very endearing. The characters had their faults, but they did grow in their faith along the way. I just thought the book was hard to read, since it was so vague with it’s wording a lot of the time.

The story in Sixty Acres and a Bride was good, and if you read it, that’s what you should focus on. And then go read about Ruth and Boaz – always a good reminder of the faithfulness of our great God.

 

I will give Sixty Acres and a Bride … 3 BookWorms.

See what others are saying about the book here.


The Contest:

Celebrate with Regina by entering to win a Kindle Fire and coming to her
Author Chat Party on 3/27!

One fortunate winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire
• Sixty Acres and a Bride by Regina Jennings

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends 3/26/12. Winner will be announced at Regina's Author Chat Facebook Party on 3/27. Regina will be hosting an evening of chat, fun trivia and more! She'll also be giving away some GREAT prizes: gift certificates, books, and some beautiful silver jewerly!

So grab your copy of Sixty Acres and a Bride and join Regina and

friends on the evening of March 27th for an evening of fun.

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP TODAY and tell your friends
via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your
chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 27th!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."