Great book. It was well-written, every bit of it.I really enjoyed all of this novel, but I must admit that I didn't care for this one as much as I did the others. I missed home. I missed the quiet togetherness, the bubbling family, the heart-to-heart chats. Yes, they had some of those in there, but once Belinda moved to Boston with Mrs. Stafford-Smyth (don't worry, it's not spoiling much), and maybe even before that, the book just began to decline. Janette Oke did a good job at portraying Belinda's boredom. I was getting just as bored as she was.Can't remember if I laughed or cried – I probably did a bit of both.In truth, this was a really great book. But the last fifth of the novel was a bit slow for me and I missed how it used to be.But all-in-all, it was a great book and Janette Oke fans should love it.(*SPOILER ALERT!!!*)Belinda was a really great character. I enjoyed reading from her view though I don't believe I connected with her quite as well as I did with Marty. She was really sweet, and ambitious, and generous, and innocent. I was feeling restless alongside Belinda. I wonder if her renewing her relationship with God will help.Mrs. Stafford-Smyth was a nice character. I really felt sorry for the woman. All that wealth and yet she seems so lonely and, well, alone. No matter how much money you have you can't buy love. I'm glad Belinda is such a good friend and help to her.Marty and Clark were as kind, sweet, and endearing as ever. I miss them.Melissa and Amy Jo were great. I'm glad they both were able to find love and settle down though I am sad they're way out west.Jackson was really a sweetheart. So confident, and charming, and mature. I hope he finds a wonderful girl to fall hopelessly in love with.Rand was sweet too. Though I must admit I am very glad Belinda did not fall in love with him, wonderful though he is.Luke was a great brother and doctor. Arnie was such a sweet and loving father. The rift between the family was so tragic. I've never seen anything that split them like that. It was so sad. I am so very very grateful that they were able to heal and move on in harmony.I'm also glad nothing happened with Pierre. Windsor was pretty nice, as was the rest of the staff.Where in the stinkin' world is Drew?!?! It didn't mention him even once! Didn't spare one single paragraph or even a sentence to tell me where he is or how he's doing or, or something.I'm still holding out for Drew though I have this terrible feeling that they won't end up together. Nooo!I can't believe it. I only have one book left in the series. Only one! I can hardly believe it. It's all gonna be over! No more Marty, Clark, or any of them. So sad! I'm mourning this parting! :(
Mixed feelings on this book. It can basically be divided into two parts (much like the 3rd book of this series when Missie moves out west): the time Belinda spends in her home town being courted and the time she spends in Boston in high society. I like how Belinda is so devoted to her nurse work, yet she seems not to miss it too much when she goes to Boston? I know she feels like she's being lazy, but there was no mention of "shouldn't I be helping people who actually need help?". I know she repents of not paying attention to God at the end of the book, but that's not really tying up loose ends. Another thing I don't like is how much time is dedicated to her love triangle in the first half of the book. I'm not into romance too much and that was a very romancey part. Then again, she chooses not to just get married right away because others her age are, which I really appreciated. Over all I feel like some ends need to be tied up, so off to the last book in the series!
What do You think about Love Takes Wing (2004)?
Thoughts on the entire series.Yes, I’ve switched to put the editions from the 80s on my Read shelf, since those are the ones I read and own, and I’m partial to the stories in all of their old-fashionedness, before the updated covers and later book edits that have gone into newer editions. (I didn’t read all of these in large print, but the cover art is the same.)The first book, Love Comes Softly, was the first I ever read by Oke, my introduction into her sweet, warm, and simplistic style of storytelling that would make her one of my all-time favorite authors, up there with Henry James and L.M. Montgomery. Yes, I love my classic authors with their legendary works, but there’s something to be said for an author who just tells a plain story that gets at readers’ hearts.The first three books of the series are my favorites, but the series is well worth reading in its entirety. A pity the film versions from Hallmark gradually strayed so incredibly far from the original stories. The films are enjoyable in and of themselves, but if you’ve only seen the films, you’d do well to see what Oke actually wrote about Clark, Marty, and the rest of these folks.
—Nadine Keels
Book 7 in the Love Comes Softly series.Dr. Luke has trained his young sister Belinda very well and she is now his full time nurse. She is very serious about her career, but soon realizes the sacrifices she has made to follow her dream. She can't help but feel a little jealous as her family and friends move on, get married and start their own families. Her normal routine gets the awakening it needs when an elderly woman is suddenly in need of constant medical care. Belinda becomes her personal nurse and finds herself moving to Boston and being introduced to a totally different lifestyle than she was accustomed to on the prairie. It is a thrilling and invigorating experience at first, but she still feels like her life is missing something.
—Kimberly
I have found it very interesting how much the later books have meant to me in this time of reading ... as I have grown older, my "place" in the books has changed, and different ones are meaning more. This one is special for me this time, because I understand many of the feelings of the young Belinda, but also relate well to the feelings of her parents, as well as the elderly matron she is hired to "nurse". And I have been chastised by the reminder that God wants to be with us where ever we go, and I fear I, too, have been guilty of leaving Him behind sometimes.April 2015 ... thoroughly enjoying the series again, especially the later books, which I've not read as many times, and therefore don't remember all the details before I read them again. Love spending time with this wonderful Christian family. Although fiction, they are certainly an inspiration to me.
—Joy Gerbode
